At first, I was skeptical about this book because the reader is omniscient and there isn't much of a mystery but this book kept me HOOKED. I could not put this book down, The main characters were unique and interesting. Catherine, despite being a tree who cannot talk or move, plays such an important role in the story. She is such a lovable character.

Thank you to NetGalley for the free review copy

What caught my attention first was the beautiful cover and then I read the description. I usually don't read such fanciful books but I did enjoy the way the author told the story through the eyes of a tree. As much as I thought that would take me out of the story it didn't, I thought it was actually quite beautiful and made me want to appreciate nature more.

I usually stick to more fast past thrillers but this was a nice change of pace and still had enough mystery to keep my attention to the end of the book.

Fractured Oak By Dannie Boyd

5 Stars

When I started this book, I didn't know how I'd feel about it. I was pleasantly surprised and found myself deeply engrossed from page one.

Catherine, a young woman with a promising future as a doctor, is killed on the night of her commencement in 1853. Later, she awakes as a tree. Living her life as such and seeing all that happens in front of her. When in 2023 a murder happens in front of her. Her story and that of this fated victim bring together a fantastical story of mystery and murder.

I was really amazed at this story. The story told from the different viewpoints, one a tree, make this book, magical in a way. I was sucked into the story of murder and mystery surrounding the current and past characters. This book really brought the past and the present together in a way that was hard to lay down. I'll be telling my friends about this book. Im so thankful for this review copy from netgally and this amazing author. This was a new author for me and I am so glad I was able to review this story. I hope to read more soon.

~Stormi Ellis~

As soon as I saw the cover and read the description, I was eager to read this book. It’s interesting, beautiful and also matches perfectly with the storyline. It caught my interest straight away.

At the beginning, I was wondering where it was leading to. I was curious to keep going, to find out more. I liked the way it was written from the tree’s perspective, it was cleverly done and had me pondering on how trees and nature try to communicate with us. I love trees and can imagine that they quite possibly feel unheard by a lot of humanity. That certainly intrigued me.

The story all came together neatly and it was concluded very well. It saddens me that women experienced these unacceptable situations of treatment, when both sexes equally have so much skill and talent to share. I think this book created a scene of justice and success in the end.

It was a pleasant read and I particularly enjoyed the chapters of Catherine’s telling.

Thank you very much to NetGalley and all involved in me being able to read this book for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and Indigo Dot Press for an ARC of this book!

The premise of this book had me hooked: Catherine Miller is reincarnated as a tree after being murdered, and now a witness of a homeowner murdering his student. This was a perfect mix of murder mystery, magical realism, and female power.
I loved reading Catherine’s chapters, the author did a great job at writing from a point of view of something non-human while still conveying so much human emotion and feelings. I admire Catherine so much, she’s such a great character. I really enjoyed Lani’s POV, too. Her witty and sarcastic temper made her so fun, and as Catherine herself said, they would’ve been best friends in another lifetime.
Everything about this book was amazing and I’d definitely like to read more of Dannie Boyd in the future!

This book is perfect for people who long for a detective story and solving crimes while not having the same old, same old detective investigating. We meet several different character types through out the book, the murderer is pretty much known from the start with only one victim trapped inside a tree unable to truly communicate. Even though the topic of the book, the transformation from woman to tree sound highly magical, we more or less stay within the realms of reality. It does make a fantastic storytelling and Dannie Boyd made it possible to have a point of view on modern living from someone who has never made it this far.

Fractured oak, a detectivestorey with nice timelines, comparing different views on life and touches the position of woman in different eras. All the puzzlepieces lead to the exiting conclusion of two murders in two different timeperiods. Superengaging. Read this book in one go.

Imagine being reincarnated as a tree, now wouldn't that be something!
This concept is what attracted me to the book and I wasn't disappointed.
A fast paced exciting read, history meeting up with modern day and all its inventions. But most of all two strong female leads and their fight for truth and justice. What an amazing journey this was, I couldn't put it down. A cleverly crafted story with well developed characters set in beautiful surroundings, Pageturner!

Thank you Netgalley and Indigo Dot Press for the ARC.

The premise is good but the actual story just didn't keep me interested. I actually only got a little over 50 pages read before just quit trying to get into it. Characters motives were broadcast so blatantly that one could easily see where story was going. and the main character was not very believable, even for a fantasy book.

Fractured Oak is unlike anything I've read before, and the cover is beautiful. I found it to be a thoroughly entertaining read. I guess the closest comparison I could make for the protagonist would be the narrator of The Lovely Bones. While that story was told from the point of view of a dead girl, this story is told (partially, anyway) from the point of view of a woman who was murdered and then reincarnated as a tree.

While this premise is fantastical, it also works because Catherine is such a well-fleshed-out character. Her observations of the homeowner (and his visitors) give the reader a voyeuristic glimpse into a killer's world. I equally enjoyed Lani's chapters and found her misanthropic cynicism to be a nice contrast to Catherine's more magical chapters.

Fans of magical realism and mysteries in general will find Fractured Oak to be a gripping and captivating tale. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced reading copy.

A very strange story! A different concept completely. Unique and at first very unsettling. A woman, murdered lives on as a tree, the story follows her observations of the world, life, people and very much made thoughtful and poignant conclusions and assumptions from her strange viewpoint.. Once you feel that you are inside her head, or branches, the view of the world and the people in it alters completely. You reassess previously assumed ideas and experiences. Catherine is linked to the earth and to life, one in particular through murder and the dark deeds of man. She seeks the answers that we all ask, and witness the worst and the best of humanity. Fascinating and thought provoking.

I really enjoyed this book the cover is beautiful and got my attention straight away then I read the first line of the description. It’s hard to catch a killer when the only witnesses is a tree And I was hooked. this book had to be my next read.
Fractured Oak is a murder mystery about two women from different generations. You follow both Lani and Catherine in the present day but you also read about Catherine's story from 170 years ago. I really enjoyed this book I liked that It was different from any other murder mystery I have read this year even though I was pretty sure that I knew who the killer in the past was as soon as that character was introduced and I was correct it did not take anything away from my enjoyment of the story. I felt this book was very well written and especially found the present day Catherine chapters very interesting to read.

Thank you to NetGalley for the free review copy

This book has a very unusual plot line, but it is beautifully written. It brings the past and present together in a gripping mystery. It was refreshing to read something so different, and I enjoyed it very much. I finished it In 2 days.

"It’s hard to catch a killer when the only witness is a tree." how could I not read this mystery book with this concept. I thoroughly enjoyed what I read and thought it worked with the description and was what I hoped for. I enjoyed the magical elements that were in this novel, I enjoyed getting to know the characters and am glad I read this. I enjoyed how well Dannie Boyd wrote this and look forward to more from him.

"There you are,” the murderous homeowner says. “I called you four times.” A pause. “Yes, I know, sorry, this is a different phone. I—” Another pause. “I’ll explain later. I just need you to come here, and if a detective calls you before then, tell her you were with me Wednesday night at my house, discussing my research progress.” A longer pause."