The Water Tower is a fast-paced thriller that keeps the reader guessing until the end. Author Amy Young has crafted an excellent debut novel that will have readers on edge.

After a recent nervous breakdown, a famous actress moves back to her roots in Lakeview, Ohio as a teacher for a local high school. Josie Ashbury discovers a dead body while on a morning run. It happens to be one of her students. The story unravels as Josie battles with insomnia and guilt while trying to find the reasons behind Amber’s apparent suicide. But Josie goes too far in her quest for answers, as revealed in a shocking ending.

With lots of twists and turns, Young leaves The Water Tower open to a sequel or series. I thank Net Galley for allowing me to read and review it. #NetGalley #TheWaterTower #thriller

A terrific book with characters who seemed very real. I liked the back story of Josie and her reasons for returning to her home town and felt the way she engaged with the students was quite credible. A shocking crime where nothing is as it seems forms the central plot of this strong thriller.

Amber is a high school senior, days before homecoming she falls off the water tower to her death. But she was dead before she hit the ground. Josie, her teacher and a Hollywood actress taking a break in her hometown, finds her body and begins sleuthing after the police are forced to rule it an accident.

This was a fun, quick paced read. It kept my attention and had a twist ending that I honestly didn't guess. The large suspect pool keeps you guessing, coming to conclusions that aren't quite right. The ending is setting this up for a sequel and if that's the case I am ready for it. I'll sleuth with Josie any day.

Thank you Netgalley and publishers for giving me this ARC in exchange for my honest review and opinions.

Escapist novel what would work nicely into a Lifetime or Hallmark movie. Set in a small town outside of Cleveland, OH, Josephine Ashbury is “the local girl who went to Hollywood and made it.” Returning home after a highly publicized break up with her boyfriend and subsequent nervous breakdown, Josie is teaching acting classes at the high school and trying to recover from the trauma.
After finding the body of a senior girl in the field below the water tower, she decides to investigate after the police are ordered to close the case as suicide.
3 stars because it was an easy read but went in 3-4 directions at once. Also the idea of the police sharing case information with a tv star who has no authority or experience is a little far fetched.

17-year-old high school student, Amber, plunges to her death from the top of the local water tower. The police discover she overdosed on Fentanyl and was also pregnant. As the daughter of a Senator, one would think that the investigation would be thorough, however, the investigation is called off by request of her father and her death ruled a suicide. Josie, who has newly arrived at the school to teach acting after her years in Hollywood, had befriended Amber and does not believe the suicide story. Investigating on her own, Josie places herself in danger as she discovers Amber's secret activities. Being an insomniac, Josie sometimes can't recall her whereabouts, if she was hallucinating or if what she believes she saw was real. As Josie gets closer to the truth, Amber's friend, Charlotte disappears--was she taken or is she running?
Character development is minimal. The book ends with a hint to a sequel (series?) of continuing detective work by Josie. Nancy Drew for the young adult crowd. Predictable ending.

Thank you for the advanced readers copy for an honest review

This was a good read, that drew you in from the start, wanting to find out exactly what happened to Amber. The main character Josie does a good job of investigating and keeping you hooked to find out what happened

Interesting story. Touching in the opioid pandemic in this story keeps it current with todays topics. Combine that with high school students and a story is relevant with todays world. The sleep issues portrayed by the narrator are real and touch many lives. The brain fog and forgetfulness are real. I think the twist and turns kept me interested to keep returning to this story daily until finished.

The Water Tower by Amy Young is a fanatic debut! Josie Asbury, a successful Hollywood actress, returns to her old high school after an on-set breakdown derails her career. When one of her students dies, Josie refuses to accept the too quick police investigation that is closed before justice is served. Twisty and atmospheric, I highly enjoyed it!!

A young student, Amber, falls to her death from a water tower at the very beginning. Is it suicide or did someone purposely kill her? This book kept me guessing till the end. This is a mystery with a great hometown setting. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this early release in exchange for my honest review. To be published June 2023.

The water tower is an old building g situated rather too close to a school full of dating adolescents than pethsps is healthy but Josephine Ashbury, a teacher often afflicted with insomnia, never expects to find the dead body of one of her students under it on a morning run.

Josie has had a chequered life: teaching drama now, originally being a rising Hollywood star. After finding the body she is sure the teen had no reason to want to kill herself, so now she turns detective - with a little help from her friends, one of whom is a journalist.

But Josie has strange absences, and teacher colleague Jake, and old flame cop Sean do not feel it is wise for her to be investigating what may be lurking beneath the pond of a small community with conflicted interests.

This debut novel presents a wonderfully twisted mystery yarn, and as satisfying a reveal as could be hoped for in a decent whodunit, though not before the murderer strikes again.

Hopefully, this writer will also strike out on future endeavours where evil is masked in fog. A very enjoyable and tautly written read!

Amy Young does a great job in creating a good mystery novel, it had a great concept and I enjoyed the use of former Hollywood actress. It worked well overall and I enjoyed trying to figure out what was happening in this mystery.

"She feared this meeting would not go well. One of the things that Amber had mentioned was the distance between herself and her parents, basically being raised by nannies, her relationship with her parents stiff and formal. Still, maybe they had noticed something, anything, that could point Josie in the right direction."

My first Amy Young read and I really enjoyed it. Lots of super rich characters that kept me totally invested in the story. I read this in one day.
Easy to read with just the right amount of tension and great reveals.
Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book

Josie is an actress who returns to her hometown after having a breakdown,. She takes on a High school teaching position, to get away from the Hollywood scene for awhile, But when the body of one of her students is found she enlists the help of her friends to prove that this wasn't just an accident. The more she digs the more she questions just what these girls were involved in. Full of mystery and suspense, this book will keep you guessing until the very end!

Thank you Net Galley and the publisher for allowing me to read this ARC for an honest review.

Heart pounding thriller that left me on the edge of my seat. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this one. Definitely one of the best books this year.

Good book! I definitely enjoyed reading this one! This book had a bit of everything! It had suspense, intrigue, action, murder, mystery, drugs, great sleuthing action and a great surprise who done it! The storyline was very interesting and kept me glued to my Kindle!. I will definitely recommend reading this book as it was well worth reading! Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for sharing this book with me!