Jackal is the story of Liz, coming back to her hometown for the wedding of her best friend, when her best friend's daughter Caroline goes missing. Suddenly, Liz is unraveling a mystery that no one else wants to see: black girls have been disappearing every summer for the last 32 years. Can Liz find the truth in time to save Caroline?

This book was set in Johnstown, Pennsylvania which, while I've never been, I did grow up in a really similar Pennsylvania town. The setting was immediately so vivid to me because of that. Additionally, the discussions of racism in America especially hit home. Pennsylvania is not an unfriendly place, and we were a Union state, but racism is alive and well in PA, especially outside of the two main cities. Basically, everything about this scenario rang, sadly, true (except for the magical part of course.)

The only reason this didn't get five stars was for the reveal of Jack. I'm not sure why he was Anubis when you could have done something quite interesting with the mythology of the area or native animals, like the coyote. If set in Pennsylvania, make it related to PA! Despite this, I did really enjoy the final mystery reveal related to it.

Ultimately, I would recommend this as a magical realism horror with a bit of a mystery. It's timely, unique, and captivating.

Do NOT turn out the lights reading it. The best way to do so is to not read any of the synopsis as it will give it away! Great story , loved it

In the town of Jonestown, a haunting pattern has persisted for years, with the mysterious disappearances of black girls. This dark secret remains unspoken, but for Liz, the memory of what happened to her classmate, Keisha, after a high school party in the woods lingers as a relentless specter. Many years later, Liz reluctantly returns to Jonestown, summoned by the wedding of her closest friend, Meg. Yet, in the wake of the celebratory ceremony, an alarming event unfolds: Meg's daughter, Caroline, vanishes into thin air. It is at this moment that Liz embarks on an unsettling journey to uncover the chilling truth that has long plagued her hometown.

This novel defies easy categorization, blending elements of thriller, horror, dark fiction, and the paranormal. The atmosphere is rife with foreboding and tension, a constant presence from start to finish. While some suspension of disbelief is required, the story weaves in realistic aspects, enhancing its authenticity. The narrative oozes an eerie ambience, drawing readers into the encroaching darkness, where shadowy figures and enigmatic voices lurk. The setting itself becomes an indispensable character within the story.

One of the highlights is the multiple points of view, allowing readers to delve into the minds of the vanished girls and even the malevolent darkness that envelops them. These perspectives are skillfully crafted, providing a captivating depth to the storytelling. Furthermore, the narrative tackles substantial issues such as racism and poverty, adding layers of complexity to the plot. The mystery unfolds with unexpected twists and turns, leading to a conclusion that keeps readers in suspense until the very end. There are moments of heart-pounding intensity, making this a truly riveting tale.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for sending a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Wow, what a stunning debut. I absolutely loved this story and kept reading late into the night. I will read anything by this author. So good.

I absolutely LOVED Jackal. It terrified me and infuriated me, and held my interest the entire time. This was a very interesting take on the horror genre, and the ending was nothing that I could have ever expected. I would recommend this book to everyone.

This book was amazing, it felt like a jordan peele movie. it gave a good amount of horror mixed with racism which made it even more terrifying! i loved it wouldn’t change a thing about it

It's best to go into this one without reading too much about it (except for TW, of which there are a lot). It's the best parts of thriller and horror, with social commentary and an original story.
I had a hard time keeping the timelines straight, and there were a few too many characters to keep track of. But overall, this is a great debut, and I look forward to reading more from the author.

Jackal is an atmospheric read that pushes the boundaries of what horror should be.

I enjoyed so many things about this book. I really loved the atmosphere the author was able to convey. I also enjoyed the point of view of Jack. It was done so well. I felt for our character so much in this book. All the odds were stacked against her and she still prevailed.

I will say the ending of this book went a bit over my head. I’m still kind of confused on what Jack was and how that whole scene played out.

Overall I still really enjoyed this one. I would recommend this to anyone looking for a spooky read this fall.
3/5 Stars

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an arc copy in exchange for my honest review.

Liz left Johnstown, PA behind long ago but is called back to her best friends wedding. Johnstown is predominantly white and there are some underlying/not so underlying racial tensions in the town along with a history of missing black girls and a rhyme about the local woods warning people away.
This book started off as a typical serial-killer mystery that no-one bothered to connect the dots too until Liz's god-daughter goes missing the day of her parents wedding. Adams weaved stories from the view points of the missing girls, the presumed abductor and Liz together very well and had a nice paranormal twist at the end. I really enjoyed this book, it was a quick read that was hard to put down.

I adored every page of this and the only reason it gets 4.5 instead of 5 is because I figured out the bad guy way too soon. But everything about this is incredible and unsettling.

First of all, that cover is absolutely stunning. Second of all, I really enjoyed this supernatural horror thriller. It was such a fast read for me.

This book had striking imagery and kept me on the edge of my seat. I loved it!!! I will be buying it for my horror shelf for sure!!

Jackal ~ Erin A. Adams
Horror / thriller
A young black girl goes missing I. A predominantly white town. Liz is home for a wedding and gets caught up in the mix as the brides daughter goes missing. I tahini it dead a well written book but I don’t think it was the book for me at the time. I give it three stars for the writing and execution, but it seemed a bit slow.

A suspenseful and haunting social horror about young Black girls going missing in a small Rust Belt town. It’s dark and layered. It is a slow burn thriller/horror but the end is absolutely worth it. This was a brilliant debut and I cannot wait to read more from this author!

Thank you so much to the publisher for an eARC in exchange for an honest review!

I started to read this a good six months ago. I struggled with the political POV being thrown in my face. I just want to read thriller and not be concerned with color of victims or perpetrators. Blackness vs whiteness. I just couldn’t connect to the characters. So I gave it another try. It is more than racism. It has many POV, dark read, paranormal, supernatural, violence, children gone missing and misused, cruelty to animals, racism, social classes, inequality, and poverty. An ending that is surprising. I enjoyed reading about Johnstown, PA history and plan to read more about it. I ignored the politics and read the thriller it is meant to be. I just felt there where digs to one race and begging for empathy for another. It was all over the place.

the violence is so deeply disturbing yet necessary. it's been a long time since i've read a book that integrates gruesome imagery with its themes so completely. really strong, really well done

"A young Black girl goes missing in the woods outside her white Rust Belt town. But she’s not the first—and she may not be the last. . . .

It’s watching."

I was in just from these first few sentences of the synopsis.

This book was fascinating in the way it was written and the tone of it - I can't pin point what genre this belongs to. Part horror, thriller, mystery, suspense, with a lot of relevant themes about racism, poverty, class, violence, and fear.

This is one of those books that once you pick it up, you will not want to put it down! I feel like it's a great book to go in not knowing much - don't read the whole synopsis so you can just be in the moment and experience with the characters.

I definitely would like to see what this author does next. This was propulsive, interesting, scary, important and overall just a very entertaining book.

Thank you to NetGalley & Bantam Books for this advanced reader's copy in exchange for my honest review.

Someone is killing the black little girls in Johnstown. Every year, on the summer solstice, a black little girl goes missing. Liz, came home for her best friend's wedding. During the reception, she was watching her friend's daughter, Caroline. Caroline ran off and went missing. Liz is determined to investigate what happened with Caroline and all the other missing girls. I had a hard time getting into this book at the beginning. It was a bit slow for me. Towards the middle it picked up and became suspenseful. However, towards the end, it was very confusing. There were so many characters, and it was hard to keep up with who said what and who did what. I did like how Erin tackled racism, sexism, and domestic violence. Her imagery was beautiful as well.

Decent read. Definitely went a different direction but overall engaging. A little whodunnit with social commentary. Would recommend.

Jackal is a story of a homecoming, tragedy and then a downright twisty tale that will have you by the seat of your pants. Erin Adams builds an interesting set of characters, nailbiting chain of events, and a story that will make you stay up too late to see what happens next.

This book is the perfect mix of horror, suspense, thriller, and social commentary. It takes a talented author to mix these things while nailing relevant themes. This book is not for the faint of heart and if you love brutal stories, this book is for you. I will definitely be reading what Erin Adams does next.