Poison Wood

by Jennifer Moorhead

From the author of Broken Bayou , a haunting psychological thriller about how far we’ll go to seize our dreams and shield our secrets—and the devastating consequences when we can’t do both.

Ambitious crime reporter Rita Meade is riding high after her docuseries on the Broken Bayou serial killer. But when an anonymous tip promises the story behind a skull found deep in the Louisiana forest, she hesitates. Because this one strikes too close to home.

As a teenager, Rita attended Poison Wood Therapeutic Academy for Girls in that forest, but the school shuttered its doors after a series of disturbing incidents. Now the man who confessed to the murder of her classmate has recanted, and Rita’s father, the judge who put him away, has fallen ill.

Summoned back to those haunted woods, Rita sorts through the mysteries of a rotting schoolhouse basement. She digs up emotions she buried along with her mother—and secrets she’s tried hard to forget. But when her investigation spreads to her family tree, the TV cameras swing her way. How far will she go for a story that could threaten everything and everyone she loves?

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

Audible Audio

Published October 28, 2025

About the author

Jennifer Moorhead is the author of Amazon bestseller, BROKEN BAYOU. She has written and produced three indie short films which were awarded at festivals around the world. She lives in Louisiana with her husband, two needy golden doodles, one very un-needy shelter kitty, and a plethora of farm animals. Her grown daughters are off creating their own life stories. When she’s not writing, she’s yelling pause in mahjong or on a tennis court laughing and providing job security for her coach.

Her next thriller, POISON WOOD, releases on 10/28/25.

Reviews

[Lucia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for the ARC.

If you are looking for your next mystery / suspense novel, then this book is for you. I went into it completely blind, having not read any other books by this author. Poison Wood exceeded my expectations in every way.

The story follows Rita Meade, a journalist who’s case takes her back to her home town. The case is somehow involved with her high school boarding school for troubled girls, Poison Wood, and connects with Rita and her people in troubling ways.

It took a few chapters for the story to fully draw me in, but once it did I was completely hooked. I went from thinking it would be maybe a three star read in Chapter One, to immediately marking it as five stars as soon as I finished.

Not only was Rita an extremely complex and realistic character, with both her faults and her charms, but the book was full of complicated characters. This added so much depth to the story, and was the reason why it was such a good mystery. I’ve read plenty of mystery books where the plot twist is kind of just put in there at some r point, with no build up and solely so the book isn’t predictable. Since the characters were all complex and not fully known to the MC, this helped to build the mystery through the whole book, but still make for a shocking reveal. Basically, it was both a plot twist as well as being realistically possible given what we know about the characters.

The plot was immersive, and this was genuinely one of the best mysteries I’ve read in a while!

Do yourself a favor and read this once it’s released on October 28th!

[Kimberly R · Rating 4 out of 5]

Crime reporter Rita Meade investigates the disappearance of her friend Heather. Heather disappeared from Poison Wood Academy years ago and the school shuts down after some disturbing incidents. A man was arrested and charged with her murder but later recanted. Rita returns to Broken Bayou and uncovers dark secrets and lies.
This was a creepy story that I couldn’t put down. It was well written and had interesting characters.
Thanks NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for this eARC that will be released October 28, 2025!

[Mallory · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an interesting mystery. The main character Rita is a a reporter but she realizes that the case she is starting to investigate has ties to her own history. Torn between her father’s health issues and the questions left from her high school days and several tragedies keep her busy. A skull was found in her moldering old high school which has been closed since it suddenly closed after a girl went missing and was presumed murdered. At first everyone believes the skull was that girl’s, but more secrets lurk in Poisonwood than Rita would have imagined. I listened to the audiobook and I thought the narrator was pretty good. I’d read more by this author for sure.

[Pav S. (pav_sanborn_bookworm) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I haven't read "Broken Bayou," but it seems like this book references it quite a bit. Now I'm curious if this is a sequel or a crucial part of the story. Since I’m new to this author, I’ll have to look into it to see if I’m missing something important, as it sounds like the previous book played a significant role in character development.

Rita Meade, a crime reporter, is drawn back to her troubled past at the Poison Wood Therapeutic Academy for Girls when an anonymous tip reveals a skull in the Louisiana forest. The case becomes complicated when the man who confessed to her classmate's murder recants, and her father, the judge who sentenced him, becomes ill. As she uncovers buried secrets, Rita grapples with how far she will go for a story that could jeopardize her loved ones.

The story unfolds across multiple timelines, allowing us a deeper understanding of the narrative. We also catch glimpses of diary entries that keep us on our toes. Rita's character is relatable, smart, and determined, and she finds herself in some tricky situations while trying to remain low-key as she delves into her past within this murder mystery. Rita has her share of hidden struggles, which only add depth to her character. As we learn more about her history, especially concerning her father, new discoveries shed light on her old school. The closer she gets, the more we realize how involved she actually is in this whole mystery. Often, we can't see what's right in front of us because we're too close and too invested in the situation.

I really enjoyed the eerie atmosphere surrounding Rita’s past, which enhances everything unfolding at that time. This book was difficult to put down, and I couldn’t wait to uncover more. With plenty of twists and turns, it keeps you engaged and guessing who the real culprit is. Everything comes together seamlessly.

If you’re someone who enjoys dark, buried secrets, questionable friendships, and the past intertwining with the present in secluded settings, this book will definitely pique your interest. Let me know your thoughts! In the meantime, I need to check if this is part of a series before I dive into reading the next book!

Thank you, Thomas & Mercer, for the digital ARC copy. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Trisha · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good mystery that kept me guessing.

Rita has come home because her father isn't well and the old private school she went to has new evidence coming to light about missing kids around the time she went there. It was interesting to be with Rita as she sorted through her old memories. Many were so traumatic, she blocked them or hasn't thought of them for so long their fuzzy. As she comes back to the academy, she bumps into old friends and remembers old grievances and the push-pull of competitive female relationships.

This mystery definitely kept me wondering what was coming next. Rita is easy to enjoy the story with, even though she's a bit of an aggressive reporter. I haven't read the other book by this author, so this one stands well alone. The main character was tied to the previous location and story, but they don't overlap. Solid mystery with a good conclusion, I liked this one.

A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.

[Jenna D. · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you are looking for a good mystery with twists left and right this is it! I was left on the edge of my seat the entire time and was hooked from the very beginning. This novel follows Rita, who is thrust back into her childhood to uncover the mystery’s she thought were buried. Thank you for much to the publisher and NetGalley for this eARC in exchange for my review!

[Brynn | readyourworriesaway · Rating 4 out of 5]

POISON WOOD is a dark Southern gothic thriller that captivated me from start to finish.

When crime reporter Rita Meade was a teenager, she attended Poison Wood Therapeutic Academy for Girls. An anonymous tip about a skull found deep in the Louisiana woods forces Rita to confront her past as she returns to the crumbling schoolhouse.

Wow! This mystery was exactly what I needed for spooky season 👏

The descriptions of Poison Wood were incredibly vivid and eerie. It felt like I was right there with Rita, even though I would want to run in the opposite direction!

The writing kept me turning the pages as I tried to pinpoint the involvement of some of the characters—especially when it came to Rita’s father, a judge who had ties to a past crime at Poison Wood.

I enjoyed this book so much that I now want to read Jennifer Moorhead’s debut, BROKEN BAYOU, which features character Rita Meade as well 🙌

[Eva · Rating 3 out of 5]

First things first, I don't much like the kind of investigative reporter Rita Meade is. They always seem to stick their noses in places where they don't belong, with no regard for the people involved, as long as it leads to a scoop and a great story. Now, as much as I tried not to hold that against Rita and give her a fair chance, I still had an immense dislike of her from the moment she appeared on the page. I can't even really determine why, other than she completely rubbed me the wrong way. Maybe it's just that ruthless ambition is a turn-off?

That said, I do often enjoy a good true crime angle - which in a way this is - so I decided to keep going. However, apparently this is Rita's second outing investigating a crime. Her first story centres around a serial killer, which was seemingly covered in a book called "Broken Bayou". You guessed it, I didn't read that one. It feels like maybe I should have. It's mentioned often enough to have made me think I was missing out on vital information. And maybe knowing a thing or two about how those events might have made an impact on Rita, would have made me dislike her that little bit less. So, personally, I wouldn't quite treat 'Poison Wood' as a stand-alone.

A skull has been discovered in a drain of an old and abandoned boarding school. Rita is very familiar with the Poison Wood Therapeutic Academy for Girls - hello, mouthful - as she attended it when she was a teenager. Now that she's working as an investigative reporter, someone contacts her saying she has information and would like to meet. Only, the meeting never takes place and the source's body is found on a beach. Was this person so troubled that she took her own life? Or was she murdered to stop her from talking to Rita? Whatever the case, it seems Rita needs to return home and dig into some things from her past. And that includes facing up to a father who may, or may not, somehow be complicit in a massive cover-up.

This was initially ticking a lot of boxes for me. The atmospheric and slightly haunting vibe of the "Academy for Girls" won me over immediately. It didn't sound like a fun place to be, and it seems like some of the girls didn't even need to be there, really. Just pretty much dumped by their wealthy, upstanding parents for being a nuisance. But then one of the girls disappeared and the school was promptly closed down. It's only now, after the historical society is getting involved, that the skull is discovered. Whose is it and how did it come to be there? So, an unsolved mystery, a recent death, somewhat toxic friendships, and diaries full of anonymous entries. Seriously, what's not to like? Well, you know, apart from Rita.

She was definitely an issue for me. While the secrets and the mysteries held my attention throughout, I never got to a point where I found it easy to even tolerate Rita in any kind of way. That meant I never became invested in the part she played in any of the events. She nearly felt like a distraction to me, and I think I would have enjoyed this story far more if it had been told by Erin and Carl. That said, I didn't figure much out at all. I had an inkling as to the previous owner of the skull, but I was never able to point a finger at a culprit. In hindsight, I feel like I should have been but there's never anything wrong with being left guessing until the end. Even if the ending felt a little flat to me.

All in all, a good solid mystery, full of suspense and dark secrets.

[Kaity · Rating 4 out of 5]

Audio:
5 stars for Sophie Amoss

Book: 4 stars

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ooohhhh. This one was better than the first! I really liked Willa but something about Rita just sucks me in more. It also helps that this was about a private girls 'school' and murder. It's like dangling candy infront of a baby. Give me all the Murder and all the weird school vibes. I hope we get more Rita & Willa!

[Jess · Rating 3 out of 5]

*Paperback

This one was tough to rate because my interest was either super high or super low. The first approx 100 or so pages I was locked in. Then I lost interest and got it back again, it was back and forth like that for me the whole rest of the book. However, part of my issue could’ve been that I didn’t read the 1st book (Broken Bayou) in the series before reading this one.

That being said, keep in mind I’m not a slow burn kinda reader. My attention span for slow burn books is non existent. So I might not really be the best audience for this one.

If you enjoy slow burn mysteries I highly recommend that you check this one out. There are all sorts of secrets to be found out in this one. It was fun to see it all play out.

[McKenzie · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Beware of burying the past…for it might come back to bury you.”

This was a good mystery with an intriguing and suspenseful plot!

A crime reporter is summoned back to her home when a skull is found at the girls boarding school she attended that had shut down after the school’s maintenance man confessed to the murder of a classmate who went missing. The man is now recanting that confession and Rita returns to investigate.

It was fun trying to figure out who the murderer was of the skull found. I enjoyed the inclusion of diary entries from the past that you weren’t sure were whose allowing more intrigue to the mystery. I also liked the eerie setting of the abandoned girls school.

I did not read the author’s first book, Broken Bayou, and even though this book does reference that book multiple times- you can definitely still read this as a stand-alone like I did.

Overall this was a fun murder mystery!

Thank you @booksforwardpr for the #gifted ARC!🫶🏼

[Val~ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers, Thomas & Mercer, for this Advanced Reader Copy of the Poison Wood book by Jennifer Moorhead.

This is a thriller where past and present converge to showcase a series of leads that help to solve the mysteries involving the plot. The presentation is interesting because you find yourself submerged in the past with several diary entries from long ago where each person wrote with an alias while at Poison Wood, so you are never sure of who the entry is from. Then, in the present, several events take place that are linked somehow to those entries and to Poison Wood Therapeutic Academy, where the main character once attended as a student. Therefore, there are intriguing time jumps that create suspense in this thriller. It’s a fast-paced book that you can read very quickly in just a day or two. I also think there should be trigger warnings at the beginning of the book.

[Maggie Harrell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Poison Wood centers on Rita Meade, a crime reporter who returns to her Louisiana hometown after a skull is discovered on the grounds of Poison Wood Therapeutic Academy for Girls, a boarding school she once attended. As Rita investigates, she unravels dark secrets from her past.

Moorhead nails the mood of rural Louisiana. The book starts out slow but picks up as the story unfolds.

The audiobook is narrated by Sophie Amoss who I think did a great job with her calm and steady

Overall if you like a slow.burn thriller with complex characters this book is for you.

[Monique · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC of Poison Wood by Jennifer Moorhead with release date set for 10/28/25. Another great fast-paced crime mystery/thriller book by this author.

Broken Bayou (published 2024) was the same. I mention Broken Bayou because this book referenced it a lot. I don’t think Broken Bayou needs to be read first but the references will make way more sense if you do.

This book is about Rita (crime reporter). She receives a request to meet with someone who knows something about the all girls school she attended. That school was closed Rita’s senior year due to one of the girls going missing and a man confessed to her murder, but all this isn’t as it seems when a skull is found at the old school and Rita starts digging.

5 stars. At times I was laughing. At times I was confused. At times I literally gasped. I didn’t see the twists coming. This book was overall fast-paced and east to read. I’m from Louisiana and I even learned a little history. At some parts I do think uncommon words were used and simple words could have been used instead, but I don’t think that took away from the story.

[Hannah's Biblioblurbs · Rating 5 out of 5]

Poison Wood Therapeutic Academy for Girls was located in the Kisatchie National Forest in central Louisiana. The school has long been abandoned but during clean up efforts for the building's 100th birthday celebration, a human skull was discovered on the property. The last incident here was in 2002 when a young girl from the school went missing and was never found, presumed dead. Classmates Rita, Katrina, and Summer reunite in an effort to compare notes and memories as this mystery unfolds.

The setting of Poison Wood is murder mystery perfection. It is eerie, mysterious, and secluded - exactly where you would expect something ominous to take place.

Rita Meade is our main character and narrator. If you've read Moorhead's first novel, Broken Bayou, you'll remember her as the investigative journalist. It is not necessary to read them in order but there is a little crossover in characters, so I was glad I did.

The story primarily takes place in current time (2019) with some chapters giving the readers glimpses into the past through news articles and diary entries from the academy girls. I absolutely loved this aspect! The diary entries were a fun way to get parts of the story.

There was a decent number of characters, but I did not find it hard to follow at all. The writing is exquisite; I was hooked from the first chapter until the epilogue! Moorhead's 2nd novel and she has quickly made her way to my auto-read favorite author list!

Highly recommend for fans of mystery thrillers, eerie settings, past/present unfolding, and abandoned locations.

Thanks to NetGalley, Jennifer Moorhead, and Thomas & Mercer for the ARC and chance to give my honest opinion!

[Valerie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Poison Wood
By: Jennifer Moorhead
☠️
Fall is such a great time for spooky settings & atmospheric mysteries. "Poison Wood" fit the bill perfectly! And, as a true Louisiana girl, the Cajun names & unique Louisiana locations were an added "lagniappe" that I fully enjoyed!
☠️
As a companion book to "Broken Bayou," this one checked so many boxes for me. A boarding school for girls in a remote forest, a returning character in Rita Meade, a skull discovered in the school, & the suspicious & related death of a woman in Miami? Sign me up!⬆️
☠️
This was a masterfully woven plot that kept me turning pages & wanting to know more. And, as much as I wanted to simply devour it, I also did not want for it to end. For me, that is a true sign of an excellent book.
☠️
I enjoyed getting to know Rita better, & I really enjoyed the insights into her relationship with her father & also with Grant.
☠️
Please keep these masterpieces coming, Jennifer Moorhead! You are an author whose work I will always pre-order, will always eagerly anticipate, & will always relish!
☠️☠️☠️☠️☠️

[Sam · Rating 5 out of 5]

The genius and Louisiana native behind Broken Bayou, has done it again! She’s written a 5 star read that I could NOT put down!

Former student from Poison Wood Therapeutic Academy for Girls, Rita has been contacted by a former peer (though she doesn’t know that quite yet) and she rushes to Miami to meet with her. However, things take a turn when that witness turns up dead in the ocean. Bad things happened at the school, hence why it shuttered its doors so long ago but, the mysteries remain when the man who confessed to a murder has now recanted his story. Rita must go back to the Louisiana forest and her Dad and see how a dead woman in Miami ties into the media uproar going on in North Louisiana.

I loved this story, it brought me out of my addiction to watching old 90’s shows. I haven’t been able to focus on a book in several weeks and this was soo good! The plot was well developed and the mystery and suspense was perfectly placed to keep me turning the pages. I loved the characters and their suspicious qualities. Truly a well done book, 5️⃣⭐️ Jen, you nailed it‼️

[Samantha Mae Conley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jennifer has done it again!!! Broken Bayou was so good I couldn’t put it down and found myself right back into the seat grabbing suspense I’m custom to with Jennifer’s writing in Poison Wood..this book literally had no slow points at all…each page answered a question while posing a new one at the same! you where still learning untill the last page! Rita is such a strong fmc but Jennifer showed us her soft side too, something Im extremely thankful! You gotta love an emotional gangster 🫶🏼🫶🏼 such an amazing thriller and everything I was hoping for! The family dynamics she show cased where so nicely executed that I wanted to make sure to include that in my review! You guys won’t want to miss this for cozy spooky season…what’s more spooky than an abandoned all girls school filled with secrets…as they say teenagers scare the living shit out of me…especially the diabolical teenage girls.

[Kayla ELSIE · Rating 4 out of 5]

At an abandoned school for girls, a skull is found. Rita Meade is a journalist and attended Poison Wood Therapeutic Academy for Girls. As she recalls the past, and learns more about the present case, she starts to piece together the mystery that they thought was solved.

It was the blood I remembered the most. The smell of it. The feel of it on my fingers. The way it ran the drain in the shower. So much blood.

I listened to this as a standalone book and did not find I required the knowledge of the Broken Bayou, although I am now interested to read it. As a psychological thriller, the story did not build the tension as I would have liked, but it did keep me intrigued and wanting to know what the heck happened at Poison Wood. I thought there could have been more descriptions used for the setting; clearly the school was creepy but other locations could have had a bit more details added to really get that overall Louisiana atmosphere. I enjoyed the way the writing toggles between now and past events from the FMC perspective along with some journal entries from multiple poisonwood students. I think the journal entries would have read better as I found it harder to remember who said what through audio. I also found it slower paced during the timeframe Rita was at home; it felt like some of the discovery at her childhood home, and time with her father could have been shortened.

That being said, I thought the development of characters was well done and I enjoyed the complexity of the girls and their drama-led lives. You could feel the antagonism through many of the girls at the school (even the so-called friend group). I did not predict any of the twists, which is always a nice surprise when reading a thriller.

Narration was well done; calm and steady pacing, however, at times a bit monotone for my liking when there were periods of emotion. That being said, I do think this was the tone of the character. I would recommend it to those who enjoy a quick and dynamic mystery. I would absolutely be interested in reading something from this author again.

Release date coming up on October 28, 2025.

Thank you, Netgalley, Brilliance Publishing, and Brilliance Audio for the ARC in exchange for an honeset review. All opinions are my own and have not been influenced by the publisher or the author.

Visit my Bookstagram for photos and more reviews!

[Lani Bausewein · Rating 4 out of 5]

*I won a copy as part of a Goodreads Giveaway*

Synopsis: A runaway and subsequent murders haunt girls who we survived a boarding school in the early 2000's. This book uncovers what happened from the perspective of one of the school girls who is now an investigative reporter.

Solid 3.5 stars but have rounded up. While the story didn't grab my attention in a way that I couldn't put the book down, I appreciate the author's writing style, a trustworthy narrator, and enough of a conclusive ending to leave you satisfied. I also appreciate that not every single character's ending was wrapped up in a nice bow - there's still room for your own interpretation.

[Naomi Q · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow!!! Poison Wood owned me from page one. Dark secrets, a haunting, and perfectly written Louisiana setting, and a fierce, heroine pulled me straight in. Jennifer Moorhead nails every detail, down to the greeting at Raising Cane’s! She executes tension with perfection! I purposefully dragged this one out for a week because I didn’t want it to end and you can never read a book again for the first time.
If you love moody, emotional, edge-of-your-seat mysteries, Poison Wood is an absolute must-read. Just like Broken Bayou, another ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️!

[Brittney · Rating 5 out of 5]

The sister to broken bayou we follow the amazing and dating Rita Meade who just can’t seem to stay out of trouble.
This book had me on the edge I’d my seat staring up till 2am to finish it!
I thought I knew who was who but even when everything was revealed I was still guessing!
I’d you love a good suspense, troubled past, secrets revealed then this is the book for you!
READ BROKEN BAYOU FIRST 🛢️

[Connie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the 2nd book by this new Louisiana author. I loved this mystery and the characters. Setting is based loosely on a former school in the Kisatchie National Forest in Central Louisiana. The plot had lots of twists that kept me guessing. Loved all the Louisiana vibes because it is my home state.

[Jacquelyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars - I liked this one better than Moorhead’s first book.

[Tiffany Kirby · Rating 4 out of 5]

A pretty solid secondary novel after the debut Broken Bayou— a little southern gothic thriller that gives off just enough eerie vibes to keep you intrigued.

[Margaret Crampton · Rating 4 out of 5]

A complex twisted tale unpredictable and compelling

This thriller is recommended
To keep
You guessing and reading . The secrets of a reformatory for girls are exposed , pregnancy, murder, innocence and guilt; and the lengths that a parent will go to protect a daughter.

[domsbookden · Rating 3 out of 5]

Poison Wood was fine, but it landed squarely in “average crime mystery thriller” territory. The story never really did anything to distinguish itself from countless others in the genre. The pacing was slow—too slow for my taste—and even the moments that should have felt tense or high-stakes came across muted. It’s a quick read, but not one that left much of an impression once I finished.

The characters were similarly underwhelming. Most of them just existed to move the plot forward, doing exactly what you’d expect characters in their roles to do. There wasn’t much depth or complexity to anyone’s motivations, which made it hard to care about their fates. I also found some of the comments about “masculine” and “feminine” traits odd and a little off-putting, as it seemed to praise/romanticize behaviors that would fall under the umbrella of "toxic masculinity"—rigid stoicism, emotional detachment, unregulated dominance. It didn’t ruin the story, but it certainly didn’t add anything either; it just struck me as outdated and unnecessary.

What disappointed me most, though, was how underused the setting was. Louisiana is one of the most distinct, atmospheric, and haunting states in the U.S.—perfect for a moody crime thriller—but you wouldn’t know that from reading this book. The descriptions were generic, lacking the sense of place that makes Southern Gothic or regional thrillers so immersive. The story could have been set anywhere that experiences flooding and it wouldn’t have changed a thing.

Poison Wood was a serviceable mystery, but nothing more. It’s a passable choice for readers who want something fast and easy, but it lacks the tension, atmosphere, and character work that make the best crime thrillers memorable. There are far stronger options out there. The Witch’s Orchard by Archer Sullivan, for instance, offers a more engaging mystery, lusher prose, and a far better sense of place in its Appalachian setting; I recommend picking it over Poison Wood.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[zinikornis · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was very intrigued by this book, and I left it to read in November on purpose. I thought it would hit better with the gloomy season approaching, and I wasn't disappointed.


THE STORY

The story follows Rita Meade, a crime reporter, whose lead pushes her back into her past she didn't want to revisit or remember. There was a skull found in her old school, Poison Wood Therapeutic Academy for Girls, and Rita starts investigating her friend Heather's death. But as she goes deeper and deeper into the past, she keeps uncovering things she never knew were there...


MY ANGLE

First of all, I haven't read a thriller/crime/mystery/suspense novel in a while, but I used to enjoy these types of books very much, so I was intrigued to see if this was still the case. And by the description of this book, I had a inkling that this would be fun one to read.

I listened to the audiobook version, which is just as well because I was able to finish it faster this way (and I really wanted to, I was very excited to get to the end!). I have just one note about the audiobook specifically: I had to listen to it at 1.25x (and at times 1.5x) speed because the narrator spoke veeery slowly. Other than that, good narration!

So. I loved the vibes. The eerie past surrounding Rita in this town, the haunting pictures of the boarding school for troubled girls where no one wanted to be (and some didn't belong there either but were just dropped by their parents), the constant “but wait” and “can I trust this person?” feelings. All perfect! While it took me a few chapters to really get intrigued and immersed in the story, once it clicked I was completely drawn in.

Now, Rita's previous case, Broken Bayou, was referenced quite a few times during the story—I didn't realize the author has a previous novel that is connected to this one, but apparently, Broken Bayou is a previous book in what seems like a series. I can safely say, the story in this book was entirely understandable without prior knowledge about the events of Rita's adventures; however, it does sound like the previous book was a significant point in the character development of Rita. So, because I enjoyed this book, and I feel like it would give Rita's character even more depth, I am seriously considering reading Broken Bayou.


CHARACTERS

Rita's character was very interesting to me. At first, around 30% of the book, I wrote down: “I love that Rita is a bit selfish, thinks about herself and her career more than her father even, but still she’s not soulless, and she feels sharp guilt every time a thought like that enters her mind. I will be interested to see whether this flaw of her—selfishness, or career-orientedness—will lead to her doom, or at least her being entangled in some dangerous stuff around the climax of the story.“ And boy, was I right on the money...

A reviewer on Goodreads wrote: “Not only was Rita an extremely complex and realistic character, with both her faults and her charms, but the book was full of complicated characters. This added so much depth to the story, and was the reason why it was such a good mystery. I’ve read plenty of mystery books where the plot twist is kind of just put in there at some point, with no build up and solely so the book isn’t predictable. Since the characters were all complex and not fully known to the MC, this helped to build the mystery through the whole book, but still make for a shocking reveal. Basically, it was both a plot twist as well as being realistically possible given what we know about the characters.”

I couldn't agree more with that opinion. Well-developed characters are my weak spot, and especially in crime/mystery novels, I find it highly important that we know all the characters well enough that we could guess at who the culprit is, but the story is complex enough that we probably won't be right in our guesses until the end.

A genius angle, as well, was the inclusion of the diary entries. They were exciting, kept the reader on their toes, and—from a writing point of view—highlighted that each girl in the story had distinct voice and character. Even though it wasn't obvious in the beginning whose diary entry we're listening to at a time (which is great, otherwise it probably would've made the story more flat or predictable), the more and more we learned about the girls in the present or through flashbacks/diary entries, the more and more obvious it became who has what codename. This, to me, is a surefire way to prove that each girl was recognizable and distinct as a character.


FINAL THOUGHTS

This book was hard to put down, and I kept 'turning the pages' (but I listened to the audiobook version) to uncover more of the mystery. With all the twists, I found it difficult to guess at anything, and I just had to let the story take me with it. (Some of my guesses turned out to be correct though!) The diary entries were an especially amazing touch to keep the reader engaged and provide crumbs of clues. At the end, everything came together seamlessly. It was a thrilling ride!


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I would like to thank NetGalley and the author for the opportunity of reading this book.

Please note that this is my subjective opinion. I believe each and every author has a right to and deserves fair, honest feedback from their readers, which I am aiming to provide. I adore every author's creativity, bravery and commitment to writing, finishing and publishing a work of art.

#PoisonWood #NetGalley

[Leeann Lavin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the second book I’ve read from author Jennifer Moorhead. I like her style very much. She portrays strong women with attitude. That she wraps her protagonists in a web of psychological thrillers adds to the hot mess of immersive suspense and drama; with a sassy wink as the cherry on top.

I read the author’s Broken Bayou with a surprised abandon I didn’t think I had for this genre. But truth is, I couldn’t wait to learn who the serial killer was. Yet I was also deeply absorbed by the two women leading the investigation, Dr. Willa Watters, a conflicted, complex, child psychologist and the force-of-nature TV crime reporter, Rita Meade ~ who came storming into Bayou, possessed of a style I didn’t care for. She seemed to be more out for herself. Which is just the way she plays it in both novels. To great effect. I guess I wasn’t paying attention, but if asked who would be the star of Moorehead’s next thriller, I would’ve probably said, Willa.


Poison Woods references Broken Bayou readily and somewhat frequently. Rita calls on Willa for advice in solving her next murder mystery in Natchitoches’ Kisatchie National Forest. (I just love even saying these exotic monikers!)

In both books, the women find themselves back in their Southern hometowns following a career crisis, find dark secrets in their past, ponder their difficult childhoods, and the unfolding, unearthed mysteries they thought were buried but that force them to confront in order to solve a crime. And it works.

In Poison Woods, it too is a tale of family drama, Southern roots and traditions, secrets, loyalties, and the lengths people will go to protect their loved ones and their own reputations. Which sometimes feels like two sides of the same coin.

After a dramatic opening, Poison Woods takes the reader back to Rita’s hometown and her troubled past. The mystery of who killed Laura Sanders ~ and was Laura really another woman ~ one of the wild girls from Rita’s high school ~ will keep you turning (or swiping) the pages.

The gruesome elements are harrowing and so is the unspoken drama of family issues and secrets from long ago. The story has many characters and angles, spooling out with threads that begin to weave a more cohesive pattern. You think. But then, bam. There’s a plot twist you didn’t see coming.

The author expertly uses the alternating timelines and Rita’s flashbacks to illuminate ~ or in the case of her rebellious high school years at the creepy girls boarding school, Poison Woods for Therapeutic Girls (really, that title?!) thinks that maybe her recall was dimmed by substance abuse… Or denial… Definitely too much toxic partying.

There are enough dark secrets and lies to keep you on edge. Who’s skull was that? Why was the death certificate falsified? Who was pregnant ~ and who was the father? Who was blackmailing who and who was paying off the killer’s sister? Money, wealth, and privilege are the trifecta of big characters in the novel.

Did I mention that the school’s killer confessed but later recanted. And oh, Rita’s big-time judge Father who sentenced the killer ~ the alleged killer ~ might have, ahem, overlooked some details in the case.

Rita’s character is so good ~ you manage to resent her, feel sorry for her and root for her all at the same time, She’s human… The loss of her mother at an early age, her destructive high school friendships and the sometimes questionable career choices that lead her to justify the means to her lofty ambitions give the story real emotion and engagement.

This is a taut thriller with many narrative storylines that grab you, lead you on, without confusing the main murder mystery plot.

The ending is fast-paced and a surprise. Just the way you like a crime mystery and its resolution.

Poison Woods is one of those good books that you can’t wait to finish ~ and then you’re sorry that it’s ended…

You’ll enjoy the book. And I see another in this series. Hope it’s soon.

Thank you, Goodreads, the publisher, Thomas & Mercer, and the author, Jennifer Moorhead, who gifted me a Giveaway winner at the end of October! I was very excited to receive the free Kindle book.