Y’all remember my glowing review of Sibello Giorello’s novel The Rivers Run Dry? How I loved it so much? Well, after reading The Clouds Roll Away, all I can say is “Ditto.” Great story. Fantastic writing. Suspenseful mystery. In short, everything that makes a novel good and then some.
My only hesitation in making this review even more enthusiastic than it already is comes from the repeated references to the first book in the Raleigh Harmon series, The Stones Cry Out. The events of that novel evidently play a huge part in the back-story of The Clouds Roll Away. Not having read it, I felt a little out of the loop though only temporarily.
In The Clouds Roll Away, Raleigh, a forensic geologist, is returning home to Richmond and finds herself in the midst of what appears to be a series of racially motivated hate crimes that begin with a cross burning at the home of a celebrity rapper. Not only that but Raleigh must also juggle her mom’s slipping sanity and the renewed interest of a former boyfriend.
The story is far more complex than the reader initially supposes and author Giorello skillfully crafts a mystery story somewhat unique to its genre with its beautiful, literary prose and complex characterizations.
I like Raleigh a lot. I like Giorello’s writing a lot. I liked The Clouds Roll Away a lot. I have The Stones Cry Out in my to-be-read-and-soon stack and can’t wait for the next Raleigh Harmon novel to be released!
Wife and mother, Bible teacher and blogger, Lisa loves Jesus, coffee, dark chocolate and, of course, books. Read more of her reflections at Lisa writes…. Lisa profusely thanks Amy at Phenix and Phenix Literary Publicists for sending her the review copy of this great book!