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Walking on Dead Leaves
Not yet published
Expected 22 Sep 26The last thing he wanted was for any of them to be killed.
Emma, Mina, and Margot are grieving the loss of their beloved father when the unthinkable happens—they lose their family home in the will and are forced to move. Not long after, twisted secrets begin to emerge.
The sisters become inundated with evidence that someone they know is hiding something from them. Something deadly. Soon, they realize that if they want answers to the question of why their lives are in danger, they have to put themselves in harm’s way.
How can they keep each other safe when they know their culprit is always watching them?
Emma, Mina, and Margot are grieving the loss of their beloved father when the unthinkable happens—they lose their family home in the will and are forced to move. Not long after, twisted secrets begin to emerge.
The sisters become inundated with evidence that someone they know is hiding something from them. Something deadly. Soon, they realize that if they want answers to the question of why their lives are in danger, they have to put themselves in harm’s way.
How can they keep each other safe when they know their culprit is always watching them?
- GenresMystery
Unknown Binding
Expected publication September 22, 2026
About the author
Julian Kennedy
4 books61 followersJulian Kennedy (pronouns- they/them/their) is an American author of adult thriller fiction (The Forgotten Series, and the upcoming Walking on Dead Leaves). They live in the Chicago area and obsess about all things spooky and mystery. You can usually find them at home attempting to read and write, surrounded by their partner and 3 children and the typical chaos that ensues. Just trying to read one more page.
Early praise for Walking on Dead Leaves, coming September 22, 2026:
"A family steeped in secrets drives this thrilling suspense novel that will make you question whom to trust. An emotionally charged tale of sisterhood and betrayal." (Jessica Carrasquillo, author of The Manchineel)
"A tense domestic thriller with an explosive ending." (NJ Barker, author of The Family Secret)
"I just finished the book and it was fantastic! I loved everything about it, except for characters meant to be unlikable. Kennedy has a real gift for bringing characters to life." (Advanced copy reader)
Praise for The Forgotten Keychains (book 1 in The Forgotten Series trilogy):
"I appreciate how the author kept me on my toes. This is an example of what a true mystery should make you feel like." (Amazon review)
"They left me on the edge of my seat, flipping pages as fast as my eyes could keep up at the end." (Amazon review)
Stay updated on their work by following their blog and subscribing to their email list. Link in bio!
Early praise for Walking on Dead Leaves, coming September 22, 2026:
"A family steeped in secrets drives this thrilling suspense novel that will make you question whom to trust. An emotionally charged tale of sisterhood and betrayal." (Jessica Carrasquillo, author of The Manchineel)
"A tense domestic thriller with an explosive ending." (NJ Barker, author of The Family Secret)
"I just finished the book and it was fantastic! I loved everything about it, except for characters meant to be unlikable. Kennedy has a real gift for bringing characters to life." (Advanced copy reader)
Praise for The Forgotten Keychains (book 1 in The Forgotten Series trilogy):
"I appreciate how the author kept me on my toes. This is an example of what a true mystery should make you feel like." (Amazon review)
"They left me on the edge of my seat, flipping pages as fast as my eyes could keep up at the end." (Amazon review)
Stay updated on their work by following their blog and subscribing to their email list. Link in bio!
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
July 16, 2026
This was an emotional, character driven thriller that kept me invested from beginning to end!
After the death of their father, three sisters and their mother learn that they will have to leave their childhood home due to the will. They are in shock that it is left to their step brother and his family. Once they start packing up, the girls discover a letter from their father that he was trying to protect them. But from what???
This one wrapped together so nicely. Once the sisters started learning the secrets, I couldn’t stop flipping the pages to figure out who all is hiding something. And that ending??? What a twist. You will definitely want to pick this one up!
After the death of their father, three sisters and their mother learn that they will have to leave their childhood home due to the will. They are in shock that it is left to their step brother and his family. Once they start packing up, the girls discover a letter from their father that he was trying to protect them. But from what???
This one wrapped together so nicely. Once the sisters started learning the secrets, I couldn’t stop flipping the pages to figure out who all is hiding something. And that ending??? What a twist. You will definitely want to pick this one up!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I made a video review for this book if you're interested: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ajA3...
Part 13 of my Return to Reading Journey, and my fourth ARC from NetGalley
Thank you, Julian Kennedy and Victory Editing for the ARC!
--
Great characters, great writing, and just a dash of Stephen King style horror...
This book wrecked me.
-- Quick Spoiler-free Summary --
"Walking on Dead Leaves" is a mystery thriller set in the Midwest about three sisters who have to solve a mystery after their father's death
-- First Impressions --
I really have to praise the opening of this book.
It starts out with a nice prologue that launches you right into some chilling action, and then the first chapter sets the stage and settles you in with some classic family drama.
It didn't take very long for me to be like "Okay, now this is interesting."
I also just really love how polished the writing is here.
I'm not sure exactly how to describe it, but it gave me the impression of someone who's been writing for a long time--an expert at their craft.
Kennedy has already written three other books as part of their "The Forgotten" series, so this is far from the first book they've written, but I was still very impressed.
Another thing I thought was cool is the POV style.
This is the first book I've read since I started this journey back in June that actually uses a first-person present tense point of view. Very neat!
-- What I Liked --
Now, something that really hooked me with the story is the strong group of female protagonists: Emma, Mina, and Margot.
It very much gave me the same great vibes as shows like Bad Sisters. Completely different plot, but same vibe.
It also--and you'll probably hear me bring up this book a lot--but it also shared nice similarities with Hidden Nature by Nora Roberts for me, a couple of those being the strong female characters and the solid writing, but there's even some home renovation going on here.
Not as much as Hidden Nature--I noticed from the reviews that was kind of divisive for that book--but it's there, and I just thought it was a neat coincidence.
I thought the book did a really good job at character development and world building too.
Most of the story is told from Emma's and Mina's points of view, but Kennedy also shines a light on some the other characters' back stories too.
I enjoyed the pacing too.
The literal first half of the book--I'm going by my completion percentage on the NetGalley reader--is all about the setup, dropping crumbs of mysteries, really getting you settled in with a game of guessing who the villain is.
Then it really ramps up during the second half of the book.
I think I was at maybe 45% on the completion bar, maybe a little more when things started going from just family drama to high stakes, where the "thrills" really come in.
It was very hard to put the book down at this point.
-- Criticism --
I feel like this is also a good spot to warn you that if you're averse to mature themes, you might want to skip this one.
Without spoiling anything, let's just say there's a pretty significant shift in tone somewhere where Kennedy really channels some Stephen King-lite writing.
I've read The Shining and a handful of other Stephen King books, and I personally didn't mind the direction Dead Leaves went in--it was honestly quite memorable--but it's something I think some readers should be aware of before committing to this one.
-- Romance --
Oh yeah, I also feel like I should talk about the romance factor for this book, since I'm making other comparisons to Nora Roberts' writing.
So, I'll start by saying the "spice" level is one or two peppers (I had to Google the rating system).
Basically, there's some infrequent implied intimacy in the story, but that's as far as the "spice" goes.
Walking on Dead Leaves absolutely does contain love interests--they're kind of a big part of the plot--just not a lot of spice.
-- Closing Thoughts --
If you want to settle into a fun thriller with great characters that blends coziness with elements of horror, I think you'll enjoy Walking on Dead Leaves.
I also think Nora Roberts fans especially will like this one.
Thank you so much for reading. I hope you have a wonderful day.
Part 13 of my Return to Reading Journey, and my fourth ARC from NetGalley
Thank you, Julian Kennedy and Victory Editing for the ARC!
--
Great characters, great writing, and just a dash of Stephen King style horror...
This book wrecked me.
-- Quick Spoiler-free Summary --
"Walking on Dead Leaves" is a mystery thriller set in the Midwest about three sisters who have to solve a mystery after their father's death
-- First Impressions --
I really have to praise the opening of this book.
It starts out with a nice prologue that launches you right into some chilling action, and then the first chapter sets the stage and settles you in with some classic family drama.
It didn't take very long for me to be like "Okay, now this is interesting."
I also just really love how polished the writing is here.
I'm not sure exactly how to describe it, but it gave me the impression of someone who's been writing for a long time--an expert at their craft.
Kennedy has already written three other books as part of their "The Forgotten" series, so this is far from the first book they've written, but I was still very impressed.
Another thing I thought was cool is the POV style.
This is the first book I've read since I started this journey back in June that actually uses a first-person present tense point of view. Very neat!
-- What I Liked --
Now, something that really hooked me with the story is the strong group of female protagonists: Emma, Mina, and Margot.
It very much gave me the same great vibes as shows like Bad Sisters. Completely different plot, but same vibe.
It also--and you'll probably hear me bring up this book a lot--but it also shared nice similarities with Hidden Nature by Nora Roberts for me, a couple of those being the strong female characters and the solid writing, but there's even some home renovation going on here.
Not as much as Hidden Nature--I noticed from the reviews that was kind of divisive for that book--but it's there, and I just thought it was a neat coincidence.
I thought the book did a really good job at character development and world building too.
Most of the story is told from Emma's and Mina's points of view, but Kennedy also shines a light on some the other characters' back stories too.
I enjoyed the pacing too.
The literal first half of the book--I'm going by my completion percentage on the NetGalley reader--is all about the setup, dropping crumbs of mysteries, really getting you settled in with a game of guessing who the villain is.
Then it really ramps up during the second half of the book.
I think I was at maybe 45% on the completion bar, maybe a little more when things started going from just family drama to high stakes, where the "thrills" really come in.
It was very hard to put the book down at this point.
-- Criticism --
I feel like this is also a good spot to warn you that if you're averse to mature themes, you might want to skip this one.
Without spoiling anything, let's just say there's a pretty significant shift in tone somewhere where Kennedy really channels some Stephen King-lite writing.
I've read The Shining and a handful of other Stephen King books, and I personally didn't mind the direction Dead Leaves went in--it was honestly quite memorable--but it's something I think some readers should be aware of before committing to this one.
-- Romance --
Oh yeah, I also feel like I should talk about the romance factor for this book, since I'm making other comparisons to Nora Roberts' writing.
So, I'll start by saying the "spice" level is one or two peppers (I had to Google the rating system).
Basically, there's some infrequent implied intimacy in the story, but that's as far as the "spice" goes.
Walking on Dead Leaves absolutely does contain love interests--they're kind of a big part of the plot--just not a lot of spice.
-- Closing Thoughts --
If you want to settle into a fun thriller with great characters that blends coziness with elements of horror, I think you'll enjoy Walking on Dead Leaves.
I also think Nora Roberts fans especially will like this one.
Thank you so much for reading. I hope you have a wonderful day.
Review of advance copy received from Author
Walking on Dead Leaves by Julian Kennedy is a suspense novel about three sisters—Emma, Mina, and Margot—whose lives unravel after their father’s death, his will shocks all of them when he leaves their house to their half-brothrr John and his family. The girls find hidden notes from their father, indicating that he just wanted to protect them.
🍁 The novel has themes of family, secrets, betrayals, grief, and sinister motives.
🍃 The plotline of siblings that are forced together by loss and grief as they uncover deadly secrets has perfect pacing and great character depth.
🍃 🍂 There is a feeling from the sisters that someone is always watching, and this was written so well and created a constant undercurrent of tension. No "in-your-face thrills here, but rather, a slow burn of anxiety.
✍️ Gripping suspense, relatable dialogue, just enough suspense to keep me completely immersed in this story.
📚 Psychological thriller fans will love this one.
☆ I was provided an ARC by the author. All opinions are my own. ☆
🍁 The novel has themes of family, secrets, betrayals, grief, and sinister motives.
🍃 The plotline of siblings that are forced together by loss and grief as they uncover deadly secrets has perfect pacing and great character depth.
🍃 🍂 There is a feeling from the sisters that someone is always watching, and this was written so well and created a constant undercurrent of tension. No "in-your-face thrills here, but rather, a slow burn of anxiety.
✍️ Gripping suspense, relatable dialogue, just enough suspense to keep me completely immersed in this story.
📚 Psychological thriller fans will love this one.
☆ I was provided an ARC by the author. All opinions are my own. ☆
Review of advance copy received from Author
Walking On Dead Leaves by Julian Kennedy is a great read! It is domestic suspense at its finest. It held my interest all the way to the end. Emma, Mina and Margot are three sisters who are grieving the unexpected loss of their father. At the reading of the will they learn they have lost the family home they have lived in their whole lives to their half brother John and his wife Felicity.
Soon secrets are revealed and the sisters realize someone is hiding something, but who? The tension rises as layers of secrets are peeled back and they realize everything they thought they knew is a lie.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The characters were brought to life effortlessly and the plot flowed smoothly. It all comes together to make a 5 star read! Preorders are open now! What are you waiting for?
Soon secrets are revealed and the sisters realize someone is hiding something, but who? The tension rises as layers of secrets are peeled back and they realize everything they thought they knew is a lie.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The characters were brought to life effortlessly and the plot flowed smoothly. It all comes together to make a 5 star read! Preorders are open now! What are you waiting for?
Review of advance copy received from Author
Walking on Dead Leaves is a domestic suspense novel that pulls you in through its characters and keeps you there with unexpected secrets, rising tension, and twists you won’t see coming.
I really enjoyed the family and sister dynamics throughout the story. There were so many secrets being uncovered that I found myself questioning everyone and wondering who could actually be trusted.
Once the sisters started putting the pieces together and uncovering some of the bigger secrets, I couldn’t put this book down. I HAD to know how everything was going to come together, and that ending was absolutely not what I expected!
If domestic suspense, complicated family dynamics, secrets, and unexpected twists are your thing, definitely add this one to your TBR!
Walking on Dead Leaves releases September 22, 2026.
I really enjoyed the family and sister dynamics throughout the story. There were so many secrets being uncovered that I found myself questioning everyone and wondering who could actually be trusted.
Once the sisters started putting the pieces together and uncovering some of the bigger secrets, I couldn’t put this book down. I HAD to know how everything was going to come together, and that ending was absolutely not what I expected!
If domestic suspense, complicated family dynamics, secrets, and unexpected twists are your thing, definitely add this one to your TBR!
Walking on Dead Leaves releases September 22, 2026.
Review of advance copy received from Author
Whoa!!!! 😳 I was not expecting things to go that way with this book. I didn’t know who to trust the whole time, and the one person I expected not to be trustworthy wasn’t the villain. Major twist there and so many red strings combining all of the storylines. This was definitely a sad story at the end but it was so well written. The only part that confused me was the overall timeline. At times it felt like the book was told over 6 months, but at other times it ended up only being a few weeks or a month later. With all of the narrators changing I think the notation of a timeline would have been helpful. Ie adding a date to the chapters. Otherwise I found this to be a very enthralling and entertaining book! Thank you to the author for an arc copy of this for an honest review.
Review of advance copy received from Author
I loved reading this book! It was so much fun and I found myself caught up in the lives of every member of the Powell family! Julian had me on the edge of my seat the whole way. Murder, intrigue and viridian, oh my! Ok, there's no viridian, that was just a joke between Julian and I when I compared one character and her complete house gutting obsession with Delia Dietz from Beetlejuice. You'll understand later. Anyway, this story has twists and turns you won't believe and I will never... forget it. Let's just say that for me, Walking on Dead Leaves is now more than just a title and it gives me chills just thinking about it...
Review of advance copy received from Author
What an intriguing suspense novel, one that sure kept me turning the pages. Centering around three sisters who recently lost their father and the loss and their home. Questions arise and trust is diminished between them and people they have brought into their lives, as secrets starts to unravel during their move. The first two-thirds developed the characters and their relationships, slowly building up the complexities of the suspense and getting me thoroughly invested, and then finishing with some great action scenes that had my heart thumping. I enjoyed trying to figure out the whodunnit, and the twist/revelation.
Thanks to the author for the eARC
Thanks to the author for the eARC
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Thank you netgalley and Julian Kennedy for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.
I give this a solid 3.75 🌟
After the sudden death of their father, 3 sisters must learn to grieve and move out of the childhood home with their mother because of their father's will. Their step brother received the house.They must navigate all this while finding a note in their father's things saying to " not trust anyone". He is trying to protect them. They slowing start to expose secrets and figure things out.
It is a bit slow at first with the character building but once things start to unfold you wont be able to put it down. So good!
The ending was not expected at all!!!! What a twist!
I give this a solid 3.75 🌟
After the sudden death of their father, 3 sisters must learn to grieve and move out of the childhood home with their mother because of their father's will. Their step brother received the house.They must navigate all this while finding a note in their father's things saying to " not trust anyone". He is trying to protect them. They slowing start to expose secrets and figure things out.
It is a bit slow at first with the character building but once things start to unfold you wont be able to put it down. So good!
The ending was not expected at all!!!! What a twist!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 30, 2026
3.5/5 stars
Walking on Dead Leaves is a domestic thriller filled with secrets and lies. After the death of their father, Emma, Mina, and Margot start to uncover secrets that someone close to them wants to keep buried.
I really enjoyed the overall storyline for this one, secrets coming out after the death of a loved one leading to danger and intrigue. I did feel like the storytelling felt a little choppy at times though. That could have just been me though.
I definitely didn’t see the ending coming at all and really enjoyed that there was a big twist!
If you enjoy a slow burn domestic thriller then I’d definitely recommend this one!
Walking on Dead Leaves is a domestic thriller filled with secrets and lies. After the death of their father, Emma, Mina, and Margot start to uncover secrets that someone close to them wants to keep buried.
I really enjoyed the overall storyline for this one, secrets coming out after the death of a loved one leading to danger and intrigue. I did feel like the storytelling felt a little choppy at times though. That could have just been me though.
I definitely didn’t see the ending coming at all and really enjoyed that there was a big twist!
If you enjoy a slow burn domestic thriller then I’d definitely recommend this one!
Review of advance copy received from Author
“If I stop running, I’m going to die.”
Yeah… I was locked in from page one. Moody, messy sister dynamics ✔️
Family secrets that refuse to stay buried ✔️
And just enough twists to keep me turning pages ✔️
It’s one of those reads where the tension builds quietly…
then suddenly everyone’s looking a little suspicious 👀
Dark, emotional, and just chaotic enough to work.
✨ Would I recommend? Absolutely — especially if you love family drama with teeth.
Yeah… I was locked in from page one. Moody, messy sister dynamics ✔️
Family secrets that refuse to stay buried ✔️
And just enough twists to keep me turning pages ✔️
It’s one of those reads where the tension builds quietly…
then suddenly everyone’s looking a little suspicious 👀
Dark, emotional, and just chaotic enough to work.
✨ Would I recommend? Absolutely — especially if you love family drama with teeth.
Review of advance copy received from Author
✨️honest ARC review
This was so good! I was not expecting that ending! The twists were great. Some things I had a suspicion of but mostly it was all a surprise. It started out feeling almost like a romance but quickly changed to something more spooky. I was on the edge of my seat wanting to know what the heck was going on. I got all the emotions from this book. I even cried! At a thriller! So so good. I already want to do a reread but next I'll read it to my grandma
This was so good! I was not expecting that ending! The twists were great. Some things I had a suspicion of but mostly it was all a surprise. It started out feeling almost like a romance but quickly changed to something more spooky. I was on the edge of my seat wanting to know what the heck was going on. I got all the emotions from this book. I even cried! At a thriller! So so good. I already want to do a reread but next I'll read it to my grandma
Review of advance copy received from Author
Walking on Dead Leaves is a gripping psychological thriller filled with family secrets, grief, and betrayal. The story slowly builds tension before delivering unpredictable twists and a constant sense of unease. With believable characters and escalating suspense, it’s a compelling slow-burn thriller that keeps readers hooked to the end.
Review of advance copy received from Author
Amazing book!! I really enjoyed the slow paced first half and learning about the sisters, the family dynamics and the past. The second half had me at the edge of my seat and I did not see the ending coming at all!! So twisty and I loved it!! Highly recommend!!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Review of advance copy received from Indie Reviewers
An intriguing slow-burn psychological thriller centered on family tragedy, secrets, and betrayal. The novel starts slowly, but once it gets going, it’s hard to put down.
Review of advance copy received from Author
I received an ARC from the author. Love the setup and premise, characters are interesting, world-building develops nicely. This was a pleasantly surprising thriller with a dark and suspenseful plot.
Review of advance copy received from Author
Advance copy from author
Greatly enjoyed the thriller with echoes of Pride and Prejudice. Built up to an explosive conclusion. A great read.
Greatly enjoyed the thriller with echoes of Pride and Prejudice. Built up to an explosive conclusion. A great read.
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews