This is a book that is trying to be too many different things. The plot is almost incoherent because nothing is concrete. It also felt like there was a distance between the reader and the characters of the novel, so I never fully connected to anybody. Even though there was a lot of promise with the premise of this novel, it fell flat because neither the characterization or the plot could save it.

This was requested when I first found out about NetGalley and I had requested so many ARCs that I could not get to all of them before they were archived. I really wanted to get to this one, as it seemed interesting. If I can find this somewhere for a reasonable price, I will try to get it! I am giving this book three stars, as I don't want to give it a good or bad rating, since I did not get to it and we have to leave a star rating.

I’m not a fan of gore, especially when it feels like it’s there for the sake of it. I know there are readers who like this kind of thing. I’m just not one of them.

I honestly couldn’t stay interested in this book!! I’m not sure why. I enjoyed his last book but to me this one fell flat.

I liked this book. I think it had some really creepy moments and the story moved at a good pace. It was really unique and creative. Overall, I would reccomend it for those that like stories that have a creep factor to them. 10/10 highly reccomend. Special 'Thank You' to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for allowing me to read a complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.

Lighthouse Burning is a deeply dark mystery about a small Appalachian town and med school dropout hired to solve the mystery of missing people. With very little law enforcement, arsonists are slowly burning down the town.

This was a difficult one for me to read. I stopped and started several times and finally finished but this book was not for me.

Dark, disturbing and gritty. It's not a book to read if you want some light or relaxing. There's darknes, there could be paranormal events or mental issues. There's a lot going on and you can love or hate this book but it's not one that will not provoke you.
I found it very slow at times but the author is talented and there's potential in this series.
it's not for faint of heart or if you want a cozy read.
3.5 upped to 4
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

2.5⭐️

Harlan Winter never planned to return to his hometown, but after failing out of med school, he doesn’t really have much of a choice. Caught in economic decline, must if the population is out of work and Harlan finds himself working as a stand in doctor, being paid in canned foods. He tried to outrun his family’s reputation, which is hard with his uncle being released from prison.

Harlan gets hired by two teens to help find their brother and his girlfriend who had gone missing. He soon learns that the couple is wrapped up in the Lighthouse, the local vigilante cult. The more Harlan investigates, the more he realizes he can’t outrun his past and said past can help solve the case.

I’m…confused, I think. I’m not sure if this was supposed to be a thriller or a dystopian story or a horror story. All three genre’s are started, but I don’t think any of the thoughts were carried out enough to have a solid answer.

There are also a lot of things that didn’t make sense to me. Like why the twins would hire Harlan as an armature detective when there is no reason to believe he knows anything about being a detective. He failed med school, but that didn’t mean he had a sudden career change into detective work. I also feel like the Lighthouse, which is the book title namesake, was a very vague bogey man that could have been very interesting if it was examine more. Overall I just wish at least one of the story lines was followed throughout the book.

Thanks Netgalley for providing this ARC to me.

The first book of a new series, Lighthouse Burning (2023) by Jordan Farmer features Harlan Winter, a medical school dropout. Harlan returns to his impoverished West Virginia hometown where the locals are fearful of a local cult called The Lighthouse. Harlan is asked to investigate the disappearance of a young couple, one an artist commissioned to do paintings for The Lighthouse. As he investigates, Harlan has to navigate this post-apocryphal environment, where violence is rife with its ever-darkening sinister narrative. Although it’s an engaging tale, the magical realism and dark pseudo-religious subtext and violent scenes require a cautionary content warning for readers. If you like weirdly dark almost hallucinatory stories with an element of gore then this two star rating novel may suit you. With thanks to Thomas & Mercer and the author, for an uncorrected advanced review copy for review purposes. As always, the opinions herein are totally my own and freely given.

Bad guys and economic stress make for a difficult community and this one is really bad. Harlan, who dropped out of med school, takes on more than he should in this novel which I did not finish. THat's too bad because it's an interesting premise. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. Wasn't for me.

Lighthouse Burning wasn’t the story I expected from its blurb, which starts with “In a small Appalachian town, an amateur detective unearths a dark conspiracy and his own haunted past, in a chilling novel about sacrifice, art, and revenge.” That conjured up a vastly different idea in my mind about the protagonist Harlan Winter, his motivations for action and the value of art in this story. Winter is a med-school dropout, a man with a violent past and violent tendencies, living in a small, poor, violent country town overshadowed by an intimidating local cult called the Lighthouse. Winter is (kind of) hired to play detective and find a missing young couple (an artist and his girlfriend who left behind a series of paintings that have outraged the Lighthouse’s pastor) and he has flashes of conscience and likeability… mixed in with visions of dead people from his past and yep, violence. I guess you can see my ambivalence about this read? I wasn’t expecting what I got and wasn’t always sure I wanted to read it yet felt compelled to finish it and then still felt confused about my thoughts.
I quite enjoyed Lighthouse Burning but the blurb could do with reflecting a darker, grittier, more hopeless and violent story and protagonist right from its first sentence. Recommended for those readers who enjoy American Noir stories. 3.5 stars.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with an eARC of this book.

This is a well-written highly engaging book (especially if you are in the music business).

I had not heard of this author prior to reading this book, however by the time I finished the first half of this novel I was confident enough in the author's talent and ability to entertain his audience that I purchased a second novel by this author.

The concept that keeps echoing in my mind from reading this story is that your scars or "abnormalities" (both external and internal) have equal abilities to impact your life (negatively OR positively) based on how much value and power YOU give them. Our own judgement is much more significant than anyone else's could ever be.

Until next time, remember, one's idea of paradise may be another's embodiment of hell, and vice versa.

Check this writer out!

I love the concept for this book but my biggest problem with it is the length of the book. I think if it was longer the storyline would’ve played out better and given the author more time to lay out a cohesive plot and build the characters up more.

I am not entirely sure what I read, but I do know that I was not a fan. I don't think that the description that is given really represents the book in the slightest.

I enjoyed this fast paced story. I kept thinking 'how could it twist any more?' The setting choice was interesting and the magic was well tied in. I also thought that the writing was vivid and packed a punch. I didn't think the ending made the most sense, but it was still a fun, quick read.

Harlan Winter flunked out of medical school and has returned to his small Appalachian town where he practices as an unlicensed doctor. He is haunted by his violent past. The town is beset by arsonists and cultists. Engaged to find a missing person, Winter encounters bodies buried alive, ghosts in his backseat, and magic through the air.

Lighthouse Burning by Jordan Farmer was great mystery.

This was my first book by this author and he totally delivered an interesting story.
The book was intense, fast paced and action packed.
It's very well written and the characters are interesting.
The twists and turns, the suspense it surprised me.

"I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own."

Thomas & Mercer,
Thank You for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this eARC!

It’s a me issue. I was really uncomfortable reading about all the blood and the details of violence/assault.

Also, for a pretty short book the book felt a little long.

I just wish it was a little fast paced. I like the writing and the character development. However, for a mystery suspense thriller I expect the plot to be more suspenseful and engrossing.

Thank you, Thomas & Mercer, for the advance reading copy.

I was hooked from the line "amateur detective unearths a dark conspiracy and his own haunted past" this worked with the mystery/thriller novel. It was what I was hoping for from the description and it worked with the characters created. I enjoyed the way Jordan Farmer wrote this and can't wait to read more in the future.

“I know exactly what happened. This is the result of the songs we’ve been singing and the poems I’ve been writing. Each word and stanza and verse another thing bringing you closer to this inevitable moment. I chose you because you’re the opposite of us. We create, and you destroy.” As if to prove his point, Logan gestured to the beaten truck. “Destruction has its usefulness. Sometimes, the slate needs wiped clean.”