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Quiet dell

Quiet dell

Historical FictionMystery
Pages
464
Published
2013
Language
English

Synopsis

In 1931, Emily Thornhill, one of the few women in the Chicago press, covers the murders of Asta Eicher and her three children in Quiet Dell, West Virginia. Obsessed with finding out what happened to this beautiful family, Emily allies herself with the man funding the investigation.

Prose complexity
7/10

Vibe

TenseDark
Fish Out of WaterMystery BoxQuestBetrayal

Genres

Historical Fiction Mystery Crime

About the author

J
Jayne Anne Phillips

Jayne Anne Phillips (born July 19, 1952, in Buckhannon, West Virginia) is an American novelist and short story writer. She earned an MFA from the University of Iowa Writers' Workshop and won early acclaim with her story collection Black Tickets (1979). Her later novels include Machine Dreams, Shelter, MotherKind, Lark and Termite (a National Book Award finalist), and Night Watch (2023), which won the 2024 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction. Phillips founded and directed the MFA program in creative writi...

Characters

Emily ThornhillProtagonist

One of the few women in the Chicago press, Emily covers the murders of Asta Eicher and her children and becomes obsessed with solving the case.

Asta EicherSupporting

A woman who, along with her three children, is murdered in Quiet Dell, West Virginia, prompting Emily Thornhill's investigation.

All characters in Quiet dell

Frequently asked questions

  • Is Quiet Dell based on a true story?

    Jayne Anne Phillips drew inspiration from the real-life case of Harry Powers, a serial killer who lured victims through lonely hearts ads in the 1930s, and the subsequent investigation in Quiet Dell, West Virginia. The novel fictionalizes many aspects while grounding itself in the historical events.

  • How does Quiet Dell compare to Jayne Anne Phillips' other novels?

    Quiet Dell stands out from Phillips' earlier works, which often focus on Appalachian life and family dynamics, by delving into a historical true crime narrative with a more expansive cast of characters and a detailed investigative plot. While still showcasing her lyrical prose, it represents a shift towards a more suspenseful and research-intensive storytelling approach.

  • Does Quiet Dell have multiple perspectives or timelines?

    The novel employs multiple perspectives, including those of the victims, the killer, and the investigators, to construct a comprehensive view of the events. It also incorporates various forms of documentation, such as letters and newspaper clippings, to enrich the narrative.