EXCERPT: 2017 - I never meant to kill the first one. She was an accident - her own fault, for the most part. And that second one? She was a casualty of necessity. Wrong place, wrong time. But this one . . . this one was different.

ABOUT 'WHEN CICADAS CRY': Zach Stander, a lawyer with a past, and Addie Stone, his indomitable detective and lover, find themselves entangled in secrets, lies, and murder in a small Southern town.

A high-profile murder case— A white woman has been bludgeoned to death with an altar cross in a rural church on Cicada Road in Walterboro, South Carolina. Sam Jenkins, a Black man, is found covered in blood, kneeling over the body. In a state already roiling with racial tenson, this is not only a murder case, but a powder keg.

A haunting cold case— Two young women are murdered on quiet Edisto Beach, an hour southeast of Walterboro, and the killer disappears without a trace. Thirty-four years later the mystery remains unsolved. Could there be a connection to Stander's case?

A killer who's watching— Stander takes on Jenkins's defense, but he's up against a formidable solicitor with powerful allies. Worse, his client is hiding a bombshell secret. When Addie Stone reopens the cold case, she discovers more long-buried secrets in this small town. Would someone kill again to keep them?

MY THOUGHTS: When Cicadas Cry is an absolutely stunning debut novel. Atmosphere oozes from every page. The tension in the final chapters left me with half-moons dug into my palms. I feared for Addie's life.

Caroline Cleveland is one of those rare authors who can hit the ball right out of the park in all three elements of the successful novel - characters, setting and atmosphere. It is impossible to read this without coming to care greatly for the characters: Zach, who really needs to figure out just what he wants; Eli, the accused Sam's grandfather; Colleton Burns, Eli's great friend and a respected retired lawyer; Sam who is overly economical with the truth to his own detriment; and Addie with the big heart, quick mind and an ambition Zach isn't currently sharing. Honestly, there were times I wanted to give Zach a quick slap upside his head - he can be extremely obtuse!

Cleveland captures the racial tensions around the BLM movement and uses it to great advantage in when Cicadas Cry. We have the two opposing factions, each wanting their very own brand of justice, never mind whatever the truth happens to be.

Pressures arising from the case cause tension between Zach and Addie, causing Addie to volunteer to investigate a cold case from some thirty odd years earlier, never dreaming to do so might put her life in danger. Now, I thought I had this all figured out, but was I ever wrong! Yes, I'm eating Humble Pie (with lashings of ice cream 😉)

The story is told from multiple points of view, including that of the killer, as in the excerpt above. This added another layer of mystery and even more tension to the storyline.

When Cicadas Cry is a beautifully written novel that held me entranced from beginning to end. The author's notes at the end are particularly interesting so don't be tempted to skip them.

⭐⭐⭐⭐.5

#WhenCicadasCry #NetGalley

THE AUTHOR: Caroline Cleveland is the founding partner of the law firm Cleveland & Conley, LLC, where she represents private and public employers, including law enforcement. A native South Carolinian, she inevitably writes from a Southern perspective. She gravitates -- both as a writer and a reader -- toward mystery and suspense, and she cannot resist a character with a dark secret.

She lives in Charleston, South Carolina with her husband, David.

DISCLOSURE: I was privileged to receive both a digital and audio ARC for review. My thanks go to both Union Square & Co., a subsidiary of Sterling Publishing and Dreamscape Media respectively. The audiobook is ablely narrated by Adam Barr.

All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.

It's hard to believe this is a debut novel. As the author states in her note, "Fiction, at its best, reflects life." and she did this beautifully. This is a great Southern legal thriller with a relevant plot (racial tension), twists, and likable characters. Many thanks to NetGalley and Union Square & Co. for an ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Wow! What a fantastic debut. This was an exceptional story. So atmospheric in it's southern setting. It was such a captivating layered story. A fantastic legal thriller coupled with a pasr mystery had me glued to the pages. Highly recommend.

Mystery readers will enjoy this debut novel set in South Carolina. Racial tensions flare when a young black man is charged with the brutal murder of a young white woman. Since the evidence was so overwhelmingly against Sam, it was interesting to see how the author would untangle the case. Zach and Addie worked well together as pieces fell into place. The tie-in to the older murders was a definitely a twist. Really liked Eli and Colleton. Recommended.

A current murder case has an investigator looking at a cold case from years ago. Is there a connection? Set in South Carolina, this book had a good plot. I didn't like the chapters that had the murderer as the narrator. The book started strong but ended a bit too quickly and neatly.

Caroline Cleveland's debut novel When Cicadas Cry emerges as a compelling blend of legal intrigue and police procedural, set amidst a backdrop of simmering racial tensions.

The town pulses with racial tension, palpable in every street and corner. The stark contrast of a black man accused of murdering a white woman, and a white lawyer fiercely defending him to prove his innocence, sets the stage for a gripping narrative.

While this theme dominates the first half of the book, the story takes an unexpected turn in the second half, shifting focus to Zach's girlfriend, Addie, and her pursuit of a long-forgotten cold case.

The narrative unfolds with a deliberate pace in the first half, setting the stage for the unfolding drama. However, it's in the second half where the story truly comes alive, bursting with action and intrigue.

While I found the overall storyline impressive for a debut author, I couldn't help but feel that the sudden shift in perspective from Zach to Addie, and her subsequent involvement in a pivotal case, felt somewhat contrived and clichéd. Additionally, the second half of the narrative felt rushed in comparison to the more leisurely pace of the first half.

Despite these shortcomings, When Cicadas Cry by Caroline Cleveland remains a commendable debut. The engaging plot and well-developed characters make for a riveting read.

I really enjoyed this debut legal thriller. Zach is not perfect, but is a character to root for. I hoped he had what it takes to prove his client, Sam Jenkins, was innocent in a racially charged case. Addie is a strong main character separate from Zach. Zach seems to be shutting Addie out of this case, instead relying on the help from a retired local attorney. Addie feels unneeded in preparing for Sam’s trial, so she volunteers to help local law enforcement with a cold case involving two teen girls who were killed after leaving a beach party. Each case is intriguing, and the investigations held my interest. I enjoyed getting to know Sam’s grandfather Eli, who was the one who hired Sam, as well as Colleton Burns who is helping Sam. It’s not certain Colleton can be trusted, but I liked his charm and intelligence. Some of the dialogue between Zach and Addie seemed a little forced, and Sam’s decisions in his personal life were often flawed. However, I was still rooting for these characters in their cases and as a couple.

The story is told from multiple points-of-view, including the killer’s, even though the person isn’t identified until the end. As the story progresses, things come together for Zach and Addie's cases in unexpected ways. There is some sadness in the book but it’s also full of hope. I enjoyed the vivid characterizations as well as the details of the investigations and the legal strategies in this thought-provoking novel. Fans of John Grisham or Southern fiction will want to try this debut legal thriller from Cleveland.

I received an advance copy of this book from MBC Books and Union Square and Company, but my review is voluntary and unbiased.

A debut legal mystery, When Cicadas Cry (2024) by Caroline Cleveland is an engrossing tale of two murders. Zach Stander is a lawyer who is required to provide free legal clinics as punishment for an earlier misdeed. He is hired to defend a young man found over the dead body of a young woman, but avows his innocence. The prosecutor has a ‘slam dunk’ case and Zack must find a way to save his client from the death penalty murder trial. Set in South Carolina in 2017 amidst local tensions, Jack is consumed by the case, allowing his investigator, Addie to work on a cold case from thirty-four years earlier - the last time the red cicadas appeared. A truly engaging read with wonderful characters, building tension and riveting murder mysteries that make for a four and a half stars rating. With thanks to Union Square & Co. and the author, for an uncorrected advanced review copy for review purposes. As always, the opinions herein are totally my own, freely given and without inducement.

When Cicadas Cry by Caroline Cleveland is a legal thriller at the forefront of the story but also infuses in a decades old mystery. The story in When Cicadas Cry is one that is told by changing the point of view between the characters.

Zach Stander is a down on his luck attorney looking to make a name for himself when he gets a call from a grandfather of a young black man just arrested for murder. Sam Jenkins was found covered in the blood of his co-worker claiming that he just found her there in a remote church and tried to help.

Addie Stone is Zach’s investigator and girlfriend who encourages Zach at every step in the murder case. However, without much work of her own in the small town of Walterboro, South Carolina while Zach is busy Addie offers up her services to look into some of the town’s cold cases. The case that catches Addie’s attention is one where two young women had been murdered over three decades ago but Addie is determined to look at it with fresh eyes.

Legal thrillers often feel like a guilty pleasure when I pick them up since I don’t come across many to read so I was excited to jump into When Cicadas Cry by Caroline Cleveland. This was a debut novel and you could tell the author is very familiar with the legal system and also from the south where the racial tension swirls all around which all made the book very intriguing. I personally guessed one aspect of this story which seemed a little obvious but maybe it was only because I read a lot but with other twists to come the pages did just fly right one by leaving this at four stars.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

DNF at 35%. I'm fifteen chapters in and not much has happened, other than a lot of stilted dialogue and exposition. This is supposed to be a legal thriller in the vein of John Grisham or Michael Connelly, set in a small-town in the south where racial tensions run high, but with no action so far, it's not very thrilling or interesting.

This was a great book. I wasn't really sure where the end was gping, but I'll have to say that it was a surprise. This legalistic mystery is definitely worth reading!

This was a great debut novel. It had everything I was looking for. I enjoyed the murder trial in the story and was invested in what was happening to the characters. It worked well with what was promised from the description. And I love the suspenseful atmosphere that was going on. Caroline Cleveland has a great writing style and creating interesting characters and a story.

A murder mystery/legal drama with racial injustices, a small town atmosphere, emotional reveals, and witty dialogue. This was the palate cleanser I needed. Immediately upon starting this, I was seeing a movie playing out in my head. A murder in a small town church with a man kneeling over the body, claiming he didn't do it. This then turns to the point of view from Zach receiving a phone call late in the night from the suspect's grandfather asking him to take the case. Around halfway through, we see more of Zach's girlfriend Addie's point of view, feeling bored and lonely she starts to delve into a cold case from the same town. The whole premise and plot were done well, the author weaving this tale together seamlessly. However, while this ran deep the majority of the time, the last quarter seemed to lose some of the emotion I felt for all the characters and the things they were going through. I would have also liked to see a little more character development in order to fully connect and be invested in this. Overall, this was a great read, and I rate it four stars.

Thank you, Netgalley and Union Square and Co. for this ARC.

A high profile murder case. A haunting cold case. A killer who's watching.

Stop the press, because "When Cicadas Cry" by Caroline Cleveland is a WHOLE vibe. As a fan of police procedurals and legal thrillers, this book exceeded all my expectations.

First off, let's talk about Addie—my main character. Yes, mine bc she's not the actual main character but she's giving main character energy. "Addie could handle herself with the toughest of criminals, come home and cook a meal that would put those television chefs to shame, and then party as hard as she worked." Love her.

I also appreciated how the book highlights racial disparities within the legal system and addresses the continuation of white supremacy, shedding light on the injustices faced by marginalized groups. "There will always be good and bad, right and wrong on both sides, and racists come in all colors. But justice is worth standing up for. You have a gift, and you—we—will never have another moment’s peace if you don’t use it to help." Despite Sam being an all around successful working man, the message in this book is that despite that, you can still be unfairly accused of something due to the color of your skin without authorities looking into the real details of the case.

From the very first page, this book had me hooked. I was fully invested from the get-go, finding it nearly impossible to put down—even in the wee hours of the night. And let's not forget, this is Cleveland's debut novel, which makes it all the more impressive. One of the things I loved most was trying to guess who the killer was throughout the story. Cleveland kept me guessing until the very end, and when the truth was finally revealed, my jaw hit the floor.

The backdrop of a small southern town added to the charm of the story, making me feel like I was right there, solving the mystery alongside the characters. ALSOOO can we discuss how this is the same town the Murdaugh murders occurred in?! Sold.

In conclusion, "When Cicadas Cry" is a gripping debut that hits all the right notes. With its strong characters, compelling storyline, and thought-provoking themes, it's a must-read for fans of the genre. Caroline Cleveland has certainly made a splash with her first novel, and I can't wait to see what she has in store next.

Thank you to the publisher, the author & NetGalley for my ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Zach is a lawyer who takes a case of a man accused of killing a woman. His girlfriend Addie is a private investigator who will help him uncover the truth. When Cicadas Cry is modern day To Kill a Mockingbird with a few more twists and turns. Great mystery that kept me guessing till the end.

*ARC provided by NetGalley for an honest review.

I enjoyed the writing and the story, do NOT get me wrong. This was intriguing and I wanted to love it. This is about a murder case from the law investigation side. There is a suspect in custody and he is going to stand trial, even though he adamantly maintains his innocence. This is also one part of a bigger story that I found interesting.

My issue with the book was that it centers more around the dangers the white lawyers face taking on the case, as opposed to the danger the Black man is facing as the accused of the murder of a white woman. This is written by a white woman, so the centering white danger as much as it did seemed like a missed opportunity. If you’re going to write Black characters in your stories, you have a responsibility to not make them stereotypical.

I don’t want to sound overly critical. I thought the book was good. The ending was satisfying, popping up with things I wasn’t expecting at all.

This book had me at the beginning but slowed down. The wrap up was good though. I really enjoyed it and will read more from this author.

This book was interesting from the start, as the crime was particularly brutal and committed in a place of worship. Sam, a black man has been accused of killing Jessie, a white woman in a Southern town in a place of worship. The racial tension introduced in the beginning of the book made the story very gripping as I thought the story would continue into the justice system. I liked that Zach, the lawyer called to help Sam in his case, knew he had to do his best work with this case as his professional reputation was in tatters due to a past mistake.

However, the story then fell a bit flat for me. Rather than follow Zach into his trial we followed Addie (who is supposed to be Zach's investigator but he constantly says he doesn't need her) randomly into a cold case murder that happened to be connected to Sam's case. The rest of the story felt a bit more rushed to me, the characters were quite two dimensional and towards the end it felt very predictable.

Wow - a debut author hits it out of the park with this mystery. I love legal thrillers and this one really had a couple stories within the story that added to the fun. I loved the setting too - down south where sadly racial tensions and injustices still exist. The set up was a small town where a black man was found in a church at night hovering over a dead white woman (the daughter of the big shot of the town, of course!), killed by the church altar cross, but he swears he didn't do it. Now if that isn't a story waiting to be told . . .

Enter Zach, the attorney who has gotten himself into a bit of trouble and is now scratching his way out, and Addie, his private investigator/partner who are hired by the boy's grandfather to defend him.

This was such a great novel that kept me reading til late at night because I had to know who did what to whom. I can't wait to see Caroline Cleveland writes next because it is a sure buy for me.

Thank you to Net Galley, Caroline Cleveland and Union Square & Co Publishing for the advanced copy that kept me up too late.

✰ 2.75 stars ✰

“That’s what she wanted me to believe. But not now. Now I knew better— knew what had to be done. That’s the thing with a secret this old.

You’re not keeping it anymore. It keeps you.”

In the Southern town of Walterboro, South Carolina, that still holds on to its racial hatred and discrimination, the last thing Zach Stander, a once respectable and highly sought-after attorney now struggling to land a respectable case, would want to take on is the high profile case of Sam Jenkins, a Black man accused of bludgeoning to death a white woman with an altar cross in a rural church on Cicada Road. 'Having gone down in flames himself in the past, Zach couldn’t help but hear a small voice inside urging him to turn and run.' But, as Zach and his girlfriend, private detective Addie Stone investigate deeper into the facts of that fateful night, they discover that there perhaps may be a deeper connection to this case - one that ties into the past of a pair of gruesome murders that brings long-buried secrets to light and one that someone would do anything to keep hidden - no matter what it takes.

“This was about something older and deeper, and if Zach had not fully appreciated the magnitude of what he would have to overcome to save Sam, he felt its full force now.”

It gripped me from the start; even though it does seem like a rather generic murder, the opening passage along with Sam's reserved pleas for help and the foreboding menace that seemed to creep into the crevices as Zach became more invested into the case, intrigued me - 'this wasn’t a murder case—it was a powder keg rolling through a wall of fire.' I wanted to see how Zach would piece it together, what clues would be brought forth that would shed light on the case. I wanted to know how he would figure out his innocence, what lingering darkness led to Sam's involvement in the murder, who would want to frame him, how big a part would racism play in convicting him of this crime? 😥 'Maybe nothing, but you never know when something that seems insignificant can be the tiny piece of the puzzle that pulls the bigger parts together—or that the solicitor uses to pull them apart.' And for a while, I did think it was going to be like that; but, in the effort to make history collide with Zach's case, the plot took an unfortunate turn. While I didn't mind the contrived way in which the past was forced to converge with the present, in order for it to make sense, I wanted more on the trial aspect. I wanted to see Zach shine as a lawyer, rather than unexpectedly taking a back seat as Addie was pushed forward as she put her detective hat on. 🙍🏻‍♀️

I would have liked to see Zach shine as he regained his composure as a lawyer, rather than seeing Addie's pursuit of past murders. The story quickly shifted trajectory and made the plot move at a speedier pace and a less believable one. As we neared the ending, I felt the writing also became a bit weaker, because the writer was literally pushing the evidence right into our faces! I would have liked it if it had been more subtle - don't make such a point to point it out! 😩 It made the sudden twists less interesting and more forced upon me. It was bad enough that we got such a glaring clue in the killer's perspective that hinted at their lingering involvement in the couple's lives that put me on guard to suspect any new character that entered the scene. 🙎🏻‍♀️

“I’m the one who pushed you to take this on. And for the right reasons. There will always be good and bad, right and wrong on both sides, and racists come in all colors.

But justice is worth standing up for.”

What I do appreciate is the underlying message of how hatred and discrimination and the fear of being accepted is still so very prevalent - regardless of the time or who it may be. How anger and hate is fueled and stored up, waiting just for the right moment to strike, regardless of who it may hurt or what pain they would be inflicting on others. And yet, still keeping in time, that even those who are bigoted and racist are susceptible to change - that one should never lose hope for a better and more understanding future. 🙏🏻🙏🏻 'I guess some people are exactly what you think they are, and others surprise you.' And as the author is someone who has had experience in legal matters, I appreciated how authentic she kept the legal jargon - how the details portrayed the little nuances and ticks that a lawyer employs - the subtle movements and reflections that they undertake when dealing with a client or confronting a witness. 'It’s funny, though, how your mind can play tricks when you try to remember details.' It was further accompanied with sharp, crisp, factual dialogue for their investigation that was heightened by the palpable excitement the two of them would have upon the discovery of a key witness or clue. 👍🏻👍🏻

Despite its flaws, I liked how the author wanted to keep the story on a personal level, as well. Zach and Addie were both likeable characters; not ones without their faults, they still wanted the best for one another and hoped that they could make a life together. Even as their relationship is put to the test, their honesty and trust in one another never wavered. Addie was a confident force to be reckoned with, who saw the strong potential that Zach was capable of. Even as Zach is still nurturing the haunts of his childhood, he wanted Addie to give him a chance. And I respected how Addie approached the matter in a believable way. How she gave Zach space and still, an ultimatum that allowed both of them to grow individually because of it. 🥺 'Some people are born knowing who their families are. The rest of us have to find them.' With this delicate balance to the more dirty and gritty side of their investigation, the author managed to keep the story on a lighter tone that made me root for these two to not only survive the dangers they were encountering, but to survive as a couple, too. ❤️‍🩹

*Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.