What About the Bodies – Ken Jaworowski

Last one from August!

Thanks to Atlantic Crime for the gifted copy

WHAT ABOUT THE BODIES – Ken Jaworowski (Releasing September 2nd, 2025)

Book Description:

In this propulsive crime novel from Edgar Award nominee Ken Jaworowski, three lives collide in a gritty rust-belt town—a single mother covering up a deadly mistake, a young man on a mission to honor a dying wish, and a musician racing to escape a violent debt.

Carla, a single mom poised to finally break free from her cycle of poverty, must risk it all, including her morality, to help her son hide a terrible secret.

Reed, an autistic young man, sets out on a journey to keep a deathbed promise to the mother he just lost. Along the way he’ll encounter both kindhearted residents and a cold-blooded nemesis.

And Liz, an aspiring musician on the cusp of a breakthrough, needs to quickly come up with the cash she owes a brutal ex-con. If she can’t pay him, both her dream and her life will be in grave danger.

As these three compelling characters intersect, the novel ignites into a story filled with explosive twists, hair-raising chills, and boundless love.

My Thoughts: 3/5 stars

This was my introduction to Ken Jaworowski and I’m definitely intrigued! This book follows three separate stories and characters all in the same small town. The gritty crime novel vibes are all over this book, and as someone who loves the Hard Case Crime and other similar crime novels, I really enjoyed that. I wish I liked any of the characters a little more than I did BUT who doesn’t love to root for the flawed and unlikeable ones? 

How can the lives and struggles of a single mother trying to protect her son, an autistic man grieving and trying to live life after his mother passed away, and a singer/songwriter trying to escape some danger all come together? Well, you’ll just have to find out! While things did get super tense at some parts, it’s more of a crime novel versus a thriller and there was some levity and hilarious moments sprinkled throughout.