What Comes After grabbed me as a thriller---a small community experiences the murder/suicide of two high school friends. What could have come between them? A third character, a destitute teenage girl, appears to have been involved in some way, but the plot only gradually uncovers the role she played.
However, what I liked most about this book is what the title suggests---how people responded and began to move on, once the tragedy has occurred. Important characters are two next-door neighbors, the mom of one boy and the dad of the other. Tompkins writes with great insight, not only into the three teenage characters, but also into the adults in their lives.
The first reviews that attracted me to What Comes After told that the author deals with the role that religion and faith play in people's lives. She is not preachy and does not suggest easy answers, but shows meaningful faith that supports but does not come easily.
In the face of great pain, the ending was hopeful. Tomkins' careful writing gave me new things to think about, and I will remember this book.
With a propulsive mystery at its core, What Comes After offers an unforgettable story of loss and anger, but also of kindness and hope, courage and forgiveness.