I loved this! Twists and turns and figuring out the killer was fascinating. What an original idea to frame someone using their own novel!

This one started off very slowly, and while I can appreciate building and backstory, I wasn’t able to connect with the characters. It felt as though some things needed more emphasis, while other things were unnecessary. I hadn’t seen the feedback comparing this book to Where the Crawdads sing, but I can understand it. Which is unfortunate as I wasn’t a huge fan of Crawdads. I wanted badly to enjoy the misty mystery of this book but it just didn’t resonate with me.

Thank you for the opportunity.

Thank you to NetGalley for a copy of this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I have to admitted that the constant comparison to Crawdads kept me away from reading this for a while. I was NOT a crawdads fan; however, this didn't quite give me those vibes. While I did like it better, I do think it was lacking quite a bit. The timeline was weird, certain world building was just extra wordage, and the author seemed to lack research before writing.

Dark, moody, and brimming with grief, Middletide is a tale of young love lost and broken dreams. Its conflicted, dangerously unhinged characters stagger under the weight of death, making choices as haunting as the misty setting itself. It packs a punch, with scenery painted so vividly it seeps into your bones.

I’m late to the game in reviewing this atmospheric debut novel. Doesn’t that woodsy, misty cover just draw you in? The story started as an almost-romance, became a touching coming-of-age- and overcoming-disappointments story, and ended up as a twisty murder mystery complete with tense courtroom drama. A few pieces didn’t quite fit, but it was a fun read.

A little too slow paced for me. I prefer faster paced books. I did enjoy the setting of the book. It reminded me of where the crawdads sing a lot.

Thank you Atria and Netgalley for the advanced reader copy of Middletide in exchange for my honest opinion.

I really enjoyed Middletide. I loved the way the character described the setting. I’ve never been to Washington but Sarah Crouch did an amazing job on the details and a picture came to mind of exactly what I feel like a small Washington town would look like.

The story line captured my attention from the beginning. I went back and forth on who I thought the guilty party was and it kept me guessing until the very end. I will definitely be recommending this to my reader friends.

*Middletide* by Sarah Crouch is such a beautifully written, quietly gripping read. It’s set in a small coastal town, and you can almost feel the mist and hear the waves as you turn the pages. The story follows Elijah, a writer who becomes entangled in a local murder case — but it’s really more about loneliness, belonging, and the secrets we all keep. Crouch’s writing is atmospheric and lyrical without ever feeling heavy, and the characters feel real and layered. It’s the kind of book that pulls you in gently and then stays with you long after you’re done. I loved it!

Middletide is a hauntingly atmospheric debut that unfolds in a rustic Puget Sound town, where a failed novelist returns home only to become the prime suspect in a murder eerily mirroring the plot of his own book. Crouch’s lush prose and deep sense of place—where forests feel alive and characters are grounded in the rhythms of homesteading and regret—make it a compelling read for fans of literary thrillers. While the pacing can lag in the first half and some plot conveniences stretch credulity, the emotional resonance and unexpected courtroom climax deliver a satisfying payoff.

This debut novel is full of love and revenge. I enjoyed reading this novel about a young man, Elijah who wanted to escape his small town in 1973 and become a successful writer in a big city. But as life progresses, he returns to the small town of his childhood, Point Orchards. The book flips through the years from 1973 to 1994. I found myself flipping back to previous chapters to see what year just ended. That would be my only criticism of the book. As a first novel, Sarah Crouch developed the characters well and set a very descriptive scene of the Pacific Northwoods. An intriguing mystery and several really good twists that the reader will appreciate. Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my review.

This book was a fun ride of mystery. I appreciate the chance to read an advanced copy. Looking forward to more books by this author

Unfortunately, I just could not get into this story, so for me it was a DNF. Thank you for the opportunity to read!

DNF @ 20%

I had high hopes for this book as it is set in Washington (a state I grew up in). The descriptions of the landscapes were amazing and made you feel like you were there. As much as I loved the setting, I did not like the characters and being a character reader, I need to connect with at least one to keep going.

Couldn't really get into this one. I tried and then set it aside to try again later, but ultimately I just think it's not for me. Thank you to the publisher for the gifted copy.

Thank you for the opportunity to read this book! At this time I will not be reading or reviewing. I will update if I do read in the future!

He had heard once that every man dies twice, the second death coming when no one left on earth remembered his name

I haven't been this engrossed in a mystery in quite some time. After the extremely disappointing SHAW CONNOLLY LIVES TO TELL, I needed an actual interesting mystery to get me going. I knew you could do it, Atria. As a publisher, they rarely let me down, no matter the genre. Trust.

I admit, I was questioning the indigenous rep, but Sarah left a detailed note. I'm not indigenous, so I don't know if they were written with care, and will refrain from judgment.

I'm interested in both of the timelines, which is rare. In the before, Elijah leaves Nakita behind to try to make it as a writer in San Francisco. He doesn't. When he comes back in the later timeline with his tail wagging between his legs, she has since been married and widowed. He chases her anyway.

Perhaps the problem was that his taste in women seemed to land squarely on those who were recovering from tragic marriages and weren't ready to fully move on.

When that doesn't work out, he chases the beautiful blonde doctor in town, Erin. Spoiler alert: This doesn't work out, either.

When Erin later dies in a murder made to look like a suicide in a scene from Elijah's own book, things go awry. Whodunnit? Do we trust Elijah, who reads like an incel? Do we trust Nakita, who says she would do anything for someone she loves? Do we trust Erin, who has layers beneath that city girl veneer?

Book pairings: THE RETURN OF ELLIE BLACK | WHERE THE CRAWDADS SING

📱 Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books

I couldn’t get past what I felt was low quality writing, or the fact that someone staged a suicide but did such a poor job of making it look like a suicide. I tried once before this came out, and I have it a second chance today, but it is clear that Middletide and I are not compatible.

I am immensely grateful to Atria Books and NetGalley for my copy. All opinions are my own.

This was a debut novel and it wasn’t terrible. If netgalley allowed me it would be a 3.5 rather than just a 3. There is no doubt this author can write perhaps my rating is based on the story itself. I really don’t know how to explain that. But I believe many other people would enjoy this.

This was our April 2025 book club read, and the discussion it generated was lively.

A sound mystery set in Pacific NW woods, with a writer at the end of his rope - no, that's the lady doc at the end of the rope. The writer (Elijah) has just lost his dad and his writing mojo. Still, with friends, a chance at a long lost love, and a cabin to rebuild he definitely has a chance at recovery.

That is, until the law thinks he's the one who offed the doc. Not the best place to be for him, but when the flashbacks begin the read moves right along. That's all you get from this reviewer who recommends you take this along on your next excursion into the woods.

*A sincere thank you to Sarah Crouch, Atria Books, and NetGalley for an ARC to read and review independently.*

I got this as a book of the month read also. I usually love a court room dram but the chaos of the trial in this one had me thinking no sway this is real. I was hooping for more.