This was billed as a mystery/thriller but it’s not. It’s a decent story with very well developed characters but not much in the way of suspense or surprises.

The writing was sound. Multiple narrators and past and present time frames were handled deftly. There were some questions left unanswered at the end but overall an interesting read.

Thanks to NetGalley, the author and Thomas & Mercer for a copy in exchange for a review.

First let me start by saying that Ms. Katchur has a wonderful writing style that can make scenes feel very real at times. Sadly, the characters don't come as alive for me.

There is a bit of a thriller element, but it's not edge of your seat and there are plot holes abound so if you like to engage your brain on these types of books and figure things out, you'll notice them fairly easily.

Overall, well-written, with a decent story, but nothing out of this world for me.

A dark mystery that involves the past and present. The characters are interesting and any story that has a dog is on my radar! The relationship between the protagonist and her current relationship and her past history is heading for a collision that you expect but there are some twists and turns along the way that take you by surprise.

*Many thanks to Karen Katchur, Thomas & Mercer and Netgalley for providing me with ARC in exchange foe my honest review.*
The story of a young woman returning to the town where she grew up to spend time with her dying father and who is forced to return to the deep-dug memories is well conceived and easy to follow. A murder is committed which resembles a similar one that happened when Becca was a child and now she has to identify the true nature of a person she considered to be her protector. Apart from the plot, I enjoyed reading about Portland, a small town where loyalty goes first. The Author knows how to depict the atmosphere of such places. For me, it was not a page-turner, however I do not regret time spent reading this title.

In the small town of Portland, a body is found. The crime is similar with a cold case from twenty years back.. nice thriller, I couldn't let it go.
Thanks Netgalley for this thrilling story, the first book from Northampton County series.

River Bodies by Karen Katchur
River Bodies (Northampton County #1)
by Karen Katchur (Goodreads Author)
10737119
Deborah Blanchard's review Nov 25, 2018 · edit
really liked it
bookshelves: crime, fiction, for-review, suspense

A small town filled with secrets and murder. A biker gang called the Scions that kept the town and its people holding their breath. Becca's father is dying, so she returns home to help care for him. The chapters go back and forth from the present day to Becca's childhood. Memories that she had buried deep resurfacing. All the characters are complex and deeply developed. They all kept me riveted to the pages. I was there. I could hear the sounds of the river, the leaves crunching beneath my feet. I could feel the pain, the sadness and the fear. At times, I cried. Overall this is a very good read. If you like a good mystery, filled with the drama of family dynamics, this is the book for you. Very good read.

This is not your normal murder mystery. River Bodies is set in Portland, Pennsylvania next to the Delaware River. A body is found in the river and it was shot and field dressed (like a deer). How is this body connected to an identical one found twenty years ago.

The story revolves around Becca and John. Becca left Portland at 16 years old and is now back for the first time since even though she lives 15 minutes away. John is the enforcer for the local motorcycle gang.

In this story you know who does what and the family connections but you don't know some of the historical elements. If you are looking for a police procedural or a plot based story this one is not for you but if you like character driven stories give this one a try.

Thanks to Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group for a digital ARC of this book.

I'll start out by saying this is a well-written book on several fronts. It just didn't work all that well for me. Part of the problem is that I was expecting a mystery or thriller. I wouldn't call this either. Though the book does start with a murder, the plot doesn't really take off from there. The rest of the book is mostly a study on relationships and how men and women can either hurt or support one another. The main character spends most of the book navigating between three men: her disappointing (and dying) father, her cheating boyfriend, and her high school love.

I couldn't engage with the main character. She wasn't likable to me and I couldn't fully get into her head. There's very little by way of plot surprise here so I didn't find myself overly anxious to get back to the reading; I kept waiting for something to happen and it just didn't.

I think people might like this; it just didn't work all that well for me. If you go into it with different expectations than I did, that might help your overall experience as well.

River Bodies by Karen Katchur caught my eye with this cover! When I read the synopsis, I knew I’d love this book and its next up to bed read on my Kindle. It takes place on the east coast, which is where I grew up, I always like books where I can picture the setting because I’ve been there.

This novel promises to be a compelling murder mystery with a heavy dose of suspense. Sometimes I like a creepy thriller and other times I’m in the mood for a slower story with a good wrap up at the end.

Here’s what you need to know:

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, but the locals are on lockdown, revealing nothing.

The past meets the present when 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’s quickly drawn into the case. Coming home has brought something ominous 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.

In a small town where darkness hides in plain sight, the truth could change Becca’s life – or end it.



Dark, gripping and well written, just a few words I’ve seen describe this novel. This is the perfect book to read on a rainy, stormy winter night!

This was not my favorite book. I enjoyed the author's previous two books, but this one I had a hard time getting into. The whole motorcycle gang part reminded me of Riverdale's Serpents and not in a good way. The way all the characters acted, it didn't feel like the story took place during the present time. The Scions (motorcycle gang) did not seem believable. Do these still exist and get away with all their illegal behavior??? My biggest problem with the book were the characters. I didn't connect with any of them or even like them, with the exception of Romy the German Shepherd. Becca bothered me the most. She stayed with her boyfriend for five years who had all the qualities that she hated most in her dad. Becca lived fifteen minutes away from her dad and acted like it was across the country instead of a river. I really didn't understand all the hatred she had for her father, it seemed misplaced. Her mother should have felt that way since she was the one being cheated on. There seemed like there was so much not explained, like why were those two men killed? Besides being bad men or not following gang rules- what did they do???

I enjoyed the writing style of the book. Being from the area where the book takes place, I loved reading about names of towns I recognize. I look forward to reading more.

I didn't hate the book, it just wasn't for me. I definitely recommend it, especially if you were fans of the author's previous two books.

Thanks to NetGalley, Thomas & Mercer and the author, Karen Katchur, for a free electronic ARC of this novel.

Becca hasn't back to her hometown of Portland, Pennsylvania for years. She resents her father for having sent her away as a teen and now she lives across the river from Portland, happily working as a veterinarian. when her father's "ladyfriend" tells her that her father is dying, Becca is forced to go home. Back in Portland, she finds her high school crush Parker working as the county sheriff. And when a body is found floating in the river, Becca wonders if something she saw is related. The problem is that the something she saw involves another old friend, John. John is a member of an outlaw motorcycle club and has been protecting Becca since she was a child. As the investigation goes deeper, past secrets start to surface. Good twisty plot and emotional story with good characters. Good fiction that will also appeal to SONS OF ANARCHY.

A very intruiging story about families, secrets, trust, and love. A beautifully written tale full of suspense.

I recommend this book.

I received an ARC of this title. All opinions are my own.

River Bodies is a suspenseful and intriguing novel with murder, motivation and secrets. I highly recommend it!

Karen Katchur slowly doles out clues and with an interesting mix of probable suspects, she kept my attention.
Becca Kingsley, a young veterinarian and avid runner could not wait to get out of Portland, where she would always be known as the police chief’s daughter. And yet as he gets closer to death, she feels compelled to go home and hopefully mend their severed relationship. There are so many hurdles and secrets to overcome.

A heinous murder was been committed in Portland years ago and it’s happening again. Is it a copycat or the same killer? Somebody knows something. This is a small town full of large secrets and alliances.

Becca knows something just on the fringes of her memory, but it won’t rise to the surface.

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

Great premise, fairly good execution. River Bodies by Karen Katchur starts out strong, but for me fizzled along the way. Becca the lead character works as a vet, taking care of animals, and specializing in surgery. She has a jerk of a boyfriend, a strained relationship with her father, and plenty of skeletons in the closet in her family. First off, I hate the name Becca, it seems too cutesy for a serious young woman as she is in this book, and of course that is just my opinion. The plot is good, plenty of gruesome scenes for those who enjoy that, and relationships are explored pretty well. I just couldn't really get into the story, the back and forth timelines over and over. Not the best book for me. Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for an advance copy of this book.

*I received this ebook complimentary from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

This small-town murder mystery was slow paced and more relationship driven than I would have thought from the description. The writing is the upside to this book in my opinion as the way the author describes situations and people and can easily change between periods of 20 years is refreshing and extremely well done.
I was not very attached to the characters or the plot.

I think the fact that the character acted as though she was so far away from her hometown, when in reality she is across the river seems interesting to me and I am still unsure what to make of that.

Overall, a slow start to this book but I am glad I stuck through it as I did enjoy the writing immensely.


Thank You NetGalley, Karen Katchur and Thomas & Mercer for providing this ebook to me to review.

This book had some really good elements. Becca had a sad and scary upbringing and has returned home to her dying father and is struggling to make peace with her past and the new memories that have surfaced. I enjoyed Becca and Parkers voices in the story. Didn't care much for Johns story, but it was still a good mystery.

River Bodies by Karen Katchur is a so-so novel about relationships rather than a murder mystery. It is not a thriller.

Becca Kingsley lives across the Delaware River from where she grew up in Portland, Pennsylvania and where her estranged father still lives. After his constant cheating on her mom, his decision to send her away to boarding school, and her parents' divorce, she hasn't seen him for years. Now she is a veterinary surgeon on the New Jersey side of the river where she lives with her beloved dog Romy and her cheating boyfriend, Matt. Occasionally she sees a relative watching her from the Pennsylvania side when she is out for a run with Romy. When she learns from her mom that her father is dying and Matt cheats on her, again, she takes off back across the river to see her father who is being taken care of by his current girlfriend.

At the same time a body is found downstream, shot and gutted, like a deer. The body resembles a case her father had twenty years ago, when he was the police chief. It seems that both cases may be tied to the local biker gang, the Scions. When her high school boyfriend, Parker Reed, shows up as the Pennsylvania State Police lead detective on the murder case, she begins to rekindle her feelings for him. But Becca has more clues to the answers to solve both cases than she is admitting.

The technical quality of the writing is good, so I have no qualms with that. The plot, however, is another story. The narrative alternates between what happens to Becca in the present and what happened in her past. This is not a murder mystery. You know the guilty party immediately and you pretty much know who was guilty twenty years ago. There is no motive given, but it's not pertinent to the novel. What it is, however, is a story about lying, cheating men and the women who put up with them until someone else arrives to save the day.

I guess now is the time to admit that I didn't care for Becca and had little patience for her. I simple never connected to Becca and felt very little compulsion to finish the story, other than a commitment to read and review it. Becca needed some introspection and backbone. After all the flashbacks to her cheating father, she should have dumped Matt, no matter how good looking he was (seriously?) the first time he cheated. There is no need to go on; 1 star for the book, 1 for decent writing. Read this only if you like some lite-mystery around a sort-of romance novel.

Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of Thomas & Mercer.

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A chilling creepy thriller that had me racing through the pages& thinking about it all day.The past colliding with the present in an eerie way.A new author I will be looking forward to reading. #netgalley #thomas&mercer

This is a very different kind of mystery, and that's a good thing. The plot and story are very good, but the best are the characters. A very nice read, with some twists to keep it interesting.

In this dark, gripping mystery, a brutal murder unearths old secrets that should have stayed buried.

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, but the locals are on lockdown, revealing nothing.
The past meets the present when 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’s quickly drawn into the case. Coming home has brought something ominous 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.

This story shifts from a present day murder to one that happened 20 years ago. I was worried that I wouldn't be able to keep the past and present straight but with this being such a fast read, I didn't have to worry about trying to remember what happened when. I loved how vivid the author describes the settings too.

Thanks to #NetGalley for the ARC of #RiverBodies
Pub Date: 01 Nov 2018