3.5/5

There was so much about this one that I liked from the cult like vibes to the multiple viewpoints to the conservative Texas setting and while I did like it, I didn’t love it as much as I expected to. I’ve read two other books by the author and her Southern style mysteries are always pretty unique and told in a manner that holds my attention but there was something small missing for me here. The cult vibes were pretty creepy and unsettling and gave me shades of Scientology which is a subject I’ve been endlessly fascinated by for years. I think when it lost me a bit was in the pacing, I would’ve liked a more excitement and tension in the end but it fell flat for me. But overall I’m glad I read it, as I said before lots to like and the overall themes are strong.

Cult drama meets small town murder mystery in Watch It Burn, and whew was this so much better than I could have ever anticipated. While the story is on the slow burn side and takes some time to start to unfold, everything clicks together in the most perfect way with a supremely satisfying ending.

Nichole Miller is on her way to her teaching job when she discovers Beverly Hoffman face down in the Guadalupe River. Beverly's husband George is the famous founder of Genetive, a personal development company that has shaped their town of Edenberg, TX into what it is today. After reporting the body to the authorities, Nichole picks up the phone to call her best friend Jenny, who is restarting her career as an investigative journalist.

As Nichole and Jenny enter a search for truth around what happened to Beverly, they begin to uncover some dark secrets about George and the cult-like community surrounding Genitive. And as these secrets start hitting closer to home, they'll have to face some of their own deep traumas to get closer to solving they mystery.

There was a combination of things that made this a slow start for me - part one of the story is really focused on character development, so I didn't get into the plot until part two, but also the NetGalley edition I had of this book was a MESS. The formatting was extremely chaotic and I'm assuming unintentionally so, so hopefully they fix that when the book is released to the masses!

Genitive gave me the absolute creeps, but the sad reality is this story could totally have some root in truth. People will blindly follow personal development leaders to all ends of the earth, so the story here really isn't all that far fetched. The cult-like undertones of this book made the entire story entirely darker, but in the best way possible.

I wasn't expecting this to have as many great twists as it did. Some of the things that are uncovered in part three really surprised me, but the story wrapped in a way that tickled an itch in my brain. Everything came full circle for what happened in the plot and every connection was made between characters so no one was just a random addition. This is one of the more satisfying book endings that I've read in a while.

Docking half a star for pacing at the beginning, but this one is definitely worth picking up on release day!

Thank you to NetGalley and MIRA for the advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review!

Mystery Thriller that finds three women working to uncover the scorching lies and scandal behind a self-help movement igniting a powder keg of secrets.

1/5 stars: This is a stand alone by Bird that's told in multiple POVs: an elementary school teacher who discovers a woman's body, her best friend – a journalist and the deceased's daughter-in-law. Bird's writing is well paced and the character work is well done. This just wasn't a book for me, leading me to DNF it at 11%. This book tackles some very tough topics, so take care and check CWs.

I received this eARC thanks to Harlequin Trade Publishing, MIRA in exchange for an honest review. Publishing dates are subject to change.

I enjoyed Beverly's chapters the most and thought that was a clever addition to the book. In the beginning, it was a little slow for me; definitely a slow burn but there are a lot of pieces that have to get put together.

🔥CULTISH THRILLER MONDAY🔥 review featuring “Watch it Burn” by Kristen Bird!

BOOK REVIEW: 🖤🖤🖤🖤/5

Three women work together to uncover the secrets behind a mysterious death and the scandal behind a self help movement that has RULED the small town of Edenberg, Texas to its core.

Nichole is an elementary school teacher who comes across a body on her morning run. The dead woman is Beverly Hoffman who is like the First Lady of the town. She is a member of a very powerful family that has complete influence over Edenberg.

Jenny is a journalist who is trying to get back into the game after a work related trauma at her last job. The story surrounding Beverly Hoffman’s death could be just the story needed to resurrect her career!

Robin is Beverly’s daughter in law and married into the prestigious Hoffman family. She has kept her mouth shut for far too long about the Hoffman secrets, lies and manipulation … and is desperate to seek justice for the town!

Together the three women must check themselves into a weekend retreat at the Hoffman’s self development compound called Genetive. The entire weekend is masterfully planned and the women must be careful not to get caught snooping around!

Thank you kindly to @kristenbirdwrites @_mira_books_ @harpercollinsca @htpbooks @netgalley for my advanced digital copy in exchange for my honest review! This book releases on March 12, 2024!

I really liked this book. Suspicious death. Small town drama. A company that is cult-like. Friendship. The multiple POVs were very well done. Full of suspense. I couldn't put this book down.

I would like to thank NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for this ARC.

I was provided with an ARC in exchange for for my honest opinion. Thank you to Netgalley and to Harlequin Trade Publishing, MIRA

Beverly Hoffman's drowning in just two inches of water seems quite odd, considering she was a great swimmer. She is married to Dr. George Hoffman, a prominent figure in the town of Edenberg, Texas known for his dedication to Edenberg. Unfortunately, Nichole is the one who discovers Beverly's body while out for a run after a wild night of drinking with a stranger in her bed. Jennie has recently returned to town and is now working at the local paper. Robin, Jennie, Nichole, and Christina used to be childhood friends. However, Christina has since passed away, and seeing Jenny and Robin again is bittersweet, especially when they uncover some unusual postcards.

The story has many layers and components that require close attention, as seemingly insignificant details become crucial in stitching the narrative together. I found the book intriguing; its unpredictable plot kept me guessing, with moments of both acceleration and deceleration. It was a slow burn read for me, but the twists were well-executed and believable, adding depth to the story.

Fire can destroy, but it can also purify… and someone is about to burn the small town of Edenberg, Texas to the ground.

But first, let’s back up a week. Nichole is a school teacher out for her morning run when she comes upon the body of a woman in the Guadalupe River that runs along town. It’s the body of Beverly Hoffman, wife of the most influential man in town. Although authorities rule the death an accident, Nichole and her journalist friend Jenny suspect something more sinister, and they’re pretty sure it’s all tied in to the seemingly all-powerful George Hoffman and his personal development company, Genetive, Inc.

If you like your thrillers a little culty like I do, then this is the book for you! Genetive definitely has shades of NXIVM and Scientology, and I am here for it. Genetive has all the hallmarks: a charismatic leader, ladies with a certain initial tattooed on them, gaslighting, coercion, and delusions of grandeur. This book is so atmospheric with its Southern small town setting where the Hoffmans just seem to be wielding more and more control. You know something’s up when the school board installs a Hoffman lackey to review the books in the classrooms, and that’s just the tip of the iceberg. This plot is dark and intricately woven and just so dang good as the women investigate the town secrets – my jaw dropped at least three times as the mystery was unraveled! This is my first Kristen Bird book and I can’t wait to catch up on her backlist!

Many thanks to NetGalley, Harlequin Trade Publishing, MIRA and the author for providing me an advance copy of this book.

Oh my gossssh!!! Watch It Burn is easily a 5 star psychological thriller. Small town with big secrets, old friends, and something sinister lurking. I appreciated the multiple pov's as it felt fast paced and kept me on my toes.

Watch It Burn is a crime fiction novel that centers around the death of an influential woman in a small Hill Country town and the three women who come to investigate.

Those familiar with Bird’s stories will appreciate the strong sense of place and the courageous Southern women who band together to fix something. Set in the fictional town of Edenberg, the book opens with a fire burning downtown and then flashes back to the previous week when 65-year-old Beverly Hoffman’s body was discovered in the Guadalupe River. Beverley’s niece, Robin, an elementary school teacher, Nichole Miller, and her best friend and reporter, Jenny Martin, are convinced that this was no accident and join together to expose the truth.

Their investigation keeps them busy wading through small-town secrets and lies in a tight-knit community, very aware that one influential family holds the town in its hands. Can they achieve justice without destroying their town? Who started the fire? Who murdered Beverley?

Inspired by the flash-flood Comfort, Texas school bus tragedy of 1987, Bird explores nature and how it affects us and the influence humans have on it. She examines how one person with mishandled power can influence so many people leading to such diverse outcomes, how seemingly intelligent people can fall victim to this power and how this power is even acquired/weilded in the first place.

✔️Book bans
✔️Gender roles; toxic masculinity
✔️Marriage
✔️Adoption
✔️Self-help cults
✔️Small-town politics
✔️Strong women
✔️Southern setting
✔️Murder investigation

I was swept up in the investigation, wanting to know what happened and why…even in the uncomfortable moments. It’s one of those books you’ll want to discuss as you’re reading and would make an excellent book club choice. I know I had lots of ‘what if’ and ‘why do we let things like this happen’ conversations with my bookish friends after reading Bird’s latest book. It certainly had me questioning cult influence.

I was gifted this copy by Harlequin Trade Publishing, MIRA and NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide a review.

Watch it Burn is another stunner from Kristen Bird!

I could not put this one down, and was so engrossed by each character's POV. I loved going along the journey as 65 year old Beverly, school teacher Nichole and journalist Jenny's stories come together to bring out the truth behind Beverly's death and Genevieve, Inc.

I always love a thriller that tackles cult culture and the way they gather disproportionate power, and Watch it Burn delivers on that front.

Let’s talk about my love of WATCH IT BURN by KRISTEN BIRD!

Give me old friends reuniting to solve new mysteries. Small towns with past & present secrets. A charming one-night stand. A devastating accident. A history of tragedy. A suspicious death. And three fierce woman ready to burn it all down.

At the center is Genetive, Inc. — the self-help company that is taking over the small town of Edenberg, Texas and no one in the community is questioning why.

And sure Genetive might sound like a cult, but they swear they’re totally *not* a
cult. So, yeah…totally a cult!

When Beverly Hoffman, the 65-year-old beloved resident and wife to the founder of Genetive, Inc., is found dead in the Guadalupe River the police rule it an accidental drowning — in two inches of water mind you.

It doesn’t take long for Nichole, Jenny and Robin to realize something is very wrong about Beverly’s death. The three friends, who grew up in Edenberg, each have a reason to want to yank back the curtain on the secrets, deceptions and eerily odd happenings around town.

Nichole, still reeling from her sister’s death a few months earlier, is the one who found Beverly’s body.

A phone call to her best friend Jenny, a journalist who knows a good story when she sees it, sets the investigation in motion.

Enter Robin, Beverly’s daughter-in-law, who is becoming increasingly wary of her husband and concerned about her son’s wellbeing.

This is my third KRISTEN BIRD book and love her writing style, sharply crafted stories and surprising reveals. I would also say it’s a step darker so bonus points from me! She masterfully creates the bond between the woman, while also developing believably evil villains, weaving together a story of darkness with flickers of hope.

This story delves into the pain of loss and grief. Toxic teachings. Toxic masculinity. The terrifying reality of those perpetuating antiquated beliefs. And the power that comes with wealth.

WATCH IT BURN will be out on 3/12. Be sure to add it to your preorder basket. And huge thanks to KRISTEN BIRD for sending me the ARC. So incredibly grateful!

What would you do if you found a dead body in shallow water? What if that body was a woman? What if that body was the wife of the most influential family in town?
Told through multiple points of view this novel will keep you guessing till the end. It was fast past and I couldn't put it down I'm ending January on a fabulous note!

This was my third book by @kristenbirdwrites and she sure knows how to write a suspenseful mystery with something sinister looming. Beverly Hoffman is found dead in the Guadalupe River of her small Texas town. But surely she couldn’t have drowned in only two inches of water…

Beverly and her husband are well-known figures in their town, having cofounded a personal development company together, Genetive, Inc. As Nichole, Jenny, and Robin begin to expose the truth of what happened to Beverly, they begin to uncover the true intentions of Genetive.

The secrets and lies in this novel are in full force! I enjoyed the multiple POVs and the women banding together to get the answers they deserve. If you’re a fan of small town southern mysteries and culty books, you’ll want to check this one out!

The Hoffman's seem to own the tiny Texas town of Edenberg. They've lived there for generations, and now they are even more powerful because they have established a mega-successful self-help retreat center and pubishing company, Genetive. But when Beverly, the matriarch, is found drowned, that picture-perfect image is tarnished. The police dismiss it as accidental, but Nichole, a local teacher, her friend Jessica, a journalist, and Robin, Beverly's daughter in law, see it as a sinister murder and are determined to solve it. They put their lives in danger, as the NXVYM-like Genetive holds many secrets worth killing for. A great, twisty thriller with appealing characters.

Watch It Burn from Kristen Bird is the story of three women in a small Texas town who are all set on destroying the self-help guru who has taken over their entire world.

Told in multiple points of view, this book starts with a bang, when Nikki wakes up with a strange man in her bed. She takes off on her morning run and finds the body of Beverly. After calling the police, Nikki is met by her best friend, Jenny, who has recently returned to their hometown. Jenny is trying to solve her marriage as well as restart her journalism career at the local paper.

I enjoyed this book, overall, and found the story interesting. However, there was a ton of potential to expand the world of Genetive. I also felt that the plot wasn't sure which way it wanted to go. Plot points that were touched on: adoption, overseas adoption, book banning, a women's group that had its own agenda, conservative politics, self-help, marriage issues, divorce, sociological studies, racism....and that's only the start.

I realize this book and story could have been a 600-page epic, but I think some streamlining would be good.

Overall, I would still recommend it to read for fans of cults or domestic thrillers.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read and review this book.

🕵🏻 Three women work to uncover the scorching lies and scandal behind a self-help movement, igniting a powder keg of secrets that could blow their town apart.

👩🏻‍💻 A searing look at a community that has been overtaken by an idealistic man who wants everyone to live as he dictates; controlling school curriculum, media, women’s place as a wife and mother, men’s roles in the family, and demanding near perfection.

I loved the various POV, especially the Beverly chapters. There were several times I gasped at surprising reveals. Bird is the Queen of Southern Suspense…this is her darkest book yet and I loved it!

Highly recommend and I can’t wait to see what Kristen Bird comes up with next!

WATCH IT BURN is a multi-POV small town murder thriller full of secrets, a cultish company called Genetive, and the friendship between three women who are determined to find out how Beverly Hoffman could have drowned in just inches of water. My favorite part? The dead woman has a POV--and it is SO voicey and delightful (and dark. and moving. one part made me cry). This is a definite must-read for any thriller lovers!

WATCH IT BURN was a wild ride into Beverly's seemingly perfect hometown, until she is found dead in a river. Now things are not so perfect in this town and Beverly’s personal development company, Genetive, seems to be holding some serious secrets. I generally love multiple POV stories and this one has three. The best POV is from the deceased Beverly, she was actually my favorite character. This was a clever addition to the story! You can expect serious cult vibes from Genetive and this kept the creepy factor high. I really enjoyed this book and I hope you do also!

Many thanks to MIRA and NetGalley for my gifted ARC.

This review will be shared to my Instagram (@coffee.break.book.reviews) in the near future.

In a small town shrouded in mystery, a woman of enigmatic origins was discovered lifeless under perplexing circumstances. The townsfolk knew little about her, and her sudden demise only deepened the intrigue surrounding her presence. Whispers of a hidden past and unanswered questions lingered as the community grappled with the mysterious circumstances surrounding the woman's untimely death. The investigation that ensued would unravel secrets that had long been concealed in the shadows of this enigmatic town.