This was a captivating and disturbing hometown (almost) murder mystery.  It seems like everyone is a suspect or involved in some way. The author did a fantastic job of making you dislike the characters that she wanted you do dislike and like the ones you were supposed to like.  We get to know many in the small Iowa town and unravel the legend of a local kidnapper and murderer. The ending was surprising and wrapped up nicely.

A timely and gripping thriller about three teenage girls sneaking out in the middle of the night that had me on the edge of my seat.

SUMMARY
Twelve-year-old Cora Landry and her friends Violet and Jordyn, were having a sleepover. They decided to sneak out in the middle of the night to go to the abandoned rail yard on the outskirts of town. Little do they know that their fun and games will have serious consequences.

Later that night, Cora Landry is discovered on the tracks, bloody and clinging to life, her friends are nowhere to be found. Who would want to hurt a young girl like Cora—and why? During an investigation there are many suspects and no one can be trusted—not even those closest to Cora.

REVIEW
Before She Was Found is a timely and gripping thriller about friendship, bullying and betrayal. It’s about the power of social pressure and the price of needing to fit in. Cora, Violet and Jordyn’s characters were so typical of twelve year old girls.

I had a roller coaster ride of a relationship with this book. My initial reaction was to wonder if this was a YA novel, since there was so much teenage angst. And then the book took off, and I could barely breathe. The writing was fabulous. The author drew me in and captured my attention. I could not wait to find out what happened to Cora. I was intrigued with every part of the investigation But then there was a major curve in that roller coaster that I did not see coming. I was totally blown away by the ending. Totally shocked and somewhat angry with the way it ended...

Heather Gudenkauf graduated from the University of Iowa with a degree in elementary education, has spent her career working with students of all ages and continues to work in education as a Title I Reading Coordinator. Heather lives in Iowa with her family and a very spoiled German Shorthaired Pointer named Lolo. In her free time Heather enjoys spending time with her family, reading and hiking. She is currently working on her next novel.

Thanks to NetGalley, Heather Gudenkauf and Park Row for an advance reading copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.



Publisher Park Row
Published April 16, 2019
Review www.bluestockingreviews.com

This book was awesome. I couldn’t stop reading, it kept me up all night. Very disturbing and mysterious, it literally had me guessing all the way through. A must read!!!

Heather Gudenkauf NEVER fails to deliver a gripping, psychological thriller that keeps the reader glued to the story from page 1 to the end! For those who are familiar with the Slenderman urban legend, this book is closely related to it, but with a different twist on the urban legend - Joseph Wither. FANTASTIC BOOK!

3.5 stars. This was a totally addictive page-turner, but I was a bit underwhelmed by the ending. I had so many theories about what had happened, and in a way they were close to the mark, but not completely. 

Before She Was Found is the story of a toxic friendship between three sixth grade girls, which culminates in a brutal attack on one of them, after they go to a train depot at night I'm search of an urban legend. It's told through the diary of one of the girls, through text messages, by the mother and grandfather of the other two girls, and by the psychiatrist who is brought in to consult after the attack. It's very compelling reading and I raced through it, eager to find out what had happened. I was hoping for something more from the ending, especially after the theories I had come up with, but overall it's a great choice if you're looking for a fast-paced, thrilling read.

Who doesn't love Heather Gudenkauf? I mean, I've read a few of her books, but surprisingly I've not posted reviews on any in the past. when I saw her new book, Before She Was Found available for review, I requested an opportunity through NetGalley and was approved.

Before She Was Found is about three 12-year old middle-school girls and their sleepover that ends in tragedy.  There's Cora, Violet and Jordyn, who were having a sleepover at Cora's home and then decided to sneak out at midnight to go to the abandoned rail yard. While it started out as a fun adventure, it turned into a nightmare.  

A woman walking her dog discovers Cora on the tracks covered in blood and barely alive. The other two girls, Violet and Jordyn, are nowhere to be found. Violet is later found and taken to the hospital, while Jordyn turns up at the home she shares with her grandparents. It seems that Violet is in shock and Jordyn's mood is going from fear to defiance. 

The story itself is told to readers through text messages, journal entries, therapists notes, as well as various family members' perspectives. As the story moves forward, readers learn more about the girls and their relationships with each other.  Gudenkauf skillfully uses social media and urban legends to lend the fear factor to story.  The engaging characters combined with terrifying topics cause an "unputdownable" suspense set in a small Iowa Midwestern town.

I was fully invested in learning the truth.  I did not see the ending coming at all and I'm usually pretty good at that part.  Fans of Gudenkauf will love this book. It's another solid book which had me engaged from the very beginning. If you've never read anything by Gudenkauf, don't wait - start here and get this book when it comes out next month!

I received a complimentary digital copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for my review.  My views are my own and are in no way influenced by anyone.  Thank you.

I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. This book is about a group of junior high girls (Cora, Violet, and Jordyn) from all different backgrounds. Cora is the girl that never really fit in, Violet seems like the goody two shoes, and Jordyn is the typical mean girl. This book starts at their sleepover, where they decide to sneak out and go down to an old train yard to play a game.

Cora is found covered in blood and hanging onto life and Violet and Jordyn are missing, course no on knows they left the sleepover for a little late night game. It's up to Cora to tell the truth on what really happened but will she tell the police what happened and sacrifice her new friendships.

As the police dig deeper to find out what happened, they discover the girls were doing a project for class about girls who disappeared at the old rail yard and they find letters that were written to the supposed man who took them all.

There is a lot of twists and turns in the book but I thought it was very well written. It is a good book for anyone that loves a psychological thriller and/or is a fan of Heather Gudenkauf. I will be buying this book to add to my collection when it comes out!!

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I have always enjoyed Heather's book and this one fulfilled that promise of enjoyment. I did feel this book was written a different way than her previous books. The suspense keeps you turning the pages as fast as you can read. Characters could use a little more development so you can "know" them better. In the end it was an enjoyable thriller involving friends and family. Enjoy! 📚

Disturbing tale of urban legends and bullying in a small Iowa town. This was my first book by this author and I was a little disappointed.

Thank you to NetGalley, Park Row, and Heather Gudenkauf for an ARC ebook copy to review. As always an honest review from me.

I ended up DNFing the book about 50 pages in. I had doubts about the book beforehand, but so many people were saying great things about it and the author, so I ended up being swayed into reading it. The story isn’t bad, but it didn’t captivate me enough to want to keep reading. I learned enough bout he premise and mystery to know that I would only somewhat enjoy the read. Life is too short to read a book that doesn’t spark joy. So I KonMarie’d it, and am onto my next book.

Thank to netgalley and the author/publisher for the Arc for my honest review.

This is one of those stories where you think you have it all figured out early on. But boy, were you wrong. There’s nothing predictable about this book. It’s an interesting look into middle school graders, as well as quite the thriller.

Get the book. You’ll love it.

Oh my. With close to 30% of the book left to finish, nothing stopped me - not even the nail-biting finish of a March Madness basketball game that determined which team would head for the Final Four. Filled with more than a few characters I really didn't much like (and trusted even less), it was simply impossible for me to turn off my Kindle without learning who did what and why.

The story centers on the lives of three middle-school girls - Cora, Violet and Jordyn - all of whom exhibit the best, and more often worst, behaviors that constantly reminded me of what a saint our daughter is (she's a middle-school teacher who absolutely loves working with kids that age, bless her her heart). Readers also get to know the girls' extended families - brothers, sisters, moms and dads - all of whom are, shall we say, less than perfect.

Early on, the girls sneak out of their small town to an abandoned railroad yard late at night, but the situation turns sour when Cora is found on the tracks. Her arm is damaged and she's been stabbed multiple times, even on her face. Violet turns up nearby in a state of shock, and Jordyn is nowhere to be found. Immediately, questions arise: What were the girls doing out there at such a late hour? Why did they lie to their parents about where they'd be that evening? And of course, who hurt Cora? No one wants to believe that anyone from the town - and certainly not a family member - could have done such an awful thing. And then there's that frightening urban legend thing; but nobody (well, almost nobody) believes that one either.

Chapters shift from perspectives of the girls and their families and time periods, gradually revealing events and emotions and leading up to that late-night foray that ended so disastrously. In a very real sense, it's a sad commentary on how stressful middle-school years can be, but mostly it's a riveting story you won't want to put down. My thanks to the publisher, via NetGalley, for the opportunity to read and review an advance copy. Highly recommended!

Thank you to Netgalley and Harlequine Trade Publishing for providing this ARC to me to read and review.

This book was a wild ride! The entire time I was trying to figure out who hurt Cora. I think I considered everyone through the course of reading. The secret these little girls kept after such a traumatic event was astounding, yet realistic. It reminded me a lot of the Slenderman attack a few years ago.

Cora is a lonely 12 year old girl that is bullied at school and betrayed by the girl she thought was her best friend. She turns to her computer and chats with what she believes is an Urban Legend. This sparks an entire series of events that leads to an attack on Cora, leaving her bloody, beaten, and stabbed all in the name of Joseph Wither, the Urban Legend Cora believed she was talking to.

What I liked most about this book is the fact that at some point, almost everyone seemed to be guilty. I loathed Thomas and his attempts to hide evidence and make his grand-daughter out to be innocent when in reality she was awful to Cora and others. He enabled her to be the terrible person she was.

I also didn't like Violet. She was two faced and spineless. That's not a great thing to say about a 12 year old little girl, but her role in things really bummed me out. I really hoped Violet would have turned out to be a good and true friend to Cora, but she ended up being just as bad as Jordyn, just in a different way.

Overall, I really enjoyed the book. I especially enjoyed that each part was told from a different POV so we can get the thoughts and fears and reactions to what was unfolding. I kept wanting to read more and more and to figure out what happened to Cora. In the end, I actually was not expecting it to be Cora herself and that she was as mentally ill as she ended up being. I almost always anticipate every twist, but somehow this one I overlooked. I think the power of the writing lead me in different directions, away from the truth, just like the characters in the book.

I am sure that you have heard about the Slenderman...the tall, spidery figure with the blank face who has inspired stories, artwork, video games and movies...

The same one that two twelve year old girls in Wisconsin, tried to appease, when they lured a classmate into the woods, in 2014, stabbing her 19x.

BUT...have you heard about the urban legend, Joseph Wither??

He lived in Pitch, Iowa, in the 1940’s and rumor has it that after he lost his love, Rachel Farmer, he burned down his house and killed several young girls, over the years by luring them to the train tracks....



Beth Crow and her family...a teenage son named Max, a 12 year old daughter named Violet, and a basset hound named Boomer, are relocating from New Mexico to Green Bay, WI, when their car breaks down.....in Pitch, Iowa.

With no money to fix the car, Beth rents the only house she can afford, and accepts the only job available, enrolling her kids in the small town’s school.

Violet’s teacher, John Dover, gives his class an assignment-research an urban legend...and Violet, and her two new friends, Cora and Jordyn, decide to report on “Joseph Wither”.

“WHAT KIND OF TEACHER TELLS HIS STUDENTS TO RESEARCH GHOSTS AND MURDERERS AND THE LIKE?”

This assignment becomes the catalyst for Case # 92-10945.

Three twelve year olds go to the train tracks at midnight. One is fighting for her life, shortly thereafter.

Told in two time lines, “Before She Was Found” and after the attack through the various perspectives of parents, text message conversations, journal entries, police interviews, posts on social media websites, and psychiatrist observations, the chapters are short and the pace fast.

I was never confused, nor did I ever feel the urge to skim, despite the fact that the book has a YA feel, and I don’t generally do well with books with pre-teen protagonists.

Tragic because this story is ALL TOO POSSIBLE in today’s UGLY social media world where even 12 year olds feel the social pressure to “fit in” before they can even understand the consequences of their actions...

If you enjoyed last year’s “The Chalk Man”...this one is a “MUST READ” for you...

I would like to thank Netgalley, Harlequin, and Heather Gudenkauf for the digital ARC I received in exchange for a candid review! Available soon!! April 16, 2019!,

Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this! I was really looking forward to Heather Gudenkauf's next book, having been a fan of her previous works, and this certainly didn't disappoint. I think this book contains some important messages for teens and adults alike. I appreciated the multiple narrators as I tried to piece together the truth as a reader. This engaging thriller kept my interest right until the end!

I have read several books by this author and have enjoyed them all & this one was no different. I really think this was one of her better books. The characters are relatable and some are easy to like others not so much. I want to thank Netgalley for the opportunity to read this arc for an honest opinion.

UNPREDICTABLE! Psychologically Rich, Timely, Character-driven, Twisty, and Loaded with Riveting Suspense.

Feed your true-crime obsession.

An avid fan (have read all her books), Heather Gudenkauf returns following Not a Sound my Top Books of 2017 with a brilliantly crafted thriller BEFORE SHE WAS FOUND. I will have to agree with PW review: "She is at the top of her game!"

Based on the Slender Man, (online meme), a fictional tall, spidery figure with a blank face and the subject of short stories, videos, artwork, and video games. Stories of the Slender Man commonly feature him stalking, abducting or traumatizing people, particularly children.

In a true account in 2014, two 12-year-old girls in Wisconsin held down and stabbed a classmate 19 times. When questioned later by authorities, they reportedly claimed that they wished to commit a murder as a first step to becoming proxies for the Slender Man, having read about it online. They also stated that they were afraid that Slender Man would kill their families if they did not commit the murder.

However, in Heather’s skillful hands, in BEFORE SHE WAS FOUND, she reimagines a totally different creative story with her own signature style.

She cleverly balances a sophisticated unputdownable psychological thriller of obsession, frenemies, betrayal, the dangers of social media, age-old legends, dark secrets of a rural railroad town and a strong multi-generational character study —the lengths family members go to protect their loved ones.

Expect the unexpected. No way to guess how this one will turn out.

Set in the rural railroad town of (fictional) Pitch, Iowa—we meet three different twelve- year- old girls. In Cora, Violet, and Jordyn. They become friends (or frenemies).

They come from three different families (multi-generational). Jordyn (raised by grandparents), Cora (two-parent home), and Violet (raised by a struggling single mom). These family dynamics are fierce and each parent or guardian has their own parenting style.

The girls decide to do a school report on an urban legend, Joseph Wither. However, the lines become blurred between "fact and fiction" and one of the girls begins communicating with someone online in a chat room. He claims to be Joseph Wither.

Who is this person and is he the real Joseph Wither?

Events quickly spiral out of control. A tragic event at the railroad tracks turns everyone’s lives upside down and those related to these three girls. Who stabbed Cora? What happened to Cora and the events leading up to BEFORE SHE WAS FOUND? (perfect title).

From the intense pressures of social media, betrayal, and the mastermind behind the online mask, luring these girls to the tracks. From extensive text messages between the girls, the parents, a psychiatrist, police, a teacher, grandfather, to Cora journals—the suspense is riveting keeping you glued to the pages!

The setting is chilling. Abandoned railroads, tracks, and trains are mysterious and dangerous as it is. They serve as vivid metaphors. Lives become derailed. Lives get off track, as noted in the novel. In the case of this small rural town, the setting is very atmospheric. Some of the residents are looking for a way out of their life.

BEFORE SHE WAS FOUND is a cautionary and timely tale. A multi-layered, morally complex, seething with fear, the unknown, danger, mystery, and suspense.

From the gritty atmosphere, the electrifying plot and twists and turns —the author skillfully balances the many different character voices, text messages, journal entries, therapist’s notes, and police interrogations. Impressive.

Fans of true-crime fiction will undoubtedly find lots to love here. Highly recommend! Top Books of 2019

Stay tuned from my upcoming Q&A with the author to learn more about the inspiration behind this “much talked about” novel, plus exclusive facts about the author—Coming April 16.

A special thank you to Park Row and NetGalley for an advanced reading copy.

#JDCMustReadBooks

I absolutely love this book. I started it at lunch at my break and read half of it and rushed home after work to finish, The pacing of the book was fabulous. I loved that it bounced between a lot of different voices. There was a few sly winks to what ultimately happens and it was just an overall fabulous book. I will definitely be looking at everything else this author writes.

Interesting read, but the ending was a bit anticlimactic. It did keep me reading because there was not a clear path to "who done it?" but overall, not outstanding.

This book. I mean really, this book. What do you say about Before She Was Found to do it justice? I have no idea.

I loved this book. It is about so much more than just three pre-teens and their friendship. It's about family and what they will do to protect you from consequences (I'm looking at you, Grandpa) which is much too common these days, in my opinion. It's also about social media and acceptance whether it's classmates, teachers or really anyone. It's about small towns and loooong memories and the struggles when three girls are "best friends". That always become two against one even when the alliances shift.

Heather Gudenkauf has written a book that starts out grabbing the reader by the throat and not letting them go. The characters were so real I could picture them in my mind and could easily imagine just how I'd behave if I were in this story.

The truth though, that was something. It was a long time coming and it was a surprise. I was wholly invested in figuring out what happened and who should "pay". Sadly the book ended and now I'm left to wait a long time for the next. While I mind, I also don't. It takes hard work and time to come up with a book this good.

Thank you very much to the author, publisher and Netgalley for approving my request for an ARC. My thoughts in this review are my own, as always.