✨️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!

I haven’t read this author before, but I know that I definitely want to go back and read her other books! Augusta Monet, Gus, loses the love of her life when he disappears never to be found. She spends so much time looking for him to no avail. Three years later, she finds out that his parents are having a celebration of life for him. It seems that the camper he was driving was found, but his body was not. His parents presume he’s dead. Gus and her daughter, Bly, still believe he is alive and will stop at nothing to find him. Finding his notebook and a video, they follow clues that he left behind so that they can figure out what he had gotten himself into and where he could be. But someone is hot on their trail and doesn’t like that they are too close to figuring it out.

This book was written just so well. It’s written in one voice, that of Bly. It’s interesting that you get the story from the child’s point of view instead of the significant other’s. Most authors would have picked Gus’ point of view, so if I ever had a chance to ask this author why she made this choice, I would. Aside from that, her storytelling is just so impressive. She keeps you on the edge of your seat in this past paced thriller. Oh! Also, it’s part of a series (which I didn’t know), but can totally be read as a standalone. However, I did question why Bly was calling her mother Gus, and I bet that’s answered in one of the other books.

I thought the ending was well done. The reason as to why things happened was very different than other books that I’ve read. I was thrown that characters I thought I could trust, I shouldn’t have, and characters I thought I couldn’t trust, I could have! It really shows a great talent when an author can do that!

I highly suggest that you add this book to your TBR, or pre-order it now!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this book in exchange for my honest review.

I wish I had checked some of the reviews before requesting this book. Unfortunately, I found this book boring and hard to follow. I definitely do not think it was a thriller book, unfortunately.

I have had this on my NetGalley shelf for far too long! I should not have waited!! Every time I read mysteries and thrillers I end up chastising myself for not reading more of them. This was no exception. I loved this! This is about a mother-daughter duo who are trying to solve the mystery surrounding the disappearance of the mother's boyfriend. It had many interesting and unsavory characters and though some parts are (a bit) predictable, there were plenty of little surprises and shocks to keep me satisfied and entertained. What I did not know going into the book was that this is actually the third novel featuring Gus Monet - so I am very excited to go back and read the author's first two books. The book is narrated by Gus's daughter, Bly, and I loved her voice - she was simultaneously old and young for her age - the saga of finding Howard and having Gus for a mom would do that to anyone! I would definitely recommend this for anyone who enjoys a good missing person thriller. Thank you so much to Katie Tallo, NetGalley and HarperCollins for the opportunity to read this. Look for this in bookstores on December 3rd!

This was an okay book and honestly at times a little boring. There was a lot of excessive description and I think I misinterpreted what this book genre was because it didnt give the mystery vibe I normally like. There were some parts that were really well done and was something I could get into but then I zoned out again.

When I requested this title, I didn't realize that it was the third of a series – luckily, I don't feel like I missed anything story related by not reading the previous ones (but I don't love that I didn't read them just because I feel like I may have had a deeper understanding of why Gus is the way she is).

Throughout the title, we follow Gus and Bly on the mission to find Howard (Gus' journalist boyfriend). While it's very obvious that Gus is a pretty irresponsible mother, I did really enjoy the mother/daughter dynamic here. Following clues Howard has left, seemingly only for Gus and Bly to understand, we uncover small town corruption and some pretty dark secrets. The story is twisty, but it all makes sense. Lose strings were all tied up at the end and overall was such an enjoyable thriller. I've definitely added her previous two titles to my TBR.

Thank you to Net Galley & Harper Perennial and Paperbacks for the opportunity to read an E-ARC of Buried Road by Katie Tallo. This review contains my honest thoughts and opinions.

“Buried Road” is Katie Tallo’s third installment in her Gus Monet series. I had read the first two books so I was excited to read this one early.

This book was slightly different than the earlier ones. In this book, the narrator is Gus’s daughter, Bly. Three years earlier, while on a camping trip, Gus’s boyfriend and Bly’s father figure disappeared. Howard was a journalist and had been working on a story that involved the area in which his parents lived and owned a winery & vineyards.

After Gus spots Howard’s obituary in the paper that was placed by his parents, she and Bly head back to Prince Edward County to investigate. Gus, in particular, remains convinced that Howard is not dead and decides to investigate further. Her search has her following in Howard’s footsteps to learn more about the story he was working on and find out what happened to him.

Overall, I enjoyed this book and hope there’s another book in the series for us to catch up with Gus and Bly. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for my ARC.

Once I finished this book, I realized this is the 3rd book in the Gus Monet series. But that is okay! Buried Road can be read as a stand-alone! I do plan on reading the first 2 books because I really enjoyed the author’s writing style and I’m interested in reading more about Augusta (Gus) Monet!

Buried Road is a book that sucks you in right from the start! The mother-daughter duo was so well done as they navigate a high stakes situation and uncover clues to the disappearance of Howard. It is told from the young daughter’s point of view which I really enjoyed. With lots of heart pounding moments and a unexpected twist, this book is one wild ride!

I was unable to finish this book and thus will not be posting a full review. I found the story confusing and haphazard. I appreciate the chance and your consideration.

Thank you Net Galley for the ARC.

Maybe bc this is a series and I haven’t read the others I found it hard to connect with this story. I felt like it has a lot of characters and the story lines were really chaotic. It often felt like things were happening for the sake of something happening and not for the sake of the story.

Augusta "Gus" Monet and her daughter Bly don't believe that Howard Bayliss is dead. It's been three years since he went missing and Gus continued to look for him after everyone else had given up on him. When the camper van is found Gus and Bly take action in searching for Howard. They follow the leads that Howard left for them. Someone doesn't want Gus looking into Howard's disappearance and will stop at nothing to make her stop. What will Gus and Bly learn? Find out in the Buried Road.

I would like to thank HarperCollins Publisher for this ARC via Netgalley.

I had no idea this was part of a series. It definitely works as a standalone and had excellent writing. I was able to predict what happens, so it lost the surprise aspect, but overall a good book.

I did not realize this was the third in a series! What a great stand alone book, although now after reading about Gus and Bly, I will certainly be going back and reading the others. This book started out a little slow for me but I am so glad I stuck with it. It ended up completely captivating my thoughts to the point where I stayed up well into the night to finish it because I absolutely could not see the ending. A must read thriller full of twists that will keep you guessing until the very end.

Buried Road by Katie Tallo is a very highly recommended mystery/thriller which features the return of amateur investigator Gus Monet, this time joined by her daughter 12-year-old Bly (Boo).

Journalist Howard Baylis, Gus's partner and the only father Bly has ever known, disappeared when Bly was 9. They were on a camping trip when Howard went to meet a source for a story three years ago and was never seen again. They spent a year looking for him with few clues. The two have missed him every day since, so they were shocked to see his obituary in the paper and that his parents are having a memorial service in three days. The two head back to Prince Edward County, the location where he was last seen and where the memorial service will be held.

Once there, they discover the camper Howard was driving has been found and Bly secretly finds clues to Howard's movements three years ago, including his notes and phone. The two recreate their clue wall in the camper and resume their search for Howard based on the new information they have found.

Although it can be read as a standalone novel, it was exciting to read Buried Road after enjoying the previous two books featuring Gus. The first book featuring Gus is Dark August (takes place when Gus is a young adult and she investigates her mother's last case before her death when Gus was 8 years-old) which is followed by Poison Lilies (when Gus was pregnant with Bly and meets Howard).

Bly is the narrator in this compelling, well-written mystery and she helps Gus in their search for clues. I quite enjoyed Bly as the narrator as Gus can be extreme and over-the-top. Gus is a tenacious, obnoxious character, but this is tempered by Bly who is careful and thoughtful. They are both written as fully realized, realistic individuals that encounter a cast of memorable supporting characters.

The pace is even at the beginning but then picks up as more information and clues are uncovered. The trail is cold, but becomes clear that they are on to something because they also are encountering resistance and it becomes increasingly unsafe. You have to set some disbelief aside, which was easily done as the action and danger increases. The setting itself becomes an important part of the intricate plot. 4.5 rounded up.

Another great novel by Katie Tallo! Thanks to HarperCollins for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.

The review will be published on Edelweiss, Barnes & Noble and Amazon.

Such a weird and twisty thriller with like three plots going on that ended up converging nicely in the end?

The perspective and writing on this really really worked for me. It felt unique and compelling. Having it all be from Bly’s point of view gave it a lot of nuance, it handed the reader just enough information but never quite enough to piece it together until it was laid out.

This was incredibly enjoyable and, while a little slow in the beginning, became a raucous ride towards the end.