"Plagued by traumatic childhood memories, crime reporter Sawyer Brooks still struggles to gain control of her rage, her paranoia, and her life. Now, after finally getting promoted at work, she is forced to return home and face her past.
River Rock is where she’d been abandoned by her two older sisters to suffer alone, and in silence, the unspeakable abuses of her family. It’s also where Sawyer’s best friend disappeared and two teenage girls were murdered. Three cold cases dead and buried with the rest of the town’s secrets.
When another girl is slain in a familiar grisly fashion, Sawyer is determined to put an end to the crimes. Pulled back into the horrors of her family history, Sawyer must reconcile with her estranged sisters, who both have shattering memories of their own. As Sawyer’s investigation leads to River Rock’s darkest corners, what will prove more dangerous—what she knows of the past or what she has yet to discover? "
My Thoughts:
I feel like I need to begin this review with ALL of the trigger warnings! This book is dark and not always easy to read so it may not be for all readers. But it was also such a suspenseful read that kept me turning the pages to see what was going to happen next the entire time. I just think that because this book was so dark that readers will want to go in knowing that ahead of time as it isn't always easy to read - Sawyer has been through some horrific things in her childhood as have both of her sisters. If you can handle all of that, this book was a very compelling read! Sawyer is a prickly character for very good reason. She is also someone that I was instantly rooting for especially after we learn about everything that she has been through. This book also gave me some serious Sharp Objects vibes thanks to the town Sawyer grew up in and all of the darkness that seemed to be contained within it. Another interesting aspect to this book is that there is vigilante storyline (that's the best way I can describe it) that is interspersed throughout the book. I was curious and guessing how it related to Sawyer's storyline while I was reading but my guesses weren't confirmed as correct until the end. I'm very curious to see how this will play out in future books as this book is the first in a series. I will definitely make sure that I'm ready for a darker read when I pick up the next book. I'm looking forward to that next book though as well as checking out what else this author has written!
Overall, it feels kind of wrong to say I enjoyed this one when it had such difficult subject matter but I really did. It wasn't always easy for me to read but it was a very compelling book. I'm eager to read more about Sawyer and to see what other kinds of trouble she will find herself in next. Make no mistake, I'm 100 percent sure that she will find herself in other trouble - that is just the type of person she is. I'm rooting for her though and looking forward to future books because of it. I would recommend this book to readers that don't mind darker reads, those who enjoy a good mystery, and those who like suspenseful reads that they don't want to set down. I wouldn't recommend this book to everyone though because it could be very triggering - please message me if you need specific trigger warnings. In the end, I'm excited to have found this new to me author and looking forward to checking out what else she has written!
Bottom Line: A very dark, suspenseful and compelling read - but be warned that it may not be for everyone!
Disclosure: I received a copy of this book thanks to the publisher as part of a Great Escape Virtual Book Tour. Honest thoughts are my own.
If you are interested in reading a copy, check out the tour giveaway for this book below:
souunds like an interesting book.
ReplyDelete