Highly enjoyed this suspenseful thriller!

Told from the perspective of 13-year-old Bly, she and mom Gus are on a quest to discover what happened to Howard, Gus’s long term partner who disappeared 3 years ago. With very few answers they go back to Picton, the place he disappeared, to attend a celebration of life Howard’s parents are holding for him. Gus refuses to believe that he is gone, and she and Bly start following every single clue and lead they can in order to get answers.

Reading from Bly’s perspective was so great, and I think it gave this book something a little different than other fast-paced thrillers have. I also love how the pieces in this book come together like a puzzle, but the ending is still surprising.

I listened to the audiobook of this, which I highly recommend. If you’re a thriller reader, this one is absolutely worth picking up!

I was thinking the bad ‘guys’ were someone else. The author definitely gets that in your head from the beginning. I did figure somethings out. Good read overall.

In Buried Road, Katie Tallo delivers a moody, character-driven thriller that blends small-town secrets with a powerful mother-daughter bond. The story follows thirteen-year-old Bly Monet and her mother, Gus, who have spent years in quiet survival mode after a man named Howard vanished from their lives. When his obituary appears in the paperit sets off a chain of events that forces them both to confront long-buried truths. Their quest for answers leads them into a dangerous spiral of hidden loyalties, criminal undercurrents, and family trauma that neither of them are prepared for.

While technically part of a series, Buried Road stands strongly on its own. I didn’t read the previous book and didn’t feel like I was missing any crucial backstory, though I imagine returning readers will enjoy the added context and this book does spoil the first one soooo.

The standout here is the relationship between Gus and Bly. It’s raw, realistic, and at times uncomfortable but always compelling. Tallo takes her time establishing their dynamic, and while that slower start may frustrate thriller fans looking for immediate suspense, it pays off emotionally in the end. Watching their bond evolve as the danger closes in gave this book more depth than your typical procedural.

The narrative voice, told through Bly’s eyes, is an absolute gem. She’s observant, sharp, and full of emotional nuance. Her perspective brings an honesty and intensity that grounds the more outrageous plot twists. Tallo nails that tricky balance between adolescent vulnerability and hard-earned wisdom. Definitely one of my more favorite juvenile character narrations.

The pacing overall is a bit uneven. The first third leans heavily into character development and atmosphere, while the second half accelerates into full-blown thriller mode. Once the antagonist is revealed and the pieces start falling into place, it becomes truly gripping.


Buried Road is less about cheap thrills and more about how deeply trauma and love can intertwine. If you’re in the mood for something dark, thoughtful, and a little off the beaten path of traditional thrillers, this one’s worth your time

Buried Road is out now. Huge thank you to Harper for my advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinion. If you liked this review please let me know either by commenting below or by visiting my Instagram @speakingof.books.
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DNF- I had a hard time getting into the story and finding a connection to the characters. This cause me to start skimming through the rest of the storyline.

The premise of this book really interested me. I attempted to read it several times and it wasnt for me, unfortunately.

Thank you so much to Netgalley for giving me the wonderful chance to read this book!

Exactly what i expected and also so much more! I was not expecting the twists and turns. It is really well done. Highly recommend yall to check it out! What a ride.

I did not realize initially going into this that it was a part of a series but the first books are necessarily needed to understand what is going on. The twists and turns were perfect for those just beginning their thriller journey but as someone who likes to be bamboozled a little more this one fell flat while still being entertaining. I would definitely recommend it to other readers who are looking for a mystery they can help solve along the way.

Lock all the doors and windows and then settle in for an all-night read. This book is so dark and scary, this is a must-read that you won't want to put down.

One may think a book about a man missing for 3 years would have a slowly moving plot, where not much of anything is happening. Tallo definitely defies this expectation with twists and turns at every page. I had no idea of which way the story was going to go; I was constantly surprised until the very end.

I'll admit that it took me a bit to get into the book but it quickly picks up from there. While some of the plot may seem a little out there, it never goes over the top. I've actually heard less complicated true crime stories than this, so it's definitely not outside the realm of possibility. The second half of the book is a wild ride and many of the characters not who they appear to be when they are first introduced.

Tallo does an excellent job writing the story so that as Gus and Bly figure out clues, we the reader arrive at the conclusion at the same time. I never felt like I knew more or less than them, but more like I was investigating right along with them.

This is the first book I've read by Katie Tallo, and I'll be adding her other books to my TBR.

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley.

Buried Road is a thrilling, emotionally charged novel that expertly blends suspense with deep emotional undertones. The story is one of heartache, mystery, and fierce determination, centered around the mysterious disappearance of Gus’s partner, Howard, who was last seen on a camping trip years ago. When his obituary appears three years later, it reignites the painful memories and unanswered questions surrounding his disappearance, propelling Gus and Bly on a harrowing journey back to Prince Edward County, the last place Howard was seen.

The narrative is skillfully told through the perspective of Bly, whose voice brings both innocence and surprising wisdom to the story. Her reflections on her mother’s grief and her own experience of loss are poignant, and as a young girl, her involvement in the mystery feels both believable and compelling. The close mother-daughter dynamic adds emotional depth to the plot, making their actions and the dangers they face all the more gripping.

What truly elevates Buried Road is its atmosphere. The author masterfully creates an eerie, small-town setting, rich with abandoned places, dark secrets, and unsettling imagery. The tension in the narrative builds steadily, and as Gus and Bly uncover hidden clues in Howard’s abandoned camper, the plot accelerates to a pulse-pounding, edge-of-your-seat climax. The slow unraveling of the mystery surrounding Howard’s story, his death, and the forces that wanted him silenced, keeps the reader guessing until the very end.

The finale is nothing short of shocking, delivering a heart-stopping conclusion that lingers long after the last page is turned. What starts as a cold case investigation slowly transforms into a life-or-death pursuit of truth, and the mother-daughter duo’s resolve is both reckless and inspiring. Their relentless drive to uncover the truth and the sacrifices they make in the process are at the heart of the book’s emotional weight.

In terms of pacing, the novel strikes a fine balance between tension-filled action and emotional depth. The stakes are high, and the author doesn’t shy away from depicting the perilous consequences of Gus and Bly’s decisions. Buried Road isn’t just a thriller—it’s a poignant exploration of grief, love, and the lengths people will go to for the truth.

If you're a fan of thrillers with deeply human elements and a story that lingers in your mind, Buried Road is a must-read. The compelling voice of Bly, the atmospheric setting, and the relentless pursuit of justice make this an unforgettable page-turner.

I love a good, fast paced thriller, and this one did it for me! I didn't realize this was book three in a series, I wish I would have caught that before I read it. I enjoyed the mom daughter duo, and will go back and read book one and two!

I loved this writing style and the suspense to this book. Would enjoy more books by Katie Tallo. Quite literally would forget everything i was doing while reading this book. It is definitely bingeable. I wish I had read her prior books before reading this one though.

🚍Book Review:
Title: Buried Road
Author: Katie Tallo
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️/3 stars

It took a bit for me to really get engaged in this book. It's fairly slow for the first half, but it does turn itself around in the second half. The twist and the ending were really good!

Howard Baylis goes missing while writing a story on what is to be believed about birds. But what he was hunting down was much more dangerous and sinister. His partner, "Gus," Augusta Monet, and her daughter Bly are awaiting the return of Howard on a camping trip to realize he is not coming back. But he left clues in the event of something potentially going awry.

Three years later, Gus sees an obituary in the newspaper for Howard. He has yet to be found. Questioning why his parents have declared him dead, Gus and Bly return to Prince Edward County for answers. Their camper van has been found, but no Howard. Not wanting to believe he's truly gone, Gus and Bly set out to find Howard or at least the truth of his disappearance. But somebody or someone's are not going to just let that happen because finding Howard means finding some dark, shady secrets. Just follow the clues......

Published: December 3rd, 2023

Thank you, @netgalley and @harperperennial, for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!

3.5 stars
This was an interesting story where a mom and daughter are looking for her step dad. Chasing down sources to find him and hopefully bring him home safely.

I'd give Buried Road a solid 4 stars. This compelling small-town mystery (which is one of my absolute favorite genre) centers on Gus and Bly, a mother-daughter team on a quest to find Howard, Gus's missing fiancé. Howard, an investigative journalist, vanished three years prior while pursuing a dangerous story poised to expose hidden truths. When his abandoned camper reappears, filled with cryptic clues, Gus and Bly return to the town to uncover the secrets surrounding Howard's disappearance, his unfinished investigation, and the enigmatic townspeople.

The story's intricate twists and turns kept me on my toes and guessing, and the final revelation was not expected. The book delivered, for me, an enjoyable atmospheric and suspenseful mystery experience.

2.75-3 stars

Buried Road by Katie Tallo tells the story of thirteen year-old Bly and her mother Gus (Augusta), who head out to find Howard, Gus's partner and Bly's father figure, who has been missing for three years. His camper has recently been found and there are clues as to what happened all those years ago. As Gus and Bly head off to Prince Edward County to see where Howard and his camper were found, they come across new evidence that the police investigators missed in their original search for clues. This book is the third in a series, but can be read as a stand alone. It is entirely told from the POV of thirteen year-old Bly. There are a lot of characters to keep track of, but the author did a good job of tying up all the characters storylines. There is also a lot of profanity (if you are opposed to that). I did feel like mother, Gus, was quite unlikeable. She is bitter and shows little concern for her thirteen year-old daughter's safety, putting her in situations that one would never want a young teen to be in. I did appreciate that the title Buried Road was explained by our narrator. I thought this book read mostly like a YA and having read it not knowing before that it was the third in a series, I don't know that I am that invested to go back and read the other two. But I would recommend this book to anyone who likes a book with a YA feel (but with lots of swearing) and a slight mystery.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest thoughts.

To be honest, I requested this book largely because the cover is gorgeous. I was not aware that it is part of a series, but I didn't feel like I was missing anything so I think it's a great stand alone. It was fast paced, kept my attention. I thought it had decent twists, and I didn't anticipate the ending at all (I still don't know how I feel about it though...). Overall, the book was good enough that I'll likely check out the ones before it in the series.

Solid three stars. This book was good. I didn’t realize it was part of a series, but I didn’t feel lost having not read the first two books. Everything wrapped up well in the end, I just found the middle starting to go on a bit too long and lacking some suspense.

Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free, electronic copy of this novel received in exchange for an honest review.
Three years ago, Augusta Monet’s partner, Howard, disappeared without a trace while investigating a news story. Everyone, even Howard’s parents, had given up hope that Howard would be found. But Gus and her preteen daughter, Bly, struggle for closure and won’t give up hope that Howard will be found alive. When Howard’s parents decide to finally hold a funeral for their son, even though a body was never recovered, Gus and Bly find themselves returning to the small town where Howard went missing. While there, Gus realizes it is the perfect oppourtunity to investigate what really happened to Howard all those years ago. But the truth is far more dangerous than Gus could’ve expected, putting both her and Bly’s life in danger.
Katie Tallo, author of “Poison Lillies”, is a Canadian born writer, and she brings the small community in Prince Edward County to the pages with her new novel, “Buried Road”.
Twelve-year-old Bly is the narrator for “Road”, as she is thrust into her mother’s investigation, just as desperate for answers to find the only father she has ever known. The naive protagonist is charming and thoughtful but she is also old enough to be observant and brave. It is easy to read Bly’s story and somehow forget that she is a young girl but also to be absurdly aware of her age at the same time. Tallo has created a powerful mother-daughter relationship built on trust and love, making it easy for readers to develop a quick rapport with both Bly and Gus.
“Buried Road” is a tale of a corrupt police force, a rich community member desperate for power and two mothers who aspire for the same thing- that their children have everything they could ever need. There is no shortage of drama in Tallo’s new novel and every twist and turn managed to converge in a seamless way, bringing the novel to its end with an edge-of-your-seat conclusion.
I am always proud to support Canadian authors and they get bonus points for including Canadian settings and environments. I loved the summer vibes brought on by the small cottage town and the perseverance and dedication displayed by both Gus and Bly had me cheering. I was introduced to Tallo with her second novel, “Poison Lillies”, so being asked to read this one was a no-brainer, and I am very glad I did. I can’t wait to see what Tallo does next.

I'm new to Katie Tallo but a quick fan. To be honest, I missed this title being billed as a follow-up to earlier titles Dark August and Poison Lillies, but I dropped into this story with no issues and was quickly captivated by it. Somewhere between a slow burn (beginning) and fast-paced (second half), that sums up my ride with this title. I started off intrigued and read a few chapters here, a few chapters there--but then it became the stay-up-till-I-finish-just-one-more-chapter (okay, I'm just going to finish the book) that we readers are all too familiar with. Despite not needing to read the prior books to be engrossed in these characters' lives, I do plan to read them as I really enjoyed the suspense of being in their universe and want to know more about their backstory.

My thanks to NetGalley and Harper Perinnial for the opportunity to preview this title in exchange for my honest review.