Meh. 2.75/5 stars. This story felt incredibly disjointed and boring to me. I was glad to be done with it. I did appreciate some of the messages within this book though. 

DNF @ 41%. I just can’t do this one. I’m so unattached from this whole story and the characters. 

I read book 1 right before diving into book 2 and while I'm glad that I read both, I don't think it's necessary to read book 1 before getting into this one.

I really enjoyed the FMC, Maple Bishop, and I enjoyed her even more after finding out that she's based on a real woman named Frances Glessner Lee. I'll be honest, I haven't done research yet on Frances but this book definitely inspired a desire to learn more about her. We learn a little bit about her from this book and learn a bit about her strong contribution to forensic science.

Maple Bishop, was an interesting character. I thought she was strongly written, compelling, and intelligent. The sleuthing and time period of this book and book 1 were both very satisfying to me. It felt atmospheric and I was really able to immerse myself in the story. I'm not sure if this is only meant to be a duology or if more books are coming, but if this series is going to continue, I'll definitely keep reading.

I think if you're a fan of Sherlock Holmes, this story might resonate with you. It had similar vibes in my opinion.

Thank you to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

At first I wasn't sure how I was going to feel about this book. The book starts off with Sadie and Lucas who are both gym rats. Not an issue really but when the book first started there was a good amount of description into their gym habits and it wasn't something that I was looking forward to continuing reading. It thankfully didn't continue throughout the whole story. I also immediately realized that I didn't like Lucas.

This book is unsettling, fast-paced, and pretty gripping. I wasn't completely blown away by the character dialogue but it was bearable. There are some unlikable characters within this book but there were some satisfying endings. I loved the eerie air that this story had. While reading, I just kept waiting for something bad to happen. I knew it was coming but I wasn't exactly sure what it would be or when.

This book had two timelines: a before and a present day. It was done really well and there wasn't any confusion while switching between the two. It felt seamless and both timelines added to the story. I loved the deer woman and the unease that her appearance brought.

This was overall a fun and quick read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Creature Publishing for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

Goodreads Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7523887209
Fable Review: https://fable.co/review/66d97029-c709-4e24-8b90-a14667315db4/share

4.5 stars rounded up to stay consistent with Goodreads.

I really loved this one. This story had a special twist on the classic haunted house. It was reminiscent of some other stories yet still had its own personal touch that made it stand out. It reminded me a bit of The Haunting of Hill House mixed with Pet Sematary.

Mysterious and drama-filled, this book felt incredibly satisfying. It had a bit of everything: marital troubles, rocky friendships, and a supernatural element. I'm a sucker for a good ouija board scene too. I whipped through this audiobook while knocking out some exercise and chores around the house and it made time fly. This will definitely be a book that I pick up as a bookshelf trophy!

Narrators listed as Helen Baxendale; Jamie Glover; Sarah Pinborough. The narration was fantastic. I love when audiobooks have narrators for different characters.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the ALC. All opinions are my own.

Goodreads Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7545096543
Fable Review: https://fable.co/review/9bb68f69-05b0-4219-a3e9-4a9965c5a351/share

The first half was better than the second half. The story just got too crazy for me and unrealistic. And some of the dialogue I really struggled with.