The mood was atmospheric and it reminded me of Where the Crawdads Sing. But the plot was slow and the ending felt rushed and slightly inconclusive ? I kept waiting for the actual ending and was surprised when it was over. It did keep me intrigued enough to finish but there wasn’t much to it.

I received an advance review copy for free from the publisher via Netgalley and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Really awesome book. Loved the setting. It gave the book an eerie and creepy feel to it. Well written.

I enjoyed this book so much! The plot was very intriguing. There is a small town atmosphere, a death, mystery, and lots of suspense.

Thank you NetGalley for this advanced copy of Middletide. I really enjoyed this story. It was definitely more of a slower moving mystery but it was great. My only negative feedback would be the timelines were a bit much. I found myself going back and forth make to make sure what time frame I was in. But overall a really good book. I will read more from Sarah Crouch for sure. 3 1/2 stars for me.

thanks again.

I enjoyed the premise of this novel and the hunt for the killer. It is just a bit slow in spots and it is a bit long. All in all a good read.

This book catches your attention right away with a death/potential murder at the very beginning. This is a slow burn mystery that creates a great sense of place. Overall, I had a hard time feeling connected to the story. The young love, second chance romance, and mystery didn't quite keep me invested and then it felt like a rushed wrap up at the end.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for the gifted e-ARC.

Middletide was a mystery novel that will have you captivated from the first page and have you turning pages until the end. This one was well written and all of the characters in this were great. I look forward to reading other books from the author. The book is one where I enjoyed the scenery and I loved that it took place in a small town. Overall, this is one that I highly enjoyed and would recommend to any reader who loves mystery. Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for this read in exchange of my honest review of Middletide by Sarah Crouch.

On a rainy morning in Point Orchards, a tiny town in the Pacific Northwest, the body of the town doctor, Erin Landry, is found hanging from a tree in a quiet inlet. Although it seems to be a suicide, suspicion grows as police realize the only way to access the tree is through the property of Elijah Leith, a recluse and failed writer just recently returned to town to restore his family's old cabin. The scene seems to be a bit too staged, and as they dig further, investigators notice the death seems to be taken straight from the pages of Elijah's novel. As the town turns against him, Elijah is forced to fight for his innocence and prove he is being framed.

I absolutely loved the setting in this book (I am obsessed with almost anything set in the Pacific Northwest). I found the pacing of the novel lovely, and enjoyed the snapshots and interweaving of Elijah's love for a local girl living on the reservation. The chapters were short and easy to get through, and I especially liked the ones focusing on the police investigation. However, I did find the plot to lose steam as the book went on, and I have to admit I wasn't as invested in the characters at the end. Elijah could be quite unlikeable at times, which really put me off. Nonetheless, this is a beautiful literary thriller I would recommend to anyone with an interest in crime procedurals.

I'm having "Where the Crawdads Sing" vibes with this one. I just didn't feel as though it gave "enough" to make this book its own.

Sarah Crouch’s Middletide is a haunting and suspenseful debut that perfectly blends mystery, literary fiction, and psychological drama. Set in the brooding coastal town of Point Orchards, the novel follows failed writer Elijah Leith, who returns home only to become the prime suspect in the apparent suicide—or possible murder—of Dr. Erin Landry. When eerie parallels between her death and his own writing emerge, the lines between guilt and innocence blur, and Elijah must unravel a dark web of secrets before it’s too late.

Crouch’s writing is richly atmospheric, painting Point Orchards as both beautiful and claustrophobic, a town where whispers travel fast and grudges last forever. The novel’s tension builds slowly, balancing Elijah’s personal reckoning with the deepening mystery of Erin’s death. The romantic thread with Nakita adds emotional weight, giving the story a layered exploration of love, betrayal, and redemption.

While the novel’s pacing lags slightly in the middle, the sharp prose and well-crafted suspense keep the reader engaged. The final twists are satisfying and unexpected, making for a compelling conclusion.

Middletide is a great mystery suspense book. It keeps you guessing throughout the book and it has different timeframes for each chapter so you have to pay attention to that. It is a story about friendships, family, love, loss, grief, and forgiveness. Elijah, Nakita and Dr. Erin Landry are the main characters. Elijah and Nikita are friends growing up and they fall in love. It is about a Murder in the small town of Point Orchards and Elijah is the main suspect. Is Elijah really a murderer? Thank you to Netgalley and Atria Books for giving me the opportunity to receive a complimentary ARC of this book to read and review. All opinions are my own.

I received an advance copy of Middletide by Sarah Crouch from NetGalley, and I thoroughly enjoyed her debut novel. The story follows a fictional Indigenous tribe in the Pacific Northwest, and Crouch’s rich, immersive writing beautifully brings both the characters and the stunning natural setting to life. The slow-burn mystery, centered around solving a murder, kept me captivated, while the lyrical prose made every page a pleasure to read. Surprisingly, this was a quick read for me, as I found myself eager to unravel the mystery. Middletide is a compelling debut that left me excited to see what Crouch writes next.

I loved, loved, loved this book. Very well written and the main characters we like able. Will be reading more from this author in the future.

I enjoyed reading this atmospheric debut by Elijah was a mixed bag. It was an interesting story if not wholly believable. I would read more by this author.

This was a really enjoyable story that struck a great balance between being engaging and easy to follow. The plot had just the right amount of twists and turns to keep me on my toes without becoming overly complicated or hard to follow. Each surprise felt intentional and well-placed, adding layers to the narrative while still keeping the overall story grounded. While the plot kept me engaged, it was the characters that truly made this book memorable. I appreciated how the author created a world that was both entertaining and thoughtful, with just enough unpredictability to make it exciting without feeling overwhelming.

Overall, it was a solid read—perfect for when you want something intriguing but not overly complex. I’d definitely pick up another book featuring these characters!

I’ll give this a SOLID 3.5⭐️ I want to round this up to 4 but I’m just not sure yet. It was extremely character-driven and read more like contemporary fiction that mystery but the mysterious elements were definitely there. This is one that has to sit with me for a while. It started out as creepy as I expected but fell a little flat in the middle. It picked up later on and I was ultimately satisfied with the ending.

Elijah Leith left home with dreams of writing the next big novel. Now at thirty-three years old, Elijah comes back home after his novel, Middletide failed to sell after a bad review. Elijah now spends his time cleaning the old cabin his father left him and trying to rekindle the relationship with the woman he left behind. When the body of Dr. Erin Landry is found hanging from a tree on Elijah's property, the initial cause is believed to be suicide, but the Sheriff soon finds evidence of foul play. When someone sends the sheriff a copy of Middletide, the sheriff quickly finds similarities of the doctor's death and Elijah's story. With a community turning against him, Elijah must quickly prove his innocence.

This was a different mystery than I am used too, and I feel like I need to read this book a second time to fully understand the story. There are so many changes of timelines that occur, that it took me a while to piece together the mystery. I enjoyed the overall concept of this book and the slow beginning that gradually picks up the pace and although the ending was slightly predictable, I did enjoy the conclusion. This is book that I plan to keep and read again in the future.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria books for the opportunity to review Middletide. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Middletide was a good book. It had good twists but still felt predictable. It was easy to read and follow. I enjoyed it, and I would recommend to for others to read.

In this gripping debut, a small town is rocked by the suspicious death of Dr. Erin Landry, with all clues pointing to reclusive failed writer Elijah Leith. As the town turns against him, Elijah must prove his innocence before it’s too late.

Elijah returns to his childhood home in Point Orchards, Washington, after his writing career collapses, only to find himself at the center of a murder investigation. When Erin Landry is found hanging from a tree on his property, the police suspect suicide—until eerie similarities to Elijah’s own novel emerge. As the investigation deepens, secrets unravel, forcing Elijah to confront past betrayals and an unexpected enemy intent on framing him.

Crouch’s writing shines with lush descriptions and a strong sense of place. The novel’s alternating timelines between Elijah’s teenage romance with Nakita and the present-day murder investigation create a layered, character-driven mystery. While some narrative shifts slow the pacing, the final act delivers a satisfying and well-executed twist.

For readers who enjoy atmospheric thrillers with complex characters, Middletide is an engaging debut with an intriguing premise. Though not flawless, it’s an impressive start for Crouch, and I look forward to seeing what she writes next. 4 stars.

Sarah Crouch's debut novel, Middletide, is a haunting and atmospheric thriller that delves deep into the tangled emotions of love, betrayal, and suspicion. Set in the small, close-knit town of Point Orchards, the story unfolds with the mysterious death of Dr. Erin Landry, a young doctor whose body is found hanging from a tree on the property of Elijah Leith, a reclusive figure with a dark past.

Elijah, a failed writer who returned to his hometown seeking redemption, finds himself thrust into the heart of the investigation. Though Sheriff Jim Godbout initially believes it to be a suicide, eerie clues suggest that the circumstances mirror the plot of Elijah’s own abandoned novel. As the town turns against him, Elijah’s struggle to prove his innocence is complicated by his rekindled relationship with Nakita, a girl he left behind long ago, and the mounting tensions of a community that has long held its secrets.

middletide captures the claustrophobic tension of a small town where everyone knows everyone else's business, and the thin line between love and revenge is razor-sharp. The novel’s evocative descriptions of the Puget Sound setting provide an ominous backdrop that amplifies the suspense and disquiet surrounding the town’s unraveling mystery. Crouch expertly blends elements of literary fiction with a gripping thriller, making Middletide a compelling read for fans of All Good People Here and Where the Crawdads Sing.

With intricate character development and a plot that twists and turns at every corner, Middletide is a debut that promises to keep readers on the edge of their seats long after they’ve turned the final page.