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!

✨️Book Review✨️

Buried Road
By Katie Tallo

Publish Date: December 3rd, 2024

Themes:
👤 Missing Person
👭 Mother/Daughter Team
🏠 Small Town Secrets

⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

Katie Tallo's Buried Road offers a gripping tale of secrets and suspense, though it requires some patience in the beginning. The first half of the book felt a bit slow to unfold, but as the layers of mystery began peeling away midway through, the story became much more engaging and immersive.

One of the standout characters for me was Gus. Her no-nonsense attitude and grounded personality made her relatable and likeable, adding depth to the story as the secrets unraveled.

Although Buried Road is part of a series, it can easily be read as a standalone outside of the series. Tallo excels at weaving an intricate plot, and while it takes time to build, the payoff is worth it. If you enjoy a slow burn that crescendos into an engaging mystery, Buried Road is well worth the read.

I am finding it really hard to believe the rating on this book... I don't think I needed to read the first two books at all to get the whole gist of the book (and I almost typed movie there... I have thought about this book since I finished it!). I love thrillers... but not all of them keep my mind wondering as long as this one did.

Gus... wow. What a strong willed woman she is, and although, at times, crazy... she is raising a strong willed daughter, Bly. Gus never once believed that Howard was dead... but everyone else did. Gus traveled back to that town to tell them they are WRONG and spends the book trying to find Howard or anything he has left behind for them.

I loved all of the characters, even the "bad guys" because of how detailed their culture was. From Patience and her blood-hounds to Lula and Dod... I felt I could visualize them based on Tallo's writing.

Now, BRB... gotta go read the first two now because DANG, this one was SUPER GOOD!

This novel should be a motion picture! It would make a really good one.
The authors descriptions of the areas , as well as the characters (especially Gus and her daughter Bly) are so developed that they seem real. Then there are the twists---like, down one road====wrong way-----then down another----wrong way,,,, then another to the final discovery. , A very entertaining story that keeps you guessing to the end. A very talented writer.

I enjoyed this read as it had two interesting main characters, an interesting plot, twists and reveals and a good small-town vibe. I liked the author’s easy to read writing style and I liked the Canadian setting.

The story was told from the viewpoint of an almost 13-year-old girl, Bly, the daughter of the complicated Gus, whose journalist partner went missing 3 years ago while investigating a news story. I did find at times that Bly sounded and acted older than her age but Gus was an unconventional mother and so Bly was forced to grow up more quickly than her peers. Bly was very likeable.

This is the third book in a series but can be read as a stand-alone though reading the first two provide background on Gus and her complicated past.

A thriller read that is definitely a worthwhile read.

Thanks to the publisher for this complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.

I would consider this more of a suspenseful mystery than a thriller. Personally, I found that the plot was a little slow, then it would randomly pick up pace here and there before it pulled me in for the last fourth of the book. Reading from Bly’s POV was different since she’s just a pre-teen, but I enjoyed her character and how she matured. Overall, it was a good read!

"Buried Roads" is easily a 4-star read for me! If I weren't required to be a productive member of my household, I could have easily started reading it and never stopped!

This book follows Gus and Bly’s journey to find Howard, who disappeared three years prior. Although there were some slow parts, the story still kept me engaged! I loved the twists, especially when all the breadcrumbs finally came together.

I am, however, upset with myself for not realizing that this was part of a series. I plan to go back and read the previous books to learn more about Gus and possibly Bly because I really love their story!

Thank you to NetGalley, Harper Perennial, and Paperbacks for this ARC!