I am BLOWN AWAY!! This book MUST be on your tbr for 2021. It was so so so good.
The Necklace is gripping, emotional, action packed, and full of complex characters. Susan is such a cool tough mom. It's a page turner, at one point I tried to read less of The Necklace so I could spend more time with the book but I couldn't put it down. Bravo to Matt Witten for such a great novel!

Thank you to Netgalley for an eARC copy of The Necklace!

When Susan Lentigos daughter is murdered, her whole world falls apart. But as the execution of the killer approaches, Susan makes her way to North Dakota to watch justice be served. With nothing more than a dollar, she begins a journey that has her question the guilt of the man that’s been behind bars for the last twenty years. With the help of some new and old friends, Susan tries to get to the bottom of the new found questions.

This book is the epitome of a page turner. I was absolutely captivated by the story- the pace and the twists and turns were perfect. Fantastic read!

Such a fast-paced read! From the first chapter I was hooked and although it took a while for the premise of the book to truly begin, the uncertainty regarding Amy's killer, I enjoyed all the twists throughout. I worried that it might be too simple, once Susan had begun to suspect that Danny might be responsible, and was glad to find that the story still had a couple more turns before it came to it's conclusion.

Susan's emotion, as a mother who has lost her daughter was real and raw and I truly wanted the resolution for her so that she could rest, knowing that the truth had finally come out. Each of the characters felt truly real and flawed and I greatly enjoyed how they were each portrayed in the story.

This book would have been five stars had it not been for the unnecessary romance at the end. There was no need for it in the story and I'm just glad that it didn't take up too much of the book. Regardless of this minor detail I was truly satisfied with the ending, not too predictable or outlandish, and would highly recommend this to mystery/thriller lovers or those wanting to get into the genre as it was a fast-paced, easy read!

Very well developed characters and an extremely engaging story. Well thought out and very suspenseful story line that keeps the reader guessing until the final twist! This is the book to read this year! Highly recommended!

4/5 :)

Personally, I thought the beginning of the book was a little slow and too tragic and a little hard to read about. Although that's probably just the cruel reality…

I also thought something was going to happen with Marla and Sophie because I felt like mentioning them that one time was going to have more purpose. I kept waiting for them to pop up, but I guess that’s the only time they’d ever see each other…

Even though the action comes in later in the book, it doesn't stop once it's here. It keeps you wanting more and more until the very end.

To be perfectly honest, the ending was pretty predictable if you thought of it enough… Maybe I read too many mysteries, but it wasn’t as much of a twist I would’ve liked it to be. I almost gave up my theory in the middle but let’s pretend I was right the whole time. :)

I kind of wanted to hear from the killer because it’ll be interesting to see why he did it cause why not?

In my opinion, chapter 42 was the absolute best. Seriously. And chapter 43 makes this book complete. Oh! And let's not forget the perfect epilogue too!

There's just some mature content to look out for (but this is adult fiction, so I guess that's pretty self-explanatory…)

Everything I didn't mention was either good or very good. :)

Overall, a very good book with some minor details that could be better. I would definitely recommend it to all the thriller and mystery lovers!

01/26/21

thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for being able to read this in advance in return for a review. Its The story is told between two time frames - - 20 years ago and present day. And is the story of Susan a small town waitress. Her daughter was kidnapped and killed 20 years ago and it is now time for the killer to be executed. Although Susan is now not quite sure if he did it. And if he didn't, it means the killer is still out there.

There were parts of this that I had a hard time with ... towards the end there is a section where susan goes to witness the execution and walks through death row past prisoners. I'm not so sure I believe that . Then again I don't really know. I also find it a bit unbelievable that she would break into danny's house to steal the necklace.
having said all that, the ending is a bit predictable but it still made for a good read. Just not a 4-5 star for me.

This was a thrilling roller coaster of a story. Susan lost her daughter, when she was kidnapped and murdered. Now twenty years later Susan is taking a road trip to witness the execution of the man convicted of the crime. As she makes her way there she stumbles across new evidence that changes everything she thought was true. Now she is in a race against time to find out the truth and maybe saving an innocent man from being executed. Thank you Netgalley for this ARC.

Book Review Time

Thanks NetGalley and Oceanview Publishing for the advanced copy!

The Necklace by Matt Witten

Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆

20 years ago Amy lost her life. Now The Monster is on death row awaiting his execution. Amy’s mother Susan has been waiting 20 years for this moment. Will it be everything she wanted?

Pros:
-I loved the flashbacks to 20 years ago to learn how everything went down during the investigation.
-I loved that it had me almost playing detective the whole time with Susan.

Cons:
-The writing style just seemed a little off the first few chapters, I believe it was just getting the reader used to going from past to present, and then it ended up getting much better.
-I didn’t care for the epilogue in all honesty. I think one was needed, but this one actually threw me off. Obviously can’t go into details without spoilers, but I didn’t like it.

My thoughts:

So honestly the first few chapters were kind of boring. You meet Amy, then you know she dies by chapter 2 which you also know if you read the synopsis. Just nothing major really seemed to happen. It’s all just factual. Then the end of chapter 5 has me like. “Okay Matt Witten. Okay. You got me intrigued now!” And then it almost had ‘Girl On The Train’ vibes. I couldn’t tell who “the monster” was, and then I’d guess and be wrong. Then guessing who really did it or didn’t do it. Then I’m thinking Susan is the crazy one and she did it. And seriously going back and forth every few chapters on what I thought. And then the end you were like dropping your jaw on the ground! I will say if you are easily triggered my murders involving children, this isn’t for you. It deals with some heavy gruesome stuff. Overall it was a crazy rollarcoaster ride and a great thriller that by the half way point I couldn’t put down because I HAD TO KNOW!

The Necklace is and interesting crime story about the kidnap and murder of a little girl, based on true events. I found it hard to warm to the main character Susan, the mother, but love the character Kyra. With thanks to NetGalley for my digital copy.

The Necklace is a gripping murder mystery about a mother's love, deadly secrets, and the elusive truth. Susan Lentigo has been grappling with her daughter's violent death for twenty years and hopes to find relief at the execution of the man convicted of the crime. However, on her journey there, she discovers new evidence that throws everything into doubt. Susan must rely on her instincts, her strength, and unlikely allies to avenge her daughter's death by discovering the truth.

Witten crafts a tightly-wound novel that keeps the reader guessing and engaged until the final moments. Even when I was convinced I knew who the killer was, I had no idea how the protagonist and her friends would catch him. Susan, a working class waitress, is a relatable protagonist who is easy to empathize with. Whether she's searching her memory for clues or searching for a place to sleep on a cold night - her tenacity is admirable. Simply put, you want her to win.

Although the story is served well by such a likable protagonist, the supporting characters left something to be desired. The fast pace of the story meant that we didn't get to spend as much time with them and subsequently they felt more like footnotes than true allies. However, they served the narrative well and their relationships with Susan led to a satisfying epilogue of an ending.

Although I would recommend this thriller, I would do it with a note of caution due to the subject matter. Susan's daughter, Amy, is sexually assaulted before she is murdered. This fact is repeated throughout the novel in varying detail by multiple characters. At times, I didn't think rehashing the grisly details was necessary for the scene and although it was very uncomfortable to read- it didn't prevent me from enjoying the book overall. I think any potential reader should be fully aware of the subject matter before picking up this book, despite how well written it is.

CW: death, grief, murder, assault, sexual assault, pedophilia, prison

A really interesting story concept, but I don’t feel like it was executed properly. Anytime there was build up to a climax, the situation was diffused. I also think that the ending was rushed.

I found this book to be mysterious but not psychological or overly thrilling. I think this book would benefit from more suspense.

Susan Lentigo's young daughter Amy was found murdered and raped at the young age of 8 after going missing from home. 20 years later after the dissolving of Susan's and Daniel's marriage Susan takes a road trip to go view the execution of the man accused of Amy's murder.
Along the long trip Susan makes a stop at the home of her ex husband only to find his young daughter wearing a necklace similiar to one Amy made and wore and which was never found after her death. How did this young girl get the same necklace? Is the right person being executed or was someone else involved with Amy's death?
After Daniel explains the necklace with excuses Susan begins to have doubts and suspicions and tries to involve authorities but when they don't believe her she gets in touch with the past detective on the case.
I thought a lot of the plot was rather unbelievable and also the description of Amy's rape and murder was graphic and depressing. Speed read through the book to get it finished.

This was a really good read. I’ve enjoyed the rollercoaster ride. 🌟🌟🌟🌟 rating from me! Thank you Oceanview, Netgalley, and Matt Witten for this book in exchange for my honest review.

I always say that it's highly intelligent to include children in a thriller story. Since we all share the fear of destroying a child's innocence. This story depicted every mother's worst fear, the murder of her child, and Witten write it realistically. There is not one point in this book that you feel like Susan (the mother) is doing something irrational (considering the circumstance), which is always a blessing when an author fully understands the human psychology behind grieving.

One of the best things from this story is the back and forth timeline (days of the crime to 20 years later) which helped keep the reader intrigued the whole time. I also really appreciated that the author doesn't discuss more the crime than necessary (since some authors have the tendency to put more gore than necessary). The thing that surprised me the most about this story is the sense of community that I felt after reading since in many instances where Susan is struggling there is someone there to support her. An example is a fundraiser in the beginning.

In conclusion, the Necklace is one of the cleanest plot, tone, and dialogue wise mystery-thrillers that I have read in a while. It is making me crave more from Matt Witten. I will definitely keep an eye out for more of his works.

They say that losing a child is like walking around without a heart. This book proves that you can never stop an angry Mama Bear in her search for the truth.

The Necklace by Matt Witten is one of those books that leave the reader with what we call a “book hangover.” They can’t stop thinking about the world they set the book in. The story is over, but it remains with you for a long time.

Susan Lentigo lost her daughter, Amy, to a brutal murder and rape 20 years ago. The Necklace opens at a fundraiser being thrown for Susan so she can watch the execution of Amy’s killer in North Dakota. The reader learns that Susan, a server, and her mother, Lenora, live in Upstate New York. Susan’s friends and family have raised enough money to get her to the execution and back, but unfortunately, things don’t quite go as planned. Within one day of her leaving, her car has broken down and her money stolen. But being the strong woman she is, she moves forward, eating leftover food in diners and sleeping in bus stations. She doesn’t turn back.

Danny Lentigo, Susan’s ex-husband, now lives in Tamarack, NY—two hours from Lake Luzerne, where she lives. They separated a year after their daughter was killed and haven’t spoken since. The bus Susan has taken to North Dakota stops in Tamarack and she makes an impulsive decision to get off and see Danny. After the unpleasant visit, as she is leaving his office, she sees a picture of his daughter wearing the beaded necklace that was never found after Amy was killed. Susan leaves with the sense that maybe not all is as it seems, and they may execute the wrong person.

This book takes the reader on a wild ride and introduces a cast of characters who are all unforgettable in their own way. From Susan’s elderly mother, Lenora, to Kyra, the rebellious teenager who assists her in finding the truth, to the retired FBI agent who convicted the original suspect.

Matt Witten is a former writer for Law & Order and his knowledge of crime and the legal system is a true benefit. He keeps the reader guessing until the very last page. And with each high and low, readers will want to keep going. You can’t help but rally behind this mother seeking justice for her daughter and making sure the right man pays for the crime.

The book had an overall feel of a screenplay,though there was enough suspense . They are all scenes than chapters which also felt ok till the main character goes over the top with actions unrealistic. Susan has temperamental outbursts and her starving for food scenes were repetitive. The end twist which we can guess comes about with a very ridiculous explanation at the 11th hour....too gimmicky!!!. The FBI seem to be a bunch of dummies.Final gripe...Susan has a flip phone in 2015.,so doesn't know to type on a modern cellphone....🙄

Great book that kept me up reading. The first real mystery page turner I have read in a while. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who likes thrillers.

Holy cow this was a wild ride and I was here for it!
What to say? This was such a great read. From Benito the very end I devoured every second of it!
The writing was spot on. The characters what????? Amazing!
I didn't want this story to end!!!! I wanted more.

A life-or-death thrill ride down a dark and twisty rabbit hole. Matt Witten is definitely a writer to watch. You won't be able to put this one down, and it keeps you guessing to the end.