Just before the first Nor'easter of the season starts getting bad, Molly goes out to bring her son home from the park where he's been playing in the snow. thirty minutes later, Ben returns, but Molly never does. Molly is later found dead of an apparent suicide, which makes little sense to those who know and love her.
One of those who know and love her is her sister, Emma, who is an FBI agent on leave. It's been years since they've spoken but Emma knows something isn't right and begins an investigation of her own. She uncovers a web of half truths, evil, and corruption along the way.
I really, really enjoyed this book. To me, it had the feel of the 90s thrillers that my grandmother would pass on to me after she read them. Rather than being hit with clue after clue after clue, the tension and intrigue set the pace. You aren't focused on guessing "whodunnit" because even if you figure it out, you're still not going to unravel the whole thing from some random thing mentioned in the first chapter.
I was surprised to see that the page count was close to 500 pages. I read it so quickly I assumed that it was much shorter. But... I also judge thrillers but how many chores I put off to finish them quicker. The laundry has filled the laundry room and the dishes (aside from my coffee cup) had to wait. So using that scale I guess I could see where it was a longer book.
Anyway, for me this one is a keeper. It follows the whole troubled FBI agent, childhood memories, multilayered mystery things that a lot of series will have but my favorite part was Emma and everyone who helped her on her journey to find out what happened to Molly were complicated and fleshed out characters. There was no sexual tension to pause the investigation. I can definitely recommend this one to my grandma.

*I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for my review.

Picked up BIG BAD on Netgalley for some travel reading and before I knew what was happening I was almost done with the book!

The story starts off boringly enough with a small New England island town prepping for a snowstorm. Ben's mom, Molly is acting weird as they go about their errands and he's confused. Then she dies...is found in a storage unit with a gun and a hole in her head. It's ruled a suicide, but then her sister Emma (a semi retired FBI agent) appears on the scene and it all feels weird.

The story shifts gear to Emma and I loved that. She's an unlikable female protagonist who takes no bullshit and is determined to discover what really happened to her sister. Along the way bits about her past is revealed and oh man did she have an unconventional upbringing! (Death, blood and gore with a side of child abuse, but nothing sexual!)

This book had more twists that I saw coming and by the end I was like "WTF IS GOING ON IN THIS TOWN?!!"

If you want a dark twisty thriller with a side of mystery and an ending you won't see coming this is the book for you.

I'll be exploring more from this author for sure!

3 out of 5 stars

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

Her death has been marked as suicide but somethings not quite right.

I listened to this as an audiobook which was a really entertaining read. The authors voice for each of the characters really made the characters come to life.

I enjoyed reading about the family and you could see that this story is based on grief and the reconnecting of family following a loss

Where this book failed for me is that the plot didn’t go anyway for over half of the book. It seemed to stay at ‘its suicide and that’s that’ for a long time.

The twists and reveals all seemed too coincidental and beneficial to the plot and didn’t really flow very well.

I liked the characters separate from the plot but I wasn’t a fan of the story all together. Don’t really find it thrilling at all

Well I must say that I am throughly impressed by this book and author. As the story of Emma and Molly unfolded, I was hooked. I love an author that can give you just enough to hook you but mor enough to give it all away. I will be reading more by Christian Galacar.

This book didn't keep me enthralled the whole way through. I wanted to love it, but it was just okay. I guess I just expected more horror from it.

Big Bad: A Novel
by Christian Galacar
Rude Human Press
Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA), Members' Titles
Horror , Mystery & Thrillers
Review will be posted on Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3045036702

When we meet Emma it is obvious that her life has recently changed. After leaving the FBI she has secluded her self from everything, including her sister. By the time the news of her sisters death reaches her, Emma's younger sister Molly has been dead for days.

Suicide is not a cause of death that Emma can believe. Perhaps if it was only denial Emma could have gotten over it but the more she finds out the less she believes it, her FBI instincts tell her not to back down.

This work definitely fits under the heading of Horror, Mystery and Thrillers. The gore an physiological aspects were present particularly in the flash backs. Each one slowly peeled back the horror and blindsided me the majority of the time. I could not see where it was going but it felt different and not cliché. It seemed very inventive and horrifying.

I found that the text flowed for the most part but a few times I did get the feeling that Galacar wanted to brush past a parts. For paragraphs Galacar could describe the surroundings beautifully and then in other parts a sentence or two seemed to be considered enough to explain a key plot point.

There were at least three instances where poor word choice put me off, for instance "as if she were deaf" surely "Hard of hearing" would have done just as well.

I also was thrown by tampons being a necessary item for the main character. Yes we woman may use them but usually they are bought when we need them. Emma was on the way to see her sisters dead body and needed some "essentials". No woman would stop to buy them or sanitary towels at such a time unless then NEEDED them never mind the expense of them. So why were we told she bought some just to never have them mentioned again? This is usually a cliche were we find out at the end that the character is pregnant. So why does Emma never USE them? Go to the bathroom to "Change" or leak with all this action or remind her self she needed a fresh one. Is it just there as an author's nod? Yes I'm a man but I know what you women go through? If it is not relevant to the story why mention it? Maybe even tie the "blood" into a flashback?

I did, particularly at the start feel that there was some slut shaming around Molly's past. Even Emma seems to judge her for it. There didn't seem to be much written from a redeeming aspect of Molly.

As for the ending it was overly neat. There seemed to be only two ways the characters went, they lived or died. There was no loss of limbs or comas. By the last seven pages I wondered what there could possibly be left for the writer to say.

We pretty much get the full extent of everything, not left to wonder anything other then the two dates at the end. For writing that could be quite descriptive it was disappointing that Galacar would glaze over a scene that had so much potential.

Spoiler ahead

When Emma goes to meet the father of one of the previous victims there is a paragraph of text. All tell no show, this could have been heart aching or soul lifting, instead it was pretty forgettable. It had the potential to show us how Emma now felt about Molly's death or how she thought of Molly in general.

This was so close to being a four star book for me. The ending was the down fall for me, it went on to long and where I wanted detail there was none and too much else where.

1st star Horror 2nd star Plot twists 3rd readability.

A dark novel set in a chilling small town atmosphere. What seems like a perfectly pleasant island town has quietly grown dangerous roots that stretch further than anyone can see. Galacer has crafted an interesting, determined and badass female lead in Emma Shane, FBI agent and sister of the deceased Molly Rifkin. It is clear that, although Emma has had little contact with her sister over the years, her suspicion that Molly did not tragically commit suicide might prove correct. Galacer has a superb talent for entwining the past with the present throughout Big Bad. He carefully teases out the past of every character, slowly weaving them together until the perfect moment for a clear reveal.

Overall a well-written novel featuring impressive characterisation and a chilling plot from a talented author.

I’m a Christian Galacar fan and especially enjoyed Gilchrist. Big Bad was a decent read about a small island with many secrets, but it didn’t stick with me the way Gilchrist did. However, Big Bad does provide enough entertainment as a thriller/mystery (no horror at all this time) to be worth reading.

this book was interesting enough, i liked the main character and some of her cohorts but found it too descriptive, like the first few chapters, what was the point of them, so much description that didnt add to the story. so for me this book was ok, not great as others found it.

Meh.

This was a 2-3 star read for me. So I’m going to round up and go with a 3 star.

First, the pros:

1) I always love a story that switches back and forth between different times. In Big Bad, we are told the story in the present and then it flip flops into Emma and Molly’s past, reliving their childhood with their mentally ill father. For me, this gives us a chance to get some back story, but in a way that we get to relive the history right along with the characters. Obviously the past makes us who we are, and slipping these little chapters of the past right in with the present story just brings the whole story together in an, “Ah, that makes sense now” sort of way.

2) I loved Emma! Ok, well, my favorite character of the entire book is Guppy, because I just love his warm heart. I wish every cab/Uber/Lyft driver were like that man! But Emma is the protagonist in this book so let’s talk about her for a quick minute. Ms. Badass! I loved her personality. The way she takes no BS. The way she doesn’t take “No” for an answer. The way she will fearlessly put whomever in their place, especially if they try to belittle her in an attempt to put her in hers. I guess part of that is the FBI agent in her, but I think that’s just who she is. The protector. And boy does she live up to that title. Even when it comes to her little nephew, Ben.

3.) I was just as surprised as Emma was when she discovered what was truly happening in the sleepy community on Rockcliffe Island. I was able to predict quite a bit of this story, which I will touch on in a minute, but the root of it all threw me a little!

Now for the cons:

1.) Very slow start. I like books that have a dramatic beginning, something of a hook, that pull you in and make you want to read the book. Big Bad does not do that in the slightest. It took until well into chapter 3 for something mysterious to finally start happening. The entire first 3 chapters were just boring fluff, reiterating the same thing over and over again – that there was going to be a big snow storm. For someone like me with a short attention span when it comes to books, this is not ideal and to be blunt, quite boring. I was close to putting it down and moving on to my next book in my infinitely long To Be Read list. In my opinion this book could have just omitted the first 2 chapters and started with Chapter 3. Silver lining – Once you get a few pages into the third chapter, the suspenseful wonder will have you slightly hooked!

2.) There are way, way too many useless, pointless chapters/sections. For example, there is a whole section on how Emma was flying on a plane and she listened and watched 2 young kids argue over an iPad. A whole section of this! Why?! This is not even relevant to the story at all. Another example: Someone gets into a cab and looks out the window. And then have that window-looking made into an entire chapter. Why?! Was this just an attempt to make the book longer? For me, this leaves the reader with no chance to use their imagination. Let us as the reader create some of the imagery ourselves instead of posting every single detail. Just get on with the story! Once I knew this was a pattern in this book (especially in the beginning for some reason) I found myself skimming chapters that started out with useless information that had nothing to do with the plot.

3.) Not very original. This book was full of practically all of the classic tropes: Crappy childhood, kid drawing a haunting and disturbing picture, sister wanting to find out what happened and not giving up on it, retired FBI agent, dirty cops, money incentives, etc. This book gave me an amateur vibe and was pretty predictable because of this. I had a feeling of deja vu most of the time.

4.) I was ready for and hoped for a little bit more build up before the big reveal. I guess I anticipated a lot more investigation and twisty discoveries by Emma.

Overall, it’s just an ‘OK’ book for me. Nothing to write home about. Not really a story that will stick with me. Not a book that if someone were to ask me for recommendations, this would be the first one I throw out. It would maybe be the 5th or 6th in line.

*This book was given to me in exchange for my honest review.* (Thank you, NetGalley!)

A dark, twisty mystery. It was an intense read full of suspense and tension. All the characters were richly drawn. Such a compelling read and I'm hoping there's more to come.

During a blizzard Molly Rifkin goes missing. She is found dead of an apparent suicide, but the story doesn’t add up. Enter Molly’s sister, an FBI agent on leave who starts asking questions. She quickly gets the feeling that those in power in the town would like to see the whole thing just go away. As she digs deeper she runs head first into more murders, corruption and someone from her and her sisters past!

This was a great read and I really enjoyed it. This author knows how to build suspense. And the horror of the girls home life after their mother dies is beyond words! Galacar has created great characters here. He states “Everyone has a ‘big bad’ in their life!” And I believe this is true! I would love to read more of Emma.

Woah! That was my reaction when I finished this book at 2 am. It was so dark and full of twists that I didn't even notice that I had read 500 pages in about four hours. I was HOOKED. So much for getting some sleep for an early day the next day!
I had not read this author before but now I am totally into them.
This family thriller has Molly going missing and then found dead of an apparent suicide. But things just are not making sense and her sister, Emma, a FBI agent, isn't willing to let it go. But in order to find out what really happened Emma must risk her career and go back to where Molly and her life started. She has to dig deep to uncover things from their past that may have had an affect on their entire future. Rockcliffe Island holds secrets that it may not be willing to give up easily.
Grab this book and settle in for a drama of which I have not seen done anywhere else.

Molly is a good wife and mother. There is something or someone she is running from but who and what? The worst blizzard the island has seen in years hits on the night of her death. Her sister, a FBI agent does not believe the narrative painted and begins to investigate.

Secrets, lies, money and manipulation are themes here as well as trauma. This suspense thriller will keep you up all night or day while reading it and after as your mind processes what you've just read. Hollywood this could be your next blockbuster.

This starts off really well, with a young child and his mother. The mother then goes missing and turns up dead, but, is it murder or suicide? What follows is a mixed bag. It’s well written in parts, but, I found it disjointed in others.
It’s a decent murder mystery, I just found myself wanting to skip parts.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for the opportunity to preview.
3*

Very well written book. I couldn't put it down for a long time.
If you are looking for a great thriller, that can keep you focussed for a long time, this is the one you should pick up.

4,5 stars

This book has almost 500 pages, but honestly, I didn't even notice it, I swallowed the whole story in a very short time (considering my very busy schedule) and can only WOWed it. What an interesting family story, what a heartbreaking family story! Wow.

Intriguing, twisted, suspenseful, dark and complex.

It was my first book by the author, but I am looking forward to reading more of his work.
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for bringing Christian Galacar to my attention and for the advanced review copy of Big Bad.

This was so good. This was definitely the best thriller I’ve read all year. And it takes place near me!!! I loved everything about it (except maybe the main bad guy but eh you’re supposed to hate him). The characters, the setting, the twists. If I had a criticism it would be that there was A LOT jammed into this book which some people might get lost in but I loved it. Thank you Netgalley!

This was completely engrossing right from the start!! The setting and characters were so well done and I was on edge waiting to see what was about to happen. I will definitely look for more to read by this author.

A story all its own Big Bad was something I haven't quite read before, yet the familiarity was there. A mix of mystery, thriller, and horror we are met in a small New England town of Rockcliffe. Its own private island of secrets to be uncovered by ex FBI agent Emma Shane who’s sister Molly was found dead under suspicious circumstances during the Islands worst snowstorm in 10 years. This novel will yank you by your arm and pull you into its dark twisting shadows until you uncover the truth of what really happened to Molly.
This was my first experience reading something from Christian Galacar who is mad brilliant. I plan on reading plenty more of whatever he plans on putting out next just because of how much I enjoyed reading “Big Bad”. It was unlike any Mystery/Thriller I have read in such a long time. I was in the car with my husband and there was a shocking moment where I literally had to put the book down. My poor husband thought something was wrong but I just got so emotionally locked into Emma and Molly’s story that I needed a moment to process. There were several of those moments for me in this and I think that is so important when finding a good book that it reality checks you like that.
Also the twists and turns in “Big Bad” were crazy! Talking about maybe knowing what's going on then BAM something throws you for a loop. I can only imagine Christian in his house with his wall covered with paper ideas and strings to connect this story together like he did and I highly commend him for that. On that note I leave this review breathless, wondering why you are still reading this and not reading “Big Bad”. Thank you so much NetGalley for send me a copy of this gem. It was amazing!

Side note: I have gotten my mother reading this now, I’ll update with her thoughts when she's done.