The Night the River Wept

Two decades ago, three young boys were found murdered on the shores of Georgia’s Deck River. Because the Brodericks came from the wrong side of the tracks, it was all too easy to point the finger at their disadvantaged family and sweep any loose ends under the rug. When Arlene, hoping to take her mind off a recent miscarriage, gets a job as an evidence clerk, she unearths the cold case and is determined to find the truth. Patrick (The Floating Girls) lays the groundwork for an emotional, atmospheric small-town mystery. Unfortunately, a disconnect in tone makes the story more slapstick than suspenseful; from murder to miscarriage, everything is treated with an unnerving nonchalance. Narrators Daniela Acitelli and Paul Brion only further this disparity, with Acitelli sounding much older than the 24-year-old Arlene and Brion presenting what could be compelling insight into a murderer’s mind with little flair or feeling.