Do you ever read reviews of novels right before you write your own review, and then feel conflicted about your overall feelings? I made the mistake of doing this earlier today and found myself confused. I read Thief River Falls today and really liked it. I sat down about 1:00 this afternoon to start reading and did nothing else until I finished. Then I made the mistake of looking at other reviews, so I had to take some time to reflect and question my own judgment.

What did I come up with? I still really liked this book.

As stated in the blurb, author Lisa Power lives in a remote cabin north of Thief River Falls, Minnesota which is also the title of her most recent bestseller. The novel opens with her returning home one rainy night, drenched to the bone, worn-out, haggard, etc. although we aren’t told why. After a really strange video chat with a California-based book club, Lisa goes to bed but later awakes to deputies outside of her home trying to get her to open the door. For some reason, she doesn’t open the door and hides. Not long after they leave, she is staring out the window and sees a young boy, dirty and rain-soaked in the yard. After finding this boy and bringing him inside, she realizes that he has suffered some sort of trauma and has no clue who he is or where he came from. She decides, until they figure out his identity, to call him Purdue. Which happens to be the name of the young boy in her latest novel.

After Lisa finds Purdue and takes him in, I then read pages and pages of bad decisions. If you find a young boy in your yard in the middle of the night, please just call the police. Don’t overthink it and do crazy shit. Just call the police, you crazy woman! Lisa, however, does not call the police. Moreover, this is the beginning of a wild ride trying to figure out who the bad guy is (or bad people), who she can trust, where to hide next, and where to search for clues regarding Purdue’s identity and what happened to him. This is the majority of the novel and, at times, I found myself skimming over pages. It started to feel tedious and overwritten. But I warn you not to do what I did because I ended up going back to re-read things because I realized I missed something. Even when things felt insignificant, I later realized that they were not.

Thief River Falls is yet another novel that I have recently read where I was required to suspend belief. Why? Because of all of the things Lisa did in attempts to hide Purdue, the amazing strokes of luck Lisa had while on the run, and all of the opportunities the “authorities” had to find Lisa and Purdue, yet they didn’t. Even worse, after the big twist near the end, I was confused about whether all of the things I had read were even accurate or if I had wasted my time trying to reconcile what I was reading with what I know as sense and reason.

Yet still, I really liked this book.

This is a psychological thriller, people. It is meant to get in your head, make you question things, and perhaps, creep you out a little. Read this with an open mind knowing that a big twist is coming. Just savor and enjoy the psychological thriller aspect of it all and escape for a few hours while reading. Ignore the fact that Lisa has given a cheesy name, “The Dark Star,” to all of her loss and trauma she has experienced over the years. Just read and enjoy it! I recommend this one and as long as you go into it without too critical of an eye, I think you will enjoy it also.

*Thanks to Thomas & Mercer, the author, and NetGalley for providing this review copy in exchange for my honest opinion!

t was like she was caught up in a small town version of "Hotel California". Thief River Falls welcomed her back but refused to let her leave.

Lisa Power author of best selling novel Thief River Falls in in production starring Reese Witherspoon. She has finally pulled it together. A thriller based in her hometown that the main prose is a mother and son and the fight to stay alive. Powers loves to get with her readers and when a question is prompted to her it is the beginning of a nightmare that she finds herself in back in her home town in North West of Minnesota. The question of if she was fearful if someone would bring to life the violence and fear in her books. The question troubled her and later that night in her own home, she is approached by a lost boy who cannot remember who he is but he is deathly afraid of two men after him to kill him. Lisa is drawn to this little boy and their unusual relationships leads to them trying to find answers and to try to escape those that are after them.

The characters were very confusing. It was a disconnect as it became unbelievable. When our family vacation spot of Bemidji was mentioned, I felt some connection to the story. You have to hold on to the very end for the dots to connect. Then you have to decide how it was played. The plot was clever however, it was the main character that remained aloof to me. With all that Lisa went thru, the pain of loss, grief, fear, it was not captured in descriptive detail but in passing. So if your cup of tea is character development vs plot, I always go with character development. In the end, I was to dizzy going in circles.

A Special Thank you to Thomas Mercer and Netgalley for the ARC and the opportunity to post an honest review

Brian Freeman is one of my favorite authors and I have been reading him for years.

Lisa Power is a very successful author who has lived in Thief River Falls her entire life. At the moment she is dealing with the loss of most of her entire family, mother, father, and three brothers. The only family member she has left is her twin brother who has left the area to deal with his own loss.

Lisa lives in a remote country home and one night she sees a little boy standing in her yard in the rain. She finds him hiding in her barn and persuades him to let her help him. What follows is a thrill ride a minute with a twist that will leave you gasping!

I highly recommend ANY book that Brian Freeman writes.

3.75 stars - Intriguing, magical, suspenseful

Ultimately, I enjoyed the read ..but I predicted most of it. So my best advice for the author is to filter out more of those hints at the beginning and throughout, and the reader should be kept guessing. Otherwise here's my breakdown:

What I liked: The writing is brilliant and suspenseful. Excellent use of subtle environmental descriptions to set a spooky, isolated, decrepit mood!! Things that are dark, sharp, or have references to death or the deteriorating Earth.. very clever.. I'm not sure if that was intentional but I picked up every hint! This helped visualise everything clearly.

For example: "She held the shed door tightly as it shuddered in her grasp. With her other hand, she lit up the interior with her flashlight. She saw her riding lawn mower, its blades stained green; the snowplow attachment for her truck; a pegboard with saws and drills hung on hooks. Bags of fertilizer were stacked on wooden shelves, giving off a sweet smell and leaching orange dust onto the metal floor."

I also liked the protagonist, I thought she was well-written. Smart and kick-ass. Hers and others capacity for empathy was depicted very-well also, as I know this can sometimes be hard to do. I liked the characters thriller lens, how she saw stories all around her. The beginning half of the book was fairly page turning. I also loved how the entire town knew her and she couldn't hide while attempting to escape. There was one thing I didn't predict.. regarding towards the very end when it's discussed what happened with Purdue.. and that one got me! Damnnnn.


What needs improvement: Use less hints. I guessed what was happening 10% in because the content seemed unlikely, and also due to some of the actual verbalisations of hints. My advice would be to take these out. Readers will read between the lines. For example, there's a scene later where Lisa is listening to how Purdue becomes detached and the hint left there was far too obvious. Also the manner in which Laurel questions Lisa.. big giveaway to Laurel. About 60% the way in, there's a big hint about what's happening.. I think here is where my enjoyment and suspense dropped to a mellow read. And for this reason, the ending also became mellow. I mean it was touching, and everything came full circle. But with the predictable hints throughout the book, I wasn't very moved by the time the end happened. And even her wish for Purdue in the final scene seemed irresponsible. So I'm not sure where I stand with the ending. It's hard to tell. Hmm.

Thank you to NetGalley, Brian Freeman and Thomas & Mercer for this free ARC in exchange for a review. Opinions expressed here are entirely my own.

Thief River Falls by Brian Freeman is a very dark story about a woman Lisa Power, who finds a boy, and she will do anything to keep him safe. This book was just not my cup of tea. I have read Mr. Freeman's other books and enjoyed them. A lot of people might love this book, guess you will have to judge for yourself.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This was an interesting read, I am in agreement with a number of other reviewers about the ending, I didn’t care for it. Though kudos to the author for keeping me guessing through the book, and for keeping the characters interesting and fully developed. Lisa Power finds a young boy on her rural property late one night and rather than calling the police, decides to investigate on her own after the boy tells her the police are the bad guys. Her investigation leads her to believe the boy is telling the truth and that he is in danger. They decide to go on the run but due to a snow storm end up in Thief River Falls, a town that Lisa had grown up in. The pace is very quick, the plot moves quickly and I was engaged with the characters. As I mentioned earlier, I am not a fan of the ending, however, the book overall was enjoyable. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC.

A quick read, with a steady paced plot and well-groomed characterization. The overall feel of this novel plays toward suspense with less tilt toward the thriller genre that it is marketed for. Freeman creates an apprehensive main character that he holds at arms-length from the reader. It plays well to the framing of her psyche although some readers may be put off by not getting into all the gritty details behind the character. While some of the plot felt predictable, the book is well written and intriguing. Overall a good read. 4 stars.

Thank you to #NetGalley for the ARC of #ThiefRiverFalls, which was read and reviewed voluntarily.

Thanks to Netgalley for this review copy.

Lisa lives under a " Dark Star" as she refers to her life and the series of events she has endured. She's an author who is known for a book named after her hometown, Thief River Falls. After a series of losses of those close to her within a span of a few years, all she has left is her twin brother who she doesn't speak to. One night there is a young boy who is just standing in her yard, and he knows nothing about himself that can identify him, but he does know that he saw a murder and that the cops were in on it. Lisa takes this boy in and tries to maintain his safety. Things spiral out of control from there.

This book was fast paced at first, but then it just slowed down. It was a struggle to get through it even though the twist at the end was good, it wasn't enough to save the book for me.

2.5 stars, rounded up to 3.

As a Minnesota native, I was really excited to read this book. Though it sucked me in right away and kept me intrigued enough to want to finish, I will say that the farther along I got into it, the more disappointed I became.

The character development was weak and hollow. Lisa was just a bizarre character - she kept doing weird things, acting too stupidly, and speaking too oddly. The rest of the characters were not developed enough, so you didn’t find yourself caring for them or their stories at all.

When it comes to the plot, it was too predictable and the ending too neat for a psychological thriller. All in all, I’m glad it was a quick read, but it lacked a lot of the qualities that make up a “good book.”

A mystery/thriller where the main character is an author of mystery/thrillers. Novel concept and Brian Freeman made it work as he tells us the story of an author who has become somewhat of a recluse when the life she knows is lost. Thief River Falls is the name of the town and the name of her book. Both play a big role in the sudden twists in the plot. Just when you think you have figured out how each character will finish, circumstances change and you are left looking back in the book to see where you missed that clue! This is a quick read, the story moves at a quick pace and will keep you engrossed in finding out how one lonely, damaged woman can save herself and the young boy she has vowed to protect.

Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to preview Thief River Falls by Brian Freeman. This author has a long history of successful engaging characters that I really like alot. This is a stand alone book, but set in similar environment.
An author, Lisa Powers, takes in a young boy who is hiding from dangerous individuals who have committed murder. Lisa feels compelled to save this child, at any cost. She is willing to risk it all because she understands suffering more than most - but will saving this boy mean that she may put her own life in peril?
Different book than the Jonathan Stride series that i adore. I did not connect with the lead character and for me this is important.
Freeman is a great author, but his departure from his "sweet spot" was a bit disappointing for me as a fan.
3 stars.

Duplicate - please refer to my earlier review! A most excellent story as are all Brian Freeman's books. Thank you!

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC of Thief River Falls by Brian Freeman.

Unfortunately this is a DNF for me. When the ultimate premise is just too unbelievable and over the top I have lost the ability to give a fair review. The adult/child dynamic that is introduced in the beginning of the book is so inappropriate and bizarre that I began caring less and less about the overall story. I know that it is probably unfair of me, but part of what made it so unbelievable was that this "child" also communicated with the language of a child, and the savvyness of an adult and I can't stand that.

This book is free here and i downloaded it because i want to made my Ratio high but really i regretted that i read it.

This novel is okay for me, just okay, i thought that i will love it or found something that attract me to this novel but i felt disappointed.

Lisa Power is the bestselling author of a thriller called Thief River Falls, named after her rural Minnesota hometown. But Lisa's life is tragic as she lives alone in her remote house after losing her entire family through a series of tragedies she calls the “Dark Star.” Then a nameless runaway boy shows up at her door claiming he has escaped death after witnessing a brutal murder. Obsessed with the boy’s safety, Lisa resolves to expose this crime. But powerful men in Thief River Falls are desperate to get the boy back, and now they want her too.

This was a thrilling psychological thriller and a great read.

I received an eARC from Netgalley and Thomas and Mercer with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book and provided this review.

Lisa Powers is a local author of bestselling thriller, Thief River Falls, named after her hometown. One night, she finds a boy on her property. He doesn't remember his name or where he has been, but he knows he witnessed a brutal murder involving the police. Now, he needs sanctuary, because he insists every cop in town is searching for him. Their intention: silence the witness. Lisa becomes obsessed with both the boy's safety and unraveling the mystery of what really happened.

The best part about Thief River Falls was the immediate pacing. I am not a fan of most slow-burn stories, and since the author jumped right into the plot, I was hooked right away. Sadly, it went downhill from there. The plot was predictable, the characters made too many questionable decisions, and I foresaw the twists. I found myself skimming pages without having missed crucial information. To me, the most important part of a book, regardless of genre, is realism. I need to BELIEVE the plot. If I can't believe the plot, I need to at least believe the characters' actions/motivations/choices. I found both to be lacking, and since I didn't find many plot points to be realistic, I didn't care enough about the characters.

Unfortunately, Thief River Falls didn't tick all the right boxes for me, but even though this wasn't a good book for me, I still recommend it. Others might have a better experience than I did. Remember, not every book is for every reader. :)

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley. This is my honest, unbiased opinion.

I enjoyed this book, it was fast-paced and well-written. I didn’t see the twist coming, but the twist did make me question the plausibility of the events that occured prior. Nonetheless, it was a good read. I really enjoyed that the main character was an author of thrillers.

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this in exchange for my honest review.

I'm honestly not sure how I feel about this book. I really enjoyed the writing style. The plot was full of tension. It was fairly easy to figure out part of what was happening. However, it took a surprising turn. My issue was with the way it was all just allowed to happen. I don't want to give spoilers, but it felt unrealistic. How could so many sit by and just do nothing? On the other hand, it is so well written and intense that I couldn't put it down. This one will stick with me for awhile.

I want to throw this book at the wall. Just no. The plot of this book is everything a movie producer would love as it would make a ton of money. We put up with a lot in movie and tv for a little action and suspense. We can suspend our imagination particularly when the movie has a good script with great actors to pull us along. But this does not work the same way in a book. You can have a great plot but if your execution sucks your readers will roll their eyes and ask for their money back.

The story was initially interesting and had my attention though I immediately became suspect as the main character, author Lisa Powell, just starts doing things that make no sense whatsoever. When she finds a lost injured boy with amnesia in her yard she starts acting even more bizarre and things go south from there. It was all very unrealistic and often plain silly. I honestly didn’t see the twist coming so that made the reading even more tedious as I am sure if you are smart and figure it out early you may not feel as aggravated by the actions of the protagonist. It makes up for some of the problems with they plot but I still felt the writing style was low brow. Much of it felt cliched and predictable though you are faced with an unreliable narrator which, if you are easily conned like me, you don’t realize for some time. That didn’t make up for the lack of sophistication in the plot that I was looking for. When the twist was revealed I had finally started to figure it out but it seemed very abrupt and lacked finesse in the telling. It all just felt so contrived. Finally everyone lived happily ever after. Everything was wrapped up with a nice big bow. The author using his book in the story seemed very pretentious to me. I hope Reese Witherspoon really did choose to make a movie from this book. Otherwise if I were her I think I would be pretty miffed.

I have read several books by Brian Freeman and this did not disappoint. There were a few parts where it seemed a little far fetched as far as the choices Lisa was making but it was necessary for the book to come together. I was totally blindsided and shocked by the ending. This book had several heart pounding moments and it was a quick read. Thank you #Netgalley for the ARC. #ThiefRiverFalls