Granite Harbor, the new thriller by Peter Nichols was one of those books that I started one night, put it down after just a few pages because I got busy, and then a week later picked it up and was hooked from that moment one.

I am always up for a thriller, it is probably my favorite genre, but when you add in a serial killer, there is no way I will pass it up. Granite Harbor gave me my serial killer, along with some gruesome murders, and a setting of a small town in coastal Maine, which I always seem to imagine being isolated. Personally I don't know this, I have been just over the border into Maine, but in my mind all the coast of Maine is isolated ( yeah I know Kennebunkport is hardly small or isolated, let me have my imagination )

The murder of Shane, a highschooler in Granite harbor shocks the town, and new Detective Alex Branwen is tasked to find the murderer. The murder does take on a bit of a personal note with him, when he finds out his teenage daughter is friends with Shane.

Alex's personal life is a bit of a side story with his daughter and his ex wife, it breaks up the thriller at times when you might need it.

I absolutely loved the murder, or I should say how the murders were done. It was something I had never heard of before, so for me very original. I am not going to tell you any more about it to keep from spoiling, but it was definitely a first for me and very interesting.

There are quite a few people that have roles in this story, both major and very small parts, and I am usually a bit confused by a lot of characters, my ADHD mind, has a hard time keeping track of them all, however, Granite Harbor was very well written and it was never a problem with me as I read along. Mainly the POV is Alex's but there are several chapters in the book that gives us the killers POV, especially on his past. These chapters give us a look into his mind, yet are written so he or she's identity is not given away. All the characters here were well written and their place in the story was well thought out.

The beginning can come off as a bit slow, but I find a good built story usually is to an extent. Getting to know the characters and the world they live in is important to me, but I will tell you that the end picks up and is more fast paced. I had a hard time putting the book down toward the end.

This book is dark, disturbing, and gruesome. It has a lot of trigger issues, including animal cruelty, so please take note. BUT...its a great read if you can get past those.

Thank you to Celadon Books for this great read.

In tranquil Granite Harbor, life is shattered by a brutal murder at the historic Settlement site. Detective Alex Brangwen, a single father and struggling writer, tackles his first murder case, facing the town's mounting fear. Isabel, a single mother grappling with her own demons, gets entangled as she works at the site where her son and Alex's daughter were friends with the victim. With a second body found, fear grips the town, pushing Alex and Isabel to race against time. As secrets emerge, Granite Harbor's tight-knit community faces unraveling. "Granite Harbor" blends gripping suspense with small-town dynamics, echoing "Mare of Easttown" and "Silence of the Lambs."

I enjoyed this one, but overall it was very graphic! Alex Michaelides is quoted on the front cover calling this book deeply unsettling, and I would agree with that assessment. The entire vibe of the book is a deep sense of dread and an overall creepiness.

There are some very disturbing moments, in particular the flashbacks to the murderer's childhood and young adulthood. The story is told through multiple perspectives in the third person. It is mostly told in the present, except for the ambiguous murderer who jumps into the past.

Overall, this is a thoroughly creepy page-turner. If you like horror movies and unsettling thrillers, this one might be for you. I urge you to check the trigger warnings, particularly if you are sensitive to scenes involving animals.

Thank you Celadon Books Publishing for an e ARC ♥️


The story takes place in this quaint coastal town in Maine, but don't let the charm fool you - a serial killer is on the loose and things get dark fast.

The main character, Alex, is a single dad and detective who's trying to solve the case, but he's got his own baggage. And then there's Isabel, a single mom who gets pulled into the investigation when her son becomes a target.

The writing is great, the characters feel real, and the twists and turns had me guessing till the end. If you're into thrillers or mysteries, you'll love this book. Just be prepared to stay up late reading!😵‍💫

Unfortunately, I guessed the killer as soon as he was introduced. If you're a seasoned thriller reader, you're likely to pinpoint him immediately as well. There are also some psychic scenes that were interesting to read, but you know how I feel about using paranormal elements to solve the thriller: the writing feels a bit lazy when the only reason they find the killer is because the psychic said so.

A handful of the book takes place on a Colonial Williamsburg/Old Sturbridge Village kind of reenactment site. This was a setting I haven't read before in a thriller, and I thought it worked quite well.

One word of caution, there is some mistreatment of animals within the story. If this bothers you, you can skip Chapter 34 to miss the worst of it. The detailed descriptions of toads and coyotes being harmed could have been skipped, in my opinion.

While this book wasn't necessarily a win for me, I would give Peter Nichols another chance in the future.

This was a slow burn literary suspense more than it was a thriller, but I enjoyed the writing style and the little crumbs revealed along the way.
I will say there's TW for animal abuse and child sexual abuse and both things were hard to read.

The vibes were Tana French if she wrote about New Englanders mixed with The Whisper Man.

Unfortunately this book wasn’t for me. It wasn’t as thrilling as most thrillers are for me. In the sense that I put it down and wasn’t drawn to picking it back up and wanting to know what happened. I lost interest a few times, especially after a few scenes. There are some trigger warnings in this book so make sure to check those. The multiple POVs usually don’t bother me but for this particular book it just didn’t work for me. I enjoy serial killer books and honestly the graphic scenes didn’t even bother me all that much but I just couldn’t get into the book. But I am grateful I had the opportunity to read a copy of this work!

The quiet town of Granite Harbor is rocked when a serial killer strikes, killing 2 people ! Author Peter Nichols writes an outstanding novel for anyone who loves some gore of sorts and sickening rituals in their plan to kill. Honesty makes you wonder how he came up with the plot.
Have I intrigued you? Or are you already running?

Family, friends and small community make up the town of Granite Harbor. The towns historical archaeological site, the Settlement is where community members work and tourist abound. Upon the discovery of a teenage death, life in Granite Harbor will never be the same. A one town detective who is also an author and parent is trying to unravel the mystery while keeping his own teenage daughter safe.

A novel of suspense, love and tragedy, all in one. A mother’s instinct, another mother’s intuition of sorts might just save Granite Harbor and the lives of so many other people.
I think this novel was descriptively written and might be quite entertaining for those who seek a psychological hair-raiser and metaphorical twist.
A 3 star for me, there were a couple far fetched parts and just a little too grisly for me but just might be up someone else’s alley.
I recommend this novel for those who are up for it !

Thanks to Celadon Books and NetGalley for this eARC in return for my honest review

This thriller/mystery based in Maine reads more like a literary fiction novel than an actual thriller. Although the book gives some mystery vibes, seeing that there is a serial killer on the loose in the small coastal town of Maine, it isn't your typical crime fiction novel. It is somewhat of a slow burn, but the writing style flows. It isn't too flowery, but a bit too much of a literary work of fiction for the genre it's categorized as.
I liked the setting of the book as well as some of its characters, especially Isabel. But some of the other cast members were a bit too weird for my taste, and there were a couple of incidents that people should be aware of. If you're easily triggered about animal abuse and descriptive violence, then you might want to skip this one.
The ending felt a bit flat but it was an overall enjoyable read, hence a three stars from me.

I sadly didn’t love this one! I’ve heard reviews go either way- loved it or hated it. My opinion was neutral and leaning towards the later. It was just a bit too much for me and couldn’t connect with any of the characters. The overall tone just wasn’t for me. But I appreciate the advanced copy.

Granite Harbor is my first suspense novel by Peter Nichols. This was a definite slow burn for me, things didn't really heat up until about halfway through, but once they did it went by fast. This was a 4 star read for me.

I will state here at the top that there are trigger warnings for sexual abuse and mistreatment of animals.

Alex, a former novelist turned detective, has his first murder case in the small town of Granite Harbor, Maine. A teenage boy is found in the Settlement, a tourist attraction in the area. Shane and his best friends Jared and Ethan had been out skateboarding, and when Jared and Ethan decided to call it a night, Shane headed out in the other direction. So what happened to Shane in that short amount of time? Alex's daughter Sophie and Ethan become close in their grief for their friend, although their parents aren't really on speaking terms anymore. Alex's ex-wife Morgana can't handle Sophie anymore, and Alex doesn't have time for her drama. When another teenage boy is found dead, and Sophie and Ethan end up missing, Alex and Isabel, Ethan's mom, must work together to save their children.

This was a slow burn with a lot of characters, and the chapters regularly change focus from one to another, which was confusing at times. If the chapters would have had a name or something so that you knew who the chapter centered around, that would have been helpful.

With that said, the writing was good, and once the action started the pacing went quickly with some definite suprises and twists. The characters are likeable for the most part, and the majority of them had good backstories. Some chapters were in the past, skipping through the life of one of the characters, although you won't know who.

All in all, a good small-town suspenseful mystery with twists you won't see coming, family drama, grief, and friendship.

Thank you to @NetGalley and @CeladonBooks for a digital copy for review consideration. All opinions are honest and my own.

A big thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for gifting me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I thought this novel was very impressive. As a Mainer, I may potentially be a little biased with the setting, but I really enjoyed it! There were so many authentic descriptions of what a Maine fishing town would be like, and it was clear and obvious to me that the author did their research. When a potential serial killer rocks this idyllic town on the coast, local detective Alex struggles to find clue while rediscovering himself in the process. This created a really nice, multi-layered plot line that was a little slow burn but still captivating. This felt very "Mare of Easttown" and I truly enjoyed it. I am looking forward to other Nichols titles in the future!

Read if you like: Silence of the Lambs/ Mare of Easttown vibes, police procedurals, alternate timelines & POVs, the show The Killing, the film The Bone Collector, or Long Bright River by Liz Moore

I could NOT put this one down. I’ve been going through a bit of a slump and this pulled me out. I had forgotten how much I enjoy police procedurals and creepy SK stories. The small town seaside setting along with the historical elements really added to the atmospheric tension of this one. There was a very minimal paranormal element that I wasn’t expecting and could have done without but other than that, this was a perfect read for my personal taste. The writing was more sophisticated than what I’ve come to expect from police procedurals and mysteries in general. I particularly enjoyed the perpetrator’s POV as he progresses through his childhood (unnamed) and trying to determine which adult he was in present day leading up to the reveal.

This book is DARK friends (which you know I love.) Check trigger warnings.

Three friends hang out together, then separate. Two go home. The third whose home is impoverished and unloving, sets out to skateboard late. Into the evening. He meets with an unfortunate end unmissed by family and friends, his body discovered in a historic recreation community next to Maine woods. And so it begins. Who in this very small town is hiding in plain sight the evil desires they act out in the dark of night?

This book won't be for everyone. Some will be turned off by the animal scenes, the narrative descriptions, the lack of fast-paced tension, or the horrific events.

But here is why I liked it-

This is a book to be savored, for the reader to marvel at the writer's imagination, and obvious love of writing and research. The writing bordered on literary but with a thriller flare. The characters were realistic, from the interaction between teens and their parents, and how fearful parents were for their kids, to the townspeople who worked at the Settlement, a historic re-creation. I know someone who works doing interpretive work for a historic museum, and Nichol's grasp of how the actors get in character for their roles was spot on! The small-town flavor, where everyone knows everyone added another dimension, another question about who among them could possibly be responsible for the killings.

I have read enough thrillers to be jaded by dark crimes, but even I cringed a little at how seriously messed up the killings in this book were. At the same time, I was captivated by the psychology behind them. This definitely had Silence of the Lamb vibes for me!

Thank you to NetGalley and Celadon Books for an advance reader's copy.

Step into the atmospheric world of coastal Maine with 'Granite Harbor' by Peter Nichols! This crime novel promises a thrilling journey through the tight-knit community of Granite Harbor, where secrets lurk beneath the surface and danger looms around every corner. Join detective Alex Brangwen as he races against time to solve a series of brutal murders while navigating the complexities of small-town life.

It’s important to note that 'Granite Harbor' contains themes of violence, including instances of animal abuse, which may be distressing for some readers. Proceed with caution if you're sensitive to such content.

Overall, "Granite Harbor" may appeal to readers seeking a familiar small-town crime drama, but those expecting a riveting thriller may be left wanting more. While it captures the essence of a tight-knit community grappling with tragedy, it ultimately fails to deliver on its promise of suspense and intrigue.

This was described as a setting similar to Mare of Easttown and I think that was my favorite part of it. This was a good, gritty crime thriller, with rough around the edges characters. I figured out who the killer was early on in the book, but still loved it.

Granite Harbor has always been a small town where not much happens until a serial killer is targeting a teen friend group. Since it is a small town, the lives of both the parents and teens are intertwined as the father of one girl is the cop on the case and has dated the mom of another teen. All of the parents are terrified that their child will be next victim as the clock ticks to find the killer.

This was my first time reading the author and while I thought the story was a bit subtle for a serial killer-based thriller, I thought it was generally well written. I think why I didn't love this one as much as I wanted to was because it just didn't feel like that race or immediate need to know who did it like most thrillers, as in I felt I could put it down and pick it back up (which probably isn't a great sell for a thriller) - I wanted to know what happened but it wasn't a page turner for me. In addition, the main male character was British and the audio narrator didn't really use a consistent accent (or hardly one at all) which threw me off. In the end I wanted to know who the killer was but I wasn't dying (pun intended) to know. I would still try another by the author however because I did like the characters and the writing.

3.5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley and Celadon books for the ARC to review

If you tell me a book has Silence of the Lambs vibes, I’ll stop you right there and ask for the book immediately. Granite Harbor has Silence of the Lambs vibes tenfold and a gloomy gritty feel to it and then couple it with the way it was written I couldn’t put this book down. This was my first book by the author and it certainly won’t be my last.

Alex is the lone police detective of Granite Harbor and when a local teen and friend of his daughter’s is found dead he must navigate conducting his first murder investigation while still being a parent and keeping his daughter safe. Isabel is a single mother struggling to make ends meet while trying to find the balance to giving her son freedom while keeping him safe from harm after his friend is the victim. Alex and Isabel, despite their past, work together to find out what is happening within their tight-knit community while simultaneously keeping their own children safe.

Granite Harbor isn’t going to be for everyone but if its vibes are your jam then you will definitely enjoy the read. This book is going to make it on my favorite thriller/mysteries list of the year for sure and maybe even my overall favorites of the year.



Thank you Celadon Books!!

I had a difficult time staying interested in this book. The scenes with the boy and his cousin in the tent, the coyote, Boon... those were tough scenes for me to read and I was surprised that more people didn't list them as trigger warnings when I read other reviews.
I enjoyed the Maine setting, but lost focus with the multiple POV and timeline jumping. There were several backstories provided for small side characters that I felt didn't add much to enjoyment of the story.

I was excited to read this based on the synposis and a new author to me. Sadly, I was disappointed and had trouble connecting with the storyline. Thorough character development but it was overdone and took away from the actual story.
It is a well written book and the use of multiple POVs is a positive. Some of the “sexual” components and abuse was a negative. That being said, I would definitely try another book by Peter Nichols.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.