Over all this was an ok read. I agree the synopsis needs to be changed as it reveals too much of the story and things that happen later in the book. Serious pacing issues in the start. I almost stopped several times. Glad I kept going but could have used another edit. The book has potential just needs a re write.

A slow-moving examination of a small coastal town with a killer in its midst.

3.5 stars rounded up.

Set in the small coastal town of Granite Harbor in Maine, the story follows the discovery of the gruesomely murdered and displayed body of a local teenager as well as the subsequent police investigation. And it soon becomes evident that this teenager might not be the killer's only victim.

This is not your average murder mystery. Even though there are multiple dead bodies by the end of it, a lot of the novel reads both like a detailed examination of a close-knit, small community and a study of parents and their children. Told from three perspectives - the (unnamed) killer's; that of the local detective, British novelist turned American policeman Alex; and Isabel, the mother of one of the victim's closest friends - the book is often far more nuanced than many other quick thrillers. That being said, the pacing starts out fairly slow (in fact, I did not find it "page-turning" until almost the very end), and since there is quite a cast of characters - all with their own backstories - to get to know, so it takes time for the actual murder mystery to pick up the pace.

I appreciated the dark, gritty setting, the in-depth exploration of the town and its residents, and especially the character of Alex Brangwen, who - despite this being his first homicide investigation - proves level-headed, capable, and likeable.

Be warned, however, that there is quite a bit of animal cruelty in this (especially chapter 37), which I personally found extremely off-putting. The reveal of the killer was also not a big surprise, and at times it felt like their background story gave them too much sympathy/put too much focus on them.

I listened to the audio version of this book, which was fine except for Alex's British accent, which did not sound British in the least and also came and went.

TW for animal cruelty, CSA, bullying.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

"Granite Harbor" is slated to be published on April 30, 2024.

Alex is a detective in a small Maine town. He is British, a former author, a divorced dad of a teenager. When a teenager is murdered in their small town, he feels out of his depth. Plus he is worried about his daughter, who knew Shane. The FBI is called in and they find an identical crime- but it was nearly 20 years ago. It doesn't make sense. Alex works to figure it all out, all while hoping his daughter remains safe.

I am not sure how I feel about this book. I noticed a lot of reviews complained about it being too gruesome. As someone who devours books by authors like Karin Slaughter and Gillian Flynn, it didn't bother me at all. I've read more gruesome.
What did get me is that at times, I felt it was overly detailed- then a few minutes later, not detailed enough. And I couldn't stand any of the characters except for Alex.

I listened to the audiobook and I definitely recommend sticking to print. Peter Ganim narrates the audiobook. Alex is British- and before I learned that, early on, I thought maybe the narrator was Irish and trying to speak in an American accent. In actuality he is American (or possibly Canadian) and trying to speak in dialogue with a British accent. The accent comes and goes. And honestly, the in and out accent didn't bother me too much. I was able to ignore it. What did bother me was all the mispronunciations. There were many.

I received an advance audio copy in exchange for an honest review.

It seems this is set up to possibly be a series (I do not care to research whether or not my assumption is correct). I do like Alex and think he is interesting enough to merit more books. However, all the other characters are so awful, I don't think I would bother to read an additional book. Pity they didn't all die.

I really wanted to love this book. It has everything that I love in a crime thriller: a small coastal town and a serial killer. Unfortunately, I found the story to be just ok and forgettable. I actually finished the audiobook a few weeks ago and can not remember anything about this book. I took notes to write a review, but in the end decided not to recommend this book to my followers since I was unable to review it without looking at my notes.

This book had an interesting start then for super boring for awhile and then picked back up. The author did a good job of keeping me guessing who is unaliving these kids and why…I also don’t think I’ll ever look at toads again the same 😅

All the older male characters seem to have a flat affect…the narrator of the audiobook did well are achieving that, but it made it super hard to keep my attention.

The last 20% was really good, it saved the book from a lower rating. It’s one of those books that have a real slow start…

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan for allowing me a chance to read this arc early!

DNF @ 30%
There’s some really big content warnings that weren’t disclosed for Granite Harbor. I found out when making notes in Goodreads 😭 this may be a DNF as well.

CW: animal abuse throughout, SA+child abuse, lots of teen bullying that includes urinating and defacating on the face of another student. And that’s not including the gory serial killer things but that was expected

I'm sorry to say that this one just wasn't for me. I couldn't get into it so I DNF'd it.

CW: animal cruelty

This was the first book I have listened to by Peter Nichols. I like the premise of this book but it just fell flat for me. I didn't like the animal cruelty. I know a lot of people write like that and it's fine but it's just not for me. I also felt like the pacing was slow going. Peter Ganim did a good job narrating the story. Although this was not for me doesn't mean someone else won't like it. I will still tell people to give it a try.

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for allowing me to listen to this ARC for my honest opinion.

Alex is a small town writer turned detective in Granite Harbor, Maine. In a town where murder is rare, Alex is tasked with solving the gruesome murder of a local teen boy. Alex also has personal motivation to solve the murder, especially after another teenager is killed in the same way. He works together with Isabel as they both race to keep their own teenage children safe as they are part of same friendship group as the murdered adolescents.
This book follows a fairly typical murder mystery plot in which the author includes some chapters that reveal the killer’s background and ways of thinking. No surprise that he comes from a background of abuse and bullying. The author also steers the reader towards a particular “obvious” suspect which readers of this genre will recognize as a diversion. I did think that some of the character development was good and the story was entertaining until it turned completely gruesome to an extreme about halfway through. These graphic descriptions of violence towards animals and young people were not only shocking and disturbing but completely unnecessary to the story. Unfortunately, I would not recommend this book to anyone because of this. I listened to the audio book and the narrator did a good job especially with Alex’s accent.

GRANITE HARBOR was hard to stop listening to! It was creepy in so many ways. I did like learning about the killer’s past, it helped me to understand why he acted the way he did. Overall, I would say the writing was very good and I did appreciate the TW of animal abuse to a coyote.

Many thanks to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for my gifted ALC.

I will be sharing this review on my Instagram in the near future (@coffee.break.book.reviews).

Granite Harbor by Peter Nichols (Audiobook version): 2 stars. Narrator was pleasant to listen to but this book wasn’t for me. I do realize it’s not a feel good book (pretty gruesome actually), and it’s about a serial killer, but I just couldn’t get past the animal cruelty in it. I’m sorry. Many thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and author for an advanced copy.

Well that was… disturbing…and totally *not* what I was expecting when I picked up the book.

The writing itself was ok, which is the only reason it’s not a 1⭐️, and the story progression also pretty good, where I initially got the villain wrong, then my second choice was right. But the content was not up my alley. Violent, psychotic and a bit graphic. The first half-ish wasn’t as bad but especially the last probably 25% just went way too deep and I would have DNF’d if I realized it earlier on. It went beyond your typical crime/murder mystery, even serial killer thriller, into mutilation and just extreme creepiness. I’m not sure where the brain trust for something like this comes from but it was bizarre.

Also, listening to the audio on it, the narrator was good for every character but the main character, Alex. He was supposed to be British but the narrator couldn’t pull off the accent. It would venture into a very slight Irish/Scottish lilt once in a great while, but normally it was just American. Yet there were a number of other American accents done just fine. It made Alex feel badly done. Either don’t do accents for anyone, or do them all well, but only picking and choosing was just awkward.

Thanks to Netgalley for the advanced copy of this audiobook. All opinions are mine.

I am not really sure how I feel about this book. This book started off really slow but really picked up around in the last quarter of the book which has resulted in me giving this 3 stars.

While the twist was really well done and definitely took me off guard, I didn't enjoy the weird flashbacks of the killer's past that was peppered throughout the book in weird places. I also sometimes got confused about the timeline of the story and how close together the murders were.

The author did a good job giving some character development to a few of the characters but other secondary characters were just thrown in there and I wasn't always sure of their purpose in furthering the story.

Being from Maine myself it was fun to hear names of all the cities and major landmarks around Southern Maine. The author did do a good job of painting life in a small town in Maine and how everyone knows everyone. But do they really?

I listened to the audiobook and found the narrator, Peter Ganim, to be a little underwhelming. I really wish there had been a female narrator for Isabelle's role in the story.

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC!

I love thrillers and this book was was right up my alley! I love that it had some unique twist to it. It definitely keeps you guessing. Peter Nichols did a great job because it's is well written and descriptive covering the story of a serial killer in a small Maine town. Is a perfect read for anyone thriller fan!

Thank you Net galley and publisher for the advanced audio book of this story. I have to admit the narrator kept me into the story- if I was reading hard copy not sure I would have stayed with it. Lots of people and issues to keep track of and want until three quarters through story I had them figured out. A bit too graphic for me and animal cruelty may trigger some. It is as if the author didn’t know what kind of story they wanted to do- mystery, magical realism, thriller….

Granite Harbor
By Peter Nichols

“ A small town in coastal Maine is shaken to its core by a serial killer in this crime novel from Peter Nichols, bestselling author of The Rocks In scenic Granite Harbor, life has continued on-quiet and serene for decades. That is until a local teenager is found brutally murdered in the Settlement, the town's historic archaeological site.”

“ At once a page-turning thriller and a captivating portrait of the social fabric of a small town, Granite Harbor evokes the atmosphere of HBO's Mare of Easttown with a villain reminiscent of Thomas Harris's Silence of the Lambs.”

I really enjoyed the audio of this detective thriller. I wasn’t extremely excited about the narrator’s voice but it grew on me and I was into the story.
I think since some people are more sensitive to certain topics there should probably be a trigger warning in the beginning. I did get the “Silence of the Lambs” vibes. I like that it was modern day small town and I appreciate the back stories of characters wasn’t too drawn out or repetitive. It was a good small town crime book.


Thank you to NetGalley, and Macmillan Audio for the opportunity to listen and give my unbiased opinion.

Thank you for the advance copy! I really enjoyed this. I thought it was a really unique approach to a serial killer story. I listened to the audiobook and really liked the narrator. I think this story is thrilling and creepy and kept me interested the entire time.

Granite Harbor AUDIO by Peter Nichols is a mystery that takes place in a small Maine town. Well, several murders, really. And gruesome. It appears to be aimed at teenagers. The lead, and only, detective in this small town is Alex Brangwen. Alex is from England and has published several books. But he had not had another in him and so wen they moved to Maine, he applied for, and got, a position as a police officer. There were not lots of job opportunities here. He and his wife had divorced and he had part-time custody of his teenage daughter, Sophie. The first murder took place at the Settlement, a historic reconstruction open to tourists. The town was upset and frightened. Then there was a second murder, much like the first. With research, he discovered one in a nearby town that had taken place years earlier and had the same m.o. Everyone was on edge.

There were multiple storylines in this complicated mystery. Human relationships can be fraught in a small town and so they were here. The culprit turned out to be a surprise for everyone, also as it might be in a small town where one knows everyone. Alex’s ex-wife rose to the occasion, which surprised him. It was a moving and frightening time for Alex and for everyone in town. His friend, Isabel’s, son was the last of the trio of friends still alive and she was beside herself when she couldn’t find him. It appears that Sophie was with him. It got so complicated. The man was clearly crazy. His girlfriend was shocked and dismayed. There is so much to tell. It was frightening. Then it was over. But not forgotten. Thanks Mr. Nichols for a hair-raising story, well told.

The narrator was Peter Ganem, who did a credible job in a long book with multiple characters. He held the read’s interest with equanimity and force as the murders were slowly solved. Good job, Peter.

I was invited to listen to Granite Harbor by MacMillan Audio. All thoughts and opinions are mine. #Netgalley #MacMillanAudio #PeterNichols #PeterGanem #GraniteHarbor

GRANITE HARBOR
Peter Nichols

I came across GRANITE HARBOR when I was looking for thrillers featuring fathers that fathers might like. I liked the idea of a small-town detective starting over and making a new name for himself.

Alex is a divorced detective who made his way to both out of necessity rather than choice. We meet up with Alex on his first case in the settlement of Granite Harbor. The death of a local teenager who died under suspicious circumstances.

The whole town agrees that Alex needs to find the killer and find them fast. We follow along as Alex sorts through the evidence, questions suspects, and zeros in on his target.

GRANITE HARBOR is due to be published on April 30, 2024.


GRANITE HARBOR is a little weird but in a good way. Adding richness in detail. Details I don’t usually pay attention to. There were quirky things about the case that required both humor and intellect and, in that way, it reminded me of THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS.

The audiobook requires a bit of stamina as the narrator’s voice stays level for the most part. I wouldn’t say monotone but more lacking contrast. I enjoyed my reading experience outside of that and I am including it in a thriller list coming in June.

Pick up your copy and already have one book checked off the list for yourself.

Thanks to Netgalley, Celadon Books, and Macmillan Audio for the advanced copies!

GRANITE HARBOR…⭐⭐⭐

“Granite Harbor” by Peter Nichols is a riveting crime novel set in the serene coastal town of Maine, which is suddenly shaken by a series of brutal murders. Nichols, known for his bestselling book “The Rocks,” weaves a complex tapestry of fear and suspense that grips the reader from the first page to the last.

The story centers around Alex Brangwen, a former British novelist turned detective in Granite Harbor, who faces his first murder case. As a single father and the town’s sole detective, Brangwen’s personal and professional lives collide when the victims turn out to be connected to his daughter. The tension escalates when a second body is discovered, and the town’s dark secrets begin to surface, threatening the fabric of the community.

Nichols’ mastery of language and deep character development make “Granite Harbor” more than just a mystery; it’s a profound exploration of a small town’s psyche. The novel’s atmospheric setting is reminiscent of HBO’s “Mare of Easttown,” while the villain’s chilling presence evokes memories of Thomas Harris’s “Silence of the Lambs.”

With its well-paced plot, three-dimensional characters, and a touch of the author’s unique perspective, “Granite Harbor” is an unputdownable thriller that deserves every one of its five stars. It’s a book that not only entertains but also leaves you pondering the complexities of human nature long after you’ve turned the last page.