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The Woodsview Murders #1
Harrowed
Journalism Rule #1: Always report the story. Never become the story.
Avery Blair has accepted the fact that nothing exciting ever happens in her small town of Woodsview, Massachusetts. As the editor of the high school blog, she prays for something—anything—to come along that would make for a great headline.
When Beatrice Thompson’s body is found in the girls’ bathroom, Avery has her biggest story ever. The rumors circulating the school say that Beatrice took her own life, but Avery doesn't believe it for a second. Her instincts prove true when the next day brings another body bag. The tiny community of Woodsview has become the hunting ground for a killer known as the Harvester. The killer targets Avery and her classmates, stalking their every move and terrorizing them with morbid messages.
With the help of her boyfriend Jason, her best friend Quinn, and an aging detective who can't keep her off the case, Avery dives head-first into her own investigation. She discovers that the secret of the Woodsview Harvester is buried in the town's history and its annual Harvest Festival celebration. With every clue she uncovers, Avery grows closer to unmasking the killer—and becoming the next victim.
Avery Blair has finally found a story to die for...if she can stay alive long enough to write it.
Avery Blair has accepted the fact that nothing exciting ever happens in her small town of Woodsview, Massachusetts. As the editor of the high school blog, she prays for something—anything—to come along that would make for a great headline.
When Beatrice Thompson’s body is found in the girls’ bathroom, Avery has her biggest story ever. The rumors circulating the school say that Beatrice took her own life, but Avery doesn't believe it for a second. Her instincts prove true when the next day brings another body bag. The tiny community of Woodsview has become the hunting ground for a killer known as the Harvester. The killer targets Avery and her classmates, stalking their every move and terrorizing them with morbid messages.
With the help of her boyfriend Jason, her best friend Quinn, and an aging detective who can't keep her off the case, Avery dives head-first into her own investigation. She discovers that the secret of the Woodsview Harvester is buried in the town's history and its annual Harvest Festival celebration. With every clue she uncovers, Avery grows closer to unmasking the killer—and becoming the next victim.
Avery Blair has finally found a story to die for...if she can stay alive long enough to write it.
277 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 22, 2015
10 people are currently reading
1225 people want to read
About the author
Jolene Haley
10 books84 followersJolene Haley is the author of the Woodsview Murder series (Harrowed, Haunted, Hunted). She has edited several anthologies including Dark Carnival, Halloween Night: Trick or Treat, and A Pizza My Heart. She is a Jr. Agent for a literary agency and has worked for three publishing houses since earning her Bachelor’s degree.
In spare time, she writes a free witchy romance called Love Spell on Wattpad, runs horror writer blog The Midnight Society, contributes to Of The Wolves, and is a member of the Horror Writers Association.
After growing up in a haunted house, studying to be a coroner, and spending too much time in graveyards, she draws her horror writing inspiration from real life experiences. She resides in California where she loves to pet every dog she sees and explore bookstores for hidden treasures.
Follow Jolene @Jolene_Haley | www.jolenehaley.com
In spare time, she writes a free witchy romance called Love Spell on Wattpad, runs horror writer blog The Midnight Society, contributes to Of The Wolves, and is a member of the Horror Writers Association.
After growing up in a haunted house, studying to be a coroner, and spending too much time in graveyards, she draws her horror writing inspiration from real life experiences. She resides in California where she loves to pet every dog she sees and explore bookstores for hidden treasures.
Follow Jolene @Jolene_Haley | www.jolenehaley.com
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
July 20, 2023
Took me back to my goosebumps days as a kid! This was a great blend of horror / mystery/ romance. Just enough chills and jump-scares to keep me turning pages long into the night and wanting to sleep with a light on.
June 13, 2017
I need to read the next book immediately! Full review coming soon!
October 13, 2017
Terrifying
I finished reading this on Friday the 13th of October. Now I'm afraid to turn off any lights or go to sleep!
I finished reading this on Friday the 13th of October. Now I'm afraid to turn off any lights or go to sleep!
October 26, 2019
Horror at its finest! Started out as young adult but became more adult as the story progressed. Reminded me why I enjoy horror stories! Highly recommended!!!
January 4, 2017
Read this review and more on my blog at [Roxie Writes].
'Harrowed (The Woodsview Murders Book 1)' by Brian LeTendre and Jolene Haley
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5/5
Finished on January 3, 2017
FREE on Kindle Unlimited | $.99 on Kindle
BOOK DESCRIPTION:
Avery Blair is a high school senior from Woodsview, Massachusetts, a small town where nothing exciting ever happens. As an aspiring journalist, this really sucks. She writes the blog for her high school newspaper, gets little-to-no views, and hope and prays for something -- anything -- of note to happen to give her something eye catching to write about.
When Beatrice, the class valedictorian, dies in the ladies' room at school, it stirs rumors of suicide and gives Avery her first big story. Avery doesn't believe for a second that Beatrice killed herself, though. What reason would she have? Like any good journalist, she starts investigating herself, and when the very next day, another classmate dies, her suspicion is proven true -- Woodview has a killer in its midst. One that uses a social media app called BlinkNote to taunt Avery and her classmates as he methodically hunts them down while calling himself The Harvester.
Avery, with the help of her boyfriend, Jason; her best friend, Quinn; and a gruff but loveable police detective is determined to stop the Harvester before he can kill any more of her friends. She slowly puts the pieces together, solving the puzzle, but will she be quick enough to save the people she loves?
MY REVIEW:
I read this book as part of my #yearofindiewomen.
This book sat in my TBR since July, taunting me, just waiting to be read, and I am so glad it was finally its "turn".
If you're a fan of slasher films, you're going to love this book. It pays homage to the classics, but in a new and modern way. Telling this sort of story in a visual way is one thing, but it's entirely different to do it in a novel -- a written medium -- and LeTendre and Haley have done a phenomenal job.
Avery and her friends are believable as modern teenagers (at least to this thirty-two-year-old, haha). They are very much like the teenagers in my life, anyway. Avery is quite mature, but as a senior in high school, I was a lot like her and would have probably done much of the same things she did in her situation. Hell, she was a better cop than the police in this story! She is also vulnerable and still childlike, susceptible to things like cabin fever and restlessness after only a short while which remind the reader just how young she truly is. And her friends are no different; they are all multilayered, multifaceted characters that are impossible not to connect and empathize with.
The villain in this story is well-done, too. When I put the pieces together, I had this little "ah-ha" moment that was quite satisfying. The Harvester is savage, brutal, and just psychotic enough to fit in perfectly with other classic slasher killers we all know and love. As always, my reviews are spoiler-free, so that's all I'll say about this bloody, techno-savvy, killer.
Another thing I appreciated about this book were the rock-n-roll references. I'll admit, I am not a music aficionado (my partner is, though), but it was clear a lot of knowledge and love of music went into this book. Avery plays bass guitar to relax and release stress, and she and Jason bond over their love of music. There's something special to me, as an author, when I can pick up on another passion (other than writing) slipped into a writer's work, if that makes sense? Clearly, this was one of those instances, and that tickled me.
I can't wait for the next installment of this series. Keep up the good work, you two!
'Harrowed (The Woodsview Murders Book 1)' by Brian LeTendre and Jolene Haley
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5/5
Finished on January 3, 2017
FREE on Kindle Unlimited | $.99 on Kindle
BOOK DESCRIPTION:
Avery Blair is a high school senior from Woodsview, Massachusetts, a small town where nothing exciting ever happens. As an aspiring journalist, this really sucks. She writes the blog for her high school newspaper, gets little-to-no views, and hope and prays for something -- anything -- of note to happen to give her something eye catching to write about.
When Beatrice, the class valedictorian, dies in the ladies' room at school, it stirs rumors of suicide and gives Avery her first big story. Avery doesn't believe for a second that Beatrice killed herself, though. What reason would she have? Like any good journalist, she starts investigating herself, and when the very next day, another classmate dies, her suspicion is proven true -- Woodview has a killer in its midst. One that uses a social media app called BlinkNote to taunt Avery and her classmates as he methodically hunts them down while calling himself The Harvester.
Avery, with the help of her boyfriend, Jason; her best friend, Quinn; and a gruff but loveable police detective is determined to stop the Harvester before he can kill any more of her friends. She slowly puts the pieces together, solving the puzzle, but will she be quick enough to save the people she loves?
MY REVIEW:
I read this book as part of my #yearofindiewomen.
This book sat in my TBR since July, taunting me, just waiting to be read, and I am so glad it was finally its "turn".
If you're a fan of slasher films, you're going to love this book. It pays homage to the classics, but in a new and modern way. Telling this sort of story in a visual way is one thing, but it's entirely different to do it in a novel -- a written medium -- and LeTendre and Haley have done a phenomenal job.
Avery and her friends are believable as modern teenagers (at least to this thirty-two-year-old, haha). They are very much like the teenagers in my life, anyway. Avery is quite mature, but as a senior in high school, I was a lot like her and would have probably done much of the same things she did in her situation. Hell, she was a better cop than the police in this story! She is also vulnerable and still childlike, susceptible to things like cabin fever and restlessness after only a short while which remind the reader just how young she truly is. And her friends are no different; they are all multilayered, multifaceted characters that are impossible not to connect and empathize with.
The villain in this story is well-done, too. When I put the pieces together, I had this little "ah-ha" moment that was quite satisfying. The Harvester is savage, brutal, and just psychotic enough to fit in perfectly with other classic slasher killers we all know and love. As always, my reviews are spoiler-free, so that's all I'll say about this bloody, techno-savvy, killer.
Another thing I appreciated about this book were the rock-n-roll references. I'll admit, I am not a music aficionado (my partner is, though), but it was clear a lot of knowledge and love of music went into this book. Avery plays bass guitar to relax and release stress, and she and Jason bond over their love of music. There's something special to me, as an author, when I can pick up on another passion (other than writing) slipped into a writer's work, if that makes sense? Clearly, this was one of those instances, and that tickled me.
I can't wait for the next installment of this series. Keep up the good work, you two!
October 3, 2015
If you love enthralling stories you can't afford to miss this one! The tale weaves through harrowing wakes created by the most disturbing of criminal minds...the sociopath. This phenomenal story is written in what I call real-time (the now), and has all the elements of app technology, a lagging police force untrained in current technology, parents gone from home a lot trying to make a living, a touch on same gender relationships, etc... which the Harvester exploits. Harrowed looked like a good read, but, what I didn't know was that I COULD NOT STOP READING IT! Things were happening so hard and fast which is the very nature of the beast; I had to know what was coming next. Autumn, the time of harvest, and October have always fascinated me so the very weaving of this time of year into a small town's history and a twisted mind forever entangled in it was just an extra added bonus for me. Harrowed reads like it could be a true story and is very well written. I can't wait for book 2 and 3 to come out. Jolene Haley and Brian LeTondre magnetize your attention with their story, Harrowed (The Woodsview Murders, #1).Harrowed
October 6, 2015
I was really excited to read this because I grew up reading young adult horror. Harrowed was very reminiscent of my R.L. Stine days (I liked the Fear Street Cheerleaders series) and it kept me engaged from start to finish. So let me get down to it...
Harrowed is set in a small town among a group of studious high schoolers. Life is business as usual until a student is murdered, and then another, and then another. I won't go into too much detail because this book is so fantastic I'd hate to spoil it. Our main character, Avery, is in the thick of it trying to catch the killer, often times getting way too close for comfort.
I liked that Harrowed let me draw my own conclusions, ultimately leading me to the answers. I connected well with the characters and could place them among my high school friends. On more than one occasion my heart was pounding and I found myself speed reading to find how the scene was going to end.
I'm excited for the next one and can't wait to see more from the author.
Harrowed is set in a small town among a group of studious high schoolers. Life is business as usual until a student is murdered, and then another, and then another. I won't go into too much detail because this book is so fantastic I'd hate to spoil it. Our main character, Avery, is in the thick of it trying to catch the killer, often times getting way too close for comfort.
I liked that Harrowed let me draw my own conclusions, ultimately leading me to the answers. I connected well with the characters and could place them among my high school friends. On more than one occasion my heart was pounding and I found myself speed reading to find how the scene was going to end.
I'm excited for the next one and can't wait to see more from the author.
November 6, 2015
A mysterious killer is on the loose! AH! A well-written horror book, honoring the slasher genre. I loved the characters, believable, likable people. The dialogue made me giggle. I loved the suspense as the tension built from the beginning to the end. The serial killer, The Harvester, was fabulous. Creepy scenes kept me reading to find out WHO WAS THE KILLER! All it was missing was a spooky soundtrack. I'll have to wait for the sequel, but I'll read it when it comes out.
October 24, 2016
Okay, this was a good story. But there are the mistakes. Like the first person murdered had a sister named Nancy. Later, the sister was called a daughter, then back at end to sister. Plus the parents had died and that was why the murdered sister was guardian for her younger teen sister. And yet, suddenly, midway of the book, parent appeared to take charge of Nancy and the murdered sister's young son, Jake. There were grammar mistakes to. That is why the bok dd not get 5 stars, but 4.
October 28, 2015
It's no secret that Jolene and Brian are blog mates of mine, but I swear this review is completely unbiased. As a fan of slasher movies, I've never found one I've been fond of in book form...until now! These two authors dos a great job combining a sleepy town, a nosey teen girl, and a serial killer.
I'm not sure I can wait an entire year for book 2 though!!!
I'm not sure I can wait an entire year for book 2 though!!!
November 11, 2015
Great story and great characters! It kept me guessing how it was going to end!
November 28, 2016
I loved it and can't wait to read the next in the series.
July 9, 2018
Loved it!
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews