BOOK REVIEW: The Gulf by Rachel Cochran

Rachel Cochran's "The Gulf" was on my TBR list the moment I saw the cover. The eerily gorgeous southern architecture and moody vibes are a perfect match for the story within. Set in the late 1960s, this Southern Gothic mystery thriller follows 29-year-old Lou as she tries to uncover the secrets of Parson House. She knows her hometown on the coast of Texas isn't perfect - the men are brutal, the racism is rampant, and the streets themselves have been destroyed by a recent hurricane. But Lou doesn't know how to leave, even as her girlfriend Heather has begun packing boxes for their move.

It isn't just memories Lou can't leave behind. After all, it's only been nine months since Lou's beloved Miss Kate died, and Lou found her body on the lawn of the Parson mansion. The police ruled it an accident, but something wasn't right. How did Miss Kate afford the mansion in the first place? Where did Miss Kate's husband disappear to? When Miss Kate's daughter, Joanna - and Lou's first love - returns to town to sort out Miss Kate's affairs, Joanna asks Lou to come back to Parson House.

With Joanna's arrival comes secrets about her past, her town, and Lou herself. Things are not as they seem in Parson - and Lou just might not survive her discoveries.

The Gulf is a fairly quick read with a straightforward plot that still manages to have its fair share of surprises. The writing is mostly gorgeous -- if at times a little heavy-handed -- and Cochran effectively captures the tone of a dying Southern town. Lou is not always likable, but as a reader, I found myself rooting for her nonetheless. Her relationship with Heather, who is also the widow of Lou's brother, is one of the strongest threads of the novel. Heather's strength and loyalty to Lou and her family grounded the book in the present, especially when Cochran took us through large sections of Lou's past.

My biggest complaint is that answers seemed to come too quickly for Lou. She asks interrogating questions from everyone in her search for Miss Kate's killer and pretty much always gets long and helpful answers. There was very little pushback from the locals, which felt surprising for a town with such an undercurrent of violence.

Overall, The Gulf is an enjoyable and memorable read. Queer historical fiction is one of my favorite genres, and Cochran does a great job of rooting her readers in the time period. BOOK OR AUDIO?

The cover was too stunning to pass up-- this was a hardcopy read for me and great for relaxing before bed.

OVERALL:

Gay: quite

Trauma scale: 8/10 -- things were not great for women

My rating: 7.5/10