This was a very interesting, paranormal horror with almost a gothic edge to it. Brigit gets summoned back to her hometown by her sister's ex girlfriend, who says Brigit may be the only one who can help ind two missing teens who have gone missing in the Dell, the dense forest surrounding the town. When she arrives, she finds there is an eerie connection to the death of her sister, so many years past.

I was definitely not expecting the twists in this book, nor the big bad reveal! The story kept me on the edge of my seat the entire 2nd half and I could not put it down!

The real shining star of What Grows In The Dark is the deep character development and interactions. I felt sometimes that the story took the backseat to focus more on character development which was definitely a good call at the beginning, but late on it came at a detriment to the plot.

I love when a debut slaps!! This didn’t feel like a debut and I can’t wait to read more from Jaq Evan’s.

What grows in the dark is part investigation story, part supernatural thriller, working so ridiculously well together. I was on edge the whole time.

Years ago, Brigit lost her sister. She walked into the woods in their hometown and never came out. Now, people are missing in an eerily similar way and Brigit is called back to investigate. Brigit is a phony, though… She and her camera man go around and search for supernatural activity, faking results for payment, leaving many unforgiving of her predatory practices.

She encounters much more than she bargained for back home in Ellis Creek. With more and more unexplainable things happening surrounding the missing teens, Brigit is putting herself and Ian in danger searching for the truth.

The ways this book freaked me out, OMG! The woods can be a scary place, but in this book, it can be INVASIVE. This takes twists and turns that I wasn’t expecting and I enjoyed it so much.

I would like to thank NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for the e-arc to, “ What Grows in the Dark” by Jaq Evans. This title is set to be published March, 5 2024.

Move over Ghostbusters, Bridgit and Ian are on the case! Haunted woods? No problem! “What Grows in the Dark” takes us down a dual narrative journey of mystery and Intrigue. The small-town trope is alive and kicking as our Heros battle the forces of evil.

“What Grows in the Dark” Is a decent debut from Jaq Evans. Her delivery is well laid out for the most part. There are questions that I would have liked better answered, but that’s life. If you enjoyed Erin E.Adam’s, “Jackal” you most likely will like what is being offered here. I rate this 3.5 stars (rounded up to 4) out of 5.

TW: suicide

3.5 stars, rounded up.

Brigit and her ghost-hunting partner, Ian, are called to Brigit’s hometown of Ellis Creek, Virginia, a place Brigit never wanted to return to as it is haunted for her by memories of her dead sister, Emma, by one of Emma’s ex-girlfriends, now a cop. Two teenagers have gone missing, and Alicia can’t help but think it’s yet another disappearance connected to a series of deaths and disappearances connected to the dark woods on the town’s outskirts- including Emma’s. And Brigit and Ian may be the only ones who will listen to her and can connect the dots. Because Brigit has always had a strange connection to the woods. But is this “connection” deadly? And how many people will go down with her?

The book is told from both Ian and Brigit’s POVs, with some memos/police reports interspersed throughout the book.

I really enjoyed the story and the overall atmosphere of the book. I mean, dark woods that may or may not be haunted - what a creepy treat! The author said he was inspired by the sensation of being “lost in the woods” and you definitely get that creepy feeling as you read. There’s almost a claustrophobic sense as you read which adds to the suspense. The author does a great job creating a scene and really sticking with.

And the twists and turns - including the ending - are quite interesting! There were some things I didn’t see coming, for sure. It definitely kept things interesting. And that kept my attention all throughout the book.

I just wish the nature of everything was more explained. The conclusion/“explanation” was a little too vague for my taste. I wish it had been more laid out how it worked and would work. I don’t want to say more, but once you read the book, you’ll see what I mean. Also, some of the writing was overly wordy. I felt myself reading paragraphs and not absorbing them at points.

But overall, I really enjoyed this book. I would recommend it. It’s creepy and atmospheric; a good book for fans of Stephen King-esque thrillers!

This book was okay. I just was not able to get invested in the storyline or the characters. This was not my favorite.

Very riveting. It was difficult to put down and the writing was fresh and concise. Definitely interested in others from this author

This book had me in a chokehold several times. It's been awhile since l've read a book that I can't put down until I know what happens next. It kept me guessing the entire time. It's shocking, spooky, & unsettling in all the ways horror should be. I’ll definitely be keeping my eye out for more books from this author.

“When phony spiritualist Brigit Weylan is drawn back to her hometown to assist in a case that eerily mirrors her sister's death sixteen years prior, she must confront the secrets she's been running from — because something has waited a very long time for Brigit to come home.“

I received a copy of this from NetGalley in return for an honest review.

Judging from the other reviews, I am clearly in the minority in that I didn't quite enjoy reading this. There were a few things that were done well, however. I thought the main character, Brigit was really well written. They were distant and seemingly uncaring about anything, which made them unlikeable, but not in a bad way. Rather, it felt very purposeful and their actions made sense when looking at their past history. I also thought there were some very good descriptive scenes throughout. The author did a good job of describing Brigit's hallucinations so those scenes were easy to visualize and were rather eerie.

However, the rest of the book was not enjoyable for me. The plot too way too long to get going, for one. We open in a fake seance, which led me to believe that this would be a fast-paced book, but then nothing really happens until about 35% of the way into the book. There were a few hallucinations within those chapters, but a majority of it, both Ian and Brigit spend collecting information and exploring the town. I also didn't enjoy Ian's chapters nearly as much and felt like this book would have been better with just one POV.

The pacing is another thing I had issues with. Once things did start to pick up, they didn't stay that way. Something would happen, then there would be a big lull. Then the next thing, and another lull, and so on. This made the plot feel very jumbled and thrown together rather than well thought out. It also made me want to put the book down many times as I got bored. That's never a good thing, in my opinion. It also never hit that horror feel, and felt far more like a thriller to me. Overall, this book did have some strengths but they were overshadowed by the many things I didn't like about it.

This book was just not it for me. The writing style seemed to flip flop, it was "wth is going on" to the point where I didn't even want to read it. I love a good what's happening to intrigue me, but this was too much to the point of boredom. It was a tough read for me.

Frustrating as the ARC isn’t readable. Floor becomes f loor, words get their own paragraphs, dialogue is one big block of text. This sounds so good too.

[Blurb goes here]

Brigit's sister disappeared in the woods 16 years ago, and Brigit still has nightmares about it. When she grew up, she left her hometown, Ellis Creek. Now, with her friend Ian, they have a perfect con going on. Brigit pretends to be a psychic who talks to ghosts by channeling her dead sister, supposedly helping spirits stop haunting different places by going "into the light."

During one of their fake paranormal jobs, Brigit gets a surprising call. Alicia, Emma's ex-girlfriend, asks Brigit to return to Ellis Creek. Two teenagers are missing, and the circumstances are eerily familiar.

The story switches between Brigit and Ian's points of view, making it a bit confusing at times. Despite this, it allows readers to understand them better. Brigit, as the main character, can be both strong-willed and sometimes unfriendly, especially towards Ian. This aspect makes her less likable.

Jaq Evans provides detailed descriptions of characters, their feelings, and the settings that surround them, which is good, but it occasionally slows down the action or breaks the dialogue. However, these descriptions effectively build up the creepy atmosphere.

If you enjoy unsettling horror stories, I recommend giving this book a read.

Thank you for the advanced copy!

I am clearly in the minority but I found this book to be a slog to finish. It centers on Brigit, who along with a cameraman partner, explores paranormal activity all over the country. Brigit’s sister died many years ago and when they are asked to come back and dig into the disappearance of 2 other locals, it’s an opportunity to find out more about the creepy woods where Brigit’s sister Emma was found.

On the good side, there were some definitely creepy parts and the author did a good job at creating a clear picture of both the woods and the other happenings. I also felt the pain and grief that Brigit exhibited related to Emma’s death. On the other side, the author spent so much time delving into to the characters’ thoughts that it took me out of the action; but oddly, I still had a hard time discerning one voice from another when the chapters alternated POVs. Also, while the author described Brigit as being non-binary and denouncing pronouns, the pronouns used throughout were “she” and “her” and this confused me. Overall, I just didn’t find the story that interesting even though I felt the concept was. The end just confused me but maybe that is because I wasn’t fully invested.

All in all, this just wasn’t the book for me and I found it hard to finish. Seems like others really enjoyed it, though, so I don’t want to discourage anyone from reading it and I hope you have a better experience! Thanks to Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

After reading the book, I have mixed feelings about it. Overall, I enjoyed the storyline and found it to be quite compelling. However, if I were to offer a criticism, it would be that the author’s focus on the characters’ thoughts detracted from the real-time events taking place.

Throughout the book, the writer dedicates a significant amount of effort to delve into the inner thoughts of each character. While this allowed for a deeper understanding of their motivations and emotions, it sometimes overshadowed the urgency of the events unfolding in the present moment. There were instances where I found myself wanting the author to concentrate more on what was happening in real time, especially during intense or suspenseful scenes.

That being said, the book did have its merits. The storyline was engaging, and I appreciated the author’s ability to create diverse characters. However, I did notice that the book barely mentioned their gender identities, which could have been explored further to provide a more comprehensive representation of the characters.

One aspect of the book that stood out to me was the author’s descriptive writing style. The vivid descriptions allowed me to visualize the scenes as they unfolded, immersing me in the story and enhancing my reading experience.

In conclusion, while I enjoyed the book and found it to be an engaging read, I believe that the author could have struck a better balance between exploring the characters’ thoughts and focusing on real-time events. Despite this, the book’s storyline, diverse characters, and descriptive writing style made it a worthwhile read.

Jaq Evans's writing is darkly poetic, and it creeps up on you with a life of its own. With the chilling mystery of Brigit's sister's death as the center of the narrative, I found myself sinking into the horror as if the words on the page were rising up like quicksand around me. The body horror was so well done, I found myself reading and recoiling at the same time. Lovely and immersive with a wonderfully shivery ending.

Kind of a mixed bag for me. Some of it felt disjointed, including the characters and their decision-making which didn't always feel consistent to me. The premise really hooked me so I stuck with it, and there were portions of the book that were well-executed and truly grabbed me - particularly toward the end, when more is revealed about the woods and its inhabitant than our protagonist had let on until that point. I kind of wished there had been that same sense of creepiness, urgency, and suspense for more of the story, as certain plot points dragged more than others. I loved the diversity in the cast of characters which felt organically woven into the story - I'm always looking for more horror and thrillers with queer characters.

I don't know.... maybe it was me, but I had a hard time getting into this book. Sometimes it felt almost disjointed, and I struggled a bit with that. There was nothing I can point to as being inherently BAD or WRONG about this book, but perhaps it's best to just say this wasn't one for me.

This book has some of the same vibes at the works of Amelinda Bérubé, Erica Waters, and Krystal Sutherland, but it wasn’t as well-executed as I anticipated it to be. They were several passages in places with conflicting information that made me have to go back and reread, but I think the approach is what didn’t work for me. It’s a dual point of view from the third person, but as the reader you feel like information is being purposefully withheld from you, that would make more sense if this was from a first person perspective with an unreliable narrator. What is great about this book, however, is its depictions of grief and how you retain memory after trauma and some of the creepy descriptions.

You would like this book if you are more into vibes than plot because this is a slow burn.

I am by far in the minority here, but I just couldn't connect to this story. Despite a very intriguing blurb and a cool cover, the story just didn't draw me in. I found the writing and characterizations a little meandering for my tastes and I just never seemed to find my way into the world the author created. It felt oddly disjointed and I had a difficult time connecting to the characters or their motivations. To be fair, I've read a number of similar creepy "going back home" stories recently and it is possible that I am just done with it as a plot device. Regardless of why, this just wasn't a good fit for me.

What do you expect or want from a book before you start reading ?

I want to be kept on my toes in anticipation of what will happen next.

I want that can’t stop won’t stop feeling when I know I should really only read just “one more chapter”

And ultimately I want characters who feel real and relative .

Well…

Check ✔️
Check ✔️
Check ✔️

This book checks off every box on my list for what I believe is a soon to be bestseller .

I was consumed early on and didn’t want to put this book down for even a bathroom break.

Jaq Evans, has blown my mind with this debut stunner, What Grows in the Dark, due out March 5, 2024 ! You don’t want to miss this one!

Don’t believe me? Check out this teaser :

In this chilling contemporary horror novel, a phony spiritualist returns to her hometown to assist in an investigation that eerily mirrors her sister’s death, forcing her to confront the secrets she’s been running from.

Sixteen years ago, Brigit Weylan’s older sister, Emma, walked into the woods in their small hometown of Ellis Creek. She never walked out. People said she was troubled—in the months leading up to her death, she was convinced there was a monster in those trees. Marked by the tragedy, Brigit left town and never looked back.

Now Brigit travels around the country investigating paranormal activity (and faking the results) with her cameraman, Ian. But when she receives a call from Ellis Creek, she’s thrust into the middle of a search for two missing teenagers. As Brigit and Ian are drawn further into the case, the parallels to Emma’s death become undeniable. And worse, Brigit can’t explain what’s happening to her: trees appearing in her bedroom in the middle of the night, something with a very familiar laugh watching her out in the darkness, and Emma’s voice on her phone, reminding Brigit to finish what they started.

More and more, it looks like Emma was right: there is a monster in Ellis Creek, and it’s waited a long time for Brigit to come home.