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Underneath the Fireflies

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No matter where Grace Walker goes, her extra sensory power goes with her. She’s an empath and sees things—terrible things. After a tragic accident at the place where she works, she decides to take a mental-health break on a remote West Coast island. But she no sooner gets to Galliano Island when a vision of the murder of an Indigenous woman draws her into a disturbing and threatening dilemma.

How does she tell the authorities she witnessed a murder—in a vision? As Grace, her parents, and her want-to-be boyfriend investigate, trying to find evidence, the killer becomes aware that Grace is about to expose him. Now Grace has become the victim, but her gift of sight compels her to solve the crime and bring the killer to justice.

267 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 16, 2023

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61 people want to read

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Marianne Scott

12 books51 followers

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5 stars
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
Profile Image for Sandy Van Dyke.
94 reviews1 follower
May 16, 2023
well crafted

The characters feel like people you would know. There’s no sensationalism or sex in the story. A relief to me. The plot carries the characters through the bends and twists making the story very probable. Good read take it to the pool.
Profile Image for Book Reviewer.
4,752 reviews441 followers
May 23, 2023
Marianne Scott’s Underneath the Fireflies is an enthralling paranormal suspense thriller that weaves an intricate tapestry of supernatural and real-world elements. Our protagonist, Grace Walker, a gifted young woman from Toronto, seeks refuge on the serene Galliano Island, British Columbia, visiting her parents following a disturbing incident. However, her expectations of a peaceful getaway are thwarted as she is thrust into a chilling crime narrative triggered by her visions of a brutal murder at the scenic Lewis Landing.

The captivating supernatural elements of Scott's narrative truly elevate this suspenseful tale. Grace's distinct powers lend her a unique aura, as she harnesses her skills to bring perpetrators to justice—a characteristic that, for me, solidified her as a protagonist worth rooting for. A remarkable feature of the story was the incorporation of Scout, the wolf, whose integral role in guiding Grace piqued my interest.

The novel immerses readers into a rich narrative, subtly hinting at past events that add depth to the characters. While a prequel might have offered a more explicit understanding, this approach does foster curiosity and intrigue. The reflective storytelling style, while potentially affecting the pacing, offers a unique contemplative perspective. Scenes from secondary characters' viewpoints, although seeming tangential, provide a panoramic understanding of the plot. Despite unconventional storytelling techniques, the novel excels in stimulating curiosity and presenting a multifaceted narrative.

Scott skillfully steers the plot back on track, rekindling interest as the characters embark on their investigative journey. As the story unfolded, I was engrossed in the process of tying together the threads that led to the revelation of truth. The narrative teases us with hints pointing towards multiple characters, which adds to the suspense and makes the identity of the killer an enigma until a dramatic reveal midway through the story.

Underneath the Fireflies is a novel where every piece of the puzzle eventually falls into place, offering a rewarding experience that leaves readers pondering long after the final page has been turned."
Profile Image for Stephanie.
1,472 reviews37 followers
April 17, 2023
Grace Walker has always had visions, as an empath she is able to pick up on the emotional residue left in an area. After her visions put her under attack at her work for uncovering a nefarious plot by her boss, Grace is taking a relaxing break at her parent's home on the remote Galiano Island. Before Grace even reaches the island, she begins to see visions of a murder. A passenger sitting next to Grace on the airplane, Rubin, helps Grace through what he believes is a panic attack. However, Rubin is also heading to Galiano Island on a mission of his own that may connect to Grace. When Grace finally arrives, she can't shake the vision and when family friend, Rebecca tells of her missing daughter, Tamara, Grace knows that she must help the family. Now, Grace must follow her vision and try to bring law enforcement to believe what she knows is true.

Underneath the Fireflies is a contemporary murder mystery incorporating paranormal aspects and Indigenous traditions. I was immediately interested in Grace's capabilities and what she had uncovered at her work. It almost seemed like I had missed a significant event or a prior book with the extraordinary conspiracy that Grace uncovered at her employer and the outcome of that event. I was entranced with Galiano island, the way of life there and the people. I liked that the mystery included the disappearance of an Indigenous woman whose disappearances are often overlooked by authorities. I would have loved it if even more of the Indigenous traditions and stories of the island were in the book. The writing jumped between points of view of Grace, Rubin, Island inhabitants and Grace's guide, Scout. With many points of view there was a lot of information coming from different directions and many small clues into Tamara's disappearance. I really appreciated Scout's point of view in trying to guide Grace to put the clues of Tamara's murder together.

This book was received for free in return for an honest review.
Profile Image for Areeba | Bookaddicted_soul.
105 reviews7 followers
March 11, 2024
✨ "It was the time of phosphorescence and the water was lit from below by millions of microscopic sea creatures, Mother Earth’s way of revealing a promise. In darkness, there would always be light."✨

It's about Grace Walker, a woman with extra sensory powers. After a tragic incident at her workplace, she decides to take a mental-health break on a remote West Coast island. But a sudden vision of murder shatters her tranquility and drawing her into a dilemma: should she try to bring justice, but Would anyone believe her? How credible is a woman who says she witnessed a murder in a vision? Would she dare go to the police?

Scott takes the reader's breath away right from the inception. With picturesque descriptions of nature, wildlife and small town, you could feel yourself transported on this journey. The writing style is unique, mysterious and intriguing, written from multiple povs.

Grace despite having empathetic powers wasn't a superhuman. She had her fears, anxieties and vulnerability. But yet she stood up for justice. The progression of plot is based on a current murder while her workplace incident is used as a backdrop.

As the story continues, a cast of intriguing characters is introduced, making reader question who has done it? With gripping narrative and heart-pounding suspense, Underneath The Fireflies started out as a whodunit and ended up turning into a cat and mouse chase.

For me, the standing point of this book is paranormal adventure and magical aspect that added a layer of intrigue, which is counterbalanced by an equally cute tho barely there romance.
I can easily see this book turning into a series. And I definitely won't be complaining! As I would love to see Grace and her supportive gang again, alongside with how her love story progresses.

I would certainly recommend this to every thriller fan who would like a psychic approach to crimes!

My Rating: 5/5 ⭐

Thanks @ireadbooktours for providing this book 🤎 and @bookinfluencerscom for the platform!

✨Follow @bookaddicted_soul on Instagram for more reviews and recommendations✨
Profile Image for Angela Thompson.
458 reviews15 followers
April 26, 2023
Underneath the Fireflies Brings Readers Mystery From Cover to Cover. As I read this novel, I wondered if it was part of a series and if I had missed or forgotten the details of an earlier boo! The author brought readers a bit of mystery surrounding Grace Walker and the backstory from her employer and coworkers she left behind as she took her "holiday" to visit her parents on Galliano Island. I don't think I missed a book--but I would certainly be willing to catch up on the events leading up to Grace's vacation with other novels. The novel wraps up the island mystery nicely--but left me wishing I had more of Grace's adventures to read!

Scott Uses a Unique Writing Style in this Thriller. This novel jumps between characters, locations, backgrounds, and scenes--giving readers varied perspectives on the events as they unfold. While Grace is the novel's main character, the story is told through many characters and short chapters dedicated to setting locations, backstories, paranormal elements, quick action scenes, and pieces of the mystery's puzzle. The novel is long, but the short chapters and perspective changes keep the information, action, and storyline exciting and engaging.

Would I Recommend Underneath the Fireflies by Marianne Scott? This novel was a book that began with a mysterious edge, bridged a paranormal/natural world setting, solved a primary murder mystery, and left me feeling that more mystery lurked. I loved it. While I can't say I loved any one part of the novel or preferred any characters over others--I loved the flow and blending of the many pieces of the story. For fans of paranormal mysteries or thrillers with spiritual/metaphysical connections, this book is one for your reading list.

I received a copy of this book for use in a blog review. All opinions are my own.
Profile Image for Kayleigh.
25 reviews5 followers
March 13, 2024
[Dutch below]

The paranormal / mystery aspect of the story really intrigued me. The connection with nature, the wolf, it started of strong. Unfortunately, there were some parts that felt unneccessary. They took away the flow of the story. The paranormal aspect was very subtle. Don't expect it to be fantasy, it is way more realistic. I liked that for a change.
You'll get a bond with Grace and her family and want them to find the murderer. I also liked the personal growth of Grace. In the end she feels more comfortable with her ability.

A big aspect that took the fun out of the story, was that you know who the suspect is way before the end. You don't read the actual name, but the clues are right in your face. The second part of the story is more about how they are going to catch that person. There were still a lot of things going on, but you don't have to solve the puzzle/mystery anymore. Overall an enjoyable read.


Het paranormale/mystery aspect van het verhaal sprak mij erg aan. De band met de natuur, de wolf, het verhaal begon sterk. Daarna zaten er stukken in waarvan ik nog steeds niet weet of ze echt nodig waren voor het verhaal. De flow ging er daardoor wat uit. Het paranormale aspect was zeker aanwezig, maar verwacht geen vol fantasy verhaal. Het is veel subtieler waardoor het verhaal veel realistischer blijft. Dit kan wel even schakelen zijn. Wat jammer was, was dat de dader al ruim voor het eind bekend werd. Niet vol met naam, maar de hints waren niet subtiel meer. Daarna zit de spanning vooral in hoe ze de dader gaan ontmaskeren. Een prima boek om te lezen, maar door de schrijfstijl verlies je soms de flow van het verhaal.
Profile Image for Gina  Rae Mitchell.
1,355 reviews101 followers
June 10, 2023
Underneath the Fireflies is a must-read for fans of mystery and suspense novels. The protagonist, Grace Walker, is an empath who sees terrible things and decides to take a mental-health break on a remote West Coast island after a tragic accident at work. However, her psychic ability leads her to witness the murder of an Indigenous woman on Galliano Island, and she faces a dilemma of how to tell the authorities she witnessed the murder in a vision.

The book is well-written, and the plot is full of twists and turns that keep the reader engaged until the very end. The investigation is intense, with Grace, her parents, and her want-to-be boyfriend trying to find evidence to prove her vision. However, the killer becomes aware that Grace is about to expose him, and she is put in danger.

The book deals with compelling themes such as mental health, Indigenous issues, and justice. Marianne Scott does an excellent job of bringing these themes to light and showing their impact on the characters and the story.

Overall, Underneath the Fireflies is a gripping mystery novel with a unique premise that includes psychic powers, an Indigenous victim, and a killer on the loose on Galliano Island. It is a must-read for anyone who loves a good mystery and is interested in exploring important social issues through literature.

I received a copy of the book for the tour. This review is my honest, unbiased opinion.
Profile Image for Sheila Samuelson .
1,206 reviews25 followers
March 21, 2024
Rating: 4 Stars!!
Review:
Thank you to Marianne for picking to participate in this Paid Promotion Book Tour hosted by BookInfluencers.com this week and for the FREE ARC Copy to promote and review for her.

This was my first time reading a Paranormal Thriller let alone by Marianne and i have to say for the most part i liked it. I just wish the chapters werent so short but the pages could of easily cut down by 100 cause the 400+ pages wasnt necessary especially when the murder wasnt mentioned til Chapter 11. I just felt that the story was dragged out for too long.

The Characters were fun and enjoyable to read about. Grace seemed like a nice character. I wish she had admitted to her parents friends early on about the wolves that were telling her about the murder instead of waiting 10 chapters to say something.

The Setting was OK but could of been clearer where it was set from the beginning since so many cities were mentioned.

Overall a Good Paranormal Thriller just wish it wasnt so long paged with such short chapters. I will read more by Marianne in the future but i just hope her other books arent like this one was.
Profile Image for Country Mama.
1,432 reviews65 followers
March 13, 2024
I loved this book. Grace was written as such a relatable character and I loved reading about her. I really found myself in the book at Galliamo Island with her.

Grace sees things that are not really there and I can totally understand that. I have sometimes seen things that other people can not and it freaks other people out. Grace can see dreams before she meets people for instance and she saw a wolf named Scout in a dream before she saw him in real life.

This is such an interesting story line of Grace trying to help find out what happened to a girl named Tamara as she recovers from something that happened at her work in Toronto recently. The cast of characters were also well written and I didn’t know whether to hate Michael or like him and the same thing with Rubin too.

The ending of the book left me in shock and I was not expecting that the murderer was who they were. Also, the ending did wrap up everything very nicely for all the characters in this book and left the story open for more of Grace’s adventures into the spiritual world and more visions. So great job to the author on that.
334 reviews1 follower
May 10, 2023
To get away from a toxic and wicked boss, Grace Walker decides that a getaway is the best choice. A planned unwinding break at her parents' remote island villa does not bring Grace much joy. The gift of empathy and foresight comes at a grave (pun intended) cost as Grace Walker realizes, much to her chagrin. Unable to shake off the warnings from her vision enroute to the island, Grace continues to ponder over her co-passenger on the flight, Rubin. When her family friend Rebecca's daughter, Tamara, is in trouble, Grace takes it upon herself to help them. The element of extra-sensory perception adds a lot of charm to this contemporary murder mystery, and I loved Scott's narrative style from the points of view of different characters. I had a great time reading this book, and I am thankful to Scott, the publishers Crowe Creations, and Lauren of iRead BT for gifting me with a copy of this book.
Profile Image for Tiff Ferrell.
34 reviews6 followers
March 26, 2024


Grace Walker has an amazing gift of sight. It can be both a blessing and a curse for her as she can’t control when she sees and feels things and when she cannot. After a horrific accident at work she decides to go visit her parents on the quiet island that in hopes of taking a much needed mental break. This doesn’t happen because as soon as she sets foot on the island she gets a vision involving a missing indigenous woman. Knowing she can’t ignore what she has seen, Grace soon finds herself in the middle of yet another dangerous ordeal.

I really enjoyed reading this book. I really enjoyed the characters and the overall storyline. I’ve always had a soft spot for murder thriller stories and this book did not disappoint.
Profile Image for Alyssa Mohring .
391 reviews52 followers
March 14, 2024
Underneath the Fireflies was full of intrigue. Marianne Scott weaves a whimsical, intriguing, and believable story. The plot had me hooked from beginning to end. There were spots where I felt the book was a little scattered. I loved the mystery and that the protagonist Grace was an empath.

There were compelling themes of mental health, indigenous issues, and justice. Marianne Scott does an excellent job of bringing them to light and showing how it affects the characters and stories.

This book is filled with mystery, twists and turns, supernatural involvement, and indigenous characters. If you love a good murder mystery, you will love this.
Profile Image for Leanne.
2,161 reviews43 followers
April 18, 2023
Grace has a special power, she has visions. While taking a mental health break on the remote West Coast island she has a vision of a indigenous woman being murdered. It pulls her into a deep, difficult and dark investigation. I fully enjoyed reading this. I loved the thrills and action which never stop and the plot has twists and turns that you can't believe. It even has a little love interest in it. It's different from what I would normally read but as they say a change is as good as a holiday and I loved it!
Profile Image for Leta Hawk.
Author 6 books46 followers
May 29, 2023
Mostly a Good Read

This isn't my go-to genre, but I was intrigued by the hint of supernatural involvement, as well as the Indigenous characters and the wolf.
The story started off really good, and I was into the plot, but there were a number of places, sometimes entire chapters, that just seemed like backstory or info dumps that pulled me out of the story.
I was also a bit put off that the suspect was named, at least for the reader, long before the end of the book. Yes, there was still a lot of suspense, but it took away from the fun of figuring out who had done it.
Profile Image for Michelle Godard-Richer.
Author 15 books466 followers
March 20, 2024
I appreciated the creativity that went into Grace Walker's character with her empathic abilities and the wonderful secondary characters that rounded out the cast. The plotting held my attention, and although I guessed who the murderer was fairly early on, I enjoyed the journey to get there. I wish more of the backstory, with the tyrannical boss that sent Grace home to Galliano Island, had happened in real time as it sounded like it would make an excellent story on its own.
Profile Image for Jai.
1 review2 followers
March 6, 2024
Captivating story

I just finished this book, and I really enjoyed it! Containing chapters, and instead used a heading type of format, threw me off a little bit at the beginning, but once I got used to it, I really enjoyed this book. Would highly recommend if you’re looking for some mystery!
Profile Image for Devons book corner.
1,423 reviews39 followers
March 19, 2024
Underneath the Fireflies brings the reader lots of mystery and suspense in this intriguing story. The author did a wonderful job of creating a relatable character out of Grace, and I loved reading about her because of that. This story was gripping, full of suspense, and quite enjoyable.
Profile Image for Susan McGee.
27 reviews2 followers
June 3, 2023
Great page turner

This was an easy read because it was compelling from the beginning. It is a great mystery that kept me reading on to the next chapter. Highly recommended.
6,158 reviews
May 5, 2023
I have enjoyed reading previous books from Marianne Scott in the past. I jumped at the chance to read her newest released, Underneath the Fireflies. I thought it was a pretty good book to read. I was instantly intrigued with the character of Grace and her abilities. Her story was one that had some paranormal aspect to it that seemed to be believable. As she travels to the beautiful island of Galiano. As she tries to find a way to relax, she was quickly placed into the middle of a murder investigation. She finds herself in danger and has to solve the “who done it” before it is too late. There were a few twists and turns within the pages that would catch me off guard. Just when I knew what was going to happen next, something happens and making me question of how it would all end.

Underneath the Fireflies will be getting a very well deserved five plus from me. I highly recommend it for readers, fans, lovers of the thriller fiction with a paranormal element will most definitely want to snatch this one up and give it a read. I will be on the look out for more releases from Marianne Scott in the future. I thought her talents really shine through in this one.

I received a paperback copy of Underneath the Fireflies from the publisher, but was not required to write a positive review. This review is one hundred percent my own honest opinion.
Profile Image for Virginia Winfield.
2,915 reviews14 followers
April 21, 2023
I did not want to put this book down. I loved all the thrills and the action in this story. I loved the little bit of paranormal in the story. I loved Grace and her family. I enjoyed all the twists and turns. I received a copy of the book from the publisher for a fair and honest opinion that I gave of my own free will.
Profile Image for Dana McKenzie.
254 reviews56 followers
March 21, 2024
I absolutely love a thriller, and this one was just that. The plot has twists and turns, with an incredibly realistic storyline, even with the supernatural empath element.

The main character, Grace, she is the empath, so she sees things or has visions. I cannot imagine having that ability – no way, no how! Grace was easy to love, incredibly strong, female lead character.

There was quite a bit of backstory. You’re able to follow the storyline easily. I love the setting of the story, Galliano Island, it sounds like an incredible place to visit.

I love the mystery, and kept trying to solve it myself, and ultimately failing. I like that the chapters were short, and that we had many different perspectives throughout the book. The book is thick, almost 500 pages, but there was blank pages between the chapters and was short chapters . I finished this one less than two days.

This one was a wonderful mystery/thriller especially if you like the supernatural touch.
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