One reason I found the concept for Iris Yamashita’s debut mystery so intriguing is because I had seen the CBS Sunday Morning feature about Whittier, Alaska. Yamashita’s City Under One Roof is set in the fictional town of Point Mettier, Alaska, but her notes following the story thank the residents of Whittier. She based her setting on that town. Before you pick up the book, you might want to check out the video at the end of this piece.
When a teenager finds body parts in a cove, the police investigate, but their standard response is that the parts probably come from a cruise ship, and they’ll never identify the victim. And, the people of Point Mettier keep their mouths shut when it comes to “otters”, others from outside their town. In Point Mettier, they all live in the Davidson Condos – the Dave-Co, a building that houses two hundred five full-time residents. There’s a post office, church, infirmary, a general store, a school, all just one tunnel away. The only way to get to the town is through a two mile tunnel, and when the weather is bad, the tunnel shuts down, and the residents are on their own. They even have a two-man police force with Chief Sipley and Officer Joe Barkowski, J.B.
No one is expecting Detective Cara Kennedy to show up with a follow-up investigation about the body parts. Cara comes from Anchorage, and has a personal reason for examining the body. She only means to spend one day in Point Mettier, but by the time she tries to return through the tunnel it’s closed indefinitely because of snow and an avalanche. She’s claustrophobic, and now she’s stuck in a small rented room in one building with everyone in town. And, everyone in town seems to have an excuse for lying. It doesn’t take long for Cara to realize that everyone who moved there is running from somebody or something.
Cara is present when one of the residents uncovers a head, a head that probably belongs with the other body parts. The police chief is nonplussed when she insists they store the head in a freezer, but, then, he has secrets he’s hiding. Following the invasion of a gang from a nearby village, trashed apartments, and the disappearance of a mother and her sons, J.B. and Cara team up to find answers to the crimes that have invaded the small town.
Three women, including Cara, narrate the story of City Under One Roof. I don’t know when I’ve read a book with such an unusual setting. While the characters aren’t well-developed, the setting and atmosphere are unique. Unless you’re claustrophobic, I’d recommend this strange, memorable story. (And, don’t forget to watch the video.)
Iris Yamashita’s website is https://www.irisyamashita.com/
City Under One Roof by Iris Yamashita. Berkley, 2023. ISBN 9780593336670 (hardcover), 304p.
FTC Full Disclosure – I read a galley to review for a journal.
I think it sounds great!
I hope you enjoy it, Reen!
Love the video. I have a cousin who is a real estate agent in Fairbanks, Alaska. I have often wondered how she deals with the weather. The idea of a whole town in one building is very creative. I wonder what they do for healthcare now. I love that they have a library. Co-vid killed our library in senior apartments here. They disposed of the books. I cried when I read that. I had added many good books to it and I was hoping to read more on the shelf. It was so convenient to just go downstairs to look for a book.
That’s so sad, Carolee, especially since we went from being so terrified that books were spreading it, so we sanitized everything to not worrying about books. But, COVID changed everything.
Wow. That totally rings a bell. We’ve been watching the French Canadian series THE WALL – originally LA FAILLE – (which is mostly in French, with subtitles) on PBS Masterpiece/Walter Presents. The first series is set in the real town of Fermont, in eastern Quebec near the Labrador border. It is a mining town where most people live in one giant building and you need to use a tunnel to get anywhere. Sounds similar, right? The second series is set mostly around the Chateau Frontenac in Quebec City, and the third and final series is set in the main character’s home town in the Eastern Townships.
I will look for the book.
It does sound similar, Jeff. If I didn’t know there really is an Alaskan town, and that Yamashita based her setting on that town, I would think she took it from Fermont.
I guess it isn’t surprising that these very cold towns have similar solutions to dealing with winter. It’s fascinating to read about or watch, as long as I don’t have to live there.
We’re enjoying the 78 degrees here in South Florida.
I agree, Jeff. I wouldn’t want to live there.
I’m jealous of your 78 degrees. It’s 47 degrees here, and I have the space heater on in my office.
Oh, and I’m running your list of favorites tomorrow!
Thanks for the review, Lesa – I just finished the book and often look for what other people thought of it. I too enjoyed it. And thank you for the interesting video, too. I’d never heard of anyplace like this – either in Alaska or the US – (I live in North Dakota.)