Just finished reading THE FAMILIAR DARK by Amy Engel. Received this ARC copy from Dutton Books via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Official publishing date is March 31st, 2020.

This story starts off with a double murder, of two twelve year old girls set in the Missouri, Ozarks. Eve Taggert our main character and mother to Junie (one of the girls that was murdered), takes it upon herself to uncover the truth about this hateful crime and vows to avenge her daughters death.

This is not your typical thriller, but more of a mother on a determined quest to understand the meaning of why this happened to her daughter in a poor town where stuff like this happens all the time, and usually gets brushed under a rug.

Don't expect a fun read with this one, its dark, ugly and gritty. But it was also one I could not put down until I also knew why Junie and her friend Izzy were killed. I did expect the killer near the 75% mark, but had to keep reading to make sure justice was served.

Wow. 4.5 stars for The Familiar Dark. Thank you Dutton Books for the advanced reader copy.

This was my first book by Amy Engel and I loved it.

We open to a gruesome scene of Izzy and Junior being murdered. The rest of the story unfolds through Eve, Junie’s mother, as she is determined to find out why her daughter was killed and who did it.

Soon we learn the in the small town of Barren Springs, the people are tough and the secrets abound. During Eve’s quest - her abusive and traumatic history comes into play as almost everyone she interacts with is a suspect and has capacity for evil in her mind.

Several developments took me by surprise in this one and I just felt heartbroken about the generational family dysfunction. But as far as psychological thrillers go, this one was a amazing. Dark, disturbing and fast-paced.

This. Book. Is. Incredible!
I devoured it in one day!

Here’s the deal;
There is no foreplay in this story.
The grief and suspense hit hard and fast, like having the literary wind knocked out of you!

The tension never dampens... the story continues to climb until the explosive conclusion.
I never saw it coming.

Amy Engel’s writing is so descriptive I could taste the stale beer and ash and I could feel the desperate loss and despair.

“Sometimes the answers are worst than the questions. Sometimes it’s better not to know.”

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group Dutton for the opportunity to read and review this book!

I have mixed feelings about this book so this review is a struggle. It’s gripping and suspenseful and I could tell it was a very well thought out storyline. There’s a good amount of backstory given on the main character, which I appreciated, because it helps you understand what drives her. Just something that stood out to me.
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Here’s where my struggle comes in. It’s dark and disturbing, which I expected, but I guess it was more than I expected. Honestly it was somewhat depressing. I guess that’s partly personal preference but I do feel like I should say it. I did predict part of it but there was still a bit of a twist left.
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Overall, it is a good book and I’ve thought hard about this and tried to be objective. I’m gonna go down the middle and give it three stars. I’m sure it won’t bother some people quite as much as it bothered me.

Thanks to Penguin Group, Dutton, and NetGalley for my advanced ebook in exchange for my honest review.

When a mother’s daughter is murdered on a playground, she is determined for justice if that’s the last thing she can do. This is truly a story about how powerful a family can do, even under the darkest moments.

I really appreciate the setting and the reality that the author portrays. This rural setting is a major center for poverty and the reality is that poverty often takes over. I also really liked the characterization and the emotions created.

What fell flat for me: it felt rushed at the end, almost like the author had to cap it. I would have liked a bit more development.

Don’t miss this on shelves on March 31!

Alas, I am afraid that I am not a fan of Amy Engel’s storytelling. With this and Roanoke Girls, I just felt deflated reading both these books.

The Familiar Dark attempts to be a thriller. Set in the Ozarks, this is the story of the murder of Eve Taggert’s 12 year old daughter and her friend. Eve is surrounded by Cal, a police officer who is like family, her strange mother, who they have very little contact and a cast of other characters that might have you scratching your head.

Eve is on the hunt to find her daughter’s killer and she will stop at almost nothing to find out what happened. As it is a mystery, I never want to give too much away but I will give you my thoughts.

This was very disjointed, and at times felt like it was amateur. I did not care about most of these people, so I found myself not actually caring who might be the killer. When we get to the apex of this story, I was just like so what.

I hate to write reviews like this, but feel like I need to be honest here. The only saving grace that kept me going was that it was relatively short.

Thank you NetGalley and Dutton Books for an Advanced Reader’s Copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I loved Engel’s The Roanoke Girls (my review) even though it’s a super messed up story, but this mystery fell totally flat to me. I’m not sure why I finished it and I even broke my own DNF policy. The first half is strangely slow for a mystery. It really focused on Eve’s grief over her daughter’s death in unoriginal ways while I was just waiting for something to happen with the investigation. I skimmed the last 30% just to find out what would happen, but the ending turned out to be a bit ridiculous. And, the entire book seemed surface level.

The Familiar Dark by Amy Engel
Pub Date March 31, 2020

Amy Engel, author of the Roanoke Girls, writes this dark and twisty story filled with tragedy and vengeance. Reading this book left me shattered and feeling like I committed a crime just reading it.

Eve Taggert grew up in the holler, in a trailer with her meth addicted mother in the Missouri Ozark. Her mama was hard, often cruel and taught Eve the toughest lessons in life. An eye for an eye was more like death for a slight.

When Eve’s 12 year old daughter Junie and her best friend are murdered on the playground, Eve must reach inside herself and her roots to hunt down the person that stole her daughter from her.

This was a highly addictive murder mystery, and I expect nothing less from Amy Engel. I loved it!! 5/5 stars!

Thank you @NetGalley and @duttonbooks for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

I was in the mood for a quick thriller, and under 300 pages, this one fit the bill. Set in Appalachia, a mother’s world is turned upside down when her teenage daughter and her friend are murdered in their small town. Having overcome the challenges of growing up in poverty with an unstable family, all Eve wanted was to provide her daughter with a life different than her own, but she was not spared the violence and vengeance that runs deep in their town. I really think the author did a great job showing how hard life in rural poverty is, and how it shapes a person and their motivations. It reminded me a lot of The Night Olivia Fell, but I think it was rushed at the end and the reveal was kind of a let down. This book was depressing, aside from the murder of a teenager, it was just a bleak landscape of life.

"Little girls were never safe. I should know; I used to be one."

Eve Taggert is a single Mother whose bright light was snuffed out when her twelve-year-old daughter, Junie was murdered in a local park with her twelve-year-old friend, Izzy. Who could do such a thing? Why would someone want to hurt these two young girls?

Eve's life has not been easy. She was raised by a drug-addicted mother who not afraid to dish out abuse to both Eve and her brother Cal. When she left her Mother's home, she swore she was never going back. When she became a single mother, she knew it would be hard, but her daughter was the bright spot in her life. Now she knows pain, grief, anger and is determined to find answers. Answers that might have her returning to her Mother's home. Answers that have her going places she never wanted to go just to get the answers she seeks. But will she find the truth?

Sometimes the answers are worse than the questions. Sometimes it's better not to know.

Eve's pain jumps off the pages. She has her brother Cal, a local police officer as support but that is not enough. She has lost her child. The one person she loves more than anything in the world. She wants vengeance. She wants whoever killed her daughter to pay.

Mesmerizing, Raw, Gritty, Sad, Heartbreaking, Powerful and Harrowing are just a few words to describe this book. Amy Engel has created a riveting book that I could not put down. This is a story about love, about Motherhood, about family, about loss, about grief, and about vengeance. Engel's writing is powerful and packs a punch. There were some twists that I did not see coming. If you have read The Roanoke Girls, you know Engel writes about powerful subjects and damaged characters. She writes about a mother's pain, loss, and grief.

Wowza was this book good! Hight recommend! I loved this book!!

Thank you to Dutton Books and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.

**This was a Traveling Sisters/Friends Group read

Thank you Netgalley and Dutton for the opportunity to preview The Familiar Dark by Amy Engel. Two young girls, Junie and Izzy, are murdered. A woman, Eve, who has been beaten down by time and bad luck is the mom of Junie. Eve's life was Junie and her murder creates a fire within her that she cannot control - if the cops can't help her, she will hunt for the killer and get justice for her daughter.
Eve's childhood was rough and she vowed to do better for her daughter. Now she is dead, and Eve prepared to do whatever it takes to bring justice to Junie. Eve grew up in poverty with a drug addicted mother. She has never had it easy, but this made her who she is now. But secrets are kept here and only those who know the depth of the hidden holes can dig up all the lies and deceit that has been part of this town for years. Eve must revisit her past to help her find salvation. She may have to deal with those she had left behind as well as a painful past with memories that still haunt her.
4 stars - This book is very good.. Engel's dramatic flair and ability to create characters that make the reader "feel" is a gift. Recommend.

Thank you to Netgalley/Dutton books for the ARC of The Familiar Dark by Amy Engel. I can't say there was anything remarkable about this title. However, since I read the bulk of it while being socially distanced at home, I can say it kept my attention. Which hasn't been easy. I've given up on more books lately than I ever have out of boredom or dislike. So this one had characters and plot that I did get invested in. All of it was shady from the beginning but I really did want to know what happened to Izzy and Junie and when I found out, it was all very satisfying. That's really all I can ask for from a novel. Are there better mysteries out there? Sure. Is this one worth reading? Sure.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group for an advanced copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review. The Familiar Dark releases March 31.

This story follows Eve in the wake of her daughters murder. Junie and her best friend, Izzy, were found in the park with their throats slashed. Eve can't believe someone would murder her daughter, but her town is filled with people going nowhere, doing nothing good. She takes the murder into her own hands, finding out dark secrets about Junie and Izzy, as well as people from her past and her own family. She quickly learns that she didn't know her daughter as well as she thought, but doesn't rest until she has discovered the truth.

I did enjoy this book - the plot was intriguing, I really found myself rooting for Eve, and admiring how strong of a woman she was both before and after her daughters murder. There were characters I couldn't stand, characters I knew were going to surprise me, and the vibe of the town was portrayed really well.

What I didn't like was how predictable I found this book. It seemed like there was no mystery where it was going, and the "thriller" aspect of it was really missing for me. While it was centred around murder and getting to the bottom of it, I just felt like it could have been disguised with a little more intrigue. The "big reveals" were just sort of meh and didn't have me on the edge of my seat turning the page.

Overall, the writing was still really great, and I would recommend this book - just more as a cozy mystery as opposed to a thriller.

Thanks to Netgalley and Dutton Books for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

I had a hard time putting this down and it was a quick read. Eve is a single mom from a poor family, living in a poor town. When her daughter is murdered she is devastated but determined to find out what happened. She takes it upon herself to investigate and find the answers.

This was a great read. I’m glad I got the book. An intense story about a mother trying to do right for her daughter.

When Eve discovers her young daughter murdered at a playground, she decides to take matters into her own hands and investigate what happened. Raised in one of the poorest areas of the Missouri Ozark's with a dark sided Momma, Eve is no stranger to violence. Trying to escape her past for her daughters sake, Eve has tried to be a loving and caring mother. But as Eve dives down into the underbelly of a world she once knew, she may need her mother’s hard edge if she’s going to find her daughters killer.

Eve is a badass character. She makes the book what it is because she’s complicated, aggressive and strong. She makes such great points about what it’s like to be a woman involved in a violent crime! Reading about the relationships between Eve and her mother as well as her daughter, make the book more then just a typical murder mystery.

The mystery itself was just okay to me. Things were pretty straight forward and easy to follow but I think the background and the relationships are definitely what stood out for me. What makes the story complex is the personalities behind them. That you never really know someone, that love can be shown in many different ways, it all added to the story!

This one comes out March 31st!! I would love to see this one as a HBO or Netflix show because the characters would be the reason I watch!

The Familiar Dark by Amy Engel was a heavy one y'all. I knew that going in, but whoa, it was just a hard read. The story centers on Eve whose 12 year old daughter and her best friend have been brutally murdered. She's determined to find out what happened to get some kind of closure, and she finds the formal processes just aren't moving fast enough. To look into this, it means she has to delve into a painful past she's always tried to protect her daughter from. Her brother who is a police officer keeps her updated on the investigation, and he offers his own ideas to his sister, as well as cautions for some dangerous leads and individuals she should or shouldn't engage with through her process. Throughout Eve is grieving while also feeling the anger of what as happened and remorse about wanting to have protected her daughter more. Again, this was heavy, but well-written. In the end, resolution comes, but given the subject matter, it's a hard ending to digest for Eve and the reader. Thanks to NetGalley for the early look at this March 2020 release!

OH. MY. GOD! I binged this book in one sitting! If you’re looking for a fast-paced thriller that is full of unexpected twists, then you’ll want to add this one to your list!
This was the first book I have read by this author, but it won’t be my last. I fell in love with Eve’s character and felt her pain as she grieved the lost of her daughter and sought justice for her death.
Eve’s journey for answers will come with its own set of challenges and betrayals, but in the end will she come out victorious?!

First of all, I want to say thank you so much to NetGalley, Dutton Books, and Amy Engel for my advanced reader copy in exchange for my free review.

You guys... this book. I was instantly grabbed within the first two pages when two 12-year old best friends have their throats slit. The Familiar Dark features Eve, who's the mother of one of the girl who's murdered, and a tiny town where she grew up and never left. All of the characters had such real emotions and Engel did a great job at really making you feel the grief, anger, and other emotions that all parties were feeling.

I love a "who did it" kind of thriller and this one had me guessing until the very end. I haven't read anything else by Engel before but I'm definitely going to read her other books now! This one is out March 31, 2020 so you don't have to wait too much longer to get your hands on it.

Wow. This is a thriller I can get behind. Right from the start, the characters had me hooked. Thank you to @duttonbooks and @netgalley for this advanced reading copy. I liked it so much I don’t even know where to start. It’s publishing date is March 31st, 2020 and I HIGHLY recommend picking this one up if you are a thriller lover like myself!

Eve Taggert is a poor, single mother who works as a waitress to support her twelve-year-old daughter, Junie. Eve’s world is destroyed one day when she is notified by her older brother, Cal (who is a police officer), that Junie and her friend have been murdered at the park. Eve turns vengeful almost immediately and we follow her as she takes the plunge into the seedy underbelly of the poverty stricken Missouri Ozarks.

On Eve’s journey, we see her rise from the ashes and tackle issues such as domestic abuse, drug addiction, neglect and abuse of authority. Engel paints a cast of characters that are realistic and dark. Things I loved about her novel - the characters, realistic plot lines, the squalid setting, the beginning, middle and end and everything else. Engel navigates the natural relationship that exists between mothers and daughters with poignant commentary. Thank you Amy Engel, I will definitely be adding you to my favourite author list!

This one was a DNF for me. The beginning was fine, but then I just couldn't focus or care about any of the characters.

Publishes 3.31.2020.