2.5 star

First, I always struggle to rate books low because the author wrote a book!! And it got published!! And that's a great achievement. But this one did not hit the spot for me.

It started so cliche':
*of course Josie is red-headed with green eyes
*of course she's gorgeous but doesn't "see it"
*of course she is a famous Hollywood star but still a "hometown" girl
*of course Sean is a buff, blond, and gorgeous policeman
*and of course Jake is a tall, dark, and handsome teacher.

My eyes rolled so hard I thought they'd pop out of my head. Once we got out the introductions it got a bit better, but in the end, the story was predictable, there were inconsistencies throughout, and loose ends were left hanging.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book.

This was a decent novel but I felt that it was very straight forward and didn't give me the thrill that I look for in books.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC of this book. This thriller was fast-moving and had a few twists and turns. It definitely veered into the territory of being unbelievable, but the story made sense and had good closure at the end.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this eARC.

The Water Tower by Amy Young is a captivating and suspenseful novel that explores the secrets and mysteries of a small town. The story follows Emma, a journalist who returns to her hometown of Waterford after a decade, to investigate the disappearance of her childhood friend, Lily. As Emma digs deeper into the past, she uncovers a web of lies, corruption, and violence that surrounds the town's water tower, a sinister landmark that looms over the lives of the residents. Emma soon realizes that she is not the only one looking for answers, and that someone is willing to kill to keep the truth buried.

Young's writing is crisp and engaging, creating a vivid sense of place and atmosphere. She skillfully balances the elements of mystery, thriller, and drama, keeping the reader hooked until the end. The characters are well-developed and realistic, each with their own flaws and motivations. The Water Tower is a gripping and satisfying read that will appeal to fans of Gillian Flynn, Paula Hawkins, and Ruth Ware.

Wow... I didn't know what to expect with this novel but wow. I am so glad I was able to read this because it was such a great thrill! Absolutely loved the suspense of it and definitely kept you intrigued the whole way!

Thank you Netgalley and level best books for the ARC in exchange of an honest review.

The water tower is a story of an young Hollywood actress Josie who after a breakdown is on break from an acting career and starts talking acting lessons in her hometown school. The first death that takes place at the start of the book is the central mystery.

It was pretty obvious "who was responsible for everything" because I had figured it out pretty early. The suspense of Josie's life was something that I had predicted way before it was revealed. There were just subtle clues to it but even then it was obvious for me.

It is an interesting read but it lacks shocking factor as well as the urgency that keeps a reader on the edge. Although I was curious for the reveal and kept reading, upon final reveal I felt like disappointed. Enjoyable but not my favorite thriller.

Josie Asbury is the main character and is returning to her hometown after a breakdown caused her to step away from a successful career as an actress in Hollywood. She starts to pick-up past friendships and teaches acting in her high school. Then the tragic death of two students and Josie finds the first body. This leads to the investigation if they are related and opens up the appearance of many more characters and a love interest for Josie. A nice read for a weekend afternoon.

"The Water Tower" by Amy Young presents a compelling blend of mystery and personal redemption as Hollywood actress Josie Ashbury returns to her small Ohio hometown to heal from an on-set breakdown. While the novel weaves a narrative that is both suspenseful and introspective, it falls short of reaching the heights of a standout thriller.

The premise is intriguing, with Josie Ashbury attempting to rebuild her life after a breakdown leads her back to her roots. Young skillfully captures the challenges faced by a former Hollywood star readjusting to small-town life and, simultaneously, dealing with personal demons. Josie's journey of self-discovery is engaging, and the author effectively portrays her struggle with insomnia and memory gaps.

The central mystery involving the suspicious death of one of Josie's students adds a layer of suspense to the plot. However, the resolution of the mystery, when it finally arrives, lacks the impact and surprise that one might expect from a psychological thriller. The pacing, while steady, does not always maintain a sense of urgency, leading to moments where the narrative loses its grip on the reader's attention.

Josie's determination to uncover the truth is a driving force in the story, and her personal battles mirror the broader theme of confronting secrets. The small-town setting enhances the sense of community and interconnectedness, contributing to the novel's atmosphere.

While the unraveling of secrets and the discovery of the truth bring closure to the plot, the execution feels somewhat predictable. The connections between characters and the final revelations lack the complexity and depth that could elevate the story to a more gripping level.

In conclusion, "The Water Tower" is a three-star read that offers a mix of mystery, self-discovery, and small-town drama. Amy Young's exploration of Josie Ashbury's journey is commendable, but the novel falls short of delivering the intense thrills and unexpected twists that define top-tier psychological mysteries. Despite its shortcomings, the book provides an engaging reading experience for those who appreciate a slower-paced mystery with a focus on personal redemption.

Thanks to Netgalley and Level Best Books for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Josie returns to her hometown near Cleveland after an on set meltdown puts her acting career in LA on hold. She is teaching an acting class at the local high school. On her morning run, she finds one of her students lying dead near the town's water tower. The dead girl, Amber, is the daughter of a wealthy state senator and the investigation is quickly stopped and the death is ruled a suicide. But Amber had lots of fentanyl in her system and she was pregnant, so Josie finds herself carrying on the investigation.

Overall, this was a pretty good book. I liked the characters. It was an easy enough read, although the number of times the students used "like" in their conversation waned on me. I was interested in knowing who was guilty and why, and we obviously got that answer. I still had a few minor questions at the end, but this was good for a first novel.

Josie Ashbury has returned home to Ohio after a nervous breakdown in Hollywood. She is now teaching at the local high school, when one of her students takes a plunge off of the water tower. Was it an accident, was it suicide, or was it something more sinister? Josie investigates while dealing with her insomnia. A suspenseful psychological thriller. Enjoy.

I thought this was a good book but not one of my favorites. I had an interesting story line and was filled with questions and suspense. But I also thought at moments it was quite boring and I didnt know if I would finish it honestly. I thought the parts that were good were really good and had me questioning if I really knew what happend.

The Water Tower was a great mystery read that will keep you guessing until the very end. I loved Josie's character and really felt for her with her parent's death and then becoming invested in the death of one of her students. The twists and turns in this book will definitely keep you hooked.

The writing get juvenile and flat and I didn’t get pulled in at all. The story was fine but not great.

After having a breakdown on set, Hollywood actress Josie Ashbury returns to her small hometown in Ohio to recover. She begins to put her life back together by teaching drama at her old high school. When she finds one of her students dead, she tries to find out what happened. While dealing with insomnia that leaves her questioning what is real or not real, the truth might be closer to her than she can imagine.

A great story with compelling characters and plot. I really enjoyed this author and hope to read more from her.

Josie Ashbury had been a successful actress until she had a breakup and felt that her time in Hollywood was over. She became a teacher at a local high school in Ohio, a suburb of Cleveland, the place she decided to settle.

She has insomnia so she thought that she saw someone at the top of the local historic water tower. She chalked that up to her insomnia and didn't investigate further.

One day as she was jogging, as she usually does, she finds a young student Amber Oldman whose father is a Congressman and a prominent figure. The consensus is that Amber jumped although Josie does not believe this.

There was speculation that she was on Fentanyl and jumped, Josie finds that she can't let this go after the case was closed, probably because Amber's father was who he was.

Josie decides to investigate this case, she feels that Amber needs the truth to come out. Her friends are worried about her because of her insomnia. Josie is close to a previous significant other who is with the police. Josie also has a relationship with a fellow teacher. She thinks that he is the one.

This novel is a fast read, a book that you will want to finish quick. Some twists and turns in the story are well-written. I really enjoyed this first novel by Amy Young. I look forward for more by this author.

I give it 5 stars!

This is a murder mystery involving an actress, Jose, who comes back to her hometown to get away from her life in Hollywood. She thinks she saw a person on the town water tower, that she can see out her window, in the middle of the night. The next morning she finds a student from the high school dead in the field. Jose decides to look into what happened herself and gets mixed up in a case of drugs, possible prostitution, and high school students who are dying of drug overdoses, even though they don’t do drugs. A plot twist at the end leaves the story with a possibility for a next book, as the reasons behind the killer committing the crimes isn’t totally resolved. I’d like to find out if the group behind the drugs ever gets investigated by authorities and if Jose helps with that case….

I did not finish this one, it was not for me, I couldn't relate to the characters, and just did not care for the story.

I loved the short chapters and the amateur detective that Josie became. I liked the writing style and the red herrings that were present. It was simple but well thought out. Although I felt bad for Joise dealing with insomnia it added a little of an unreliable narrator feel. I thought I had it figured out and I was not even close. Joise’s friend group was so supportive and I loved all the scenes involving them. They did not ask questions when she needed them to tag along. The believability was there even if some things were stretched a little bit and the ending shed a lot of light on the why while leaving it open to more which I enjoyed.

Thank you @amypcomedy @netgalley, level best books and @suzyapprovedbooktours for the gifted copy.

A quick and easy read with a pretty predictable ending but with writing compelling enough to continue til the end. Would consider this a YA novel even though I don't think it is being marketed as such? 3.5 stars

The Water Tower sounded like it could be a good read. However, I thought the writing was subpar. This book was trying to be a murder mystery, but it had too many other strange variables that made it completely unbelievable. A famous actress with a mysterious past returns to her hometown after a relationship goes south. She takes up teaching acting classes at the local high school, and when a student dies, she begins investigating the death. The way in which she completely disregards the police investigation and begins her own weird investigation is just not believable. Who in their right mind is going to just let some random woman question them about things the way she does. Like I said not believable at all.