⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐🐊🐊🐊

While I had guessed the plot twist towards the beginning of the book, I still managed to be in suspense with every turn of the page. This book portrayed a gnawing anxiety and the unraveling of a mystery so incredibly well. Also impressive was the likeability of the narrator. I often find myself struggling with period pieces, but the author did an excellent job of making the characters engaging and relatable with their humor, mannerisms, and realistic reactions to the otherness penetrating their lives.

I loved learning about Easton's village and the culture of the people there. The descriptions of war felt honest and accurate without being brutal for the sake of being brutal. One of the best and cleanest mysteries I have read where we actually get a resolution at the end of the book.

While I have no love for how Hollywood or streaming services often butcher written works for media adaptations, I certainly would love to see this on screen. The descriptions led to such easy mental imagery that any director should have a perfect rubric to follow.