I found this book for 50p in a charity shop surely more than three years ago now, then left it sat unread on my TBR stacks for the whole time. This year I’m trying to read a few of those similar books from my stacks, and honestly my expectations were low since I think my tastes have changed quite a lot over the last few years. So I was pleasantly surprised when The River King turned out to be an intriguing and beautifully written campus novel with a tragic murder mystery at its heart!

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Blackbird House was my first Alice Hoffman a couple of years ago, and what struck me most about it was her gift for writing about nature. That gift is evident ten-fold in The River King. It’s filled with lush descriptions of the Massachusetts seasons, the countryside, woodland, it’s all very immersive.

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I didn’t find any of the characters particularly likeable except maybe Carlin, but I’m pretty sure that was intentional. It’s set in a private school for wealthy white kids so... Hoffman does a good job of peering into the lives of the privileged who presume silence can be bought. She also explores the tensions between the poorer residents of the town and the rich kids who come from out of town to attend the school there.

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I know a lot of people love campus novels, and this one seems to fly under the radar, so if you’re a fan of that sub-genre you could check this out. There’s also a dash of the supernatural which is blended in well!