We Begin at the End

4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars | 29,430 ratings

Price: 1.99

Last update: 08-19-2024


About this item

Winner of the Gold Dagger for Best Crime Novel from the Crime Writers’ Association (UK)
Winner for Best International Crime Fiction from Australian Crime Writers Association
An Instant
New York Times Bestseller

“A vibrant, engrossing, unputdownable thriller that packs a serious emotional punch. One of those rare books that surprise you along the way and then linger in your mind long after you have finished it.”
—Kristin Hannah, #1
New York Times bestselling author of The Nightingale and The Four Winds

Right. Wrong. Life is lived somewhere in between.


Duchess Day Radley is a thirteen-year-old self-proclaimed outlaw. Rules are for other people. She is the fierce protector of her five-year-old brother, Robin, and the parent to her mother, Star, a single mom incapable of taking care of herself, let alone her two kids.

Walk has never left the coastal California town where he and Star grew up. He may have become the chief of police, but he’s still trying to heal the old wound of having given the testimony that sent his best friend, Vincent King, to prison decades before. And he's in overdrive protecting Duchess and her brother.

Now, thirty years later, Vincent is being released. And Duchess and Walk must face the trouble that comes with his return.
We Begin at the End is an extraordinary novel about two kinds of families—the ones we are born into and the ones we create.



From the Publisher

We Begin at the End Chris Whitaker O, The Oprah Magazine quote

We Begin at the End Chris Whitaker Kristin Hannah quote

We Begin at the End Chris Whitaker B.A. Paris quote

We Begin at the End Chris Whitaker Jane Harper quote

We Begin at the End Chris Whitaker James Patterson quote

Top reviews from the United States

Sharron Grodzinsky
5.0 out of 5 stars Mesmerizing story
Reviewed in the United States on July 7, 2024
This story is about a mystery of murders committed but reads like poetry . It is so thoughtful, dynamic and surprising it will stay with you long after you’ve finished. The characters are quirky and full of contradictions and the descriptions of the land are simply beautiful. A book that you will keep and read again.
Barbro
4.0 out of 5 stars Loved it!
Reviewed in the United States on June 16, 2024
Moving, amazing characters, realistic, suspenseful and well written. Just great! I highly recommend it.
Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Riveting …
Reviewed in the United States on August 12, 2024
Loved this book! Loved the characters. Suspenseful. Intriguing. I rarely read novels these days. I found this book on a weekend away in a quaint little bookstore in Sisters, Oregon. It was displayed and recommended by an employee. Something about it intrigued me — perhaps the promise an intriguing mystery. I could not put it down. It did not disappoint from beginning to end. Fabulous!
Jean Fagan
5.0 out of 5 stars Incredible Captivating Story
Reviewed in the United States on July 17, 2024
This is one book you could never begin at the end because every single sentence is yanking at your mind and especially your imagination. Told mostly around a 13 year old girl going on 40 your heart will break, laugh and scream bravo. The characters are complex but quickly imagined and not easily known until the ending chapters. The author’s first book! Amazing.

He said in his acknowledgments this book took him a very long time to write. When you read it you will know why and you will easily refer it to others.
sharon f. leff
3.0 out of 5 stars Read His Other Book, Newest Jenna Bush Selection!
Reviewed in the United States on July 13, 2024
I so wanted to like this having read newest release. However, the characters, plot, and narration lacked. However, even though this book lacks much, this book paved the way for such a memorable book.
thomas
4.0 out of 5 stars characters made the book
Reviewed in the United States on June 20, 2024
I really liked the twists and turns of this story. Even the character names were fun - duchess, star, robin, sissy. It’s a long book and once in a while I got bogged down. I am excited for the new book coming out by this author.
Anne W
5.0 out of 5 stars Deserving of all the hype that comes its way!
Reviewed in the United States on March 27, 2021
My first novel by this extraordinary author – but it won’t be my last. Whitaker’s spellbinding crime mystery had me enthralled and glued to my chair for an amazing one-day read. I simply could not put this book down.

The story begins with a step back in time to thirty years prior, when a small child is killed, and the person responsible for her death is a teenager. Moving the timeline ahead to the present, an ex-con and former best friend of the town’s sheriff is being released from prison.

What follows is a harrowing and impressively told story that shows how far the tentacles of tragedy can reach. Whitaker’s characterization of self-proclaimed modern-day outlaw thirteen-year-old Duchess Day Radley and her five-year-old brother, Robin who suddenly find themselves on their own after their mother’s devastating death and continuing to face the afflictions of tragedy after tragedy, is deeply moving and heartbreaking.

The twists and turns in the plot are ingenious as well as the justice meted out at the end – with a couple of sad and tragic exceptions. I’ll let you discover those situations for yourself.

The stand-out cast of characters, the suspense, the emotional arcs were all riveting. While for the most part complex and serious, there are some lighter moments rendering smiles and laughter, too. The layers of the events are slowly rolled-out with a final reveal that is surprisingly shocking and heartbreaking - but with a bit of poetic justice as well.

A gripping, unforgettable and ultimately hopeful story to savor and share with others. This must-read book is deserving of all the hype that comes its way.

And a note specifically addressed to Chris Whitaker, the author --
I truly enjoyed your book – the ride was definitely moving, and I deeply cared for these incredible characters. I’m also excitedly waiting for that brave little outlaw, Duchess, to be portrayed on television one day soon.
Whoopsadaisy
5.0 out of 5 stars Wow!
Reviewed in the United States on August 10, 2024
This didn’t grab me from the start. If you find the same, stay on to about chapter 14 and it will. I read this in a couple of days. The last day I couldn’t put it down and read for 6 straight hours. So many twists and turns. There is a lot of sadness but joy as well. I will be thinking about it for a very long time.

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