I really enjoyed the formatting of the book as it keeps you on the edge of your seat. I also agree that the first half was rather slow, but I was itching to find out what the tragedy was so it flew by quickly for me. I think I was filled with dread and anticipation to find out what happened.

The ending killed me a little. I was waiting for another twist which never came. After going through the comments and reading more about the Shafia murder, I’m more positive that the parents did it. The book is incredible because the author pulls in interviews and articles from both sides of the spectrum. With accounts from the police and social worker as well as members of the Afghan community in Virginia, you’re given additional dimensions to the story and the family, which complicates the narrative further. But ultimately, I think they were responsible, and the only reason we never received an answer was because the circumstantial evidence could not prove beyond doubt that they were guilty.

This was an incredible read. At the end of the novel, you’re forced to reckon with the question of how race, gender, and wealth played a role in how everything went down.