2.5/5

This book took me SO long to get through and I've finally figured out why.

First things first, the fact that this book is categorized as a mystery is misleading. This book is not a mystery, at least not in the sense that the reader is meant to solve said mystery alongside the protagonist, leading to a dramatic finale in which "Oh, I should have seen it all along!" In fact, the campus murders that are referenced on the back cover's blurb occur in the background, nearly secondary to the plot. Actually, this book is a subtle story that tracks a woman from her sorority days in college for twenty years, with frequent reflections on how the murders personally affected her through the passage of time.

As far as the writing goes, I will say that technically, the skill level is sound. Lennon certainly has a way of filling up the page with rich detail, detail that fully brings the reader into the characters' lives. However, in my opinion, this book was just too heavy handed with the detail. To be honest, not much actually happened; if I were to edit all the description, I could cut the book in half. There weren't any shock moments, really no twists (except if you want to count the last revelation in the final ten pages of the book, although even that made me "eh"), and altogether I just wished that MORE happened.

I think that if you're searching for a slow burning and rich, detailed book that chronicles young adulthood in the 1990s, from city living, sex, and the party and drug scene, you really might be into this one.

And can we give the cover artist credit, too??? Swoon.

I received a complimentary, uncorrected proof of The Drifter in a Goodreads Giveaway.