I was excited about the premise of this book, but was disappointed in the execution overall. The voice was boring for me and the pacing felt too slow to keep my engagement.

There were a number of things I liked about Middletide. The writing is evocative, especially in terms of its description of the landscape and of day-to-day life, especially homesteading. I found many of the characters appealing, especially in terms of how relationships lost can drive an individual to both noble and devious actions. I also thought the entire conceit of the novel was interesting and the how-did-this-happen aspect of the plot kept me engaged. The major flaw of the book, in my mind, was pacing. The mystery was "slow burn" in terms of its unfolding, and I liked that. However, the resolution (i.e., "solution" of the mystery and courtroom happenings) were incredibly rushed (and hampered by a few too many sudden "ah ha" moments). I was also puzzled a bit by the tribal aspects of the novel, as they felt invented and were largely irrelevant to the plot. In spite of these flaws, the book kept me turning the pages.

I thought this was really well done. I was engrossed in the story from the beginning. Very good. One of those books that I actively picture in my head as I am reading.

i’ll be honest, this book was hard to get through. it’s a decent debut. it’s got at least one fully rounded character, some very detailed backstory, and more atmosphere than you’ll know what to do with. if you’re a fan of “where the crawdads sing,” then you’ll be pleased to know that this book is its fraternal twin. but be absolutely clear – this is literary fiction with a strong romance element and a “mystery” to solve. i say it that way, because if you’re a regular reader of the thriller/mystery/crime genre (or at all paying attention), the setup, reveal, and resolution are all pretty obvious from a very early point. does that make the book bad? absolutely not. i’m a firm believer in the journey being the worthier part of the experience, but because of the way this book was marketed to me (gripping, thriller, crime fiction, the cherry-picked description on the back), i kept waiting for *something* to happen and felt exponentially disappointed every time i flipped the page. sure, a crime happens, but i really didn’t think that there was enough time spent on making that a focus rather than a hurdle to clear in the last 20% of the book.

i’ll read anything. i don’t constrain myself to genre. but misaligned expectations can really disrupt my enjoyment of a book i might have otherwise really liked. is it a lot of different genres? cool, say that. should you go in with no expectations at all? also fine, just say that! writing a book is a herculean feat, so dishonest marketing really irks me – all that hard work pushed aside for one marketer’s weird choices. i think this author is a good writer who has plenty more up her sleeve and is going to only improve her craft with time. i would have just preferred that the people involved with this one had more faith selling this novel as what it was rather than what they wish it would be.

thanks to atria books for the digital copy of this book on netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was a great thriller. It reminded me a little of gone girl, but it was still really good. I guessed a few things that happened, but it was still really good. I have this a 4 stars. Thank you NetGalley for the early release copy.

This story pulled me in from the beginning! I did not realize this was Sarah Crouch's debut novel until I was about halfway through and looked up the book as I tend to go into books mostly blind.

Her writing style was incredibly easy to read (in a good way) and descriptive enough to allow the reader to visualize the environment and characters throughout the entire story. I sometimes struggle with stories that jump back and forth from past to present but felt as though Sarah did a great job of tying the chapters together so the flow of switching timeframes was seamless and easy to follow.

The plot of this book was a mix of mystery, thriller and a whodunit murder that had me trying to guess the ending throughout and telling myself "It can't go this way, it's too obvious" while my views of the characters shifted with each page. The conclusion was not exactly what I was expecting but felt a bit rushed or unrealistic.

The timeline of the trial and how the entire trial played out did not seem super realistic as a murder investigation takes months if not years in the real world. The justice system doesn't operate that quickly. However, as this book takes place in a small town in the past, perhaps that was more realistic for that time period.

All in all, I did not feel like I was reading a debut novel of an author and was very impressed with Sarah's writing throughout. I look forward to seeing what she will come up with in the future!

This was such a good read from start to finish. It was smart and atmospheric and the characters were well developed.

Solid one-sitting read - I had heard lots about it on Bookstagram so I was excited to check it out on a plane ride this morning.

At first all of the timelines seemed confusing but the deeper I got into it, the more engrossed I became in the story. I knew what happened, I.e., the bad guy - but couldn’t for the life of me figure out why. I felt like the reasoning was a little weak but also given the situation of that person, I imagine people might do anything.

I absolutely loved this. Eveytime a chapter ended I found myself saying okay one more because I just needed to know what was going to happen next

My jaw dropped when everything started to piece together

If you like Where the Crawdads Sing, you'll enjoy this one
♡

I received this book for free from netgalley in return for my honest opinion.

This book was so good and I couldn’t put it down.

Dr. Erin Landry is found hung from a tree on a private property. She’s the small town doctor in town and she’s found on the property of a prodigal son and a failed writer.

Elijah is back in time after being gone for a long time and now everyone is wondering what really happened to Erin. It looks like a suicide but some things are very suspicious considering where she was found.

Middletide - Sarah Crouch

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

"There's no such thing as a perfect murder."

Point Orchards, Pugent Sound

Elijah Leith returns to his childhood cabin after a failed writing career in hopes to reunite with his high school sweetheart. But what he finds instead is an up and down ride that ends with his arrest for the murder of the town doctor.

Thanks to Atria Books and NetGalley for the ARC! This mystery was a mix of “Where the Crawdads Sing” and “To Kill a Mockingbird” vibes. The writing wasn’t super inspiring but the story captivated me more than I expected when I had started the first few chapters. One thing that drove me crazy was the small town police stations portrayal. It was such a joke that I hope isn’t accurate in the real world as they were really just hanging with the murder trial suspect and giving him access to evidence. Overall, I really enjoyed this murder mystery, even though Elijah drove me mad at times.

This multi-genre tale of a small town prodigal son is fast read. I enjoy the moody setting and the dual timelines. However, the ending was a bit too tidy for my taste.

Middletide is the whole package - a beautifully written murder mystery interwoven with a love story that's hard to put down!

It took me a while to finish this book - it wasn’t bad or anything, just took me a bit to get into it. This is one of the May BOTM but I was able to get it on NetGalley as an ARC - so thanks to them!

I thought it did fairly well in flipping from past to present and from different storytelling perspectives. I just don’t think anything was truly *fantastic* about this book. I thought the ending was super obvious and I could have done with one more good twist. I honestly kind of want to give it the same critic that Elijah’s book in Middletide got - it just didn’t really seem to be a feasible murder-suicide plot.

Again- I don’t think this was a bad book, just in my opinion didn’t live up to how good BOTM usually are.

Middletide, Sara Crouch’s debut novel, starts with two fishermen finding the body of Erin, the small town’s well-liked, beautiful, young doctor who died from an apparent suicide. She was found on Elijah’s property, with her suicide looking exactly like the book Elijah wrote, and he quickly becomes the main suspect.

I loved the moody atmosphere of this book and the multiple timelines, especially for the nostalgic feelings of the 90’s. This book is also about nature, love, grief, failure, and revenge. The characters seemed one dimensional and the ending felt rushed but overall I really enjoyed this novel. I look foward to reading what Sara Crouch comes out with next!

Thank you Netgally and Atria books for the ARC of Middletide.

Overall, I really enjoyed this! I had a hard time deciding my May book of the month between Middletide and The Return of Ellie Black. I chose the latter, and I was super happy to get this book. I have slight complaint. I felt that some of the characters (Chitto, Jim, and Jeremy) were a little cliche, but at the same time, I liked them and enjoyed reading about them.

Elijah, the main character, wasn't 100% likable, but I felt like you were supposed to feel that way about him. He was kind of a jerk to his father and Nakita. Nakita was probably my favorite character. She was well developed, and her story was very interesting. I also liked Erin a lot. The women were definitely the best developed characters.

I thought I had figured out the killer, but boy, was I wrong! Sometimes, to me, plot twists and turns can go a little too far, this one did not. It was an easy, quick read. I finished it in about a week. If you are a mystery fan, this would be a great beach read. I thought it was great for a debut author. If Sarah Crouch wrote another book, I'd most likely buy it. Middletide was a fun read. If you're looking for something that's going to shake your soul, this isn't it. But, if you're looking for an entertaining book, especially if you're a mystery fan, I'd check this out.

Slow start, but this debut did pick up after about halfway point. It had good reviews so I took my time and did decided to finish it (even after a slow start) and I am happy that I did. Thank you netgalley for this arc in exchange for my honest opinion.

The author’s ability to describe the Pacific Northwest setting was what really made this book immersive. I have to admit I didn’t find the main character Elijah to be very interesting, but I loved reading about his cabin and homesteading activities. Overall this was a quick, enjoyable read.

I picked this up on a whim when I wanted something quick to read over the holiday weekend. Alternating between print and audio, Middletide was surprisingly entertaining and not completely what I expected. It's more of a mystery than a thriller (maybe my interpretation of its marketing was wrong) which I found to be propulsive and oddly cozy. The setting was reminiscent of Virgin River, as were some of the characters. The relationships were more of a focus than I anticipated, which ended up being one of the aspects I appreciated the most. Two small quibbles: It was hard to keep track of the timeline and characters at first, but eventually I settled into it; and the indigenous community is one the author made up, and from my understanding she doesn't have any personal experience with being a part of an indigenous culture, which gives me pause. I'd like to find read thoughts from own voices reviewers to see if how she managed that seemed respectful.

Middletide is a satisfying slow burn debut which is heavy on atmosphere, loss, grief, and mystery. Slow burns usually don't work for me, and there were times in the beginning I wanted to give the pace a gentle push along, but the later part of the book made up for slow beginning.

Two fishermen find the body of their town doctor, Dr. Erin Landry hanging from a tree on the land of Elijah Leith. Elijah had big plans of being a famous author when he left town after a relationship with Nakita, who lives on a nearby reservation. He returned home in shame after his father's death and tries to keep a low profile while living in his parents’ cabin. Living off the land, he hopes to rekindle his relationship with Nakita, who is experiencing her own grief. Natika and Elijah aren't the only characters experiencing grief in this book. Dr. Erin Landry recently lost her daughter in a car accident.

Loss and grief are dripping off the pages in Middletide.

This book becomes a mystery as an investigation ensues to determine if the doctor's death was a suicide or murder. When investigators learn that her death mirrors a homicide in Elijah's poorly selling book, eyes turn to him.

As things begin to unfold, I became more and more invested in the plot. It snuck up on me and I enjoyed the mounting sense of dread and tension. I wanted answers as to what led to Dr. Erin's death. The book is told through past and present timelines. Readers are given glimpses into Elijah's and Nakita's young lives and love. Then we see them years later, after they have both experienced many life experiences. I enjoyed this touch.

The mystery and relationships in this book were intriguing and I thought the author did a great job depicting loss.

Overall, this was a satisfying debut novel and I do look forward to reading more of what Sarah Crouch writes in the future.

Atmospheric, well thought out, and mysterious.