Dual timelines, a cold case, an intrepid female reporter....yes, please! Enjoyable and engaging.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

A journalist and a 46 year unsolved murder. What could go wrong? Plenty it seems. There were some twists and turns and other things going on but in the end the story was good and although I did figure out who dunnit before the reveal I didn't have all the nuances figured out.

Cold cases are my jam so I snatched this one up with a quickness. The first half is a slow burn and the second half races to a finish. As Abbie digs deeper into this decades old cold case you will be in for a roller coaster of a ride.

The Dead Won’t Tell by S. K. Waters is an engaging mystery novel set in the fictitious college town of Hunt’s Valley, Alabama. The story unfolds in two timelines, 1969 and present day 2015.
Junior newspaper reporter Abbie Adams is assigned to write a series of stories about the unreported history of Hunt’s Landing. She becomes intrigued by the 46 year old unsolved murder of young Black woman, Rosalie, whose death she believes was under investigated by the local police department. As she looks into the local residents and their actions that night in 1969, Abbie unearths far more than she bargains for, as local professor and society figures try to thwart her investigations. There is plenty of action and there are intriguing tangled plot sidelines that Abbie and the reader must unravel.
This whodunit is well-written and features a likeable young woman as well as some interesting secondary characters, likeable or not. The writer captures the atmospheric claustrophobia of a small town, in the Deep South, or anywhere, as well as the darker underpinnings of the secrets held by the locals.
I recommend this novel to readers who enjoy character driven, atmospheric suspense and mystery novels.

Thank you to CamCat Books and NetGalley for the ARC. This is my honest review.

I’m thrilled to be part of the Smith Publicity Blog Tour for The Dead Won’t Tell by S. K. Waters. This was a suspenseful mystery, where a modern day journalist takes on a cold case from the past, with big consequences.

Here’s the scoop:

When Abbie Adams, a historian-turned-journalist, is hired to investigate a cold-case murder from 1969, she jumps at the chance. But soon after she begins researching the case, she realizes that Frank Wexler, the faculty advisor who tanked her thesis and a member of a powerful family in town, is connected to the crime and is definitely not talking.

As Abbie tracks down the remaining living witnesses, she slowly pieces together the events of that fateful night, and yet is not a single step closer to solving the case. Were the police back then told to stand down? To cover up the crime?

When her witnesses suddenly wind up dead, it becomes clear that Abbie has stumbled upon a sensitive truth that threatens to tear the fabric of the southern town apart. The killer could still be out there, and now he could be hunting her.

This was a great read and I think fans of cold case fiction would really enjoy it.

Thank you for my copy and for making me part of the tour!

Abby Adams is a single mother whose husband died in Iraq she’s raising two kids on her own and supports them by freelancing and working for the hunter daily newspaper she is qualified as a historian but when a coworker gets in an accident with a cement truck and loses she is asked to take over his article about a murder that happened the same day The first rocketship came back from the moon. Add a celebration for the occasion a young African-American name Rosalie DuFrayne was murdered at one of The town‘s most prestigious families events. Although Abby had no thoughts of solving it when she finds a newspaper article that happened two years after the murder she duly makes a note and goes about getting everything ready to write the story. In the end her life will be in danger she will find a new romance helper college roommate stay a TV star end and create a whole new kind of family for herself and her kids. I loved this book it was action packed and loved the authentic feel of the people and the plot. I read this book in one day and highly recommend that it really is so very good. If you love mysteries you’re going to love this one the author did a fabulous job. I received this book from NetGalley and the publisher but I am leaving this review voluntarily please forgive any mistakes as I am blind and dictate my review.

Interesting, Enjoyable and Gripping. I would recommend this novel. I rate it 3 out of 5 stars because of the slow pace at the beginning. The characters were great and the plot was intriguing.

When a local newspaper offers widowed historian-turned-journalist Abbie Adams a byline in exchange for an article detailing the 1969 murder of a young black woman, she suffers both intimidating self-doubt and giddy exhilaration.

As clues point her in the direction of the town’s prominent family, specifically Frank Wexler—the faculty advisor she blames for sabotaging her career years before, Abbie struggles with her ability to remain objective. Suspecting the killer responsible for the sudden deaths of two witnesses who have provided vital information on the cold case, Abbie can’t help but wonder if she’ll soon find herself in the murderer’s crosshairs.

In THE DEAD WON'T TELL, Waters gives readers a debut novel brimming with interesting characters, above average pacing, and a twist that even a veteran novelist can appreciate. Although I guessed the killer’s identity early on, taking the journey with Abbie made this mystery thriller a novel I won’t soon forget.

In 1969 a small American town is watching the Apollo moon landing. Hunts Landing is a happy town. However the murder of a young black student at the same time is not investigated as it should have been.
Today Abbie Adams a local journalist looks at the murder again. Joss is a New York TV presenter who also stumbles across this miscarriage of justice. Both of these journalists come to see that working together can actually find out why the murder happened and who was responsible. There is small town corruption and family secrets to deal with, and violence is present throughout the story. This is exciting and very well written and an author to look out for.

This was a really fun novel that sucked me in from the very beginning, I loved Abbie, and I wanted to see her solve the mystery. A great read for being a debut novel!

Excellent summer mystery to read. A young woman is asked to write a newspaper story involving a murder that occurred 40 years previously in the southern town that she grew up in. She is met with resistance and soon more murders/assaults begin. As a side story. the author also introduces another character who is looking for an idea for a new history series for television. I found that part somewhat distracting, however at the end of the book, one can see why it was included. I really enjoyed this and look forward to more books that this author might write.

The suspense in this book was profound. S. K. Waters is a fantastic storyteller, and the book kept me up well into the wee hours of the morning. I love crime books where the crime was set in the 60s, and this one certainly delivered. I can't wait for more from this author.

Thanks to CamCat publishers and Netgalley for the ARC for this mystery book.

A small southern town, a family with deep roots and much power within the community are the background to this tale of the unraveling of a long cold case.

As historian - turned journalist - begins to seek out the mystery of the long dead woman's death and killer, she stumbles up some very real dangers. Her background as a historian makes Abbie Adams particularly analytical while her training as a journalist makes her quite astute.

I enjoyed this book and read it at the beach. I didn't want to put it down and read through dinner~

enjoy

In a small idyllic town where everyone knows everything about everyone, a local historian turned journalist Abbie Adams dives deep into its past and uncovers deceit, lies, and one family's secrets with far-reaching consequences that threaten the lives of everyone around Abbie. With careers on the line, lives being lost, and the unsolved murder of a young woman from her hometown that everyone tried to forget hanging in the balance. Will Abbey find the courage to face her own past, to discover the truth?

This fantastic, couldn’t put it down page-turner will keep readers guessing until the very end.

I sincerely hope that S.K. Waters takes us back to Hunts Landing soon. #teamjoss+abs.

This ARC was provided to me via Kindle, CamCat Books and by #NetGalley. Opinions expressed are completely my own.


An incredible read with twists, suspense, thrills abound.

What an incredible crime - mystery - thriller novel. A gripping story brilliantly written. Slowly builds tension as Abbie Adams historian and now 'amateur' journalist investigates a murder that occurred 46 years ago. There are many twists and turn that lead to an explosive ending. A wonderful novel to read and extremely hard to put.down. Well worth five (5) stars. Well done S. K. Waters and the team at CamCat Books.

Good book! Wow what a twisted storyline! This book had suspense, intrigue, and a great shocking who done it! The storyline was very interesting and kept me glued to my kindle! I will definitely recommend reading this book as it was well worth reading! Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for sharing this book with me!