On The Bricks

I’ve read both On the Bricks and Kricket by Penni Jones and comparing the two shows how skilled the author is. Though both books are written in the first person point-of-view, the voice is distinctly different for each novel even though each protagonist has the author’s wry wit. In Kricket, the protagonist is a bit cynical and world-weary—a hardboiled, noir voice that matches the novel’s dystopian genre. On the Bricks was painted on an entirely different canvas: real, intimate, raw, heart-wrenching. The protagonist Cass is so much more vulnerable, confused, and critical of herself, just as a person leaving prison after 10 years would be.At its core, On the Bricks is a mystery tale. Having taken the fall for a murder she didn’t commit, Cass is forced to find the real killer and prove her innocence in order to get her late father’s inheritance—which she needs to begin a new life in California and keep her ex-drug addict sister’s halfway house from closing. Along the way to solving this mystery, we meet a vivid cast of characters who live here: very believable, traumatized women who are trying to recover from drugs, prostitution, and domestic abuse. Despite plenty of conflicts, they come together to form a tight-knit, supportive family. There’s also sex, romance, humor, betrayal, self-destructive drug addicts—and bright spots of hope. Highly recommended!

I am from Arkansas. And I write mysteries. Penni Jones is better at both of those things than I am. Better at writing mysteries. Better at being from Arkansas. In On the Bricks, she captures a sense of place about as well as I have seen someone do. And, while nailing that, she also gives us a mystery full of wit and warmth. There is a heart behind this story which is often missing or lacking in Southern Grit Lit. Jones cares for her characters not so much like a mother. More like a great photographer. She doesn't sugar coat them. She doesn't hide anything from us or try to force us to love them as much as she does. She simply captures them from every angle. She lets them speak for themselves and she lets us fall in love with them at our own pace and in our own way. I found it very Flannery O'Connor of her. And I very much appreciated it.

I love finding stories that surprise me, and Penni Jones has delivered a unique and compelling story about a woman trying to rebuild her life after prison, and solve the crime for which she was sentenced. With a strong narrative voice, Jones has created characters that I want to follow, and unpacks the dynamics of a dysfunctional family and tight-knit community in a way that made me feel like I was afforded an insider's view of an intimate family portrait. This is great crime fiction, and just great fiction.

On the Bricks is a gritty mystery filled with humor and intrigue. When Cass Blankenship is released from prison after serving time for a murder she didn't commit, she ends up living in the halfway house run by her sister. The house is filled with an array of interesting women, all of them working to get their lives back together. Cass, meanwhile, reconnects with the people from her life, and in the process begins to uncover what really happened to the murder she was accused of killing. Dark and suspenseful, this is one book that's sure to please.

I did a lot of thinking as I read this book. I felt as though I could really picture what the main character was going through. The author did a great job describing the situations and events. I really rooted for the main character and felt her struggles. It seems as though she had to over come a lot to once again over come a lot. She had a group of interesting characters both supporting her and also ones who were against her. Not a plot to be predicted. I highly recommend this book. It grabbed my attention from the first page and had me thinking about it long after. I look forward to reading the author's next book.

Looks like a lot of research went into how the parole system works, the way 10 years in prison can change an innocent person, what goes on inside half-way houses, and the way addicts think. I admire uniqueness of the characters and how I could visualize Blankenship House and other story locations.

Story about Cass Blankenship who gets paroled to her drug addicted sister's half way house after spending 10 years in prison and her quest to prove her Innocence. Well developed plot with a motley cast of characters. Intriguing page turner with an unsuspected ending.

This was a highly entertaining read! Touches on many themes and realities of life in the Deep South. My favorite thing is that Ms. Jones lulls you into a false sense of security, then slams you with unexpected (and increasingly troubling) revelations about the characters.

Great read