oh wow!!!! I have no idea what I was expecting, other than a similar style to THE APPEAL - and I’m so glad to be proven both right and wrong at the same time 😮‍💨

keeping the genius style of describing the case through emails, interviews and texts, the focus on a true crime (fictional in terms of the story) upped the level of the drama and plot! by leaning on a cold case with gruesome consequences, the stakes were so much higher, and I felt like janice created a much more serious tone rather than the cozy vibes of THE APPEAL 

and the plot itself had me absolutely mind-blown!! it had the elements of a spooky horror novel but transformed into a divine novel, letting the reader question whether the events of the story are truly mystical or whether there’s an explanation for it all

and can we talk about that ending?? I was shocked 

amanda was the perfect investigative MC to follow, and while the book itself was so long, it didn’t feel like it at all - I binged it in two days! this is definitely one that I’m going to want to re-read and look for everything I missed the first time 🤯🤯🤯

a huge thank you to netgalley and atria / simon and schuster for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!! my favorite janice novel yet!

rating: 4.5 stars
wine pairing: left bank bordeaux blend