Publishers Weekly
08/29/2022
A small Alabama town confronts a decades-old secret in the atmospheric latest from Denton (The One You’re With). Sisters Violet and Trudy Figg have lived in the sleepy town of Sugar Bend since they were born, and now in their later years, they enjoy a quiet life running an arts and crafts store. However, their idyllic lives belie their troubled past: the mother who left when the sisters were in high school, the abusive father who died in a drunk driving accident, and Trudy’s brief marriage to Jay Malone, the charismatic owner of an ice cream store franchise who abused Trudy. Jay vanished in the early 1980s, and Trudy hasn’t spoken a word since for reasons she’s never explained, communicating only through written notes. Then the boat that Jay was last seen in washes up on a riverbank and the mystery of Jay’s fate piques the interest of a journalist and police offer, whose investigations threaten to dredge up an acrimonious past. Denton masterfully paces this slow-burn mystery and vividly renders the dark undercurrent of small-town life, exemplified in the residents’ unwillingness to believe that beloved local celebrity Jay was abusive. This thriller will keep readers on the edge of their seats. (Oct.)
New York Times bestselling author of The Wedding V Kristy Woodson Harvey
A Lauren K. Denton novel is like a whispered secret from a dear friend, and her latest lyrical stunner is no exception. A Place to Land captures the gray areas of life in all their complexity and questions whether we can ever really move on from the past. In a story of sisterhood and small-town secrets, Denton proves that, in our lives, like our art, there is always a chance to create beauty from the brokenness. Denton is a masterful storyteller who makes magic on every perfect page.
USA TODAY bestselling author of The Nature of Frag Susan Meissner
Lauren K. Denton is a master at crafting deeply meaningful stories that explore the relationships that give life purpose, beauty, and richness. A Place to Land is a touching tribute to sisterhood, first loves, and promises kept.
Nashville Book Review
Denton takes familiar themes, wraps them around compelling characters, then adds a bit of magical realism fitting to the setting. Sugar Bend feels real, gritty with salt and sand and small-town folks you'd want to meet on vacation. A Place to Land is a trip on the river you'll be glad you took.
New York Journal of Books
Lauren Denton unfurls a mystery by reconciling a buried past with a modern-day story set in a town with vibrant characters brimming with Southern charm.
