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Murder Grove
In 1990, within the deceptively peaceful woods of her Sussex neighborhood, Mia witnesses the brutal murder of her mother and wakes up in a shallow grave. A man confesses to the murder and later dies in prison, but Mia never comes to terms with her mother’s death.
After another brush with tragedy in 2021, Mia and her boyfriend Rich move from London to a small Spanish village where they can begin a new life. At first, Val Verde seems to be everything they could wish for. But when a body is found in the olive grove outside of town, they realize that their would-be safe haven harbors a terrible secret. Will they discover the deadly root of evil before it’s too late?
Breathlessly paced with an atmospheric setting, Murder Grove is a twisty psychological thriller from the author of Five Strangers.
After another brush with tragedy in 2021, Mia and her boyfriend Rich move from London to a small Spanish village where they can begin a new life. At first, Val Verde seems to be everything they could wish for. But when a body is found in the olive grove outside of town, they realize that their would-be safe haven harbors a terrible secret. Will they discover the deadly root of evil before it’s too late?
Breathlessly paced with an atmospheric setting, Murder Grove is a twisty psychological thriller from the author of Five Strangers.
312 pages, Hardcover
First published July 31, 2022
8 people are currently reading
325 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 40 reviews
July 27, 2022
Five Strangers, E.V. Adamson’s debut (debut under that pen name, cause author Andrew Wilson had proved his worth more than enough with his other works under his real name), was such a fantastic and tense psychological thriller with one of the most shocking openings I’ve ever read, so when I saw announced Murder Grove, his latest book, I jumped for joy! And best of all, it is set in my country!
The story follows Mia and Rich, a couple in their 30s who decide to leave their lives in London and move to an eco village in Almería, Spain. Val Verde seems like the perfect place until a body is discovered, buried in an olive grove, and with several similarities to an event in Mia’s tragic past.
The story is told in dual perspectives from both Mia and Rich’s POVs. While both of them turn out to be pretty unreliable narrators, all the sympathy I had for Mia, was loathing for Rich. What a pr*ck! The first person narrations really helped me create a bond with the characters, making my reaction to them much more stronger.
A few day ago I wrote in another review how much I like stories set in Spain written by foreign authors, cause that’s a great way to find out how they see us, and in Murder Grove it was clear the author has first hand knowledge about living in Spain. The countryside descriptions were fantastic, but even more those about the Spanish characters and their homes. I could perfectly see in my mind the objets described, as they were exactly what you would expect to find in a house in the Spanish countryside.
I liked how the story brought to light some of the atrocities that happened during the Spanish civil war that, although well known here, maybe are not so well known outside of Spain.
The plot was tight, the chapters quite short, and the characters unreliable enough for me to keep turning pages like mad. There were moments with quite a haunting atmosphere that made of Murder Grove a very gripping read.
And those last few lines! They gave me goosebumps!
Solid psychological thriller with an interesting setting and a taut plot that I seriously recommend. E.V. Adamson a.k.a. Andrew Wilson can write under whatever name he wants, I will read it anyway.
Thanks to the NetGalley and Harper Collins UK for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
The story follows Mia and Rich, a couple in their 30s who decide to leave their lives in London and move to an eco village in Almería, Spain. Val Verde seems like the perfect place until a body is discovered, buried in an olive grove, and with several similarities to an event in Mia’s tragic past.
The story is told in dual perspectives from both Mia and Rich’s POVs. While both of them turn out to be pretty unreliable narrators, all the sympathy I had for Mia, was loathing for Rich. What a pr*ck! The first person narrations really helped me create a bond with the characters, making my reaction to them much more stronger.
A few day ago I wrote in another review how much I like stories set in Spain written by foreign authors, cause that’s a great way to find out how they see us, and in Murder Grove it was clear the author has first hand knowledge about living in Spain. The countryside descriptions were fantastic, but even more those about the Spanish characters and their homes. I could perfectly see in my mind the objets described, as they were exactly what you would expect to find in a house in the Spanish countryside.
I liked how the story brought to light some of the atrocities that happened during the Spanish civil war that, although well known here, maybe are not so well known outside of Spain.
The plot was tight, the chapters quite short, and the characters unreliable enough for me to keep turning pages like mad. There were moments with quite a haunting atmosphere that made of Murder Grove a very gripping read.
And those last few lines! They gave me goosebumps!
Solid psychological thriller with an interesting setting and a taut plot that I seriously recommend. E.V. Adamson a.k.a. Andrew Wilson can write under whatever name he wants, I will read it anyway.
Thanks to the NetGalley and Harper Collins UK for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
October 13, 2022
I wish I could give more stars because the premise was very promissing but this is the absolute epitome of slow burn with a bell curve, It starts and ends with dead bodies, infidelity and lies smushed between and no real action until the end. I didn't feel drawn in or captivated
May 21, 2022
Murder Grove | E.V. Adamson
Genre: Thriller, psychological suspense, murder mystery
Pub Date: 31/07/22
Murder Grove is the latest standalone thriller by author, E.V. Adamson. I chose this one based on the strength of Adamson’s previous thriller, Five Strangers which I really loved.
The story follows Mia and Rich, a 30something couple who moves to a small village in Spain after which a body is found in the grove with eerie similarities to a traumatic event from Mia’s past.
Unfortunately, this one didn’t quite live up to my expectations. I enjoyed the alternating POV between Mia and Rich, however the first-person style made it a little unclear at times whose chapter. I did enjoy the differing perspectives of events this offered. Mia was my favorite character.
The Spanish setting was a great part of this book and you can really tell the author knows what they are talking about. This gave a unique cultural aspect to the story which made it a little more interesting.
The chapters were very short which added to the pace of the book and kept you turning page after page. I enjoyed how the book linked two crimes, one in the present and one in the past. The character’s past was really haunting and the chapters devoted to this were really engaging to read.
Overall, this was a solid entertaining thriller which would appeal to fans of psychological mysteries and domestic thrillers.
Thank you to the author, publisher and Netgalley for a copy of this book.
Genre: Thriller, psychological suspense, murder mystery
Pub Date: 31/07/22
Murder Grove is the latest standalone thriller by author, E.V. Adamson. I chose this one based on the strength of Adamson’s previous thriller, Five Strangers which I really loved.
The story follows Mia and Rich, a 30something couple who moves to a small village in Spain after which a body is found in the grove with eerie similarities to a traumatic event from Mia’s past.
Unfortunately, this one didn’t quite live up to my expectations. I enjoyed the alternating POV between Mia and Rich, however the first-person style made it a little unclear at times whose chapter. I did enjoy the differing perspectives of events this offered. Mia was my favorite character.
The Spanish setting was a great part of this book and you can really tell the author knows what they are talking about. This gave a unique cultural aspect to the story which made it a little more interesting.
The chapters were very short which added to the pace of the book and kept you turning page after page. I enjoyed how the book linked two crimes, one in the present and one in the past. The character’s past was really haunting and the chapters devoted to this were really engaging to read.
Overall, this was a solid entertaining thriller which would appeal to fans of psychological mysteries and domestic thrillers.
Thank you to the author, publisher and Netgalley for a copy of this book.
April 6, 2023
I guarantee that you won’t see the ending coming. The story just kinda ended in the middle though??
March 28, 2023
Murder Grove...
If that's not a title that sends shivers down your spine, I don't know what will.
I have been on a hot streak when it comes to choosing the perfect thriller to fit my mood. Now, my moods tend to shift from dark, darker and darkest... you get the hint?
I was longing for a book that would consume my attention and transport me straight into the pages held up by the spine. Well, I was in luck, Murder Grove, delivers.
This was not my first book by E.V. Adamson, I had read and loved Five Strangers last year and knew that I would be waiting eagerly for the next book to drop.
Murder Grove, superseded all of my expectations. I was never bored or looking to put the book down, I was eager to continue on and read this book in one sitting. Murder Grove is jam packed with suspense, deceit and unreliable characters.
This book is going to be a hit amongst thrill lovers.
Here is a little teaser to get your pulse racing :
Death seems to follow her: two murders, three decades apart…
In 1990, within the deceptively peaceful woods of her Sussex neighborhood, Mia witnesses the brutal murder of her mother and wakes up in a shallow grave. A man confesses to the murder and later dies in prison, but Mia never comes to terms with her mother’s death.
After another brush with tragedy in 2021, Mia and her boyfriend Rich move from London to a small Spanish village where they can begin a new life. At first, Val Verde seems to be everything they could wish for. But when a body is found in the olive grove outside of town, they realize that their would-be safe haven harbors a terrible secret. Will they discover the deadly root of evil before it’s too late?
If that's not a title that sends shivers down your spine, I don't know what will.
I have been on a hot streak when it comes to choosing the perfect thriller to fit my mood. Now, my moods tend to shift from dark, darker and darkest... you get the hint?
I was longing for a book that would consume my attention and transport me straight into the pages held up by the spine. Well, I was in luck, Murder Grove, delivers.
This was not my first book by E.V. Adamson, I had read and loved Five Strangers last year and knew that I would be waiting eagerly for the next book to drop.
Murder Grove, superseded all of my expectations. I was never bored or looking to put the book down, I was eager to continue on and read this book in one sitting. Murder Grove is jam packed with suspense, deceit and unreliable characters.
This book is going to be a hit amongst thrill lovers.
Here is a little teaser to get your pulse racing :
Death seems to follow her: two murders, three decades apart…
In 1990, within the deceptively peaceful woods of her Sussex neighborhood, Mia witnesses the brutal murder of her mother and wakes up in a shallow grave. A man confesses to the murder and later dies in prison, but Mia never comes to terms with her mother’s death.
After another brush with tragedy in 2021, Mia and her boyfriend Rich move from London to a small Spanish village where they can begin a new life. At first, Val Verde seems to be everything they could wish for. But when a body is found in the olive grove outside of town, they realize that their would-be safe haven harbors a terrible secret. Will they discover the deadly root of evil before it’s too late?
October 2, 2025
Completely lost interest halfway through. Story wasn't bad but wasn't great either.
February 27, 2023
Mia Banner and her boyfriend, Richard Ellis, leave their jobs in London to settle in Val Verde, a small and environmentally-friendly community in southern Spain. Richard's late mother left him a lovely home there that uses solar power to generate energy. Although the climate is hot and dry, the residents of Val Verde grow their own fruits and vegetables using an irrigation line. Richard and Mia both endured traumatic childhood experiences that still haunt them. She has frequent nightmares and unpredictable mood swings that send her into a tailspin at a moment's notice.
E. V. Adamson's "Murder Grove" has an aura of menace that foreshadows trouble to come. Mia befriends Blanca Rodríguez García, an octogenarian whose mother, Esperanza, was buried in an unmarked grave during the Spanish Civil War. For years, Blanca has tried to get Esperanza's remains exhumed so that she can be laid to rest in consecrated ground. Mia, who speaks fluent Spanish, offers to help Blanca complete the necessary paperwork. Before the exhumation can take place, however, someone who was battered to death is found nearby and the police interrogate everyone who knew the victim. Adding to Mia's stress is her suspicion that Richard is hiding something important from her. She soon regrets her decision to abandon her teaching career in England for what she hoped would be a tranquil life in a cozy village.
"Murder Grove" is a domestic thriller and murder mystery that starts out intriguingly. We are eager to find out why there is such a charged atmosphere between Rich and Mia, but it quickly becomes apparent that there are few characters with whom we can identify. Mia is indecisive and unstable; Richard is a narcissist and control freak; and the selfish and cynical Anna Fleming is a photographer and reporter who seems eager to pry Richard away from Mia. Although the author's descriptive writing and pacing are above average, the plot goes haywire when Adamson brings matters to a close with a wildly implausible finale.
E. V. Adamson's "Murder Grove" has an aura of menace that foreshadows trouble to come. Mia befriends Blanca Rodríguez García, an octogenarian whose mother, Esperanza, was buried in an unmarked grave during the Spanish Civil War. For years, Blanca has tried to get Esperanza's remains exhumed so that she can be laid to rest in consecrated ground. Mia, who speaks fluent Spanish, offers to help Blanca complete the necessary paperwork. Before the exhumation can take place, however, someone who was battered to death is found nearby and the police interrogate everyone who knew the victim. Adding to Mia's stress is her suspicion that Richard is hiding something important from her. She soon regrets her decision to abandon her teaching career in England for what she hoped would be a tranquil life in a cozy village.
"Murder Grove" is a domestic thriller and murder mystery that starts out intriguingly. We are eager to find out why there is such a charged atmosphere between Rich and Mia, but it quickly becomes apparent that there are few characters with whom we can identify. Mia is indecisive and unstable; Richard is a narcissist and control freak; and the selfish and cynical Anna Fleming is a photographer and reporter who seems eager to pry Richard away from Mia. Although the author's descriptive writing and pacing are above average, the plot goes haywire when Adamson brings matters to a close with a wildly implausible finale.
January 28, 2023
Needless mention of animal cruelty and bit dull ....
It unfortunately started off with one of those phrases I despise "She was shot like a dog" - Yes I know it is an expression but why not shot like a deer/pheasant/person/rabbit - I just find it so very offensive and makes it sound like it is perfectly OK to shoot a dog and leave them dying in a field in Spain as in this story.
Then we were told there was more blood than the annual killing of the family pig - YUK YUK YUK
I persevered, hoping this would turn out to be what I signed on for - fabulous escapism in the sun plus an intriguing murder mystery plus a bit of ex pat romance etc - ie "A Place in the Sun" TV property programme meets Agatha Christie - it sounded delicious ......... it wasn't.
Oh gosh, when I found out the romantic lead - "such a handsome fit man" turned out to be a ginger, physicist alcoholic (love red hair myself but found myself picturing Harry!) and his partner a neurotic Spanish teacher who never "practised speaking it before", I found my hope shrivelling.
Also all the repeated themes and instances of women losing their mothers was really just too depressing for me who is looking for some intrigue, excitement, escapism, adventure and ultimately entertainment
Just finished "The Other Half" by Charlotte Vassell, "The Things We Do To Our Friends" by Heather Derwent and "The Villa" by Rachel Hawkins, all recently released, which I adored and was looking for something to carry me over to the my much anticipated upcoming releases by Louise Candlish and Jane Casey - but nooooo this is not for me,
Setting was nice but no fun in the sun - just all felt a bit like hard work, lacklustre and well "meh".
I gave up when the cliched affairs/pregnancy cards were played.
Life too short to read a dreary book which makes you miserable. :-(
Edit Review
It unfortunately started off with one of those phrases I despise "She was shot like a dog" - Yes I know it is an expression but why not shot like a deer/pheasant/person/rabbit - I just find it so very offensive and makes it sound like it is perfectly OK to shoot a dog and leave them dying in a field in Spain as in this story.
Then we were told there was more blood than the annual killing of the family pig - YUK YUK YUK
I persevered, hoping this would turn out to be what I signed on for - fabulous escapism in the sun plus an intriguing murder mystery plus a bit of ex pat romance etc - ie "A Place in the Sun" TV property programme meets Agatha Christie - it sounded delicious ......... it wasn't.
Oh gosh, when I found out the romantic lead - "such a handsome fit man" turned out to be a ginger, physicist alcoholic (love red hair myself but found myself picturing Harry!) and his partner a neurotic Spanish teacher who never "practised speaking it before", I found my hope shrivelling.
Also all the repeated themes and instances of women losing their mothers was really just too depressing for me who is looking for some intrigue, excitement, escapism, adventure and ultimately entertainment
Just finished "The Other Half" by Charlotte Vassell, "The Things We Do To Our Friends" by Heather Derwent and "The Villa" by Rachel Hawkins, all recently released, which I adored and was looking for something to carry me over to the my much anticipated upcoming releases by Louise Candlish and Jane Casey - but nooooo this is not for me,
Setting was nice but no fun in the sun - just all felt a bit like hard work, lacklustre and well "meh".
I gave up when the cliched affairs/pregnancy cards were played.
Life too short to read a dreary book which makes you miserable. :-(
Edit Review
February 10, 2023
"Like other victims had said, surviving a crime was almost like a life sentence in itself, a sense of being punished for something you had not committed"
Murder Grove is the story of Mia and Rich following their move to a remote Spanish town after Mia's student commits suicide. The death of her student brought back haunting memories of witnessing the death of her mother and nearly being buried alive, so with the move, Mia and Rich are trying to start fresh with a new life. Mia instantly gets a feeling of unease in the town, but both her and Rich chalk it up to the residual effects of her trauma. Little does Mia know, Rich is cheating on her. After an intense altercation involving Anna (the other woman and Mia, Rich decides to cope by taking Ayahuasca. When he wakes up, Anna is dead, and no one know who the killer is.
I enjoyed Murder Grove, but it wasn't a mind blowing thriller. It was a typical thriller with lots of twists and turns. I enjoyed Mia's character and grew to hate both Rich and Anna. Rich was a horrible, abusive human being and probably should have suffered Anna's fate.
I will say, the double twist at the end had me up in arms! I wasn't expecting the killer to be who it was and Rich and Mia's goodbye made me furious. When a book elicits a response like this from me, I can tell the author did a great job developing the characters.
I definitely want to move to a remote Spanish villa now. While it didn't work out so well for Mia and Rich, I still felt like the setting was pretty idyllic!
3/5 stars
Murder Grove is the story of Mia and Rich following their move to a remote Spanish town after Mia's student commits suicide. The death of her student brought back haunting memories of witnessing the death of her mother and nearly being buried alive, so with the move, Mia and Rich are trying to start fresh with a new life. Mia instantly gets a feeling of unease in the town, but both her and Rich chalk it up to the residual effects of her trauma. Little does Mia know, Rich is cheating on her. After an intense altercation involving Anna (the other woman and Mia, Rich decides to cope by taking Ayahuasca. When he wakes up, Anna is dead, and no one know who the killer is.
I enjoyed Murder Grove, but it wasn't a mind blowing thriller. It was a typical thriller with lots of twists and turns. I enjoyed Mia's character and grew to hate both Rich and Anna. Rich was a horrible, abusive human being and probably should have suffered Anna's fate.
I will say, the double twist at the end had me up in arms! I wasn't expecting the killer to be who it was and Rich and Mia's goodbye made me furious. When a book elicits a response like this from me, I can tell the author did a great job developing the characters.
I definitely want to move to a remote Spanish villa now. While it didn't work out so well for Mia and Rich, I still felt like the setting was pretty idyllic!
3/5 stars
September 17, 2023
Ahhh… men with mommy issues.
This was a 3.5-4 star read for me. I loved the story, it was very well-written, and the characters were distinguishable from each other, up until the last 25-30 pages or so when the story went from 0 to 60 and ended abruptly with very little context.
I would have to agree with others on here in reviews that this was definitely a “slow burn” but I didn’t mind it at all. It felt appropriate given the characters and their respective conflicts. I loved how the narrators both felt unreliable for a few chapters, it really kept you wondering wtf was going on.
This wasn’t as psychologically thrilling as I think it could’ve been… I wasn’t expecting the twist but it was a little far fetched for me which made it less of a “wow” moment during the unveiling.
Great read for National Hispanic Heritage Month as it takes place in a fictional village in Spain and references lots of Spanish culture and lore!
This was a 3.5-4 star read for me. I loved the story, it was very well-written, and the characters were distinguishable from each other, up until the last 25-30 pages or so when the story went from 0 to 60 and ended abruptly with very little context.
I would have to agree with others on here in reviews that this was definitely a “slow burn” but I didn’t mind it at all. It felt appropriate given the characters and their respective conflicts. I loved how the narrators both felt unreliable for a few chapters, it really kept you wondering wtf was going on.
This wasn’t as psychologically thrilling as I think it could’ve been… I wasn’t expecting the twist but it was a little far fetched for me which made it less of a “wow” moment during the unveiling.
Great read for National Hispanic Heritage Month as it takes place in a fictional village in Spain and references lots of Spanish culture and lore!
September 19, 2023
This book reads like a made for tv movie. It is a mystery that keeps you guessing right up to the end, but along the way, the story and the characters do not ring 100% true. Mia is a woman who survived a childhood trauma. Rich is her boyfriend, who is almost too solicitous and overboard in his protective feelings toward her. Except he has a fatal flaw: he lies and cheats on Mia with a woman he met at his mother’s funeral. Rich also has survived a not perfect childhood. There were moments in this story that made me question his sanity.
The interesting part of the story is that Mia and Rich move to Spain to get a fresh start. And this is when the $#/+ hits the fan, so to speak. Yet another crazy character enters the scene, searching for revenge on the six year old Mia who was the only witness to her mother’s murder.
While the story held my interest as a mystery, it failed to develop credible characters.
The interesting part of the story is that Mia and Rich move to Spain to get a fresh start. And this is when the $#/+ hits the fan, so to speak. Yet another crazy character enters the scene, searching for revenge on the six year old Mia who was the only witness to her mother’s murder.
While the story held my interest as a mystery, it failed to develop credible characters.
May 17, 2024
There was definitely pieces of a great thriller within, but ultimately I feel the payoff at the end just really didn’t cut it for me fully.
I feel like maybe there should have been some chapters to flesh out some characters motives a bit more, as wel as a conclusion to how the book started with Blanca’s story (honestly I wanted to hear how her arc ended).
I will say I did love the sense that you couldn’t fully trust the narrative in the sense of an unreliable narrator on Rich’s end, I’m a freaking sucker for unreliable narrators haha, it just this one seemed more convenient in some senses of this story.
Would definitely read his other novel though and give him another try as I did enjoy the writing style!
I feel like maybe there should have been some chapters to flesh out some characters motives a bit more, as wel as a conclusion to how the book started with Blanca’s story (honestly I wanted to hear how her arc ended).
I will say I did love the sense that you couldn’t fully trust the narrative in the sense of an unreliable narrator on Rich’s end, I’m a freaking sucker for unreliable narrators haha, it just this one seemed more convenient in some senses of this story.
Would definitely read his other novel though and give him another try as I did enjoy the writing style!
November 28, 2022
Thank you NetGalley, Scarlet, and E. V. Adamson for the advanced copy of Murder Grove in exchange for my honest review.
This book, unfortunately, was not really what I was expecting it to be. I was hoping for more of the storyline to focus on what happened to our main character, Mia, when she was a child, or the body that's found in the very beginning of the book.
I won't spoil but what most of the book was about was *beyond* frustrating to me. I have to give kudos to the big reveal, though, because I didn't see it coming.
I also didn't particularly love the open-ended conclusion, but I would be okay with it if there is another book to follow.
This book, unfortunately, was not really what I was expecting it to be. I was hoping for more of the storyline to focus on what happened to our main character, Mia, when she was a child, or the body that's found in the very beginning of the book.
I won't spoil but what most of the book was about was *beyond* frustrating to me. I have to give kudos to the big reveal, though, because I didn't see it coming.
I also didn't particularly love the open-ended conclusion, but I would be okay with it if there is another book to follow.
August 5, 2023
Endured 100 pages of poorly written dialog and awkward first person narrative (“I hold her in my strong arms”) before giving myself permission to put this away. Being a nonfiction author obviously does not translate into being a skilled fiction writer.
The first time I came across “a couple (plural noun)” I was just mildly annoyed (I’m used to “a couple of (plural noun)”), but the eighth time (in the first 100 pages, no less) I realized that regardless of the grammatical niceties, this is just lazy writing and editing. It’s a pass.
The first time I came across “a couple (plural noun)” I was just mildly annoyed (I’m used to “a couple of (plural noun)”), but the eighth time (in the first 100 pages, no less) I realized that regardless of the grammatical niceties, this is just lazy writing and editing. It’s a pass.
August 19, 2024
It wasn't much of a suspenseful thriller as I thought it would have been. It was still a good read and would recommend to my peers. Richard's character definitely came off narcissistic, with the way he had to have control of everything. In a way it was like he was verbally and mentally abusive towards Mia, always having her questioning herself. Anna wasn't my favorite but she didn't deserve to die the way she did. The twist at the end was excellent and unexpected, who would've thought Freya, out of all people could commit such a horrific and horrible crime.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 12, 2022
It starts and ends with a dead body. What happens between? A love triangle, a mysterious past, a lot of lies, infidelity, all with an idyllic Spanish eco-village background. Sounds enthralling, right?? I was bored for most of this book. I didn’t hate it, but I didn’t love it. I never got to the point where I couldn’t put it down. The main action was crammed into a few chapters near the end.
Thank you to NetGalley for early access to this book in exchange for my honest review.
Thank you to NetGalley for early access to this book in exchange for my honest review.
October 25, 2022
Rich and Mia decide to move away from busy life in London after some stressful events in their lives and Rich inheriting his mother's home in Spain. The book starts with the finding of a body and jumps back six months to their arrival in Spain and all the things that lead up to a murder. This book had a very ominous feel through the whole thing. Rich was awful, and I didn't really enjoy this, although it wasn't poor writing or anything. 2.5 stars rounded to 3.
January 22, 2023
I liked the concept of the book’s description, but as I decked into the story I was not in accordance with the story.
I finished it but I was left dissatisfied. There was no resolution at the end and that bothered me.
The writing was fluid and I liked the Spanish locale but I just could not become vested in the story.
It just wasn’t my cup of tea.
Thanks to Penzler Publishers and NetGalley for the early read.
I finished it but I was left dissatisfied. There was no resolution at the end and that bothered me.
The writing was fluid and I liked the Spanish locale but I just could not become vested in the story.
It just wasn’t my cup of tea.
Thanks to Penzler Publishers and NetGalley for the early read.
January 29, 2023
#FirstLine PROLOUGE Mia August - We are standing in the olive grove hoping to find traces of the dead.
I was not sure how to feel about this book. I think others will enjoy it. I know that not every book hits right at the time that you read it, but will at another time. So I am neutral on this book...would love to hear what others had to say...
I was not sure how to feel about this book. I think others will enjoy it. I know that not every book hits right at the time that you read it, but will at another time. So I am neutral on this book...would love to hear what others had to say...
March 2, 2023
This is the first book I've read for fun in YEARS.
The changing perspectives and short chapters made this a quick read for me (which is VERY out of character!)
Loved the twists and did not expect the ending. Just seemed rushed at the end and had a few cheesy lines in important moments. Overall, for me, a great way for me to get back into reading!
The changing perspectives and short chapters made this a quick read for me (which is VERY out of character!)
Loved the twists and did not expect the ending. Just seemed rushed at the end and had a few cheesy lines in important moments. Overall, for me, a great way for me to get back into reading!
December 30, 2024
This one was a one day read. Didn’t want to put it down. The storyline gripped me from the start, and the mystery was well crafted throughout to keep the guessing going.
I did find the thoughts of the children a bit beyond their years at times, but chose to go with the flow and enjoy.
I did find the thoughts of the children a bit beyond their years at times, but chose to go with the flow and enjoy.
August 17, 2025
Thought this might have gone deeper into missing dead from the Spanish Civil War but in fact that was only lightly touched upon. The author clearly has a good knowledge of Spain but this story could have been set anywhere. So disappointing for me in that regard.
February 15, 2023
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc.
This was a really good book. Plenty of mystery and wondering about what was going to happen next.
This was a really good book. Plenty of mystery and wondering about what was going to happen next.
April 14, 2023
This was a tight, fast-paced story that I could not put down.
May 28, 2023
Not very suspenseful. Not even really ‘psychological thriller’. It was ok but I was more waiting for it to be done.
May 28, 2023
I didn't like this book the whole way through, mostly because of the prose, but the ending just made me angry. 1.5/5 stars >:(
June 17, 2023
I didn’t guess the end of this book at all. Highly recommend.
August 23, 2023
Extremely fun to read a murder mystery/thriller set in and inspired by the tiny Spanish ecovillage where I live! Will try not to get murdered here, in the meantime.
January 10, 2024
I thought the beginning of the book was kind of slow, but it quickly picked up with lots of twists! It did feel trope-y at times, with the cheating boyfriend, but I appreciated the twist at the end.
January 15, 2024
The storyline is amazing but ultimately it was a bit slow… and the ending was atrocious. For all the bits and pieces that were given it seems that the author wasn’t sure how to tie up the end.
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