Ivy Miller talks people out of dying for a living. This time it may cost her own life.
When Ivy answers a crisis line call from a frantic young woman named Margo, she has no idea it will change her life. Hours after Margo tearfully announces her intention to end it all, she's found dead. The police call it suicide, but Ivy knows better. Margo didn't sound like she'd given up. She sounded scared. Defying her employer, Ivy heads to Margo's hometown, Hickory’s End, looking for answers. All she finds is silence. No one wants to talk about Margo. In fact, no one wants to talk at all. It soon becomes clear Margo uncovered something before her death. Something worth keeping her quiet for. Now Ivy is in town asking the same questions. And in Hickory’s End, people who ask questions don't always make it out alive.
You've Reached Margo is a dark and unsettling psychological thriller, perfect for fans of Nicola Sanders and Natalie Barrelli.
Nancy Savage writes psychological thrillers published by Bloodhound Books and Inkubator Books. She lives in a house overlooking the hills with her partner, their six kids, and two cats.
Ivy answers a crisis hotline call from a woman named Margo who says she's going to end her life. Hours later, Margo is found dead, and the police quickly rule it a suicide. But Ivy can't shake the feeling that Margo didn't sound hopeless, she sounded scared. Determined to find the truth, Ivy begins investigating for herself and uncovers a web of secrets and lies.
⭐️⭐️⭐️✨ (3.5/5)
The premise hooked me right away, and I really enjoyed the atmosphere throughout. The small town felt genuinely creepy and unwelcoming, like everyone knew something but no one wanted to say it out loud. It made Ivy's investigation feel even more tense. The mystery kept me invested, and I really enjoyed the build-up to the final reveal. I actually figured out the twist before it happened, but I didn't mind. It felt like the story was giving you enough clues to piece everything together rather than relying on a last-minute shock, which I really appreciated. I also liked that all the loose ends pertaining to Margo's death were tied up by the end.
One small thing that didn’t fully work for me was that I never felt I fully understood Ivy's motivation for taking the investigation into her own hands. The story hints at why Margo's death affects her so deeply, but I wanted a little more clarity to fully connect with her determination. There were also a couple of moments where I expected Ivy to react with more fear than she did but none of it ruined the story, it just pulled me out of it at times.
Overall, I had a good time with this one. It's a solid mystery with a great atmosphere, an intriguing premise, and a satisfying reveal.
Thank you to NetGalley, Nancy Savage, and Mont House Press for the ARC!
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆ (4/5 stars) A tense, creepy small-town thriller that hooks you early. As someone who reads a lot of psychological thrillers, the "crisis hotline worker gets pulled into a mystery" setup immediately caught my eye. You've Reached Margo delivers exactly what you want from a small-town mystery: a tight, paranoid atmosphere and plenty of tension. The story follows Ivy, a crisis line worker who answers a final, terrifying call from a girl named Margo. When Margo is found dead shortly after, the police write it off as a suicide, but Ivy knows what she heard on the line—fear, not defeat. Defying her bosses, she heads to Margo's small hometown of Hickory’s End to find out what really happened. What I loved most about this book was the atmosphere. Nancy Savage does a brilliant job building that suffocating, tight-lipped small-town vibe. The moment Ivy steps into Hickory’s End, the wall of silence from the locals is eerie and incredibly effective. It gives you that great, unsettling feeling where you know everyone is hiding something, and it kept me racing through the pages to see who would crack first. Ivy is a solid, determined protagonist, and her background dealing with people in crisis gives her a unique edge as an amateur sleuth. My main gripe—and the reason it's a 4-star instead of a 5-star for me—is that the pacing slowed down a bit in the middle section while Ivy was doing the legwork around town, and a couple of the secondary characters felt a bit one-dimensional. That said, the final act really picks up the speed and delivers the dark, creepy payoff you're looking for. If you like authors like Nicola Sanders or Natalie Barelli, this is definitely one to add to your TBR list. A really strong, addictive read.
The premise immediately intrigued me: Ivy has the ability to sense when someone is nearing the end of their life. But while the mystery is excellent and packed with twists, the real reason I loved this book was Ivy herself.
From the very first pages, her voice felt fresh, funny, witty, and completely authentic. I loved being in her head. Her observations had me laughing out loud one moment and unexpectedly emotional the next. She's the kind of protagonist who makes even the quieter moments compelling.
Nancy Savage balances humour, grief, mystery, suspense, and heart beautifully. The emotional moments felt genuine, the mystery was original, and the pacing kept me turning pages long after I meant to stop reading.
The final stretch was genuinely thrilling. Every time I thought I had things figured out, another twist appeared, and I loved the extra surprises waiting at the end.
This was such a pleasant surprise. An original premise, a memorable protagonist, plenty of heart, and a mystery that delivers right through to the final page.
Thank you to Nancy Savage, Mont House Press, and NetGalley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I enjoyed this book as it carried me along with the author’s easy style and interesting protagonist. Ivy works at a crisis help line and she is super empathic so when she answers a call from Margo, she knows Margo is not suicidal but terrified. On finding out Margo’s death was judged to be suicide, she cannot let this go and so, against her employers wishes and company policy, she heads to the creepy, hostile small town where Margo lived and where nobody is happy to see her investigate Margo’s death. Not even the police. In fact she starts to feel her own life might be in danger as someone is threatening her telling her to leave. Of course, Ivy is determined to uncover the truth. She will not be intimidated to give up.
The author is very good at portraying small town hostility and creepiness and the general tone of the book is one of imminent danger. The story is told in the first person but even so the denouement is tense and violent, but also, I have to say, slyly comical. I did however guess the twist in the tail so even though it lacked surprise on one level, it certainly was gripping!
I recommend this book to readers who enjoy well written thrillers with fully rounded characters.
Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC for my kindle in exchange for my honest review.
Ivy has always had a gift - or a sense - call it what you will, to see auras around people who feel hopeless, who will end their lives no matter what. She works as a Counsellor at a suicide Lifeline.
She has never lost a caller - she has always talked them out of their plans. Until Margo.
This book really grabbed my attention. The unusual gift that Ivy has, which could be deep Empathy, or aura reading, intrigued me. Her focus on finding out what actually happened to Margo, and her determination to pass one message on to Margo's mother pulled at my heartstrings.
The investigation she did with such persistence, and roped Mac into it, showed how dedicated she was to her goals.
In a thriller/whodunit, I liked to guess the identity of the villain. I did change my mind a few times, because there were quite a few suspects, but settled on one character, and found I was correct! Not an easy task in this book. It is twisty, emotional and unputdownable.
I am a huge fan of Nancy Savage's books, and this one did not disappoint.
I recommend, and award 4/5 stars.
Thank you Nancy for sending me this book to review.
I love a psychological thriller that keeps me guessing, theorising, and questioning absolutely everything until the very end, and this one delivered exactly that. Even though I had an inkling of what might be happening, the story still managed to keep me on edge and second-guessing myself right up until the final reveal.
This book gave me serious The Sixth Sense vibes. It has that eerie, unsettling atmosphere where something feels off from the very beginning, paired with a mystery that slowly unravels and keeps pulling you deeper into the story. The creeping sense of unease made it impossible not to keep turning the pages.
The ending was incredibly satisfying and tied everything together in a nice little package. If you love psychological thrillers, unreliable clues, and stories that leave you wondering what the hell is actually going on here?, I’d definitely recommend picking this one up.
I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my unbiased review. The main character's backstory claims she is able to see ghosts from a young age after a tragic event she witnessed. Now as an adult, Ivy works at a crisis call center. After losing a client, Ivy inserts herself into conducting a personal investigation. This is where the story lost me. About 75% of the book was Ivy visiting Margo's hometown and meeting various people in her life. I thought the connection between Margo and Ivy was a little far-fetched because of her commitment to a stranger. This put her own life and job on the line. The end of the story didn't add up for me as it just explained her supernatural powers as not real after all. I think this story had a lot of potential, but there were too many holes in the plot and not paced well for me to recommend.
You’ve Reached Margo caught my attention from the very beginning! A crisis hotline worker with a special talent answers a call that changes her life. Margo is distressed and ready to end her life, but with Ivy’s gift, she is not convinced those are truly Margo’s intentions. When Margo is found dead, Ivy’s suspicion leads her to take matters into her own hands.
I could not put down this mystery-filled, suspenseful “who done it?” I resonated with the tone and witty main character, she felt very relatable and had the right amount of humor to keep me engaged.
I truly did not see the final twist coming. If you are a fan of fast paced thrillers that cast suspicion on multiple characters and leave you second guessing your own judgment, this is a great place to start!
Thank you to Netgalley and to the publisher for giving me the chance to read this ARC in exchange for a fair review.
It's quite well written but this one just did not work for me. The first couple of chapters were excellent and set the premise for a brilliant story. However, it went in an unexpected direction and, for me, fell flat.
The main character, Ivy, has a supernatural gift and the book opens with this. But then it becomes completely irrelevant about 20% of the way in. The story could have been told without this and would have been much more credible. But there was a lot of unnecessary filler and the ending was just silly.
I probably would read this author again though as the writing style was great. I just didn't think the book was.
This small town suspense thriller ( with that hint of paranormal thrown in ) caught my attention from the get go. When a blurb says “ call centre “ you know you’re in for a hell of a ride and this one certainly did not disappoint. I was instantly drawn to Ivy’s character, who went against all odds to find the truth about Margo and her she passing, and did not stop until she got answers .. even if the answers were not the ones she wanted!. This was a fast paced book that kept me up to ungodly hours of the night turning pages to find out what happens next. This was my first book by this author but it won’t be my last. Nancys writing is well written and easy to read that I have her other books on my TBR list.
A late-night call to a crisis hotline changes everything when volunteer Ivy speaks to a woman named Margo, who leaves behind more questions than answers. Unable to move on from the conversation, Ivy becomes determined to piece together the life of a stranger she can’t forget.
Part mystery, part emotional exploration of grief, guilt and human connection, this book pulled me in from the very first chapter. Nancy Savage expertly builds tension while also asking difficult questions about the moments that shape our lives and the people we pass by without truly knowing.
I was expecting this book to be more supernatural especially after the prologue but really enjoyed the story as is. Ivy works at a suicide hotline and regularly saves callers from their worst days, she just couldn't save Margo. But what if Margo didn't take her own life?? This book follows Ivy as she investigates Margo's death while also dealing with strange stalkerish occurrances.
I really liked Ivy's love journey in this as well. Even though it is in no way a romance, it did bring forward some of her own personal issues and how she works through them.
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC in return for an honest review.
I received an ARC of You've Reached Margo through NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. ⭐⭐⭐⭐ This was such a gripping psychological thriller! The premise immediately pulled me in, and once Ivy set out to uncover what really happened to Margo, I couldn't stop turning the pages. The small-town setting was wonderfully creepy, the suspense kept building, and I found myself questioning everyone. I also appreciated that the story explored mental health with compassion while delivering plenty of twists and tension. If you love thrillers filled with secrets, suspense, and a determined heroine, I definitely recommend this one.
This is the first book I’ve read by this author, so I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect.
I thought the premise was super interesting and unusual. Ivy has been able to sense “ghosts” since she was a child (people not long for this earth). After witnessing a man commit suicide, she later decided to dedicate her life to saving others. While working at a hotline, Ivy speaks to Margo who ends up dead after their call. Convinced that it was a murder and not a suicide, Ivy begins to investigate.
The characters were likable. There was a lot of mystery to this book, and I was shocked by the ending.
TW: suicide This book was full of twist. I literally didn't know who was behind the death of Margo until the very end. Just when I thought I knew, something would happen. I thought the concept of the book was very good. I loved the character of Ivy, I cannot imagine working the suicide hotline, the mental and emotional toll it takes on you individually. To go as far as to know someone didn't get the help they needed and you're determine to seek out justice for them. So good. Definitely enjoyed!
Thank you Mont House Press and NetGalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review!
I enjoyed this book and felt the story was well written. The small town had a creepy feel that the author captured perfectly! My only real issue is that I found myself not really caring for the main character. Something about Ivy just came across as kind of off putting to me and I can't put my finger on why. That being said, I really did like the story as a whole and the twist at the end was well done. I look forward to seeing what this author comes up with next!
Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for the advanced copy. All opinions expressed are my own.
Read as an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
WOW, just wow. I went into this book completely blind and I have never been sucked in so much in the first 4 pages. This is a brilliant concept that starts off one of the best psychological thrillers I have read this year. The characters were complex and this story was JUICY. I loved the main character, the way this book was written sucked me into the characters brain and made the story so easy to read and understand allowing me to get lost. I will be recommending this to EVERYONE
Many thanks to netgalley, the author and the publisher for approving my request to read this book.
I enjoyed this small town thriller in which we meet Ivy, a crisis call handler. After a call with a young woman called Margo results in her untimely death Ivy is convinced not is all as it seems and sets about uncovering the truth behind it.
I always enjoy a good who done it and this one definitely kept me guessing.
I would recommend this book to others especially if you are a fan of this genre
Ivy is a call taker who responded to a call from Margo. Unfortunately Margo states her intentions to end it all and hours later is found dead. Ivy can't get it off her mind so she digs deeper but what she uncovered is more sinister than she ever seen coming. I felt myself getting involved in the plot of this book so I shut out the rest of the world and read it in a few hours. The characters are uniquely designed and the plot is cleverly dark and unsettling.
Thank you, Mont House Press, for providing the copy of You've Reached Margo by Nancy Savage. This was a tough read for me. I didn’t connect to the writing style, and I never got interested in Ivy. I loved how she took responsibility to find out how and why Margo died. Parts of her journey were intriguing, and I enjoyed the creepy things going on in the town. The ending was a complete shocker, so if that’s your thing, you will love this book, but I don’t think it was for me. 3 stars
Ivy Miller works for TrueTalk, a hotline for people in distress. Margo calls the hotline and Ivy tries to help her but … everything goes wrong. Ivy is convinced Margo didn’t act alone and tries to prove it. This grabbed me from the first page and kept me up reading past my bedtime. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this early release in exchange for my honest review. Looking forward to checking out more books by this author since I really enjoyed this one.
Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced reader copy. This was such an easy book to get into and before I knew it I was flying through it. I really enjoyed following Ivy as she searched for answers, and every new discovery made me want to keep reading. The small-town atmosphere added to the tension, and there were plenty of moments that had me thinking, “just one more chapter.” I had a great time with this one and would definitely recommend it if you enjoy twisty psychological thrillers.
Ivy has a unique ability that makes her excel at her job as a suicide hotline operator. After a call leaves her extremely unsettled Ivy sets out to get answers and we embark on a tense journey with her to find out what happened to Margo.
This was a fast paced read that kept me guessing. I enjoyed the characters and would read more Nancy Savage in the future! Thank you Netgalley for the advanced copy!
Thank you to NetGalley, Nancy Savage, and Mont House Press for the ARC!
This was a nice mystery thriller that was easy to follow along. I definitely didn't see the ending coming. I also loved how Savage painted the creepy town, scary incidents, and constant unknowns.
If you like Natalie Barelli, you're going to love this.
The main (and probably only) reason I’m giving this 4 stars is because I predicted the whodunnit, and I LOVE to be surprised. But I loved the writing style, and it was a page turner for sure! Had me hooked from the beginning.
You've Reached Margo was a creepy, fast-paced thriller that kept me guessing the whole time. The small-town secrets, suspense, and twists made it hard to put down, and I was hooked from the very first crisis call. If you enjoy dark psychological thrillers with plenty of mystery, this one is definitely worth picking up.