Thank you to Celadon Books and NetGalley for this ARC. After reading a lot of fantasy books in March, I was ready for a dark and gritty read, and "Granite Harbor" delivered. Diving into the perspectives of Alex, a police detective, and Isabel, a Granite Harbor resident, plus the POV of an unnamed killer, I was quickly immersed in the small-town dynamics and the brutal crimes that started to be unearthed.

Peter Nichols crafted a suspenseful tale against the backdrop of dark, small-town vibes. I was immediately addicted to the storyline and constantly tried to guess who the killer was among the Granite Harbor residents. This was a straightforward police procedural with graphic horror, and I immediately knew I wanted to know how this mystery would end by chapter 3.

The first few chapters are slower-paced, but then we encounter the first victim and the serial killer's POV, and things start barrelling forward at a healthy speed. The rest of the tale is extremely fast-paced and I binged this book in a day.

This is an extremely graphic book with gruesome descriptions of the murders and animal cruelty. However, these are not triggers for me, so I was able to heavily enjoy the story. My only criticism is that I wish Nichols would have given more depth to the serial killer as I kept wanting to know more.

If you are looking for a dark, moody thriller that will have you racing to the last page, this book is for you!

This high-energy murder mystery begins with a bang, the victim is literally strung up with his abdomen cut open and where a live frog has been placed. The mystery of the frogs is eventually explained -- I am not sure if that adds or subtracts from the plot line but it sure is interesting nonetheless. The action takes place in a small coastal Maine town where the lead detective is a novelist, his ex-wife is a force to be reckoned with, and various teens are part of the action as the police try to figure things out. I liked the characters and plot points, frogs notwithstanding, and the ragged beauty of the Maine coast is another character in the mystery of it all. Highly recommended.

I think part of my issue with this book is that they compare the book to Silence of the Lambs - Y'all, he wishes. I guessed the killer basically as soon as he was introduced.

I liked the elements of clairvoyance and some of the PoVs we got, but overall this thriller is thoroughly mid.

Thank you NetGalley and Celadon Books for sending this ARC for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

This book is wild. There are moments with a lot of ick, and moments where you’re just trying to put the pieces together. I have to be honest though, while at times I couldn’t put it down, at others I was bored. The beginning is super slow. There is a lot of the backstory that makes sense in the end, but it just didn’t keep me engaged like I was hoping. Definitely check the content warnings if you avoid certain things related to children or animals. A little bit of mystery, police procedural, small town, history, and graphic descriptions.

It took me a few days to process before I could write this review. I’m conflicted because the storytelling is just brilliant, but the inclusion of gratuitous scenes which were extremely and unnecessarily graphic really took away from my enjoyment of the book. The scenes of animal cruelty are, by far, the worst I’ve ever read. I was physically sick.

For this reason, I prefer not to give it a star rating; however, NG requires it. I landed at three stars.. See content warnings at the bottom of this review.

If you have a strong stomach and are not bothered this type of content, perhaps give this one a try for yourself. As I said, the storytelling itself was fantastic.

Content Warnings: Graphic scenes of animal cruelty and sexual abuse of a child (by an older child).

My thanks to @celadonbooks and @netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this book before its publication date.

Once I saw that this book was set in a small town in Maine I was all in. I spent many a summer there in my high school years with my best friend. I love a good mystery but unfortunately this one just didn't live up to my expectations. The murderer was easily guessed. I found his backstory creepy and really odd and not in a good way, specifically chapter 34 involving animal torture. The book seems to meander after this point but wraps up with an unexpected ending. Would I read another book by this author, probably not.

This was a fairly compelling thriller that kept my attention, and I always enjoy when an author provides some backstory into what shaped the bad guy. With that said, there were some plot holes I couldn't get past and this should definitely come with some trigger warnings. There is child sexual abuse and one of the most graphic, lengthy descriptions of animal cruelty I've ever read. I also felt like the killer was fairly obvious early on and wish there had been a few more viable options to choose from. It was creepy and the ending was satisfying, so a solid 3 star read for me.

3.5/5
To keep this spoiler free here are my thoughts:

This book starts off a little slow, which is honestly expected for this kind of story. Once it picks up 1/3 of the way in I was into it though. The short chapters help keep a good pace making it a quick read. It has a very atmospheric feel and I liked that a lot. All the different POVs, including the killer’s, helped give the story more depth because you get to see a few different relationships throughout the various townspeople. I enjoyed the whole backstory of the killer. You get an understanding for why they are the way they are. The MO with the toads was unique and really interesting to me as well.

Near the end, certain things (involving Isabel) felt off for me. I would have liked if it had been explored in more detail perhaps. Also, the killer’s motivations were believable but they were still a bit disappointing.

Overall, I actually had a good time reading this book. It was an interesting look into a town where the murder of a teen occurs. You get to see the relationships between certain characters including some of the teenagers and their parents. It was interesting and it held my attention.

If you’re looking for a character driven thriller this might just be for you! I would almost say this is a cozy read… with a healthy dose of graphic scenes.


*****Please read the trigger warnings for this book. Some scenes were descriptive and graphic.*****

Thank you to Celadon Books for the copy of the book. I truly appreciate it. All the above thoughts are my own and I’m leaving this review voluntarily.

Review of Uncorrected Digital Galley

Granite Harbor, a small Main seacoast village, pays homage to its past with the daily reenactment of bygone days at the Granite Hill Living History Settlement. The historic archaeological site is popular with tourists and for school trips; the Settlement is quiet and peaceful, a look back at everyday life in the 1600s.

Until the body of a murdered teen is found on the Settlement grounds.

Granite Harbor Police Detective Alex Brangwen, is called in to investigate. He soon discovers that this daughter, Sophie, and her friend, Ethan, were best friends with the victim.

The discovery of a second body throws the town’s parents into panic. Will their child become the next victim?

Who is killing Granite Harbor’s teenagers? And why?

=========

With a pleasant mix of teen-age characters and parents, the characters in this absorbing yet gruesome thriller are both believable and relatable. Interestingly, most of the teens live in one parent homes, making the suggestion of a serial killer preying on teens even more frightening to the parents. With its strong sense of place, the unfolding tale pulls readers into Granite Harbor to worry right along with those parents.

Told mostly from the viewpoints of Alex, Sophie’s dad, and Isabel, Ethan’s mother, the complex plot keeps readers guessing as they learn about the killer’s background [without revealing the killer’s identity]. Unexpected twists and surprising reveals keep readers in suspense as tensions mount throughout the telling of the tale..

Readers who enjoy a good mystery with a touch of gruesome horror, will find this story both absorbing and intriguing. Readers should be forewarned, however, that the backstory does include some animal cruelty.

Recommended.

I received a free copy of this book from Celadon Books and NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving an honest review.
#GraniteHarbor #NetGalley

Thanks NetGalley for the ARC of Granite Harbor by Peter Nichols, published by Celadon Books
I really enjoyed this novel. There were a lot of characters introduced in the first few chapters and I thought I would be confused, but the story read well and the characters were easy to follow. I plot was great, the characters and surroundings well described.
This is one of those books you just don't want to put down. You could feel the suspense building throughout the book
I've not read this author before, but he is certainly on by list of authors to follow

This is the perfect book for those that love to read about good police work wrapped up in a small New England town!

Picture a still and serene coastal town, when a dark and grizzly murder of a teenager wreaks havoc on the idyllic atmosphere. For horror fans who enjoy gruesome serial killers, you will want to get yourself a copy of this!
There is a science with animal cruelty, which quite frankly ruined the book for me. Any sort of animal abuse is a hard no for me, and it was difficult for me to get past it. This book will not be for everyone, but if you enjoy twisted, spine-chilling, police procedural suspense, get yourself a copy!
Publishing April 30, 2024. Thank you @celadon for the early copy.

Thank you so much NetGalley for this eARC in exchange for an honest review. Unfortunately I DNF’d this book around 38%. I was very intrigued by the overall idea of the story being a small town thriller with a very dark and addictive plot, but some things didn’t work for me. That could be because I was committed to other books at the time, but I feel if I was drawn into the story I would have felt differently. However, I could not connect with the main character. To me it seemed like he didn’t know what he was doing. I ended up skipping to the end and found out I was right with what I guessed. I just wish I was drawn into the story more because I think I could have really enjoyed this one!

In coastal Maine, population of roughly five thousand, there is an evil darkness that lurks the street corners of a quiet and unassuming historical town of Granite Harbor. When more than one teenager goes missing and later found in the most disturbing and gruesome display of murder, Detective Alex Brangwen is immediately put to the task with the aid of an FBI special agent. But will this single father and struggling writer turned local cop find the elusive serial killer in time before the next victim is claimed?

I read through this one fairly quickly and was stunned by the method and graphic nature of these deranged murders. Peter Nichols does not spare his readers the details of these untimely deaths and dives most deep into the psychological mindset of a predator on the prowl. It is not a surprise this book gives off Silence of the Lambs/Jeffrey Dahmer vibes. Although the chase is thrilling and piques my curiosity, it is extremely dark in every sense of the word and not recommended for the faint of heart. Please check possible triggers as it contains description of animal cruelty and incestuous scenes.

In the end, I picked up a couple of taxonomy terms, historical tidbits of 17th century settlements, and nailed the culprit’s identity all in one sitting.

I went into this audiobook blind and I was actually surprised at how much I liked it. The beginning was slow, but the plot needed to be laid out. There are a lot of characters and I like that the book took the time to go through each one in a non tedious way. The middle picked up and it really made me enjoy the book.

Thanks to Netgalley and Celadon for allowing me to read this ARC.

Unfortunately a disappointment for me. I guessed the “twist” about a quarter of the way through and I just didn’t feel like there was a huge payoff for the length of the book. A thriller should be quick, easy and propulsive - this was not.

'Granite Harbor' by Peter Nichols is a fantastic read. This novel delivers up horror as inscrutable as my favorite Stephen King reads. The details being served up are unbelievable but embraceable. Nichols' characters are endearing and memorable. They feel like people I know, whereas sometimes when reading novels with multiple characters I forget particular traits or significant personality details. I found myself very anxious for the conclusion before more horror unfolded for these people. The setting lends to the almost wiccan vibe but again, thanks to the influence of Stephen King, Maine seems to beg of clinical horror. I thought the novel concluded satisfactorily; all of the threads weren't totally tied off but I have an idea how the future might play out for my favorite characters. I would give this novel five stars and definitely recommend it to anyone who likes thrillers, horror and a few romantic vibes. Thanks to BookishFirst and Celadon for putting this ARC in my hands. Go out and buy a copy on April 30th 2024!

Skip Chapter 34 – avoid if you are triggered by animal death

Granite Harbor is a quiet coastal Maine town. Its claim to fame is the town’s living historical attraction known as The Settlement. When a local teen is found murdered and hung up with a live animal inside his stomach, within The Settlement, it is up to Alex, a former novelist, and now the lone detective in town to investigate. The victim is a friend of his daughter.

Isabel is a single mother to Ethan, works at The Settlement and finds herself involved in the investigation because her son, Ethan, is friends with the victim as well as Sophie.

The narrative is shared from the perspectives of Alex and Isabel, with chapters detailing the killer’s past (not revealing the identity) interspersed throughout the present-day narrative.

Gritty and quite gruesome, graphic descriptions of the murders.

First and foremost, I LOVED the setting of this thriller. Set in a small town in Maine but the author references so many areas in New England that it made my local heart happy. I also tend to enjoy serial killer books as well but unfortunately other than the setting, this one fell a little flat. It had multiple POVs but they weren’t clearly outlined so I found myself getting confused from time to time. There were also so many characters who played a main role which also made it a bit confusing at times. The short chapters and the ending were a redeeming quality as well. Overall I found this an okay book and the audio did tend to lose my attention a bit so I’m not sure if it would have been better if I just read it instead.

I loved very minute of this, especially never knowing who the killer was. I enjoyed the bit of supernatural elements to this as well. Also, loved the flashbacks to the killer's childhood.