The Color of Light by Wendy Hornsby

First Sentence: Six girls walk down the sidewalk away from the camera, seemingly unaware anyone is watching them.

Documentary filmmaker Maggie MacGowen has returned to her childhood home in Berkeley, California to clear the house after her father’s death. That return has resurrected many memories and questions, particularly after Maggie finds a film her father took showing her with her friends. One of those friends, Beto, is shown with his mother, who turned up murdered later that same day. No one was ever arrested. Can Maggie put the pieces together after all these years and do so without getting killed?

What a wonderful, completely captivating opening that is so visually rendered. It draws you in and the, suddenly, lets you go.

It is interesting to learn about the Bay Area during the Vietnam years; the refugees and the Hungry Ghosts Celebration. Although it is my own home, it is one to which I came later in time and I learned things about the area I hadn’t known. Also, because of Maggie’s profession, one learns a bit about the television industry.

For those who have not followed the series, there is very good background information on Maggie. It is brief and perfectly woven into the story. From there, there is an interesting theme about Maggie learning things about her parents, particularly her late father. It can lead the reader to wonder what one may not know about their own parents.

One appreciates that Maggie is a character who develops and whose life changes through the course of the series, including her relationships.

“The Color of Light” may not be a fast-paced read, but it well plotted with a good twist. It is an enjoyable read that certainly held my interest.

THE COLOR OF LIGHT (Mys-Maggie MacGowen-Berkeley, CA-Contemp) – G+
Hornsby, Wendy – 9th in series
Perseverance Press, 2014