Jospeh Olshan is an acclaimed writer whose work has even been adapted into a film, Clara’s Heart starring Whoppi Goldberg and Neil Patrick Harris, and in his latest work he uses some true events to create a complex story of love and struggling with your identity. Black Diamond Fall is a captivating read that draws together two varying plots into a neatly combined story full of longing.

College senior, Luc Flanders has suddenly gone missing after going out on a snowy night alone. While his parents are concerned, the man who is in a state of deepest panic is his secret partner, Sam. The two had recently broken up and Sam is desperate to know what has happened to the man he loves, the issue is that he is the prime suspect in the disappearance. While Luc has actually gone missing before, this time there are a number of elements that seem to have led him to feel forced to leave. With the winter growing colder and clues appearing scarce the police are working as quickly as they can to find him, all while also investigating a vandalism case at the nearby historical home of Robert Frost, which seems too coincidental to not be connected.

Black Diamond Fall is a complexly well crafted read. Olshan brings together flashbacks from Sam and Luc’s relationship and weaves them into the larger story in such a natural way that you will feel as though you are the character experiencing these memories yourself. As someone who has read a number of mysteries I was excited to find that I could not guess what had happened to Luc and was engrossed in trying to find out just what had happened to this young man. While the story does focus on this disappearance it also looks at the love between Sam and Luc and how difficult it can be to understand and embrace your own identity. I would recommend this book to both mystery and romance fans. Black Diamond Fall is on sale now!

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