When Cicadas Cry: A Novel

Reviews

1. 

   Holly B. Yingling – September 12, 2024

   Fantastic read.
   Kept you guessing till the end. Great characters. Can’t wait for her next book. This is the kind of book, you can’t wait to finish, but you don’t want it to end. I highly recommend this book.

2. 

   Roberta Austin – September 12, 2024

   A Fabulous Southern Story
   A young black man is found at a murder scene with blood from a young white woman on him. She has been brutally bludgeoned to death with an altar cross. It seems to be an open and shut case. A lawyer takes on the case, believing there is more to the crime. The woman is the daughter of a rich and powerful man so it’s going to be an uphill battle to discover what really happened. Of course, there are many underlying secrets in the mix.Thirty-four years ago two young women were found murdered and that was connected to a big party at Edisto Beach. Are these two murders, one current and one a cold case, connected in some way? Will looking into the old case be dangerous?Author Caroline Cleveland’s debut novel is an excellent physiological thriller. I am not always good at guessing who the killer is. It wasn’t clear to me despite short asides from the killer. I thought the ending was perfect. The suspense toward the end had me engaged and flipping the pages as fast as I could.The characters and setting felt authentic and relatable, even the ones who weren’t very unlikable. The author’s notes at the end brought back sad, but important facts. I am very fond of books with Southern settings. I was born in the South and after 12 years moving with my Army father, I came back to the South for college and have lived in Georgia most of my adult life. Yes, there are still many issues in the South, but those issues are basically everywhere. Most Southerners are storytellers which I love. With author Caroline Cleveland, I have discovered a fabulous storyteller. I look forward to more novels from her.

3. 

   Gloria Blanton – September 12, 2024

   Fantastic book!
   Page turner! Hard toPut down.

4. 

   Andrew L. Abrams – September 12, 2024

   A Gripping Murder Mystery in the “Old” New South
   The murder mystery space is currently crowded (some might argue overcrowded) with offerings, many of which are not only forgettable but also formulaic. What a wonderful treat is was, therefore, to discover When Cicadas Cry by Caroline Cleveland– a riveting page-turner that was neither formulaic nor forgettable. Quite the opposite, it has already generated considerable discussion among our family and friends as it uses the murder mystery motif as a structure to look at deeper, more complicated, and more deeply seeded issues of race and, to a lesser extent, gender in the New South. One reviewer characterized the book as a cross between John Grisham and Harper Lee– a characterization that I would not disagree with actually. Caroline Cleveland, as a Southerner and a lawyer, even as she allows the hunt for the killer to unfold has elevated the story above the standard murder mystery and has managed to capture the fragility of race relations in our country, in general, and in the South, in particular. Refreshingly, she does so in a non-judgmental way and, instead, points out the complexity and nuances of the world we currently live in and how this impacts the rule of law and the administration of justice. And while this strand is neatly woven throughout the book, it remains a subtext to what at its core is an engrossing story, amazingly well-told. I once read an author explain that their goal was to end each chapter having the reader wanting to read the next chapter immediately. That is most definitely the case with When Cicadas Cry– I couldn’t come to bed until I had found out “whodunnit” and why! I was stunned to learn that this was the first book written by Ms. Cleveland, because it has the skill and power of a seasoned writer. So in addition to wanting the read the next chapter of this book, I am now eager to see (read) what she has in store for us next!

5. 

   KLDVB – September 12, 2024

   Excellent until the end
   I was so excited with this author as she is a South Carolinian raised in Walterboro, SC and familiar with Edisto Beach where I have spend so much time during my 85 years.. The writing was excellent and she has great potential but the ending was somewhat unrealistic. As one reviewer said it turned into an action novel at the end which in my opinion took away from the story.

6. 

   Amazon Customer – September 12, 2024

   Pride of Palmetto
   This book was FANTASTIC!! I couldn’t it down! So proud of a South Carolina girl for writing it!! Can’t wait for her next book!!!!