Black-Eyed Susans

Heaberlin (Lie Still) weaves a story taking place over the course of nearly two decades that concerns a serial killer, his sole surviving victim, and the man on death row who may have been falsely convicted. Sixteen-year-old Tessie was found barely alive in a grave of four victims and nicknamed Black-Eyed Susan by the press because of the flowers found near the site. Almost 20 years later, she's the single mom of a daughter about that age, and the killer she sent to prison is set to be executed. Then a plot of black-eyed susans appears outside her home. This opens up old wounds and a worry that the killer is still out there taunting her. The author goes back and forth between the 16-year-old Tessie and the older Tessa who chooses to work with lawyers trying to stop the execution. The transitions between the past and present can be swift and slightly confusing, even with Whitney Dykhouse and Karen Peakes alternating narration. Also, the end seems a bit abrupt considering the more leisurely pace of the rest of the novel.