Knife River

by Justine Champine

When Jess was thirteen her mother went for a walk and never returned. Jess and her older sister Liz never found out what happened. Instead, they did what they hoped their mother would do: survive. As soon as she was old enough, Jess fled their small town of Knife River, wandering from girlfriend to girlfriend like a ghost in her own life, aimless in her attempts to outrun grief and confusion. But one morning fifteen years later she gets the call she’s been bracing herself for: Her mother's remains have been found.

Genres: Mystery, Thriller, Fiction, Mystery Thriller, Crime, Queer, Suspense

368 pages, Hardcover

First published May 28, 2024

About the author

Justine Champine’s short fiction has appeared in The Kenyon Review, Epoch, and The Los Angeles Review of Books. She holds an MFA from Sarah Lawrence College, and is a founding member of No Tokens Journal. Knife River is her first novel.

Reviews

[Nilufer Ozmekik · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book delves into the heart-wrenching journey of Jess and her sister, Liz, who are haunted by the mysterious disappearance of their mother when they were young. Their lives have been marked by grief and an unending quest for answers. Jess, trying to escape the shadows of her past, has lived a nomadic existence, drifting from one relationship to another. However, a fateful call changes everything: their mother's remains have been discovered.

Returning to their small town of Knife River, Jess is confronted with a place suspended in time, where Liz remains fixated on unsolved missing persons cases. What was supposed to be a brief visit to find closure only deepens the mystery. The long-exposed bones raise more questions than answers, and Jess is drawn into the enigma of her mother's disappearance. Along the way, she rekindles a relationship with her high school girlfriend, adding layers of complexity to her understanding of the past and the people in her life.

This novel is a poignant exploration of the imperfect but profound bonds that women share—be it in romantic relationships, intergenerational friendships, or the unique sisterly connection. The story unfurls with tension and intimacy, painting a vivid picture of the complexity of love and loss.

However, while the novel offers a touching perspective on the impact of a mother's disappearance on her daughters, I have mixed feelings about it. I found the narrative disjointed and hard to follow. The interplay between the investigation and Jess's romantic relationships left some feeling disconnected. The story meandered in places, making it challenging to maintain engagement. The characters, notably Jess, resonated with a few readers, but the lack of clarity in the point of view and the pacing left others feeling disconnected from the narrative.

Overall, "Knife River" offers a thought-provoking exploration of the enduring bonds between women, wrapped in a tapestry of mystery and loss. While it carries a profound emotional weight, it may not resonate with me due to its narrative structure and pacing.

I eventually settled on giving it a solid three stars, with the thought that this story could be told more effectively, which might have helped me empathize more with the characters.

Many thanks to Random House Publishing Group/ Dial Press for providing me this digital reviewer copy in exchange my honest feedback.

[Mai H. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Small town crime gets me every time. In these homogenous places where you leave your doors unlocked and supposedly trust your neighbors, can you trust your neighbors?

Years ago, Jess and Liz's mother went for a walk and never returned. She is presumed missing, possibly dead. Fifteen years later, her remains have been found, and Jess finds herself returning to a northeastern town she isn't sorry to have left.

Jess clearly suffers from abandonment issues. She floats from girlfriend to girlfriend, bringing one bag worth of stuff with her every time she moves. She doesn't sign leases. She just bounces.

Liz suffers differently. She remains in the town she was born in, in their dilapidated family home. She has had one serious relationship, that she ended when he tried to get too close to her.

For most of the book, Liz and a family friend are convinced one party is to blame for their mother's death. He's the obvious choice. He's a drunk. He is known to hurt women. Society fails women as they ignore this behavior from men. It's a very "boys will be boys" scenario. Side note, if I ever hear someone say this irl, I will push back.

So the killer isn't who we think it is. And I won't spoil you, but that idea of trust comes into play again. Where are you safest? In the small town you grew up in, surrounded by everyone you know, or think you know? Or in the big city you move to, where you know no one, and don't care to? Food for thought.

📱 Thank you to NetGalley and The Dial Press

[Mallory · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a very interesting debut mystery. The writing was unique and I can’t tell if it is the writer’s style or it was based on the odd personality of the main character. This mystery was a slow burn and while I can appreciate a slow burn sometimes, this was slow to the point of me struggling to stay focused on this book. The beginning was wonderful and I liked the ending even if I personally didn’t find everything to be as satisfying as it could have been. Jess was a child when her mother went out for a walk and never came back. This greatly changed the lives of both Jess and her sister Liz. While Jess left Knife River as soon as she could Liz stayed and has tried to push for a resolution to their mother’s assumed death. The book starts with Liz calling Jess to let her know they found bones and they think it’s their mother. This brings Jess home and a lot of the book focuses on her relationship with the town, herself, her trauma and alcohol. The book was interesting but not was I expecting. I definitely am curious at what this author will do next.

[Celine · Rating 2 out of 5]

The things I loved about this novel, I loved fiercely. It’s a gorgeous literary thriller, with pieces of writing so shockingly beautiful, I didn’t know what to do with myself after reading them.
But when I hit the 60% mark and I still had no idea where the story was going, it became hard to sit with. It’s a slow burn, is what I’m trying to say, and I think one should know that, going in.
I think it’s worth sticking out until the end, because it’s satisfying in more than one regard.

Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for an early copy in exchange for a review!

[Daniel Ray · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story was told through the eyes of the younger sister, Jess. She was 13 when their mother disappeared and eventually was presumed dead. Her bones were discovered 15 years later. Jess returns home where her older sister, Liz, still lives in their mother’s home. It’s the story of the investigation into their mother’s death. But more importantly, it’s the story of two dysfunctional sisters that haven’t stayed in touch. Two sisters that live together during a very slow moving investigation and stressful time. And the story of the two sister’s lives. Liz would be in her 30’s and is still a virgin. And Jess jumps from lover to lover. Liz has a very direct approach and forces open and honest conversations between the two. It’s not my typical type of book but it was so intimate a story that I stayed with it.

[Imogen · Rating 1 out of 5]

this is gonna be the goofiest dnf i've ever shelved but dnf @ 90%
this book was SO boring. i kept waiting for it to pick up and become thrilling, but it never did. there was SO much shit in this book that added absolutely nothing and so not enough actual plot. i'm upset that i kept reading.

[charlotte, · Rating 2 out of 5]

not much of a mystery, i guessed who was involved when they first appeared on page, & the mc/sister's insistence on a random other dude with absolutely no evidence only served to irritate

Rep: lesbian mc & li

CWs: lesbophobia, death of a parent

[kimberly · Rating 3 out of 5]

sad, slow, tenderly written literary mystery. i’m all for a slow burn but this was almost painfully slow. the prose is beautiful but often times over done

[Cat · Rating 5 out of 5]

Our protagonist, Jess, tells us the story of her mother’s disappearance when she was a child as she’s taking us back to the sad little town she grew up in. We meet her sister Liz, who’s been frozen in time since the day her mother left. The home, the decor, the dishes, everything is exactly as it was when the sisters’ hearts were broken. They knew their mother loved them. She was beautiful, free spirited, and strong willed. And they know in their hearts that she’s dead.
They’re brought back together when their mother’s bones are found. It reignites the burning desire in Jess to understand who did this, who committed this heinous crime. Jess and Liz have such different personalities, though. They literally circle each other like prey. Liz wants to keep her head down. Jess wants to scream to the mountains. As these two coexist in their childhood home, so many burned bridges are rebuilt. Yes, a crime needs to be solved, but the story of Jess and Liz is told in bare bones, suffer through it, raw words. This is an excellent emotional read with depth and color.
Thanks so much to Random House Publishing Group, Dial Press, for an ARC in exchange for my honest review. The publishing date is May 28, 2024.

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5/5

I wasn't really sure how I wanted to rate Knife River by Justine Champine and I still don’t know if I like my rating. This is a character driven storyline that reminded me a lot of In Cold Blood by the beloved Truman Capote. I didn’t like that book because of how slow and over-the-top descriptive it was, which was the vibe I got from this one except different? I liked the mystery element but that isn’t really as front and center as the character study of Jess and the bonds of sisterhood after a tragedy.

I got to listen to the audiobook which is narrated by Jennifer Pickens, and she is definitely what kept me going. Slow, character-driven books aren’t always my jam and without her this may have been a DNF. However, I am really glad I finished because the ending completely shocked me. I can’t say it made the slowness worth it, but it was up there with twists I didn’t see coming. I also have to admit that Champine’s writing is very expressive and sharp; something I took into consideration when giving Knife River a star rating.

Thank you to the publishers for my advanced listening and reader copies of this book. All opinions and thoughts are my own.

[Quirkybookwormkat · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have mixed feelings people!! I don’t like the way it ended! I literally bawled. Tears are still slowly sliding down my face.

This book has gotten to be one of the brilliantly written debut I’ve read in a long time. The intelligent writing had me drawn in from the first paragraph detailing the main character’s life to the ending. This isn’t just about trying to solve a case or finding the sisters’ mother. The is the story of an awkward sister love, redemption, forgiveness, understanding, compassion and perspective. This is about building a bridge between two sisters after being estranged for over fifteen years and do they have the courage to find themselves and start over after their mother’s bones discovery. Will there be a justice after all. Depending on how you look at it after you finish this book…..This story will haunt me for years to come because of my personal experiences.

Four and half stars from me.

Thank you, Dial Press and NetGalley for allowing me read this wonderful eARC. As usual, all of my reviews are purely my own opinions without any influence from any publisher

[Nicole W · Rating 5 out of 5]

Aww, I’m going to miss spending time with some of these characters! Hmm…Knife River might be one of my favorite books I’ve read this year, and it might be one to re-read. I think it will appeal to a wide audience. It’s actually hard to think of a reader I *wouldn’t* recommend this to, but I hope/expect that Knife River will see a lot of love from literary fiction fans in particular. It’s lovely and emotional and — oh!, ha! — one delightfully hilarious little passage cracked me up, in the dark, while reading at 1am. I am already eager to read whatever Justine Champine creates next! Thank you to Random House Publishing Group for the DRC of Knife River, which I requested after seeing it praised by an author I admire. Publishes May 28, 2024.

[Kailey (kmc_reads) · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 rounded up. I enjoyed but this def won’t be for everyone- more of a veryyyy slow burn and a character study of the daughter whose mother disappeared 15 years ago. Lots of descriptions of the settings and the extremely dilapidated town she grew up in. Very very character driven but I liked it.

[emily · Rating 3 out of 5]

i have slightly mixed feelings on this one, but overall, positive. i think i went in thinking it would be more of a thriller, and instead this very much gave off slower paced, literary fiction vibes. i think for me, that slower paced drawl was my main barrier to enjoying this more. i think that's also more of a personal think, because in general, lit fic slow paced is not my jam. i get the appeal, but it's usually not for me. that said the thing that kept me reading was the relationship between the sisters. i wanted a bit more from the sapphic relationship, but once i realized the vibe of the book, i got on board. this is a slow lit fic mostly focused on the sisters and grief, don't go in thinking it's something else, and you might have a bit of a better time than me. overall, i'd rec it.

[Colleen Maynard · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sisters reunite in their small town after their mother’s remains are found. There is the mystery about what happened to their mother when they were kids but it is a slow reveal. What I really liked was the main character and how she navigates being back in her small hometown and her relationships with her sister and her first love.

[rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I inhaled this one over the course of about 36 hours, 9 of which I spent working and 10 of which I spent sleeping.

It’s incredible that such a richly drawn character and setting driven novel as this is Champine’s debut. Comparable to Stewart O’Nan’s Songs for the Missing or Mare of Easttown, the inciting plot point is the investigation of a crime - a missing small-town woman whose body is discovered long after the case has gone cold - but the scope of the story is more about how those who loved her have or have not moved on. A refreshing antidote to the plot-twist-a-minute sort of style in crime fiction that is so popular now, it also offers a definitive resolution at the end and manages to avoid the pitfalls of some “literary” crime fiction that winds up feeling too vague in the name of keeping things ambiguous.

I can’t wait to see what Justine Champine writes next.

[Laura · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thanks to NetGalley and The Dial Press for this ARC. I thought this book was a crime thriller but it primarily centers around a family tragedy and how it's impacted two sisters. I found the book to drag and felt it didn't have a clear focus. Every time I thought it would zero in on something it then veered off in another direction. I was more than half way into the book and was still waiting for something momentous to happen. I found the story to be really heart wrenching Sadly, I was just happy to finish reading it.

[AndiReads · Rating 4 out of 5]

A gritty story of a young woman still reeling from her mother's disappearance when she was young.
Jess comes home to her failing small town against her will and teams up with her controlling sister Liz to try and get to the bottom of what happen to their mother many years ago.
A complex story, Knife River will cause you to question relationships, memories and family.

[Monica · Rating 3 out of 5]

Decent with an interesting twist at the end. I did enjoy the characters and the fact that Jess' sexual orientation wasn't a main focus of the story. Rather than this being a "coming out" story, it revolved around her relationship with her sister and their very different memories of their mother. I found it refreshing to see her challenges shown just like everyone else... No better, no worse. Maybe normalized is the right word?

Overall this story was a bit long winded for me. Thanks to NetGalley and publishers for the advanced reader's copy in exchange for my honest review.

[Taylor Walworth · Rating 3 out of 5]

As a bona fide mystery/thriller snob, I was super impressed with KNIFE RIVER as both a debut novel and literary thriller. The writing style was accomplished, and the narrative structure so solid; the slow pace of the action allowed for a deep dissection of Jess and Liz's relationship and their diverting approaches to dealing with their mother's unsolved disappearance, all while maintaining the grittiness and bleakness running like an undercurrent through the narrative's bones.

That said, I did have occasional trouble visualising the setting, which might have been forgivable if the town didn't have the same name as the book; and I was frustrated by Jess's romance with Eva, which in my opinion really detracted from her character development as the book (and their relationship) progressed.

Also, in addition to being a snob, I am someone for whom books can, quite dramatically, live or die by their endings, and I just wasn't satisfied with this one. I had already prepared to not find out what happened to the girls' mother by the end of the book, because as tends to be the case with literary thrillers, the mystery isn't quite the point, it's everything else happening around it—so, when we *did* find out what happened, in the final chapters, it felt like a throwaway, an appeasement that sort of diminished what had come before it. I would have preferred not to know.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book.

[Laura A · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks Netgalley for allowing me to read this book. Its been Jess and her sister most of her life. Her mom went missing many years ago. When they return home many years later. Little has changed in the town. This book was well written.

[Kori Potenzone · Rating 5 out of 5]

A compelling story of family, home, and the bond between sisters that asks: Who do you believe when you can't even trust yourself?

I almost missed my Sunday Spotlight 😵‍💫

This Sunday goes out to the beautiful, Justine Champine.

Somehow I ended up getting my greedy little paws on Knife River and I devoured every last bit of this soon to be bestseller

Champine, not only knows how to spin a murderous tale of deceit but she also includes quite a bit of twists.

Now, I know all of you are incredibly anxious to get your hands on Knife River and all I can do is promise you, it is about to blow your mind and exceed expectations .

Through years of spending hours upon hours with my nose buried in books I have been pickier with my ratings . Knife River is an EASY 5 star

I’ve become a huge fan of Justine Champine, with just having read Knife River. This is the beautiful start to our “book-ship” of sorts.

ready for the wild part? This is a debut!!! ♥️

Teaser:

When Jess was thirteen, her mother went for a walk and never returned. Jess and her older sister, Liz, never found out what happened. Instead, they did what they hoped their mother had done: survive. As soon as she was old enough, Jess fled their small town of Knife River, wandering from girlfriend to girlfriend like a ghost in her own life, aimless in her attempts to outrun grief and confusion. But one morning, fifteen years after their mother’s disappearance, she gets the call she’s been bracing for: Her mother’s remains have been found.

Jess returns to find Knife River—and her sister—frozen in time. The town is as claustrophobic and rundown as ever. Liz still lives in their childhood home and has become obsessed with unsolved missing persons cases. Jess plans to stay only until they get some answers, but their mother’s bones, exposed to the elements for so long, just leave them with more questions. As Jess gets caught up in the case and falls back into an entanglement with her high school girlfriend, her understanding of the past, of Liz, of their mother, and of herself become more complicated—and the list of theories more ominous.

Knife River is a tense, intimate, and heartrending portrayal of how deeply and imperfectly women love one another: in romantic relationships, in friendships, and especially as sisters.

[Kristine · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really loved this slow burn but always gripping story of two sisters grappling with the discovery of the bones of their mother, who went missing 15 years ago when they were in their teens. Beautiful writing, richly drawn characters, and keen observations really distinguish this one, as well as a thoroughly satisfying conclusion.

[Jules · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 ⭐️

This book did not need to be over 300 pages. It was incredibly boring and didn’t make me feel anything for it until about the last 50 pages or so. The characters (especially the MC) all seem selfish, dense… and just idk. The way some of them interact also felt incredibly unrealistic. This definitely didn’t feel like a thriller.

[Whitney Belcher · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF. This isn’t a thriller. More of a sleeper. Maybe I’ll come back to it one day, but it is definitely not what I thought it would be.

[Amanda Thomasson · Rating 2 out of 5]

Painfully slow. Maybe it was just me, but I spotted the culprit very early on.

[Michelle Robbins · Rating 4 out of 5]

Knife River is Justine Champine’s debut novel. And I must say, I hope she writes more novels, because I’m a fan. I love her writing style and the characters were extremely realistic.

You may see the 3.something average rating on Good Reads and wonder why that is. I’m assuming it’s because one of the genres for this book is listed as thriller. This is not a thriller, not one ounce. This is a literary fiction, family drama, with a hint of mystery.

This book is about two sisters navigating their grief over the loss of their mother. Their mother went missing when they were 13 & 19 years of age, her remains are then found 15 years later. For me, the story was more about the sisters coping with how to live life after their mother’s disappearance, as well as coming back together after spending years (about 10) being apart as adults. Second to the sister’s relationship, we find them trying to piece together what happened to their mother. We get a cast of characters in the small town of Knife River of who it might possibly be.

I thoroughly enjoyed this. Would recommend. 4.25-4.5⭐️

[Joanne, drinker of tea, reader of books, servant to cats · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was 3.5 book. I think it is a smidge better than 3 stars, but I am not sure I could round it up to 4 stars. (Goodreads, you really need to give us the half star function).

I am actually quite conflicted with this book.

I liked this book. I did. It is character driven, rather than investigation process driven, so it focuses mostly on the primary characters (Jess and her sister Liz), as well as a small number of supporting characters.

The book has a lovely flow to it. The story is told from the view point of Jess and does not bounce around between people and time periods - it was nice to read a book that just tells the story as it happens. While there are some references to the past this is as memories, rather than flashback chapters.

Because it is character driven, it has a much slower pace than other 'who dunnits'. Although there is a focus on Jess and Liz wanting to know who killed their mother, this is about their relationships, and how their mother's death has impacted their ability to move forward as adults, have a relationship with each other, and with other people.

But, there were times when comfortably and nicely slow was bordering on boringly slow and slightly repetitive, and it could have been easy to set the book aside as going nowhere.

The 'who dunnit' does become clear quite early on - to the reader if not the characters themselves (but that's how it's written I suppose). But, even though you know, and you are waiting for the book to catch up on what you know, the writing style and the characters makes it nice to just sit back and just let the story flow on around you.

This is not an 'edge of your seat and hold your breath' thriller. Nor would I say it is chick lit. It sits sort of across and between those books. There are no startling twists, nor are there ridiculous plot lines. This is, considering it focuses on the murder of woman, a 'nice' book because there are no violent details or gore.

But, I am conflicted. I read the book through to the end, I was happy to curl up for several hours with it, and I gave it a nod of satisfied completion when I was done. I enjoyed the characters and the plot and the ending. It should really have been a 4 star book.

But, I didn't get the book finish *sigh*, and I didn't get the book hangover, and the characters didn't haunt my thoughts after I put the book the down. I cannot really put my finger on why.

Would I recommend this book? Yes absolutely, but with some caveats.

Would I read another of Justine Champine's books? Yes, this was a very good first book from this author, and I will be interested to see and read another book from her.

[Shannon · Rating 3 out of 5]

A true crime/murder mystery debut featuring two estranged sisters, one of whom comes home when the remains of their mother are discovered, reopening her unsolved cold case and causing problems for the partner they left behind. I liked that there was a queer couple at the center of this story and thought it was well-paced but I wasn't truly captivated like I wanted to be while listening to this as an audiobook. Just an okay read for me, not one I would go out of my way to recommend though sadly. To be fair to the author, this could have just been a not loving the narrator thing or a wrong mood while listening thing on my part.

[Andrea E · Rating 4 out of 5]

A slow burn, atmospheric story of two sisters, who for more than a decade take different paths to cope with their mother's disappearance but ultimately come together to try to solve the case of what happened when they were 13 and 19 years old. Jess, the younger sister, escapes the small town of Knife River but not her fears and the self-loathing that came with deserting her older sister to face their shared demons alone. Liz stayed, trying to solve the case and get closure, living every day in fear of the suspected killer Nick Haines. Her lonely, boring lifestyle as a bank teller gave her solace while she remained in their childhood home, stoking a lingering hope that she would be there to welcome her mother if she ever returned.

A murder mystery at its surface, this is really a layered story about sisterhood, imperfect women, friendships, love and how shifting memories can shape and reshape the legacy of those we think we know and love. The beautiful, and often haunting writing makes the reader feel like they are living every day with Liz and Jess in their has-been, factory town that has been virtually frozen in time.

With Knife River, the reader is taken on a slow, redemptive journey with Liz and Jess, one that is both powerful and immersive until the very last page. Thanks to Net Galley, and The Dial Press for the advanced copy in exchange for my review.