I have read the first two books in this series and so I was very excited to read the third book. I was not expecting this to be told from Gus’ daughter’s POV, as the first two are from Gus’ POV, but it worked really well once I got into it. I liked the story and the case, and really enjoyed this third installment. I think this can be read as a standalone for sure, but your reading will be enhanced if you have read the first two books in this series, and they are quite good so it is worth it.

I’m a big fan of Katie Tallo. And Buried Road did not disappoint.
Tallo wrote an addictive, suspenseful and thrilling novel that peeled the layers of the story so perfectly with the right pacing that had me on the edge of my seat.

Book #3 featuring Gus Monet and her daughter. Katie Tallo started Gus's journey in DARK AUGUST, continued in POISON LILLIES and has now rewarded her dedicated readers with BURIED ROAD. These books are excellent thrillers, starting the tension quickly and keeping the story moving, throwing us a clue or two and then taking them back with a twist. Tallo's books are addictive. Be prepared to binge one after the other as Gus runs until she's cornered, then she fights.

Howard was truly a great guy - the love of Gus’ life and amazing stand in Dad to Bly. He drives off in their camper while the girls are hiking which he would never do and simply vanishes in his hometown. Three years later his parents decide to declare him dead and have a funeral and of course Gus and Bly return for it. While they are there the camper suddenly surfaces and the mother daughter duo discover clues in the camper that begins their quest for answers. They uncover the secrets that Howard was pursuing and that are now putting them in danger too leaving them unable to trust anyone but each other. I loved the relationship between the two and their commitment to find out what happened to Howard. This is a fast paced missing person thriller with many surprises that I did not see coming.

Thank you to Harper Perennial and NetGalley for the advanced copy.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Perennial for the eARC.

First, this is a book in a series. While you did not have to read the first ones I always feel like I am missing something when I don't start with the first. Second, this is a slow burn mystery. Not a bad thing, but I would've liked a little more to be going on throughout.

Thanks to Net Galley & the publisher for the opportunity to read this arc in exchange for my honest review.

This was a slow-burn for me but was still enjoyable as a typical mystery/thriller.

I didn't like the dynamic between mother-daughter. I found that the daughter was more mature and mothered her mother - It just didn't click with me.

The story itself was laid out well and you could feel the energy going into finding the boyfriend/father. I really enjoyed this aspect of the book as I could understand the characters and their motivations.

Now, I didn't realize this was book 3 in a series - I don't think you need to read the other 2 to read this and understand what is going on.

Overall, very standard story but with detail and intensity that was enticing.

This tense cold-case mystery is beautifully written, compelling, almost mystical at times. Although it's Katie Tallo's 3rd and I gather one of the main characters, Augusta (Gus) Monet, appeared in at least one of the previous books, I have not read the other two (yet!) and thought Buried Road read very well as a standalone.

Synopsis: Three years ago, Gus, her boyfriend Howard, and Gus's 9-year-old daughter Bly were camping in Picton, Ontario, a touristy beach town on the shores of Lake Ontario. Howard was a journalist and had gone to meet a source, but he neither he nor their camper van were ever seen again... until now, when the van has reappeared. Howard's parents decide he must be long-dead and plan a celebration of life, bringing Gus and Bly down from Ottawa, but they aren't there to mourn; they are there to continue their crusade to find Howard because they both refuse to believe he is dead. As they dig up new clues and follow slim leads, Gus and Bly feel they may finally be on Howard's trail, but they soon realize that small towns have big secrets, and there is nobody they can trust, not even Howard's parents or the local police.

The book started a bit slowly, setting the scene and introducing the main characters, but I was soon hooked and didn't want to put it down (I read it in 2 days, and one of those was a workday). There were multiple twists, few I saw coming even though Tallo dropped hints, deftly hiding them in plain sight.

I devoured this book in 2 sittings within 24 hours. The mother-daughter duo instantly pulled me in. The fast paced, action packed story kept me on the edge of my seat. While things do move quickly, the story is beautifully written and easily digestible so you can and want to keep up. The twists had me guessing until the end. This is my first book by Katie Tallo and it won't be my last!

I really, really enjoyed this book. I wasn’t sure where it was going at first but it all tied together nicely in the end. I couldn’t put it down during the last few chapters.

I received a copy of this from NetGalley in return for an honest review.

Final rating: 3/5

I thought the plot was extremely intriguing. It was twisty and I didn't actually see the ending coming, which bumped up the rating for me. When a book can surprise me with who the antagonist is, it counts as a win in my book. However, there were some major things that I did not enjoy while reading this book. One big thing is that it was NOT advertised as a the third installment, however, it definitely could be read as a standalone.

First, the narration. The book is from the POV of a twelve year old girl, and maybe it's because I'm so far removed from my pre-teens, but this girl acted a lot younger than twelve. Maybe she's stuck in the past and is acting nine still because that's when everything started to go downhill for her, but I did not enjoy the POV of this for most of the book. She's simultaneously acting much older and then much younger inconsistently. I also hated how we have yet another mother constantly placing her daughter in harm's way. This seems to happening in just about every thriller I read from where one of the characters is a mom.

Another thing I disliked was the unnecessary plot points that just acted as red herrings. The author could have cut out most of the middle and the book still would have remained the same. In fact, much of the secondary plot made the ending seem like a coincidence. The pacing was also a turtle's pace.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Harper Perennial and Paperbacks for the free e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I confess that I did not read books 1 & 2 nor did I realize this was a series but I now plan to go back and read the prior books. Its not needed for this story but I became so engrossed in this book that I know books 1 & 2 must be just as good!

Its been Gus, Bly, and Howard for as long as Bly can remember. Three years ago when Howard leaves his girlfriend, Gus, and her daughter, Bly, to run an errand, and never returns, both Gus and Bly are devastated. But both never give up on finding Howard despite the police not finding any evidence. Howard's parents have now arranged Howard's funeral when Gus' camper van, the vehicle Howard was driving when he disappeared, is discovered. Gus and Bly once again return to the county where Howard disappeared and continue their quest to find Howard or find out the truth as to what happened to him.

Despite a slower start than I like, the story quickly picked up, and I had to know what happened to Howard. This is a well written story with very relatable characters and complicated relationships. The suspense is very high at times, so much so that I had to read faster to see what would happen. I found the twists and turns to be mostly out of the blue, and I did not see the ending coming until it was upon me. This is a great suspenseful mystery that is different from other missing persons novels. You want to pick this one up when it releases Dec 3rd!

Highly recommend!

“Buried Road” by Katie Tallo, has suspense that kept me on the edge of my seat from start to finish. Tallo masterfully builds tension with every twist, leaving me second-guessing everything. I particularly loved how unpredictable the plot was — the ending totally caught me off guard in the best way. It’s a gripping, fast-paced read that had me hooked until the very last page. Highly recommend it for anyone who loves a good psychological thriller!

“The Buried Road” by Katie Tallo is an absolute page-turner! The writing is so vivid that I felt like I was right there, experiencing every twist and turn. The characters are incredibly well-drawn and relatable, making it impossible not to root for them. I was hooked from the first chapter and couldn’t put it down until I finished. If you’re looking for a gripping, atmospheric read, this book is definitely for you!

I rated this book 3.5 stars, rounding it up because it really pulled me in by the end! It started off a bit slow, but before I knew it, I couldn’t stop reading. The plot centers around a mother-daughter pair, Gus and Bly, who go on an exciting adventure to find Howard, Gus's fiancé who disappeared three years ago. This captivating small-town mystery keeps you guessing with its unexpected twists right up to the final page.

I also didn’t realize this was the third installment in the series, but it works perfectly as a standalone.

Big thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins Publisher for providing this ARC for an honest review!

Although this isn’t marked as a part of the series , i think it was really good that i read Poison Lilies right before this one as that’s when Gus & Howard’s relationship begins and I think that made the search for Howard that much more meaningful . The stories told from Gus’ now thirteen year old daughter , which at times she seemed much older and yet at times the book felt like it had a little YA feel to it because of that . Overall a great story with a lot of interesting side characters as always

Also I loved the setting in Prince Edward County - I love visiting wineries there

My rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Holy smokes this book was intense! I love Gus Monet and now having the narration switch to her daughter Bly and seeing Gus from a different perspective made this such an enjoyable read. I was definitely hooked from the first paragraph but could not stop after I reached the second half of this book and had to know what happened. Also, while this can be read as a standalone I recommend investing the time to read Dark August and Poison Lilies as well as these books build on each other and having the background really added to the reading experience. Loved this latest installment and highly recommend it!

Gus and her daughter Bly have been in limbo for three years since Howard went missing. When they learn of a funeral that’s planned for the missing man, they jump into action. They are adamant that Howard is alive and are determined to find him. A very fast paced and action packed story. Very enjoyable read!

I did not know this was part of a series(I guess it’s book 3) until I read reviews after I read it. But even with that, I really really enjoyed the story. I picked the book because of the beautiful cover but the story was totally worth it as well.

This book is really engaging from the first page till the last. I loved the characters Bly and Gus, they show what true devotion is to someone you love. No matter what anyone else says about you. Gus is quite eccentric in every aspect of her being and she just draws you in from the beginning and hooks you. Bly is a teenage girl and she is definitely different. This book is told by Bly and i found it rather perplexing that she calls her parents by their first names and not the traditional mom and dad. This is however a book three in a series. I did not know that going in, however I feel you don’t lose anything in the story by reading this as a standalone. I found this book really entertaining and I loved the ferocious personality and devotion that Gus displays throughout the book. If you’re looking for a quick page turner this is the book for you. This book is told to you in past and current views told mixed together the formatting was really intriguing and neat imo.

This missing person cold case thriller is worth all the hype!! I loved that the story is told from Gus's daughter, Bly's perspective and that the mother-daughter duo refuse to give up hope of finding Howard, the father/husband figure in their family who mysteriously disappeared three years ago. Set in Ontario wine country, this was a fast-paced read that kept me guessing right to the end. The final third especially went in so many different directions my head spun but it all wrapped up in a satisfying conclusion and was good on audio too narrated by Lauren Ezzo. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital and audio copy in exchange for my honest review by this latest by a new to me Canadian author!