Dark August
Katie Tallo
June 20, 2020

She grew up in Ottawa, Canada. It wasn’t an easy life. Her mother Shannon Monet was a police detective and widow. Charlie, her father, died when she was an infant. He was a young police officer and during a chase he was killed trying to apprehend a suspect. Shannon was destroyed. They were young and lovingly anticipated their daughter’s arrival. When things became too tough to tolerate her solitary life. She hired a sitter for Augusta, worked and studied hard. By the time Gus was in elementary school Shannon was a detective.
One ugly night the police came to pick up Gus from the sitter’s to take her to her Great Grammie Rose’s house in Ottawa, Canada. Shannon had been killed in an accident. Very little information was ever given to Augusta. When Rose found taking care of Gus to be too much, she enrolled Gus in St. Catherine’s boarding school. She spent short summers with Rose and her nurse, Miss Santos. It wasn’t the life she expected but at 17 she graduated and planned to head back to Grammie Rose. While traveling Gus met Lars. He was someone she couldn’t resist but should have. In the next year she finds herself living with Lars, moving from place to place and doing things her parents would never have conceived possible. Gus wakes up next to Lars, he’s sleeping off a drunk when her phone rings. Checking the caller id, she sees Rose’s number, when it persists she answers. It is not Rose but Miss Santos. Gus listens. Santos' curt voice tells her to come home, Rose has passed. Gus gathers her belongings and takes money from Lars’ wallet. With that, she heads out into the night to walk to the bus station.
Tallo’s novel is a tale of Augusta’s life and rough journey to discover the path her mother walked before she died. Shannon left evidence hoping that Gus would continue to probe the catastrophic case she was working. Shannon knew she was in grave danger but prayed that she would remain alive for Gus. When she lost her life, proof was hidden for Gus to spell out. This narrative is a brilliant work of literary fiction. As I had no idea of the premise of Dark August I had issues working through the first section, the issue was my train of thought. Once I started the book again I locked into the storyline. This novel deserves the reader’s attention. I wish to thank HarperCollins Publishers for allowing me to read and review the uncorrected proof of Dark August by Katie Tallo. It will be published June 30, 2020. Tallo is a screenwriter and director. This is her first published work of fiction, a worthy summer read.

Dark August by Katie Tallo was outstanding! I was completely mesmerized by this novel. It did start slow but after the first few chapters it took off. Augusta, who goes by Gus, is 20 and living a rough life. Gus’s mom, a police detective, was killed in a car wreck when Gus was eight. Gus and her puppy,Levi, were sent to live with her grandmother, Rose, who was ancient. Rose was not able to take care of her so she had her sent to boarding school. Gus never went back. Now Rose has died and Gus is called back. She has been left everything of Rose’s, which is not much, an old big rickety house andthe 13-year-dog Levi. When Gus is going through items in the house getting it ready to sell, she finds an old trunk of hers. It seems her mom had put some evidence from a case she was working on when she died in the trunk. Gus is determined to investigate this case. I don’t want to go to much detail and ruin the plot but this case was very interesting. This novel had such an original plot. I love the character of Gus and Levi. They are two of favorite characters I’ve ever read about. I can’t wait to read more of this authors books! Thank you to the publisher and Net Galley for the advanced copy of this book. All opinions on my own.

Dark August focuses on a young woman (20) named Gus who lost her mother as a child and was raised in a boarding school. Grandma - who is unwilling to raise Gus - passes away and leaves home that must be sold. Gus returns to the town where her mother passed away and drama ensues. Without spoiling the story, the theme is that she learns she must never rely on anyone due to multiple instances of violence and the mental health issues of others. Gus is also conscious of her trust issues and the drama validates the 'truths' she learned as a child.

The writer is very good and has loads of talent. That said, I don't like 'trauma porn' and the book is one terrible incident following another. The story is beyond believable and the main character is on supposed to be 20 but seems far beyond her age in character and behavior.

I gave 4 stars because the writer is fantastic and I normally won't bother past the first few pages of this style book. Don't think I would read another of her books if its more of the same story style but so impressed with her writing and the 'character voices' overall.

Once it got going the action didn’t stop! Filled with twists and turns, some that I didn’t see coming!
Augusta (Gus) Monet is a 20 yr old orphan. She lost her parents very young and has now traveled back to her hometown to settle the estate of her grandmother, who just passed away! She has been left an old worn down house with a mortgage which she must sell and a pup named Levi. While going through the home, she finds a trunk filled with her childhood treasures and photos and news clippings from the past that her policewoman mother used to have hanging on the wall. Augusta finds herself following in her mother’s footsteps and investigating the crimes of the past to find the link to her mother’s death!
She is such a likeable character with her sidekick Levi. She is still so young and people find it easy to open up to her and her intentions are pure. I throughly enjoyed reading about Gus and I loved that she took Levi with her on her adventures!
Can’t wait to see what this author comes up with next!
Thank you Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!

I had a hard time getting into this one. I was intrigued by the cover and the synopsis, but I just didn't find myself being pulled into this book like I wanted. I didn't connect with the main character and found myself not really caring where the book took her. I think I am going to give this one a break and come back with I am feeling more motivated.

I’m always on the search for the next great book, so I was pleased when my request for the arc of Dark August by Katie Tallo was approved on NetGalley! I was immediately drawn to the story because it was about a girl searching for the truth about her family’s past. From the very beginning, the story sucked me in with Augusta’s passion for following the path that her mother had taken, along with her trusty canine sidekick, Levi. If you are looking for a murder mystery that will take you on a journey into the past, keep this book on your radar! It’s out, June 30, 2020!

The Plot:
When Augusta, Gus for short, finds out that her Grandmother has passed away, she immediately abandons her life with her skeeze-ball boyfriend, Lars, and heads straight to a place from her childhood. Since her Grandmother was her last living relative, Gus arrives to nothing but a house and an old dog named Levi. Knowing that she will have to sell the house, Gus decides to go through some of the old items that her Grandma was holding on to when she comes across an old trunk. This wasn’t an ordinary trunk, it was Gus’s trunk from her childhood. Upon opening it, she discovers cold case files that her mother had stuffed into it, hiding among Gus’s childhood belongings. Memories behind to bubble to the surface as Gus tries to piece together what her mother had been investigating and what truly led to her mother’s death. Gus sets out on the hunt to discover the truth, putting herself in the face of danger along the way.

My Thoughts:
First things first, when it comes to any story involving a dog, I’m always terrified to read it because I’m scared that something awful will happen to the dog! (I know, I’m one of those!) Despite my fears for sweet Levi throughout the story, I pushed on! The beginning 20-30% of the story was focused on character building and setting up the groundwork for the plot. I know that many people find this step to be tedious for most stories, but I thoroughly enjoyed the way that Tallo laid out the backstory. I’m a sucker for a book that dives into someone’s past, and this book was perfect for that. Gus is following the same path that her mother took, picking up on all of the clues that her mother left behind. I found this to be a very enjoyable aspect of the book because even though the mother, Shannon, was not alive in the story, I could feel her presence. As Gus unravels Shannon’s past, it felt like two stories in one. You have Gus’s present-day storyline and Shannon’s past storyline. Both storylines are woven together beautifully to create an electrifying page-turner that I just didn’t want to put down!

One thing that is important to note about this story is the number of different characters that are introduced. I read this book for a couple of weeks because I didn’t have as much time to dedicate to reading, so by the end of it, I had to question who some of the earlier characters were. I found it to be essential to keep track of all of the characters because each person in the story appeared to have a sense of importance in the story. Even if they weren’t directly involved in the mystery, there was an important aspect to them all. Something that I found to be unique and interesting about this story is the way that Katie Tallo set up the chapter titles. Each title was either the name of a person or a place and she centered that chapter around said person or place while still progressing with the storyline effortlessly.

Dark August has been advertised as a book for lovers of All the Missing Girls and Sharp Objects, which just happen to be two of my all-time favorite books! I would have to agree with this claim, as I also thoroughly enjoyed this story. So if you are a fan of the “dark past” thriller, I would highly recommend you pick this one up on June 30, 2020! Thank you to NetGalley, HarperCollins, and Katie Tallo for my free advanced copy of Dark August!

A fantastic debut! This was incredibly well written and suspenseful. I was thoroughly perplexed by the mystery and enjoyed the first hand seat as it unraveled. This was an edge of my seat read with a very satisfactory ending. The twists were well timed and caught me by surprise. I am wholly impressed by this debut and look forward to reading more by this author! My thanks to the publisher for the advance reader in exchange for my honest review.

This book had a pretty large cast of characters which was a little confusing to figure out at the beginning of the story, but the pacing and the mystery elements of the plot kept me engaged until the very end. If you're a fan of the thriller genre, I highly recommend picking this one up

This was a good read that I finished in under 24 hours. It centers on Augusta (Gus), a 20-year-old living on the fringes of society who finds out that her only living relative, Rose, has passed away and left everything to her. She returns home, only to find that what she has inherited is a falling down house, an old car, and an elderly dog. However, she has always had an interest in finding out more about what caused her police officer mother's death 10 years prior and finds that her mother left clues in the house for Gus related to the case she was working on when she died. Gus jumps all in to try to figure out the mystery her mother was trying to solve.

This was an interesting story with a lot of characters, but they weren't hard to keep straight. I found it slightly distracting that the author named the chapters for the person that Gus was talking to/investigating at that stage, and didn't really find it necessary, but it didn't take away from my overall enjoyment of the book. There were also some repetitive passages throughout (I think she mentions Gus's "long red hair" 20 times), but again, didn't deflect from the story; I just thought it could have been tightened up. On the other hand, I loved the references to the abandoned town and mansion and thought that this setting added a lot to the book.

I figured out who one of the villains was pretty early, but didn't understand the full story until closer to the end of the book. I was surprised when it came out, and about some of the characters' involvement in the crimes that were committed. It ended up being a multi-faceted mystery, which I really enjoyed. I also thought Gus was a strong and likable character, though I had some initial concerns based on her attitude towards the dog. Stick with her, though!

Overall, I would strongly recommend this book to those who like mysteries. I am looking forward to reading more from this author. Thanks to Netgalley for providing me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I ended up really enjoying this book after a super slow start for me! I enjoyed the mystery and the twists and turns. With each chapter the story gained momentum so that held my attention. The description of the book is what led me to request this book and I wasn't disappointed after I stuck with the book and just sat down to read it.

Thanks to Netgalley for my advanced ebook copy!!

Amazing debut novel! It started a little slow (honestly, I started and stopped several times before I finally just sat down and read all the way through), but then .... non-stop reading. Enjoyed the mystery and the twists & turns. I did figure out a couple of the twists but it didn't detract my enjoyment of the story. Great story, great characters, great plot. I can't wait to see what this new author comes up with next!

Thank you #netgalley and #HarperCollins Publishers for the eARC.

This is what makes a great mystery and suspense novel. The telling of Gus, who comes home after her grandmothers death and becomes entwined in a mystery her mother left behind.

This was engaging from the beginning and the end created the exact twist that makes for a great novel. It was unexpected and the writing superb.

*Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for proving me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

Wow! This was really good! I knew within the first 5 pages it would be a story I couldn’t put down. And I was right. The story telling is amazing and the characters are real. Lots of twists and turns. Was going to give it four stars but the last 10% of the book catapulted it. Very, very good! Will definitely recommend to friends to read! #netgalley #darkaugust

After the death of her great-grandmother, 20-year-old Augusta finds clues to a crime her mother was investigating at the time of her death, when Gus was just eight. Soon, Gus is knee-deep in mystery herself - and danger.

Really enjoyable! Thrilling, suspenseful, intriguing with many twists and turns. Couldn't put this book down & kept me guessing til the end. Highly recommend to others who enjoy psychological thrillers.

DARK AUGUST is a thoroughly engrossing mystery. After her grandmother dies, Gus runs away from her dangerous boyfriend and goes to her grandmother's house, only to learn that the house must be sold to pay her grandmother's debt. As Gus tries to figure out where to go next, she remembers a case that that captured her mother's interest and much of her attention, attention Gus wished had been given to her. But Gus, like her mother, soon becomes obsessed as well. Very clever, twisty plot. Totally absorbing.

The description of this book really caught my attention along with the beautiful cover. I love a suspense, or thriller, genre of book. This was right up my alley!

Gus inherits her great grandmothers house when she passes and finds information on an old cold case file her mother hid in her childhood trunk. Gus cant help herself and starts following in her mothers footsteps. It did start a little slow for my taste. It didnt really pick up until close to 30% into the book. Id love a quicker start to the suspense on this. I am glad I stuck it out though because Katie Tallo sure knows how to weave in insanely intricate story with ties to things and people you'd never expected or guessed!

I loved the main character and her juxtaposition to her parents as the story starts and how she evolves throughout following this cold case. She is a likable character who had a hard childhood.and she really grows on you. Her dog is also my other favorite character! Levi is a real gem and a great sidekick for Gus.

Overall I would highly recommend this book as long as you are ok with a fairly slow build up, in my opinion. Fantastic plot, great world building, and beautiful wrap up to the story and characters.

Tense chilling so well written an amazing debut thriller.A young woman returns to the town she grew up inHer mother is dead and as the story unfolds the discovery she makes about her police detectives mother’s death will keep you racing through the pages.#netgalley#harpercollins

I read the first couple of chapters of this book and almost didn't continue. The story is written in third-person PRESENT tense, which I do not enjoy. Additionally, I found the author's writing style offputting. Only because I was given an ARC of this novel by NetGalley and the publisher did I feel obligated to push on....And I'm glad I did.

With each chapter, the story gained momentum and turned into a captivating and well-crafted suspense novel that was hard to put down. Our protagonists, 20-year-old Gus and her dog, Levi, were easy to root for and care about. Though I guessed the key villains' identities, there were still a couple of twists--one in particular--that I didn't see coming, and they delighted me. I also enjoyed how Tallo pivoted each chapter around a person or place. All in all, this is a well above average and unique thriller.

I loved this book!!! A young woman trying to find out what happened to her mother from years before and gets caught up in a ghost town destroyed from fracking. I wish that this author had written more books because I would go back and read them all. Kudos to the authors debut novel.