3.5 stars.

The biggest issue with the story is that there is a large focus on a fictional indigenous tribe (which already worries me). But then, there is no exploration of Native culture or customs. They are just characters that happen to be Native. It really is not clear to me what purpose this serves or why it is included in the story.

If we ignore the fact that this fact, I enjoyed reading the first ~85% of the novel. But then it goes all Gone Girl -- but it was not subtle or surprising. It was a disappointing end to an otherwise intriguing story.

Considering it is a debut novel, I will be interested to see how her writing evolves.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Elijah Leith returns home to Port Orchard, Washington after spending years in San Francisco chasing his dream of becoming a writer, his tail between his legs, feeling like a failure. He sets about getting his life in order...getting a job and rekindling old friendships in his small hometown. But when the local dr ends up hanging from a tree on his property, Elijah's sweet life begins to crumble.

I have to say I really enjoyed this debut novel by Sarah Crouch. The plot was simple enough, but interesting and kept me reading to find the twist. The characters were likeable, and I found myself rooting for Elijah and Nakita as they navigated rekindling an old love while being true the the loves they had lost. The book is written in split time...before the incident and after. You really have to pay attention to the date on the chapters as you read to follow the story as it's not told in chronological order, but once you get it, it's good.

Recommend!

Doesn't everyone deserve a second chance? Even if you are accused of murder?

This is an amazing debut book from athlete turned author, Sarah Crouch. It's a book within a book, within a suicide made to look like a murder. We first meet Elijah when he returns to his hometown in the Puget Sound after spending many years in San Francisco trying to make it as a writer. He does publish one book, 'Middletide', which is not that well received and has a short publishing run. Upon returning home to Point Orchards, he tries to rekindle the teenage love affair with Nikita, a girl from a neighboring Indian reservation. When this fizzles, he goes on a few dates with the local town doctor, Erin Landry. When Erin's body is found hanging from a tree in the woods near Elijah's house, he becomes the prime suspect in her murder. It doesn't help his case that her death is described in exactly the same way in his book. And someone mailed the sheriff his book and told them to look into Elijah. Thus begins his quest to save his name and new life.
The book then goes back into the past to give us more detail about Elijah's and Nikita's relationship, Elijah's relationship with his alcoholic father, and his desire to escape his small town and move to the big city. There's great character development here as Elijah tries to reinvent himself upon his return by restoring his family cabin and living off the land. There are many sections devoted to nature and the isolation of living alone and hunting and growing your own food. Which is interesting, if you like that kind of thing.
This is a love story, a courtroom drama, an ode to nature and familial relationships. Once Elijah is arrested, Nikita's father, the local preacher, who has a semi-completed law degree, agrees to defend him. This was a bit implausible that it would be legally allowed, but there is so much evidence against him, Elijah appreciates the assistance. Once embroiled in the trial, the focus is on finding the one piece of evidence that can set Elijah free, which is mostly hearsay.

I would say this is a valiant, impressive effort and the writing style and pacing was good. The descriptions of the woods made you feel like you were there with Elijah. Looking forward to seeing more from this newcomer!

A great debut novel! Loved the multiple timelines and atmosphere. Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced copy of this captivating & suspenseful murder mystery!

Middletide is the debut novel by professional marathoner Sarah Crouch. It opens with the discovery of a hung body of a woman in remote woods by a lake, in January 1994. The owner of the land, Elijah Leith, a writer, soon becomes the main suspect.

The novel is told in alternating timelines, as we learn the story of Elijah and ultimately, his involvement with the dead woman. The writing is so compelling, with vivid descriptions placing the reader in the story. While the twist was not a surprise, knowing it was coming in no way detracted from the quality of the story. Overall, it was compelling and different from other thrillers. I hope the author continues her career as a novelist, as I will continue to read her work.

Thanks to NetGalley, the author and Atria Books/ Simon & Schuster for the opportunity to read and review this digital ARC.

I was really excited about this book, and was really let down by the end. I felt like the book was slow and couldn’t connect with the characters at all. The ending was too unbelievable for me. Elijah acted more like an adolescent than a grown man. I’m glad I finished reading it, but it wasn’t what I thought it was going to be.

After high school, Elijah leaves his small town to become a famous writer. His writing career was a flop and his failed book, Middletide, only sold a handful of copies. Elijah gives up on writing and moves back home. He fixes up his family home and restarts his life as a homesteader, living off the land. Elijah mostly keeps to himself and works hard to rebuild his life.

Years later, Elijah is accused of murdering the beloved town doctor. The murder follows the exact storyline of his failed book. Elijah is left having to claim his innocence of the exact crime that he had planned out in his book.

I really enjoyed the murder mystery storyline and the trial. My one complaint is that the pacing felt off. It was a very slow burn through lots of homesteader chapters before I felt like it got to the good stuff.

This book had very strong feelings of where the crawdads sing however this one was slower. Things didn’t pick up that quickly until the last 40 pages or so when the trial started. When Elijah went to the lake looking for evidence that Erin left behind, I wondered if we were seeing his guilt behind actually doing it.

It's been a long while since I've read a murder mystery. This claims to be the next 'where the crawdad sings', And I can see the correlations but it fell short for me. I kept reading but did predict the ending well before hand. The author is an enjoyable writer and I wouldn't be detered if they did write something else, this just wasn't quite for me.

*I received this ARC from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review*

MIDDLETIDE is a slower-paced, character driven mystery set in Point Orchards, Washington where our protagonist Elijah Leith has returned after seeking fame (unsuccessfully) in Cali. as a writer. He settles in at his late father’s cabin, becomes employed at the local garage.. with the remembrance of his first love Nakita never far from his mind. But still reeling from the loss of her husband, Nakita keeps her distance from him. Some time after Dr Erin loses her daughter in a car accident and her husband leaves.. Elijah becomes her patient, they date a few times until he ends it. Then Dr Erin’s body is found on his land, presumably a suicide, but other factors come into play nodding toward homocide. Coincidentally, the only book he did publish called MIDDLETIDE, spoofs her death to a “T.” So of course, Elijah is arrested for her murder with every turn flipped upside-down pointing directly to him as the guilty party. Crouch has an interesting take on the mystery involved, the lingering romance, and in the way it all comes full circle. Is a fantastic, mind-boggling debut that kept me turning pages nonstop. 4.5 stars — Pub. 6/11/24

I received a copy from the publisher through NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

The author prologues the story with the surprising discovery of a body by a secluded lake in the Pacific Northwest. We are then introduced to a small-town sheriff and his young deputy, who are examining the scene. We find out that the deceased is a beautiful and well-respected member of the small town. The story bounces from three different timelines: Present day (the murder) set in 1994, the late 70’s (the love story of Elijah and Nakita, which was disrupted by Elijah following his dream in Seattle), and the late 80’s (when Elijah comes back to town). It is a story within a story if you will. It's about young love and finding one’s way back home. It’s about finding joy in the simplicity of life. It’s about grief and redemption. Part small town murder mystery, part undying and boundless love story, part ode to the beauty of nature and homesteading. This book shows the depths a person will go for one they love. It was a satisfying unfolding for me. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I want to visit the Pacific Northwest. I want to live in a small town. I want to start my own homestead. I do not want to be murdered. All because of the moody, detailed atmosphere.

January 1994 Pacific Northwest - two fishermen come upon a special fishing spot and happen to see a young woman hanging from a tree. This happens to be on the property of Elijah Leith who lives alone and was once involved with this woman.

The story takes us back in time to Elijah life in high school when he was in love with Nakita, ahead in time when Elijah & Nakita were adults and meet again when Elijah returns to the area. The story is told where the reader gets background as well as what is going on in the present.

I have to say this book would not leave my head, even at night after I went to bed, I was thinking about it and speculating as to what really happened. The short chapters, the compelling story, the beautifully descriptive setting, and wondering how this story would end kept me reading!

My thanks to Net Galley and Atria Books for an advanced copy of this e-book.

I tend to read any novel set in the PNW. Middletide held the atmospheric essence of the setting that I watch out for when choosing these thrillers. The author did a great job at transporting readers to the area. Once I was there, the story kept me there with a wonderful mystery.

📚 PRE-PUBLICATION BOOK REVIEW 📚

Middletide By Sarah Crouch
Publication Date: June 11, 2024
Publisher: Atria Books

📚MY RATING: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

📚MY REVIEW:

I will admit, I didn't really know what to expect with this book. I knew it was a debut novel and the synopsis from BOTM piqued my interest enough to select this as one of my May selections. Then I saw the book available on NetGalley as an ARC, so I requested it while waiting for my #bluebox to arrive...And now, I'm so grateful to have a physical copy of this book, because I had no idea how much I was going to love it and how much I'd want to recommend it to everyone I know!

This was a character-driven story -- I would call it more of a mystery than a thriller -- that was just phenomenal! The writing in this book was superb and the layering of the storylines was so well-done. The depth within which Crouch developed the main characters was brilliantly captivating, leaving the reader with a feeling that you knew these people in real life. The book is part small-town life, part love story, part prodigal son returns, part mystery. There's something almost nostalgic in the way the mystery within this story unfolds, reminding me of old episodes of Murder She Wrote or Perry Mason, with its sneaky whodunnit style of figuring out what really happened.

I initially struggled with the way each chapter went back and forth between dates and years (sometimes decades), and I found myself having to flip back and forth between chapters to figure out which time period I was in. The more I read though, the easier it became to keep it straight.

I became so invested in the storyline and wanting to figure out what actually happened, I couldn't stop thinking about it and binged the book as fast as possible. This was not a heart-pounding creepy thriller filled with jump scares. It was a more intelligent novel -- a captivating whodunnit mystery with so many memorable characters in a charming small town, you almost forgot you were reading a whodunnit mystery. A brilliantly enjoyable debut novel from Sarah Crouch, who is now an author I'll be watching for a long time to come. ❤️

Thank you to BOTM for always introducing me to books and authors I'd otherwise likely never discover...And a big thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for this advanced reader's copy in exchange for my honest review!

#Middletide #SarahCrouch #NetGalley #ARC #fivestarreads #debutthrillers #bookstoread #bookreviews #bookrecommendations #thrilleraddict #booklover

I was excited about this one, as I had seen it on social media quite a bit. I’m approximately 20% through the book and I’ve decided to DNF because I’m bored. Unfortunately, this book is not for me. While I love detailed descriptions, I feel as though that’s all I’ve read so far- nothing has happened.

As soon as I saw perfect for Crawdad fan’s I wanted to try this out! I can see the comparisons; the vibes (setting) are the same. Can see people really enjoying this

2 stars. I had high hopes for this one. Unfortunately, the writing makes it hard to stay engaged- it is very verbose and overly descriptive. I couldn’t wait for it to be over. The last 1/3 of the book was the best part of it but it could’ve easily been a lot shorter.

Sarah Crouch's debut novel, *Middletide*, is a masterful blend of suspense, atmosphere, and emotional depth that grips readers from the very first page. Set in the hauntingly beautiful Puget Sound town of Point Orchards, the story unravels the mysterious death of Dr. Erin Landry, weaving a complex tapestry of intrigue, betrayal, and the enduring power of love.

The novel opens with a chilling scene: the body of the beloved Dr. Erin Landry is discovered hanging from a tree on the property of Elijah Leith, a failed writer who has recently returned to his hometown. Sheriff Jim Godbout’s initial assessment of suicide is quickly overshadowed by suspicions of foul play, especially when eerie parallels between the circumstances of Erin's death and the plot of Elijah's novel come to light.

Elijah, a character marked by his failures and haunted by his past, becomes the prime suspect. Crouch deftly portrays his struggle, not only with the accusations but also with his personal demons. His return to Point Orchards is a journey of seeking redemption and reconnection, particularly with Nakita, a remarkable woman from the nearby reservation who embodies both his deepest regret and his hope for forgiveness.

Crouch’s writing is richly atmospheric, capturing the eerie beauty of the Pacific Northwest and the claustrophobic tension of a small town quick to judge. The town of Point Orchards is vividly brought to life, its inhabitants drawn with a keen eye for human complexity. The narrative is propelled by a series of twists and turns that keep readers guessing, as Elijah’s quest to clear his name leads him into a web of deceit and long-buried secrets.

The novel excels in its character development. Elijah is a deeply flawed yet sympathetic protagonist, whose inner turmoil and determination are portrayed with sensitivity and nuance. Nakita’s character is equally compelling, her strength and resilience providing a poignant counterpoint to Elijah’s struggles. The relationship between them is beautifully explored, adding emotional weight to the suspenseful plot.

Sheriff Jim Godbout also deserves mention as a character who adds depth to the investigative thread of the story. His methodical approach and growing doubts about the easy conclusions reflect a more profound commentary on the nature of justice and truth in a close-knit community.

*Middletide* is not just a thriller; it is a profound exploration of human emotions and relationships. The themes of love, loss, and revenge are interwoven with a keen understanding of the human condition. Crouch's prose is both lyrical and gripping, making this a book that is hard to put down and even harder to forget.

Fans of *All Good People Here* and *Where the Crawdads Sing* will find much to admire in *Middletide*. It stands as a testament to Sarah Crouch's storytelling prowess, promising an exciting future for this talented new author. In *Middletide*, Crouch has crafted a haunting and memorable tale that lingers long after the final page is turned.

It appears I am in the minority on this one. I enjoyed the authors writing style but felt the story was dragging throughout the middle of the story. Overall I was just not pulled in like I would have liked.

Loved this exciting book. Filled with all my favorites , young love, murder, twists, and a small town procedural. I was guessing until the very end, trying to hunt down the truth for myself. Definitely a great one!