Knife River by Justine Champine offers a captivating blend of mystery and emotion. The setting is beautifully depicted, immersing readers in its atmospheric landscape. Champine's writing shines in her vivid descriptions and character development, drawing you into the lives of her protagonists.

However, the pacing felt uneven at times, with some sections dragging while others rushed to a conclusion. A few plot points also seemed a bit predictable, which detracted from the overall suspense.

Despite these flaws, Knife River is an enjoyable read that keeps you invested in the characters' journeys. I appreciated its depth and emotional resonance, making it worth the read!

This is labeled a mystery/thriller, but it's really more of a novel about the effects of a murder on the survivors. It's a slow read, and at times it was easy to put down and hard to pick back up. Labelling this ia thriller does a disservice to the book.

I really enjoyed this book, it was a murder mystery with a queer main character and messy family dynamics.

I thought that all the red herrings of who the killer was were very well executed. I also really appreciated how messy all the characters were, Jess ane Liz just never really recovered from losing their mom so seeing them finally get to have some closure and work on being sisters again was a very raw and hard experience.

I think this story does a great job of showing long lasting trauma and vicitimization.

Knife River just was not the book for me. I tried to pick it up several times but I only got to 60%
I was really bored and it just seemed to drag on.

Knife River is a haunting exploration of grief and resilience that delves into the complexities of family relationships against the backdrop of a small, rural community. The author effectively captures the stark beauty of the landscape, which mirrors the emotional struggles of the characters. While the narrative offers poignant moments and insightful reflections, the pacing can be uneven, and some plot points feel underdeveloped. The themes of loss and healing resonate deeply, but at times, the characters' motivations lack clarity, making it difficult for readers to fully connect with their journeys. Overall, Knife River presents a compelling premise but falls short of delivering a fully satisfying emotional impact.

Thank you to Random House Publishing and NetGalley for the ARC in return for my honest opinion. This is a story that digs into the complicated relationship between mother, daughters and sisters. Liz and Jess's mom went out for a walk and never returned. Once grown up, Jess moves away from Knife River and her sister. Fifteen years later, there is new evidence in the disappearance, so Jess returns to Knife River. As I was reading this, I thought I had the entire mystery figured out, but I was so wrong.

The writing is a bit hard to follow at first as it seems to go back and forth in time. I enjoyed the way that the relationships between sisters was written, but I found the relationship between Jess, her old friend, Eva, and the detective a bit odd. It almost felt like it didn't need to be the detective didn't need to be intertwined in it.

Overall, I did enjoy this book.

This story was deeply heartbreaking. Knife River is the hometown of Jess and Liz, two sisters that lost their mother when they were very young, 13 and 19 years old, respectively. Natalie, their mother, disappeared without trace. After years of having no clue of what happened, not even knowing if she was alive or dead, Jess moves away to start a new life. She falls in and out of love, moves in and out of her girlfriends' houses, and settles for a job she is good at but doesn't like. Liz stays in their house just in case her mother is found. Fifteen years after her disappearence, Natalie's bones are found, so Liz asks Jess to come home. Reading about all the details of the case and how the authorities do close to nothing to find a murderer, the sisters grieve their mother all over again. I loved the ending, it was very well written and I liked that the sisters' future looked hopeful.

thank you netgalley for the e-arc. i think the author excels at writing beautiful, well-planned out stories that keeps you engaged until the last page. i definitely think it was a slow burn right to the end and pays off.

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.

This novel is a poignant exploration of the imperfect but profound bonds that women share—be it in romantic relationships, intergenerational friendships, or the unique sisterly connection. The story unfurls with tension and intimacy, painting a vivid picture of the complexity of love and loss.

This book is definitely a slow burn, which is why it took me so long to get through. I lost sight of the point about 55% through and wasn't going to finish. I'm glad I did, though, because it was wrapped up quite satisfyingly.

When Jess was thirteen, her mother left to take a walk and never returned. Her older sister Liz took care of her as they tried unsuccessfully to find their mother. Naturally the loss of their mother with no idea about what happened to her left the girls emotionally scarred.

Jess left her community of Knife River as soon as she was able and led a wandering life and had a string of same-sex relationships. Liz, stayed in the family home and continued to find answers about their mother, while she held down the same job at a bank for the next 15 years.
Liz rarely dated and her best friend was a much older woman that she might have seen as a surrogate grandmother.

When her mother’s remains are found 15 years later, Jess returns to Knife River to be with her sister and bury their mother. The remains have left little evidence behind to provide answers as to why she died.

The story was a bit too slow for my taste, but I will say, the ending more than made up for it. I am glad I stayed the course and finished the book. I also loved that the girls seemed to be able to move on from this tragedy and make a fresh start.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group, Dial Press for allowing me to read a complimentary copy.

A mother who went missing, two sisters with very different recollections of their mother and childhoods and a lot of questions. When many years later her bones have been found, Jess goes home to her sister Liz and they’ve got so many questions. It's a bit of a slow read, but an emotional and well written story. The ending was not at all what I was expecting. I look forward to what comes next from this author.

intriguing and well-written work with a strong sense of internal identity and good inner motivation. tysm for the arc

This book was very interesting about a girl named j.A e s s. She was from Knife River where she lived with her sister l.I z and her mother. Things start to go wrong when she turned thirteen when her mother disappeared. Her older sister Liz could not go on to college.She had to raise her sister. I took a job in the bank to support her and her sister. J AES S turned 18.She fled to new york city and left her sister behind. She had a very complicated life there.She had girlfriends but she could never really commit to them. She have one girlfriend.She really loved back and knife river , but she just left and didn't teller. The town kept looking for the mother , by the kept going on for years. There was a man named Nick.Her sister thought he killed her mother. This was a very interesting book because it had twisted turns. Then 1 day a body was found and then. This was her mother. L I ztold j a e s s the found the body. She broke up with her girlfriendnew York and move back home.. Shall we connect it with your own lover as well? Was the same in town , but they were still trying to find out who really killed her mother. Book has a surprise END. We don't really like it and know why the story is all time together at that point

Knife River is categorized as mystery/suspense, but the mystery components of the story weren’t what I found most compelling. While this story is in fact a mystery, in my opinion it is mostly a story about grief, loss, and family. Jess and her sister Liz processed their mother’s disappearance in very different ways, partly because of their ages at the time, and partly because of their different relationships to their mother. When Jess turned 18 she left home, moving from girlfriend to girlfriend, barely even experiencing her own life. Liz stayed in their home in Knife River, working the same job, and channeling her grief into a search for answers.

You do eventually find out the truth of what happened, but the part of the story that moved me the most was the ever-evolving relationship between Jess and Liz. They spent years on the periphery of each other’s lives. But when their mother’s remains are found, they get thrust together again. As the story unfolds, the dynamics begin to shift as they finally communicate with each other about their grief and memories and lives. They slowly begin to build a new kind of relationship together.

I also loved the messy dynamics between Jess and her high school girlfriend, Eva. Jess left without saying goodbye, but it’s clear that a decade later the pull between them is still as strong as ever. Except now things are even messier than before and their relationship is still something that can’t see the light of day.

There was a lot I really enjoyed about this story - the small town vibes, the mystery, the messy relationship dynamics between Jess and Liz and Jess and Eva (really Jess and everyone), the sapphic romance subplot, the quirky old lady/friend, the different twist on forced proximity, the flawed characters trying to find their way through complicated situations. I was expecting a bit more mystery and suspense in the story, but all in all it was an enjoyable read. And I can’t wait to read what Champine releases next!

🏳️‍🌈Rep: Lesbian MC, Sapphic Pairing

📝Tropes/Themes: mystery, family relationships, grief & loss, sisterhood, return to hometown, second chances, small town

⚠️TW/CW: parental disappearance/death, sexual content, homophobia, murder (off page, not graphic)

Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this title. I have mixed feelings about this book. A story about relationships first, with the mystery a distant second. At times the writing was beautiful and inspiring, while at other times it felt never ending. Overall I enjoyed the story this author told, it just felt like it took a really long time to get there

I had to sit with this one for a while to figure out what I felt. Others have commented that this is a slow burn and yes--it certainly is. Maybe knowing that going into it is a good thing. If you're looking for a fast-paced procedural, this probably will leave you frustrated. But if you're interested in character-driven stories that march on the line between literary and mystery, then the one might be just right for you.

After Jess and Liz's mother disappears when they're young, the two grow in different directions. Liz stays home and resides in the family house while Jess gets out of there, looking for something to take the place of her early loss. Then Liz calls to say their mother's remains have been found--and Jess comes home to confront her past and her present.

The book delves deeply into relationships between women--all kinds of relationships. And it expires grief, love, and loss. Ultimately, I think this was a very effective book. It's not always easy to read, but the payoff is worthwhile. I'll be looking for other work by this new novelist. I think she shows great promise.

Thank you @netgalley for the Advanced Reader Copy of Knife River by Justine Champine. Jess and Liz are sisters whose mother disappeared 15 years ago. The sisters have grown apart. Liz stayed back in the town where they grew up, Jess left for the city and tried to move on. When they get a call that their mother’s body has been found, Jess goes home and the sisters try to figure out what has happened. The story follows them as their relationship grows, and as they try to solve the mystery of what happened to their mother. #kniferiver #justinechampine #netgalley #bookstagram #lovetoread #advancedreadercopy #tbr #readersofinstagram #bookloversofinstagram #booklover #readallday #takeapagefrommybook

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing an advance copy in exchange for honest feedback.

While KNIFE RIVER wasn't the page-turning thriller I expected, I still loved this solid literary fiction novel. The story begins with the discovery of bones and a skull buried in the woods, believed to be the remains of a woman who went missing 15 years earlier. The narrator, her daughter, is a lost soul who jumps from girlfriend to girlfriend looking for a real home. Once the skeleton is found, she heads back to her hometown to be with her older sister Liz. They aren't as close as they should be for daughters who have lost both of their parents. As they wait for some answers, including how she died and if there is someone to blame.

I have to admit, as much as I was drawn in by the story, it was slow moving for me and I often had a hard time wanting to pick the book up. It's the definition of a slow burn, and the cozy small-town vibes I was drawn to via the cover just weren't there for me. It's a pretty depressing book, with sad characters and not much optimism. The writing is beautiful though. It's just not the page-turner I was anticipating. I think it could have used a little editing, with the ending being solid but happening too fast. A really well-written book though, by an author I will continue to follow.

⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 (3.5/5)

Knife River by Justine Champine is a mystery/suspense drama that dives into the ripple effects of a family tragedy on two sisters. Jess leaves the small town of Knife River, searching for herself, while her sister holds onto hope for their mother’s return. The story spans over a decade, and while the premise drew me in, I found myself struggling with the back-and-forth timelines at times.

This was my first read by Champine, and I’ll definitely be checking out more of her work! Unfortunately, this one just missed the mark for me.

Big thanks to #NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for the ARC! 🙏📚❤️