Enjoyed it. I felt like this was a solid thriller / mystery. I liked the setting of a coastal town in Maine & the serial killer angle. It felt like a crime drama with thriller vibes, if that makes sense? This was a good that had me guessing which is so rare these days for thrillers. I did feel like some of the characters felt a bit flat and one dimensional but overall I thought the story flowed well and held my attention.

Granite Harbor is a thriller with a bit of horror wrapped inside - giving a typical "creepy Maine" vibe with a touch of Hannibal.

I enjoyed the suspense that the narration brought forth with its different POVs and time hops... it got a bit muddy at times, but it kept me interested. The characters had some good development, but not enough individually for me to invest in any one character. The parents are a mess of nerves and fear and the kids are DEFINITELY not alright. The brutality of the body horror bone by the serial killer is weird and intense - painting this thriller with a darker edge of horror.

It was a 3 for me because it felt a bit predictable and I found the writing to occasionally meander off course.

Regardless, it's a solid read and you will absolutely be looking at a certain amphibian much differently after you finish this novel!

✨️ Thanks to the author, publisher, & Netgalley for this eARC!

Thank you for approving me for this title. After some thought, I’ve realized it’s not quite the right fit for me personally, so I won’t be able to provide a full review. I appreciate the opportunity to access it and wish the book great success.

This was an okay read for me. I didn't care for most of the first half. The book really didn't pick up until I got to the second half, and the actual premise of the book. Then I was a bit more interested.

Decent, skip the first half.

Granite Harbor, a tranquil coastal town in Maine, is shattered by the brutal murder of a teenager at its historic archaeological site. Alex Brangwen, a former novelist turned reluctant town detective, is thrust into his first murder case—just as fear grips the town. As a single father, Alex is deeply affected: his daughter was close friends with the victim. Meanwhile, Isabel, a struggling single mother working at the Settlement, becomes embroiled in the case as her own son’s connection to the victim draws attention. When a second body is found, both parents must race to uncover a killer hiding among them before tragedy strikes again.

Granite Harbor is less about high-octane thrills and more about tension that simmers beneath the surface, matching its foggy, windswept setting. Peter Nichols crafts a deeply human story around a chilling mystery. Alex Brangwen is a compelling, flawed protagonist whose dual roles as father and detective lend the novel its emotional heart. The pacing can meander as the narrative shifts focus between characters, but it pays off in layers of psychological depth and community intrigue. The town itself becomes a character, full of secrets, shame, and slow revelations. For readers who appreciate thoughtful, atmospheric crime fiction, this one’s worth the journey.

This book is a bit more graphic than what I usually read. I liked that there was a lot of suspense but it just wasn’t my favorite book. Seemed a little far fetched.

I'm sorry, I couldn't read this one. Though it sounded like a book I would enjoy the subject matter was too traumatic for me.

I am a hard no on graphic animal violence. Wish I had been warned and could have not read this. It's cheap and unnecessary.

Dark & mysterious. I really enjoyed this one by Peter Nichols and felt like it gave me some gritty Dennis Lehane or Long Bright River vibes. I always appreciate the good quality writing by Nichols!

I had seen mixed reviews about Granite Harbor, but I found it to be a wonderful page-turner. I thought the characters were well-developed and the plot was strong. I loved that it was set on the coast of Maine too, as a New Englander. The story definitely had a slow burn, but the story didn't feel like it moved slow.

I thought it was a great book.
Thank you Celadon Books and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.

2.5 stars

Granite Harbor by Peter Nichols is a thriller about the gruesome murders of teenage boys.

First, let me thank NetGalley, the publisher Celadon Books for sending me a widget, and of course the author, for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.


My Synopsis:    (No major reveals, but if concerned, skip to My Opinions):
Granite Harbor Maine is a coastal town with a Historical Settlement on the edge.  That is where the body of Shane Carter is found, hanging by his outstretched arms, in the middle of a roughly hewn doorway.  A slit down the middle of his torso, and something wriggling inside him.

Detective Alex Brangwen, suddenly feels out of his league.  Alex is divorced from Morgana, with alternating custody of their teenaged daughter Sophie.    Sophie hung out with Shane, Ethan, and Jared.  The boys had been tight since childhood.  None of the kids are handling the death well, and to be honest, neither are any of the parents.  

The whole town is anxious, and they are all demanding answers.  So is Alex.


My Opinions:
This was definitely a slow-burner, and had a lot of extra details which I didn't feel were necessary.  The plot was interesting, but the history of each character was boring.  And there were a fair number of characters!

I did guess the identity of the killer almost from the start, but that was actually okay, because he wasn't mentioned that often.  His back-story, however, took up a fair amount of the book.

As well, be warned that there is a gruesome (and lengthy) killing of an animal.  If the overall plot had not been good, I probably would have stopped reading at that point.  Instead, I skimmed over most of it.  I understood the reason for it, but it dragged on far too long.  This does have me questioning whether this is an author I will read again.  As well, the killing of the teenagers was also drawn out, but that was actually not as harsh as that of the animal.

Overall, the plot was okay and everything got wrapped up nicely in the end.

he reason I chose to read/review this book, as well as author information), please visit my blog: http://katlovesbooksblog.wordpress.com/

I enjoyed the premise of this book, but sadly it fell flat. There were just too many characters to keep track of and I figured out the ending very early on. There was too much jumping round in the timeline and I sometimes lost track. Overall, a quick read, but didn’t land with me.

This was an utterly chilling read and had a little bit of disturbing twists! I loved this setting of a small coastal town of Maine! I really enjoyed the guessing game and how this all came together. Fast paced and well plotted, well intended read. This definitely sucked up my attention and kept me looped in!

‼️ TW: animal abuse - specifically chapter 34‼️

I was drawn to this book because of how gorgeous the cover is! This book is primarily from the perspective of our lead detective/author Alex, but there are scattered chapters from other perspectives. I had a hard time keeping track of these characters -even up until the end. It wasn’t that there were even too many, but some were too similar (ie typical teenagers- I kept getting Ethan and Shane confused!! ) or those I had zero connection to (Morgana). I wasn’t really too invested in this book until about 40% in where we really start to dive into the killer’s MO. This was a slow burn for sure, which typically are not my favorite. It was an interesting enough plot , but also didn’t blow me away.

I would say this book is comparable to the likes of SA Cosby for the atmospheric small town murder setting. However, I felt more connected to SA’s writing style, but it might just have been the setting. I’m from New England, so I don’t always love books that are set there because I have my own preconceived notions or connections to places such as Maine (where this book takes place).

As mentioned above, this does depict animal abuse. I didn’t find it so bad that I had to stop reading, but I have seen a lot of reviews where people said it was too much for them. Many have mentioned skipping chapter 34. Now I understand why, but it is entirely the reason and development of the killer’s killing mindset and I think it would make the book less enjoyable/harder to grasp the plot without having read this chapter.

This will take the right reader to really enjoy. Most likely the best audience would be someone who doesn’t read a lot of thrillers and appreciates a slow atmospheric burn AND can tolerate some level of animal abuse.

📖 Huge thank you to @Celadonbooks and @Netgalley for this ARC copy in exchange for an honest review 📖

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! No spoilers. Beyond amazing I enjoyed this book so very much. The characters and storyline were fantastic. The ending I did not see coming Could not put down nor did I want to. Truly Amazing and appreciated the whole story. This is going to be a must read for many many readers. Maybe even a book club pick.

A local teenager is found dead..he has been killed in a specific way. Granite Harbor, a small town in Maine, has a serial killer. We are told in flashbacks, how this serial killer came to be. Great writing with edge of your seat thrills.
Thanks to Netgalley and Celadon publishers for the advanced reading copy in exchange for my honest review.

Granite Harbor is an eerie and suspenseful read. It is fast paced and keeps you guessing. I was truly surprised by the twist at the end.
I enjoyed the way the story has a dual pov/timeline because it makes it harder to see the twists ahead of time but keeps the tension and intrigue high. With the killer’s pov, the red herrings abound as you try to figure out who the killer could be.
I never really connected with any characters (or even really liked them) but the storyline still managed to keep me engaged.

I have posted this review on Amazon, Goodreads

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6459700299

And Instagram

https://www.instagram.com/share/BALBr4Wc2I

After seeing that Granite Harbor by Peter Nichols was reminiscent of Mare of Easttown with a villain reminiscent of Thomas Harris’s Silence of the Lambs, I knew it was one I needed to check out. While it didn't quite hit all of those notes for me, I will look forward to reading more from this author.

Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for sharing this book with me.

This was a fine book. The characters were a bit one-dimensional. Some of the violence was unneeded and didn't add to the plot. Plus, it just wasn't memorable, as I'm looking back on it to write this review.

Peter really sets the scene in this novel. His words pull you in such a way you can’t stop at a few pages. I think the character development was very thought out and it flowed seamlessly