Dear Great Book Guru,  My book group has not met in person since February 2020- lots of Zooms but we miss being together. We will be meeting on my porch in a few weeks and  I would like a spectacular book to start up our club. Any suggestions?  Starting Up

Dear Starting Up,  I just finished an amazing book that any book club would find a perfect choice for discussion: THE DAMAGE by Caitlin Wahrer.  This debut novel is told from the perspectives of four people over  alternating time settings: 2016 and 2019.  A brutal assault has taken place (2016) – Nick a twenty-year old college student is the victim. His much older brother Tony is intent on avenging this crime. Julia – Tony’s wife- is a former defense attorney who sees and knows how the judicial system works. John Rice is a retired police detective who investigated the crime and now (2019) as he approaches death wants to clear up “loose ends.”  What happened that night and what went on over the next three years is the mystery that Rice tries to unravel.  The psychological trauma each of these four people undergoes is dramatically told and the reader’s sympathies shift as more and more is revealed.  What society is owed versus what family loyalty demands is the recurring theme of this deeply engrossing psychological thriller. Highly recommended!