What would you do to protect what you have? Would you conceal the truth? Would you lie outright? Would you knowingly destroy another life?

These are questions Jason Dark has to ask himself after he accidentally hits and kills a young man walking down a deserted road on rainy night. Jason has just begun to see his life coming together again as he rebuilds a family vineyard and seems to be developing a renewed relationship with his ex-wife and son, and knows all that he has gained is hanging in the balance.

The decision he makes that night, in panic and terror, will echo through his life and the lives of his family and community for years in this twisty and often bleak morality tale.

This is a compelling read, though Gadol can be a little heavy-handed with his symbolism, from the character's surname to the reflection of the weather in the overall mood of the story. ( )

The Long Rain by Peter Gadol is a great suspense novel that explores relationships, morals and guilt. Jason Dark is putting the pieces of his life back together. He’s moved to a family vineyard, opened up a small law practice in the rural town and is renewing relationships with his estranged wife and troubled son. But then things go awry. On a rainy night on a country road he accidentally runs over and kills a teenager. No one is around for miles and miles.

What would you do?

Maybe the answer is easy for you and you do the right thing, but Peter Gadol explores the sinister side - the weak side - that might try to cover it up. Dark convinces himself that nothing good can come of his admission. The boy is dead and will stay dead. As a lawyer, Dark sees jail or a civil suit that takes away all he’s just reclaimed. He must accept the burden of guilt to protect his family and new life.

The Long Rain is a great suspense novel. Don’t mistake it for a mystery novel. This isn’t a whodunit because you know who committed the crime. It’s not quite a thriller either. You won’t find gory descriptions of a serial killer, no chases with gun waving thugs and nothing blows up in a fiery orange ball. You will be treated to a fascinating internal, psychological drama.

Read my entire review on the Used Books Blog:
http://usedbooksblog.com/blog/the-long-rain-by-peter-gadol/ ( )

A guy works hard to renovate his late father's vineyards up in the Californian hills, finances it with a local law practice, and manages to get back together with his estranged wife and son - everything's going fine. Then he goes and ruins everything! During a late night drive he has an accident with disastrous consequences as he chooses to cover up what happened - and his life changes from that moment on. This is a powerful drama which builds up the layers of suspense as we gradually find out what happens after that fateful evening. We suffer the torment of Jason as he seeks to make up for what he did, and thus gain some sort of redemption and closure. Beautifully written, alongside the main story, we learn about the fragile economy of the small winegrowers and insular little community where everyone knows almost everyone else's business. A splendid psychological thriller. ( )