Isabella Swan grew up as the best friend of Alice Cullen, younger sister of Edward Cullen, who was never nice to Bella despite her being an "honorary Cullen." Everything changes when Edward is sent to prison for the murder of Bella's mother.
Before I go on, let me start off by saying now that even if you don't like mysteries give "A Thousand Leaves" a chance. This is a gripping story of two families torn apart and lives forever changed by Renee's murder and an angry and condescending Edward who was sent to prison for it. The murder mystery is told piece by piece retroactively through Bella's version of sequence of events and what she witnessed. Bella meets a bloodied Edward leaving her home and inside is a brutally murdered Renee. Based on circumstantial evidence, past behavior and Bella's testimony, a jury finds Edward guilty and sentences him to life in prison. But what if what you knew, what you saw was wrong? Could you really rely on your memory while in a panicked and emotional state? Oh shoot, I think you know where this is going, huh?
Six years after the murder, Bella returns to Forks for the first time to reunite with her father, Charlie. Now a college grad and a journalist, Bella takes a job as a local crime reporter where she stumbles upon files about her mother's murder from the former crime reporter who has mysteriously disappeared. The files and notes all lead to questions about what really happened the night Renee was killed. When Bella also finds a box of letters from a much humbled Edward that her father intercepted, she begins to doubt what she thought she knew and saw that traumatic night.
You will feel - I mean FEEL - a whole host emotions from a variety of characters in this story. You're not relegated to just Bella's pov, but you will feel and see the depths of despair and selfishness from all of the Cullens who live in a small town where they went from being the perfect family to the family of a murderer. This is not a story where the Cullens in all their wealth and exalted reputation were able to save their son from prison. They were real and it tore their family apart.
There is a whole cast of supporting and secondary characters that really liven up the story and make you suspicious of everyone and everything. There are Aro, Caius and Marcus, a suspicious lawyer, a crafty reporter and Rose the detective. There's Emmett who is the only Cullen to believe in Edward and visit him in jail. As Bella visits Edward in jail and tries to figure out what exactly happened and if Edward was framed, her crush for the formerly indifferent but cruel Edward returns and Edward starts to fall in love - but like an idiot, doesn't realize it right away.
The story doesn't stop at the murder mystery, but goes on and that's where we really see McPrisoner Edward and Bella's relationship develops once he owns up to his feelings for Bella. There are lemons, but they come later in the story (remember: he's in jail and B's not about to give in to conjugal visits when she still thinks he killed her mother even if she does have doubts and this E was downright mean to her before the murder). For those that like a virgin Bella, well add this to your list, because once Edward decides she's his, his hands and tongue make sure she doesn't stay that way.
Roll around in a thousand leaves and enjoy it.
I would love to hear your thoughts.
-readtoomuch721
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