I rounded up the stars for book 1 in the series because the afterward was so sweet and cool, explaining she knew it wasn't great but it had been personally significant to her as a coping strategy to get through a traumatic time of her life. I LOVED Bloodline and Unspeakable Things, but YEESH I don't know if I'm going to be able to get through this first series of books Jess Lourey wrote when she was very obviously still green as a writer. I'm not sure why these didn't take off like Jess Lourey's other books, but I'm ready to book a trip to Battle Lake, MN just because of them! (Also, to the publisher or whomever makes these decisions - why not audio books?) What sort of self-respecting circus performer quoted Kansas?'Īnd plenty of self-deprecation (but not in a whiny way), 'If you look up 'dumb' in the dictionary, you would see as the definition 'one who meets a carnival performer on the lam in a secluded area at midnight.''Īnd I don't have a handy example, but the descriptions of some of the side characters are usually quite creative and off beat (unlike the basic adjectives I'm using here!)

and come alone, or I'll disappear like dust in the wind.' Good lord. Mira's adventures in small town Battle Lake, MN are a bit addictive for me, and I'm excited to see what body she stumbles upon next. Having read the books for July, May and now June (in that order), I plan on continuing. Then again, she might have moved to the deadliest small town on earth.This series is pretty darn funny and quirky for a mystery series, maybe even cute, if that can be used to describe a mystery series. Her fiancé tells her she’s being paranoid. And unless Joan is imagining things, a frighteningly familiar figure from her past is on watch in the shadows. So does the sinister secret of a little boy who vanished decades ago. An archaic organization still seems to hold the town in thrall. Joan can’t shake the feeling that every move she makes is being tracked. Lilydale’s motto, “Come Home Forever,” couldn’t be more inviting.Īnd yet, something is off in the picture-perfect village.

After spending a childhood on the move and chasing the screams and swirls of news-rich city life, she’s eager to settle down. In a tale inspired by real events, pregnant journalist Joan Harken is cautiously excited to follow her fiancé back to his Minnesota hometown. ⭐ Winner of the International Thriller Writers 2022 Best Paperback Original Thriller Award! ⭐

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