Title: The Green Apple Tree
Author: Gene Fackler
Publisher: Archway Publishing
ISBN: 978-1665721486
Pages: 258
Genre: Fiction / Mystery & Suspense
Reviewed by: Tony Espinoza
Hollywood Book Reviews
For so many people, there seems to be one point or another of the past that always remains with them. Whether it is a pleasant memory of a precious childhood moment in time that brings them closer to the people they love, or a haunting memory of a tragedy that defined who they would become later in life, the past always has a hold on people, determining how people will later view the world and how they will learn from that past. Yet no matter what a person does, there is no erasing or rewriting the past to help heal the present.
In author Gene Fackler’s The Green Apple Tree, the author shares a powerful story of childhood friendships, dark secrets, and the past. In the summer of 1963, three young teenage boys find themselves getting into trouble with the local law and listening to long stories from local elders about powerful pieces of lore. Yet for one of the teens, that summer would never end, and two decades later two of the boys would find themselves drawn to a mystery emanating from that summer. For one has information that could be vital to the case, while the other is now an attorney obsessed with the case, a case that went cold after their third friend disappeared. One man will relive the memories of that summer, and the events that changed his life forever.
The author did an incredible job of crafting a narrative which felt vibrant and alive on the pages. The time jumps which the story took between the past and present were so perfectly executed, allowing the reader time to not only see the emotional and mental toll that the events of that fateful summer took on Thomas and Pete, but the evolution of their characters from that summer to the present as well. The world building done in this novel really brought the area of Texas Hill Country to life, with strong imagery in the author’s writing allowing the reader to feel transported to this southwestern area.
This was the perfect read for those who enjoy literary fiction reads, especially those that enjoy mysteries, suspense thrillers, and psychological thrillers as well. The heart of this story rested in the delivery of that mystery, which was peeled back slowly through a perfectly paced narrative. The book also does a great job of utilizing descriptive writing, allowing the reader to get a sense of the tension and struggles the characters undergo well. The little details like Thomas’s relationship with his father The Colonel, or the details in the memories of those final moments spent with their lost friend, all made this a compelling read.
Thought-provoking, engaging, and thrilling, author Gene Fackler’s The Green Apple Tree is a must-read psychological thriller that readers won’t want to miss out on. The book felt like a cross between The Usual Suspects meets Mystic River, showcasing how powerful the past can be and how it can impact people and the way they live their lives.