Disclaimer: I received this book from Smith Publicity. Thanks! All opinions are my own.

Book: Beneath the Crimson Willow

Author: Martin Niewood

Book Series: The Garden of Elsyn Series Book 2

Rating: 2/5

Recommended For...: fantasy readers, ya readers

Publication Date: October 29, 2020

Genre: YA Fantasy

Recommended Age: can’t recommend, DNFed

Publisher: Indie Published

Pages: 214

Synopsis: Life on the run has been hard for Violet Noone and her family, and it's about to get harder. While pursued by the authorities and the Marked, a secret organization focused on revenge, Violet is approached by a mysterious stranger. She is blackmailed into solving the brutal murder of Georgina Givens, a victim of the poisonous compound, Unelse. The investigation reveals that religious, political, and corporate forces might be at play, although Violet can't rule out the possibility that Georgina's husband, Leonard, may be the murderer.
Georgina and her husband were no strangers to criminal schemes and Violet quickly uncovers the connection between the theft of valuable intelligence and Georgina's death. Pursuing each lead, Violet slips deeper into a world of conspiracy and lies and learns she can trust no one. Beset by their own demons, her family is unable to support her, forcing a seventeen-year-old Violet to accept unwelcomed truths about herself and face challenges well beyond her years.
This time, Violet is on her own. With her enemies closing in, she must unravel the mystery, retrieve the intelligence, and solve the murder. But can she do it before the Marked find her?

Review: I had to DNF this read at about 180 pages in. The book was ok, but it lacked depth for me and the writing was weird. The characters were very well developed, but the world building could have been better. The book was also very slow. I also didn’t realize that this book was apart of a series. I don’t normally like reading the middle book of a series and not having read the others.

Verdict: It would be better read in series order.