3.5 stars. An interesting debut. A VERY slow burn mystery. It's not so much a mystery, in my opinion, as it is a story about loss and grief and the burdens we carry with us. Most of the novel focuses on the fractured relationship between sisters Jess and Liz, and Jess's reaction to being back in the small town in which she grew up.

"When Jess was thirteen her mother went for a walk and never returned. Jess and her older sister Liz never found out what happened. Instead, they did what they hoped their mother would do: survive. As soon as she was old enough, Jess fled their small town of Knife River, wandering from girlfriend to girlfriend like a ghost in her own life, aimless in her attempts to outrun grief and confusion. But one morning fifteen years later she gets the call she’s been bracing herself for: Her mother's remains have been found."

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House/Dial Press for the free ARC in eschange for my honest review. All opinions expressed herein are my own.

2.5 Stars rounded up.

I'm never really drawn to protagonists like Jess and this was no exception. The whole book was depressing and I couldn't wait for it to end. I liked how the ending wrapped it up or it would've been a 1.0 star for me.

Thanks Random House Group via NetGalley for allowing me to read this ARC. I don't think I'll be reading anything else from this author though.

Good book and story about a woman who disappears, and her daughters never stop trying to find out what happen to her. Lots of theories but no concrete info. While the story and characters were good, I felt like it dragged on and there was too much detail. Not bad for a debut from this author.
Thank you to Netgalley, Random House and the Author, Justine Champine for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

When they were 13 and 18, Jess and Liz's mother went out for a walk one morning and never came back. Now, 15 years later, Liz has barely been back to their town of Knife River and lives a life hopping from girlfriend to girlfriend, never quite able to settle but also never quite able to be alone. Liz has stayed in Knife River all this time, and while she holds a steady job at the local bank, it's clear that she's not doing so great herself - never changing anything about the house, never able to move on from her obsession with a particular person she thinks is responsible for her mother's disappearance. The sisters are barely in touch until one day Jess receives an urgent call from Liz to come home: their mother's remains have been found. What ensues is a look at how they handle the past trauma being dredged up, their continued quest for answers, and the tension between their different approaches to coping. Don't go into this one thinking of it as a thriller, or really even a slow-burn suspense. There's a missing person cold case at the center, but it's much more a character study and an exploration of responses to trauma, particularly of this missing persons variety that has no closure, and particularly the disappearance of a mother. Made me think more of William Landay's All That Is Mine I Carry with Me (minus the perspective shifts/inventive narration style), than a psychological mystery like Tana French or Jane Harper (which I had heard one comparison to) with this focus on siblings who have lost a mother and what that does to their relationship with each other, and with their ability to grow up/live life. It's fairly gritty in feel; I thought it well-written, though the overall feel can be depressing, and sometimes you just want to shake Jess a little... While I appreciated some feelings of redemption toward the end, I was actually a bit disappointed that the redemption was followed with a neater ending than I would have expected after this whole exploration of what a real-life missing-person tragedy is like - a lot of times we don't ever know the whole story, and I thought that might have been a better ending here. I received a free e-copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. ★★★.75

I have mixed feelings people!! I don’t like the way it ended! I literally bawled. Tears are still slowly sliding down my face.

This book has gotten to be one of the brilliantly written debut I’ve read in a long time. The intelligent writing had me drawn in from the first paragraph detailing the main character’s life to the ending. This isn’t just about trying to solve a case or finding the sisters’ mother. The is the story of an awkward sister love, redemption, forgiveness, understanding, compassion and perspective. This is about building a bridge between two sisters after being estranged for over fifteen years and do they have the courage to find themselves and start over after their mother’s bones discovery. Will there be a justice after all. Depending on how you look at it after you finish this book…..This story will haunt me for years to come because of my personal experiences.

Four and half stars from me.

Thank you, Dial Press and NetGalley for allowing me read this wonderful eARC. As usual, all of my reviews are purely my own opinions without any influence from any publisher

This was a wonderfully done mystery novel, it had everything that I was hoping for. I thought the characters were interesting and worked with the overall storyline with them. It had that element that I wanted and enjoyed the overall feel of this. It was suspenseful and worked with the atmosphere perfectly. I enjoyed the way Justine Champine wrote this.

Knife river is a strong literary thriller. Jess and Liz’s mother went for a walk in their walk town of knife river fifteen years ago and vanished, never heard from again. When she’s old enough, Jess leaves the town as well to start over and put distance between herself and knife river. However, the girls get a call that their mother’s remains have been found and Jess returns back to their town to find nothing has changed. Jess and Liz have to relive the events of fifteen years ago to piece together what happened to their mom. Filled with plenty of suspects, this is a slow-burning literary mystery and a particular one to which I’m drawn.-returning back to a small town. This is very-well written and slowly ratchets up the suspense and mystery while building the small -town atmosphere. If you love mysteries that have a literary bent-don’t miss this under-the-radar read!

Thanks to the publisher for the arc provided via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

When you read the description of Knife River, you might initially think it's centered around a murder investigation. While that's a significant part of the story, the narrative encompasses much more. It's basically about the relationship between two sisters and the profound impact their mother's disappearance had on their lives. One sister left town at the first opportunity, while the other stayed behind in the family home.

Knife River begins with the discovery of the remains of Jess and Liz's mother, 15 years after she went missing. Understandably, a murder investigation after so many years progresses slowly, and the story's pace mirrors this. Although Liz and Jess are relatable characters, the pacing of their development didn't compel me to keep reading with urgency to find out what happens next.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for the eARC.

This book tackles grief in such a raw and honest way. How grief can keep you in a place that maybe you don't even belong anymore. It was so real and so good.

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group/Dial Press for allowikng me to read this egalley in exchange for an honest review!
The setting of the book was interesting, and it showed how a crime has lasting impacts on those it effects. The storytelling was solid and the book kept my attention.

Estranged sisters come together when their missing mother’s body is found.

In 1995 in a rural northern New York town a single mother named Natalie Fairchild goes for a walk as she often has in the past, leaving her two teenage daughters Liz and Jess behind. This time, however, she doesn’t come back. Ever. The police do not initially share the two girls’ concerns, but when the mother doesn’t return after another full day has passed they organize searches and begin an investigation, but no concrete evidence is found. A local man is under suspicion for a while, but no connection to the disappearance can be made Liz, the elder sister, becomes caretaker to Jess and the community does their best to help for a while, but ultimately life just continues on. Liz, always a bit socially awkward, will end up staying in the family home, working a local job and leaving a limited and solitary life in the decaying home. Jess can’t wait to leave the drab town of Knife River behind but will lead an aimless life, coasting through life from girlfriend to girlfriend, with no goals and no deep connections. She and Liz rarely see one another, and this will only change fifteen years after their mother’s disappearance when Liz calls Jess with news that bones have been found in a wooded area in Knife River. Jess, already looking for an excuse to leave her latest lover Sarah, immediately heads back home to the declining town she so readily had abandoned years earlier. Together, the two sisters wait in frustration for any information that will bring closure to the event that so impacted their lives. Jess also reconnects with Eva, a former love. Will the sisters be able to rekindle sisterly bonds after all this time, and will they ever find out what happened to their mother?
Billed by some as a literary mystery, Knife River is the story of a family impacted by tragedy, loss and grief. There is an underlying mystery, of course, the unexplained disappearance of Natalie, but it is not the main driving force of the novel. Jess and Liz struggle to discover who they are, separately and together, and try to overcome the damage that the devastating event inflicted on them so many years ago. Author Justine Champine’s writing is lovely and evocative, but the pace is extremely slow and the tone is grim. I found it hard to connect with the characters, to be honest….they are both emotionally closed off in their own ways. I struggled to stay involved with the story for much of the book, partly due to my lack of connection to the characters and partly because of the slow development of the plot. Readers who are more interested in character studies will likely find the book of greater appeal; fans of authors like Lily King, Julia Glass and to a degree Jodi Picoult might also want to give it a try. Thanks to NetGalley and The Dial Press for allowing me early access to this thought-provoking study of the impact of tragedy without closure on a family.

10/10. I loved this book, was a fascinating debut mystery book! This novel was a slow burn, which usually loses my attention pretty fast but I was honestly sucked in wanting to know more.

This is an original approach to the ubiquitous murder/missing persons novels. It is about the long term effect on the survivors. If you like a slow, introspective, self-revealing musings, this is the book for you. If not, you might find it tedious.

Liz and Jess’s mother went missing fifteen years prior to the start of the story. Liz, the older sister, cared for her younger sister when only a teenager herself and remains stuck, keeping the house as her mother left it. Jess, on the other hand, left town as soon as she was able. She is gay and not comfortable in that fact. She wanders from relationship to relationship, works piecemeal jobs, and is as lonely in her wanderings as Liz is in her stasis.

All these years later, a child is playing in the nearby woods and finds a skeleton which turns out to be their mother. Jess comes back to Knife River to be with her sister while forensics and police are determining if there will be more information to determine the cause and who might have killed her.

The story is told from Jess’s point of view. She is wounded in many ways and has been on the run from herself and what has happened. Coming back reopens much of the misery that drove her away—a dying town, stagnant people, a stigma about being gay, the fear that the killer is still around and a source of danger.

While much does happen between the sisters in a quiet, back door kind of way, there is progress. The disinterest the authorities have in helping the sisters or finding some answers magnifies what has happened to them over time.

While I was surprised by the ending, I must think about whether it should have ended in that way. The reader is on a slow paced internal journey through the novel and then is left with a plausible ending, but one that is too neat.

I would definitely recommend this if you are looking for a book exploring the internal terrain of characters that have been victimized by an unimaginable event and how it impacts the trajectory of their lives.

Many thanks to Netgalley and Random House for the opportunity to read and review this novel.

Knife River by Justine Champine is an evocative and haunting debut that masterfully blends mystery, thriller, and literary fiction. The novel delves deep into the emotional and psychological aftermath of a mother's disappearance, examining the complex dynamics between sisters Jess and Liz.

The story begins when Jess, who fled her small hometown of Knife River years ago, receives a call that her mother's remains have been found. This discovery forces Jess to confront the past she tried to leave behind and return to the town that has remained frozen in time. Her sister Liz, who never left, has become obsessed with missing persons cases, trapped in a loop of grief and unresolved trauma.

Champine's writing is poignant and lyrical, capturing the raw emotions of her characters. The novel is a slow burn, focusing more on character development and the intricate relationships between the characters than on fast-paced action. This allows for a deep exploration of themes such as loss, identity, and the enduring bonds of family.

Jess's journey is one of self-discovery as she navigates her complicated relationship with Liz and grapples with her own grief and guilt. The sisters' interactions are tense and charged with unresolved emotions, making their bond both a source of strength and pain. The return to Knife River also rekindles Jess's relationship with her high school girlfriend, adding another layer of complexity to her understanding of love and belonging.

While the pacing might be slow for some readers, the payoff is worth it. The mystery of their mother's disappearance is gradually unraveled, with each revelation adding to the emotional depth of the story. The small-town setting is vividly depicted, enhancing the sense of claustrophobia and entrapment that both sisters feel.

The resolution of the mystery is both satisfying and thought-provoking, leaving readers with a deeper appreciation of the novel's themes. Champine excels in creating a narrative that is as much about the journey as it is about the destination, making Knife River a compelling read from start to finish.

Overall, Knife River is a beautifully written and emotionally resonant debut that will stay with readers long after they turn the last page. Champine's exploration of sisterhood, grief, and resilience is both heart-wrenching and uplifting, making this a must-read for fans of literary mysteries.

Thank you to Random House Publishing Group/Dial Press and NetGalley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing House for this read. It was quite good and very interesting but also very slow and at times confusing as it went along. I think I will read it again to get a better understanding but it was a good read.

This book is a very slow-burn read, and it reads like a character study of the daughter whose mother disappeared 15 years ago -the slow pace of the action allowed for a deep dissection of the mother-daughter-sister relationship. Slow-burn reads aren't for me, unfortunately, but this read was a very compelling story of family, love, and recovering from loss. I would recommend it to readers who like strongly written literary books.

3.5 stars rounded up. This debut novel is beautifully written and incredibly descriptive, especially in matters relating to grief.

I really liked learning about relationship between Jess and her sister Liz, who have led largely separate lives after the disappearance (and presumed death) of their mother.

However, sometimes the descriptions of their relationship and their past bordered on too much, and figuring out who killed their mother sort of faded to the background too much.

It’s a slow burn mystery and has some great twists. Overall it’s a solid debut for the author and I look forward to reading more from her!

Thank you #netgalley for this ARC of #kniferiver

I’m so glad that I stumbled upon KNIFE RIVER by Justine Champine. A slow burn whodunnit that introduced me to a small town and sisters, all frozen in time.

Fifteen years after the disappearance of her mother, Jess returns to town when the remains are found to try to unravel the mystery of that long ago day when Natalee went for a walk and never returned. Jess plans to stay just long enough to get some answers to what happened to Natalee. While she’s there she reconnects with her sister and her high school girlfriend but they must hide their relationship for a myriad of reasons.

Meanwhile, older sister Liz has remained in the family home, always hoping that their mother would return. She is convinced that a particular local was somehow connected to her mother‘s disappearance. She enlists the help of her mother’s friend over the years and they develop a strong bond of their own.

Will the sisters finally learn what happened to Natalee or will the remains only kick up more questions? Has Jess’s nomadic life been her attempt to run away from what happened? Or has Liz, holding out hope, been right all along in her suspicions?

I enjoyed this book. The writing was clear and concise leading me to feel the frustration and anxieties of the sisters while they search for answers. I was surprised to see that this was a debut novel as the author’s style seemed well seasoned. The slow burn only ratcheted up the anxieties for me and led to an enjoyable read.

Thank you to NetGalley and The Dial Press for this ARC opportunity. All opinions are my own and given voluntarily.

Knife River is about Jess, a woman who left her small
town years ago after her mother’s disappearance. Jess has drifted from one woman to the next, never staying put for long, when her estranged sister tells her that bones have been found.

This novel will resonate with readers who enjoy small towns, relationship among sisters, the difficulty of coming/being out.

I found the pacing too slow to keep me fully engaged and it wasn’t one I felt excited to pick up and keep reading. The writing itself was strong enough, and I would consider reading another book by this author.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House.

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House for the chance to review this ARC.

I approached this book as if it was a mystery, but the mystery was really secondary to the story about two sisters whose lives are somewhat frozen because of their mother’s disappearance. One is stuck in place and one is rootless, and they are thrown back together once their mother’s remains are found.

I found the character portraits compelling, and was not at all concerned that the mystery be resolved (which is an uncommon reaction from me). By the end, I realized that “resolved” might mean different things to different characters, and maybe to me as well.