Knife river is a strong literary thriller. Jess and Liz’s mother went for a walk in their walk town of knife river fifteen years ago and vanished, never heard from again. When she’s old enough, Jess leaves the town as well to start over and put distance between herself and knife river. However, the girls get a call that their mother’s remains have been found and Jess returns back to their town to find nothing has changed. Jess and Liz have to relive the events of fifteen years ago to piece together what happened to their mom. Filled with plenty of suspects, this is a slow-burning literary mystery and a particular one to which I’m drawn.-returning back to a small town. This is very-well written and slowly ratchets up the suspense and mystery while building the small -town atmosphere. If you love mysteries that have a literary bent-don’t miss this under-the-radar read!

Thanks to the publisher for the arc provided via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I received this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Copy provided by Random House and The Dial Press.

When Jess was thirteen, her mother went for a walk and never returned. Jess and her older sister, Liz, never found out what happened. Instead, they did what they hoped their mother had done: survive. As soon as she was old enough, Jess fled their small town of Knife River, wandering from girlfriend to girlfriend like a ghost in her own life, aimless in her attempts to outrun grief and confusion. But one morning, fifteen years after their mother’s disappearance, she gets the call she has been bracing for: Her mother’s remains have been found.

Jess returns to find Knife River—and her sister—frozen in time. The town is as claustrophobic and rundown as ever. Liz still lives in their childhood home and has become obsessed with unsolved missing persons cases. Jess plans to stay only until they get some answers, but their mother’s bones, exposed to the elements for so long, just leave them with more questions. As Jess gets caught up in the case and falls back into an entanglement with her high school girlfriend, her understanding of the past, of Liz, of their mother, and of herself become more complicated—and the list of theories more ominous.

Knife River is a tense, intimate, and heartrending portrayal of how deeply and imperfectly women love one another: in romantic relationships, in friendships, and especially as sisters. This book is more of a literary mystery-thriller, so do not get really get your hopes up if you thought it would of been more of a mystery-thriller book. It is a very character driven book. However, it was still an interesting debut mystery-thriller, but it was so slow. I am definitely not into slow burn and it was so hard to focus. The only thing I really liked was the writing of the book. It was descriptive and atmospheric. I also did not connect with any of the characters. I just did not connect with any of them. It is a solid plot, but just not my cup of tea. If you are more into a literary type of mystery-thriller or a slow burn thriller, you may like this one.

When you read the description of Knife River, you might initially think it's centered around a murder investigation. While that's a significant part of the story, the narrative encompasses much more. It's basically about the relationship between two sisters and the profound impact their mother's disappearance had on their lives. One sister left town at the first opportunity, while the other stayed behind in the family home.

Knife River begins with the discovery of the remains of Jess and Liz's mother, 15 years after she went missing. Understandably, a murder investigation after so many years progresses slowly, and the story's pace mirrors this. Although Liz and Jess are relatable characters, the pacing of their development didn't compel me to keep reading with urgency to find out what happens next.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for the eARC.

This book tackles grief in such a raw and honest way. How grief can keep you in a place that maybe you don't even belong anymore. It was so real and so good.

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group/Dial Press for allowikng me to read this egalley in exchange for an honest review!
The setting of the book was interesting, and it showed how a crime has lasting impacts on those it effects. The storytelling was solid and the book kept my attention.

Estranged sisters come together when their missing mother’s body is found.

In 1995 in a rural northern New York town a single mother named Natalie Fairchild goes for a walk as she often has in the past, leaving her two teenage daughters Liz and Jess behind. This time, however, she doesn’t come back. Ever. The police do not initially share the two girls’ concerns, but when the mother doesn’t return after another full day has passed they organize searches and begin an investigation, but no concrete evidence is found. A local man is under suspicion for a while, but no connection to the disappearance can be made Liz, the elder sister, becomes caretaker to Jess and the community does their best to help for a while, but ultimately life just continues on. Liz, always a bit socially awkward, will end up staying in the family home, working a local job and leaving a limited and solitary life in the decaying home. Jess can’t wait to leave the drab town of Knife River behind but will lead an aimless life, coasting through life from girlfriend to girlfriend, with no goals and no deep connections. She and Liz rarely see one another, and this will only change fifteen years after their mother’s disappearance when Liz calls Jess with news that bones have been found in a wooded area in Knife River. Jess, already looking for an excuse to leave her latest lover Sarah, immediately heads back home to the declining town she so readily had abandoned years earlier. Together, the two sisters wait in frustration for any information that will bring closure to the event that so impacted their lives. Jess also reconnects with Eva, a former love. Will the sisters be able to rekindle sisterly bonds after all this time, and will they ever find out what happened to their mother?
Billed by some as a literary mystery, Knife River is the story of a family impacted by tragedy, loss and grief. There is an underlying mystery, of course, the unexplained disappearance of Natalie, but it is not the main driving force of the novel. Jess and Liz struggle to discover who they are, separately and together, and try to overcome the damage that the devastating event inflicted on them so many years ago. Author Justine Champine’s writing is lovely and evocative, but the pace is extremely slow and the tone is grim. I found it hard to connect with the characters, to be honest….they are both emotionally closed off in their own ways. I struggled to stay involved with the story for much of the book, partly due to my lack of connection to the characters and partly because of the slow development of the plot. Readers who are more interested in character studies will likely find the book of greater appeal; fans of authors like Lily King, Julia Glass and to a degree Jodi Picoult might also want to give it a try. Thanks to NetGalley and The Dial Press for allowing me early access to this thought-provoking study of the impact of tragedy without closure on a family.

10/10. I loved this book, was a fascinating debut mystery book! This novel was a slow burn, which usually loses my attention pretty fast but I was honestly sucked in wanting to know more.

This is an original approach to the ubiquitous murder/missing persons novels. It is about the long term effect on the survivors. If you like a slow, introspective, self-revealing musings, this is the book for you. If not, you might find it tedious.

Liz and Jess’s mother went missing fifteen years prior to the start of the story. Liz, the older sister, cared for her younger sister when only a teenager herself and remains stuck, keeping the house as her mother left it. Jess, on the other hand, left town as soon as she was able. She is gay and not comfortable in that fact. She wanders from relationship to relationship, works piecemeal jobs, and is as lonely in her wanderings as Liz is in her stasis.

All these years later, a child is playing in the nearby woods and finds a skeleton which turns out to be their mother. Jess comes back to Knife River to be with her sister while forensics and police are determining if there will be more information to determine the cause and who might have killed her.

The story is told from Jess’s point of view. She is wounded in many ways and has been on the run from herself and what has happened. Coming back reopens much of the misery that drove her away—a dying town, stagnant people, a stigma about being gay, the fear that the killer is still around and a source of danger.

While much does happen between the sisters in a quiet, back door kind of way, there is progress. The disinterest the authorities have in helping the sisters or finding some answers magnifies what has happened to them over time.

While I was surprised by the ending, I must think about whether it should have ended in that way. The reader is on a slow paced internal journey through the novel and then is left with a plausible ending, but one that is too neat.

I would definitely recommend this if you are looking for a book exploring the internal terrain of characters that have been victimized by an unimaginable event and how it impacts the trajectory of their lives.

Many thanks to Netgalley and Random House for the opportunity to read and review this novel.

Knife River by Justine Champine is an evocative and haunting debut that masterfully blends mystery, thriller, and literary fiction. The novel delves deep into the emotional and psychological aftermath of a mother's disappearance, examining the complex dynamics between sisters Jess and Liz.

The story begins when Jess, who fled her small hometown of Knife River years ago, receives a call that her mother's remains have been found. This discovery forces Jess to confront the past she tried to leave behind and return to the town that has remained frozen in time. Her sister Liz, who never left, has become obsessed with missing persons cases, trapped in a loop of grief and unresolved trauma.

Champine's writing is poignant and lyrical, capturing the raw emotions of her characters. The novel is a slow burn, focusing more on character development and the intricate relationships between the characters than on fast-paced action. This allows for a deep exploration of themes such as loss, identity, and the enduring bonds of family.

Jess's journey is one of self-discovery as she navigates her complicated relationship with Liz and grapples with her own grief and guilt. The sisters' interactions are tense and charged with unresolved emotions, making their bond both a source of strength and pain. The return to Knife River also rekindles Jess's relationship with her high school girlfriend, adding another layer of complexity to her understanding of love and belonging.

While the pacing might be slow for some readers, the payoff is worth it. The mystery of their mother's disappearance is gradually unraveled, with each revelation adding to the emotional depth of the story. The small-town setting is vividly depicted, enhancing the sense of claustrophobia and entrapment that both sisters feel.

The resolution of the mystery is both satisfying and thought-provoking, leaving readers with a deeper appreciation of the novel's themes. Champine excels in creating a narrative that is as much about the journey as it is about the destination, making Knife River a compelling read from start to finish.

Overall, Knife River is a beautifully written and emotionally resonant debut that will stay with readers long after they turn the last page. Champine's exploration of sisterhood, grief, and resilience is both heart-wrenching and uplifting, making this a must-read for fans of literary mysteries.

Thank you to Random House Publishing Group/Dial Press and NetGalley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing House for this read. It was quite good and very interesting but also very slow and at times confusing as it went along. I think I will read it again to get a better understanding but it was a good read.

This book is a very slow-burn read, and it reads like a character study of the daughter whose mother disappeared 15 years ago -the slow pace of the action allowed for a deep dissection of the mother-daughter-sister relationship. Slow-burn reads aren't for me, unfortunately, but this read was a very compelling story of family, love, and recovering from loss. I would recommend it to readers who like strongly written literary books.

3.5 stars rounded up. This debut novel is beautifully written and incredibly descriptive, especially in matters relating to grief.

I really liked learning about relationship between Jess and her sister Liz, who have led largely separate lives after the disappearance (and presumed death) of their mother.

However, sometimes the descriptions of their relationship and their past bordered on too much, and figuring out who killed their mother sort of faded to the background too much.

It’s a slow burn mystery and has some great twists. Overall it’s a solid debut for the author and I look forward to reading more from her!

Thank you #netgalley for this ARC of #kniferiver

I’m so glad that I stumbled upon KNIFE RIVER by Justine Champine. A slow burn whodunnit that introduced me to a small town and sisters, all frozen in time.

Fifteen years after the disappearance of her mother, Jess returns to town when the remains are found to try to unravel the mystery of that long ago day when Natalee went for a walk and never returned. Jess plans to stay just long enough to get some answers to what happened to Natalee. While she’s there she reconnects with her sister and her high school girlfriend but they must hide their relationship for a myriad of reasons.

Meanwhile, older sister Liz has remained in the family home, always hoping that their mother would return. She is convinced that a particular local was somehow connected to her mother‘s disappearance. She enlists the help of her mother’s friend over the years and they develop a strong bond of their own.

Will the sisters finally learn what happened to Natalee or will the remains only kick up more questions? Has Jess’s nomadic life been her attempt to run away from what happened? Or has Liz, holding out hope, been right all along in her suspicions?

I enjoyed this book. The writing was clear and concise leading me to feel the frustration and anxieties of the sisters while they search for answers. I was surprised to see that this was a debut novel as the author’s style seemed well seasoned. The slow burn only ratcheted up the anxieties for me and led to an enjoyable read.

Thank you to NetGalley and The Dial Press for this ARC opportunity. All opinions are my own and given voluntarily.

Knife River is about Jess, a woman who left her small
town years ago after her mother’s disappearance. Jess has drifted from one woman to the next, never staying put for long, when her estranged sister tells her that bones have been found.

This novel will resonate with readers who enjoy small towns, relationship among sisters, the difficulty of coming/being out.

I found the pacing too slow to keep me fully engaged and it wasn’t one I felt excited to pick up and keep reading. The writing itself was strong enough, and I would consider reading another book by this author.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House.

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House for the chance to review this ARC.

I approached this book as if it was a mystery, but the mystery was really secondary to the story about two sisters whose lives are somewhat frozen because of their mother’s disappearance. One is stuck in place and one is rootless, and they are thrown back together once their mother’s remains are found.

I found the character portraits compelling, and was not at all concerned that the mystery be resolved (which is an uncommon reaction from me). By the end, I realized that “resolved” might mean different things to different characters, and maybe to me as well.

⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Knife River
Author: Justine Champine
Source: NetGalley
Date Published: May 28, 2024

Knife River is a debut novel about the town of…Knife River, where a single mother disappeared over 15 years ago, leaving behind two teen daughters. They were having dinner one night when Jess’s older sister, Liz, started a fight, resulting in Mom taking a “walk” to escape the tension. She never returned, and the girls could not move on. The small and raggedy town of Knife River searched for the missing mother but to no avail. Eventually, the sisters grow apart and rarely speak until a bag of bones is discovered in the woods, and Jess returns home to put this nightmare to bed, or does it? The author has set a tremendous moody atmosphere with a dying town, closed factories, and musty, dusty, and rotting homes for the background of this story. Ms. Champine does an excellent job of showing the bonds and limitations of female friendships, lovers, and parents in this novel, but I wish the book had not been such a slow burn. Knife River is not a thriller; it is more literary fiction with an ending that is surprising but, for me, unsatisfying. But it is a promising debut novel from Justine Champine, and I look forward to her next book. #literaryfiction #whodunit #death #bodies #family #sisters #lovers #deadends #deadtowns #murder #unresolvedtrauma #knifeRiver #debutnovel #justinechampine @thedialpress @netgalley
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I received a complimentary copy of this book. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own. Thank you to the publisher, Netgalley, and the author for the opportunity to read this novel. Pub. Date: May 28, 2024.
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#book #books #bookAddict #BooksOfInstagram #bookstagram #bookstagramer #bookshelf #reader #booklove #bookreader

Knife River is story about two sisters and their struggle in dealing with the disappearance of their mother and the discovery of Natalie Fairchild’s bones buried in the woods some fifteen years later.

At the young age of thirteen, Jess and her older sister Liz last saw their mother when she went for a walk – never to return. When she never returned and the police were unable to find her, Liz was left to raise her sister giving up her dreams. Even when Jess was old enough to leave, Liz remained behind in their childhood home in hopes of their mother’s return or at least answers as to what happened on the faithful day. Jess on the other hand roamed from city to city, in and out various female relationship unable to envision in a healthy relationship – running from dealing with grief.

Now some fifteen years later, these two sisters are force to reunite while the town police and forensic pathologist try to determine what happened to their mother. It will be a time for Jess and Liz to deal with the trauma of their mother’s death and to come to terms with loss and grief.

Knife River is Justine Champine’s debut novel, although well written with its characters and plot that are rooted in their surroundings, I found the story dark, depressing that left me sad for both Jess and Liz. Knife River is a very slow moving story and retelling of the sister’s past lives and secrets leaving the reader with a heavy burden to carry. I did not find it to be much of a mystery thriller although there is a tad of a twist at the end.

Thank you, Justine Champine, The Dial Press and NetGalley for providing me with a digital ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Title: Knife River by Justine Champine
Genre: Mystery Thriller
Pub Date: May 28, 2024

Lesbian FMC
Missing Parent
Police Incompetence
Debut Novel

My Review:

I enjoyed this book, but I don't know if I could call it a thriller because the thriller aspect was kind of an afterthought? We don't find resolution for her mom until 90% in. The reason she goes back to her hometown is because her mother's body is found, but because the case is so old the police aren't really all that interested in solving it and there's just a bunch of meetings. Pretty anticlimactic.
This story mostly revolves around our FMC returning home, mending her relationship with her sister who raised her after her mom died (so sweet!) and reigniting things with her ex-girlfriend she never got over in a small town that hates same sex couples.
I would definitely recommend to somebody who likes literary fiction, but probably not to my thriller besties!

Thank you so much NetGalley and Random House Publishing for the digital review copy ❣️

TW: alcohol abuse

Thank you Dial Press for this book and for the fun early book chat this year, this is a strong, moody in a good way, character driven myster. I loved how Champine developed the setting and tone for the story along with the plot and the characters, a talented writer sharing a complex story that asks readers to reflect on tragedy/grief, how that shapes people and can lead to people feeling stuck or unresolved, and how these patterns shape lives over time. A mother's disappearance, secrets revealed as new ones emerge... two sisters trying to move forward and perhaps they have a chance, even if it means dealing with secrets and tackling loss.

The pace is glacially slow and left such a feeling of hopelessness and despair while reading. This is a talent to watch. Thanks to Random House for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley.