I like this book. I got to the point where I had to keep reading. I was able to guess some of the plot points, but it didn't negate the quality of the book.
As the mom of an almost 4 year old, there were two major plot lines that were hard for me to read, but they were handled well.
I like of would like to keep reading about these characters, so I hope there's a sequel coming.

A fun, quick read. The writing was clunky and on the nose at times, and the mystery was (intentionally?) pretty obvious. But, the atmosphere was cool and I enjoyed the read overall.

Separate note: The New England author inserted a lot of clunky stereotypes about southerners, which left our protagonist aghast as she encountered them. (I have spent my life in Mississippi, South Carolina, Tennessee, and all over Alabama. I have never heard anyone insist on calling the Civil War the War of Northern Aggression. Others might have a different experience than me, but I hate that this was the ay the author chose to introduce us to her southern setting. This is just one example.) I hoped it was heading toward a resolution where our main character learned not to make sweeping assumptions about people, but that didn't seem to be the case. We end with her begrudgingly admitting to visit her new boyfriend's home in Texas. And, for an author who seems to think so highly of herself and her allyship towards the LGBTQ community, her comments about "gaydars" and figuring out who was gay were super awkward and stereotypical.

3.6

A little too predictable, but I enjoyed the characters, setting, and plotting. A good story.

The first half of this book was so interesting and intriguing. Then it started to drag, drag, drag. I mean, how many times does she have to ask herself the same damn questions over and over and over again?

This made me come home and hug my little just a little longer. I wasn’t expecting the topic otherwise I would have never read it. I’m glad I pushed through those feelings and finished the book. Beautiful even I guessed most of the plot... had me in tears.

First of all: this is not Southern gothic. That implies a certain level of social commentary that is not present here. This is just a romance-laden "mystery" that happens to be set mostly in the South. It's an easy read with decent pacing. Unfortunately, it just was not a novel for me. I guessed 90% of the twists, including some that made me roll my eyes. Hard. This includes the fate of Gideon, the boy who went missing decades ago. I didn't like any of the characters, Charlie was weirdly calm throughout the most dangerous of situations, and the writing of Southern characters' speech phonetically came across weirdly condescending.

I received an ARC from Penguin's First to Read.

Charlie has just lost her son and she begins having dreams about children that need help. Real children that only she can help. She takes a job in Louisiana in order to investigate a missing child cold case. When she steps out of the car, she is in the middle of a scene in one of her dreams. A true Southern Gothic

3.5

Very predictable. I guessed the ending halfway through the book.