WOW. I am speechless. When I requested this book, I had never heard of the author before nor had any expectations on what to expect. I could never have imagined that this novel would have had me crying on the floor and reluctantly placing it on my mental all-time-favorites shelf. What a wild ride.
This book is a bit of an onion in terms of genre. Tell Me Something Good is a mystery on a mass murder from decades ago as the historical backdrop for a current day weapon auction thriller with the second chance romance trope (done beautifully btw) and at the end of the day, a powerful family drama centering the love between a mother and daughter that shattered me. So, mystery/thriller/romance/drama = perfection. I’m billing for my emotions distress.
New autobuy author. Loved. Hated. Cried. Obsessed.
5 stars

This is my first Court Steven’s book and it was a good read. If someone were to ask me the genre, I might have a hard time deciding because it was kind of a blend of a crime novel and historical fiction with some social commentary mixed in.

The character, Anna, was extremely likable and sympathetic. I feel like I read the book for her rather than the other subplots. I would recommend this book- mainly so I could find out what genre the other person would call it!

This atmospheric Southern mystery weaves together small-town secrets, tangled relationships, and the long shadow of past crimes. The premise is layered and intriguing, with echoes of Beartown and Southern Gothic grit. While the story explores love, loyalty, and justice with emotional depth, the pacing sometimes stumbles under the weight of its many threads. A thoughtful read with memorable moments—just not as sharp or suspenseful as it could have been.

I had a bit of a struggle getting into this book. I was provided an audiobook ARC in exchange for my opinion. I did enjoy following Anna and felt like I needed to know more about her. I kept getting confused on the characters and I think a true book copy could have been a better chice.

Courtesy of Harper Muse Audio and Netgalley, I received the ARC audio version of Tell Me Something Good by Court Stevens. This is a complex southern story of small town communities, relationships, and intertwining families. There are quite a few characters, and it took me a while to get them straight, but the fantastic narrator kept me on track! With surprises, secrets, murders, romance ,and illegal gun deals planned, I was hooked till the end!

The audio for Tell Me Somthing Good was fantastic. It was well done, kept me on the edge of my seat, and brought the book to life!

This one was a really intriguing read. There was a lot going on. Lots and lots of layers.

It wasn't my kind of read. It was kinda monotone and that is a real shame because the bones of the story were so good.

I think had it had more twists and build ups, it would have been excellent but it fell a tad flat for me

3 stars

An interesting mystery and rumination of the human condition. It was oddly funny at times and very expertly written. I will read more from this author.

I listened to this on audio, and even with several narrators (including a third-party, third person narrator) you really need to be paying attention closely. There are so many characters and about half of them have unknown fathers, so everyone is either related to or has slept with/is sleeping with someone else in the incestual communities of Luxor and Bent Tree. There's also murders and an illegal weapons auction, so it's A LOT, and it took a while for me to get it all straight (although this might come easier with a physical copy) - but, that did make it very hard to predict anything!
Despite the large number of characters, most of them were unlikable, and the ones that were likable, well you couldn't help rooting for even though you wanted to shake them half the time. Despite so much chaos, there was a lot of heart and quite a bit of tragedy, which ended up leaving me more emotional than I expected.
Overall, this will be a mystery that is going to stick with me and I hope Stevens writes more adult novels.

When a man's accidental death resurrects a chilling cold case involving nine young women murdered twenty years ago, a small Southern town finds its buried secrets unearthed. The story explores the divide between rich and poor, an illegal auction with dire consequences, and the intertwined relationships that bind a community together—where love becomes a driving force that reveals how far people will go to protect those they care about.

Tell Me Something Good showcased Court Stevens' skillful handling of a complex narrative structure. While I agree with other reviewers that the plotting was intricate, I wouldn't say it was complicated—if anything, it kept me interested throughout. Stevens demonstrates a particular talent for playing with time and foreshadowing, using a third-person narrator to weave together multiple timelines and perspectives in a way that feels both natural and compelling.

The Southern Gothic atmosphere permeates every page, creating a vivid sense of place that grounds the story's darker elements. Stevens' transition from YA to adult fiction proves seamless, as she crafts characters who feel authentically flawed and human against the backdrop of generational trauma and small-town secrets.

As per usual, Marin Ireland's narration was flawless and enhanced the already strong sense of place. Her skillful performance navigates the shifting perspectives and timelines with precision, bringing depth to Stevens' carefully constructed world. The male narrator was serviceable but not memorable.

Tell Me Something Good succeeds as both a compelling mystery and an atmospheric character study, proving that some secrets are worth the wait—and the sprawling cast—to uncover."

Thank you to Harper Muse and NetGalley for providing an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Imagine Fredrik Backman’s Beartown—a small-town rivalry with its more upscale neighbor—colliding with Southern Gothic. Set in a dusty Kentucky river town, where an illegal auction, murdered women, and family secrets swirl like moonshine 🍷. A moonshine you may or may not hesitate to drink.

Our protagonist is Anna Ryder, a daughter struggling to pay for her mother’s cancer treatments, who crosses the river from impoverished Luxor into the upscale world of Bent Tree’s hunting lodges—and immediately stumbles into a decades-old crime scene involving nine dead women and a boat that should never have been there.

📚 What works:

Stevens nails the atmosphere: the Ohio/Kentucky river practically breathes, and the class gap feels as wide as the floodplain.

Dialogue snaps, prose is crisp—you feel that tension in the air.

Characters? Fully flawed, surprising, and uncomfortable in just the right way. These are "real" people with some seriously real issues and troubled pasts.

🌀 What drags down the score:

Cast size: You need a spreadsheet to track POVs, timelines, and who slept with whom—I listened on audio, and this aspect was a struggle for me.

The ending moves fast, and it felt a tad rushed.


3.75 stars—because it’s gripping and gutsy, even if I occasionally wished for a smaller cast and a smoother finish.

Tell Me Something Good is Court Stevens’ adult mystery debut, and while it has a few rough spots, it’s an engaging, twisty story. The narrative jumps back and forth between past and present, which made the pacing feel a little uneven at times, but it kept me moving forward..

The mystery is solid, full of secrets, complicated relationships, and some genuinely surprising turns. One plot development near the end caught me off guard in a way I wasn’t entirely a fan of. It’s not that it didn’t fit the story; it just left me a little unsettled. That said, it was a bold move on the author’s part and definitely kept the ending from being predictable.

The real star here is the audiobook narrators, Marin Ireland, Charlie Thurston, and Annalee Scott, who did a fantastic job bringing the characters and emotional beats to life. The narration enhanced the experience and made the story even more captivating.

Overall, it’s a good debut mystery with plenty of suspense, and I’m interested to see what Stevens does next in this genre.

3.5 Stars

Tell Me Something Good was an intense, complex mystery that really captured my attention. It’s a unique, character driven story with an engaging narrative, memorable characters, and a lot of heartfelt moments.

There’s a large cast of characters that had me a little confused initially., but then it all came together.

I read and listened to the story, and thought Marin Ireland did an outstanding job of narrating it. She really brought the story to life.

Thank you @quartland @uplitreads and @harpermusebooks and @netgalley for the review copy and audiobook. All opinions expressed are completely my own.

I hung on until the end, but this was a tough read. The characters were confusing and I had to double back many times. Way too slow for me.

This multi-POV murder mystery, with a side of romance, was interesting and very intriguing. It kept me guessing to figure out what was happening and what would happen next. A story of family secrets/drama, childhood flashbacks, toxic relationships, corruption, and an illegal auction during the annual hunting retreat. It’s also a story about protecting the ones we love no matter the cost. I liked how the omniscient narrator talked to the reader, which pulled me in and helped keep my attention. It is equally plot driven as character driven. The diverse complex cast of characters were well developed and crafted in a way that you weren’t sure who to trust, causing you to have a love-hate relationship with most of the characters. It is set around two towns separated by a river and social class. I really enjoyed the ending which brought all the missing pieces to the puzzle together with a powerful and meaningful message.

This was my first book by Court Stevens’ and is her adult debut. I was impressed and really enjoyed the writing style and the thought provoking lines. I can definitely see why it is being compared to Fredrik Backman’s Beartown, which is one of my all time fav reads.

I was thankful to have the audiobook and a physical book to follow along with while listening. The audiobook made for a great immersive experience. The narrators did a great job with giving each character their own voice and bringing the story to life. Their tone and pacing were spot on to create a mysterious, suspenseful, atmospheric setting and plot.

Thank you @harpermusebooks, @quartland, and @uplitreads for the #gifted PR box and finished copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Reading Journal Details
Book: Tell Me Something Good by Court Stevens
Format Read: Audiobook (~8 hours, 43 minutes long)
My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4/5)

My Quick Take Review
Emotionally heartfelt and beautifully crafted, Court Steven's Tell Me Something Good shares a story filled with warmth, resilience, and honesty. Though with such a big cast, things at times can get a little confusing.

Some Key Features
🌎 Kentucky, USA
💬 Diverse cast
🛥️ Boat
🤑 Different social classes
🐶 Dog lover

My Full Review
Tell Me Something Good drew me in with its captivating plot and stayed with me because of its heartfelt depth and standout memorable characters. The writing is lively, engaging, and full of quotable lines; Court Stevens definitely has a talent for creating compelling dialogue and layered character interactions.

My absolute favorite character, hands down, was Foster. She's unapologetically honest, fiercely tenacious, and so wildly entertaining. Her consistency and emotional resilience really grounded the story for me. I also really enjoyed Anna and her mother, Starr.

Anna is bold and curious but never comes across as clueless, which is refreshing for a character in her role. Meanwhile, Starr is fragile and hides her pain behind humor, which makes her moments of vulnerability hit even harder. And then there's Jack; his love for dogs totally resonated with me, and I love how down-to-earth and relatable he felt.

The story thoughtfully explores two very different social classes with nuance and care, showing how love and connection can cross any divide. One of the story's standout elements was how love, in all its forms, outshone hate and oppression. It added so much heart to an already emotionally rich story.

If I had one real struggle, it was the sheer size of the cast. With so many families, backstories, and social connections, I kept having to flip back in my mind to remember who was who, especially during the first half of the book. I feel if there had been a few less side characters, I think the emotional punch of the main story might have been even stronger.

An incredibly important part of audiobooks is the narration, to which Marin Ireland 100% nailed it. Her performance was outstanding, she brought the characters to life and helped keep each character distinct, which was a huge help given the wide cast.

The ending was equal parts sorrowful and beautiful. It really tugged at my heartstrings in the best way. This is my first experience with Court Stevens, and I can genuinely say I will be keeping an eye out for future works of hers, as I genuinely enjoyed this layered mystery.

Thank you Harper Muse Audiobooks, Court Stevens, and NetGalley for providing me with an advanced listener's copy (ALC) of this heartfelt mystery in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed are solely my own.

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 (rounded up to 4)

“The heart, hope, and pacing of Fredrik Backman’s Beartown meets the Southern atmospheric storytelling of Flannery O’Connor in Court Stevens’s adult debut novel.” 👈 This description + Marin Ireland narration led me to jump on this book! I wasn’t familiar with Court Stevens’ YA books and went in with not many expectations although the Frederick Backman comparison had me eager to see what this was about!

Overall, I enjoyed this book and was eager to pick it up to see what would happen next and how it would all pan out. I especially enjoyed some of the exceptionally poignant, perfectly delivered lines and passages through this book. I really enjoyed the character development of the MCs, yet also struggled to keep some of the secondary characters straight and how they fit in. I can usually keep up with simultaneous storylines and quite a few characters, but this one had too many that didn’t quite relate nor come together well in my opinion.

🎧 I already mentioned that Marin Ireland was one of the reasons I wanted to pick up this book, and as usual I loved her narration!

The mystery of this one was intriguing and kept me going. If you’re into character-driven literary mysteries, I would recommend giving this one a try!

Read if you enjoy: complicated relationships, multiple POVs, second chances, small town vibes

This book had a lot going on—so many characters and intersecting storylines that it was hard to keep track at times. The central thread is an unsolved murder of nine girls in Kentucky from 20 years ago, which resurfaces after the suspicious death of a man involved in an underground illegal auction.

The plot also follows a young woman trying to save her mother’s life, which pulls her deep into this dangerous world. As the story unfolds, the lines between family, friends, loyalty, and betrayal all blur in a tangled web of secrets and violence.

While the premise is definitely compelling, and the stakes are high, I did feel like the crowded cast and shifting narratives made it difficult to fully connect with any one character.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

At its core, TELL ME SOMETHING GOOD is about connection, about the invisible threads that bind people across time. A single accidental death sets off a chain of revelations, linking the present to the brutal unsolved murders of nine women decades earlier. In this small Kentucky town, nothing happens in isolation, and the ripples of a single act spread wider than you can imagine.

Set by the water in small-town Kentucky, you can feel the earthiness in every scene - the muddy shoreline, the crisp autumn air, the closeness of a place where everyone knows your business. The characters are vivid and lived-in, and the relationships are so complex I wanted to map them out just to keep up.

Stevens’s writing is poignant, often funny, occasionally sentimental, and always emotionally resonant. Moments where she breaks the fourth wall and addresses the reader directly are startling and effective.

The audiobook narration is excellent: full of empathy, perfectly paced, and well-suited to the emotional gravity of the story.

This was my first Court Stevens book, but it won’t be my last. Fans of Tracey Lange will find a similar focus on complicated families and emotional depth but with a darker, more intimate tone.

I LOVE Carl Hiassen's mysteries, ​and "Tell Me Something Good's" sardonic wit​ and characters feel like they could’ve stepped out of one of his ​b​ooks.​ BUT. Court Stevens has added some gentle redemption and love that reduces Hiassen's snark and makes this a bit more palatable for these heavy times.
​Having grown up with a grandparents' hay barn, and thoroughly ignoring adult warnings to stay out of the barn, the idea of a yacht hidden beneath the hay is enticing - imagine swinging out on a rope hanging from a rafter and dropping into...a boat!
​A wonderful escape!