Jackal is a unique mystery about a young mixed-race girl who has gone missing told in the perspective of her godmother, Liz Rocher, who left her small, isolated Pennsylvania town as soon as she could for college and a successful career. Jackal is a little bit slow at first but Adams does a wonderful job building the tension. The story builds in intrigue as we and the main narrator learn about the black girls in the community that have gone missing or were killed since 1985. We also hear from a mysterious second voice of one of the hunters of the girls. The inept police department has done very little to solve these cases of missing or murdered girls. They haven't even connected the dots linking these cases. It is up to Liz and the grieving black community to solve these cases. I appreciated the social commentary on whose cases receive attention and resources. There is a vivid ominous setting and feeling throughout the book that was really effective. Overall, a good mystery to dive into during the fall and winter months.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for providing this ARC. All thoughts are my own.

Jackal by Erin E. Adams is a terrifying & thrilling mystery novel that also putts the horror in horrifying story. This book embodies every parent’s worst nightmare. What happens when the supposed to be one of the best days of your life, your wedding, turns into the worst day of your life as your child goes missing?!
The main character, Liz Rocher, returns to her small hometown for her best friend’s wedding. Then, the celebration turns catastrophe when her best friend/bride’s daughter goes missing. This book takes place in a small town riddled with secrets & perhaps, even a very dark history that no one wants to sound the alarm on & disrupt the “idyllic” small town vibes.
This novel brought out a visceral fear with this horror story. This genuinely brought that fear to the pit in my stomach as I was reading. A book that can so vividly bring out those emotions, even the scary ones, is a testament to the author’s writing & storytelling. The author has a phenomenal way with words. They cleverly shone a light on so many different issues such as racism, class inequality, discrimination, prejudices & privileges & so much more, but they interwove it into this fantastic work of art so seamlessly.
The graphic nature of the horrific events of this novel mirrors the real life horrors of the realities, effects & consequences of the issues discussed from our society.
Jackal has such stunning writing but simultaneously shocked me with the twists & turns of this story. This is also a thought-provoking novel that left me reeling with its’ conclusion. I would like to thank the author for putting out this gripping & ghastly keep-the-light-on-at-night novel!

Massive thanks to NetGalley & Random House Publishing Group-Ballantine for giving me the opportunity to read an arc of this book! All thoughts & opinions are my own.

Trigger warnings: This book mentions &/or contains racism, fatphonia, children missing, animal killing, addiction, gore, violence & murder.

I will post to my Bookstgram the week of release as well as Amazon after publication.

What caught my attention first with this was the gorgeous and mysterious cover. From then on, this story continues to capture your attention.

“If you hear something call your name, no you didn’t” A rhyme, a myth, a legend told to children in the small, old steel mill town of Johnstown. But, hey…in this case, if this novel calls your name, pick it up!

The action and suspense start straight away, which I always prefer! It keeps you guessing til the bitter end. A different and ominous way of looking at the systemic racism in this country. The last couple of chapters did not do it for me. It confused me and took a bit from the story in my opinion. Ultimately, it took away a star in my rating too. Overall, a very strong and gripping debut from Erin Adams. I cannot wait to see what she conjures up next.

This read was a bit dense for me. I struggle with literary fiction, and that’s how this read. That is nothing against the author, it is a fault of my own. It’s spooky, though.

In Liz Rocher’s hometown of Johnstown, PA there’s a legacy the locals would rather forget. Black girls go missing — and this time, the victim is the daughter of Liz’s best friend. Adams’ depiction of the woods that appear to swallow up one young girl after another is eerie and atmospheric, and a clever structure will have readers racing to unravel what proves to be a fresh, dark, and deeply disturbing mystery. Part multilayered thriller, part horror, this is a novel that will appeal to fans of Wanda Morris and Stephen King.

A compelling thriller with horror elements. The main character, Liz, returns to her hometown for the wedding of her best friend. The familiar setting brings back painful memories of a night in the woods when a friend of hers went missing. On the night of the wedding, her best friend's own daughter goes missing in the woods. Liz was the last one to see her and feels responsible. The deeper Liz gets into the investigation, the more the past catches up to the present.

I enjoyed the setup as Liz gets reacquainted with old friends and makes new ones. Once the conflict is introduced, in classic thriller form, everyone becomes a suspect and you can't help formulating theories as to what's happening. But this one will surprise you. Erin E. Adams definitely goes in an unexpected direction. I wasn't sure how I felt about some of the big reveals, but I enjoyed the journey to get there. I will read more by this author for sure.

Thank you to Netgalley and Ballantine Books for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

4.5 stars rounded up to 5!

Jackal follows Liz Rocher, a Black woman returning to her predominantly white hometown of Jonestown, PA for her childhood best friend's wedding after many years of avoiding. During the wedding, disaster strikes. The bride's daughter, Caroline, disappears in the woods and the only thing left behind is a piece of her dress covered in blood.

As Liz participates in the search, she is reminded of another Black girl who went missing when she was in high school, Keisha Woodson. Liz decides to deep dive into the history of the town and discovers that many Black girls have been disappearing in the woods, and the town isn't doing very much to stop it.

I really loved Jackal. It was fast-paced, and I honestly did not know at times where it was going. I think the discussion of overt and also subtle racism was very poignant and as a Black woman, I felt seen in the story. I was very invested following Liz, and also enjoyed the alternate chapters from a mysterious POV that talked about what happened when each girl disappeared. I also loved how human this story felt. I think that each character felt very flushed out, and I knew every person.

Overall, I would definitely read more from Erin E. Adams, and thought this was a wonderful debut!

Jackal by Erin E. Adams is a book I have been eagerly awaiting. The cover is attention grabbing, the book description is tense, and I love a debut author – especially in thrillers.

I’m excited that this is the author’s first novel and would jump to read anything else she writes. This was a solid thriller that combined horror style scenes (startling, even repulsive at times) with a stark reality: despite making up 7% of the population in the US, Black women and girls were 17% of the missing persons cases opened in 2021. The author entertains the reader while pressing down on this core message. It reminds me of Jordan Peele movies or Tiffany D. Jackson’s horror novels.

There was one part where the plot lost its footing and I was confused, about 60% in, but it pulled through and was back on track for a solid ending. And there are moments where I felt like yelling into the book that the Liz was losing her common sense, but that’s how I am with horror movies too.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bantam for this advanced copy in exchange for my review, I was so excited to read this.

Content warnings: Violence, Racism, Gore, Eating disorder, Kidnapping, Child death, Body horror, Domestic abuse, Alcohol abuse

The writing is strong in this one; the author's slow, methodic writing literally had me mesmerized. I enjoyed the slow build and was really into the story, but the supernatural twist in the last third really through me. I don't know if it was my mistake or the book could have used tighter editing, but I was pretty lost during that last part of the book. I wondered if I missed something or if it was intentionally kind of vague. It's unfortunate to spend so much time with a book only to be confused by the end.

Jackal is a novel filled with horror, thrills, and fear all at the hands of jealousy and self-righteous hatred toward those that have the potential to have more than you. Erin E. Adams has pulled back the curtain on how easy it is to manipulate hatred: It becomes a sick type of religion. Racism and classism is at the center of Jackal. Adams uses the concept of monsters to illustrate the very real monsters that have been emboldened to no longer hide in the shadows.

Jackal is a genre-bending parable of today’s society. One theme that bears repeating is the importance of history and the necessity to face uncomfortable truths. There are a lot of twists and turns, and the reveals are exhilarating. I cannot wait to read what Adams has coming next.

This book started as a slow burn, and I felt very intrigued by where it was going. However, about halfway through I started losing interest a bit. The book does pick up again but the middle part does take some getting through.

Wow. Something's very wrong in Johnstown and has been for a long time- and Liz is taking it head on. She's home for the first time in many years for the wedding of her BFF Mel to Garrett but then their 9 year old daughter Caroline goes missing in the woods, the most recent in a series of young black girls who have disappeared annually. Liz, determined to find Caroline, uncovers schisms in the town as well as the racism not only among strangers but also in Mel's family. She always knew it was there but now...She's flashing back to when Keisha, the other black girl in her class, was captured and killed, her body gutted and her heart removed, while Liz was rescued by Mel but left with a sort of bite on her arms. The police are not helpful with one exception and Liz discovers that there is a group of mothers, black mothers, who have been searching for answers for years. This is both a mystery and a horror novel with a real creepy underlying vibe about the monster in the woods. It's clever, it's hard in spots, and Adams not only maintains but ups the tension. Thanks to netgalley for the ARC. Terrific read.

“ If something calls your name,if a branch breaks”- she snaps her fingers, the sound echoes-“if you think you saw something. No. You didn’t. Don’t give it any attention. You let it pass you by in the dark. Or it will eat you alive.”

I enjoyed this book! I love stories that take place in/surrounding the woods and this had the spooky element I was looking for. The mystery surrounding the forest and what was abducting and unaliving the children kept me hooked. There were multiple child incidents going back years and I liked how the novel was broken down into different sections giving the story of each girl.

Liz Rocher is a young black woman who hesitantly comes home for her best friend’s wedding. On the day of the wedding her besties daughter Caroline goes missing. The only clue left behind was a bloody piece of fabric.

As the search gears up, Liz begins to notice a pattern between the missing girls. The deeper into the mystery she digs, the more horrified she is by her discovery. Little girls have been disappearing in these woods for years. All of them were black. She soon realizes that it’s not a coincidence and that she must find Caroline before its too late.


Thank you to Netgalley and Random House Publishing-Ballantine for this arc in exchange for my honest review.

This book was intense!
Jackal was a book that had me holding my breath and wanting to scream at the main character as she literally did everything a victim does in a horror movie before dying horrifically.
Return to your small hometown where you stick out like a zebra in a horse barn? check.
Get drunk and lose control of your senses? check.
Go into the creepy haunted woods everyone says to avoid because Black girls disappear in there? check.
Get flirty with local bartender? check.
Bother the local cops? check
and on and on, but you can't help but like Liz because she's tenacious as heck! The only thing that bugged me was the supernatural element because it was never fully explained and I like those tied up, but I'm not docking a star for that because that's a "me" thing.
I highlighted so many passages that just struck me that my kindle started to look strange,

I can't believe this is a debut novel! I'll be waiting for more from this author because something tells me she's just getting started! Read this book if you like strong, but relatable female protagonists coming into their own and stories of female friendship with some super creepy woods,. The fact it's an own voices novel is just a bonus!

A great book for once a story that focuses on what goes on in the world. Wasn't sure if this was a horror/thriller book but all in all a great book. It focuses on a young black girl that comes home to attend her friend's wedding but things turn somber when memories catch up with her. A couldn't put down book as it dug deeper into things that happened when she was younger that she wanted to forget.

Jackal is a hard book to define. It is a mystery, and there are dead bodies. There is also an element of the supernatural, and the book also discusses racial relations in small towns. It's not creepy enough to be a horror story, but it has more horror than many mystery novels. That isn't a criticism, but it does make picking categories and words to describe this book a little more difficult!

Liz Rocher is going home to Johnstown, PA, for her best friend's wedding. She swore she would never come back to her hometown, where there was an undercurrent of racism present everywhere she went. Liz's mother is a local doctor, and is Haitian, so people didn't really know where to "put" Liz and her mother in the social strata. Liz never had many friends, because she wasn't black enough for the black kids, or the white kids, either, who expected her to talk and dress and act a certain way. Her only real friend was Melissa, and so for Melissa and her daughter Caroline (who is Liz's goddaughter), she came back.

Melissa is marrying Garrett, who is a black man and the father of Caroline. They've been living together for 10 years, and Mel is finally ready to take the leap and get married. Her family has accepted Garrett, at least on the surface, but there's some tension beneath the surface of their acceptance. The birth of Caroline had healed the split that had occurred when Mel moved in with Garrett without a wedding ring on her finger, but Liz isn't so sure that there's not still some animosity brewing.

The wedding is on Mel's brother's land, near the woods. The woods are sinister, and where one of their classmates died on Bonfire Night (Liz has blocked out much of what happened that night). Everyone in town says, "If you think you saw something out here...no, you didn't." At the wedding reception, the kids are playing near the woods, and Caroline disappears. Liz makes it her mission to find her goddaughter, because she is sure she's the only one who can. Her old crush, Chris, and one of the local police officers, Doug, also get involved in her search for Caroline and research into the girls who went missing before her.

The main story, of Liz and Mel and Caroline, is interspersed with short chapters describing the other girls who have disappeared in Johnstown in the last two decades. While Liz and Mel knew about Keisha, their classmate, Liz learns that a black girl has disappeared every summer solstice for 20 years. You learn a bit about the stories of these girls throughout the book, but not who (and what) was killing them until the end.

This was a creepy but enjoyable thriller/mystery. Thanks to Netgalley for the advance copy.

Liz Rocher grew up as one of only a few Black kids in a mostly white Pennsylvania town, and now she’s less than thrilled to be returning as an adult for her best friend’s wedding. When her best friend’s daughter goes missing during the reception, leaving behind an ominously blood splattered piece of fabric, the town starts a frenzied search. But Liz remembers a similarly frightening occurrence from her high school years, and it might be the key to finding out what happened.

THIS BOOK IS EVERYTHING. I loved it so much! It's horror, it's mystery, it's suspense, it's atmospheric, and it's full of fascinating characters and power dynamics. Erin E. Adams truly kept me guessing through the very end, which takes a lot of skill. And I love that how she weaved in mythology and real history. I can't wait to read whatever she writes next!

I really wanted to love Jackal more than I did. It has a very interesting premise. Missing girls, a town that ignores these missing girls, a main character struggling with her own trauma...but in the end this one fell a little flat. I don't think this book needed the supernatural element that was included in it. It's a personal preference, but to me adding in a supernatural element makes imagining the story messy, and fills in plot holes too easily because there is no real explanation for the supernatural.
That being said, this book kept me wonder "wtf is going on?" which I love, and I stayed up late to finish it. I will check out more by this author if she writes more!

Top notch - expect to see this on lots of best-of lists at the end of the year. A recommended purchase for collections where horror is popular.

Huge thank you to NetGalley for an advance copy of this book!
Liz is going back home for her best friend’s wedding. As a black woman in a mostly white town, she isn’t exactly looking forward to it. During the reception, her best friend’s daughter goes missing, leaving only a blood stained piece of cloth behind.
She isn’t the first to go missing. As Liz helps with the search for Caroline, she notices a disturbing pattern between missing girls and summer parties. While Liz tries to figure out where Caroline could be and what happened to the other missing girls, she uncovers a horrible secret about the town she grew up in. One that puts her in danger.
Y’all! This was such a great book! It has a little bit of everything. Secrets, thrills and the supernatural. What more could anyone ask for, especially at the beginning of spooky season?!
Publication day is October 4! Be sure to grab a copy