Jackie Newsome's best friend is dead, and everyone knows who killed her. Jackie is an ex-emotional eater and mother of four, who has finally lost the weight she long yearned to be free of. But leaving her old self behind proves harder than she ever imagined. She believes she should be happier, but misery still chases her, and motherhood threatens to consume her. Her only salve is Theresa, her best friend whose life she desperately covets. Their bond is tight, but it doesn't stop Jackie from having an affair with Theresa's husband, Adam. And when Theresa catches Jackie in the act, the consequences ripple far beyond the ruins of their friendship.
Their story, although one not uncommon in the genre, is uniquely told through a combination of lovely prose, relentless character study, and a twisting combination of lust and tension. Hunter...ensures that the characters and the crime alike are richly explored ... She uses a variety of viewpoints to give readers an encompassing look at the circumstances surrounding Theresa’s death. Some readers may find the shifts in viewpoint off-putting at first, but once the tale begins to unfold, the structure feels more natural, even helpful to escalating the mystery at its core ... Hunter writes beautifully and masterfully ratchets up the tension. Still, there are instances where the novel’s psychological insight is lacking, particularly with the men ... Nonetheless, Hot Springs Drive is filled with memorable prose and fascinating characters...penned by a fearless writer with an enviable eye for detail.
In this darkly truthful novel of the dangerous power of desire, both one’s own and that of others, Hunter’s writing burns like a candle in the wind and readers will race to collect each cascading drip.
Hunter’s lyrical writing performs the miracles here; while Jackie herself is hard to sympathize with, Hunter captures her complex humanity in stirring and gorgeous prose ... Tragic to the core—and yet, there is beauty in the telling.
