Early Summer

by Carol Paur

Helene Denny worries about everything, even the prospect of leaving home to attend college. It doesn’t help that she’s fascinated with serial killers.

In her final semester of high school there’s a string of missing girls. Helene immediately thinks a serial killer is loose. When Fred Thompkins arrives in town to become mayor he becomes her primary suspect.

No one takes her seriously. Helene steps into the dark web to search for the culprit, only to endanger her own life. Can Helene solve the case before someone close to her goes missing?

366 pages, Paperback

Published November 1, 2022

Reviews

[Samantha Thompson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Carol Paur does such a stellar job capturing the adolescent mind in this story. As someone who is the main character’s age, I find her a very relatable person. I was truly enthralled by this book. It is one of those books that I cannot put down as soon as I pick it up. I was constantly on the edge of my seat until the very end because I wanted to know so bad what was going to happen next. I strongly recommend this story to any kind of reader out there!

[Rochelle Melander · Rating 5 out of 5]

Early Summer by Carol L. Paur. Helene is an anxious teen who’s fascinated by serial killers. When she hears about several missing girls, Helene worries that a serial killer is on the loose and she’s got her eye on several local suspects. Can she solve the case before she loses someone she loves? I adored Helene and her family—and their sweet Wisconsin farm life. The fast-paced story pulled me in, and I couldn’t stop reading until I found out what happened. Fans of YA suspense will love this story. Grab a copy, a cup of tea, and a cozy spot!

[Kathy Nieber-Lathrop · Rating 5 out of 5]

Early Summer hooked me on the first page and the suspenseful plot and intriguing characters kept me turning the pages until the end.

[Carol Neumann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very well written YA story with an awesome ending!

[Chrystina Langan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book took me straight back to high-school and it was quite a ride! You can feel the evil undercurrent of the villain the whole way through. You get tense, scared, thrilled, and even sentimental with this character. Carol Par is so good at getting into her characters heads that it makes you feel like you're watching a movie instead of reading a book. This is a must read!

[Valerie Biel · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a fabulous suspense novel! I loved the layers of this story and the way subplots are so skillfully intertwined by the author. The main character, Helene, is an anxious high school senior—her symptoms are very realistically portrayed in many situations throughout the book, which will be very relatable to anyone who struggles with anxiety. Interestingly, Helene also has a unique obsession with serial killers, and when young girls go missing in the area, Helene suspects any number of local men might be the culprit. The cast of characters is brilliant, including her genius younger sister, great girlfriends, potential love interests, demanding parents and all the quirky folks who often make a small town an interesting backdrop for intrigue. Adding flavor to the story are local political issues that paint a target on Helene and the farm setting/background that feels familiar to me, but might prove slightly exotic to urban readers. Twisty and fast-paced, Early Summer provides a thrilling ride!

[Emily · Rating 3 out of 5]

While this book was a little slow at times, by the end of it I was surprised at the culprit. I would recommend this for someone who wants to read a mystery or thriller book that doesn’t want to feel too scared.