All That's Left Unsaid

After the violent murder of her younger brother, Ky Tran returns to her home in Cabramatta, Australia, a suburb of Sydney known as the “heroin capital of Australia.” Upon learning that her parents had refused an autopsy and that the police had no leads or suspects, despite the murder having taken place at a populated restaurant, Ky - a journalist - offers to help the police by speaking to the witnesses to try to piece together what really happened to her brother.

Although this is categorized as a thriller, I would argue that it is more of a literary family drama/cultural heritage story with a bit of mystery thrown in. Set in an area of Australia populated by Vietnamese immigrants following the Vietnam War, the story alternates between Ky's perspective and those of the witnesses she speaks to, weaving in and out of their lives, touching on the trauma, suspicions, expectations, and longheld cultural beliefs they carry with them. Ky has to navigate through the lives of all these people while questioning how well she really knew her brother, to whom she was very close, and whether or not he was still the kind, high-achieving, “good” boy she grew up with.

This was a great exploration of a community and a family equal parts connected and devastated by both a shared culture and a tragic crime. Every character had their own unique voice and backstory, but they were presented in a way that enhanced, rather than detracted from the overall plot. This was well-written, fast-paced, and engaging, and I couldn't put it down.