This was my first book by Faith Gardner and it definitely won’t be my last. I went in expecting a typical murder mystery, but I was completely wrong in the best way. Breakneck Bay delivers a missing person case, a possible serial killer, and a web of dark, buried secrets.

When a teen employee from the Breakneck Bay Water Park goes missing, all eyes fall on Mitch Blue. But why is he being targeted? Mitch and his wife, Kit, are newlyweds, beloved in their small town, and both work at the park, surely they couldn’t be involved in something so sinister.

As the investigation unfolds, something from Mitch’s past resurfaces… and there’s no escaping what comes next. Gripping, twisty, and layered, this one kept me guessing until the very end.

What a wild ride--pun intended.

Two teen girls have gone missing at this water park. Worse? The second victim was found in a bloody mess. In the manager's office. By his wife who also works at the park.

The mystery builds as the suspense intensifies and the to grows darker. Our main character seems unreliable at times, her mental state starting to break under pressure. I loved the '80s atmosphere. Perfect summer thriller.

4 ⭐️
Thank you NetGalley for this ARC!
With a title like Breakneck Bay, I knew there had to be more to this book than the dangerous amusement park most of it takes place in. What a ride this story goes on.
Kit, our main character, shows up to work one day to find her husband’s (the park manager) office covered in blood and teeth. Oh and a teenager who also works at the park? She’s missing. What follows is a suspenseful and twisty mess that Kit has to weave through in order to find out who in her life is lying, and if that means that she’s also in danger.
This was fun, quick-paced, and had me doubting Kit’s mentality at times. Rhonda, her teenage sidekick, reminded me a lot of Missy from Yellowjackets in a good way. Overall, I enjoyed this read and look forward to more from Faith Gardner.

Breakneck Bay is fast read with enough suspense to keep you quickly turning the pages. Meet Kit, an employee at an ole run down water park in a small town. Kit has recently married Mitch, who helps run the park.
This story is told in a few different timelines and two different POV’s. Kit’s and “Hawk’s”. Hawk is a serial killer in the 70’s who is fascinated with young teenage girls.
Things at the waterpark heat up when one of the employees go missing. They already had the tragic passing of another young girl before, what is going on at Breakneck Bay?

When I first started this book. I thought it was about too cheesy for my liking, but the further I read, the darker the book got. I had read The Mirror House Girls, and liked that one, so I kept going with this one. I’m glad I did. I found Hawk to be an interesting character. Good versus evil struggles going on.
Although I don’t think there is a big surprise at the end, there are some twists along the way. I enjoyed this one for a quick book to pop in your beach bag. 3.5 stars rounded up.

Thank you to NetGalley and Mirror House Press for the early copy. This book was published on July 24,2025.

This was my first Faith Gardner novel and I liked the suspense and throwback to a time where cell phones and GPS didn't exist. Kept me guessing until the very end, and I loved the bonus epilogue!

Definitely recommending and checking out her other books

Breakneck Bay is the first book I’ve read by Faith Gardner, and wow! What a ride! It definitely won’t be the last. I picked it up during my summer break, and it was exactly what I needed: fast-paced, chilling, and addictive. From the very first chapter, I was hooked. The suspense builds quickly and doesn’t let up, and there’s this eerie, almost horror-movie vibe that gave me goosebumps more than once. The setting is absolutely spot-on: moody, atmospheric, and vividly described.

And let’s talk about the ending! Finally, a thriller that sticks the landing! It was satisfying and well thought-out. If you’re into thrillers that are dark, twisty, and impossible to put down, this one’s for you. Highly recommend!

Breakneck Bay is adaptly named. It's an amusement park that is a little run-down and the place to be for teenagers in the summer. Warning signs are posted everywhere in the park.

"Ride at your own risk - thrills aren't for wimps!"

It's 1982 and the summer is hot. Kit is newly married to Mitch, the Manager of the park. One day an ugly crime scene is found in Mitch's office. There's blood splattered everywhere and some missing teeth found at the scene. Also one of the teen girls that works there has not shown up for her shift. This one will keep you guessing! There are some chapters that go back in time.

There's plenty of 1980's nostalgia and it's quick paced. I was entertained! I did want more from the theme park aspect though. The best part was buddy reading this with Darlin' Darla. Be sure to check out her review and thoughts.

If you sign-up for the author's newsletter you will get access to an epilogue from a certain character's point of view. I'm excited to read that.

Published July 24, 2025

I'd like to thank NetGalley and Mirror House Press for granting me access to this Advance Re

Overall, this was a very tense thriller book. I really enjoyed Kit, our main character, who we see as someone who wasn't put off by certain things and was willing to look deep for answers. The inclusion of reports was a nice touch, especially with the inclusion of intimate details. The plot was that an employee of an infamous waterpark disappears, and what happened to her was interesting. The POV chapters of the Canine Killer were good, along with his dark reasoning to do such things. Unfortunately, I did see Mitch, Kit's husband, turning out to be the Canine Killer, pretty cliche and predictable. The ending was nice and left me wondering what Kit will do now after learning everything about Mitch. This was a decent thriller novel with plenty of suspense.

The way I flew through this book in less than 24 hours was insane. I was hooked and felt SO bad for Kit throughout the story. Highly recommend!

What amusement parks have made your summers special? For me it was Adventureland in Altoona, Iowa and Worlds of Fun in Kansas City. So many great memories from swirling in the teacups and the scrambler, going upside own on The Orient Express, or getting splashed on the log ride.

I don't recall any bloody office scenes, rattlesnakes, or people getting carried out on stretchers.

Breakneck Bay is not the fond memories type of park. Owner Creighton is lacking in empathy, misogynistic, and greedy. Kit Blue has come to work at Breakneck Bay for the summer so she can work alongside her husband Mitch, the park manager. Kit is assigned to The Ouch Shack and spends her day applying bandaids, mopping up vomit, and applying iodine.

Then the weird blood scene is staged in her husband's office, his truck is vandalized, and things escalate. Detective Plough investigates, but things move pretty slowly. Kit starts doing some detecting of her own with some assistance from the nerdy, but resourceful Rhonda (think Velma from Scooby Doo).

I don't want to give too much away. The Terrific Tina and I had a good time reading this one together. We both especially loved the 1980's setting and hoped for more amusement from the park setting. Be sure to check out her 4-star review for another look at this new release.

Thank you to Faith Gardner, Mirror House Press, and NetGalley for a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review. This book was available on July 24, 2025.

Breakneck Bay - Faith Gardner

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

"AC/DC," Rhonda says, eyeing Freddie's T-shirt. "Are you an electrician?" "No, I just like to rock," he says.”

When a teenage employee vanishes from the notorious waterpark Breakneck Bay, leaving behind a blood‑soaked crime scene, suspicion quickly falls on park manager Mitch Blue—forcing his newlywed wife Kit to confront unsettling truths about their marriage and Mitch’s murky past.

Thanks to NetGalley and Mirror House Press for the ARC! A thriller set at an amusement park is right up my alley. I would have loved more of the park’s gossip and intricacies but this was a great read! While I thought some of the twists were predictable, I still enjoyed second guessing myself and being surprised in other ways. I look forward to reading more of Gardner’s thrillers!

Breakneck Bay is a quick, creepy read set in a rundown 1980s waterpark—a setting that’s honestly the best part of the book. Faith Gardner nails the retro vibes, and you can practically feel the grime and hear the clanking roller coasters.

The story follows Kit, a newlywed working at the park who starts suspecting something’s off—especially after a teen worker goes missing. The dual POV with another character adds tension, though some of the twists were a bit predictable.

It’s entertaining and fast, but the ending felt a little too tidy and some characters could’ve used more depth. Still, if you’re into nostalgic thrillers with weird summer-job energy, it’s worth a shot.

Wow. This is my first book from Faith Gardner, but it won't be the last.

This story is set in the 80s at Breakneck Bay, a sketchy waterpark with a bad reputation. Kit started working there because her husband, Mitch, is friends with the owner, and since they are newly married, she's joining the team too. But things start going wrong immediately.

This story is fairly predictable, but that feels intentional in this story. We are introduced to several characters, who all have distinct voices, and throughout, we are never really sure who is telling the truth. One thing I liked is that some characters are unreliable, and it's a known fact that they can't be entirely trusted. I liked that the author took the unreliable narrator aspect and then had it add to the story. Even when you think you're following the clues, these characters make you start to doubt yourself.

Another thing I enjoyed was the timeframe of the story. The 1980s setting actually adds to the suspense, because there is no internet to research on, and no cell phone in case of emergency. It added to the eeriness of this entire story.

I did not see that ending coming. It was extremely satisfying. My only real criticism of this story is that I wish Kit's character had more time to develop and really reflect on her past. I think that would have been really impactful to the story, but it's not something that makes or breaks this being a great thriller.

I'd highly recommend "Breakneck Bay". It was fast-paced, the water park environment was different and felt fresh, and I was hooked the entire time.

This book is so amazing! It’s very well written and a great, exciting read!
The story itself was suspenseful and enjoyable, The characters were great and the style of writing was perfect.
An intriguing story with characters who draw you in and keeps you flipping the pages.
I didn’t want to stop reading the story until I knew how it was going to end!

Really enjoyed this summer thriller! A 1980’s water park setting where a girl goes missing and lots of dysfunctional employees? Sign me up! A woman and her husband work at the water park and when a woman goes missing, the police come to investigate. Her husbands office is found with blood everywhere and he is now a suspect in the disappearance. Kit has dealt with a lot in her life and now her husband, Mitch is a suspect. She has a flaky brother who is always on the run and only brings trouble with him when he sees her. She needs to find Gloria and with help from Rhonda a teen employee she starts to get to work. I really enjoyed this thriller!

Breakneck Bay is a fast, moody thriller set in an ’80s death-trap of a waterpark. Kit suspects her new husband might be tied to a teen’s bloody disappearance, and things spiral from there. The setting is vividly gross in the best way—think moldy chlorine and bad decisions, but the twist is a little too easy to spot. Still, it’s a bingeable ride with a killer atmosphere and just enough menace to keep you hooked.

I enjoyed this book! Although I did predict quite a bit of it, it was still an enjoyable read. I definitely felt the 80’s vibes it was emitting. This would be great for someone who’s maybe just getting into thrillers.

Thank you Mirror House Press and NetGalley for this ARC copy of Breakneck Bay by Faith Gardner

This thriller is a mostly dual POV book following our protagonist, Kit Blue who works at the run down Breakneck Bay water park alongside her husband Mitch. A girl seemingly goes missing and this starts a chain of events that eventually reveals a serial killer in their midst.

The story flashes back to our serial killers POV who calls themselves Hawk so we see their perspective and understand them better. Eventually the killer is revealed and the consequences of that will leave Kit and others changed forever.

This was a solid read that I got through fairly quickly (always nice for a thriller) however it was quite evident early on who the killer was which was a touch disappointing.

This was a nice easy read after some longer more intense ones recently so very much one to add to your holiday list if you want something simple in the sun.

I love the premise of a waterpark in the 80s where everything is not so safe. We have a missing person, bloody crime scene and lots of suspicious people. I love the dual POVs and felt like I got to know the characters well. A great summer read.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher

•ARC review•
3.75/5

This is a great summer based psychological thriller! Reading this had my heart pounding and gave me anxiety about what was going to happen to Kit and the others at Breackneck Bay.

I thought the story was super fast paced and I loved the dual point of view from the killer and Kit. I started to put the pieces together about half way through and was right about who the killer was, but it was still a very entertaining read and had some shocking revelations.

I wish there was a little more shock at the end. It ties the story up in a nice bow, which kind of helps round out the gruesome details throughout the book though.

Overall, the writing is descriptive and creepy. The plot is very interesting and kept me on the edge of my seat! Thanks NetGalley and to the author for letting me read your story early!