Stepping away from her usual spice and seduction, Thornbird is a new direction for E. Kennedy (a.k.a. Elle Kennedy), author of the now-infamous Off-Campus book series. Focused on a younger audience, with higher stakes and some serious intrigue, Thornbird highlights the literary range that has made Kennedy a best-selling author.
Ryan Shipley has been sent to live with her estranged aunt (her mum’s sister) and family in Starling, Tennessee for grade twelve. But her name wasn’t always Ryan Shipley. And her dad is the Starling Slayer, currently on death row for the murder of seven women (eight if you count Ryan’s mum, but no one else seems to). Ryan’s aunt and uncle agree to keep her identity secret, for their family’s sake as well as Ryan’s.
The Starling Slayer never revealed where his victims’ bodies were left, and with the anniversary of his arrest and his execution date fast approaching, the town is drawing extra attention. Ryan wants to fly under the radar, but with the attention of her football-star neighbour, his bad-boy bestie, and the local high school investigative blogger, she wonders how much longer she can keep her identity hidden.
With tension and high stakes flying high from the first page, Thornbird is a thriller with an incredibly personal touch. There’s no chase to catch a killer – he’s already in jail. There’s no race against the clock – he won’t tell where the bodies are. There’s just Ryan and all the secrets she’s kept caged inside for ten years. Kennedy explores the other side of a horrific crime by asking What happens to the bay guy’s unsuspecting family after he’s caught?
Examining acceptance, prejudice, unconscious bias and how blood ties us to family no matter how we try to escape, Thornbird beautifully flits between edge-of-your-seat tension and a coming-of-age journey. Capital punishment discussions sit alongside first kisses, while official-looking documents from a fictional online forum offer details of the crime and victims. With open and inviting language, characters that make you care more than expected, and a crime that is heartbreaking in both its execution and state of incompletion, Kennedy draws readers into a world that feels like it could be right next door or a whole world away.
With descriptions of crimes, acts of violence, and the state of dead bodies included, some discretion should be advised, but it’s suitable for readers aged 14 years+.
