Heartwood is a genre blending story of a woman who goes missing on the Appalachian Trail. Valerie Gillis vanishes 200 miles from her end point, excruciatingly close to the culmination of her goal. Valerie is a forty two year old nurse who has taken a leave of absence from work to hike, a very surprising choice as she has no background in hiking or camping. 

Bev is a seasoned Maine game warden who is tasked with the search for Valerie. After decades of service, Bev is approaching retirement and reflecting on her career as one of the only female wardens and on her choices to isolate herself from relationships. Meanwhile, we also read from the perspective of Lena, a resident at a retirement home who is an avid bird watcher and armchair detective. 

Told from the perspectives of these three women, Heartwood also integrates mixed media and does not use traditional chapter organization. I found this interesting but also unevenly executed in relation to the pacing of the story. Overall I thought the exploration of motherhood and estrangement themes were surface level at best. I kept reading to find out what happened to Valerie, but this isn't a story I'd return to or strongly recommend. 

The Last Session is Julia Bartz's sophomore novel and it brings her over the top, wild ride style of thriller to a very different setting than her first. While her debut was about aspiring writers gathering in a famous writer's home, this book is about a social worker who follows strange clues about a woman she felt so connected to and this takes her to a relationship center in New Mexico. 

Thea is a second career social worker, with her own history of childhood trauma. Bartz creates a fair bit of mystery and tension around Thea's past as she also develops the character of a catatonic woman who shows up at the hospital that Thea works for. The two women share a striking resemblance and a connection to something very important to Thea's childhood. 

I thoroughly enjoyed this thriller from the very early pages. In her signature style, this book has some taboo sexual content and many unlikable characters. There are major themes of verbal abuse and religious trauma. While I recommend this one, please check content warnings before diving in. 

Johan Rundberg has done it again with the third installment in The Moonwind Mysteries series. Mika, the precocious and daring orphan, is presented with the most challenging and darkest mystery yet. It is handled with care and it is incredibly heavy, please check content warnings before reading this with or letting your young reader read it independently. 

This third novel centers on the disappearance of a teenage daughter from a very wealthy family. But with no ransom or note, the pieces don't add up. Mika is on the case with Detective Hoff and as they solve this case, she will learn more about her family of origin than she imagined. 

Junie is an absolutely stunning and endearing debut novel by Erin Crosby Eckstine. Eckstine has long been a writer of editorial and think pieces, specifically related to public education. In Junie, her excellent writing skills shine in strong character development and a stellar balance of depth and plot. 

The main character is the novel's namesake; Junie is a teenage girl enslaved in the Deep South. As a maid to the daughter of the household, Junie is sheltered from the harshness of plantation work and has an innocence about her. But Junie is also deeply grieving the death of her sister, and this becomes a pivotal plot point. 

After the first quarter I was swept up in the world that Eckstine created, which is loosely based on her own ancestors. Everyone in this book is more than one shade, more than one motivation. I was so impressed by how many layers and how much richness this story delivers in a concise way. I cannot recommend this book highly enough. Junie's coming of age and spirit will be in my heart for a long, long time. 

Soft dnf, not right now. 

The beginning really got me, but when the cards were on the table before the 50% mark I knew this was going to drag. It became very repetitive and anticlimactic. I think this would have been a strong novella. 

Harry Potter two strike rule

Fat phobia two strike rule 

Every Sweet Thing is Bitter is a gripping and poignant crime fiction debut by Samantha Crewson. Providence is a proud single and childless lesbian who reluctantly returns to her hometown when her mother goes missing. After years estranged from her sisters, Providence hates to be back home under the eye of her controlling and violent father. But she is certain that there was foul play, and she won't rest until she finds answers herself about her mother's disappearance. 

This novel gripped me from the beginning, and I was amazed by Crewson's character development. Providence is nothing you expect from a female main character in a crime novel. She's a woman who has made serious mistakes in her past, for which she is unapologetic. This crime and trauma from her youth follows her as she tries to solve the mystery and look out for her younger sisters. 

If you like out of the box female characters who are badass, resilient, and unafraid to be themselves, this book is for you. If you also like crime thrillers that don't center police or detectives, pick this up. This is a book that will keep you up reading until you finish and pull your heartstrings simultaneously. Already I wait with bated breath for Crewson's next novel. Get this on your TBR!