Has podcaster Jess Keeler sold out? Following the success of her podcast debut "Something Bad Wrong" (also the title of the first book in the series), Jess signs on as producer of a true crime documentary complete with film crew and an intern who care more about the "sizzle" that will sell the story to a distributor than in revealing the truth. Although Jess would prefer to work alone, she has personal reasons for needing the financial security that comes with the new job. When she and the crew decide they want to cover the long-forgotten story of the Lake Castor sniper, who killed 5 and injured a 6th victim in 1984, Jess gets unexpected push back from the retired sheriff she worked with on her first podcast. When a new unsolved case from the same period is dangled in front of the team with the promise of cooperation from the current sheriff, who worked the case, they shift their focus, Jess being more reluctant than the rest of them. The new case involves the slaughter of 3 bootleggers, and flashbacks told from the perspective of a local journalist suggest the involvement of a local motorcycle club. I didn't like that Jess seemed to be "phoning it in" for much of the book, as her dedication and meticulous research were a large part of what made the first book great, but her attitude underlines the disillusionment she starts to feel with the company she is working for and other members of her team. There is lots of action, however, and the different story lines, points of view, and timelines mesh nicely by the end.

I know this book is a sequel, but I've read that we don't need to read the first one to understand this sequel, so I gave it a try.
I'm not sure what happened; this story, these characters, even the ambience didn't resonate with me.
I'm starting to think that maybe it WAS needed to read the previous book first?!
I know that I'm currently reading a third book in a "series" focused on a detective (written by the author Sarah Pearse) and I know people usually say "you don't need to read the other books; it's just a new story with the same detective", but I definitely disagree with that statement when it comes to Sarah Pearse novels.
Maybe Eryk Pruitt's novel are the same.

Mostly excellent Southern Noir mystery.

4.5 stars rounded up.

This is the second stand-alone book in the Jess Keeler series; the first one is "Something Bad Wrong" (2023). I didn't have the chance to read the first installment and managed fine without it.

In "Blood Red Summer", true crime-podcaster Jess Keeler, fresh off the success of her previous podcast "Something Bad Wrong", is trying to find a new case to investigate, only this time, she is bringing along an entire documentary crew. When she is approached about the case of a sniper targeting the local Black community of Lake Castor in 1984, her interest is piqued. But what she discovers once she digs into the story is far more than the guilt or innocence of the man convicted of the murders.

While I thoroughly enjoyed the book overall and would definitely recommend it, I must admit that the present-day timeline of Jess and her investigation was the weakest link in this story for me. Sure, the true crime-podcaster solving crimes storyline is starting to feel unoriginal at this point, and it seemed unlikely that, following a single successful previous podcast season, Jess would now be the producer of an entire big-pocket documentary (in fact, the whole documentary angle and Jess basically selling herself out felt very unnecessary). But what actually bothered me is that Jess is portrayed at being just not very good at her job. She does not actually contribute a whole lot to the investigation until the end and is mostly very ill-prepared and unprofessional. Not sure if this was the case in the first book as well, since she is supposed to be this true crime genius who even acquires a "protégée" (whom she never mentors - Jess mentions showing her how to use the microfiche machines at the library, but that's about it, and the protégée in question previously gave a presentation of her researched that already had her using those tools, so I can't see what she possibly could have learned from Jess).

Nevertheless, if you can tolerate the often unsatisfying present-day storyline, this is an excellent, atmospheric, complex Southern Noir mystery. The events of Lake Castor's "Blood Red Summer" of 1984 are told from multiple points of view of people investigating or affected by the events at the time, all well-written and believable, and are unpeeled layer by layer, detailing racism, gang activity, and corrupt police, all accumulating into a breathtaking conclusion that's brilliant because it's messy, unresolved, and feels very plausible and true to life.

Though Jess herself seems to close the door on another book in the series in the end, I would definitely read more sequels and just hope by then Jess is back to what I assume to be her true form.

Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

"Blood Red Summer" is slated to be published on May 14, 2024.

Jess isn't convinced that Rickie Lee Patience was the sniper who terrorized his small town and killed five people and so she sets off to find the truth. Pod casters are a thing in this genre these days and Jess is a likable one. She's also pretty determined, Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. Good atmospherics and a just twisty enough tale made this a good read.

Blood Red Summer by Eryk Pruitt is a very highly recommended investigational Southern noir thriller following a true crime podcaster.

After her successful debut podcast, Something Bad Wrong (also the title of the first book in the series) Jess Keeler has been asked to join a documentary crew as the producer for a true crime TV show. When a stranger approaches her in Lake Castor, Virginia, with an idea for an investigation, she's intrigued, but the real question is if the idea will interest the investors enough to actually finance the search, with an eye on ratings.

The case is about the Lake Castor sniper who struck in 1984. The sniper terrorized the back back, a historically Black part of the old mill town, and claimed five lives. The suspect arrested and charged, Ricky Lee Patience, may not have been the actual perpetrator. There was no real look into the first four murders, but the fifth person shot, journalist Hal Broadstreet, did capture the attention of the police and community. But did they get the right man? As the investigation continues, two retired sheriffs suggest that Jess should investigate the unsolved murders from that same summer in the apartment of bootlegger Jim Fosskey and two other men.

The narrative is very compelling and will hold your attention to the end. The story unfolds between the present day point-of-view of Jess and that of Hal Broadstreet in 1984. Both are looking to solve the crimes but Hal has some insight Jess doesn't. This makes the narrative in both time periods very satisfying and equally interesting. There is a third voice that adds depth and complications to both timelines.

The writing is excellent and presents the complicated plot with what feels like ease as you are reading. The action propels the plot forward in both time periods. The suspects and characters to look into are numerous. Each new revelation and detail expands the investigation into different areas, including corruption and racism, and the twists abound. Even though it is about a podcaster, which admittedly is becoming a bit tiresome, this one is worth your time.

Blood Red Summer is going to hold your rapt attention from beginning to end. This one can stand on it's own, but the first Jess Keeler novel, Something Bad Wrong, is worth your time too. Thanks to Thomas & Mercer for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.

The review will be published on Edelweiss, X, Barnes & Noble and Amazon.

Sequel to Something Bad Wrong. After some fame due to her podcast, Jess teams up with a production crew for a documentary. She's approached to look into a set of shootings that occurred years earlier. The family of the man arrested for the crime believes he is innocent. This was okay but I liked the first book better. 3 stars.

Jess Keeler had success with her first podcast about a cold crime in her hometown of Lake Castor. However, success has led from podcasts to true-crime documentaries complete with a crew who don't necessarily share her viewpoint or reasons for investigating cold cases.

When she meets a man in a bar with a story about his uncle who he feels was wrongly accused of being the sniper who killed five people and wounded a sixth in an event that happened in 1984, Jess agrees to interview his mother and becomes interested in the case.

Since all but one of the victims was Black, there was little to learn about the crime and the police seemed to just push it aside. The only one who really seemed to look into it was Hal Broadstreet -- the only reporter left on a failing newspaper that is turning into a tabloid complete with stories of alien abductions. It happens that he was the final victim of the killer known as the Lake Castor Sniper.

The story is told in two time periods. In the present, Jess Keeler is looking to make a documentary about the Lake Castor Sniper and being pressured by the money men funding the production and the local police to look into the unsolved murder of a local bootlegger that happened at the same time.

The second time period is told by Hal Broadstreet who is looking into both crimes. He had been with the bootlegger earlier in the evening on the day someone broke it and brutally murdered him and two other men who were at the apartment. His focus is on solving that crime and wondering at police indifference when it turns out that the main suspects were members of a motorcycle gang. It is only when another of his friends who was at the murder site was killed by a sniper that Hal learns about the random killings in the Back Back - the Black part of town.

This was an interesting story that was packed with action. I could feel Jess's frustration with her new job which she felt pulled her away from her goal of finding out the truth and put the focus on making an exciting documentary even if it ends up not being a truthful one.

This is the second book in a series.

I received an advance copy of this book for NetGalley in exchange for a honest review. This is the 2nd installment in the Jess Keeler series but I did not read book 1. I think there is a bit of background knowledge gap for me in this regard but I still enjoyed this book. Jess is a podcaster who has a shot at making her storytelling to the TV screens. While on the hunt for a new crime story to dive into with her audience, she stumbles upon a long buried crime that happened there in her own town that she never knew about. As she navigates the truth, lies and the in between, Jess finds that things are not as they appear. Details of the story start to unwind years of secrets and connections to other crimes that same fateful summer.

Blood Red Summer is the follow-up to Eryk Pruitt’s first novel in the Jess Keeler series, Something Bad Wrong, featuring journalist/podcaster Keeler and her investigation into unsolved crime cases. Specific aspects of the plotlines will be purposely vague to avoid spoilers and to allow plot points to be revealed as the novel is read.

In Blood Red Summer, Keeler is still investigating unsolved murders, but this time, her next venture will include a small filming and researching crew for a documentary rather than a Podcast. The novel includes previously introduced characters, with writing and storytelling that surpasses the original novel in both flow and plot.

The novel picks up a short time after the conclusion of the first novel as the reader learns Keeler’s first podcast has become very popular and has led her to search for her next unsolved true-crime case. Keeler’s smal crew is being funded by two Germans. If she and her crew can find a suitable event, then the Germans will fund the entire documentary and promotion of the finished film.

After stopping in at a favored watering hole, Keeler is approached by a man who persuades her to look into a serial sniper case from the 1980s where his nephew confessed to killing numerous people, including a perceived gadfly reporter for a local tabloid newspaper.

The shootings occurred in 1984 in a Lake Castor, VA Black section of town known as the Back Back and ended with the confession of a Black man named Rickie Lee Patience. For his confession, Patience was sentenced to life in prison.

The more Jess investigates, the more skeptical she becomes regarding the confession. While gathering new information, she and her crew receive more and more resistance from almost all those present during this era. These people range from authorities, citizens, and witnesses and even include her close friend, retired sheriff Ennis Worthy. Worthy, like others, keeps urging it is best for everyone to just let the past lie. All of which only makes her resolve to get to the truth even firmer.

The novel then continues while Jess continues to struggle to unravel the truth from a time most just want to forget under declarations it is best for all involved.

Like so many other crime or mystery novels, to avoid spoilers often the less known one knows about plots, the better, and Blood Red Summer is one of those novels and other readers are encouraged to avoid the more detailed reviews.

Pruitt’s plot lines are complex, fluid, and with unsuspecting twists along the way. His characters are believably well-defined, with the flow of his writing remarkably fluid and flawless.

Blood Red Summer his highly recommended to crime genre readers and especially those fond of rural or country noir.

Netgalley provided an ARC for the return of a fair review and is available for purchase.

I will preface that i had not read book #1 of the Keeler series, but i felt like I was able to follow along well enough. I really enjoyed this thriller! I enjoyed the reading topic of racial profiling and unjust police force as it just so prevalent in today's society. This still happens to this day. I would recommend this book.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Thomas and Mercer for this eARC.
Jess Keeler, first introduced in Pruitt’s Something Bad Wrong as a novice podcaster, returns for a follow-up, an examination of how the true rime documentary is big bucks, loyalty to the badge works side by side with systemic police corruption and racial profiling and yet another marrying of the past with the present in her journey to find the truth.
While Jess is working hard to get the “story” of a black man who may or may not have been railroaded into a prison sentence for a shooting spree within the black community, she is directed to another unsolved murder scene from that same time forty years earlier involving old time bootleggers and an increasingly violent motorcycle gang subculture, and soon finds a connection. While attempting to unravel this and then piece it back together, she is maneuvering thru taking care of a parent with Alzheimer’s and the murky waters of true crime documentary and its sensationalism.
This story flowed easier than the first book in this series. The characters had developed a bit and I felt that the dialogue was more genuine. I really enjoyed this book and I really think that Pruitt really invokes the small Southern town noir well.
Highly recommend.

"Blood Red Summer" is the perfect follow-up to Pruitt's first in the series and truly builds on the great characters and world from SOMETHING BAD WRONG. I loved the slow burn that the alternating POVs brought into the mix and ended up reading for hours longer than planned after some serious cliff hangers. This is a must read for anybody who loves southern fiction or mysteries in general.

A true-crime podcaster is asked by a prisoner’s family to investigate a possible miscarriage of justice. When a shooter went on the rampage in a rundown community and killed five black people over the course of a summer, police weren’t overly concerned. When the sixth victim was a white journalist, they arrested the first young black man who fitted the profile. Although it’s a modern-day story featuring a podcaster and a TV documentary crew, the flashbacks to 1984 have a hardboiled edge to them. This socially aware story might also appeal to fans of traditional American noir.
With thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an early copy in exchange for an independent review.

A tale of justice delayed but not denied, Blood Red Summer elicits a bevy of emotions from heartbreak to inspiration, outrage to compassion, and frustration to satisfaction. Eryk Pruitt superbly crafts another fascinating novel featuring a relentless true crime protagonist.

After the success of her debut true crime podcast, Jess Keeler is now investigating the 1984 Lake Castor sniper case as a possible topic for a new documentary series. The sniper killed five people in the historically Black part of town with barely any attention from the police and hardly a mention in the local news. However, when a white journalist was killed in similar fashion, the wheels of justice spun quickly with a quick arrest and confession. But did this individual really do it? As Jess follows the evidence and looks for connections to another gruesome murder of three bootleggers, she will once again put herself in grave danger to uncover the truth. A truth many would prefer to stay dead and buried.

Blood Red Summer ambitiously and successfully tells a story spanning two timelines 40 years apart that tackles complex and challenging issues relevant to both eras. Racism, corruption, gang violence, the changing media landscape and impact on journalistic integrity all feature prominently. And by jumping back and forth between past and present, slowly dripping clues and critical information along the way, it cranks up the suspense to high levels before landing a crushing blow when the truth is finally revealed. All the while readers will be theorizing on what happened, who knew about it and how it impacted the communities on the different sides of the racial divide. Making it an engaging and thought-provoking reading experience. Another compelling and entertaining thriller from the pen of Eryk Pruitt.

Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the ARC.

Blood Red Summer is a sequel and sees the return of true crime podcaster Jess Keeler as she investigates of the events of the summer of 1984 in Lake Castor, Virginia. A great thriller

A few weeks ago, I scored an ARC (Advance Review Copy) of Blood Red Summer, the forthcoming Jess Keeler novel from Eryk Pruitt. I had very much enjoyed Something Bad Wrong, the first novel about true crime podcaster-turned-amateur-sleuth Keeler, and was glad to get a look at this one. The story begins with Keeler having a shot at moving from podcasting to major media, as a German production company is interested in using her as a host. This time, the story she pursues involves a 1984 series of sniper shootings in a nearby town's black neighborhood. While a mentally ill man confessed to the shootings and is imprisoned accordingly, Keeler's investigation and instincts lead her to doubt the official story. At the same time, a multiple slaying from the same period resurfaces, and it turns out that the sniper's final victim was a reporter investigating the mass killing. Unsurprisingly, the threads of the two cases intertwine.

Over the course of the novel, Pruitt handles multiple viewpoint characters and timelines gracefully, without ever losing momentum. In fact, the stories actually gain momentum as the book moves along. If I have any complaints, I would have liked to see more of Jess's family and personal life, but that's what sequels in a series are for, I guess.

In any case, Blood Red Summer is an entertaining read, and should make a lot of folks happy when it comes out on May 24. Check it out!

Warren Moore

I really enjoyed this book! I did not initially know this was a sequel, but I do not think that impacted my overall enjoyment of the story. I enjoyed the way the author used dual timelines to tell the story, and how those timelines converged by the end. Overall, I think this is a very solid thriller and I would definitely recommend it! (long form review can be found in the links below)

I received an ARC of this novel from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

What a great novel. The storylines are fantastic, the characters are believable, and the twists are perfect.

The story is struggling to overcome its flaws, which include an overly complex narrative, an excess of viewpoints, and a lackluster portrayal of Jess Keeler, despite its potential. It's loosely written and unrefined for a criminal thriller. Although it's an ambitious try, it's not as thrilling to read as it is mediocre.

2.75 stars rounded up

This was a strong thriller novel, it had everything that I was hoping for from the description. The characters felt like they belonged in this world and I was so invested in what was going on. It had everything that I hoped for in a thriller novel and hope to read more from Eryk Pruitt.