Over the Edge by Kathleen Bryant
Sedona's Secrets: A Review of Bryant’s Over the Edge
Outside magazine reviews outdoor adventure books, and using my free library app, Libby, to access magazines for free has become a favorite pastime for those mindless moments.
I found "Over the Edge" in a small paragraph on a random magazine page and thought, “Hmmm, Sedona is pretty cool.”
Snagging an audiobook version, I turned on my earbuds and was immediately transported to Arizona.
Having spent some time hiking Arizona in winter, I was curious if this book addressed the overcrowding and massive herds of people seeking their auras. In recent years, Sedona has become synonymous with throngs of tourists trying to get to the same four trails.
While this is a work of fiction, Bryant does a brilliant job highlighting the very flaws we saw in Sedona. She also digs deep into the history of this sacred spiritual city, giving you a front-row seat to some crazy politics and practices in this highly "woowoo" city.
The basic plotline—where a has-been journalist comes to Sedona to work her family’s jeep tour business while finding herself—is interrupted by a few unsolved murders.
While the storyline kept my attention, it was the beautifully crafted detail of the Sedona landscape, the deep reverence for Native American customs, and descriptions of fascinating area hikes that kept me listening.
Often, fun fiction gets caught up in the “whodunit” and leaves out spaces for the reader to feel immersed in the area. Bryant’s mystery writing skills are about a B, but her ability to show you the city and create a desire to visit deserves an A+.
I’d give this book a solid B.