I was really excited to get my hands on Granite Harbor after hearing about the Maine setting. I'm from Maine and grew up in the next town over, on the coast, from the author, so I was hoping to see some realistic qualities to the setting. I have to say that was definitely the case! I've read some books set in Maine where it's so obvious that the author has never set foot here and just relied on stereotypes. In Granite Harbor, there were actual names of towns, streets, landmarks and fun little tidbits like an Uncle Henrys (that I remember my dad and grandfather always grabbing when I was a kid). It was fun looking for these throughout the book.

As far as the story itself, it just didn't quite hit the mark for me. I found that the main character, Alex, was't developed enough so I almost didn't even feel like he was the main character. There were too many characters in the story that I found it confusing to keep track of them all and sometimes confusing to figure out which characters was being talked about. The themes of animal cruelty and teen killings made it really hard to want to read.

Thank you to Netgalley, Celadon Books and Peter Nichols for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I really wanted to like this book and it was fine, but I have a number of issues with it. Some not so bad, others - let's just say it could have so much better with a little tweaking in my opinion. The rest of this has spoilers (not detailed, but it could ruin it for you, if you read the book.)




One thing is it was very obvious to me who the killer was, even with the major red herring. I say major because it was overdone making it clear it was a red herring.

Second thing is there were too many characters vying for limited real estate in the book. Some of them should have been cut out of the story. The first one to cut - the ridiculous caricature of an ex-wife. Okay, she's kind of necessary, but tone her down please.

And last - the biggest issue for me - WTH did you do to your main character? I mean he's not even a main character partially because the item above and partially because he was a nothing. Weak and not smart and wishy-washy, yet I liked him and wanted the author to write him better as he seemed to have great potenial. I don't know if the author tried to make him vulnerable, but it didn't work. I literally wanted to yell at the character to grow a pair and I'm not from the men must be strong and he-mans camp, just he was ruled by everyone especially women. It was bizarre and frankly the only reason I kept reading was because I kept thinking, he'll get better, surely he'll better... If the author had done a better job with Alex (which would have been possible with just a few tweaks) and toned down the red herring, and made the killer less obvious - it could have been a great book. The potential is there but it didn't translate for me. That being said if there was another Alex Brangwen book I would try it because the story and premise were good. Hoping the author took some advice, and beefed up Alex's character.

Thank you to Celadon Books and NetGalley for providing an eARC of this book. All opinions are my own.

Granite Harbor is a small town in Maine where everyone knows everyone else. Alex, the ex-writer turned cop, is dealing with his relationship with his teenage daughter, ex-wife, and his career, when a teenage boy is gruesomely killed at the local historical site. Now Alex has to solve the murder of his daughter's friend and figure out which of his neighbors is the guilty party. When the second body is found, Alex starts to fear for his daughter and the town.
The setting is optimally described so that you feel like you are in Granite Harbor. There are many characters but it's not hard to remember who is who. It was easy to figure out who committed the murders but the why of it slowly developed over time. The story is graphic and gruesomely detailed so not for the faint of heart. I liked the character development of Alex and I liked watching how he relationships changed over time. I would be interested in reading another story about Alex. He seems like his character could turn into a great police series.

Thanks to NetGalley and Celadon Books for the advanced copy of the book. The opinions are my own.

This one was really hard for me to rate. The overall story was okay and might have warranted a 3-3.5 from me if it weren't for some detracting elements. It was more of a slow burn with the how and why being slowly revealed and the who not really a secret. It's honestly pretty forgettable to me with the exception of the darker elements like the animal death and no fade to black on a child sexual assault. If that's all I really remember in detail, that tells me it was probably unnecessary in that level of detail.

This was a very dark thriller revolving around a small town serial killer who is stalking a group of high school friends. For the detective in town, Alex, it’s his first serious case and the town is looking to him to solve it quickly. And he is desperate to do so, as his daughter is part of the friend group. Tidbits were dropped about the unnamed killer, and although I quickly determined who it was, I was still curious to know how it all came about.
Be advised, though, that this is a dark story involving gross use of animals and a gruesome bully incident. It’s used to describe the evolution of the serial killer, and I’m a seasoned thriller reader, but these scenes were difficult. The story was slow moving so more mystery than thriller, but since the killer was fairly obvious no surprise reveal or twist, and I felt the ending came about in a rather fortuitous manner rather than any expert investigation.
I’m curious if this is the first in a possible series, as I would continue to read another Alex Brangwen book and see where it takes us.
Thank you to NetGalley and Celedon Books for my #gifted physical and ebook.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Celadon Books for the digital review copy of Peter Nichols' Granite Harbor. This was an atmospheric slow-burn...I'm a bit torn though. I loved the premise and the killer's past POV, but struggled with other dynamics throughout, particularly the detailed violence and seemingly forced dialogue. I think many others will enjoy this one, however. 2.5 rounded up to 3 for me...

Granite Harbor is a page-turning mystery that delves into the social fabric of a small town, exploring the complexities of relationships, fear, and hidden truths. Nichols’s nuanced storytelling keeps readers on edge, making this novel a must-read for crime fiction enthusiasts.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

What did I just ginger read? This is the type of read that has me 1) questioning my sanity as I quickly flip the pages filled with gruesome crime and 2) questioning the authors warped mind.

I do find it hard to rate though as I want to be mindful of the HUGE triggers that lie between the pages. I appreciated the publishers warning of chapter 34 that came with the ARC.

Where others have found the pace slow, I rather enjoyed it build towards a truly twisted demon like tale. I did pick up on the WHO early on but learning the HOW and WHY was very interesting.

I felt the jumps from past to present lacked a chapter title warning or setting but once I knew how the author was laying it out I got used to it.

This was an incredibly dark horrific read. Not for everyone.

I found a few things unrealistic which brought my rating down.

Thank you @celadonbooks @netgalley for the ARC!

Pub Date: April 30, 2024

A peaceful Maine town shatters when a teen is murdered. Single dad and sole detective, Alex Brangwen, faces his first case. As fear grips the town and dark secrets surface, Alex races to catch a killer before another life is taken.

There were so many characters to keep track of! With chapters switching between characters, including the killer themself, the story played mind games as I tried to figure out who the killer could be.

I loved the first 3/4 of the book. It starts out as a dark police procedural but another far fetched angle is added to the story that just didn't fit in but I can't say without giving spoilers.

Read if you like:
✨ small town settings
✨ serial killer storylines
✨ multiple points of view

Atmospheric? Yes. I felt cold the entire time I was reading this book. The local weather seemed foggy and dark and it gave me a shiver. Alex Brangwen is Granite Harbor, Maine's only police detective. When two teenagers are found murdered, Alex knows the town is expecting him to find the killer. He has to act fast and smart before another child is killed. Everyone is a suspect and in a small town everyone knows everyone but no one is a suspect, at least until starts to investigate. Granite Harbor is a tight-knit community, but no so tight that someone can get away with murder. An enjoyable read. The pace is excellent and the writing is interesting and engaging. I would like to see Alex investigate other crimes. My thanks to NetGalley and Celadon Books for the ARC and congratulations, Peter Nichols!

I loved getting to know the little town and can always appreciate a suspense novel with a twist that I didn’t see coming. It’s a quick read with a lot of fun quirky characters.

This book is a solid thriller, following a local Maine detective trying to find a serial killer with a very unique method of murder. I enjoyed it, especially the flashbacks with "the boy," the serial killer when he was young - I found that it helped give a lot of explanation into both the why and how of the murders. I liked all the characters (with the exception of Morgana haha), and the slight supernatural bent to it. It reminded me of a Stephen King novel, in the best sense.

Granite Harbor is quite gritty and dark and sometimes gruesome. There was one scene of animal torture that was too graphic for me. The story was engaging but some parts were very dark. The resolution was good but maybe it could have wrapped up a little quicker.

Thank you to Celadon Books for providing an ARC via Net Galley for review.

Unfortunately, this was a DNF for me. While I sort of liked the characters, the pace was glacial and I lost interest, though I kept trying. Will work for others - I just needed something a bit faster paced.

Ok, This took me a longgggg time to get through. I will admit I was extremely busy while reading this, but nothing about this book really kept my attention or made me want to sit and binge several chapters. It honestly didn’t get entertaining or exciting for me until about the 80 percent mark. Once I hit that point, though, it did keep my interest. Alex was my favorite character and I enjoyed his POV as a detective.

I’ll round up to 2.5 stars as I would probably read this author again. But it didn’t really work for me as a “thriller”. There was no plot twist— the killer is pretty much slowly revealed to the reader, so there’s nothing to really figure out.. and if it doesn’t get my brain working, unfortunately it’s just not enjoyable for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and Celadon Books for this e-arc! All opinions are my own.

This is my first book by Peter Nichols. It intrigued me right from the beginning and kept my attention throughout the book. The characters were well developed and had depth. There are some very graphic depictions in the book, they were gruesome.

In the small town of Granite Harbor, a teenager is found murdered at The Settlement, a place where the past is re-enacted. Alex, an author turned detective is investigating this case, his first murder. The teenager is connected to him through his daughter and also his ex, Isabel, and her son. The investigation is a dangerous game of who or what is next? As Alex tried to untangle this web of lies, deceit, bullying, and more, the twists keep turning pulling you further into the web.

I really loved the character of Alex and his thoughts. This book jumps around in multiple POV’s, including the murderer, to the point where it got a little confusing. I would have liked a more direct process. There were multiple vivid and gory scenes of torture and abuse. Overall, the story was a great read, I loved the characters and felt connected to them. The descriptive story was told well, with pieces of the puzzle being revealed at the perfect moments. I would absolutely recommend this book, but be sure to read the trigger warnings before you do!

In this gripping thriller by Peter Nichols, once successful but now failed English novelist turned American police detective Alex Brangwen is on the trail of a (serial) killer striking the town’s teens, even endangering Detective Brangwen's own daughter Sophie. The way the crime is comitted and put on display puts the the town’s historical puritan settlement at the forfront of the investigation. Are any of the reenactors involved ? Could any one of the neighbors in this tight knit coastal community be a murderer ? And can Detective Brangwen put an end to these killings before they reach his doorstep ?

This book is a captivating and exciting police procedural page turner. The characters are realistic, and the novelist turned police detective is, o of course, a treat for every booklover. He knows his literature and as a British author, transplanted to small town Maine he has a unique perspective and another reason to notice oddities and put them out for the reader, The plot is well thought out and fast paced.
I would love to return to Granite Harbor to see more of police detective Brangwen.

I like the author turned small town detective to make ends meet character in this murder mystery. There is some pretty heavy violence including animal trapping n this story of an abused and neglected boy who turns into a serial killer. There is a local pioneer site where some of the characters work that is an interesting addition to the setting. The reveal is well timed as the suspense builds. A solid read.

Copy provided by the publisher and Netgalley

This was quite gritty and dark. At times it was totally gruesome. I did not like the chapters from the killer's point of view. There was one scene of animal torture that was so graphic that I couldn't read it and skimmed to the next section. Overall this was a fairly engaging crime/mystery novel. I think that I just don't have the stomach for them any more.

Thank you to Celadon Books for providing an ARC via Net Galley for review.

Fantastic book! Small town and a serial killer is on the loose. I was hooked from the start but about a quarter of the way in, I wasn't sure where this book was going or if I liked it. Then it took a turn for the better, and I was hooked again. Definitely recommend.