The meaning of the saying “the truth will set you free” was originally rooted in the belief that it will release you from the shackles of your sins. By revealing the truth, there will be nothing blocking your path to a life with no regrets and experiencing absolute freedom. However, ignorance truly is bliss as honesty often has the annoying habit of releasing a whole new set of demons to battle with. So, the question of the hour (or the few minutes it will take you to read this blog) is: Does the truth really set you free, or is it better to live in ignorant bliss?
Loreth Anne White’s thrilling mystery novel, Beneath Devil’s Bridge, follows Trinity Scott, a true crime podcaster investigating the brutal murder of 14-year-old Leena Rai more than twenty years ago, and Rachel Walczak, the retired lead detective who would rather the past be left alone. Scott needs a riveting case for her breakout success, and she uses Clayton Jey Pelley to do so. Pelley was a beloved guidance counselor and seemed to be an honorable family man before he confessed to killing Rai all those years ago, but the motive was always unclear.
After his arrest, Pelley kept his lips shut about the whole ordeal—until he agreed to do a series of exclusive interviews for Scott’s podcast. During these meetings, Pelley discloses something that just might change everything: he was not the one who mercilessly killed Leena Rai. This revelation captures the attention of Walczak and the rest of Twin Falls, the small town that never recovered from the tragedy. They can’t help but wonder—does Pelley just want his fifteen minutes of fame, or, worse, is Leena Rai’s true killer still out there?
I received this engaging read as a gift from a coworker-turned-friend who knew about my interest in true crime and murder mysteries—an interest that some (okay, it’s just my grandma) might find concerning. (G4, if you’re reading this, I pinky promise that I will not become a psychotic killer just because I read a book.) In all seriousness, I genuinely loved the masterful storytelling that had my pulse racing as I flipped through the pages. The momentum picks up as you learn about the cast of calculating characters, each guarding long-kept secrets like a dragon hoarding its treasure. They hide in their caves of lies and deception, thinking it will protect them, but there will always be someone who comes along to slay them with a sword—or, in this case, a microphone. I was immersed in the disturbing setting and intrigued by the unreliable recounting of events from each character. White did an incredible job creating a suspenseful atmosphere that lures you in until you feel like you’re in Twin Falls, alongside Scott, trying to get justice for Leena Rai. I had to restrain myself from skipping to the end because the well-placed twists kept me guessing—I genuinely could not predict the outcome of this case. It draws attention to the uncomfortable, but necessary, conversation about the true killer's community growing up, and how it cultivated the circumstances that allowed this to happen to a child.
Now, I have to disclose the unfortunate news that while Beneath Devil’s Bridge is a fictional story, it was based on the true case of Reena Virk. Learning this felt like someone had wrapped their grubby fingers around my heart and started to squeeze until it nearly burst. I do wish the author had taken more creative liberties with the story, as both cases are nearly identical.
I liked the use of a podcast as a driving force in the novel, but it’s hard to ignore that some aspects of the novel are essentially a dramatized version of the real case. I read the novel before researching the case, so my opinion on the matter is conflicting. I am not going to either recommend or discourage anyone from reading it. I initially rated this book 5/5 stars, but it loses points due to how close it is to the original story.
One thing I wish I had known before reading was the presence of dark themes. White is a great writer, but she is very detailed about the trauma that Leena Rai/Reena Virk had gone through, which made some parts hard for me to read.
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