When I read the description I was immediately interested. I liked that there would be some mystery element but more importantly that it would potentially address how cases of missing POC are handled differently from those of white.

The harsh reality is that for POC the biggest fear isn’t monsters or demons. It is neighbors who are out to get you simply for the color of your skin.

The rhyme of the man in the woods scared me. I love stories with small towns and big legends.

I was so eager to find out what was going on that I read this book every second that I could. I am majorly impressed that this is her first book! Well done!

I think it perfectly combines horror and reality. While there is a monster in this book, the humans play the part of villain.

I think a whole other book could have been written on the history that inspired her to write this. Well, it probably does exist and I’m gonna see if I can find it!

Thank you NetGalley for inviting me to read Jackal. I have written this review voluntarily. Jackal will be released October 2022. I highly recommend it!

Liz is coming home for her friend's wedding. Home is a desolate rural town that has given her nightmares and trauma. She is a mess and coming home to a Mom who had set of expectations for her daughter. All of them she failed. Her friend's child disappears in the scary almost forbidden forest under her watch. There is a legendary evil in the woods that every resident knows about and is taught to all. Do not look into the shadows.

Liz realize she has to find her. As Law enforcement frantically looks,, Liz finds out there is a pattern of black girls disappearing but no one seems to see it or acknowledge it.

Old acquaintances look like suspects, rivalries resume, racism no longer is hidden. Liz does not know who to trust, including her own sanity. There is hidden evil, racism, classism.

I cannot explain the style or format of writing because it goes from one's perspective to another and from the past to the present. Although, beautifully written, this reader had trouble tracking the plots progress. Liz's ramblings got convoluted

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of Jackal.

I was lucky to get the opportunity to read Jackal before publication.

I have to say the premise was intriguing.

Liz Rocher is returning (reluctantly) to her hometown to attend her best friend's wedding.

Her small town is mired in racial and social disparity and tensions, and coming home after a brutal breakup with an abusive fiance is the last thing she wants to do.

When her beloved goddaughter, Caroline, goes missing after the wedding, Liz discovers that young Black girls have been disappearing for decades and not surprisingly, no one seems to care. Except for Liz.

Now, she's in a race against time to locate Caroline before it's too late. But at what cost?

I really enjoyed the author's tone and writing style; the writing flows and the subjects regarding racism, sexism and society's expectations for people of color are well written.

I also enjoyed the author's note at the end of the novel ,explaining the true history of Johnstown, PA, which I never knew about..

The story began to drag as Liz began her own investigation, and Caroline's disappearance ticked on.

Then, the narrative took an abrupt left turn.

I enjoy supernatural elements to a story, especially if well incorporated into the narrative, but Anubis came out of left field.

There were so many plot holes dangling at the end:

Who conjured Anubis?
Why was Liz chosen? Because she's a 'good' girl?
What's up with the strange dreams?
What's the meaning behind kidnapping girls on the solstice?

The author didn't lay down a foundation about Anubis to start with, which is why the latter half of the novel read as forced and disjointed.

I would have preferred Jackal had been a straightforward murder mystery, but I look forward to the author's next book.

I'm between a 3 and 4 on this one.
The themes of racism and classism are brilliantly discussed-- these themes are woven into and through the mentality of a small, historically segregated town, which further promotes such topics.
I really loved the direction the book took for the majority (3/4ths ish), but it fell apart in the last bit for me. The nature of the disappearances being some sort of ritual appeasement type of thing felt weak and insubstantial to what I believed to be a core part of the truth surrounding the mystery. I'd go on more but I really don't want to spoil the party. I also found Liz's relationships to be a touch insincere and flimsy.
With that said, I enjoyed more of the novel beyond said critiques. Adams is a brilliant writer with a wonderful ability to convey a story; it was a great debut novel and I hope to read more of her upcoming works.

Thank you Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for the copy of Jackal. I love finding a new author that can really write, but I’m sad when I can’t run out and buy previous books because this is a debut novel. The writing in this book drew me in, even when the story took a bit of an unexpected supernatural turn. The story was engaging and scarier than I expected, because of all of the missing girls. Be warned, there is some gore! I loved Liz and her relationships with her mother and Mel, as well as with the people she meets when she returns. If you want a fast-paced, intriguing book that will make you think, run out and buy this one. You won’t be sorry.

What a story! Liz Rocher returns to her hometown of Johnstown, Pennsylvania for her best friend's wedding. As a black woman, Liz's memories of the predominately white town are traumatic at best. She snipes with the best of them however, and we learn that there was a mysterious horrible event that has led her to be terribly afraid of the woods around town. When her best friend's daughter goes missing in the woods at the wedding, Liz realizes there might be something to her fear. If you like Jordan Peele style horror, mysteries with a purpose, or just want to read a unique and interesting thriller, Jackal is for you!
#RandomHouse #Ballantine #Netgalley #Jackal #ErineAdams

Thanks so much to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this ARC in exchange for my honest review!

This book was absolutely amazing. This is truly a hell of a debut book. I wanted to read it in one go and had to wake up a little early to finish it. It had me hooked. It combines the real life social horrors of racism and not feeling like you belong with supernatural horrors of boogeymen in the woods.

Liz has always hated her small town life in Johnston, Pennsylvania and has only returned to attend her best friends wedding. She told herself she’d only be there for 48 hours and then return to her life in the city. When her best friends daughter goes missing in the woods, she begins to realize that this isn’t the first time and little black girls go missing all the time there without anyone caring or noticing. The police say they are a run away or a horrible tragedy and the families they left behind go mad with their grief. The woods have always been something that the townspeople have warned children about.

With Liz as our protagonist, we see a struggle with self as well with her environment. She hates her all white neighborhood but she also felt like it was where she belonged as a child. She loves her mother but she fights with her mother’s cultural views of perfectionism and having everything in order. People shouldn’t have the wrong idea of you and you should always look and be your best. Even when in danger her mother never let anyone see her falter.

The ending was spectacular I was inthralled till the end. Sometimes our anger is good. There is no such thing as a “bad” black girl and a “good” black girl. They want our hearts because we are strong and we are powerful. I can’t say enough good things. Keeping an eye on the author for more of her projects to come!

This is a book which will stay with you.. Extremely well written, it really engages you from the beginning.. It's a solid commentary on what it's like to be black in a 98% white town. The feeling of not quite belonging. This is a mystery/horror and it is quite scary. This would make a fabulous movie. The ending may not be for everyone but it's symbolism spoke volumes. The history of the real Johnstown is told at the end by the author and its quite devastating.
Looking forward to more from this author. And five stars for that cover.

This book had an intriguing premise as well as rich characters and a deep backstory (based in history). However, as a whole, it fell a little flat for me at times.

First the strengths...I love the way social commentary was woven into story. The fact that Black girls had been dying in this small town for a long time while no one really noticed is the REAL horror story being told here. Having someone abducted at the top of the book really sets this story in motion and held my attention. I liked the juxtaposition of Liz learning about the past as quick as possible and trying to apply that knowledge to the pressing task of finding her abducted goddaughter.

I enjoyed learning about Liz's experience in this community and the nature of how she carries her trauma. I thought her relationships with people in the community (particularly her mom) were well rendered and believable.

There were two things about this book that didn't really resonate with me personally though.

First, I thought there were too many red herrings. I like stories in which there are many possible suspects, but flip flopping between them too quickly toward the end of the book became a little annoying. (i.e. Chris totally did it! No, he's innocent and I want to sleep with him! No, he's totally the killer!)

Secondly, I'm not sure I dug the jackal/hound character. I liked the paranormal IDEA of him and that he'd have a human partner who moved in tandem with him. I liked Liz facing off with this creature at the end of the book. But, for me, that supernatural character didn't really fit with the rest of the book tonally.

I guess I wish the author would have either leaned harder into the Jackal and really told more of his story, feelings, lusts, etc, or just stuck with a story more rooted in realism with creepy people in masks chasing people through the woods. (which is scary in and of itself.)

Overall though, this was a solid thriller with some nice surprises. Thanks to the author and NetGalley for granting me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

It’s watching.

Liz Rocher is going home. Nothing short of her best friend’s wedding would have gotten her to come back.

She’s had some rough times lately too. A break-up, gained some weight, cut off her hair, and is now forced to wear a hot wig and all of that pales in comparison to the nightmare ahead of her. She is coming back to a town with very little tolerance for Black women or girls.

And Liz should know. In school, the only other black girl, Keisha, went into the woods for a party and never came out. Her body was found gutted like a deer, with her heart gone. And she wasn’t the first little black girl to go missing and she won’t be the last.

Liz is here to attend Mel’s wedding. Mel is white. Her husband is black and they have a daughter, Caroline.

On the day of the wedding, Caroline goes missing. All that is left is a piece of her dress covered in blood.

Is the monster still there? Is he still taking little black girls? It would seem so. A search begins as Liz digs through the town’s history. What she finds is chilling. Children have been going missing for years. All Black girls. Can she figure out what is behind this? That ending!

Oh, this story made me uncomfortable! And that isn’t a bad thing. I cried at the injustice and for all of the little girls. That is a good story.

NetGalley/October 4th, 2022 by Bantam

I wish to thank NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine Books, Bantam for allowing me to read an advanced copy of this book. I have voluntarily read and reviewed it. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This is a first novel for Erin E. Adams but it will not be the last. It is a story that reaches out and grabs you from the beginning and keeps you guessing and invested the entire time you are reading it. It begins when Liz reluctantly returns home to be a bridesmaid in her friend’s wedding. During the reception a young black girl disappears in the woods and no one can find her. There are a lot of characters in this book but the author keeps you aware of whom they all are. This is not a quick read or one that is easy because it really deals with dark issues but it does hold you interest and fear keeps you reading. There has been a history in the town of missing black girls during the summer solstice. You just do not know from chapter to chapter who is the monster, murderer or friend. Liz is determined to find Caroline and return her to her mother. If you love a good mystery you will not want to miss this one.

2.5 Stars, rounded up.

This story started out as a solid 5 star rating. The writing is terrific, the story line gave me goosebumps, the social commentary was on point, up until the end. Too many plot holes and the story falls apart. Maybe an additional edit, tying things together a bit tighter would help. I horror aspect I felt, came out of left field, leaving things to confusion at the end.

Looking forward to seeing what's next for Erin E. Adams.

A special thank you to NetGalley, Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, and Erin E. Adams.

Fantastic study of systemic crimes against black females in Pennsylvania. Liz is a 30 year old black professional woman returning to her hometown of Johnstown for her friend Mel's wedding. Mel is the white girl who befriended Liz in high school and is marrying her black fiancee with whom she has a young daughter, Caroline.
Liz's mother is the town doctor and Liz's biggest critic - Liz is too heavy, too single, and her hair's too short.
After the wedding in the woods and during the reception, Caroline disappears, leading to issues of suspicion and fear - Liz herself could be a suspect! Could there actually be a decades long mystery of vanished young black girls in this predominantly white community?
What started as a crime read turned mystery then horror. Impressive output that has stayed in my mind for over a week now.

My thanks to NetGalley and Erin Adams for this advance copy.

Ok, I'll admit it: this book creeped me out and I'm still hyperventilating a little! But it was good! Liz returns home for her friend, Mel's wedding. There have been girls disappearing every year on the Summer Solstice for a long time and this year is no different as it happens on the eve of the wedding. There are rumors of a Shadow Man who roams the woods and takes their hearts to feed on but there are no clues and who wouldn't be afraid to peruse those woods anyway? There are police, there are dogs, there is Liz who is determined to get to the bottom of this madness, but what will she discover if the truth is known? Go in blind and be prepared to have a book that will resonate with you for a long time!
Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC!

Undoubtedly 5 stars. Jackal is a horror story about what hides in the woods. And then it is so much more.

Liz returns to her hometown to attend her best friend’s wedding. Reeling from the end of an abusive relationship, she’s trying to find herself. But coming back home stirs long-held insecurities - and reignites fears of what happened to her in the woods as a teenager. Then the unthinkable happens - her best friend’s daughter, Caroline, disappears. Did she get lost in the woods? Was she abducted? As Liz helps with the search, diving further into the town’s history, she uncovers grisly stories of other Black women found dead in the woods. And a town that seems to ignore them. Is Caroline connected? Is it something else entirely?

Under the surface, Jackal is about fear of the “other” - the way it shapes us, our lives, and entire communities. It exposes racism—and its roots—in a powerful and personal way. And the ending — wow — that imagery and symbolism are going to stay with me for a long time.

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for the advance reader copy!

A very unique and interesting take on a thriller novel. Although the pace of the book was a little slow for me at times, I loved how the author constantly keeps you guessing about who is behind the tragedies in Johnstown. Every summer, a Black girl goes missing and the protagonist, Liz, is the one who believes she can figure it out.

Definitely a lot of twists and turns in this one, as well as a hint of a fantasy element. Overall, a great thriller as well as a thought provoking commentary on modern day race relations.

Thank you to #netgalley for providing this ARC of #jackal

This book was amazing. I read it in one sitting. It did take most of the day and not something I would say is a quick read, but I just couldn't put it down. I needed to get to the end. I will not spoil the fun of the book and I love the little clues built in. There's so much I love about this book, the little small details you don't realize are important, that make this book super. It's like M. Night Shyamalan where you don't realize the importance of seemingly meaningless little things (like those glasses of water in SIGNS...who knew). The ending was great too.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing - Ballantine for providing me with a free ereader copy of this title in exchange for an honest review.

Jackal is one hell of a book. It’s reminiscent of Ace of Spades, Get Out, When No One is Watching…but mixed together with a scary campfire story.

Liz is coming home to her small Appalachian town for 48 hours to see her best friend get married. Liz hasn’t been home in a long time; in high school, she had a horrifying experience in the surrounding woods and it has haunted her ever since. Not to mention the town doesn’t make itself very inviting for Black people…Liz feels out of place, unwanted. When something terrible happens at the wedding, it sends Liz on a journey of uncovering the mysteries of the woods & the town itself.

The last half of the book was flawlessly done. However, the first chunk of the book did drag a bit - I would have liked less time leading up to the wedding, and more time building the horror after the wedding. At times the writing felt a little repetitive short/basic sentences, over and over again. But the ending, and the overall concept, really made up for any of my small complaints. I ended up really loving this one, and I’m eager to see what else the author writes!

Also: the author’s note at the end was really a fantastic addition. It made me like the book even more knowing more of its inspiration.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing - Ballantine for providing me with a free ereader copy of this title in exchange for an honest review. I will post this review on my Instagram account (@bookish.901).

This is somewhat of a slow burn and took me a while to get into it because the pacing. I don’t know if it was my mindset at the time or the book structure itself. But in the end the story develops well. It uses the complexity of real life social injustices and mashing it with fictional horror themes.

Thank you NetGalley & the publisher for this ARC! These are my honest feelings of the book.

This was a great debut novel by Erin E. Adams, I enjoyed pretty much everything about it. The characters were great and well done, I enjoyed getting to know Liz and felt she was a strong main character. The story was really well done and I was invested in the mystery and horror aspect of this book. I look forward to reading more from Ms. Adams.

"Doug gives her a suspicious glance and then turns back to us. “Do you have any idea how long I’ve been looking for you?” Doug should be saying that to Caroline, but he is looking right at me. His searching expression is gone and his eyes are cold. He’s sure of his stance"