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3.25 stars

I won a free advance copy in a Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ giveaway. Thank you to Atria Books for sending it to me!

I’ll freely admit horror is a genre I don’t frequently read but the Mare of Easttown comparison had me intrigued. Rachel Kennon is a police chief of a small town in Virginia. Her family was rocked by tragedy and they are struggling to keep things together. Rachel is called to a rather disturbing scene and when more crimes follow, it will rock the community and put Rachel and her family in danger.

The story has a bleak and creepy vibe to it and a family dealing with grief adds to this depressing atmosphere. The story held my interest for quite awhile but the characters hampered my enjoyment. In theory, I should feel invested in this family as they navigate a horrific loss but they started to grate on my nerves. I was also thrown off by some of the dialogue. Backwards attitudes and small minded opinions are not uncommon but the writing for some the characters, main and supporting, felt forced and over the top to the point it was inauthentic.

Flawed characters are fine but give me a reason to keep following them. My frustration kept building and the horror elements didn’t land because I was mentally checked out of the story somewhere around the 2/3 mark.

My review sounds grumpy but anytime I rate a book 3 stars or higher it means my overall opinion leans more in a positive direction than negative. I just write whatever sticks in my mind the most. NOWHERE had potential but was a little messy in the execution.