It took me a little while to start reading The Necklace, a thriller written by Matt Witten, and a little while more to gather my thoughts.

What attracted me was the blurb—a courageous mother, grief-stricken but not broken, demanding justice for her daughter—so I was expecting a fast-paced, gasp-inducing read.

For the most part, my expectations were met 😀

**

Susan Lentigo’s daughter was murdered twenty years ago—and now, at long last, this small-town waitress sets out on a road trip all the way from Upstate New York to North Dakota to witness the killer’s execution.

On her journey she discovers shocking new evidence that leads her to suspect the condemned man is innocent—and the real killer is still free. Even worse, her prime suspect has a young daughter who’s at terrible risk. With no money and no time to spare, Susan sets out to uncover the truth before an innocent man gets executed and another little girl is killed.

304 pages
Thriller, mystery
Oceanview Publishing
Goodreads

**

Cover: The creepy undertone does it. Look at the contrast between the necklace, maybe the real protagonist of the story, and the background.

Yay!

- TN follows the journey of Susan, a woman who lost her daughter to a heinous crime. While traveling to North Dakota to witness the execution of the murderer, she comes across new evidence that would clear his name, meaning that the murderer is someone else. As Matt says in the end, his novel is based on a true story. Mad respect. I’ve always believed it takes a lot of courage to do that.

- It’s fast-paced, just as I was expecting it to be. A good thriller needs that, no beating around the bushes. There are slower spots, too, and they balance the whole plot out. Even if I’m not a fan of different timelines, I have to admit that in this case, it’s a good choice. It helps with the structure and keeps the reader hooked.

- Oh, the clues about the real culprit. They’re there from the very beginning, but they’re subtle enough to go unnoticed. Good job!

- Characters-wise, I really like Agent Pappas. He makes a huge mistake and he’s willing to correct it, saving the life of an innocent person. How many people would do that, telling the world that hey, ops, I kinda messed up and let a rapist and murderer go?

Nay!

- The main issue I have with TN is about the characters. Some are a bit too stereotyped for me, like Susan or Kyra. I would have liked to see more nuances and complexities rather than, say, a middle-aged woman who’s unable to use a smartphone or a tattooed teenager with a heart of gold.

- Some plot points are left hanging. The first one that comes to mind is Susan’s speculations about Danny’s hunting trips, mentioned once and never brought up again.

- Susan tends to be all over the place. While it’s understandable, given what she went and goes through, there are moments where the grieving that should develop in months feels– compressed?

- Some words/concepts usage don’t really work for me. ‘She pointed at the mugshot, excited’ or ‘got excited about [the shoe prints]’ while talking about the details of her daughter’s gruesome murder don’t convey seriousness or grieving.

TL;DR

3 stars on GR. The story itself has potential, but it needs to be a little more polished.

Thank you Matt Witten, NetGalley and Oceanview Publishing for providing this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

In Matt Witten's page-turning thriller The Necklace, Susan Lentigo travels across the country to watch the execution of her daughter's murderer. Along the way, she discovers that the case is not as cut and dry as it seemed twenty years ago. If you're looking for a dark and twisty read, look no further especially since this one takes inspiration from not one, but two real life events!

I was expecting this to be a well-paced thriller, but I did not expect to fly through this in 5 hours one evening. The novel is split between the past and present timelines. The conclusion is thankfully nothing out of left field, but the uncertainty throughout leads the reader back and forth between two possible outcomes. Susan exudes increasing stress and panic throughout her travels, and I started to get worried that maybe I had the mystery all wrong!

One comment, from a library worker. I resent the busy texting librarian! We are always happy to help… well maybe not always absolutely excited but we are always available! Please come talk to us at the desk if we're not out roving on the floor (especially when everything opens back up).

TW: This is absolutely NOT the novel for everyone with dark themes of child abuse, rape, murder, death row and execution - so be warned.

Great writing, gripping plotline, and overall fantastic read.

As a parent this book is tough to read, but definitely worth doing so. As Susan experiences the worst nightmare possible, her emotions are palpable and deeply felt by the reader. Witten's writing style is captivating and ensures the pages continue to flip one after the other.

Triggers: Death of a child (in the past), parental grief, death penalty details

A powerful premise with the clock ticking and possibly an innocent man about to be executed for a crime commtted twenty years ago. This book makes the reader think.

Somehow radiating an old-fashioned thriller vibe, "The Necklace" follows struggling waitress Susan, who embarks on a convoluted pilgrimage across America to North Dakota, where the monster who slayed her infant daughter two decades earlier is up for death row execution. The problem is, as she struggles against all odds to complete her journey in times, evidence pops up that questions the entire history of the slaying. Matt Witten does a splendid job of immersing the reader in Susan's being, and his sense of pacing is exquisite. The overall plot, as a thriller/mystery plot, is by no means intricate, but the author's skill is such that I read the book in one evening sitting, locked to my seat. Most entertaining and satisfying.

so many twists and turns...hold on

although there are a few slow places in the first part of this mystery, hang in there...it takes time to develop the characters, settings and a 20 year time period between critical events. But, the author does this magnificently. The book jumps from 20 years ago to the present time .Susan is a divorced mother who was born, raised and still lives in a small town in the Adirondacks. She lives with her widowed mother .and continues to grieve over the tragic death of her 7 year old daughter 20 years ago. She has waited all this time for vengeance and retribution --payback.
I couldn't put the book down and I am so glad I didn't...a thriller to the end.!

This book had a lot of potential. The Story was unique and a lot could have been done with.
There were gaps in some parts of the plot where if this was a movie I'd say there was a lot of overacting. I always Stan a strong female lead which this book had.
The plot was a little predictable for me. Maybe not so much for others I don't know. I really wanted to like this book. But I just couldn't.

What a ride! This was a fast paced read that helped me get out of a slump and one I’d like to add to my collection once released.

Thank you SO much Oceanview Publishing for providing me with this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review!

WOW. JUST. WOW.

This book was one heck of a ride. Deeply disturbing. Bone chilling. Jaw dropping. The Necklace is a quick paced page turner that hooks you in right from the start. Some parts were really hard to read due to the vulgarity of some scenes but this is now a top murder mystery / thriller book on my shelf for sure! Some trigger warnings include : death of a child, execution and rape - so reader beware!

The author jumps from past to present telling the story of Susan Lentigo's daughter who was murdered 20 years ago. On her way to the murderers execution she discovers some new evidence and is questioning what really happened on the darkest day of her life. Will justice ever be served?

What's even more shocking about this story, which I didn't know until I read the author's note at the end, was that it is based off of a true story! After I finished the book I was up way too late reading the true story articles online. So crazy! The true story was also made into a documentary that is streams on Hulu! ALSO this book is optioned to be made into a fictional movie - with Leonardo DiCaprio attached as the producer! EEEEEK!

Highly recommend this one if you are looking for a dark and disturbing murder mystery for sure! So mark your calendar, this book comes out September 6th, 2021!

I decided to not finish this book right now because it was too dark and heavy for my mental health at the moment. I have heard great things and will pick it up again when I have the capacity.

This book gives me a little of everything I love in a thriller. Family drama and dysfunctional relationships, corrupt criminal justice systems, mystery and suspense.

The book starts with the main character raising money to travel to North Dakota where she will witness the execution of the man who killed her young daughter years before. But events leading up to the execution leave her wondering if he is really guilty.

The story is told in both present time and past leading up to the event.

I really enjoyed this. The beginning started off a little slow but once the storyline picked up I couldn't put it down. It was the type of book that's makes it so you have to know what happens next.

There are some trigger warnings for child abuse, graphic violence, and descriptions of public execution.

Things haven't been easy for Susan; it never is when you lose a child. She's barely scraping by, but she is determined to be at the execution of the man who murdered her daughter. It is through that determination that the story unfolds. Told in alternating timelines, The Necklace is a book that hooks the reader from the start.

Witten draws the reader into Susan's plight because she's been through so much but is strong and determined. While I felt the scenes around the trial were a bit weak, they still conveyed the seriousness of what occurred. It makes Susan's motivation palpable. I didn't make a ton of notes while reading, which happens when I get drawn into a book and don't want distractions. The Necklace is a page-turner, making it near impossible to put down; a super fun read. Thank you, Matt, for reaching out to me, and Oceanview Publishing, for sending this along!

Wow, this book was great! From the very beginning, the plot and story drew me in from the very first few chapters with the dual timeline. This was a one day read for me and I would 100% recommend. It kept me wanting to know more with every chapter and I found myself just not being able to put this.one down. Susan was a badass mama that was determined to find out what happened to her baby no matter the circumstances and I think *most* mamas can relate. There are some hard subjects and trigger warnings in this book but if you can handle such things it is a great read for sure.

I love small town books, and this was one of them!! I really enjoyed that aspect and this story overall. There were some great twists and thrills and I had a blast reading this. That cover is also so stunning... absolutely loved this!

This was a fast read. It was a very plot driven story with a clipped pace that kept me engaged. There was something lacking for me and I feel that it was lack of imagery and it was predictable. I called the twist and there were some aspects that reached far from believability.

This was a surprise good read! I didn't expect much, but was loved this book!

I really felt drawn into the main character. She had been through so much and yet had so many more hard things happen, but didn't give up. I liked the twists and turns, and loved the ending. I have recommended this book!

Susan’s daughter Amy was raped and murdered 20 years ago and Susan is on her to North Dakota to witness the execution.

The local bar has a fundraiser to Susan can make the trip, but her car breaks down on the road and she has her money stolen a bus stop.

Her ex-husband, Daniel, has moved to her another town and has a new family. Passing through Daniel’s new home town on her way to North Dakota, Susan finds a piece of evidence that links Daniel to her daughter’s murder.

Oh, this was sooo good and you could feel the tension, anxiety and desperation that Susan was feeling.

Right down to the very last page. Wow….

HIGHLY RECOMMEND

Publication Date: September 7, 2021

Thank you #NetGalley for a complimentary copy of #TheNecklace in exchange for an honest review.

Susan helped her daughter Amy make a necklace using special beads carefully selected by Amy. The next day Amy went missing wearing that necklace. The missing necklace still haunts Susan long after her daughter’s body is found, long after the murderer is caught, and long after her marriage ends. She is hoping for closure by attending the execution of the monster that killer her daughter instead she finds that necklace in an unexpected place and begins a new journey for justice.

I enjoyed the pace of this book and the strong female lead. I also enjoyed the unique story line that was loosely based on a similar real life case.

The Necklace is a fast paced thriller that leads the reader to draw many conclusions on who killed the daughter of the main character. The ending felt rushed and I wish there was more of an explanation of how and why the crime occurred.

This book was so good! Going into it I wasn’t sure what to expect but I was seriously blown away by it. A mother’s love and intuition run deep through this one!