Middletide
Books | Fiction / Thrillers / Suspense
4.3
Sarah Crouch
A USA TODAY BESTSELLER In this gripping and intensely atmospheric debut, disquiet descends on a small town after the suspicious death of a beautiful young doctor, with all clues pointing to the reclusive young man who abandoned the community in chase of big city dreams but returned for the first love he left behind. Perfect for fans of All Good People Here and Where the Crawdads Sing.One peaceful morning, in the small, Puget Sound town of Point Orchards, the lifeless body of Dr. Erin Landry is found hanging from a tree on the property of prodigal son and failed writer, Elijah Leith. Sheriff Jim Godbout’s initial investigation points to an obvious suicide, but upon closer inspection, there seem to be clues of foul play when he discovers that the circumstances of the beautiful doctor’s death were ripped straight from the pages of Elijah Leith’s own novel. Out of money and motivation, thirty-three-year-old Elijah returns to his empty childhood home to lick the wounds of his futile writing career. Hungry for purpose, he throws himself into restoring the ramshackle cabin his father left behind and rekindling his relationship with Nakita, the extraordinary girl from the nearby reservation whom he betrayed but was never able to forget. As the town of Point Orchards turns against him, Elijah must fight for his innocence against an unexpected foe who is close and cunning enough to flawlessly frame him for murder in this scintillating literary thriller that seeks to uncover a case of love, loss, and revenge.
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Author
Sarah Crouch
Pages
288
Publisher
Simon and Schuster
Published Date
2024-06-11
ISBN
166803509X 9781668035092
Community ReviewsSee all
"I really enjoyed this novel about life and love. I enjoyed the setting in the Pacific Northwest."
Melanie Schmitz
"If you’re a fan of [b:Where the Crawdads Sing|36809135|Where the Crawdads Sing|Delia Owens|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1582135294l/36809135._SY75_.jpg|58589364], then you should give Middletide a read.<br/><br/>The similarities are that both books take place in a small town where the townspeople turn on the loner from the outskirts when the murder of a beloved townsperson occurs. Besides that, Middletide is its own unique story.<br/><br/>A disclaimer: as mentioned in many reviews, this book is a slow burn. At some points, it does feel like the pacing is a little too slow, at least when it comes to describing all of the MC’s homesteading projects. It can feel like there’s too much scene setting going on, when all the reader wants is to go back to the murder investigation. However, the beautiful prose does make up for that, and at least makes those passages pleasant to read.<br/><br/>I wouldn’t say this book is truly a thriller/suspense novel, but more of a mystery. I can’t say I was on the edge of my seat a lot because of the slow pacing, although I did perk up a bit once I found out why the book is called Middletide. There is also a love story that ties heavily into the plot, so there are some elements of romance, but definitely not enough to qualify it as a romance book.<br/><br/>With all that being said, I’m pretty surprised that the average Goodreads rating isn’t higher, especially considering that it’s a BOTM pick. I do understand if it’s because of the concerns regarding representation (the author creates a fictional Native American tribe that heavily ties into the story). But other than that, and perhaps the slow pacing, this book is written beautifully, especially considering it’s a debut. So if you’re curious about the book, and you are aware of these disclaimers ahead of time, I think you’ll enjoy reading it.<br/><br/>I'd definitely recommend picking up a physical copy though, because there's a lot of shifting timelines, and it'd be easier to flip back and forth in a hard copy to keep track of where you are than it is electronically.<br/><br/>Special thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for sharing this digital ARC with me in exchange for my honest thoughts.<br/><br/>Middletide by Sarah Crouch will be out June 11, 2024."
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Amber Smith
"Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the eARC.<br/><br/>If you like mysteries explored through multiple timelines and multiple POVs, then you'll love this. <br/><br/>"
Raemi Wood
