This book had me seething so much so that I am going back and forth with myself as to whether or to give that 4th star.
I was not a fan of the writing style. I sat this one down a lot and at times found it a challenge to pick back up. The story plot is triggering, and while I like to say I can handle some pretty awful situations/triggers this one just got me at times.
It was a good read. I am fully satisfied. I just wish it flowed better and that Susan would have noticed the red flags sooner. I don't think I have ever been so mad at a character in my life!
I'd recommend but suggest that the person "hang in there".

This book didn’t really work for me.
I couldn’t warm to the characters and also I felt the plot was very unbelievable

Fabulous!! This was a great story which I could not put down. Would recommend this to everyone who loves this genre.

Twenty years ago Susan's seven year old daughter was raped and murdered. The police arrested a suspect and got a confession which was quickly recanted. Despite that fact, the suspect was sentenced to death and now, 20 years later, is about to be executed. On her way to be a witness of the execution, Susan finds something that shifts her whole perspective. Was she wrong all those years ago? How could she have missed the clues? Is an innocent man about to be executed? This distraught mother has to find her way across the country before the execution in order to make sure the right person is punished for this crime.

I was not a huge fan of this book. The writing and dialogue seemed off. The characters were pretty unlikeable - especially Susan. It was pretty obvious from a few chapters in what had really happened. Many of the things Susan did on her road trip seemed super unbelievable (just being able to walk up to any school and chat with students, regular people walking around the cells on death row, getting a teenager to go up and take pictures of a young child, getting the same teenager to break into someone's house). It was just weird. A lot of the dialogue between characters seemed childish and just ... weird.

I think this was a quick book and was okay to keep my attention, but I was super distracted with the writing style/descriptions/actions.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest thoughts.

Snagged this title from the ‘read now’ section when I was first getting started with NetGalley and it did not disappoint! I’m always down for a good serial killer plot, although this one is a little different of a plot than the usual given it’s about an unlikely crew banding together to prevent an innocent man from being executed for the murder of one of the character’s children. This book was well-written and matches some of the most famous and seasoned mystery and thriller authors I frequently read. I’ll have to read Killer Story from him next!

Thank you to Legend Press, Matt, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this title!

A story that grabbed my attention due to its subject matter. I find the death penalty to be a compelling topic and therefore enjoyed reading about it from the victim’s mother’s perspective. Be warned! This is not what you may expect. Well written and a strong 4/5.

Catching up on some old reviews, and realized I never gave one to this!

The plot of this was interesting.. However, I wasn't totally sold on the writing style. I'm well known for being picky about my thrillers, especially with how it leads to the build up and twist of the story. This one felt slightly drawn out and slow to move forward. It sometimes didn't feel as much of a thriller, as much as a more character driven story? And the characters weren't my favorite either, so it made me not overly fond of the story. A solid read, but not my favorite!

Thank you Netgalley and Legend press for the chance to read this in an exchange for an honest review!

I so enjoyed this book! It had me hooked from the start. I did figure out the ending, but then second guessed myself. I would definitely recommend this book!

Susan Lentigo has been waiting for the day when she can travel to South Dakota and watch the man who raped and murdered her daughter finally be executed...but is the accused person (known as "The Monster") actually innocent and the true murderer still out there?? Who really killed Amy?? The necklace Susan's daughter was wearing at the time of her death is the catalyst to her efforts to find out who the real killer is and bring him to justice. This was an action-packed suspenseful thriller that I just loved. As a parent, parts of the story were difficult to navigate, but the suspense kept me eager for more!

When I read/review thrillers there are always a few points I look for in a story:

As a thriller reader and enthusiast, there are several elements I expect to see in a thriller and this book hits each one of those!



A diabolical villain
A flawed, but likable, protagonist
Raising the stakes
A ticking clock (time is always a crucial element for a thriller)

A shocking twist/big reveal

As an added bonus, for me as a reader, we get the back and forth in time perspectives and I almost always appreciate that!

This one may not be for everyone, but I certainly enjoyed it!!

Thank you so much, NetGalley, Legend Press, and Matt Witten for the opportunity to read and review this title!!

5 stars from me!

This story just didn't make sense to me. It jumped around too much from the past to the present, which made it hard to follow along. The murder of a child was hard for me to read, as I am a new mom. The plot was too predictable and easy to figure out. Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher for the advanced reader copy.

This was creepy, quick, engaging and CREEPY!

I love when a thriller manages to actually creep me out a bit - so many anymore are utterly predictable, but this was great!

This book was so good! I want to see more from this author in the future!! I couldn't put this book down. What a page turner!!!

The kind of story where you're going to ask where is this story going? Was slow at first for me but started to pick up halfway. Its breathing taking towards the end but ended in a good way.

A story of a mother who wants justice from the person who took her daughter's life. From the title itself "The Necklace" you'll know this is going to be the only clue that will convict the real killer.

Overall I enjoyed the story. A quick thriller read.

3.6/5 stars.

I can’t wait to read more by Matt. This was intriguing, engaging and thrilling. The plot was cleverly unravelled as the story progressed.

This was a good story, I was intrigued as to what was gonna happen and I'm glad I picked it up! Want to read more from this author

A must read thriller. The Necklace is a fast-paced thriller that deals with some very dark and dreary subject matter but it’s a read I couldn’t put down and I devoured in an evening. The story is told from the point of view of Susan, whose seven-year-old daughter was brutally murdered twenty years ago. The man responsible is just days away from being executed but a piece of evidence makes her think that the man who’s being executed is perhaps not guilty.

This is a story of a woman on her way to the execution of her young daughter's rapist and murderer. On the way after series of bad luck, she learns something that has her questioning if he did it. I rooted for her and her quest for the truth and I found myself moved by the story. Sometimes the plot seemed over-simplified and not realistic but it still moved me

4.75⭐️

I have to say that the title and cover are perfect for the book.

This is my first book by this author.
The thriller / character study is set in the US. It’s the story about Susan whose daughter Amy was raped and killed when she’d was 7 yrs old. 20 years later the perpetrator is finally set to face the death penalty and Susan is making the road trip from New York to North Dakota to witness it.
On her journey she discovers evidence which leads her to suspect that he may be innocent.

The time frame flips between the past and the present with alternating chapters. The format works really well.

Susan makes some poor choices which compounds her problems. I engaged with her, and was rooting for her to find the truth. Kyra was a character that I really liked. I was quite taken with FBI Agent Robert Pappas too. The characters are really well drawn.

I had issues with some parts not feeling totally realistic, in conjunction with some dodgy choices made by Susan,which is a shame as otherwise this could have been a 5⭐️. As it added to the tension and the thrill of the plot i’ve not marked it down a lot.

I loved it, and found it totally engrossing. It’s not fast paced, as it’s very character driven, but there was enough happening to keep me fully engaged. It built up the tension beautifully at the end.
Its really worth reading the authors notes too.
A book that I highly recommend.

The Necklace - Matt Witten

Twenty years ago Susan was a married small-town mom, that was before her daughter was murdered. An arrest was made, a confession obtained, the suspect sentenced to death.

Twenty years later she's still grieving, but hopes that witnessing the convicted killer's execution will being her some peace.

This is a truly unique character driven thriller. I've never read anything like it.

The past reveals all the pain and anguish of losing her child. In the present we see Susan's efforts to travel cross country to the execution which gets sidetracked by possible new evidence that 'the Monster' on death row may be innocent.

Susan's character is brilliantly established, and I found her desperate need and relentless journeying for justice, peace and the truth heartbreaking and completely compelling.

It takes a while to get going, but once it has built up momentum the second half of this book is absolutely intense, right to the very last page.

Very highly recommended and I look forwards to reading what Matt Witten comes up with next.


Thanks to Netgalley and Legend Press

One memory. One moment in time. Sometimes, that’s all it takes to keep you completely sane or go totally mad.

Twenty years ago, Susan Lentigo’s daughter Amy was murdered. Now the time has finally come for the Monster who did this to be executed. Susan’s friends help her get enough money to take the trip from New York to North Dakota to watch the killer die. It’s all she’s focused on for two decades so she’s ready to take this road trip alone to finally (hopefully) find some peace. Quickly, the road trip turns disastrous but with the help of a few friendly strangers and her own determination, Susan continues to make her way to her destination. One pit stop changes Susan’s outlook and now she thinks they got it all wrong so many years ago. She has evidence that suggests someone else murdered Amy and the man scheduled to die for it has been innocent this whole time. Can she convince the FBI to reopen the case so close to the execution? Who really killed Amy? And what in the world does a child’s necklace have to do with ANY of it?

I read this book in mostly one sitting. I was sucked in by Susan’s journey and how she made it through all the troubles she ran into along the way. Once she found the evidence suggesting the convicted killer could be innocent, I couldn’t read fast enough to get to the conclusion!

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

Trigger warnings: child loss, sexual abuse of a minor.

Thank you to @netgalley #legendpress and #mattwitten for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Release date: 3/1/22