Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this eARC.

Tamara L. Miller’s debut novel, “Into the Fall,” is a suspenseful psychological thriller that masterfully intertwines the serene beauty of the Canadian wilderness with the chilling unraveling of a family’s darkest secrets. This gripping narrative explores the fragility of trust and the lengths to which one will go to uncover the truth.

Miller sets the hook quickly and deeply as the story opens as Sarah and her family are on a vacation in the woods when her husband, Matthew, inexplicably disappears, leaving his wife with their two small children.

Miller leaves interesting bread crumbs along the way to the resolution to the truth behind this mysterious disappearance, and I found it impossible to put down.

The story centers on Sarah Anderson, a successful career woman from Ottawa whose seemingly perfect life begins to crumble during a family vacation in the remote Canadian wilderness when her husband Matthew goes missing.

Miller’s vivid descriptions of the vast, unforgiving landscape enhance the novel’s tension, making the wilderness a character in its own right. I loved Miller's inclusion of interesting haunting side concerns, such as the myth of the Wendigo, the cannibalistic half-man, half-beast creature rumored to haunt the woodlands.

This author has a rare flair for writing a captivating mystery, it earned an enthusiastic 5 stars from this reviewer.

Sarah Anderson is a compelling protagonist whose strength and vulnerability are portrayed with remarkable depth. Her transformation from a woman on the brink of a breakdown to a determined survivor is believable and inspiring.

Matthew’s disappearance and the secrets he leaves behind add layers of complexity to his character, even in his absence.

"Into the Fall” delves into the themes of trust, betrayal, and the resilience of the human spirit. The novel examines the impact of hidden truths on relationships and the lengths one will go to protect their loved ones.

Miller’s writing is evocative and precise, capturing the emotional intensity of Sarah’s journey and the stark beauty of the wilderness.

The pacing is expertly managed, with each chapter building suspense and deepening the mystery. 

“Into the Fall” is a STELLAR debut which combines a gripping plot with rich character development and a hauntingly beautiful setting.

Tamara L. Miller has crafted a novel that is meticulously written, thrilling and emotionally resonant, making it a must-read for fans of psychological thrillers and anyone who enjoys a well-crafted mystery.

Mark my words, Tamara L. Miller is an author to watch, I read hundreds of mysteries a year, yet I found this DEBUT uniquely captivating and compelling. I couldn't put it down until I reached its conclusion, so start this book when you have time to devote to it; it is as addictive as starting a bag of your favorite potato chips, you won't want to stop until the "bag is empty" and the final page is turned!

Disclosure: Provided ARC copy & all opinions are my own.

Into the Fall is a story about relationships, mysteries, and secrets. Throughout the book we learn about Sarah and Matthews relationship and the secrets they held. Flashbacks provide insight into their relationship over the years and insight into the disappearance of Matthew.
A few things I enjoyed were number one the setting. As a Canadian reader myself I enjoyed the Ontario setting, and descriptions which were well done. Now I might be bias since the author even mentioned my small but growing town of Bowmanville briefly. We get to see the growth of Sarah Anderson, and the secrets kept between both Sarah and Matthew.

One thing that I struggle with in books and is a personal preference of mine is flashbacks. They can either be done well or do not do the book justice. In this case I feel like they serviced the purpose but sometimes I felt like I got lost with what time it was being written in. While the author did not use direct POVs they did write within those specific POVs for example Sarah (majority of the book), Izzy, Matthew, and even Detective Boychuck. I think it was a great way to understand and connect everything together but again personal preferences I don’t like different POVs.
Would I recommend this book… 100%. It was a fast read, great descriptions of the settings, being set in Canada for me is always a bonus, and it was written really well and easy to follow. The author kept you on your toes and makes you draw your own conclusions on what you think happen and at the end you can see if you pieced the puzzle together correctly or not.

About the Author:
Tamara L. Miller is from Ottawa, Canada and a fan of nature which truly shows within this book. Into the Fall is her first book from a transition of writing history and government policy. She wanted to capture the “intensity, mystery and beauty of the Canadian wilderness”.

Where to Purchase: https://www.amazon.ca/Into-Fall-Thriller-Tamara-Miller-ebook/dp/B0CZ9XQ6RR
Author Website: https://bytamaramiller.com/

Decided to give this a try , the premise sounded interesting. Was a good mystery story. Held my interest and I enjoyed the ending. Thank you NetGalley for this ARC

This was a perfect read heading into Fall! It sets scenes perfectly and left me wanting more from the author immediately!

Matthew disappears from a family camping trip without a trace. Sarah, his distraught wife, calls for search and rescue and refuses to believe their theory that Matthew drowned in the lake. As new information about Matthew’s past is uncovered, something still doesn’t seem quite right… does Sarah know more than she’s letting on?

The author kept me guessing throughout the story, and many small details come together to form the big picture in the end. There were several useful flashbacks, but sometimes it was hard to tell where one ended, and where in the timeline I was coming back to.

The one minor complaint I have is the use of “ya” instead of “yeah” or “yes” or something - it took me out of the flow of the story because it struck me as awkward and immature.

As far as mysteries go, this was a good one and I enjoyed reading it.

A terrific read! Atmospheric, suspenseful, and twisty. A tremendous debut. Can't wait to see what Tamara writes next.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for the ARC. I read this book in one sitting. It’s an easy read that keeps you on your toes. At one point or another I was suspicious of just about every character. The way the ending played out brought this story full circle but was a bit underwhelming.

A poignant novel of personal growth and resilience. Miller’s vivid storytelling explores the transformative journey of its characters against a backdrop of change and challenge.

This is billed as a thriller and it’s really not. It’s a well written novel with a mystery in it but not the standard suspense type of most fiction. This is more about a woman’s life, motherhood, secrets, marital stress and trying to move on when you don’t know what has happened. We eventually find out what happened, but it left me a little unhappy. The strength of the book is the writing and the atmosphere of the Canadian wilderness, not figuring out whodunnit.

I read a digital ARC of this book for review.

I had no clue what to expect from this book but I was pleasantly surprised by how engaged I was by the plot and the setting. The story follows Sarah Anderson who seems to have quite the normal life and whose family enjoys spending time in the Canadian wilderness. On a camping trip, her husband, Mathew, seemingly disappears and leaves her alone with her two young kids. What happens next is a mysterious search for her husband in which the secrets of their marriage are unraveled and the true bonds of family are tested.

This book would be better classified as a domestic drama in my opinion because despite it being a mystery, I wouldn't say this a thriller. I was intrigued by the secrets being uncovered and the tension between Sarah and law enforcement. I also enjoyed the family aspect and how a family can come together to handle tragedy and how they can move on together. Overall, I would recommend this book as a solid read and an impressive debut!

This was good. As others have mentioned, it’s a fabulous debut. Story was taut, well done. I think it would appeal to those who like non-detective driven mysteries featuring women.

I really enjoyed this book.I liked the way the setting was portrayed and was intrigued by the characters. This book surprised me and reminded me that people and things are not always what they seem! Great debut from a newly published author. Will look for more!

I was so excited for this one, I love reading about books that are set in Canadian settings. It was a good debut with some great characters, but the ending just left me feeling wanting more. It was anticlimactic and some things just truly did not make sense, which is why my rating had to be brought down.

Thank you to Netgallery, Tamara Miller and Thomas & Mercer for this ARC copy.
3.75 ⭐
This debut novel really impressed me with its suspenseful plot, even though I’m usually not a fan of shifting timelines. The Canadian setting was beautifully done and added a lot to the overall vibe. It’s not my usual genre, but the twists and surprises kept me hooked. The writing is solid, making it a great pick for anyone who loves atmospheric mysteries. I’m definitely looking forward to more from Tamara Miller!

Imagine waking up one day and your husband is gone. It would be like a nightmare you couldn't wake up from. This is what happens to Sarah. Her family goes camping and Matthew just isn't there one morning. This book was fantastic. I loved how atmospheric is was. I could feel how creepy and scary Sarah felt there. So isolated and dealing with her two kids while trying not to panic about Matthew. I enjoyed how the story unfolded. It kept you guessing as to what had happened to matthew. I like how it the story was yold from two different timelines. It gave you a sense of who they were. I really enjoyed this book. It was a well written and entertaining read. .

"The devil loves unspoken secrets, especially those that fester in a man’s soul."

Tamara L. Miller’s debut novel, Into the Fall, is a gripping read filled with layers of intrigue, betrayal, and hidden truths.

Sarah and Matthew are a married couple whose lives completely change when Matthew mysteriously vanishes during a family camping trip. The story delves into their already strained relationship, revealing its complexities through evocative flashbacks that span their past and present.

Miller’s writing is both engaging and emotionally charged, keeping readers on edge as you’re left wondering: Is Sarah behind Matthew's disappearance? Did he stage his own death? Or is there something darker at play?

While not exactly a high-octane thriller, Into the Fall offers a compelling look at a family's upheaval during tragedy.

Definitely recommend to readers that enjoy a slower burn mystery, well defined characters and good ol’ whodunnit.

A special thanks to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for the ARC!

Into the Fall by Tamara L. Miller is a super intriguing thriller that steadily doles out mysterious details on the characters that ultimately build up to

This book ended up being very difficult to put down with how masterfully seemingly innocent details of the characters lives are laid out, eventually leading to all the answers. Sarah’s husband has gone missing on a camping trip, leaving her and their children on their own, and dealing with the search by the police after the fact. What really hooked me was the fact that there is clearly something going on beneath the surface of this disappearance, and getting to those answers had me so invested in the story.

The interplay between the past, how Sarah and Matthew met, and how their relationship played out to bring them to where they are in the present was perfect both in giving some insight into Matthew and his mysterious past, as well as adding to the question of what might have happened and who he really was. It really added to the mystery and created so many theories and questions while reading which really added to the story and kept me on my toes.

I loved the sisterly relationship between Sarah and Izzy. It was so pure and heartfelt, and getting to see them cover the rift that had grown between them over the years and they reconnected to deal with the difficulties of dealing with Matthew being missing was such a highlight of the book. It created a particular duality between the past and present as well as you see Sarah’s relationship grow with Matthew, while her relationship with Izzy falls apart, whereas in the present this is kind of turned around vice versa as Izzy and Sarah grow closer, while you see Sarah and Matthew’s relationship going through strain leading up to his disappearance.

Into the Fall was such a great read, not just as a thriller, but also as a story of the bonds between people and how important those relationships can be. I very much enjoyed the read and definitely recommend.

Another cover that suckered me in but the contents let me down. It was just okay. A solid debut but nothing that wowed me. It could be a me problem, as I feel like I've been saying that about a lot of mystery/thrillers lately. It's worth the read if it sounds intriguing to you, but it's not something I'm going to go out of my way to recommend either.

Thank you to Netgallery, Tamara Miller and Thomas and Mercer for this ARC copy.
This mystery fully immerced me in the Canadian atmosphere which came alive on the page. While not my usual thriller genre and more smokey mystery/suspense, I enjoyed the twists and turms. The book hit the ground running from the first chapter, though I would have perfered a slighly slower build to the main mystery. Just when you thought you knew something it turned out to be different. The writing style was excellent and well crafted. For an atmospheric suspense, I highly recommend this book.

This was a nice, quick read combining family, nature and a mystery. I enjoyed there nature and you can tell the athotr enjoys the outdoors.
The story itself was ok but, as is often the case, the best part of the novel was the interpersonal relationships involved.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.