Synopses & Reviews
For ten years, Alexandra “Cat” Rucker has been on the run from her past. With an endless supply of bourbon and a series of meaningless jobs, Cat is struggling to forget her Ohio hometown and the rural farmhouse she once called home. But a sudden call from an old neighbor forces Cat to return to the home and family she never intended to see again. It seems that Cats mother is dead.
What Cat finds at the old farmhouse is disturbing and confusing: a suicide note, written on lilac stationery and neatly sealed in a ziplock bag, that reads: Cat, He isnt who you think he is. Mom xxxooo
One note, ten words–one for every year she has been gone–completely turns Cats world upside down. Seeking to unravel the mystery of her mothers death, Cat must confront her past to discover who “he” might be: her tyrannical, abusive father, now in a coma after suffering a stroke? Her brother, Jared, named after her mothers true love (who is also her fathers best friend)? The town coroner, Andrew Reilly, who seems to have known Cats mother long before she landed on a slab in his morgue? Or Addison Watkins, Cats first and only love?
The closer Cat gets to the truth, the harder it is for her to repress the memory and the impact of the events that sent her away so many years ago.
Taut, gripping, and edgy, The Last Bridge is an intense novel of family secrets, darkest impulses, and deep-seated love. Teri Coyne has created a stunning tapestry of pain and passion where past and present are seamlessly interwoven to tell a story that sears and warms in equal measure.
Synopsis
For fans of Jodi Picoult and Sue Miller, a dark, edgy, page-turning debut about the lengths one woman will travel to escape her past
After a ten-year absence, Alex Cat Rucker returns to her Ohio hometown because of a letter left on her mother's kitchen table--a suicide note, carefully preserved in a Ziploc(R) bag, that reads:
He isn't who you think he is. Love, Mom
Thus opens this stunning debut novel from author Teri Coyne, who, with wry humor and sharp wit, follows Alex's journey through the traumatic experiences of her youth and the haze of her adult life.
While Alex tries to repress the memories of her brutal childhood--an abusive father, her estranged (and possibly illegitimate) brother, and the first love who would do anything to save her--she must face just how shattered she still is. At each step Alex confronts her biggest fears, realizes the impact of her choices, and inches closer to redemption. Can she embrace her vulnerabilities, talents, and desire for love, or will the revelations of her mother's cryptic note prove too overwhelming for her to bear?
The Last Bridge is a perfect blend of suspense, despair, and romance--and at its heart lies the question: are we a product of our experiences or our choices?
About the Author
Teri Coyne is an alumna of New York University. In addition to writing fiction, Coyne wrote and performed stand-up comedy for many years. The Last Bridge is her first novel. She divides her time between New York City and the North Fork of Long Island.