Review: Parents Weekend by Alex Finlay

Parents WeekendParents Weekend by Alex Finlay
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars rounded up**

Alex Finlay’s latest Thriller novel, Parents Weekend, revolves around a group of families who each have a child attending a small Liberal Arts college in Northern California.

For Parents Weekend, it’s decided that the students in this particular Capstone group will all get together for a nice dinner, along with their parents, as a way to kick off the special weekend.

On the designated night though, while all the parents show up to the agreed upon location, the kids never do. At first, all assume, it’s just kids being kids, but as the hours pass, and another night falls with no word from any of the students, panic ensues. What could have happened?

Due to the high profile nature of a couple of the families, the campus police are forced to call in reinforcements. Before long the disappearances are national news.

FBI Special Agent Sarah Keller, who you may remember from her appearances in Every Last Fear and The Night Shift, is one of the reinforcements brought in to investigate the case. Can she find the five missing students before it’s too late?

Parents Weekend is a quick and punchy, action-packed Thriller. I was fully entertained and curious about what had happened with the missing students, and why.

Even though I felt the conclusion was a little simplistic, particularly in regards to the who and why, I still feel like it was well worth reading. I will admit though, I rounded up mainly for Sarah Keller. I love her and want Finlay to keep bringing her back.

I did really enjoy the drama of these families. As expected, there were a lot of messy dynamics and I’m always down for feeding on other people’s drama.

I would recommend this for Thriller Readers who are fine with more action than character work. While we do find out a lot about these characters, the action of the plot is what really drives this story.

I always look forward to Alex Finlay’s new releases. He never fails to pull me in and I tend to fly through his novels, unable to put them down once I start.

Thank you to the publisher, Minotaur Books and Macmillan Audio, for providing me copies to read and review. This is a great pick for your Summer Reading List!

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Review: Death on the Island by Eliza Reid

Death on the IslandDeath on the Island by Eliza Reid
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

In Death on the Island, we follow an eclectic group of characters who come together in a tiny island community off the coast of Iceland for a diplomatic event.

We have the mayor of the town, an Ambassador from Canada and his wife, a local high-profile chef, an artist with ties to the island, and others. They all come together for a special dinner to open up their talks and hopefully create good spirits amongst the group.

It’s supposed to be a joyous occasion, and it does seem to start out that way. That is until one of the guests ends up dead of unknown causes, but what everyone quickly assumes to be poison consumption.

Making matters worse, a brutal storm is bearing down on them. It’s clear no one is going to be leaving the island. All the better to catch a killer, but in the meantime, doesn’t that mean they’re trapped with one?

I had a blast reading Death on the Island. I went into it with zero expectations. I hadn’t heard of this author, or any buzz for the book, but the title screamed, READ ME!!!

I’m so glad I made the time for it. I was completely engaged from the start. It actually turns out this is the author’s debut novel, and I’m so excited for more.

I appreciated how quickly Reid gets us into the action. I was drawn into the story so fast. I liked that we were following political figures, such as ambassadors and mayors. I haven’t read one like that in a while, so it was a nice change of pace.

I enjoyed how the author formatted the story as well. You get the reveal of the death, and then you go back in time and track through the events leading up to that death. It was done in a countdown-style that I feel added a level of tension to it that might not have been there otherwise.

Learning about this cast of characters, as well as their relationships to one another and potential motivations for why someone would take out anyone at this dinner party, was very entertaining. There was certainly plenty of drama to oh-and-ah over.

With this being said, I’ll admit there’s a lot of moving parts and it was a little hard to track in the beginning. For a minute, I started to feel overwhelmed, but I tried to just relax into it, not worry too much about the details, and to just let Reid do her thing.

Ultimately, Reid pulled it off. This had me so invested, I had no longstanding issues tracking the various characters, or their interpersonal dramas.

Overall, I loved the atmospheric-island setting, which was done so well in my humble island-dweller opinion. I also really enjoyed the use of an inclement weather element to help build out that tense atmosphere, as well as the interesting cast of characters.

It was so gripping trying to solve this murder mystery, my head was all over the place. I did Buddy Read it with a friend, and definitely recommend that. It was so fun trying to guess the killer together, and their reasons behind it.

Thank you to the publisher, Poisoned Pen Press, for providing me a copy to read and review.

I loved how this kept me guessing, and I’m looking forward to more from Eliza Reid!!!

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Review: Emily Wilde’s Compendium of Lost Tales (Emily Wilde #3) by Heather Fawcett

Emily Wilde's Compendium of Lost Tales (Emily Wilde, #3)Emily Wilde’s Compendium of Lost Tales by Heather Fawcett
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars rounded up**

Emily Wilde’s Compendium of Lost Tales is the 3rd-installment in Heather Fawcett’s Adult Cozy Fantasy series titled after the main character, Emily Wilde.

This low stakes, light romance, enchantingly-atmospheric series, follows Emily Wilde, a Cambridge University Professor, who specializes in the study of faeries. Over the course of the three books, we’ve been traveling along with her to various locations as she does research for her work.

It’s not quite as simple as all of that, but that is the basic gist, and maybe it’s enough to get you intrigued if you haven’t started this series yet.

Truth be told, Cozy Fantasy isn’t a subgenre of Fantasy I tend gravitate toward, and when I do, I haven’t had a ton of success with it. However, there’s something about this world that Fawcett has created that keeps me coming back.

Yeah, most likely it’s Emily’s dog, Shadow…

In this installment, Emily and her fiance, Wendall, are diving deep into the realm of faerie in a powerful new way. Even though the realm is full of scholarly treasures for Emily, it’s also full of dangers for them both.

Soon they find themselves battling a terrible curse on the land, and the entire realm is at risk. It’s going to take all of Emily’s knowledge to save them, but is she up to the task?

I thought this was fun, though I didn’t find it quite as engaging as the earlier installments. I think for me, I preferred the travels and dramas in real world locations versus the faerie realm.

I also feel like I may have enjoyed Emily and Wendall’s relationship earlier on, when there was more of a ‘will they, won’t they’ vibe to it, but it does only make sense for that relationship to grow and evolve. I get it, I get it.

It’s just not quite as enticing to me, personally.

Nevertheless, this is still a great read. It’s entertaining, it’s well-developed and cute, cute, cute. I would definitely recommend fans of the earlier books continue on.

Further if there is another book, which I feel like there will be, I’ll definitely be picking it up. It did make me a little sad to see Shadow getting older, as I have my own elderly large breed dog at home, but I know Fawcett is going to continue to handle his aging with care.

I love Emily, Wendall and Shadow. This series has my heart.

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Review: Serial Killer Games by Kate Posey

Serial Killer GamesSerial Killer Games by Kate Posey
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Debut novel!? Are you kidding me, Kate Posey!?

I am in love with this novel. It felt completely unique, heartfelt and macabre, all at the same time, and happened to be a sensational fit for my tastes.

I went through every emotion over the course of this story, predicting I would cry, and I certainly did. I mean, just a little, but still, that’s a big deal for me.

This story follows Dolores dela Cruz and Jake Ripper, who meet in a fairly common place, the office. Jake is there as a temp, but makes an impression on Dolores, in that she thinks he’s sus as heck.

With his odd behavior and distrustful good looks, she’s pretty sure he’s a serial killer. In a way, she has a right to be suspicious, because Jake has definitely taken a special interest in her. Her F-all-the-way off, combative attitude is incredibly intriguing for Jake.

When their mutual interest in one another blossoms into a dark flirtation, both parties are left with a lot of questions. Is this love, or something much more sinister?

For the first 40% of this novel, I had no clue where it was going. I wasn’t sure how much was going to be Romance, how much Mystery, or Thriller. I know now, and there’s no way I’m spoiling it for you.

I feel like this is so smartly-constructed. It snuck up on me, completely capturing my heart and attention. For me, Posey took this in an unexpected direction, and I appreciated all the different levels she delivered with this narrative.

I know this won’t be for every oen. Marketed as Romance, I feel like there’s an expectation recently for A LOT of steam and this doesn’t have it. There’s a little, but not to the level many might desire. I think that lack may make certain Readers walk away feeling unfulfilled.

For my personal tastes, and maybe you’re the same, that actually works in its favor. There’s so much more time for character development. I much prefer pining, ‘will they won’t they’, and slow burn vibes of characters actually living life, and getting to know each other in a real way.

Unpopular opinion, I know.

I also feel this was the perfect fit for me in regards to the macabre nature of these MCs. I got them. The way their minds work. It’s no secret, Horror is my favorite genre. I could see my own inner dialogue displayed in both MC’s perspectives. It was so fun and refreshing to see.

I wouldn’t call this a Dark Romance though, because it’s really not. It’s not psychopaths pushing limits, it’s two people struggling to be seen and understood in a world that doesn’t necessarily make it easy for them to fit.

I would highly recommend this to Readers like me; who prefer Dark Fiction, but like to add in a Romance, or Contemporary story, every once in while, maybe to feel something different, or to switch things up.

Overall, I really enjoyed how the author developed this story with such care. You think you are getting one thing, and then as it evolves, it’s just so compelling.

It’s also much, much deeper than I anticipated, but not in an irritating, ooey-gooey way that generally annoys the piss out of me. It was just so enjoyable.

I felt like I was actually in it with these characters. I felt everything they were feeling, for better or worse, and the plot was just enthralling to me.

Thank you so much to the publisher, Berkley, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I cannot wait to read more from Kate Posey.

I feel like we’re gonna have a long and beautiful friendship.

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Review: We Live Here Now by Sarah Pinborough

We Live Here Now: A NovelWe Live Here Now: A Novel by Sarah Pinborough
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**4.5-stars**

After a cliffwalk accident puts her in a coma and almost kills her, Emily, is ready for the new start her husband, Freddie, suggests. The couple move from London to a beautiful Dartmoor country house called Larkin Lodge.

Set in a remote area, by the stark natural presence of the Moors, this property is steeped in gothic vibes. Emily, still recovering both mentally and physically from her accident, is intrigued, and a little frightened by the imposing home.

As they settle in, Freddie is away from home for the majority of the week, still working in London. He’s put in for a transfer, but it hasn’t happened yet, so it’s back-and-forth for him until that becomes official.

This leaves Emily alone, with a lot of time on her hands, and she begins to notice things: creaking floorboards, books falling from the shelves, and what she can only determine is a mysterious presence in the 3rd-floor bedroom.

Unfortunately, these disturbing occurrences only seem to happen when Emily is alone. When she tells her husband about her fears, he blames them all on her accident. Claiming she is just experiencing post-sepsis hallucinations.

Emily doesn’t know what to think. She knows that’s a potential symptom for people recovering from sepsis, but the feelings never leave her. It feels so real and scary in the moment. She begins to resent Freddie for not listening to her and brushing off her concerns.

Meanwhile, Emily is more determined than ever to get to the truth behind Larkin Lodge. She can feel that something terrible has happened there, that something is off, but what?

I had so much fun with this book. I know it won’t necessarily be for everyone, but for me, it was excellent entertainment. I was in this with Emily and everything that was happening to her at Larkin Lodge. I also liked to get ticked at Freddie right along with her. It was like we were friends.

This story is mainly told through Emily and Freddie’s perspectives, but there are also a few other narrative inclusions which I really enjoyed.

Incidentally, the audiobook does feature dual narration and I highly recommend that format. The narrators absolutely hooked me into the story. They were so believable as Emily and Freddie. It was almost like I could feel the tension growing between them.

I loved the atmosphere and that we were really dealing with a pretty morally grey cast of characters; my fave. I also loved the dynamics explored within Emily and Freddie’s marriage, as well as within their friend group.

There were scenes, as Emily is first experiencing odd things at the house, that gave me chills. I loved the clues she ended up following in order to figure out what was going on.

I also feel like it was a really cool concept going on and I loved the conclusion. It left me with that evil grin on my face that I love to have at the end of a story like this. I feel this was well-executed by Pinborough.

Was it perfect? No, but it didn’t need to be. It was so fun and engaging. I was sucked completely in and finished it in a 24-hour period; during the work week! That’s no small feat.

Thank you so much to the publisher, Macmillan Audio, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I’m so glad I picked this up and look forward to more from Pinborough!

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Review: The Night Birds by Christopher Golden

The Night BirdsThe Night Birds by Christopher Golden
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Dark, creepy and hella atmospheric, The Night Birds is a wildly-entertaining ride of nail-biting intensity. Christopher Golden does this type of Folk Horror so well, IMO.

Maybe you’re like me, and though you appreciate the majesty and beauty of birds, they also creep you the heck out? If so, you should read this. Picturing myself in the shoes of some of these characters gave me absolute chills.

This story is set in Galvaston, Texas, and mainly revolves around a group of characters researching the Christabel, a 19th century freighter that lies half-sunken in waters shadowed by eerie mangroves and other wildlife.

With a vicious storm bearing down, most of the small crew abandon the Christabel, choosing to stay on dry land while they wait it out. Charlie Book, their leader, however, chooses to stay on board as usual. The ship has weathered many storms. It’s not going anywhere.

When he arrives on the docks after dinner, preparing to head back out to the Christabel, he’s shocked by the sudden appearance of his ex-girlfriend, Ruby. She’s begging him for help and protection, and she’s not alone.

With her is a mysterious woman, Mae, as well as an infant. They’re bedraggled and clearly on the run, but from what?

Even though he has big reservations about the situation, Book can’t refuse Ruby. If she’s in danger, he wants to help. Thus, he shuttles them all out to the Christabel.

Meanwhile, with the coming storm, something else seems to be coming, lurking in the dark and stormy night. Using shadows as cover and hiding a ravenous evil.

As forces close in on the Christabel, Book’s team senses that something is amiss and they try desperately to get back to the ship to help their friend. Little do they know, the storm is the least of their problems now.

I became invested in this story so quickly. I love Christopher Golden in general, and feel really comfortable with his writing style. It has such a classic Horror feel for me, and I love how he takes care to set a scene and pulls the Reader into his character’s lives.

He creates characters you want to succeed; to be okay, to live. I was rooting for Book and Ruby, as well as the side characters, Luisa, Gerald and Alan, the entire way through.

This would honestly make a great movie; good versus evil battling it out amongst the mangroves. I was on the edge of my seat and horrified as it unfolded. It was non-stop punches the entire second-half.

Some of it did get a little difficult to track as the action and intensity built up, but that could just be because of the speed at which I was reading it. I was so desperate to find out how this was going to conclude, I was flying through.

This is a witchy story, which is alluded to in the synopsis, as well as mentioned in the genre tags, but I just want to be clear, this is dark stuff; ancient stuff. The imagery involved, it’s heavy and excellent to read if you love Horror.

Overall, I had a great time with this. It’s so fun and addictive. I couldn’t put it down. I loved the atmosphere and characters, as well as the horror imagery throughout.

Thank you to the publisher, St. Martin’s Press, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I cannot wait to see what Golden releases next!!!

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Review: The Third Rule of Time Travel by Philip Fracassi

The Third Rule of Time TravelThe Third Rule of Time Travel by Philip Fracassi
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Rule One: Travel can only occur to a point within your lifetime.
Rule Two: You can only travel for ninety seconds.
Rule Three: You can only observe.
The rules cannot be broken.

The Third Rule of Time Travel follows Beth Darlow, a scientist, who along with her husband, Colson, developed a machine that would allow a user’s consciousness to travel back through time to relive random moments in their lives.

It’s a stunning scientific breakthrough, yet it does have some limitations, and potential hazards. It also may not be quite as dialed in as they originally think.

After Colson is tragically killed, Beth is left to pick up the pieces of her shattered life and to continue their work alone. She’s aware of the machine’s kinks, and she wants to be sure they get them worked out safely.

She’s poured her heart and soul into this project, and handles it with great care. When she starts getting pushed by the big boss though, Beth needs to take some risks in order to please the powers that be. She’s not fully comfortable with the things they’re asking of her, but she feels she has to proceed nonetheless.

That’s when Beth begins to notice unsettling shifts in her reality. Perhaps they didn’t have the full understanding on this technology like they thought they did?

This is such an interesting concept, unsurprisingly, executed so well, with great writing from Fracassi. I actually wish it would have been longer so all the topics could have been expanded upon even further.

This is only the 2nd-novel I’ve read from Fracassi, the 1st being Boys in the Valley, which was my favorite book of 2023. I was so surprised how wildly-different these two books are, but what they share is Fracassi’s smooth, accessible writing style.

I think it is so impressive when an author can jump around amongst different genres, and still deliver in such a believable way. I gotta give him props for that.

But, yeah, this had such a fun set-up. It was compelling from the start, easily drawing me into Beth’s world and current circumstances with her work.

I enjoy following characters who are scientists, so this one definitely scratched that itch. I like how much mystery there was surrounding what had happened to Beth’s husband, as well as the shady feel of the company she works for.

After Beth starts to push the tech and notice glitches, I like how she questioned all of their research and prior beliefs. She didn’t double-down on anything, she wasn’t arrogant in her stance. She was a woman seeking the truth, and I found that very compelling.

Towards the end it did get crazy. I mean the concepts we’re dealing with, they’re not easy to conceptualize always, and I did have fun trying to track everything happening to Beth.

It did give it a bit of a fever-dream feel, but not in an overwhelming way, so I was fine with that. I actually feel like this is one of those books where I could possibly enjoy it even more upon reread.

I would recommend this to any Sci-Fi fans, particularly if you enjoy stories that play with time and what we understand about temporal space.

Thank you to the publisher, Orbit, for providing me with a copy to read and review. This was a very enjoyable read!

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Review: When the Wolf Comes Home by Nat Cassidy

When the Wolf Comes HomeWhen the Wolf Comes Home by Nat Cassidy
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

After Jess, a struggling actress, wraps up her diner shift early, she returns home and discovers a disheveled little boy hiding in the bushes outside of her apartment.

She gently coaxes the boy out, and using her distinctive humor, gets him to trust her enough to tell her he’s in serious danger, and now, she probably is too. That’s when the stuff hits the fan and all heck breaks loose in the form of the boy’s viciously-violent father.

Jess has no choice but to run with the boy in tow, but is anywhere going to be safe from the one hunting them, who seems to have preternatural skills?

Initially, Jess believes she knows the precariousness of their situation, but it gets way more perilous and downright crazy than she could have ever predicted.

Wow, wow, wow; that was my initial reaction upon finishing When the Wolf Comes Home. I hadn’t looked at any reviews prior, so I wasn’t sure how others were receiving it, but I immediately knew it was a top contender for my favorite book of 2025.

I cried actual grown-ass lady tears for the last 1/2-hour of the audiobook, which is fabulously-narrated. There were minutes, legit continuous minutes, towards the end where I had full body chills after a big reveal, when I realized what had actually happened.

This was the first time I’ve read from Nat Cassidy, and I’ll be honest, this wasn’t what I anticipated. He incorporates much more dark humor than I expected, and I was living for it.

I thought I was getting one type of story when I picked this up, but it went in a wildly different direction and I loved the creepy-creativity behind that turn. The thought of these events actually happening IRL, like what would you do!?

In spite of the gruesome nature of this story, I still managed to connect to it in a deeply-emotional way. It took me by surprise. I felt so many different things, for example, a protective love for Jess and the kiddo.

Why did you do this to me Cassidy? I don’t like to feel things!

((j/k: I love it))

Please be sure to read the Afterward from the author if you pick this one up. It’s beautifully done, straight from the heart and I feel like it gave me an even deeper understanding and appreciation of what he achieved with this story.

Thank you to the publisher, Tor Nightfire and Macmillan Audio, for providing me with copies to read and review. I loved this so much and am looking forward to going back and reading Cassidy’s entire backlist now.

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Review: Fifty Fifty (Eddie Flynn #5) by Steve Cavanagh

Fifty Fifty (Eddie Flynn, #5)Fifty Fifty by Steve Cavanagh
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**4.5-stars**

Fifty Fifty is the 5th-installment to Steve Cavanagh’s Eddie Flynn series, but it’s only the 2nd-book that I’ve read in the series thus far.

Take it from me, I say this with confidence, it doesn’t matter where you start with this series, as long as you start it.

If you aren’t familiar with the series, as I wasn’t, it does indeed follow Eddie Flynn, a criminal defense attorney, as well as his team, as they investigate, work and defend various cases in and around New York City.

This starts off with such a bang, and it never let go of me. A complete mindf#*k, if you will. The opening scene features a 9-1-1 call that introduces us to the gruesome crime that is going to pull Eddie into a case for the record books.

Two sisters, Alexandra and Sofia, one of them brutally murdered their father, but which one?

Eddie thinks he knows who the guilty party is, and he only chooses to defend innocent people. Thus, he chooses to defend the girl he thinks deserves to be free, but is he right?

Fifty Fifty was such an incredibly fun ride. This case is hella dark and twisted, the two sisters pitted against one another, it was so intense. I couldn’t put it down.

My head was spinning the whole way through. I flipped back and forth between the two sister suspects so many times, trying to figure out who the killer was. It was completely engaging and wickedly compelling.

I love the way Cavanagh provided clues along the way that could’ve arguably fit either girl. It was a mental workout trying to figure it out, and I love a good workout.

I’m so happy to have discovered this series in 2025. These gorgeous new covers being released by Atria are the perfect reason to snatch them all up for my bookshelves. I’m looking forward to reading the rest.

Thank you to the publisher, Atria, for providing me with a copy to read and review. If you enjoy fast-paced, high-stakes, twisty Legal Thrillers, I highly recommend the Eddie Flynn series!!!

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Review: Our Last Wild Days by Anna Bailey

Our Last Wild DaysOur Last Wild Days by Anna Bailey
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Loyal left her small hometown of Jacknife, Louisiana, when she was just 18-years old, after a falling out with her best friend, Cutter. When she left, she took a lot of guilt with her over what she’d done to Cutter.

Now a decade later, Loyal returns to Jacknife to help care for her Mom, who seems to be teetering on the edge of dementia. Loyal is nervous about being back. It feels like she’s been on the run from her past this whole time.

Luckily, Loyal, a journalist, is able to get a job working at the tiny local paper, which she’d contributed to when she had been in high school. She hasn’t burned every bridge.

Her first day on the job, she and her coworker, Sasha, get word that a body has been discovered in the swamps. They rush to the scene to see what info that can glean from the responding officers.

It’s quickly revealed that the body belongs to Loyal’s estranged best friend, Cutter. Loyal is devastated on so many levels. She was hoping for a chance to reconcile with her friend, to apologize for what she had done, but now she’s been robbed of that chance.

Cutter’s early ife had been filled with hardship and tragedy, and from what Loyal’s heard, it’s only gotten worse recently. Now she’s been taken out just as tragically.

Many believe Cutter most likely took her own life, but Loyal isn’t buying that. There’s no way the girl she knew would do that, but how well did she actually know Cutter anymore?

Loyal and Sasha begin digging for answers, discovering small town corruption and dangerous dealings along the way. Will they be able to expose the truth, or will Cutter end up just being another person lost to the swamp?

Our Last Wild Days is Anna Bailey’s 2nd-novel, and IMO, it’s an improvement over their debut, Where the Truth Lies, which was good, but nothing about it really stood out for me.

I feel like this novel is going to stick in my mind. The characters were fantastically-developed and I thought the South Louisiana setting, the atmosphere created around that, was excellent as well.

If you enjoy gritty Crime Fiction, with a touch of a Hillbilly Noir-type feel to it, you should definitely give this one a shot. It has a nice slow burn, that definitely pays off if you stick around until the end.

And when I say slow burn, I don’t mean that it feels slow. The story itself builds at a nice clip, I just feel like Bailey really invested the time in building out the story in a way that would pull the Reader in and make them care.

By the end, I needed answers as badly as Loyal did. I needed for Cutter’s true story to be told. The characters felt completely realistic. I think for anyone who grew up in a small town in the U.S., you may even start to see bits and pieces of your own hometown on display here.

I’m impressed with this. I think Bailey has found their stride, and it’s only going to keep getting stronger. I hope they stick in this lane. This sort of atmospheric Crime Thriller really suits their writing.

Thank you to the publisher, Atria, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I’m looking forward to Bailey’s next novel already!!!

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