When a young woman, a golf prodigy, kills a caddy with a stray ball at the country club, the investigation of this freak accident reveals a dark and shocking tale of secret affairs, predatory men, and a teenager on trial.
Bohjalian’s wonderful book is a morality tale, a snapshot of a strange, careless time in a particular slice of America, a psychological exploration of guilt and its repercussions, a portrait of a girl going off the rails — and then, because of an exciting plot twist, a courtroom drama.
[A] page-turner ... Unputdownable ... Bohjalianites will be expecting late-breaking reveals and a big, juicy 11th-hour plot twist. In this regard, and in terms of tying up loose ends and longterm outcomes, The Amateur is actually quite masterful.
Suspenseful ... This provocative story about the repercussions from one chance moment raises questions about predatory men, class divisions, and substance abuse.
