Review: My Father Didn't Kill Himself

My Father Didn't Kill Himself by Russell Nohelty
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Review: MY FATHER DIDN'T KILL HIMSELF by Russell Nohelty

Honest emotional vulnerability: that's my appreciation of this novel. A year or so ago, I read a journalist's description of a certain celebrity clan as open about their emotional vulnerability, what I would term "transparency." I can't speak to that quality in regard to celebrities, but it's definitely what we have here. A high school sophomore with a drive to achieve Harvard's Early Admission, Delilah is the offspring of devoted, caring parents. Popular best friend Alex is the child of moneyed, emotionally distant, physically absent, parents. Together they balance and ensure each other's stability and passions, Delilah for achievement and education, Alex for her gymnastics excellence. Their English teacher traditionally assigns the writing of a term-long journal, and Delilah decides to post hers online as a blog, dragging Alex into that too.

Life proceeds swimmingly until one morning, Delilah's mom discovers her dad, deceased, in his study. It isn't natural causes, so it must be suicide--right? Certainly the local police think so. But devoted daughter Delilah won't acquiesce. In no way is that the father she knew. Grief leads to depression to anger to hatred of the whole world and a burning determination to solve the case--I.e., to prove it's murder.

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