The plot of the book was interesting, and the opening grabbed me and lured me in. When the perspective changed, I felt the book started to meander a bit, and I found myself losing interest. I liked it enough that I will read others by this author. Maybe a tighter edit would help. This was a very long book.

this book was a great horror book, I was on the edge of the seat from the beginning. I really enjoyed reading this author's style and look forward to more from the author.

I devoured this novel, with a vengeance. I'm a sucker for suspense, and this keeps you on the edge of your seat. All I can say to the author is "Write faster so I can read more of your books"

Big Bad by Christian Galacar left me drained. Emotionally. This was my first book by him but if his other books are half this great than I will have to read them too.

We follow Emma Shane's investigation into her sister's death. Emma is an FBI agent but she is currently on extended leave. She just wants to sculpt and do nothing else. When she finds out her sister Molly committed suicide, Emma goes to Rockcliff Island because she doesn't believe the cause of Molly's death. What she finds on Rockcliff Island is not just a grieving husband and son but also murder and corruption and deception. Emma has to confront her and Molly's past too if she wants to find out what really happened to her sister.

I cannot say I liked Emma much but her persistence amazed me. She is determined and willing to do anything, to go after anyone to get to the truth. She is lonely really but as her past is revealed I felt myself coming closer to her.
Her biggest helper in the book is Guppy. He is na taxi driver but he so much more. He is smart and wise and has a really big heart. I loved his and Emma's conversations.

The writing is emotionally charged and just amazing. I always read more then just one book at the same time and I caught myself returning to Big Bad.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my copy.

4.5 out of 5.

Goes down like a shot of fine bourbon. Barely noticed it was 500 pages.

Marketing this novel as horror may be a mistake. It's no more horror than the first season of True Detective, or any other crime story. Those looking for genuine spooks and scares may be a little disappointed. That said, I've accidentally come across more than a few crime novels during my Summer 2020 horror binge -- and this is by far the best of them.

The characters are unique, and Galacar does an excellent job unpacking childhood trauma through the lense of mystery.

Great setting ✔
Great character development ✔
Enaging dilagoue ✔
Keep readers attention ✔

Ok, what's not to like about this one? The only thing I wish I had done different was read it during a snowstorm as someone mentioned. What are you waiting for? Do yourself a favor and treat yourself to this book, all you suspense lovers. You'll thank yourself, me and maybe the author :)

Thank you Netgalley, Christian Galacar and the publisher for the ARC. My above review is my own and unbiased.

Author #Christian Galacar will keep you guessing to the end.Its a dark book with sisters and flashbacks to entertain the reader.The novel is a good read.

The kind of book you wish you'd read when the weather was cold, the wind was howling, the snow was heaping up around you... or, at least, I did. A deeply, darkly, enthralling book, one that wraps you in darkness and mystery, and packs sufficient shocks to keep you constantly guessing how the whole thing will wind up. Not sure that it would lend itself to a second reading... some horror tales do, some don't... but once might be enough. It's that good.

I really enjoyed this book, I plan on to other who I think will like it. I want to get myself a finished copy of it and would read it again.

Married with a young son Molly disappears in a snowstorm. The last person to see her alive is a homeless man as she flees from an unseen threat. When her body is found, police deem it suicide with seemingly little investigation into her death.
Molly’s sister Emma has an FBI background and an addiction to painkillers. She sets out to find the truth about her sisters death and uncovers a network of lies and deceit. She finds an unusual ally in Guppy the local taxi driver who helps her discover the truth.
The two sisters shared a bizarre and traumatic childhood and a horrifying secret. I felt compelled to read of their experiences and how they became the people they were. At the same time I felt compassion for their father driven insane by loss and his war related experiences. Sadly even in real life people like this slip though the loop.
There are plenty of twists and turns to keep you hooked to the last page.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a free digital copy of this book in return for an honest review.

great book would read this over and over again was pleasantly surprised with the read and would recommend to others to read as well !

This is a pretty powerful novel! I had never read Galacar before but now I'll definitely go back and read his other works! When Molly goes missing after checking on her young son in a snowstorm, her husband is shocked when she is found dead of an apparent suicide. Her estranged sister Emma comes and immediately starts to investigate as things just don't add up and she fears shady dealings. But this is a small town and there is buried history and secrets that are deep-seated. Alternating between the present and the past with the two sisters and their "unconventional" upbringing, the novel will have you gasping in surprise at what is eventually unearthed. Yes, it's a long novel but SO worth it!

I didn’t realise how long this story is until I went to do this review and honestly I flew through it so fast I didn’t notice. A fabulous complex and dark family story. Thanks to the publisher and netgalley for the arc.

I can't believe this is only the third novel by the author, he writes like an old-timer and just like his previous novel 'Cicada Spring', I got immersed in the book right from the start. The plot is original and gripping, with well-drawn characters of impressive complexity. My favorite was Guppy, the wise old taxi-driver hired by Emma Shane to drive her around on Rockcliffe Island. Emma came here for the funeral of her sister Molly, whose death was declared suicide. Only Emma doesn't buy it at all and, as a former FBI agent, she starts digging around. By doing so, she stirs up a lot of dust, and that's not taken kindly by the inhabitants of the island, who like things easy, as Guppy explains. Soon, more bodies start showing up, and Emma herself becomes a target. Add to that a deeply disturbing childhood trauma of the two sisters, which intermingles with the present, and you got one hell of a thriller to keep you going. There was very much going on here, but it never felt like too much or confusing. All pieces were put together in perfect balance to form a stunning, impressive whole. If Mr Galacar hadn't already earned a place among my favorite authors, this one would have easily sealed the deal.

this book is LONG.
this book is predictable.
this book is cheesy.
this book... could be better.

it was my very first time in this genre so that could be my problem with it.. I guess I wanted more

Was looking forward to this book. Though I am Unable to finish though look forward to trying to get it done soon

This was a great read that kept my interest throughout, despite its length. I enjoyed the characters and the flow of the story. The descriptions in this book were really detailed but I sometimes felt there was too much making it a bit longer than needed and hard to stumble on little things at times.

Thank you to the publisher and to netgalley for the arc of this one. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I had never heard of this author but this book was so good I'm going to seek his others out. The publisher describes this as 'a dark mystery thriller' and I think I couldn't put it any better. It's an excellent mystery (lots of twists, lots of misdirection, lots of suspicious characters and actions), an excellent thriller (perfect pacing taking place over just a couple days), and it is definitely dark (creepy atmosphere and dark subject matter). The writing is excellent and the author expertly places the reader into the setting. And boy it's a good setting - a northern US island getting ready for a big snowstorm. The first chapters drew me in immediately as the author created a very uncertain, and a bit ominous, feeling through the approaching weather and the nervousness and concern of a child. It put me on edge right away and set the tone for the entire book. Mystery lovers and those who love atmospheric winter tales will probably like this book.

Thanks, NetGalley, for sending me this book in exchange for an honest review!

This started off perfectly: A real whodunnit that grabbed me instantly.
Molly dies. The police rule it as suicide, but it obviously couldn't be that simple. Emma, her ex-FBI Agent sister travels to Molly's town to find out what really happened and we start to feel that something big is going on and everyone is a suspect..

The narrative is regularly cut by flashbacks of the sisters' childhood, which was truly dark and creepy and made me feel weird at times. These flashbacks, written in Emma's perspective, were the best part of the book to me - the eerie feel, and the fact that I was able to relate (to some extent) to what she felt towards her father's weird behaviour, made my stomach churn. It reminded me of how strange it was when my parents did anything out of the ordinary and how that creeped me out, even if it wasn't anything much. In Emma's father's case, it is something much, and her reaction to it is so well described, I totally felt it.

All was going well with this story, until the "twist". The actual reveal was no surprise at all. everything had actually been building up to that. We already kinda new what had happened, and I was just hoping that it turned out to be something less obvious. The motivation behind it seemed like an easy way out, to just wrap that part up and move on the MOST BORING BOOK ENDING I'VE EVER READ. I literally had to skim through the last 20% of the book. Why so much filling for what could've been 5 pages??? It killed me. I just wanted to get it over with and, unfortunatelly, I finished it with zero attachment to this book.

So, I began thinking it would be a 5 start and ended up giving it a 3. I'm sad.

This novel kept me guessing right up until the end. And what an ending! The author describes everything with such detail that I felt like I was watching a movie. Well drawn characters, well thought out plot. What more could you want. 5 stars!