Thank you to NetGalley and Immersive books for the eARC.

I am loving the idea of YouTubers/Influencers as the main character. This book was an easy read, easy to follow and had a bit of suspense. I enjoyed it!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC! I will say that I initially requested this due to the Reese’s Book Club sticker shown on the photo - which was then removed. Unfortunately, this book wasn’t for me. I found myself bored and this was very generic in terms of a thriller. Thank you for the opportunity to read and review.

This book had a good premise. It was a quick read, with short chapters and the mystery kept my attention. That being said, this book was just okay to me. The writing style was a bit simple and the story just didn't wow me. This book seemed more like a Young Adult read in that there weren't and big or dark twists. The story was a bit unrealistic and was very predictable. I normally don't mind predictable, but I do like for there to be twists. I didn't love this one and I didn't hate it either. Ultimately, it didn't leave me feeling much of anything.

This is a fast paced and attention grabbing thriller with a lot of potential. The author touches on racial issues and how bias can impact how crimes are handled, which is a thought provoking topic that made the story more impactful to read. This book wasn't as good as I hoped it would be but I will still follow the author to see what comes out next.

Thank you NetGalley and Immersive Books Publishing for allowing me to read this ARC for my honest opinion.

Genre: Murder Mystery/Thriller
Rating: ⭐️⭐️[2/5]
Review written by: J
Thank you NetGalley & Immersive Books for this E-ARC in exchange for an honest review

Plot:
Kacy is a YouTuber who's obsession with abandoned places takes her on an emotional journey that she will never forget. After vowing she’d never return to her hometown, she was forced due to an anonymous call informing her of her estranged father’s hearattack. After getting him home, Kacy embarks on another exploration to create more content for her channel.

Things take an unexpected turn when she stumbles upon a dead body at the infamous Camp Mercy, an abandoned summer camp, just a stone's throw away from her childhood home. With the police now involved, Kacy runs into an old flame, the detective on the case, adding a layer of complicated emotions to an already tense situation


Thoughts:
This was my first Goodwin book, and honestly, I had no idea what to expect. The book started off with fantastic atmospheric descriptions hooking me right off the bat.

The storyline leading up to the reveal had me so intrigued that I caught myself sweating and my heart racing.

Unfortunately the grand reveal of the killer fell flat for me because it lacked the twists I am used to in Murder Mysteries and I was able to figure out who the killer was early on. This book had a lot of potential for twists and crazy things to be added but ultimately it didn’t have that wow factor I expected.

I did however enjoyed the romance aspect that was sprinkled within the book and the healing process of the MC past traumas.

I would recommend this book to someone who wants to get into murder mysteries genre, its a good place to start. But if this is a genre you really like, this book falls flat on the twists and turns you would expect from.

The Body Among the Pines is a suspenseful story. It includes some subject matter that may be difficult to read and could be triggering to some. It is important to read the book cover before reading.

This book needs a very talented editor to go over everything again. The writing was so weird at times. Kind of middle school simplistic but also trying way too hard to sound smart while still coming across as very young. The writing just didn't flow very well.

The story itself was pretty good, but it was too quick and too inaccurate at times. Maybe a tiny back-in-time chapter to 1986. Just more of everything. It was all too fast and like I said - the writing was just not anything that endears a book to a reader.

There is a lot of potential for this book with another round of editing.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an e-ARC of this novel.

Kacy Roe is a famous YouTuber who found success filming herself in abandoned locations and showing the world the places that were left behind. After the death of her mother, Kacy left her hometown of Tulsa, Oklahoma, and vowed to never return. Nine years later, Kacy receives a phone call informing her that her estranged father had a heart attack, and she reluctantly returns to Tulsa. After taking her father home from the hospital, Kacy embarks on another exploration to create more content for her YouTube channel. Things take an unexpected turn when she stumbles upon a dead body at the infamous Camp Mercy, an abandoned summer camp. When the police get involved, Kacy runs into her ex-boyfriend, Robert, who just happens to be the detective on the case. Hoping to break the internet, Kacy stays in Tulsa and vows to solve the case for her subscribers, even if it means putting herself in danger.

This book had a really interesting premise. It was a quick read with short chapters that alternated between the points of view of Kacy and Robert. The mystery was captivating, and I kept reading to find out what really happened. Ultimately, this book just wasn’t for me, though. The writing style was a bit simplistic, and I think this book would have worked better as a YA novel. There was a lot of repetition in the writing that became distracting. If I had a printed copy of this book, I would have loved to redline every “however,” “sadly,” “hopefully,” and “eh,” and every chapter ending with “Then, I….” As someone who previously worked in the criminal justice system, the inaccuracies bothered me. For example, sheriff and police were used interchangeably, and sheriffs don’t work at police stations. Most readers wouldn’t notice this, but given that this book was about law enforcement, that shouldn’t have been a mistake. A simple Google search will tell you that there is a Tulsa County Sheriff’s Office and a Tulsa Police Department, and that they are two different entities.

This book has a lot of potential, but I think it just needs some tweaks. I look forward to seeing what the author does next.

Thank you to NetGalley and Immersive Books Publishing for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

While the premise for the book was interesting, I got too distracted with problems with the characters and the writing. Basics of the story just didn't make sense and the characters themselves were either unlikeable or seemed ignorant of things they really should know. For example, at one point the detective expresses surprise that the case isn't "cut and paste." Additionally, while Robert and Kacy are former love interests, he is a detective and she is a YouTuber who is more worried about content for her subscribers than the fact that people have died, mentions the detective trying to "feel me up," and giggles throughout the book. Giggles, not laughs, chuckles, whatever. She giggles. This is a grown woman old enough that her love interest has made detective in the police force. Kacy isn't 23 here. Again with the writing and inconsistencies. Both the detective and Kacy visit the same nursing home. Currently being a regular visitor at a skilled nursing facility, I chuckled (not giggled) when the detective described it as smelling like "the stench of old people." Got that! But then Kacy visits the same place and describes it as having "the tantalizing aroma of lemon cake." What? This whole book left me scratching my head wishing someone had taken a big red pen to it.

* I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley. Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for this book. All thoughts are my own.

The story was there! It just needs so much editing and rephrasing of sentences. The writing came across like a teenager writing a Wattpad story. It didn’t have much depth to it and the author did a lot of “telling”. I also found much of the writing crossed over the border of cringy. I also could not stand the main character. She just didn’t seem to really respect anyone around her and I found her a bit rude.

Wouldn’t recommend unless there is serious editing.

To say that this book was disappointing is an understatement. This felt like a contemporary with romance and a subtle hint of mystery thriller. It was not giving enough of what I wanted. The layout was good and it had the potential to really go there, so I was disappointed that it didn’t do that.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for me e-arc.

A well written novel, but I did have a hard time reading it. Maybe, I was distracted, I just couldn't get into it and I like darker novels, and a different style.

I received an arc from NetGalley and this is my honest opinion.

This book had lots of suspense and mystery. The reconnection between Robert and Kacy added to the storyline well. I did enjoy this book however the first attempt at a love scene almost made me not read further but I am glad I did. The suspense and mystery picked back up again after that point.

Great summer read!

This was a reread after editing. I liked it fine the first time but I can definately see the improvements in the writing and the story.
Our girl is a little toxic. she left her hometown for her own reasons without saving goodbye to anyone at 17 but now she is back more than a decade later to care for her dad.
On her first day back (or so) she finds a body in the abandoned campground while filming for her Youtube page, as we do.
The cop investigating is the boyfriend whose heart she broke at 17. I am still besties with my boyfriend I had at 17 so I felt for him.
It was good. I can't wait to see what the author writes next.

When successful Youtuber Kacy returns to her hometown to take care of her ailing father, she soon becomes wrapped up in a series of suicides that might be a homicide.

I couldn't put this one down- the chapters were short and the storyline was fairly easy to keep track of. Kacy and her former boyfriend/police detective, Robert share the narration. There's a bit of romance( the sex scene is a bit cheesy) but most of the focus is on the mystery. Overall it was a good read but I like my mysteries a little more dark and twisty.




#immersivebooks #NetGalley.
Expected Publication Date 12/07/23
Goodreads Review Published 15/05/23

Kacy Roe is a successful YouTuber who has built her career on exploring abandoned buildings. She returns home to Tulsa once she learns her father has had a heart attack. She stumbles upon a dead body when exploring an abandoned summer camp, the same camp that a camper committed suicide at 30 years prior. Except many people in the community, including Kacy don't think it was a suicide. It seems like too much of a coincidence for two dead bodies to be found in the same camp. Robert is a detective who has always had a thing for Kacy. Together they set out to solve what really happened.

The premise of this book is very intriguing. I feel like the author lacked in describing the setting and could have done a lot more to draw you in. It wasn't as fast paced of a thriller as I had hoped. There were not many twists and turns along the way. The chapters were short which did make for it to go by quickly. Some of the plot was a bit disorganized. It could be enjoyable for some, it's just not my preferred style.

Thanks to Netgalley and Immersive Books Publishing for a digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.

■ A fast paced thriller with an intriguing plot. As a YouTuber, Kacy shows the world what it's like to remember places that were left behind. One day, she is informed of her father’s heart attack and, though hesitant to revisit the past, rushes back to her hometown where she also embarks on an exploration to create content for her channel. However, things take an unexpected turn when she stumbles upon a dead body at the infamous Camp Mercy…

■ The short chapters were great for reading in between and when I didn’t have too much time. I also found the writing style easy to get into; however, at times it felt a bit simplistic.

■ What I also liked about this novel was its multiperspectivity. The Body Among the Pines is narrated from two points of view, Kacy’s and Robert’s, so we got two perspectives when it comes to solving the crime: one of a YouTuber who stumbles upon the crime scene and the other one of a detective who has been tasked with solving the crime.

■ What could have greatly enhanced the storytelling, however, are flashbacks to what has happened in the 1980s. A major event that affects the investigation, took place decades ago, so finding out what happened through flashbacks rather than just testimonies by several people would have been more interesting.

■ Now, for the part I didn’t enjoy as much: the romance aspect of the novel. The way Kacy and Robert get close to each other again so quickly, after having been apart many years, feels a bit unrealistic.

■ And generally speaking, I quite like thrillers, but I’m not particularly a fan of romance. I am aware that this can contribute to the storyline in a way, but I really just want to focus on the solving of a crime, without any romance elements. I can definitely see why some people might enjoy this aspect more than I did tho!

■ Thanks to the publisher, Immersive Books, and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of The Body Among the Pines! Out on July 12th!

■ My rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

A quick enjoyable who done it mystery.
There’s a love interest too so a bit of romance accompanied the murders. The characters weren’t messy/complex enough for me so
I would say this is more a YA book.
Really liked the FMC who is stubborn and confident.
Thank you to NetGallery for the E-ARC, this is a voluntary review.

Thank you NetGalley and Immersive Books Publishing for this ARC!

If you are looking for a thriller/suspense novel with a YouTuber as a main character this book is for you! I read this one quickly, not wanting to put it down. I enjoyed the main character, Kacy, and her struggles in her relationships in life. I am happy with how this book ended and really enjoyed this one. Lately I have been reading a lot of books that had many characters and confusing stories. This book was one that was enjoyable and easy to follow!

This has so much potential but it needs to go back to an editor for adjustments. The writing style is extremely juvenile to the point of being confusing to understand and cringy. I really enjoyed the mystery portion of the story and had high hopes. Also the way Robert and Kacy just fall back in, after so many years apart feels too easy. The story is missing the wow factor.