Middletide is a book about a book, and a murder mystery! I absolutely loved the plot concept, but wish the ending had been a bit more polished as it felt rushed and too cookie cutter.

Overall it was a sweet story, the MMC is a struggling author who gets accused of murdering a local woman he had a past with, just like his first novel “Middletide”.

I thought the connection to the book title and how the murder could be executed was clever. The characters were entertaining and diverse, however I didn’t feel that the addition of a Native American tribe (fictional but based on true cultural facts) was key to the story and could have been left out.

Overall, an enjoyable thriller but not something I see myself rereading. If you’re looking for a quick read this is one that would work.

I cannot believe this is a debut book. Sarah Crouch wrote a murder mystery that kept me guessing and turning pages wanting to find the next clue.

I am a reader that follows the clues that a author lays out. If I am told to turn left, I go left and do not even think about what happens if I go right. So I followed the clues as they were laid out and made a few guesses (they are all wrong). When the who-dun-it was solved, I was surprised but I loved it.

Middletide is a great book. I found the story easy to read and enjoyed the homesteading, the small-town setting, and the second-chance love connection.

(4.5) What a surprise this book was! And what a debut. I saw someone compare it to Crawdads and I saw someone else say the mystery had them flipping pages so fast so I was immediately intrigued. It starts off strong, giving you so much to look forward to. it is a very character driven story with an overall mystery laced throughout and a love story at its roots. I liked the book within a book aspect and was really hooked on this. And the last 30% really had me in a chokehold. I didn’t predict the route it was going at all but I found it to be really clever. The writing was good and the story flowed well. I will say the pacing in the beginning is a bit slow but it does pick up, I promise!

Thank you to Atria and NetGalley for the early access and to Atria for the finished copy!

Thanks to Atria Books for an advanced copy of Middletide by Sarah Crouch.

I wanted to like this book, but ultimately this was not the book for me. The setting was beautiful and this book was so atmospheric but I was bored with the very slow-moving story. This was too character-focused of a mystery for me.

Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced digital copy of this book.

The prologue finds two fishermen who have found a perfect "secret" fishing spot that is the envy of all their friends, where they bring in the biggest and best catch around. But this Saturday, they make a gruesome discovery: a woman is hanging from a tree on the edge of the lake.

Thus begins a story that started with two teenagers in a small northwest town. He has been a champion cross-country runner and she shows promise, so they run together every day this last summer before he goes off to college. And, as they run, they fall in love. He has used running as a way to get a college scholarship which will enable him to leave this town he has been trying to escape since his mother died and his father descended into lonely alcoholism. But they make a vow that five years from this day they will meet again at the lake where their runs always end. But he gets involved in the city and his budding writing career and doesn't show up.

Now, fifteen years later, Isaiah has returned with his writing career in tatters and owning nothing except the remote cabin in the woods he inherited when his father died. And Nakita, after waiting all day for Isaiah's return, has married a good man who makes her happy.

Isaiah takes job at the local garage and hears the story of a man killed in hunting accident and later he finds out the dead man is Nakita's husband. When he runs into her months later, they are friendly, but when he wants more Nakita sends him away. It is only when his boss, his father's best friend, suddenly dies that they see each other again and she encourages him to try writing one more time.

But the discovery of the woman's body leads the police to Isaiah's door, because her death is almost a carbon copy of the plot of his first novel, which only sold a few copies, but when it is anonymously sent the the police, they soon arrest him. The trial is mostly a slam-dunk. Isaiah and the woman briefly dated and the discovery of her diary, detailing his temper and many abuses, almost closes the case. But there is one small detail, one thing the actual perpetrator overlooked.

A good read. A good mystery. I enjoyed this first novel and look forward to others by this first-time author.

A prodigal son. A young doctor’s suicide. A community in need of answers.

In the summer of 1973 in the small town of Point Orchards, Oregon, Elijah Leith is finally about to leave behind the constraints of his home town and life in a small cabin with his alcoholic widower father. He will soon start college in San Francisco, where he wants to hone his writing abilities and embark on a career as an author. His one regret is leaving behind Nakita, the beautiful Squalomah girl with whom he has fallen in love this summer who lives on the neighboring Sacred Mountain reservation. Not only does Nakita have one more year of high school to finish, she does not share Elijah’s desire to leave the Point Orchards area behind. Her family and her roots are there, and she knows that she will find a fulfilling life by remaining. Elijah promises that he will return in four years for her….but that doesn’t happen. Elijah doesn’t return for 15 years, 3 years after his father’s death, and then only because his writing career has been a failure. His one published novel sold fewer than 50 copies and was savaged in a review, and he returns to Point Orchards ashamed and with little money. He has inherited his father’s cabin, so at least he has a place to live, and he is able to remember skills learned as a child to live off the land. He ends up working for his father’s best friend Chitto at the local garage as his father had before him…..a job, definitely not a career…..and hopes to rekindle his relationship with Nakita, who was recently widowed in a tragic accident. It’s not the life he had dreamed of pursuing, but it is a life…one that will come crashing down when two fisherman find the body of local doctor Erin Landry, a beautiful woman whom Elijah had dated a few times and who herself has dealt with tragedy. She is hanging from a tree in a remote spot on Elijah’s land, in what at first glance appears to be a suicide but which the local police quickly decide is actually murder made to look like suicide. A murder, as it turns out, whose details match those of a killing in Elijah’s poorly received novel. All evidence points to Elijah being guilty, and the town is quick to agree….he had motive and opportunity, and entries in Erin’s diary point to a volatile relationship turned violent. Elijah swears that he is being framed, but only Nakita and her father believe him…but who would want to frame him? What is the truth, and can it be discovered in time?
Middletide (which is itself the title of Elijah’s novel) is an emotionally powerful tale of lost dreams, broken hearts, and the relationship between people and the lands where they live. Author Sarah Crouch evokes the beauty and challenge of a particular area with love, and has placed there a group of fully developed characters who have experienced great loss, have struggled to find their place in the world, and whose flaws render them vulnerable and very human. Into this story she has woven a mystery with clues that point conclusively in one specific direction, to Elijah’s guilt. Would he or anyone be foolish or arrogant enough to commit a murder that mimics exactly one about which they wrote, or is someone in fact trying to frame him? Is he banking on the authorities and his community believing him too smart to do something so stupid, so that he will get away with murder? The tragedies in Erin Landry’s past, as well as those in Nakita’s, are integral to Elijah’s return to life in Point Orchards, and the reader slowly learns about the paths each took and the intersections between their lives. My attention was grabbed from the opening scene, and the only part of the novel which disappointed me was the courtroom scenes towards the end of the book….I didn’t feel that they rang true, which given the realistic portrayals of all else in the book was perhaps all the more noticeable. This is the author’s debut novel, so perfection is not (or should not be) expected. I very much look forward to reading what Ms Crouch has in store for her readers in the future, and would encourage readers of authors like Erin Young, Sally Hepworth and Cristoffer Carlsson to pick up a copy of Middletide to experience the quality of Ms Crouch’s writing.

Thank you to netgalley for providing me with this arc in exchange for my honest review. Elijah has big dreams to leave his small town for the big city and become an author. He leaves his love Nakita for college and writes his first novel. He promises to return on a certain day but quickly breaks her heart. When his novel fails to launch after publication he comes back to his hometown where he meets the new doctor Erin. After the death of her daughter and divorce she briefly dates Elijah. When her body is found on Elijahs property he is quickly accused of her murder but did he claims innocence. Did he do it? Was he framed? Read it to find out. Four stars

3.5 stars

I loved the unique plot. I didn’t really know what was happening until about 60% in and for me, I enjoyed the guessing game. The writing is good and was a bit of a psychological headache but in a good way. How the author used her own book to then have a story within its own story was very well done.
There were a couple very tense scenes and one romantic moment I died for.
THOUGHTS:
The ending was rushed beyond what I prefer for this type of story. Maybe if we had less descriptions of the mundane, we’d have more time for a steady pace.
I also wished we’d had a bit more time or memories between the couple to give a stronger foundation for the romance.
I was curious through the entire book, but I wasn’t truly hooked to the story until chapter 21 which isn’t a bad thing and purely a ME problem.
OVERALL:
There were some great scenes and a couple twists I wasn't expecting. I understand why some people dislike it and why others are obsessed. I'm in neutral territory with this book. I would recommend it to readers who love a unique mystery with a fresh plot.

Middletide by Sarah crouch relies on atmosphere and character to propel the story. Do not go into this thinking this is a murder mystery/thriller.

A young, beautiful doctor is found dead on the farm of Elijah Leith-a young, aspiring author. Elijah becomes the prime suspect when it becomes clear that the murder was pulled straight from a book Elijah wrote called middletide.

The book cuts back and forth between the start of Elijah’s relationship with a girl from the neighborhood reservation, Nikita -the relationship that develops between him and dr. Erin, and the present day as he tries to hide from the past and rekindle with Nikita.

This isn’t a fast-paced mystery-this is a quiet character study and meditation on grief and regret. The “mystery” doesn’t kick in until almost 2/3rd through the book. Very similar in tone to where the crawdads sing. If you are looking for a slow-burn read , you will love this!

Thanks to the publisher for providing this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

In a small, quiet Washington town a body of a young beautiful doctor is found. Since she is found on Elijah's farm, he becomes the immediate suspect. Through flashbacks we learn more about Elijah, how we got to where he is and his relationship with Erin, the dead doctor. We also learn that the way the doctor was killed, was already described in a book that Elijah wrote. Most of the middle of the story, we learn about Elijah as a teenager and his first love, Nakita, his inspirations to be a big famous author, and what made him return to his hometown.

This would have been so much better, if the 70% of the book was not described in the blurb. And the "mystery" part of the story is the last two chapters, with such a sudden, unearned resolution to Eliah's problem, was a let down.

Thank you NetGalley and Atria books for a free copy of this book.

Wow! What a great debut.
If you liked:
Where the Crawdads Sing,
Go As A River,
The Berry Pickers,
We Begin At the End,
The River We Remember,
Where Butterflies Wander,
The Frozen River,
then I think you will also like this.
It was a quick read with beautiful writing. Not a page turning thriller, but a beautiful story about love and loss.

Thank you so much to Atria and netgalley for the arc of this in exchange for an honest review!

Unfortunately, this book did not grab my attention. I was just a bit bored throughout and I couldn’t connect with anyone or anything.

This book was not for me but I hope others love it!

An incredible book. So well composed to keep you reading, wondering, and hoping for a good ending. It does not disappoint. At the center is Elijah Leith, a defeated novelist back in his home town trying to just live and regain the trust of his long lost love Nakita. Swirling around Elijah is Erin Landry, suicide or murder victim. Elijah is the only suspect in this twisted tale.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This books beautiful cover and wonderful prose took me to misty and old woods of the Pacific Northwest. The writing evoked the feel of an insular community close to fictional reservation land. The pond, the woods, the fishing it all felt very natural and with this book being Sarah Crouch’s debut novel it is clear she has a gift as far as descriptive scene setting prose goes. The thriller itself, slow building and intricate, literary from the start tells the story of the town doctor - beloved and beautiful but now dead (not a spoiler, she is found dead on the first couple of pages) - and the town’s prodigal son Elijah returned from California without actually making it as a writer, living in his homesteading parents old cabin and working at the little garage. It is also a coming of age story and a story of love and loss. But at the end of the book the author tried to veer into legal thriller territory and as a working judge I truly hope that the author will research more if including legal proceedings in her next books (which I will read, I liked it but the legal stuff ….;-)).

Middletide follows Elijah Leith through the years leading up to and following a murder of a local Doctor found on his property. I loved the small town setting and nature elements to the story. I did end up guessing the ending, but I really enjoyed the story leading up to it.

I received an ARC from Atria Books via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

What a great debut! I was sucked into this book from the start. I enjoyed the beginning with Elijah and Nakita, their young love and some background into their lives. This story and the writing remind me a lot of Where the Crawdads Sing. The description of the area Elijah grew up in and returned to makes you feel like you are there. I did feel there were some pacing issues and I felt it slowed down in the middle. The relationship between Elijah and Erin seemed so forced, which we find out why, but when you are reading it, I felt it was played out odd.

I wouldn't really call this book a mystery or thriller. Yes, there was a death and courtroom proceedings but they felt more generalized. I enjoyed the writing but felt that most of the story was not believable.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for an ARC of Middletide by Sarah Crouch for an honest review.

Underdeveloped characters, a predictable mystery, and inconsistent plotting make this short novel a less than satisfying reading experience.

I am a sucker for a small town mystery and this did not disappoint! The book was the definition of atmospheric and fully immersed me. Definitely more literary than thriller, but so well written.

This was a great debut mystery novel and it sucked me in from the very first page. I believe that Sarah Crouch is a fantastic new voice in the mystery genre and I definitely look forward to more novels by her.

This novel followed Elijah Leith from 1973 when leaves the small town he grew up in only to return and then be accused of a horrible murder years later in 1994.

This book sucked me in from the very first page and I couldn’t put it down. The setting really just gave me gloomy vibes and it added to the atmosphere of the novel. The story was so good. It was a mixture of mystery and lost love and getting true justice.

Middletide by Sarah Crouch is a very promising debut—atmospheric, gripping, and intense. In other words, the perfect ingredients for a satisfying read!
I devoured this book. And it did not disappoint.

Thank You NetGalley and Atria Books for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!