What happens when a confession reopens a nineteen-year-old murder case? Let me introduce you to a startling upcoming book release by Lori Duffy Foster: Spring Melt.

Spring Melt is set in the Adirondacks in the early 1920s and features Ella Devine, a quiet woman faced with a resurfacing reality she thought was buried nineteen years ago: the murder of Henry Roth, the only son of wealthy owners of the Roth Lumber Camp. Three loggers are charged with killing Roth after a confession reopens the previously closed case. Ella finds herself at a crossroads: either face head-on the traumatic event of her childhood or crawl back into the painful safety of her present life.

The narrative dives into the trial of the three lumberjacks, examining their motives, actions, and intent at the time of the murder, as well as their present reality and thoughts about what happened years ago. Spring Melt exposes the state of the jury system: its strengths, its ties to the wealthy of the Adirondack Mountains, and the corruption that flows from those connections.

Foster's background as a crime reporter shapes how Spring Melt is written. She shows both the past and present world of a rape survivor, exploring society's view of rape, the perpetrator, and the victim. Foster uses the Adirondack setting to depict the stark contrast between the elite who summer in the mountains and the working class that serves them.

Spring Melt is a tough read about a painful event that happened to a nine-year-old and followed her into adulthood. Though it's difficult material, readers can still enjoy the drama of the courtroom, the thrill of an unsolved murder case, and even find a rekindled trust in the jury system. Lori Duffy Foster crafted a beautiful but intense journey with Spring Melt. I received an advance review copy of this book via BookSirens in exchange for an honest review.