Hawthorn Woods. 1989. A quiet neighborhood in somewhere, Illinois. Francine arrives there for a two week vacation to babysit her seven year old nephew Charlie while her sister and husband take a belated honeymoon. She’s recovering from a devastatingly painful divorce and hopes her time in this quiet suburb will help her find peace. There’s only one problem. Hawthorn Woods is neither peaceful nor quiet.

The first night Francine’s sister throws a party to welcome her to the neighborhood. A stranger throws a drink in her face. The second night, at another party, there’s a more disturbing incident. She does meet the neighbors. Laura Jean, open and friendly; Roland Gerber, a Swiss octogenarian; Lori, super mom and activities organizer and her husband Dennis; mechanic and war vet Del; the Banderwalts, who moved into a fixer-upper and left it alone; Police Chief Hollis and his mail-order bride - what a cast of characters! And there’s the neighborhood mystery man, Michael Bruno, who may or may not be a writer. Everyone is hiding something. Some secrets are far more dangerous than others. Some only hurt the people who are hiding them. After the two weeks Francine spends in Hawthorn Woods, there are no secrets left.

This review is spoiler free so I can’t tell you anything that happens. I can say that I read this straight through. It’s a thriller and a mystery and a character study rolled into one. Patrick Canning is an excellent, talented writer and Hawthorn Woods is not to be missed. 5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley, Amazon and Patrick Canning for this ARC.

**I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion***

I enjoyed getting to know the characters in this story. All the mysteries of the neighborhood were fun to try to solve. A bit of a shocker towards the end that I didn't see coming. This was a great summer read for me that I couldn't put down. You never know what's going on behind closed doors.

WARNING: This review contains spoilers.

“Hawthorn Woods” is an adult mystery/thriller novel that talks about the many mysteries that the main character Francine encounters when she stays in an Illinois neighborhood called Hawthorn Woods.

Francine decides to stay with her sister for two weeks in Hawthorn Woods, but it’s not long before things begin to get suspicious. A stranger throws a drink on Francine during a party she attends, her mysterious temporary next-door neighbor is lying about who he is, the night of another party ends with a suspicious note written in blood, and a character named Brownie is murdered. Francine quickly tries to figure out who did that, but a man she meets earlier on in the book (who insists on only going by Bruno) agrees to help her, but he tells her some suspicious information about Roland Gerber, an older man that she befriends and trusts shortly after she arrives in Hawthorn Woods.

I thought that this book was very intriguing, and the many strange events and secrets throughout the book made it an even more interesting read. If you enjoy mystery books, I would recommend checking this one out.

This was a fast and fun read. I was amazed how much mystery, murder and mayhem could be packed into such a small, cozy neighborhood. Francine comes to Hawthorn Woods, IL for a 2 week vacation while house-sitting for her sister. The mayhem starts a few pages in, and never lets up. Odd neighbors, malicious gossip and rumors, nobody is who they appear to be. How anyone on the street gets along with each other is beyond me. She meets a neighbor who may or not be a writer, and together they investigate the odd goings on. I can’t say just how odd without giving the plot away. There was a twist with Francine’s character towards the end that I didn’t think meshed very well with the story, and animal injury I usually don’t tolerate but fit with the very creative plot, and the characters were clear and well-developed with the exception of the ex-husband who was more foggy and meh. A curious and clever book. If you like twisty mysteries with a touch of horror, this book is for you.
Thank you to Netgalley, Mr. Canning and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.