I had seen this here on the BookishFirst website last year, and didn’t win it. I also didn’t have enough points to claim it either.
Last year I requested it through my local library and was FINALLY able to get it early last week.
After catching up on a few reviews, and while waiting for another batch to do – I decided to finally read this.
While I enjoy suspense and thrillers, this was definitely a WILD read.
This is apparently the first in a series of “Natalie Lockhart” (this book’s protagonist) books.
There will be some content/trigger warnings in this book:
** Alcohol/Drug Use
** Dead Pregnant Woman
** Animal Mutilation
** Serial Killing
** Witches/Covens/Wiccan References
** Vulgar Language Throughout
This is a deeply disturbing, dark, haunting novel from a new-to-me author, Alice Blanchard; distributed by Minotaur Books an imprint of St. Martin’s Press/Macmillan.
The main character is the youngest of three (3) girls (Willow, Grace, Natalie) the oldest was killed 20 years earlier when she was 18. Natalie and Grace are all that is left. Although the killer is locked up, there is some doubt as to the evidence. Grace believes his guilt 100%.
Natalie is a new detective.
It isn’t bad enough that her sister was murdered, the town has a troubled history, but there are nine cases of missing transients that remain unsolved. She’s now tasked with trying to solve them ...
That is until a high school teacher, and close personal friend, pregnant Daisy Bruckner is murdered. There is more to the case, and there are far-reaching consequences, even ones that meet home.
The book is written in short chapters with a quick pace that keeps the reader reading on. The pacing and chapters make this a fast read.
Yet, by 56% into this novel – there was seemingly no connection to the nine missing transients or Daisy’s murder.
Blanchard did an excellent job of keeping the “rumor” mill flying regarding Daisy’s death due to her secrets. And, there were theories flying all around. Although she was married to a cop and pregnant, she had her secrets that may have led to her death. Her husband is also a suspect as well.
One of those secrets intersects with the friends of Natalie’s niece, who is briefly a witch in a coven – thus the Wiccan connection. That’s not all – at one time Ellie’s mom Grace, Daisy, Lindsey, Bunny, and Natalie were in one.
This “coven” plot turns out to have a MAJOR connection in the novel with regard to Daisy’s death.
One interesting plot point was Natalie’s memory of a boy who’d attacked her and who had “poked” at a dead animal in the woods. It later connects to the missing nine, which doesn’t really get wrapped up until the final chapters. It was pretty much a low key conclusion. Slight spoiler – Daisy and Willow’s murders were not connected.
In comparison, the actual conclusion of both Daisy and Willow’s murder was more drawn-out and dramatic. The writer did craft it in a way that I didn’t see it coming. The suspect of those murders was someone I didn’t even expect.
I’m honestly wavering between three (3) and four (4) stars for this. I’m deciding on three (3).
The writing was solid, yet I felt there was something lack. The end was a bit too neatly drawn up.
It was a rather interesting read despite the coarse language.
I am glad that my library had a copy and I didn’t spend any of my points to get it though.
Last year I requested it through my local library and was FINALLY able to get it early last week.
After catching up on a few reviews, and while waiting for another batch to do – I decided to finally read this.
While I enjoy suspense and thrillers, this was definitely a WILD read.
This is apparently the first in a series of “Natalie Lockhart” (this book’s protagonist) books.
There will be some content/trigger warnings in this book:
** Alcohol/Drug Use
** Dead Pregnant Woman
** Animal Mutilation
** Serial Killing
** Witches/Covens/Wiccan References
** Vulgar Language Throughout
This is a deeply disturbing, dark, haunting novel from a new-to-me author, Alice Blanchard; distributed by Minotaur Books an imprint of St. Martin’s Press/Macmillan.
The main character is the youngest of three (3) girls (Willow, Grace, Natalie) the oldest was killed 20 years earlier when she was 18. Natalie and Grace are all that is left. Although the killer is locked up, there is some doubt as to the evidence. Grace believes his guilt 100%.
Natalie is a new detective.
It isn’t bad enough that her sister was murdered, the town has a troubled history, but there are nine cases of missing transients that remain unsolved. She’s now tasked with trying to solve them ...
That is until a high school teacher, and close personal friend, pregnant Daisy Bruckner is murdered. There is more to the case, and there are far-reaching consequences, even ones that meet home.
The book is written in short chapters with a quick pace that keeps the reader reading on. The pacing and chapters make this a fast read.
Yet, by 56% into this novel – there was seemingly no connection to the nine missing transients or Daisy’s murder.
Blanchard did an excellent job of keeping the “rumor” mill flying regarding Daisy’s death due to her secrets. And, there were theories flying all around. Although she was married to a cop and pregnant, she had her secrets that may have led to her death. Her husband is also a suspect as well.
One of those secrets intersects with the friends of Natalie’s niece, who is briefly a witch in a coven – thus the Wiccan connection. That’s not all – at one time Ellie’s mom Grace, Daisy, Lindsey, Bunny, and Natalie were in one.
This “coven” plot turns out to have a MAJOR connection in the novel with regard to Daisy’s death.
One interesting plot point was Natalie’s memory of a boy who’d attacked her and who had “poked” at a dead animal in the woods. It later connects to the missing nine, which doesn’t really get wrapped up until the final chapters. It was pretty much a low key conclusion. Slight spoiler – Daisy and Willow’s murders were not connected.
In comparison, the actual conclusion of both Daisy and Willow’s murder was more drawn-out and dramatic. The writer did craft it in a way that I didn’t see it coming. The suspect of those murders was someone I didn’t even expect.
I’m honestly wavering between three (3) and four (4) stars for this. I’m deciding on three (3).
The writing was solid, yet I felt there was something lack. The end was a bit too neatly drawn up.
It was a rather interesting read despite the coarse language.
I am glad that my library had a copy and I didn’t spend any of my points to get it though.