I'm a bit conflicted about this book.

The premise is original and it's very easy to get affected by the tragedy Susan lived.
The story is told by a Now & Then point of view which offer the reader an insight in the weeks and months that followed Amy's murder.

However there's some flashbacks that are told in present tense during the now perspective and it's sounded a bit strange to me. Also it felt all of sudden quite impersonal and detached, at odds with the rest of it.

The ending, while expected, in my opinion was a bit anticlimactic.
There's no real explanation of HIS motives (except the obvious); all we get are the strange feelings Susan had, feelings she wasn't sure she believed herself.
Also, was Amy HIS first and only crime? 'Cause it was implied otherwise but we don't get any follow-up info about it.

I admit this annoyed me quite a bit and it's mostly why I didn't rate this book as a full 4 stars.

At last, I'd like to thank the author for the chance to read his book through NetGalley and I hope he appreciates my honest review.

I read The Necklace in two days. It was fast paced and even though it went back and forth in time I stuck with it.
Susan is about to attend the execution of the man who murdered her daughter 20 years ago. Her travels there are as twisty and turning as the plot.

Just a side note: A lot of f-bombs are dropped (which I don't usually mind) but it made Susan's character less likable for me.

I look forward to more Matt Witten's books and thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

The Necklace was a really interesting read. I raced through the book in two nights. The characters were likable and relatable, and I wasn't surprised when the author revealed at the end of the book that he had based many of them on real life acquaintances. The story begins in a bar where the patrons take up money to send Susan Lentigo to the execution of the killer of her 7 year old daughter Amy, a terrible crime that had taken place 20 years earlier. The book alternates between the past and the present as Susan seeks closure and justice on the long road trip to the North Dakota prison.

This one is dark, gritty and a rough topic dealing with rape and murder of a child. You have to compartmentalize a lot of emotions to get through it

Thank you, NetGalley and author Matt Witten, for the opportunity to read an early electronic copy of this book in return for an honest review.

I had difficulty at first relating to the characters, but I am glad I kept reading. I understood Susan's anger and anguish on an intellectual level. She appears to be in continuous turmoil due to the horrific, vile rape and murder of her 7-year-old daughter, Amy, twenty years earlier. Her ever-simmering rage has prevented her from moving along in life. However, I regret I failed to engage emotionally with her well-deserved feelings until close to the conclusion. Frequent outbursts of swearing and vile language were a distraction. It seemed much of the bad language was for effect, to emphasize her rage at the condemned man she calls "The Monster."

The time has come for her to witness the execution of "The Monster" almost 1,500 miles distant. She hopes to finally get some sense of closure and revenge. The man on death row was sentenced to die by lethal injection, demanded by Susan at his trial 20 years ago. He confessed to the crime after intense interrogation but then recanted. This was his first charge as a pedophile. He stated that he was attracted to Amy when seeing her at a distance wearing a cheap homemade necklace. This attraction and motive seemed preposterous, even from a psychopathic pedophile. Susan and Amy crafted the necklace with coloured animal-shaped beads shortly before her murder. This necklace was believed to be taken as a trophy and hidden by her killer after the murder. It was never found.

Susan's husband left her shortly after the tragedy, saying he could no longer cope with her profound depression. He now has a new wife and family.

Susan must travel cross-country on buses with many stops and transfers along the way. She has little financial means, and friends staged fundraising to help her on the long journey to the execution. She displayed a tendency to be rude to people when things did not go her way. She also makes snap judgements about people and lay blame where it may not be deserved.
She had already accused one of her mother's boyfriends of being a pedophile and the murderer, but then the man soon to receive the death penalty was caught and charged with the crime.

As she travels, Susan begins to show an inner reserve of strength, resourcefulness, and resilience. Her cash is lost or stolen, causing her to be tired and hungry for most of her journey. She receives many acts of kindness and helpfulness along the way and meets some interesting and supportive people.

She obtains a clue that makes her doubt the guilt of the man soon to be executed. She is in shock that she may have played a part in sending an innocent man to prison for 20 years, and now his death is imminent. Also, she is shattered by the identity of the person she believes is truly guilty.

Susan contacts a retired FBI agent who was sympathetic to her tragedy when Amy was murdered. He is also travelling to attend the execution of the man he helped send to prison years before. Amy's clue makes him doubt the conviction. The ex-FBI agent sends it for DNA analysis, but the testing is unsuccessful.

When they arrive at the prison to view the execution, the pace and suspense had me emotional and riveted to the page. The conclusion was gripping and satisfying.

The Necklace is a compelling story about a woman who plans to travel from upstate New York to North Dakota to witness the execution of the man found guilty of killing her daughter, Amy, 20 years previously. She encounters some very bad luck during her journey and comes to a shocking realization about what she has believed for all those years. The book consisted of flashbacks to the time of Amy's death until we had the entire story as well as chronicling Susan's journey. Although I found some incidents outside the realm of possibility, it was a pleasure to witness Susan's resilience in the face of all the roadblocks. There were many likeable and some not-so-likeable characters in the book and it was a well-paced read. I recommend the book but readers should be aware that there is reference to sexual assault of a child.

This was my second read courtesy of NetGalley and my first courtesy of Oceanview Publishing for which I'm extremely grateful.

The Necklace was soo good! Susan's daughter has been dead for 20 years, and soon her murderer will face the death penalty. Susan has been planning for years to attend the execution, but when she starts her trip from the Adirondacks all the way to Hodge Hills, North Dakota, she starts to believe that someone has made a big mistake.

The necklace her daughter Amy was wearing when she went missing was never found with her body. But these kinds of things don't always stay hidden, and the necklace could go a long way in figuring out who's innocent and who's guilty.

Wow - this book is the first in a long time to really have an impact on me. The ending was so intense that I had to physically get up to finish reading it and pace around the room a little bit....

It did start off a little slow, but the flashbacks to the past really helped keep me interested and once things started picking up they really picked up. I was extremely pleased to have a strong female in the centre of the book, and one who was the mother. Most books of this kind, have been from the perspective of the Detective in charge of the case and not someone so deeply emotionally involved.

I loved the small glimpses of the side characters, the owner of the Diner where Susan worked, the sister of the man soon to be executed , Kyra the teenager Susan befriends , among others - who all helped to keep the pace of the book and create interest, with none being too over the top or unbelievable.

I thought the book did a great job at highlighting some of the issues and unfairness in the Justice system, without being too intense or overbearing and boy did it tug at my heart strings. In fact there were tears.

Thanks for the opportunity to read this book, I will be telling all my friends about it.

I was so looking forward to reading this one but i just couldnt get into it and i tried really hard.The book has peomise but just wasnt for me. Sorry.

I enjoyed the format I'm a sucker for past and present timelines. Over all it was fast paced and had disturbing content which I love. I felt engrossed and had to keep turning the page I didn't like the main character not usually a problem for me but I know it can be for others. Some things fell flat, like the conversations and inner dialogue so be warned of that too.

If you're in mood for a good rollercoaster murder mystery book, definitely try this one. Over all, a good page turner that you'll think about for awhile after you're done reading

It’s a shame, because the book starts off pretty promising, with main character Susan heading off on a road trip to the execution of her daughter’s murderer, which is macabre, but also very funny and irreverent? But beyond the inspired setup, this book kinda falls apart, or comes over as contrived, from the action sequences like the holding cell, to the clues, and suspects which are founded on tired tropes. There are little details, like Susan ruminating on the differences between hotels and motels, that ring true, but on the whole, the crisp pace of the plot leaves little room for atmosphere or depth of characterization. In the end, both characters and scenes feel skeletal, or crudely sketched.

This was a really fast paced read. Overall, I really enjoyed the story of Susan finding closure of her daughters death twenty years ago. Susan has a tripped planned to North Dakota to watch the execution of the man she thinks raped and murdered her daughter twenty years ago. During this trip she realizes that she may have gotten it all wrong and starts to look into the past on what really happened.

This book deals with some very heavy topics such has child sexual abuse and murder, this is brought up several times in the book in graphic detail. I think it is important to note this, in case other readers are triggered by that. The Necklace reads like watching a crime show, it is very fast paced and keeps you on the edge of your seat. I like that the author went back and forth from the past to the present day. One of the things I didn't think was so realistic was the characters that helped Susan along the way to finding the truth but it was still a very enjoyable read.

If you are a fan of crime and mystery shows or books this is a great one to check out. Thank you for the opportunity to read the E-Arc!!

I enjoyed the format of the book. The chapters sporadically switched between past and present day. I also liked how the reader was privy to what the protagonist, Susan, was thinking in most situations. But, the lack of plot complexity and one-note characters left me wanting more, especially when dealing with such a heavy subject. Also there were some unrealistic events that didn’t sit well with me. All in all, the lack of dimension made this just an okay read for me. That being said, if you are looking for a quick simple thriller - it would be a solid choice.

Thank you to @netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read and review this ARC before it’s September release.

Told in the past and the present, Susan Lentigo is the main character and she has suffered a tragic loss. Twenty years ago, her daughter Amy was abducted, assaulted, and killed. It led to the end of her marriage, and if it wasn't for her close-knit community, she might have just curled up and died. Even though she has just been surviving, not living, one thing has kept her going. The man responsible has been sentenced to die, and Susan is determined to be there, to look him in the eye when it happens, and perhaps finally feel like Amy has gotten some justice.
Susan won't have an easy time getting to North Dakota and the execution though. Money and car trouble might slow her down, but it is a visit with her ex-husband Danny that leaves her questioning everything she believes about Amy's death. What if an innocent man is about to be executed? Can Susan discover the truth with the clock ticking and so many years gone by after this heinous crime?
A heartbreaking story about loss, grief, and never really knowing the people around you. There were a few scenes that had me rolling my eyes, but otherwise, I had to know who killed Amy.

This book subject is disturbing and may not be for every reader. The author, Matt Witten, has carefully created intriguing and memorable characters. The story flows easily; moving from past to present. Each chapter’s timeline is clearly identified.. The Necklace is a thought provoking read. Although I might not describe this book as an enjoyable read, due to the subject matter of the storyline, it is a worthwhile read!
I am glad to have had the opportunity to read and review this book. Thank you to NetGalley and Oceanview Publishing for the ARC.
*the swipe up to advance the pages is very sensitive.

The necklace is a fast paced mystery that draws the reader in quickly and doesn’t let them go until the finale. The ending is fairly predictable but satisfying nonetheless. The book could easily be made into a movie with minor changes.

The first half of the book alternates between the past and present day, a great way to see how characters and their story develop. I really enjoyed this part of the book, the glimpses of the past and seeing it unfold really drew me in. This was definitely the slower/less action part of the book but it begins to pick up as connections are made and the reader begins to ask questions along with the main character, Susan.

The second half, the action, is very quick and rather predictable but it does leave you content. The epilogue added the (possibly too) perfect ending but it did provoke some emotions.

This would be a perfect book to bring to a beach or read at home. It’s not too deep, meaning that, other than the main character, you just meet the surface of others. Yes it’s a mystery, but you aren’t weighed down with many fine details about the case, people, etc.

I would probably rate this a 3.5/5, rounding up to a 4 for this rating system because taking it for what it is, a quick read mystery, it was pretty good.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this advanced copy of the book to review. This review is my own opinion.

I’m calling it now, “The Necklace” will have the hype of “Gone Girl” this year. I couldn’t put this one down and haven’t read something this engrossing for a while! I thought the novel moved well from the past to current day. This novel does contain sensitive content (pedophilia, childhood abuse) and was at times hard to get through, but I believe it tells an important story that author Matt Witten mentioned in his Author’s Note was inspired by true events.
I’ve read that The Necklace is being optioned for film, I think it could be carried well onto the screen.

Thank you NetGalley and Oceanview Publishing for the ARC. Much appreciated and enjoyed!
4.5/5

I didn't even need to read a synopsis to know this book would be good. The cover itself drew me in and boy did the story live up to my expectations. Within the first few pages, I was drawn to Susan. There wasn't much description of her and I don't have a specific reason for why I feel this way, but I just had a gut feeling.. Matt Witten really knows how to write a character. Each person was described in a way where I felt like I was watching a movie play out in my head. The plot was slightly predictable but the twists and turns are enough to really keep you engaged. It was an enjoyable quick read that I would definitely recommend to anyone who is a fan of thrillers!

This was really hard to read. The main character was really unlikable and I had a hard time with the structure.

It’s not very often I can finish a book within 24 hours, but this book captivated me the whole time. I HAD to know what was going to happen. I loved the way the book went from 20 years ago to present day. I felt the pain of Susan’s character throughout this book.