A stranded detective tries to solve a murder in a tiny Alaskan town where everyone lives in a single high-rise building, in this gripping debut by an Academy Award–nominated screenwriter.

Book blurb

When a local teenager discovers a severed hand and foot washed up on the shore of the small town of Point Mettier, Alaska, Cara Kennedy is on the case. A detective from Anchorage, she has her own motives for investigating the possible murder in this isolated place, which can be accessed only by a tunnel.

After a blizzard causes the tunnel to close indefinitely, Cara is stuck among the odd and suspicious residents of the town—all 205 of whom live in the same high-rise building and are as icy as the weather. Cara teams up with Point Mettier police officer Joe Barkowski, but before long the investigation is upended by fearsome gang members from a nearby native village.

Haunted by her past, Cara soon discovers that everyone in this town has something to hide. Will she be able to unravel their secrets before she unravels?

My thoughts

We follow Cara as she arrives in the bleak Alaskan city of Point Mettier. A police officer who arrives after body parts are found washed ashore. We then get chapters from three different sources – Cara, Amy and Lonnie – each clearly identified as we learn more of the city, the people and who the body parts belong to. Cara lost her husband and son and is still grieving for them. She believes that her personal tragedy is linked to what was found in Port Mettier but can that really be the case?

There are some terrific characters in the book – Lonnie, Amy, JB, Chief Shipley, Chuck Marino, Ellie, Mrs Wright, Mrs Blackmon, Ma and Mariko Ishida alongside Cara. They are a great cast that support the three main characters bringing humour, depth and red herrings to the story. They each have a story of their own which to a greater or lesser degree we will be privy to as the story progresses.

The questions are who do the body parts belong to? Was it an accident or was there something else that happened to the owner? Does it have anything to do with Port Mettier or is it just that the tides have brought them? If it’s linked to the City what’s the link? Will Cara and JB, who has gained Cara’s trust, work it all out?

This is a fascinating book with an oppressive and unique setting which ultimately makes for a very compelling read.

I have to say it took me a little while to really get into this book but as I read it something just clicked and it really started to grip my attention and I ended up thoroughly enjoying it. I’ve even bought the next book in the series so I’m happy to recommend City Under One Roof by Iris Yamashita.

Book: Purchased

A Virtual Crime Book Club

I had every intention of returning to the book club this month and read the book but unfortunately couldn’t attend which was especially disappointing as the author joined the group. However I was able to watch it on YouTube, as you can too – but remember that there will be spoilers !

Information

Published: Berkley (10 Jan. 2023) | ISBN: 0593336674 |304pp

Buy: Hive | Bookshop.org | AmazonSmileUK | Your local library | Your local bookshop

Whittier, Alaska – ‘The Town Under One Roof’

Author: Born in Missouri, raised in Hawaii and having lived in Guam, California, and Japan, Iris Yamashita was able to experience a diversity of culture while growing up. She studied engineering at U.C. San Diego and U.C. Berkeley and also spent a year at the University of Tokyo studying virtual reality. Her first love, however, has always been fiction writing which she pursued as a hobby on the side.

Iris submitted her first screenplay to a competition where she was discovered by an agent at the Creative Artists Agency (CAA) who offered to represent her. Her big break came when she was recruited to write the script LETTERS FROM IWO JIMA for Clint Eastwood. LETTERS was named “Best Picture” by both the National Board of Review and the Los Angeles Film Critics Association. It received a Golden Globe award for “Best Foreign Language Film” of 2006 and was nominated for 4 Oscars including “Best Picture” and “Best Original Screenplay.”

CITY UNDER ONE ROOF is her debut mystery novel set in a tiny Alaskan town where everyone lives in a single high-rise building.

Iris continues to work in Hollywood, developing for both film and streaming media and has also dabbled in writing a musical for a Japanese theme park with Tony Award-winning composer, Jeanine Tesori. She has taught screenwriting at the University of California, Los Angeles and the American Film Institute.

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Books

City Under One Roof | Village in the Dark