Great thriller, could no put it down through all the twists and turns. Would highly recommend to fans of this genre.

Old sins and new beginnings. New sins and old secrets.

With Karen Katchur you are never in for “just” mystery. And mystery might not even be the most important plot in her books! They are more on the human drama side, accompanied with the mysteries. And this modus operandi is fine with me, I even actively look for it.
So yes, this pattern applies here, too. Becca returns to her hometown to visit with her dying dad and maybe even to confront her past - only her past does not wait for the invitation and it confronts Becca swiftly, as the killings starts - again.
I would even call this novel to be a “coming-of-age” kind of novel, because Becca finally learns to face the secrets and some twisted relationships head-on, which results in her maturing, as I see it. Because Becca has been brought up in the dysfunctional family and the dysfunctional town, where the biker gangs rule, the secrets are in the open and novody ever does anything to really see and really help. I understand how this kind of education can violate the soul - and there are also the suppressed memories. So while I do not like Becca, I get her. Paradoxically, I like John, the biker with the cause and with some conscience and strange love in his heart. John I get, too, and I see his tragedy.

Whodunnit and whydunnit this is not. But it is a very good portrayal of some twisted community, operating on unspoken rules. As this can be us.

NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer provided me with an electronic copy of River Bodies. I voluntarily chose to review this book and my opinion is freely given.

Becca Kingsley reluctantly returns to Portland, Pennsylvania to be with her estranged father, who is dying. The small town is full of memories for the woman, especially since her childhood sweetheart, Parker Reed, is now a detective. When a crime scene yields similarities to a cold case from Becca's childhood, will this dig up long forgotten memories for the woman?

Although I did like the premise of this novel, prompting me to buy a copy of the book after receiving an advanced copy, the author did not deliver. River Bodies is a mystery, but definitely not a thrilling read. The romance angle seemed forced, while the shadowy figure from Becca's past seemed to be there only to move the plot forward. Overall, I could not forge a connection with the characters or the story as a whole. For these reasons, I would be hesitant to recommend River Bodies to other readers.

This book was thrilling and fast paced. I really enjoyed how all the story wrapped up in the end, and, while I wasn't shocked, I was pleasantly surprised. I'll be continuing with more books from Karen Katchur int he future.

Autumn in small town America. The leaves on the trees are showing off their best colors, but the people perhaps are not... There has been a brutal murder on the banks of the Delaware River, and the people of the town are not forthcoming with information. This is a tourist town - especially in the fall when nature paints a pretty picture. There is a local farm market next to the pedestrian bridge and the locals want the tourists to view their town as a place where nothing bad could happen. Yet, this town is also the home of the Scions. A violent motorcycle gang...

"If the people in Portland knew how to do one thing, it was to turn their backs, to look the other way, especially if it didn't concern them, especially if it involved the Scions."

Becca Kingsley, a devoted veterinary surgeon, has returned home to this town for two reasons. Her live-in partner, an attorney, has been cheating on her AND her father, the town's former police chief, is dying of cancer. Becca's relationship with her father has been distant for most of her adult life. She remembers his womanizing ways. She remembers that he sent her away - that he made her forget something she wished she hadn't seen.

Only the day before she moved back home, while jogging beside the Delaware River, Becca witnesses something that will haunt her...

MY THOUGHTS

As the first of a new series, "River Bodies" is a perfect blend of crime fiction and romantic suspense novel. The pacing was 'spot on', and the descriptions well rendered.

The characters were all fully fleshed out making it easy for the reader to be empathetic to their situations. Even the villain of the piece was a person you couldn't help but sympathize with. I love that in a book - giving you the perspectives of all sides.

Becca's first love, detective Parker Reed, was everything one could hope for in a romantic interest, and as a policeman.

Becca Kingsley and her faithful German Shepherd dog Romy, along with detective Parker Reed, were protagonists that I would like to read more of. I am now eagerly looking forward to reading the next books in the Northampton series entitled "Cold Woods" and "Spring Girls". Two more titles for my exploding TBR.

This is a crime novel but also a character study. It is a story of familial relationships, betrayals, regret, loyalty, repressed memories, and moral dilemmas. Overall, an easy, enjoyable read that I can highly recommend!

Title: River Bodies
Author: Karen Katchur
Rating: 4 stars

When I requested this book I thought this will be your typical crime story. And in a way it is.

Becca returns to her home town to spend time with her estranged, dying father. Soon after she arrives, she runs into Parker Reed, her childhood best friend and love. Parker is a cop who investigates a murder which is similar to another crime that happened 20 years before. As Becca struggles with her emotions, her memories from the past are coming to the surface. She has a connection to both cases, she just doesn’t remember everything. Yet.

What I liked about this book was that it kept me guessing, kept me interested. I liked the pacing and most of the characters too.

What I didn’t like are the unanswared question and there are more than one. When I finished the book I didn’t feel satisfyed, I wanted to know the answers.

This story is mostly about Becca’s struggles with her past tragedies and her current feelings for her boyfriend and her childhood love. There aren’t many policing in the story, just some chapters in which Parker does some investigating but nothing too special.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my copy.

A body just turned up in the small town of Portland, Pennsylvania. The crime is eerily similar to a twenty-year-old cold case: another victim, brutally murdered, found in the Delaware River. Lead detective Parker Reed is intent on connecting the two murders. Becca Kingsley, who returns to Portland to be with her estranged but dying father, runs into Parker, her childhood love. As the daughter of the former police chief, Becca gets involved in this new murder case.

This was a thrilling read and good debut to a new series.

The story is written in different POV. As the story progresses, it also flashes back to twenty years before and fills in the spaces of how the characters arrive at their current situations. It pieces the puzzle together and the author does this masterfully. I honestly enjoyed this book. I have it on my kindle so have no idea why it says NOT DOWNLOADED and I also bought it from Amazon.

It was a good read and kept my interest.

Thank you to #NetGalley and #Thomas & Mercer for the ARC of this book

4 stars

When the daughter of a police chief comes back to her hometown she finds out about a murder and a motorcycle gang being involved. Good start to a new series, this was a fast read. Even if it's a bit predictable I couldn't stop reading and enjoyed the story.

4.5 Stars

Becca Kingsley returns to her hometown after many years. Her father, who was once Police Chief, is dying. She has mixed feelings about her father ... he wasn't always the nicest person she knew and he was a serial cheater and didn't much care who knew.

Becca's been living with Matt for 5 years .... and like her father, he is a serial cheater. Becca takes this opportunity to spend whatever time she can with her father and think about her relationship with Matt.

Just to muddy things even further, Parker Reed, is now a Homicide Detective .. and Becca's first love when they were teenagers.

Throw in a recent murder that is eerily exactly like that of another murder 20 years ago ... and somehow all things point to things that Becca might know. Coming home has brought something menacing to the surface—memories long buried, secrets best kept hidden. Becca starts questioning all her past relationships, including one with a man who’s watched over her for years. For the first time, she wonders if he’s more predator than protector.

RIVER BODIES is an excellent mix a small town murder mystery and a heavy dose of relationships of a diverse nature.

It's well written with alternating chapters of Becca's childhood and the things that are happening to her now. The suspense is slow and steady and heats up with the more she remembers ... leading to an unsuspected, but satisfying ending.

Many thanks to the author / Thomas & Mercer / Netgalley for the digital copy of this crime fiction. Opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.

Karen Katchur treats readers to a slow burn of a romantic suspense novel. River Bodies is a well woven, character driven book. I found it an easy, almost gentle read at times, so apropos to the setting. Northampton County functions as another character in River Bodies, it seems to have a life of its own. The primary characters are complex, I especially liked the lead detective. I dont think I would classify River Bodies as a thriller, but it is a very worthwhile read. I believe the author has another book set in Northampton County and I'll be there for that! 3.5
I received my copy through NetGalley under no obligation.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ / 5

River Bodies by Karen Katchur was a slow burn of a novel that I didn't consider a mystery or a thriller, but I still enjoyed it.

What it's about: Becca Kingsley's dad was the chief of police in Portland, Pennsylvania for many years, but now he is retired and dying. Even though she is estranged from him, when she gets the call that he is nearing the end Becca goes home to be with him. While she is home, a body washes up from the Delaware River and the murder looks a lot like a cold case from years before. The lead detective on the case, Parker, also happens to have been Becca's best friend before she was sent away by her father. Old romances burn again, and the case for Parker to solve the murder begins, while at the same time buried memories from Becca's past begin to resurface. A lot of which have to do with the man, John, that has been watching her...

It all sounds very mysterious but you basically already know who the killer is, even though you do get a twist thrown at you towards the end. I liked the pacing of the book and it was a fast read, but I didn't get thriller out of it. I was at no point on the edge of my seat while reading this, and even the secrets from Becca's past aren't all that shocking. I also thought there were some unanswered questions that bothered me, but maybe the author meant to do that since this book is the first of a series.

River Bodies is also part police procedural as we get the viewpoint of Parker as he is trying to solve the murder and figure out how it ties to the cold case. The small-town mentality was interesting to read about, especially when it came to the biker gang presiding over the town - The Scions. Townspeople don't want to talk, there are dirty cops, and there is a general sense of fear over the townspeople.

I think that Katchur did a really good job at setting the scene and the characters, but maybe there were too many viewpoints? I really disliked that there wasn't much of a mystery to it when that is what I was expecting. Then why did I give it a 4/5? Because the pacing is quick, I read it fast, I was fully invested in the story even though I didn't think the mystery was great, and the ending has me wanting to read the second book.

Final Thought: I cannot stress enough the fact that I don't think this is a thriller or much of a mystery, BUT it kept me interested and I liked the bit of police procedural. I also really felt for Becca and teared up at the stuff with her father. There is a great story here, but I wouldn't go in with any sort of expectations on what kind of book it is supposed to be. I didn't read the blurb again before I read it, so I went in with an open mind trying not to set any expectations and I think that worked for me. I do have to say that I think Katchur's writing style is very fluid and detailed, which really brought the story alive for me. There is also a tiny bit of gore, but nothing too crazy.

I received an Advance Review Copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

River Bodies is a good thriller with different characters and a decent plot. The writing was good, wasn't in my favorites of the year.

I liked it. I just didn't love reading it. The setting of the plot, and the depiction of the town was beautifully created and put into words, however, I wasn't finding a fast enough pace within the story to really keep my interest.
Thank you to #NetGalley, the author and the publisher for my free ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I received this book through Netgalley.com and I am thankful for the opportunity to read it.

A body turns up in the river and the case has glaring similarities to a cold case from years ago. The police think they know who the killer is but they just can't seem to find proof. When Becca returns to town to care for her dying father, she finds herself unwillingly tangled up in the details of the case. She might have seen something by the river but it's too dangerous to tell anyone. As her relationship with Parker, an old childhood flame, grows, she finds herself torn between revealing the truth or hiding it for her own safety.

This was a decent read but I just couldn't connect with any of the characters. The plot was also sort of lackluster and predictable. I think the writing itself was okay, but this book just didn't grab my attention like I had hoped.

This book pulled me in from the very first page and kept me on the edge of my seat. Lots of dark secrets throughout the book leading to the twist at the end. I liked how the author put in her many details along the way. It’s a quick read and I read it in 2 days and would recommend to a friend.

Some books just aren't compatible with me and this one is one of them. I found that neither the story nor the characters appealed to me and I rather stop reading and move on to something else rather than force myself to finish the book and leave a bad review on my blog etc.

Unfortunately don't waste your time on this book. Not a fan of biker gang stories felt to sons of anarchy for me. The book was poorly written and actually I didn't finish because it didn't keep my interest.

I found this book really hard to get into to. I had a lot of unanswered questions but I perservered and finished it.

I think when a book is the first of a series, there is a lot of time spent on characterization and readers need to be patient. Focal point in this installment is history and developing Becca and Parker. Not a hardcore mystery, but enough elements to keep you moving along in the plot. Will be interesting where the author takes us in the next book in the series.