The book started off great, but unfortunately ended up falling a bit flat. The writing was great, but the story itself was a bit predictable and frustrating. I’d give the author another try though as I really did enjoy the writing and the twist at the end was enjoyed!

A really interesting premise that kept me glued until the very big twist at the end. I really enjoyed this thriller a lot and thoroughly recommend. Thanks to the publisher and netgalley for the arc.

“That’s the point of a thriller, isn’t it?” You want us to think your plots could really happen. Would it be so surprising if someone took it too far?”

Thief River Falls starts out with a strong atmospheric beginning, taking place in an isolated house on a farmland. A few pages into the book, our protagonist - an author - comes across a boy who doesn’t know his name and has no idea where he came from.

The plot continues to hold promise; the events taking place are *very* similar to the ones happening in her latest thriller novel. The ending was unsatisfactory for me, but I think the book was an overall good thriller.

Thief River Falls by author Brian Freeman is a dark and twisty mystery novel that did not disappoint! The characters are great and the plot line is super!

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

As I reader, I found the characters to be well-developed and easy to feel invested in, which may be part of why I found this to be such a great read. I also found the premise of Lisa and the runaway boy being thrown together trying to solve a murder and survive the consequences of getting too close to what happened. This was a great read!

This book drew me in and held me delightfully-captive from beginning to end. The palpable tension held me in thrall. The plot kept me guessing. The characters were realistic, likable and identifiable. And, every setting was described in such a way as to make me feel like I was an actual bystander in that scene. Once I started reading this story, I knew this was a book I wasn’t going to be able to put down!

#ThiefRiverFalls #NetGalley

I had looked forward to this one, and at first, I thought I might like it.

That didn't turn out to be the case. The behavior of the main character was off-the-wall questionable from the first chapter and became more questionable with each succeeding chapter.

More filler than thriller. And then there was the conclusion.

NetGalley/Thomas & Mercer
Feb. 1, 2020. Print length: 314 pages.

Thief River Falls immediately grabbed me and held on, it's the kind of book that you walk around reading because you simply cannot put it down. I devoured it in about a day and a half because work forced me to put it down.

I found Lisa to be a frustrating but quite relatable character. She's faced a lot of loss, so much that she has a name for it- The Dark Star. She's lost everyone she loves, everyone dear to her, in an alarmingly short time frame, even her twin brother abandoned her because he couldn't live in the shadow of the Dark Star any longer. The loss and her coping mechanisms are a key part of the story and I had just lost someone literally three days before I picked this book up so it was both a difficult time and a good time to read it.

The book is a mystery and a thriller, but the loss at its core is what really makes the heartbeat of the story. I felt I figured out the 'twist' of the mystery earlier than the author may have intended but looking back through, the clues were well written. And having my suspicions confirmed didn't make me enjoy the book any less, it still resonated, probably even more so because of the loss I was personally dealing with.

It's hard to discuss the plot of a mystery without giving too much away, the summary of this book is all I really think you need. It's better to go into this one blind, without reading too much in a revealing review that may sway the way you see the characters or the way in which the tension builds. If you're a fan of this genre, if characters on the run as they try to solve a mystery and you try to untangle their past is your cup of tea, I think you'll really dig this.

While there is not a deep dive on the topic, I appreciate a book that opens discussions about mental health. This would be great for reading groups and buddy-reads who want to do some deep talk afterward.

My only real issue with the book was the use of 'Indians' to refer to the indigenous peoples of North America. This occurred multiple times and as someone of Native heritage, it frustrated me because there was no point to the use. It was not demonstrating character or used in anything but an internal monologue.

This was an unexpected fast read. I flew through this book. And I did not expect that plot twist at the end, even though I had figured out some of it before. I went into this book without any expectations, but ended up really enjoying the book.

This is a good story with great characters, but it's too weird for me. This is no ordinary thriller, and the blurb should point this out.

I'm normally a sucker for all things Brian Freeman.  I LOVE the Jonathan Stride series and lately have gotten really into Cab Bolton as well.  But this one just didn't work for me.  I felt no attachment to Lisa Power, and as much as I enjoyed the fast-paced story and "the twist", it just didn't feel like Brain Freeman to me.  Although I raced through this one, it had me wishing for a glimpse into the worlds of Stride and Bolton instead.

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

This is a decent book that kept me up late into the night reading. She has a knack for divulging little details that kept me wondering and speculating on what was going on. I felt sorry and angry at the main character for the way she was behaving. I found this book to be a fast read and I enjoyed it a lot!

Brian Freeman has long been one of my "go to" authors for what I know is going to be an engrossing, smart, surprising read. Thief River Falls just ups his game. Surprising twists I didn't see coming and characters that made me care.