Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins Publisher for this ARC!

Could it be because I didn’t realize this was book 3 in a series? Or was it just lack-luster? Buried Road by Katie Tallo is the third installment in series about a mom/daughter duo. I cannot speak on the first two books, but I didn’t find myself lost or missing information by not reading them first. I loved the premise of this story- mom and daughter working together to find a lost loved one, in the woods, thriller and suspense. I found the excitement fell flat for me. While I won’t say this is a “bad book”, it flowed smoothly, it’s not a fan favorite for me. Maybe I’ll go back and read the first two books, Dark August and Poison Lillies to see if that’s the missing link for me.

Great book, really enjoyed the twists and turns that this took me on and I would definitely recommend to a friend.

Thank you to HaperCollins and NetGalley for selecting me to receive and advanced copy.

"The Buried Road" by Katie Tallo is a story that progresses gradually with well-planned pacing, keeping readers engaged and eager for more at the end of each chapter. The characters of Bly and her mother, Gus, are outsiders who return to Prince Edward County after discovering an obituary for Howard, who had disappeared three years earlier. The only father Bly has come to know. The story revolves around Gus and Bly as they follow a trail of 'breadcrumbs,' questioning their trust in people they encounter along the way.

I love the author's sprinkle of humor throughout the novel. I enjoyed Gus's take-no-shit attitude while Bly was learning to become independent. Bly is a well-behaved preteen who inherited her mother's sass and grit. Both characters are witty and charming, and Katie Tallo provides great character development. As the story unravels the dynamic duo finds themselves in a series of troubles. She keeps you guessing throughout.

While the book is well written I don’t feel like I got a good handle on the characters. I have not read the first two books so maybe that’s why. There wasn’t really any connection I felt to Gus or Bly. And it got a bit bogged down in the middle. Not sure the ending made much sense. It seemed thrown together.

It was a good concept but not my cup of tea. Didn’t favor the daughter. She thinks like a grownup but acts like a little kid despite being older. I don’t get that and this type of mystery felt over the top. It was entertaining but just okay.

“Buried Road” by Katie Tallo was a great book. The story is about a mother-daughter duo, Gus and Bly and their search for Gus’s boyfriend Howard. Gus, Bly, and Howard are enjoying a camping trip along the beach when Howard who is an investigative reporter leaves to meet a source. Howard doesn’t return and the duo and Howard’s family are left with unanswered questions as to what happened to Howard. Bly shares how is disappearance has affected their lives. Then 3 years later his parents decide to declare him dead and have a funeral when the camper Howard was driving reappears. Gus is convinced something happened when Howard met his source because he would never leave them. She and Bly start looking for answers. As they try to piece together what happened, each breadcrumb as Bly calls it leads them down a different path. Each path unfolds dark secrets hidden in this small town. The story is told from Bly’s 9-12 year old perspective. This book is a page turner and has many twist and turns. This book will not disappoint. I look forward to reading her first two books. Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins.

This mystery novel follows mother and daughter, Gus and Bly, as they navigate the loss of Gus's partner Howard. Howard disappeared three years earlier and they've never believed he died or just left them. The story brings them back to the county where he disappeared and the investigation begins. Howard was a journalist deep into uncovering some big things happening in the area when he went missing. As Gus and Bly uncover more and more details they are thrown deep into the mystery. It was fairly fast paced and held my attention. I felt like some of the twists were a little wonky maybe and a little rushed towards the end. Although I appreciated the last chapter or so of wrap up and follow up. It's always annoying when a story just ends and we never know how things panned out after. Overall I would rate this around 3.5, but I'll round up because I didn't figure out the ending entirely in advance. Which when it comes to mysteries, I have a tendancy to do. Thank you to Katie Tallo, the publisher, and NetGalley for the advanced copy of this book to read and review.

Thank you so much to HarperCollins and NetGalley for the advanced copy.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2 stars for me

Gus and Bly, mother-daughter duo, are camping with Gus’ boyfriend Howard, when one morning they discover Howard has disappeared. They search for Howard for three years, never giving up even after the police stop searching.

When a funeral is announced for Howard, Gus and Bly return to the scene of Howard’s disappearance and embark on the search of a lifetime. This book literally has it all- action, adventure, danger- and that’s only a small part of it to prevent spoilers.

My only issue was the constant danger Gus put her daughter in. When they return to Prince Edward County, Bly is only 12 years old. I feel as if Gus treats her daughter as if she’s much older, not even a child really. Gus is fierce and protective, but still puts Bly in danger.

I haven’t read a book this good in awhile, and there were some twists I definitely did not see coming. I’m excited to read more from this author in the future.

What a twisty, turns, engaging thriller! I was pulled in right away and finished this in just over a day. I enjoyed the story being told from the young teen’s perspective. I did not realize this was the third Gus book and look forward to reading the first two. Thank you so much to NetGalley and Harper for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book was so good! This is my first book by this author. It takes you on a crazy roller coaster ride from beginning to end! There’s lots of mystery and twists and turns! You don’t know who to trust! I could not put this book down!
Thank you to NetGalley for this arc!

This book was fantastic. I’ve tired of thrillers in recent years as so many of them feel the same and either too predictable or completely outlandish. This book felt entirely new to me as far as thrillers go. It was fast paced and had so many unexpected turns. The unconventional mother and daughter relationship felt unique as well, and the perspective of a child in the story added so much emotion to the story (without delving into places that were too dark for me). I will be thinking about the ending and the twists and turns of this story for days!

A mystery/thriller about a teen girl and her mother trying to find her mother's boyfriend who disappeared 3 years prior in Canada while researching a story for his work as a journalist. It wasn't as thrilling as I hoped it would be but it had some nice twists.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Harper Collins for my ARC!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC.
I was bummed to find out this is actually part of a series and I haven't read the other books in the series. I started reading it anyways and I will be picking up the first books to read them so I can have the full story! Engaging writing style, and I liked the perspective being from the younger MC as I don't see that done very often.

Augusta, and her daughter, Bly’s lives were upended when Augusta’s boyfriend, Howard, disappeared three years ago.

Howard was a journalist, and he was working on a big story that could make or break his career. Unfortunately, his quest for information took a dangerous turn.

Augusta and Bly were trying to pick up the pieces as best as they could without Howard. All that changed when Howard’s parents posted his obituary in the newspaper. The camper van Howard was driving was recently discovered, but the location of his remains was still unknown.

Augusta, offended that Howard’s parents gave up hope looking for him, returned to the place where she last saw Howard alive. She and Bly decide to take matters into their own hands and seek to find Howard themselves.

The deeper they get into their investigation; they notice Howard has left several breadcrumbs to assist them in their search.

What exactly will August and Bly uncover? Can they trust anyone as they try to hunt for additional clues?

When I tell you I thoroughly enjoyed this book and about half way into it, I couldn’t put the book down! The mother and daughter dynamic between Augusta and Bly was intriguing. There were so many twists and turns in the story, and I did not expect it to end the way that it did! If you love thrillers, I suggest you add this to your TBR list.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Perennial and Paperbacks for this arc in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you NetGalley and Harper Collin’s Publishers for the advanced readers copy of Buried Road by Katie Tallo. This is an action packed and fast paced thriller following Gus and Bly on their hunt for their missing boyfriend/father Howard. Although this is a third in a series, Buried Road can be read as stand alone story. Howard is writing an investigative report, that took a dark turn. He was just about to uncover something that would hurt a lot of people, and then he goes missing. Gus and Bly wait patiently for days, months and years, till they cannot wait any longer. They are going to find out what happened to Howard and what they find, takes them on a wild ride!.This is my first book by Katie Tallo, and it will not be my last.

This book was just ok in my opinion. I liked the young girl character though, she was brave and loved the missing man enough to risk her own life to find him.

A story of a Mother and Daughter adventure to find a missing person, told from a young teenagers perspective, it’s the third in the series but I was able to read as a stand alone. The ending was a little fantastical, reaching a bit and making connections that didn’t read entirely authentic. But overall, kept my interest and kept me guessing.

Thank you NetGalley and Harper Perennial and Paperbacks for the eARCC in exchange for an honest review! Buried Roads is actually the third book in the Gus Monet Series but I would have had no idea as I read as a standalone just fine. It does make me excited to go back and read the other two books though. This is a well paced thriller with many twist and turns that will keep you on your toes until the very last page. It follows Bly and her mother Gus on the search for her mother’s boyfriend when his parents have him declared dead from going missing three years prior.
I want this book to be turned into a movie ASAP. This book was slow at first, and had me questioning where it could be going, but the deeper you get, the harder it is to put down. It is truly a wonderful read for anyone who loves a good gone missing mystery hunt.

2.5

Buried Road was a thrilling mystery.

However, there were a few points of contention. It was unclear if this was a young adult book or an adult book. The main character was 13 (a hint towards young adult right?), but there were guns, meth, and death (very not young adult themes). Either make the character older or steer away from adult themes.

The ending was silly. There is no real connection to Pike. It was just a silly accident that Dod and Howard are connected. Overall, it all ended so strangely.

Also, am I wrong to think there was something between Gus and Able?!

I thought Buried Road was great. Totally addictive. Everything I look for in a book - captivating plot, relatable characters, mystery and lots of twists that I didn’t predict. Thank you to HarperCollins and NetGalley for this ARC. I didn’t find out this book was the 3rd in a series until I went to review it. I never noticed there was anything missing - so, you can totally read it as a stand-alone. The story is told thru the voice of the daughter - and, although the author stayed true to the narration of that of a child, it did not, in any way, sound juvenile. Katie Tallo stayed true to the voice while still keeping me engaged with every page. I really struggled putting the book down so I could sleep. I would definitely recommend Buried Road to anyone needing to get out of a reading slump - but not to someone who dreads picking out their next book after reading something greatly entertaining.