I grabbed Dragonfly Summer from Netgalley when I spotted it was being republished for two reasons. First, I rarely pass up on a FlameTreePress novel and secondly I was very much a fan of Moncrieff's horror novel Those Who Came Before.

Dragonfly Summer is a thriller that I must say, is absolutely nothing new. But that's okay! There are many readers that enjoy formulaic whodunnit style mysteries. I myself tend to read them in between tomes, intensive world building stories or books with brain heavy plots.

You've heard it before; adults returning to dig up small hometown secrets, a missing teenager, repressed memories- it's all here in Dragonfly Summer.

Moncrieff nails the opening pages to hook me in and writes a cast of characters that are easy to care for alongside the urge to discover the truth about Sam's disappearance.
Rather than have the MC explain any history we learn alongside Jo as she slowly recovers pieces of her own childhood, a common trope but still a good one.

I admit there was a portion of the story I found infuriating, an enormous clue is uncovered and our lead character appears to purposely ignore the blindingly obvious answer to spend pages upon pages pondering lesser theories.
However, Moncrieff doubles down on the red herrings leaving enough doubt to keep the reader uncertain and I had not been correct in my final deductions which always pleases me in a mystery plot.

The writing of Dragonfly Summer is easy to follow, with good pacing, plot twists and the expected ramp up to a big reveal.
I prefer when the relationship focus is on friendship rather than romance as is done here and I'd recommend this to anyone looking for a comfortable mystery novel to pass a rainy afternoon.
Well, I say comfortable but for those who require content warnings they are worth checking for this one.

I received this ARC from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

The first page of this book hooked me straight away it was so profound. I won’t tell you what that is about I’ll let you find that out for yourself when you read/buy this book because you really should buy/read this book!.

Jo is working in a museum it’s a boring job but she needs it after being an investigative journalist working in places like Syria. One day on her desk someone leaves a newspaper cutting that’s about her old school friend’s disappearance with writing on it saying “Find me”.

The last thing she wants to do is go to her hometown Clear Springs but she feels compelled to go, what will she uncover ?

This book had me reading long into the night, I couldn’t wait to finish what I was doing all day to get back to reading it. It’s easily in my top 5 books of the year.

I couldn’t believe all the shocking details of Jo’s past that I learnt as the book progressed it was absolutely unbelievable and then when I found out what really happened to Sam I was absolutely dumbfounded!. The hits and shocks just kept on coming.

The story kept a strong pace throughout that kept me wanting to read more and more, it was so thrilling and steeped in mystery right up to the last page.

If you’d like to purchase this fantastic book the Amazon like is here.

This is a really good physiological thriller about the three self styled musketeers of the town of Clear Springs, Minnesota. They are Jo, Amanda and Samantha and the story is told from the view point of Jo Carter. However, Jo can’t remember a lot about the past so has to be considered an unreliable narrator. This is very well written and full of suspense and intrigue, fast paced and plenty of shocking secrets. I must mention that there are graphic scenes of rape in the book that could upset some readers, just be aware.

Briefly, 27 years ago Sam went missing. Now Jo is working in New York and receives a strange phone call and a mysterious package. For the first time in 20 years she returns to the town to try and discover the truth about Sam’s disappearance. On her return she discovers Amanda has died in a road accident in what was treated as a suicide. Danger is lurking around every corner as she discovers some horrible truths about both her friends and their families.

As truths emerge so the tensions rise. Were the girls as innocent as Jo believes and who is not harbouring secrets? Full of twists and turns with a suggestion of the supernatural I really enjoyed this and whilst I had my suspicions the shocking climax still came as a complete surprise.

Hi and welcome to my review of Dragonfly Summer! There was no walking away from this book: it actually had me at dragonfly, I love dragonflies so the title alone pulled me in, I loved the cover with the desolate lake at sunset, and when I noticed the author was J.H. Moncrieff, I knew I had to read Dragonfly Summer as I had a great time with The Restoration last year.

For those of you who don’t share my love of dragonflies: no worries, the title refers to a summer when all was well in the small town of Clear Springs, Minnesota. Jo, Sam and Amanda were best friends and nothing truly bad could ever happen. Except that shortly after, something bad did happen. As a matter of fact, the worst thing happened, but somehow, Jo remembers nothing.

That was twenty years ago and Jo has moved on, all memories of high school hazy and few. A mysterious note referring to Sam sets Jo’s investigative journalist’s brain alight and she decides to return home and find out what really happened to her best friend and why she can remember so little.

I do love me a small-town setting with the inhabitants acting all aloof and mysterious, so Dragonfly Summer was right up my street. I loved all the mystery shrouding Sam, and how on earth could Jo forget her best friend?! The need for answers definitely kept me turning the pages. Especially when all the small reveals en route seemed to muddy the waters rather than providing clear answers. I did figure out a few things but I missed the biggest truth until it slapped me in the face.

I had a great time with Dragonfly Summer. I was hooked right away and I enjoyed tagging along with Jo, even if there were a few instances when I wanted to shout at her: WTF do you think you’re doing?! You know, like with slasher movies, when the scared-out-of-her-wits girl runs up the stairs to escape the knife-wielding serial killer and you’re screaming at your TV: WTF are you doing, the front door is right there!! That.

Dragonfly Summer is an entertaining and suspenseful thriller that I would gladly recommend to readers who enjoy uncovering small-town secrets.

Dragonfly Summer is out in digital formats, hardcover and paperback on 15 November.

Massive thanks to Flame Tree Press and NetGalley for the eARC. All opinions are my own.

A small-town thriller, Dragonfly Summer by J H Moncrieff is a standalone mystery. Former journalist, Jo Carter vowed never to return to Clear Springs, Minnesota, yet a cryptic note raises questions regarding the disappearance twenty years ago of her best friend Sam. She decides to investigate, but the locals don’t welcome her stirring up memories, best forgotten. Jo’s lack of memory as to what happened that night means she must confront her past, despite not knowing whom to trust. Following her frosty reception, Jo’s car is dangerously rammed and then her motel room is trashed, threatening her safety. With its engaging narrative, enjoyable characters and realistic plot with a twisty ending makes this a three star rated thriller. With thanks to Flame Tree Press and the author, for an uncorrected advanced reader copy for review purposes. As always, the opinions herein are totally my own and freely given.

Huge massive thanks to J.H. Moncrieff, Flametree Press and Netgalley for sending me a digital ARC of this one!

Originally released as an audible only release back in 2020, fans of Moncrieff were elated when this was announced as coming in November in physical form! As a massive fan of her work, I’m always excited to see what she’s creating and knowing that this one was partially inspired by a real-life moment from her youth, I knew this one would be filled with emotions. The other thing that I was curious about – Moncrieff and myself both come from small-towns (at opposite ends of the same province) but we both share similar feelings towards ever returning to those places.

What I liked: The story follows Jo Carter, who, after receiving some odd bits of mail regarding her high school best friend, Sam, who disappeared mysteriously around grad, returns to her hometown. A town she vowed she’d never return too, but is now determined to get to the bottom of what happened to her friend.

Moncrieff does a wonderful job of showcasing just how claustrophobic and intermingled these small towns can be, and how interwoven appearances and justice are. Money and subsequently status associated with money play a prominent role and as Carter begins to discover little bits and pieces, we see that rear up.

Moncrieff also does a pointed, spot-on job of showing how those who typical remain behind can end up bitter, jaded and outwardly aggressive to those who return. This not only begins to create issues for Carter, but it also begins to highlight Carter’s memory struggles, which move the story along really well and help to heighten the chaos that is continuously happening.

The ending is messy, complicated and worked really well to show just how much each person involved had to bury for so many years to keep their stories straight.

What I didn’t like: When taken as a whole, there are a number of ‘tells’ throughout that give away the ‘who’ as you go on. Fear not, that only pushes Moncrieff to try and deflect and distract more often, which gives us some other clues to fill in the gaps.

As well, I think if someone hasn’t experienced the frustrating aspects of small town life, they may find this to come off a ‘bit much,’ but trust me when I say – it is 100% accurate.

Why you should buy this: Fans of Moncrieff will know exactly what they’re in for – a solid, strong female lead, a mystery-wrapped-in-a-riddle and electrifying sequences that are tailor-made for the big screen. ‘Dragonfly Summer’ walks the line between her straight ahead horror novels and her Ghostwritten series and will make fans very happy!

This review has been posted at - https://stevestredauthor.wordpress.com/2022/10/26/book-review-dragonfly-summer-by-j-h-moncrieff/ - as well as on Bookbub and Goodreads

CW for graphic r*pe on page, incest & other things you would expect from a thriller with murder elements

Dragonfly Summer is a page-turning thriller about secrets from the past with a heroine who doesn't remember much of her high school years. (for reasons that are actually somewhat explained later on) She's returning to her hometown to investigate the disappearance of her former BFF right after high school after being contacted in ways that suggest she might still be alive. This book did keep me fairly engaged, but it also did some things I really dislike in this genre.

I am not someone who believes you should never depict sexual assault on page. It's unfortunately a reality for many people and including that in some books makes sense. However, there are ways of doing it with care- actually considering the resulting trauma and commenting on the ramifications in thoughtful ways.

Dragonfly Summer did not do that at all. In this book trauma is used for shock value and plot twists, not in considered ways. Characters act rashly in ways that don't always make sense, and the development of motive for the culprit(s) of things are not well-considered. And honestly, using trauma and overdone tropes in this way is just lazy writing as well. It tells me you don't really know how to do good character work and plot a thriller that feels believable, or at least allows you to suspend your disbelief. For those reasons, this book was just okay for me. I received a copy of this book for review via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Good murder mystery thriller dealing with past relationships, old friends, memory (& loss of memory) which provides an interesting angle to the story. Plot & pacing kept you reading and the ending worked well. Characters were drawn well and they fit in nicely with the story. However I found Jo a little too reactionary at times, leading her to jump to the wrong conclusion about people and situations. And for me that detracted from the reading.
3.5 stars.

I really enjoyed this twisty psychological mystery and I’m so pleased that Dragon Summer B H Moncrieff is the first thriller I’m reviewing on my newly expanded blog.
I received a copy of this book for a free and unbiased opinion.
Jo is the third-person narrator who returns to her hometown to solve the mystery of the disappearance of Sam twenty years ago. But doing so will also help her understand her own past and why she can’t remember Sam. While the underlying premise of this book is not new ( the mystery of the disappearance of a popular high school student) but the fact that Jo can’t remember her best friend Sam and whether she may have had something to do with this elevated this mystery into something special.

You can feel Jo’s increasing unease and fear as she navigates her way return to Clear Springs after she receives a strange note asking her to find Sam. There is a huge range of suspects including Sam herself and an equally huge range of motives. The plot races along and the author captures the spirit of a small town beautifully. I didn’t warm to Jo as a character (I’m not sure why) but I did worry about her.

I found myself engrossed in the book and it was one of those books where I wanted to lock myself in a room, so I could get to the end to find out what happened to Sam without any interruptions.
Content Warning
Sexual assault, references to suicide, child abuse

Jo Carter is returning to her small hometown in Minnesota. She has received some peculiar messages which seem to relate to the disappearance of one of her high school friends twenty years ago. Jo learns that her other close friend has just died in a car accident. Jo is determined to get to the bottom of both events, although her lack of memory of what happened when her friend went missing is a major impediment.

This is a pretty good story with some interesting characters. There is a slight element of the supernatural which adds a bit of a chill but is also a contrivance. There are enough red herrings to keep the reader guessing.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Flame Tree Press for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Actual rating 4.5

The main reason I applied this rating is due to feeling as though the blurb didn't fully prepare me for what I was about to read. I think I would have also benefited from a trigger warning, but I know some people don't like those.

This is an excellently scary book in so many ways; plus, I love when I don't figure everything out before the big reveal.

This author's talent for twisting a tale is more evident in this book than in any of her other stories, and I've read and admired all most all of them. This is probably the darkest tale I've read from the author, and that's taking The Restoration into account. This story is steeped in relatability even with its subtle paranormal elements. By the end of the story, it almost feels like the paranormal elements were slightly imagined which makes all the creepy stuff even more creepy. It's one thing for a ghost to haunt you and another for a real person to hunt you.

This is a very mature book, best for adults. The language and content may not be suitable for some teens but I always leave that up to individuals and their parents to determine. While there is some strong language, it serves a purpose. I don't want to give spoilers but...

Spoiler -Trigger Warning: There is a very detailed and graphic depiction of rape in this story. There are a few instances of graphic-sexual-assault references before and after the major scene. I was disappointed in the way other characters glossed over the idea of the one character being raped simply because she was known as being widely sexually active. There seemed to be no sympathy for the damage caused by the rape and all the focus was on whether or not she was dead.- End spoiler.

Which I was not prepared to read. I almost gave the book a lower rating because of that, but ultimately, this is a really good book and an engaging story. I simply wish I had known what kind of content I'd encounter going in so it wouldn't have been so shocking to me. There are other strong and intense themes present throughout this book that may serve as triggering depictions to other readers such as domestic abuse and violence, abuse enabling, substance abuse, parental neglect, body shaming, slut shaming, obsessive behaviors, stalking, mental health, mental health treatment controversies, and intense apathy.

I had mixed feelings about the way in which one particular mental health treatment was depicted. It felt out of character for this author to pick such a strong one-sided approach. I was expecting there to be more debate or conflict about the validity of the treatment without there ever being a consensus as to whether the reader was supposed to be for or against it, but it seemed that the author wanted the reader to feel a very specific way about this treatment. It just seemed odd to me.

Lastly, I was a bit put off by the fact that I never really grew to like any of the characters in this book. I was starting to like the "jock" character (this is me trying not to give more spoilers) but based on how he reacted to what I wrote in the spoiler, I didn't really care for him either. Jo was ok, but not really someone I could imagine being long-term friends with. I think we could be good casual acquaintances.

Overall, if you like being scared, this is the book to read.

Highly recommended to adult readers of thriller and horror, strong female characters, and small-town mysteries. Be aware of triggering content.

Moncrieff’s new book is rich in narrative and empathy whilst we explore the summer with Jo as she tries to piece together her life and a form of amnesia. The prose and narrative are well handling and though some of the supernatural under current does not seem to be totally realised, there is a sense of longing and courage with its main character that pushes the story along.

The characters are all well balanced and as we get more involved the story, it becomes a 1000 piece puzzle that at first doesn’t make a lot of sense but as each piece pops into place a fully realised picture starts to emerge and Moncrieff handles this expertly.

The narrative runs at his own pace and through her excellent style of writing, gives this a horrific whimsical stance that drags the reader forward through this mystery thriller to its exciting climax. The pacing is very delicately and well handled and as you speed through the action and take a breath through small town life, it really comes into its own.

This is an exceptional story that really trends a fine line balance between two worlds of small town life and action paced thriller that is really a hard thing to balance but she does this as a pro. I found it rather thought provoking and would urge any reader that is looking for that something that is a bit different to give a try.

DRAGONFLY SUMMER, by J.H. Moncrieff, felt like a mystery/thriller with supernatural undertones. This was originally available as an audio book only, but is being released in print/eBook formats in November, 2022.

Jo left her hometown of Clear Springs, Minnesota to move to NYC immediately after graduation. While she remembers her childhood, all memories of her best friends--Sam and Amanda--as well as her graduating year, are inexplicably . . . missing.

When a newspaper clipping with a picture of her friend, Sam--missing now for 27 years--arrives with a handwritten note on the back, Jo begins to remember bits and pieces about that year.

"Whoever said 'You can't go home again' had it wrong . . . You could, but you shouldn't . . . "

This is where our story takes off. Jo's character has all the attributes I like in a MC: dogged determination, snarky attitude, cunning, and the desire to uncover secrets at any cost.

The revelations she encounters, combined with the frustration of missing memories, makes this book one I hated to put down at any point.

As an added bonus, with Jo missing so much about her last year there, we are shown her "friends" as she comes across them. There's no need to "tell" what they are like, when she is practically discovering them anew.

Overall, I felt this was a fast-paced thriller, with exciting characters, and possible clues around almost everyone and everything. The complex tale was woven through events past and present, with a possible supernatural bend to it that I loved. These characters felt three-dimensional, and the town a place I could easily envision. This is, in my opinion, one of the author's greatest strengths.

Enjoy your visit to Clear Springs!

Recommended.

A solid four star read. Great premise. Well written. Good characters. Page turner. Plenty of suspense to keep me guessing . Only downside I guessed the culprit. Would definitely read the next novel. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the chance to review it.

Wow wow wow!! 4/5
I loved this book from start to finish!
You definitely need to check trigger warnings before reading this as some of it is quite graphic.

Jo was an amazing character and the fact that we were learning along with her as she discovered things made it feel like we were part of the story.

It was scary and disturbing but intriguing and thrilling. I was constantly surprised and shocked by the twists and turns of this book.

I loved the writing and the way the author told this story. If you enjoy crime/thriller books then you will love this.

I do wish that the ending had not included the epilogue but it was still good. Definitely recommend.

Dragonfly Summer by J.H. Moncrieff is a story about forgotten memories, lies, and the lengths in which some will go through to cover up horrible behavior.

I went into this one knowing nothing about it other than the fact that it’s from J.H. Moncrieff. Phew, was it a doozy! This book is filled with difficult subjects so please tread lightly if you have sensitivities.

I really enjoyed slowly getting to know Jo as she recovered events from her past. She was such a strong character but my heart broke for her for many of the things she went through.

The build up to the intense ending was amazing! It had me totally captivated and fearing the worst!

Per usual from J.H. Moncrieff, the writing was lovely. The author has an amazing way of sucking readers right in!

J.H. has another killer mystery here that certainly doesn’t shy away from the darkness.

I had an awesome time reading this! I highly recommend checking it out if your a fan of mysteries that don’t hold any punches.

My first taste of J.H. Moncrieff was when her novella THE BEAR WHO WOULDN’T LEAVE was recommended to me by a well respected friend. I absolutely loved it. Since then, I’ve read a number of her books, and have never been disappointed.

So when I heard she had another coming out called DRAGONFLY SUMMER, I had to get a copy. Full disclosure, this is one of the few times I sought out a book based on it’s title and cover; without even checking what it was about. Look, I love dragonflies - that’s not a crime; is it?

Anyway, I’m very glad I did - and thanks to Sarah Miniaci for contacting me with an offer to receive an ARC for a review! It was very unexpected, and a welcome surprise. I’m just sorry it took so long for me to finish the book, and get this review written; I was actually in the process of reading two other books for “slush pile” review.

But finish it I did, and here’s my review - without the typical rehash of the story (which, I’ve been known to do once or twice).

Let me start with, while Ms. Moncrieff is typically known for horror, she removes that hat to put on her deerstalker and take on the murder mystery genre. And she does so with finesse; throwing in some serious intrigue, a lot of false leads, along with a helping of some red herrings. I have to say, with mystery not being my “go to” genre, I did find myself pulled in, with my smacking my head more than once saying, “Dummy, how didn’t you see that coming?”

Of course, she couldn’t completely give up her horror roots, so she adds a little sprinkling of a supernatural element to the mix.

I’ve seen a lot of reviews panning the book for poor story, criticizing her descriptions of certain things (trying to keep this spoiler free), or the typical, “That’s not how <redacted> works”. Look, it’s called FICTION. Writers take liberties all the time - if you are looking for things to be exact, get a text book or a medical journal. Enjoy a story for what it is - a story.

I would say that DRAGONFLY SUMMER is more of a YA novel (not sure how it’s going to be marketed), but if you are looking for a fun, and quick read, that will have you guessing, you can’t go wrong with this one.

I'm familiar with some of J.H. Moncrieff's horror books and enjoyed everything I've read by this author so far. If you're into supernatural/horror novellas, definitely check out her other work! In any case, Dragonfly Summer is proof that Moncrieff is capable of writing a suspenseful mystery as well.

In this book we're following Jo Carter, who returns to her small Minnesota hometown after receiving a series of strange messages. While she was in high school, one of her friends disappeared mysteriously, and now her other friend seems to have died in similarly strange circumstances.
Now Jo is determined to find out what exactly happened in the town of Clear Springs, even though she seems to have little to no memories about her own life before graduation and is unsure about her own involvement in the events. If she didn't have anything to do with it, then why would she be met with such suspicion?

I really liked Jo as a main character: giving up is not part of her vocabulary and she doesn't shy away from a challenge or a dangerous situation. Just like we expect from a story written by J.H. Moncrieff, the female characters are courageous and fearless women.
The story itself is very fast-paced and will keep you guessing until the very last chapter. If you're looking for a slow burn mystery - look elsewhere, because this isn't it. Just like Jo, the reader doesn't have a clue who is genuine and which characters are playing mind games on her. I would fully trust a certain character, only to put them at the top of my 'distrust list' a few pages later.
It was fun to slowly gather all the pieces of information and unravel the truth along with Jo - this makes the book very engaging in my opinion.

The dialogue in Dragonfly Summer is weaved in between page-turning, suspenseful scenes. I really flew through the action scenes, they were written so well! The balance between high-speed action and slower small town drama and gossip was done exactly right.

The only thing that kept me from rating this book 5 stars is that I wasn't entirely on board with how Jo's memory loss was used by the author. Having a character remember next to nothing about her past might be a little bit too convenient...
But don't let this deter you from reading this book. It's the perfect story to get you out of that reading slump if you're into small town drama, intrigue and action-packed mystery.

A huge thank you to the author and Flame Tree Press for providing the e-arc in exchange for an honest review!

When Jo receives a strange newsclipping from her hometown about a disappearance from 27 years ago she decides to go back. What happens upon her arrival will keep you rivited until the last page. I really enjoyed this book

I requested this one because it might be an upcoming title I would like to review on my Youtube Channel. However, after reading the first several chapters I have determined that this book does not suit my tastes. So I decided to DNF this one.