Cover Image: Rough Country

Rough Country

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Member Reviews

I really struggled to finish this one. I listened to the audiobook and maybe reading the book would have been better. I was so put off by this narrator that it was difficult to listen. He doesn’t change his voice when switching characters so it’s difficult to distinguish between characters. He also overacts when reading the lines.
The plot was interesting enough but just didn’t really suck me in. Maybe I’ll try a different book by this author. Hopefully he doesn’t use the same narrator for all his books

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Thanks to Net Galley, I was provided access to an audioversion of this novel for a review. The cover and the author seemed familiar, but I guess I've never read any of these before. Thankfully this is a stand alone, but I'm interested in learning more about the background of the main investigator, so I'll be looking into others.
Reed is given the case of a teen girl found murdered, with an odd design carved into her skin. As he investigates, he discovers there have been other murders in the past with similarities and he begins to unravel some darker secrets.

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I really enjoyed this mystery! Reid Randolph is a New York State Police Office for the Major Crimes Unit who received the early morning call of a young girl who was found dead on a trail in the middle of the woods. This is the beginning of so many twists and turns with a small town that has so many secrets to hide and lies being told it is hard to keep them all straight. Reid is suffering from PTSD, not only from his time in the service but also from the disappearance of his stepdaughter and his divorce and his crumbling relationship with his son. He is trying so hard to keep it all together. He is laser focused on this murder and his superiors are cognizant of his abilities and his mindset at the same time. The web of lies and the apparent link to previous murders had me intrigued from beginning to end. Definitely a recommendation from me!

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Rough Country
T J Brearton
This tale begins with a murder; Kasey’s body is found a few hours after she is strangled a strange symbol is craved into her stomach. Reed Raleigh is assigned the case; he is an investigator in the Major Crimes division. The reader watches as Reed searches for the killer and juggles his personal life. He is divorced and allowed little access to his son. Kasey’s murder becomes personal to Reed; his stepdaughter disappeared when she was a teenager; he knows the anguish of loosing someone and never having an answer to why.
This is not a simple case; it becomes more complex the deeper the investigation. On the surface it appears the boyfriend is the murderer, but Reed soon realizes it is not that simple. There are many unsolved murders over the years; the town is hiding a secret.

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Generally the audiobooks I listen to have a female narrator/protagonist so I was pleasantly surprised to find out this book was from the point of view of Reed Raleigh and had a male narrator. That probably won’t make a difference to most listeners but sometimes I find it hard to listen to a male narrator and that was not the case with this book.

A 4 or 5 star rating from me has to hit at least 2 of the 3 marks-
1. Unique or interesting premise/plot
2. Likable or relatable characters
3. Twist/twists the reader is unable to see coming while still being somewhat plausible.

I mostly read/listen to books in the Mystery/Thriller Genre so it gets progressively more difficult to find a book with a story that is fresh and new. I found this book hit all the marks. While it was a police procedural type book, the case and resolution was not one I’ve read a million times over. I was actually a little surprised at the direction it took because I didn’t anticipate that it was going to turn out the way it did. It was also docked a star because while I’m sure this may have happened before or could have happened, it seemed a little too far fetched or in the very least, wrapped up a bit too neatly at the end.

Reed Raleigh is a likable and relatable character but it always seems like male protagonists- especially law enforcement officers have some inner turmoil/trauma that they don’t talk about. I would love another book with more backstory on him though and a series would be awesome. I did want more of the character.

Overall a solid 4. Definitely would read more following this character.

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I will tell all my customers about this book and the audiobook. It was compelling with complex characters and kept me guessing until the end.

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I received an audiobook ARC of this novel.

Story: I loved this story. Reid is definitely "real" - he has a messy life, he doesn't cut his hair, he is not perfect at all. But, as a cop, he is committed to figuring out what is going on. I liked hearing about how his previous military service impacted his work now. I also love a good cult-related story. I find they are making a resurgence, yet this was still an original and well written novel.

Narrator: I thought that the narrator did a great job! You really felt like you were understanding Reid's feelings, and his change in tone and pitch for other characters made it very clear as to who was talking.

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ROUGH COUNTRY by T.J. Brearton is a dark and disturbing crime thriller tale of a town of secrets with decades-old murders, suicides, evil and controlling sex, and religious cults with strange branding symbols.

Set in northern rural New York, Reed Raleigh is the protagonist of this unsettling novel. He is an investigator for Major Crimes and has been assigned the case of finding the killer who left a young woman, Kasey, with a strange symbol carved in her stomach dead in the forest.

Reed is a troubled soul. A veteran with PTSD, a divorce, and a recent separation from his son. He is still grieving the disappearance of his stepdaughter (missing for years).

The case becomes complicated when Kasey's mother and Kasey's boyfriend are not forthcoming with the investigation, and Kasey's appeared to have secrets.

However, after further investigation, it appears there is more to the story than just one murder.

Something bigger and more sinister involves other murders, suicides, and clues leading to religious and sex cults. From rape, sex with minors, control, witchcraft, carving, strangling, drugs, branding, molestation, conspiracy, blackmail, power, and more.

However, since they cannot make arrests for cults, they must find ways they are breaking the law. Similar cases go back 50 years.

Pros: I liked Reed Raleigh. That is about all.

Cons: I do NOT like Cults (religious or sex cults or any kind), nor do I want to read any books about Cults. This is why I am including this in my review. If someone had put this in the book description, I would never have requested the audiobook. None of the above is appealing to me. Slow-paced with multiple characters.

Audiobook: I have listened to narrator George Newbern before, but the way it was laid out was dull and mundane. I did not care for the audiobook at all. The same flat voice, the same throughout, like reading from a book. No change of voice and NOT engaging in any way. Because he does not change his voice, you have no clue who is talking. Not how I want to spend 8 Hours, 27 Minutes of my time.

Unfortunately, I would NOT recommend the book nor the audio.

My first book by the author. I am sure the author is talented indicated by other reviewers, and this book may appeal to other readers, I am just not one of them. Book publishers, please start adding CULTS in the description, so I can stay away.

Thank you to #DreamscapeMedia and #NetGalley for an ALC in exchange for an honest review.

Blog Review
www.JudithDCollins.com
@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
My Rating: 2.5 Stars Rounded to 3 Stars
Pub Date: Oct 4, 2022

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Just like I always say- a great thriller is one I can’t guess. This one had me going for quite awhile trying to figure it out. Loved the main character and some of his struggles that make it more relatable.


🌀Synopsis
Kasey is murdered and gas a strange figure carved on her body. Reed is called in to help solve the case. The deeper he digs the wilder things get. There are family ties and secrets that are finally revealed.

Ultimately you find out just what’s going on in this small town and how it’s all related. Well, and how their secret life lead to the murder.

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I was unfamiliar with author T.J. Brearton, but as a reader living in Appalachia, I was drawn to this story by its isolated location in upstate New York. And the cover. Yes, I am one of those readers where I do judge by appearance.

Main character Reed Rawley is a NY State Major Crimes investigator with his own load of emotional baggage. When the mutilated body of a young girl is discovered on a wooded trail, it is up to Rawley to solve the puzzle. And, as it turns out, it isn’t just one murder, but pieces of the past, unsolved crimes and a place where secrets are kept by the small community.

I love the narrator George Newborn and know his voice. He’s good. He can convey the significance of the character’s and his tone is soothing. I did have to adjust the speed of the reading however, because I found the cadence to be a little too slow and I wanted the story told at a faster pace. Thank goodness our devices allow us to adjust speed.

Overall, a good solid mystery with a lot to unpack. I checked out Brearton’s list of works and am shocked I’ve never come across his work before. He’s got a long list to choose from, and I will be reading more of his writing.

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Book Title: Rough Country
Author: T.J. Brearton
Audiobook Narrator: George Newbern
Publisher: Dreamscape Media
Genre: Mystery/Thriller
Pub Date: October 4, 2022
My Rating: 3.4 stars

Reed Raleigh is an investigator on the Major Crimes Unit of the New York State Police and receives the early morning call to be the lead on the investigating the murder of Kasey Stephens a teenage girl found in the woods in rural northern New York. She has been strangled and has a strange symbol that was carved on her abdomen.
What started out as one murder soon turns into more—This small town has many secrets as well as many nasty characters. I thought ~ good title for this story.

It was interesting. I liked Reed but the characters were definitely on the ‘rough’ side!

Audiobook narrator is George Newbern who is without a doubt one of my favorite audiobook performer and he did not disappoint!

Want to thank NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for this early eGalley.
Publishing Release Date scheduled for October 4, 2022.

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Thank you Net Galley Dreamscape Media for an audio copy of Rough Country by T.J. Breaston. I want to start off by saying this was the first time I have done an audio book. While I enjoyed the narrator I still at this point feel I prefer to read a book over listening to it, but I will give more audio books a try.

This one starts out with the murder of a young girl and the investigation into her death. While the detective does his investigation he uncovers some dark history in the small town. I am very interested in reading more from this author and would suggest this book to anyone that enjoys mysteries and crime novels.

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Judging by the other reviews, I am the minority here. I am vacillating between 1 star and 2. I will say that I listened to the audiobook, which may account for my difference in opinion.

The writing felt very choppy to me. As I said, this may have been more noticeable to me since I listened to the audiobook. There just wasn't any flow. I really struggled to stay into the book.

The plot was OK. I was listening to the book at 1.5 speed and went to bed with 30 minutes left in the story. 30 minutes. I have stayed up for HOURS to finish a book. This one, I went to bed with a mere 30 minutes (45 at regular speed for comparison) left. That is telling for me.

It seems as this is set up for a series, though I cannot find any mention of that happening.

Raleigh, on paper, was intriguing. Veteran, missing daughter, etc... But the story just didn't pull me in.

If you choose to read this, I'm going to guess that the print may be the better option. There was nothing wrong with the narrator, but I think the act of hearing the book aloud made the choppy prose more noticeable.

I received an audio copy in exchange for an honest review.

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Reed Raleigh is the ultimate tortured hero. As an investigator for Major Crimes, he’s been given the task of finding the killer who left a young woman, Kasey, with a strange symbol carved in her stomach, dead in the forest. While he wants to solve the case, he’s living with a divorce and a painful separation from his son and he’s still grieving the disappearance of his own stepdaughter, still missing years later. He’s being stonewalled and lied to by Kasey’s mother and the girl’s boyfriend, and he’s also learned that Kasey has s secret life no one knew about. This murder isn’t just about Kasey and what happened to her, it’s about much more than that, an insidious secret buried just below the surface of the town for years

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#RoughCountry #TJBrearton #DreamscapeMedia #GeorgeNewbern #InkubatorBooks #NetGalley

This dark story begins with the murder of Kasey, a young girl, in a small town in New York.

Reed Raleigh of Major Crimes investigates.

Reed is a man who knows the trauma of losing a child and is determined to do everything he can to bring resolution to the girl's mother.

As he starts looking into the murder and the people connected to her, he finds out that this is not the first time something like this has happened.

The town has a few dreadful secrets to protect.

As Reed peels back layer after layer, he finds out how depraved people can be and to what lengths they will go maintain the order of things.

This is a multifaceted story with many unexpected twists and turns.

I enjoyed listening to this ALC.

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A young girl murdered. A town with a dark secret. A young
girl, Kasey, is murdered in the woods of northern New York, a
strange symbol carved into her stomach. Investigator Reed
Raleigh, Major Crimes, is tasked with finding the killer. Reed
has his own troubles.

Stories that revolve around tight knit, small communities keeping secrets and covering up murder will always pique my interest. The suspects are numerous and the twists and turns are also. My only issue was trying to keep up with all of the characters that are introduced, listening to the audiobook made this more of a challenge.

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An engrossing audio version, well-narrated, which immediately captured my attention and maintained it throughout, with lots of red herrings and investigative sidetrack, and an engaging failed hero protagonist, nonetheless determined to persevere.

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Thank you Net Galley for an audio copy of Rough Country by T.J. Breaston. This was a well paced mystery situated in rural New York. Kasey was found murdered with a symbol carved on her. Is the community banding together for good or evil? Read to find out, you won't regret it!

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