A moody atmospheric novel about the secrets and lies in a small town under the pall of narcotics. It's quite character driven but it's also a page turner. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.

I’m often cautious when approaching small town fiction. Being a lifelong major metropolis person, I often find it unrelatable at best and stereotype confirming at worst. And then there are those other times when suddenly such striking beauty is revealed that it smashes all preconcepts. This, dear readers, is very much one of those instances.
A native New Englander, the author has done his region justice. Mind you, some of the stereotypes you might have had about small town living are definitely there, which is to say there is a huge crisis in US, its name is addiction and it is ugly. It isn’t unfathomable to understand why people would want to grab a temporary getaway from their sad small desperate lives, but it never ends up a mere party favor and a weekend thing, it ends up a lifestyle and at the same time a slow destruction of a life.
It doesn’t just affect the users, but people around them too. The protagonists of this novel both get sideswiped by it and it wrecks them. There’s Ruth, whose only beloved son has been found dead under tragic and salacious circumstances that sends the local gossip mill into overdrive. And there is (inexplicably named) Milk, a war veteran who has just come back to find that his wife has become a junkie, who vanished, leaving their eight year old in the care of a senile grandmother.
This is the story of Ruth and Milk, two very different individuals trying to get by in the unkind world and the unforgiving Vermont’s weather. A story of a mother without a son and a father rediscovering his son. Each have a specific trajectory…Ruth is looking for her spouse who has up and vanished, Milk is looking…well, for many things, work, sanity, peace of mind. Eventually their trajectories will intersect as these things always work in fiction, but their journeys will still be their own, something they have to complete to…I suppose, to just be ok in the world.
There are elements of suspense here, Ruth’s storyline specifically, but primarily this is drama. A fine work of dramatic fiction with striking emotional resonance, first rate character development and terrific writing. This excellent debut is a perfect example of the power of literature to inform us of the world outside of ourselves and help us understand it both emotionally and intellectually through a completely engaging reading experience. Recommended. Thanks Netgalley.

Ian’s debut novel Before Familiar Woods is one of the best books I've read in 2020. He writes realistic characters that you can’t help but be invested in and are masters at crafting vivid settings that are every bit as vital to the fabric of the story as the characters that populate them and can be viewed almost as another character.

More thoughts found on episode 2.11 of the Ink Heist Podcast

This book took me a while to get into but I am glad that I stuck with it. Very descriptive and almost cinematic- I really enjoyed his writing style and the overall flow of the plot. Thank you for this opportunity!

Very atmospheric language and an engaging story but overall I feel like it is trying very hard but didn't truly grab me. I would recommend to my customers but I fear it will get lost in the mix of other books in it's genre that I enjoyed more. Thank you for the opportunity

So many hurts, so many secrets and yet so many unknowns. This is a beautifully written story about living with hurts, gossip, questions, and secrets in a small town. Doesn’t sound much different than any small town but this one is a story that develops and deepens. One that sort of carries you away. The kind of book that you want to turn the pages as fast as you can but yet you don’t want it to end either.

When I began reading this book, I wasn’t sure what it was going to be. Which genre it really was. I’m not super fond of thrillers. But this wasn’t really a thriller or at least it didn’t have that cover your eyes, scream, or cower kind of feeling. It was full of suspense and written to make you wonder all the way through 300 pages what really happened. It created a tension and yet all along it was a good story of many people living their lives. I’m not doing this justice. You’re going to have to read this one. It’s worth it.

This is the author’s debut novel. Can’t wait to see what the next book brings.

Well written story. Kept me engaged the entire time. A page turner for sure! Looking forward to reading more books by this author!

I caution any reader considering this book on what to expect. The less you follow the plot summary the better. If you are a mystery or thriller lover and you go into reading this expecting that genre, you will be disappointed. If you're looking for a dark, atmospheric story set in small town Vermont that is character driven, then you have the right book for you!

Let's talk about the writing. I cannot believe that this is a debut! Mr. Pisarcik is very, very talented. We are just coming out of cold Spring and entering mild Spring here in Buffalo and reading this book put me right back to those bitter cold days of winter where when you step outside you feel your breath taken away. The weight of despair these characters and community carried with them everywhere rested solely on my shoulders. I imagined nothing in color. It was all monochrome. The stage was set very well.

With that being said, this book really challenged me as a reader. It's harder for me to "rate" a book positively when I don't like the story. By "like" the story, I mean makes me feel good or has an ending that redeems the bad stuff that happens before it. Well, that's not always realistic. That's not always life. So it's unfair for me to equate good rating with things working out for everyone. Once I started following that mindset I realized I should rate the book justly and give it a strong 4.

I wouldn't recommend this for quarantine time reading, but when things settle down I would highly suggest you give this author and book a chance.

Thanks to Netgalley, Crooked Lane Books and Ian Pisarcik for the opportunity to read this book and provide an honest review.

Review Date: 05/06/2020
Publication Date: 03/10/2020

In a small Vermont town, two teenage boys are found dead in their tent. Three years later, the boys' fathers disappear together. What follows is a magnetic, compelling story of how one mother is reminded of the past while forging ahead for answers to her future. It’s hard to believe this is the author’s debut — his characters offer so much depth that it’s impossible to put this book down. Settle in; this one will sit with you for awhile. I highly recommend Before Familiar Woods.

A special thanks to NetGalley and Crooked Lane for this advanced copy.

novel is broken into two perspectives: Ruth Fenn, a middle aged woman trying to seek connection and redemption after her 15 year old son Matthew died of a heroin overdose, allegedly overdosing the town’s golden boy, William along with him and Milk Raymond, a solider who has just mustered out of his 3rd tour of duty in Iraq only to return home to his rural Vermont town to find that his 8 year old son Daniel has been abandoned by his heroin addicted wife, Jessica. There’s a thriller edge to this novel as Ruth tries to find her missing husband and discover the truth of where she went wrong with her son. Mostly this novel was about finding what the character’s new path was going to look like, along with an absolutely realistic look into how heroin has become both hope and terror to a community. When I say hope, I mean it gives an addict, someone whose pain has become too much to bear, the hope of finally finding something to make it better. I found this novel to be astonishing, well written and fast paced. I really loved this novel!

Matthew Fenn and his friend William Downing are found dead inside of a tent pitched in the woods of North Falls Vermont.
No one is ever arrested for the crime and eventually Ruth's son Matthew is blamed, some think it was a murder suicide.
Three years later Ruth's husband Elam goes missing, along with William's father Horace. Ruth searches for them in the middle of the bleak winter.
Milk Raymond is back in town after serving in Iraq. Suffering from PTSD, he is caring for his eight year old son Daniel alone, after the boy's junkie mom abandoned him.
Ruth watches Daniel when Milk hunts for a job.
When Daniel's mother comes back for him and they both disappear, Milk and Ruth begin to uncover the deeply hidden secrets of their small, impoverished community and their lives connect in a devastating way.
This is a raw, gritty, atmospheric and dark, deliberately paced thriller. The suspense slowly builds, keeping the reader on edge.
The writing is expressive and emotional. A haunting and heartbreaking story.
Thank you Crooked Lane Books for the e-ARC via NetGalley.

Fantastic Storytelling!

Two boys go camping in the woods and are never seen alive again. Three years later their fathers disappear. How are the these events connected and what has happened to trigger both of these mysteries? Along comes a young Iraq war veteran who arrives home to find his eight year son has been abandoned by his mother and left in the care of his unstable grandmother. How will this man's story man's story intertwine with the missing men?
Hopefully you read this novel find out all the answers.

Cannot believe this is a debut novel by Ian Pisarcik!

I went into this book thinking it would be an eerie crime mystery. It was so much more! The story is bleak and foreboding yet I felt a compelling force to keep reading because the writing was excellent. I couldn't put this book down and when I was finished I felt as if I was punched in the stomach. The writing made me truly ache inside. All I can say is this man can write and he brought the characters to life along with the land and surrounding scenery. If you think you have problems you really need to read this story to find out the type of problems you would never want to encounter in your lifetime.

I want to thank the author "Ian Pisarcik" for writing "Before Familiar Woods" and the publisher "Crooked Lane Books" and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this wonderful novel and all opinions expressed are unbiased and my own!

I highly, highly recommend this book and given a rating of 5 Compelling 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 Stars!!

Two mothers bury their sons at the same time. The young teenagers were found dead inside a tent among the woods.. most likely from a drug overdose.

Ruth's son was the boy they blamed for the drugs. For 3 years she has accepted this as the truth... but is it the truth?

Three years later the mothers' husbands have disappeared at the same time. Is this a copy of what happened to the teenagers?

Milk Raymond is a war vet that came home to find his wife gone ..and his son living with his wife's mother. Unable to find work, and having no idea how to be a father, he turns to Ruth for help. And then his wife shows up .... willing to stop at nothing to regain her son.

As the women look for their husbands, Ruth begins to uncover secrets ... secrets that should never be unearthed.

These lives will never be the same again....

Described as a domestic thriller, this is a well-written story of love, loss, death, in dark, gritty style. The characters are deftly drawn, the setting a small place, filled with desperation and family survival. It's a debut novel that will leave the reader reeling.

Many thanks to the author / Crooked Lane Books / Netgalley for the digital copy of this novel. Read and reviewed voluntarily, opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.

Wow, I’m astonished this is a debut! It was so perfectly written, it truly seemed like it could have been a real story. The author knew how to make the writing so intense it was nearly impossible to put down, while making sure it was chilling, shocking, and fast paced! I look forward to more by this author, as I think that you can’t get much better than this in a thriller, but practice makes perfect, so I know the next will be superb! I highly, highly recommend to those who are looking for an intriguing read that is sure to keep your head spinning, you in chills, and gasping from shocks!
Will make sure to buzz it up on all the different platforms!

This story starts strong. Two boys go camping and are later found murdered in their tent. Three years later their fathers are missing. From there this story seem to go awry.

Characters that have nothing to do with the main story are introduced, Milk Raymond, and it takes entirely too long for this story to evolve. I felt the author should have spent more time on the boys that were murdered before he moved on to the fathers. It seems like the author was trying to follow a formula and it just didn't work.

Thank you to Netgalley and Crooked Lane Books for a copy of this ebook in exchange for my honest review.

Five stars is not sufficient.

Before Familiar Woods grabbed me from the start. It's dark. And honest. It's left me wondering which of the characters truths are the author's truth. Because I feel he's in there somewhere and I want to expose the truth from the imagination. Discover who he really is.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this book. Thank you to Ian Pisarcik for writing it.

I srtongly recommend this book. And even that is an understatement.

Being a huge fan of David Joy I was excited to read the debut book of a new author and he didn't disappoint. Am super excited to see what he writes next. His debut is hauntingly beautiful. It will tug on your heart strings and linger with you long after the last page. I collect books as other women collect shoes and this author's book will be added to my collection. Happy reading!

For a debut novel this is a well done piece of fiction.

Ruth Fenn's son Matthew and his best friend are found murdered in their tent and no one was ever accused of the crime. In fact, the media and the small town of North Falls, VT blamed Ruth's son, Matthew, for the crime and the family becomes the town pariah.

Three year later and Ruth's husband has gone missing but he wasn't alone. He was with Horace who just happened to be the father of the other boy murdered in that tent. Where have they gone?

Milk Raymond has just returned from Iraq to find that his son has been abandoned by his drug addicted mother and is living with his unstable grandmother. Eventually Milk and Ruth's path will cross in a dramatic conclusion.

Ian Pisarcik will be an author that I will keep my eye on. I adored the character of Ruth and I enjoyed the sense of place he has set. The atmosphere is rich and you can feel the desolation and the whipping winter winds. This is a slow burn but deeply compelling story that I think many will enjoy. For grit-lit I didn't find this book to be as bleak and dark as some others that I have read but I should warn you that the murder of the boys is described at one point and it is gruesome. 4 stars!

Thank you to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for providing me with a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A solid debut. This story moved right along switching between the story lines of Ruth, a woman whose son died horrifically and in a way that made him and his family outcasts in their small Vermont community and Milk, a soldier recently returned from Iraq who must take care of his son on his own as his son's mother is claimed by the opioid epidemic.

Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to preview this ARC of Before Familiar Woods by Ian Pisarcik.

Ruth and Della were friends once, and so were their sons. But everything changed when their sons are found dead after a camping trip gone very wrong. Three years later and now they are both missing their husbands.

Milk is a just returned vet who is getting to know his nine year old son again. His wife had abandoned them for a life of drugs and now they have to begin life anew. Meeting Ruth, together the two of them work to figure out what has been going on in their seemingly sleepy town.

It was so interesting to see the Goodreads review liken this book to something that David Joy would write, because I thought the exact same thing. It's dark, the town is small and bleak, you can practically feel the cold and smell the exhaust of the old yards that so much of the story takes place in. I thought that this was pretty good, I could have used a bit more heart and hope, but that's simply a personal preference. I will be interested to see what else Pisarcik has up his sleeve!

TW: violence, references to sex slavery