Thank you Netgalley for the advanced copy.

Fog and Fury follows Sonny, a former LAPD homicide detective embarking on a new career as a PI in a small town in California. This move is not simple. First, there's her mother suffering from an early and developing memory disorder, prone to wandering. Second, her boyfriend is definitely not as divorced as he claimed to be. Then there's her first job - finding her (now ex) boyfriend's daughter's dog. What Sonny really wants is to investigate the death of a local high schooler. As she digs into this death in secret, what she discovers of the town is unnerving.

One positive is that Sonny is a great character. Flawed, aggressive, believable. You root for her. The negative is the pacing and focus. The book moves slowly, focusing on one mystery at a time. And there are a lot of mysteries. The book even leaves a lot of open-ended, setting future books in the series.

I'd recommend this to the right person, but not everyone. Still trying to figure out who that person is.
4 stars

Sonny Rush moves to the cozy community of Haven to a cushy job as PI to the wealthy and their lost dogs, thinking she will settle down with her boyfriend.... only to find out he's still living with his wife. She makes a plan to get out of town... until she gets a more interesting case than the usual lost golden doodle. Rachel Howzell Hall has a unique and humorous voice, and specializes in writing tough, smart, savvy female characters. Sonny is no exception. I enjoyed the suspense, the quickly unfolding mystery, and the ex-boyfriend drama, which all come together in a fun and thrilling way in the interesting town of Haven. Howzell Hall remains an auto-read author for me! 4 stars.

This seemed like a set up novel to begin a series. I understand trying to build the atmosphere and the setting, but this just seemed to drag on. Although I have liked other books by Rachel Howzell Hall, I didn't particularly enjoy this one; its' pacing was very slow. The cliffhanger would typically leave me anxiously awaiting the next installment, but I didn't feel particularly invested in this one.

I enjoyed this start to a series of Haven mysteries following Sonny Rush, a former detective and now a private investigator in a small town. The mysteries really piled up and I liked that not everything was wrapped up in this first book and that there are lingering mysteries to follow in future installments. I'm not fully onboard for the romance in this one (I really think Sonny can do better) but there's enough room here to see where things can go.

ARC provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

LAPD cop Sonny Rush relocates to a small Northern California town, Haven, after some trouble back home, bringing her mom - with early signs of dementia - with her. She takes a job as a PI for her godfather, her dad's former partner, and wonders what she'll do in such a sleepy town. But it quickly becomes clear Haven has a dark underbelly, as a young Black high schooler shows up dead and no one except Sonny -- one of the very few Black people in the town -- seems to care. She dives into the case and learns more about Haven's secrets than she bargained for.

This is the first in a series that I think will be great to continue to read! The mystery kept me on my toes and this town -- well, I can see there will be many more mysteries for Sonny to uncover. I really enjoyed how Howzell Hall shows Sonny navigating the dynamics with her family, as she meets her new neighbors, and as she seeks answers.

Fog and Fury is the perfect title for this book. I loved the setting of the small town feel. The mystery was intriguing and complex. The ending leaves on a cliffhanger which is not a favorite of mine. This is book one in a new series and so I'm hoping that book 2 will give more answers to questions left unanswered in this first book.

Thanks to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for a digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.

4.5 ⭐️

Rachel Howzell Hall’s vivid writing shines in her latest detective novel, which is also the first in a new series, FOG AND FURY.

Alyson (Sonny) Rush has arrived at the small Northern California town of Haven with her mother who is showing signs of dementia. After leaving the Los Angeles PD, Sonny has joined her godfather Ivan’s private investigator firm. Ivan has started a new case involving a Black high school football player who was murdered while jogging, and he gives her a case involving a missing dog named Figgy.

I must admit that there are a few too many coincidences in this one. Her lover is connected to the missing dog, and her old friend is the medical examiner for the town. If any of us move to a small town six hours away from the big city, I doubt we would have such connections.

However, even with that drawback, I liked so much about this novel! Great setting, multi-faceted characters, introspective when tougher issues like race come up, and an interesting plot with an incompetent local police force. I loved how Sonny’s mother was treated as a capable person despite fighting dementia.

Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for an Advance Reader Copy in exchange for an unbiased review.

It publishes July 1, 2025.

3.5 Stars

Sonny Rush, after 10 years with the LAPD, takes a job as a private investigator with her godfather’s firm in Haven, California. Her first case is to find Figgy, a missing goldendoodle. Figgy’s case is brought by Mackenzie Sutton and her mother, London Sutton. The twist is that London is married to Cooper Sutton, Sonny’s long-term lover, who had told her that he was getting a divorce. Around the same time, the body of Xander Munroe, a gifted teenager, is found, and Sonny offers to help his family because she fears that because they are Black, Xander’s death will not be investigated thoroughly. It does not take long for Sonny to realize that Haven is not the idyllic place that it may initially seem to be.

This is obviously the first of a series because at the end there is a cliffhanger ending and a lot of unanswered questions. I dislike such endings. Though I understand the desire to entice people to read the next book in the series, I think that creating a relatable protagonist and developing a suspenseful plot are usually sufficient to hook readers into following a series. In this case, the ending just seems manipulative.

Sonny is certainly the strong and feisty main character. Her determination is what stands out; she’s “ready to burn through the heavenly veneer of this charming seaside town and expose the truths lurking beneath.” She has a vulnerable side and personal demons. Sonny has to care for her mother who is experiencing memory issues, and events in Los Angeles have left her with self-doubts and “addicted to guilt.” In many ways, her world has been turned upside down. I loved Sonny’s sarcasm but for some reason I had difficulty connecting with her.

What is emphasized about Haven is that it’s a community with a lot of tensions, especially between long-term residents and newcomers. Cooper, the wealthiest man in the town, wants to renovate the town and create it into a tourist destination. The town is predominantly white; Sonny mentions that the “only obvious diversity was the flavors of Gatorade in their bottles.” She is one of only a handful of Black residents in the town. Because of her colour, she is an outsider and she becomes even more of one when she starts investigating Xander’s death with more seriousness than the police who definitely have a racial bias.

I guessed the villain because there are a lot of clues; it’s actually difficult to believe that Sonny doesn’t see the obvious. I didn’t guess the twist at the end but even there I suspected someone because of the vagueness that surrounds that character.

The title is perfect. Both fog and fury play significant roles. Fog almost becomes a character; it is ever present, emphasizing Haven’s hidden secrets and adding danger and thereby heightening tension.

I can’t say that the novel offers anything exceptional; it is like so many other crime fiction novels. I will probably pick up the next installment in the series, but I can’t say that I’ll be anxiously awaiting its arrival.

Note: I received an eARC from the publisher via NetGalley.

I absolutely loved Fog and Fury by Rachel Howzell Hall! This author's prose is wonderful and she really delivers on character, sense of place, and a fantastic twisting plot. Can't wait for the next book!

After 10 years in the LA Police force Sonny has been dismissed and she has now moved to a small town - Haven - near the Pacific ocean. But in Haven, who many people want to become known as Heaven, she'll only find a small town full of dirty secrets, a man who will shatter her life, prejudice, lies, greed, drugs and crime. Her first case is to find a missing dog which belongs to her boyfriend's daughter (who she did not know was still married), her uncle and employer seems to be respected and to know everyone in town, but he also has many secrets. Her mother is suffering from early dementia and needs help that she cannot afford, and she wants to understand why a young athlete was found dead in a forest trail. The boy's death and the missing dog cases are intertwined and the truth that will be revealed is much uglier than she could expect. Fog and Fury has a lot of mystery and twists and turns that will keep you engaged with the plot and entertained.
I thank the author, her publisher, and NetGalley for this ARC.

Thank you, Thomas & Mercer for providing the copy of Fog and Fury by Rachel Howzell Hall. I loved What Never Happened And We Lie Here, and I loved the main story, but for some reason I didn’t devour this book. The other town members were interesting but totally unlikeable, so I didn’t care to read about them. The book got better as it went on, maybe I got used to the annoying townspeople! The end was great, and a shocker! 4 stars

After an incident that cost her everything, Sonny leaves the Homicide division of the LAPD to become a PI in Haven. A town only one letter away from “Heaven” can’t possibly be hiding festering secrets, can it? Sonny’s first case is a missing dog, what could go wrong? Right from the start, the twists keep coming. A golden teen with a promising career in football and physics is found dead. It is not her case but, being that he was one of the few other Black people in town, Sonny must help. She has the expertise after all. The plot is fantastic, even if you need to pay attention because there are a lot of characters. Not everybody is overjoyed with the plan to gentrify Haven, and they all have secrets that may or may not relate to Sonny’s cases. The cast is very well defined. Everyone has their own reasons, and no one is a clear villain or hero. Even Sonny. She is not a likable character; she has a very dark sense of humor and is not in a good place. But she feels real and it’s impossible not to root for her. Lastly, I loathe gratuitous politics with my fiction, but here it is pertinent and not preachy, so it didn’t bother me. The ending seems to set up a sequel, so I will be adding that one to my TBR as well.
I chose to read this book and all opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased. Thank you, NetGalley/Thomas & Mercer.

It was okay but felt a bit like it wqs trying too hard to fit in current events. I don't mind that at all but it needs to be organic and it doesn't read thta way here.

I can suggest this book for my students, It is told in the perspective of Sonny, a former cop turned PI from Oakland, which is near where my students live and Xander a 17 boy who gets killed. She takes his case on and finds herself threatened. Social issues are explored as well as the mystery itself. Sonny is a strong black heroine, with faults but worth rooting for

A Gripping Mystery with a Coastal Noir Twist

Rachel Howzell Hall’s Fog and Fury is a masterful blend of small-town charm and gripping suspense. What starts as a simple missing dog case quickly spirals into something far more sinister, pulling ex LAPD cop Sonny Rush into a web of secrets that Haven, California, would rather keep buried. Hall’s writing is sharp, atmospheric, and full of tension, making the town itself feel like a character hiding its own dark past. Sonny is a compelling protagonist tough, smart, and unwilling to back down, even when danger closes in. With its fast-paced twists and layered mystery, Fog and Fury is a must read for crime fiction fans looking for something fresh and immersive.

In "Fog and Fury," Sonny Rush, a former LAPD cop, relocates to the seemingly tranquil town of Haven, California, with her elderly mother, to join her godfather's PI business. This picturesque seaside town, known as "Mayberry by the Sea," seems like the ideal place to escape the chaos of Los Angeles. However, Sonny's first case—a seemingly simple search for a missing goldendoodle named Figgy—quickly escalates into something much more sinister. As Sonny delves deeper, she encounters an unwelcome reunion with her wealthy ex and stumbles upon the body of a teenage boy on a local hiking trail. The investigation reveals Haven's dark underbelly, prompting a cautionary warning: question everything, as the town's serene appearance conceals secrets that could threaten Sonny's safety.

I found "Fog and Fury" to be an engaging read that left me eager for more. The plot twists kept me turning the pages, and the characters, especially Sonny, were well-crafted and compelling. Sonny is portrayed as a strong, confident, and intelligent Black woman facing real-life challenges, which makes her a relatable and memorable protagonist. Despite her faults and self-doubts, her strength and determination shine through, making her deserving of a continuing series. The dialogue was razor-sharp, adding depth and authenticity to the characters' interactions. I am excited to see where Sonny's journey takes her next and can't wait for the next installment in the series.

Thank you NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Life has a way of giving you lemons, but Sonny tries to make lemonade.

Sonny was part of the Los Angeles Police Department, until that identity was stripped away. Following an opportunity and her heart, the smaller community of Haven could possibly be her chance to start afresh. What first seems to be small town bad behavior that seems frivolous and boring, turns into a whole lot more than Sonny anticipated...personally and professionally.

While I found this piece of crime and mystery predictable and off to a slow start (and still do not understand the necessity of the dog), I enjoyed the read. The cliffhanger at the end makes me want to see where this series takes us.

this is my first novel ever from Rachel Howzell Hall and i loved it alot. kept me intrigued since page 1, I will definitely be reading more from her.

First read by this author and it didn’t disappoint! This book had some of my favorite story telling elements when it comes to thrillers. Plus I loved the seaside setting of the small, unsettled town where nothing is quite as it seems. The author takes readers on quite the ride with the protagonist Sonny, starting with a missing dog, and where it ends up is not where they’ll imagine! I really enjoyed the writing style of Rachel Howzell Hall and I hope this novel gets the love it deserves. I’m super excited for the next installment in this series. Five stars!

This book was a pleasant surprise.
I thoroughly enjoyed it, as it was a quick read and a good time.