If you are looking for something dark to read, then this is it.

This thriller/crime is set in Alaska (the location already gives it that cold, ominous town vibe). A woman is murdered, and three others go missing. Audra is a detective who starts to investigate the case which happens to be very personal. We also meet Valorie who ends up being a suspect in this storyline and she happens to have D.I.D and the daughter of a cult leader in this town. The story becomes quite interesting, intriguing, and shifty. I think the character building was written fairly well. The whole D.I.D thing kind of set me up for one thing, in the beginning, and I liked that it's not what you expect. It's different from other thrillers, which is why I appreciate it. It is fast-paced, which is another reason why I liked the book. If you're someone who has triggers or mental trauma, you might want to look into the trigger warnings before reading any further. The book does go into trauma that may not be suitable for some. It's definitely dark and I would definitely read it all over again.

The Red Knot by Monique Asher is a horror novel in the vein Lovecraft with a cult hell bent on keeping its evil alive.

On an island off the coast of Alaska three girls have gone missing with a connection to a disturbed woman whose murky past involving the disappearances unleashes a torrent of evil on the island. A monster, red string, and grisly murders force Audra, a police investigator to explore the dark history of the island and its insidious cult.

The Red Knot was an unsettling horror novel with bloody and grotesque crimes that examined trauma and cults and the evil that lives inside of human beings. For me, it got a little too dark and heavy, although I did appreciate the trigger warnings provided at the beginning of the book. The horror reminded me a little of HP Lovecraft which I didn't mind. There were enough twists and turns to keep me interested in what was happening, and I liked the unreliable character Valerie, whose internal struggles mirrored the supernatural occurrences on the island.

If you are a fan of horror stories with dark mythic themes, check out The Red Knot by Monique Asher.

Missing girls, small-town horror, cults, isolated island off the coast of Alaska?!? This book encompassed so many of my favorite tropes! It was fast paced, it gave me anxiety, and I couldn't put it down! It was such a dark read that I had to give myself a few breaths before going on. For an author to elicit that emotion from me is rare!!! Valerie is the daughter of a cult leader, and she has dissociative identity disorder from the trauma she has endured while a part of the cult. Time is running out for the three girls who are missing. When I say this has been one of the best books I have read this year, I am not kidding!

3.75/5 stars rounded up.

This was such an ominous and dark read! Set on an Alaskan island, a woman is found murdered, and other girls have gone missing. It becomes a race for Detective Audra to try to find out what happened to the murdered island therapist and to save the missing girls. She soon discovers that these present-day crimes might be connected to some gruesome past murders.

Audra starts looking into Valorie, who suffers from memory loss and is also the daughter of the town's infamous cult leader. As Audra dives into her investigation, she starts to uncover dark secrets and doesn't know who she can trust.

The book maintains an eerie, dark tone throughout the whole story. I really enjoyed the writing in this and the character development. One character in particular is incredibly fascinating. Valorie, at the beginning of the book, is immediately revealed to suffer from multiple personality disorder (clinically known as dissociative identity disorder). Her mind has split from her childhood traumas and has caused her memory to have chunks missing. Valorie will occasionally wake up without any recollection of past days. All she has is a deep feeling of dread that something awful has happened in her absence. I've read only a handful of books about DID but never fail to be amazed by them.

The crimes within this book are disturbing and gruesome. There is some sensitive content within this book dealing with rape, but it wasn't overly detailed. Sometimes authors will place too much emphasis on these scenes and describing the actual act to the point where it feels like a fantasy. I didn't think that was the case here. While still uncomfortable, it didn't feel drawn out. The mystery and sleuthing in this book was attention-grabbing. I loved seeing the investigation unfold and all of the pieces start to come together.

Most of the book was gripping: the story, the mystery, the characters. But I also felt as though it dragged on at certain points. I lost a bit of steam about midway through the book, where I felt like not much progress was being made, but the feeling didn't last too long, and it quickly picked back up. This was mostly what knocked my rating down.

I struggled a bit with the shifting perspectives as well. The story unfolds under the POV of Audra (lead detective) and Valorie. But Valorie, we also would follow under her split personalities. The story would also jump between present day and the past. While it did work and it did add to the story, it didn't always feel as seamless to me as I think it could've.

As someone who is generally incredibly intrigued by DID and cults, this book was a fun ride. There were parts that were a bit predictable and others that weren't. There were some revenge scenes towards the end which felt incredibly gratifying to read. Definitely worth the read, but be sure to check the content warnings before picking this one up.

Thank you to NetGalley and Rising Action Publishing for the arc. All opinions are my own.

TW: Body horror, Cancer, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Incest, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Terminal illness, Torture, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Stalking, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis, Injury/Injury detail.

Thank you Netgalley and Rising Action for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

“The Red Knot” by Asher Monique is a chilling, unflinching dive into the rot beneath the surface of a small, isolated Alaskan town—one that blends cult horror, psychological suspense, and cosmic dread into a haunting thriller you won’t be able to put down. I definitely recommend looking into content warnings for this book before you die is as there is a lot of blood and gore, which some readers may not be comfortable with reading.

The story centers on Valorie Clemens, daughter of a long-dead cult leader whose shadow still looms over the town of Typhon. When her therapist is found murdered and Valorie is discovered bloodied and disoriented in the woods, she becomes the prime suspect. But Typhon is not the kind of place where things are ever that simple. As the investigation spirals, long-buried secrets claw their way to the surface—and it’s clear that someone will do anything to keep them hidden.

The story thrives on tension, slowly layering horror upon horror. Monique conjures the perfect storm of ingredients: missing girls, a suspicious local elite, a storm-wracked town cut off from the outside world, and a community that’s bound together not by trust, but by shared silence and fear. Monique’s use of dual unreliable perspectives adds to the disorientation and intrigue. Valorie's struggle with dissociative identity disorder is woven deeply into the story; though I personally don’t know much about DID, the condition is explored in a way that heightens the psychological complexity of the mystery.

What makes “The Red Knot” especially compelling is its refusal to stick to genre expectations. Just when you think you're reading a standard small-town murder thriller, Monique pushes the story into something darker and stranger, edging into cosmic horror as the nature of “the monster” becomes less about what’s out there and more about what’s inside—inside people, inside memories, inside the town itself.

And yes, it’s absolutely twisty. “The Red Knot” thrives on atmosphere, trauma, and the slow unraveling of reality. The final reveal is shocking, but Monique seeds the story with enough eerie foreshadowing that it lands with jaw-dropping clarity. Characters like Audra add emotional depth, especially in the wake of her best friend’s death, reminding us that in a town this insular, loss is never just personal—it’s communal, and often contagious. The entire cast feels flawed, raw, and painfully human, adding weight to every decision and betrayal.

Overall, “The Red Knot” is a gorgeously written nightmare—a razor-sharp, emotionally complex thriller that will make your heart pound and your skin crawl. It’s fast, it’s shocking, and it’s got something to say about generational trauma, secrecy, and survival. This one isn’t just a story you read—it’s one you feel in your bones. Highly recommended for fans of horror thrillers, unreliable narrators, cult mysteries, and books that make you question everything.

This book was an absolute rollercoaster! Asher masterfully dropped clues all along the way, keeping every character and move shrouded in mystery. I found myself questioning everyone’s intentions, never knowing who was playing their own game and who was actually trustworthy. The suspense was constant, and the twists kept me on the edge of my seat.

I’ll definitely be diving into more of Asher’s work after this. If you love unpredictable stories full of tension and surprises, this one’s for you!

I loved this book! Set against the haunting, atmospheric backdrop of a remote Alaskan island, The Red Knot had me hooked by page three and completely consumed into the early hours of the morning. I'm already drawn to stories set in Alaska—between books and reality shows, it’s a setting I can’t get enough of—and this one delivered everything I hoped for and more.

The story is layered, suspenseful, and filled with twists that kept me guessing. Just when I thought I had things figured out, the plot twisted again—masterfully. The blend of small-town secrets, cult undertones, and occult mystery created an eerie, edge-of-your-seat read. Audra is a strong lead, and the psychological unraveling of Valorie added so much emotional depth and darkness.

If you love chilling mysteries with a slow-burning build, unforgettable setting, and deeply buried secrets, this one is a must-read. Dark, gripping, and totally unputdownable.

An engrossing, fast-paced thriller about the secrets and darkness hidden in an isolated, small Alaskan town–one which goes far beyond your typical cult thriller, embracing elements of cosmic horror to explore the concept of the monsters within.

Valorie Clemens is the daughter of a notorious cult leader–a stain on the island's history. When her therapist, Allie, is found murdered, Valorie–who is found roaming the woods, bloodied–immediately becomes the prime suspect. In the course of speaking with Allie, Valorie may be stirring up old memories–ones which someone would rather keep hidden.

I've read enough small-town thrillers to immediately guess that the men who run this town were up to no good (duh) but I was not prepared for the other revelations. One of the other reviews said, "trust no one," but trust me–you're not going to be able to predict where this one goes. While the plot twist is "unbelievable", several foreshadowed moments become so much clearer in light of the reveal.

I'm no expert on disassociative identity disorder, so I can't speak to the accuracy or sensitivity of its portrayal–but I did find Valorie's experience and her alters compelling from a literary and plot perspective.

Overall, an engaging page-turner with plenty of surprises that manages to bring fresh elements to what might otherwise have been a typical small-town thriller.

3.5: The Red Knot

Audra is a detective living on a tiny island off the Alaskan coast. The community is fairly tight-nit; everyone knows everything about everyone. But the island's history is not-so-idyllic; girls keep disappearing, and a cult seems to be at the bottom of everything.

Monique Asher's book "Don't Eat the Pie" was one of my top fav reads from 2024, so when I was given the chance to read an ARC for The Red Knot I was literally giddddddddyyyyy. Unfortunately for me, the vibe of this book is much darker and different than her last book. This one is a bit of a blend between thriller/mystery and psychological horror, and the tone overall is much heavier.

The writing is solid, and I legit felt deep emotions for the characters. But for ME the subject content was just rough to read, and I found myself avoiding reading it at night before bed because it did make me feel icky. (Which, again, is a statement to Asher's incredible writing talents - more often than not I can deal with darker content, but dude this felt really real and heavy.)

BUT I GOTTA SAY THIS: the twist at the end was freaking PERFECTION. *chef kiss*

If you are a fan of cults, suspense/thrillers, horror, and can handle the content warnings ... give this a go. For reference, the style reminded me a bit of Noelle Ihli's later books.

CW: (Murder, rape, gore, body horror, mental health (dissociative identity disorder), cheating, kidnapping)

Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. All views expressed are my own.

Thank you to NetGalley, author Monique Asher and Rising Action publishing for the ARC and opportunity to review this book.

This was a roller coaster of a book. So many twists and surprises. I was heavily invested and didn’t want to stop reading. I was sure the ending was going to be a killer but unfortunately it became too unrealistic. The rest of the book was great, great plot, so many characters (it was actually hard to keep up with the vast amount of characters in the book). I wish the author had gone with a more realistic ending which would have become a 5 star read.

3⭐️⭐️⭐️

Publishes Aug 26

The Red Knot

I was not disappointed at all. Great story, great plot, and awful people.
A good craving crusher if you are a big fan of True Detective or Black Spot.

On an island in Alaska, the only town of Typhon, there have been weird things going on. Two teenage girls have gone missing, no leads, no suspects. Until a murder happens and all hell breaks loose. One narrator is unreliable, while the other is only seeing things in one perspective.

Secrets are revealed and fingers crossed the children of the island do not pay for the sins of their parents

What could go wrong on an isolated island that has spotty cell service and a killer on the loose? Nothing too bad, missing kids, possible cover ups, maybe bears?

There is several trigger warnings - Murder, rape, gore, body horror, mental health (dissociative identity disorder), cheating, and kidnapping. ALWAYS CHECK THE LIST if you are uncertain usually an author's website will have it.


Thank You to the publishers and NetGalley for the book in exchange for an honest review.

The book was a page turner. I found myself so immersed in the story I didn’t want to put it down. Strong plot and interesting characters and a slow burn. I love these types of stories.

This is a horror read that I won’t soon forget. It was horrifying, grotesque, and left very little to the imagination because it was all so vividly explained.

It was haunting.

I will recommend this read to everyone from now on! If you love horror, and body horror is your thing, you need to check this one out asap.

Thank you very much to Rising Action Publoshing Co. and NetGalley for an ARC of this book. All opinions are my own and are no way influenced by the manner in which I received it.

No rating - DNF at 20%

Audra is the town detective on a small island off the Alaskan coast. Her good friend, therapist Allie has been murdered and Allie’s daughter Hayley is missing. Two other teenage girls in town were already missing and tensions are high.

Valorie is the primary suspect. She was found near the crime scene covered in blood. She is the daughter of a cult leader and has significant mental issues and large gaps in her memory.

Who has the girls and are there more secrets about the history of the island?

The POV goes back and forth between Audra and Valorie, and when it is with Valorie, considering her mental illness, it is difficult to read. Her thought aren’t really linear and she speaks of things that, perhaps, will be made clear later in the novel but are just confusing now and the story isn’t grabbing me such that I want to work that hard at it. So I’m letting this one go.

what an amazing and horribly gruesome story!! at first, i wasn't too sure i would really enjoy this book, but i VERY quickly got swallowed in and couldn't stop reading. please please check out trigger warnings for this book!!! it gets VERY dark. it was such a stressful and good story. i don't even know what else to say, i think anyone who has dealt with a not great men in their life will very much relate to parts to this book.

This was extremely suspenseful and well written. It had me guessing until the end. It was difficult to read about some of the things that happened to children in the book. I wish I would have been more careful reading the trigger warnings. But that’s my fault and not the author’s and does not at all affect my rating os the book. It was suspenseful, full of horror, and well written all around.

Amazing phychological horror thriller with a thought through plot, likable characters and atmospheric setting.

Typhon, AK has a horrific past. And it's time figure it out.

We see two pows, two women. One clear in her way, but lost in hee mind. Another lost on her way, but clear in mind. Or so it seems. Both need to get to the end. Find themselves. Find the girls. Solve the mysteries, choose answers for the unknown. Both narrations support each other, connecting the stories, confirming parts of the narration, filling its gaps, and in so, helping us to understand the past and the present. Up until, while everything seems to get clearer, we get more and more lost in the past, in the reasons to trust the narrators' minds or people around them.

I didn't quite like the turn of the truth in the end. It would be better for me if it stayed without the 'metaphor' that wasn't a metaphor.

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Thanks to NetGalley and Rising Action Publishing for providing me with this free eARC in exchange for my honest review!

The Red Knot by Monique Asher is a beautifully haunting story that stayed with me long after I finished reading it. From the very first page, I could feel the weight of the narrative, the pull of its complex characters and the atmosphere that lingers throughout. Asher’s writing is subtle but powerful, drawing you into a world that feels both familiar and unsettling at the same time.

The story is an intricate dance of emotion, mystery, and self-discovery. At its heart, The Red Knot is about the connections we make, the secrets we keep, and the paths we choose—even when they seem impossible. The main character’s journey is one of personal growth, but it’s also about facing the truth, no matter how painful or difficult that may be.

What struck me most was the way Asher develops her characters. They feel so real—flawed, complicated, and deeply human. Each character carries their own baggage, but it’s how they navigate their relationships with one another that brings the depth and richness to the story. There’s an emotional weight to every decision, every interaction, and that made the stakes feel personal.

Asher also weaves a sense of quiet tension throughout, with subtle hints at something deeper lurking beneath the surface. The pacing is steady, but it never feels slow, always moving forward, revealing just enough at the right moments. It’s the kind of book that invites you to pause and reflect as you read, challenging you to think about your own connections, choices, and what it means to find peace.

By the end, I felt like I had journeyed with these characters, and I was left with a bittersweet sense of resolution. The Red Knot is a poignant and introspective read that explores themes of love, loss, and redemption in a way that feels both timeless and deeply relevant. I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys literary fiction that’s rich in both heart and thought.

**Thank you Netgalley & the publisher for providing an arc in exchange for an honest review.**

All I will say before you go into this is: no one can be trusted.

That was a wild ride. Asher left crumbs down every path making every move and every character suspicious, I did not know who was going to be in on this and who was genuine. I'll definitely be checking out more of Asher's work!

The Red Knot was a rollercoaster ride, in the best way possible. It also came with thriller and mystery vibes. I could not put this book down! It caught my attention right from the very beginning. This book is full on horror from beginning to end. It had my heart racing, made me feel anxious and kept my attention the entire time! This author has now become one of my favorite horror authors! The passion and the creativity of this horror author more than exceeded my expectations. If I could give this more stars, I would!

The setting of this story is located on a beautiful secluded Alaskan island. It centers around a woman named Valerie, who has dissociative identity disorder. Her disorder is due to extreme trauma in her past and was a daughter of a cult leader. As the story goes on, Valerie ends up being covered in blood and does not have any recollection as to why. Someone ends up dying and everyone on this thriller island is a suspect. I had no idea what was going to happen as I was reading this book! It is full of twists, turns, secrets and unexpected events! I rate this book a 5 out of 5 star rating!

The content warnings of this book include kidnapping, murder, gore, mental health illness (D.I.D.), body horror, cheating, rape and death.

Thank you to NetGalley, author Monique Asher and Rising Action Publishing for this digital advanced reader’s copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This book is set to be published on August 26, 2025!