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.

The clock ticks down in a heart-pounding crusade for justice

Susan Lentigo is on a mission after the death of her daughter 20 years ago, she is finally going to witness the execution of the man accused and found guilty of murder. However, it seems there is more to the story. More information is found that seems to implicate a different man. Can Susan get the information she needs in time to stop the execution? There is another young lady who is also involved. This is a heart stopping thriller that at first seems to go a bit slow but picks up with a vengeance. While the plot may seem like something that you have read before, the author has made it his own with added personality.’ I read this in one sitting as I just could not put it down.

Thank you to netgalley as well as the author/publisher for allowing me to read this book in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of The Necklace.

I love mysteries and I'm always on the lookout for a new author to read.

The Necklace was a formulaic story with a narrative I've read before; the main character realizes the murderer charged with the death of her child may be innocent and a race against time ensues.

I found Susan a relatable character; she was determined and focused on discovering her daughter's killer but I did not like her.

I'm not a fan of books where the mother or parental figure 'does not see' signs that her spouse was a predator.

I also felt Susan's antics in procuring the necklace almost comical, and I'm sure that's not what the author intended when he wrote the scene.

The way the retired federal agent believes Susan so quickly and the climatic scene at an execution (of all places) was a bit melodramatic.

I did like that Susan and Kyra's relationship grows from their brief interaction and Kyra shows up at the end of the book.

The Necklace wasn't a bad read but it wasn't as suspenseful as I had hoped.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ THE NECKLACE - Matt Witten

Wow!, What a thriller! Although when I first started this I was reading between 4 books, I got to a certain part and I was hooked. Read to the very last word, even the authors note...Hard to believe a male author has based a defiant teenage girl on himself, made me laugh nonetheless. Praise to the author where praise is due and it's not often I finish a book feeling satisfied with the ending but this truly was a great read.

Susan Lentingo is on a mission and rightly so. My heart went out to this lady and I felt every emotion with her as she hunted for the killer of her daughter. I loved the inner strength Susan summoned up and the help she got from a teenage girl and a retired cop to get justice.

Excellent read, would definitely recommend.

Review also published on Goodreads.

A Mother’s Worst Nightmare

Matt Witten took an old plot and made it believable and emotional in this novel. The seven-year-old daughter of Susan and Danny Lentigo had been murdered twenty years ago. Susan, now divorced, remained a devastated woman. She is planning to travel to North Dakota to witness the execution.

She has little money or worldly goods, but she has good friends. As a waitress in a diner in upstate New York, she earns a meager income and lives on the cusp. She has been divorced from Danny, who has now remarried.

Witten makes smart moves right from the beginning. He places the reader in the everyday life of Susan and Danny, before the death of her daughter. There were money pressures but Susan was not a nag. After too many miscarriages, she gave birth to her fun-loving daughter, Amy. Then her young daughter was murdered and her world was shattered. Witten forcefully, the author has Susan display high powered emotion during the days they are looking for her missing daughter and then her bottomless depression. One can feel her stress, breaking heart and a realistic loss of hope. She never recaptured her old life or tried to make a new one. She lived from day to day in heartbreak.

With the monetary help of her friends, Susan is able to plan a trip to North Dakota for the execution. Nothing is easy for Susan, her old car breaks down, money is stolen from her, she has nowhere to sleep and no food. For a few days, she becomes a scavenger, it is quite sad, but Susan never feels sorry for herself. She is a highly emotional woman whose existence is plagued by the death of Amy. She never went to college or had a career. Sometimes her sentences were filled with profanities aimed at another person or group.

The other primary character, Danny, is carefully crafted. Every sentence about him tells us something. Lorna, Susan’s mother, is a nice woman, who wants the best of her daughter but there is a chasm between them. Then there is Kyra, who is the most interesting character. You’ve seen or met Kyra’s, they look different,, maybe with tattoos or ear piercing, but they are really street-smart and have good souls. Each character serves a purpose in this novel, including the members of the FBI.

Susan’s obsession to witness the execution is understandable but nothing will replace the loss of her child. She never could repair her life or experience closure. The author takes us on a long and arduous trip of desperation to North Dakota. Something is always happening, it is not dull.

Combining Susan’s loss and mania, Witten adds punch and fascination to a stereotyped plot.

My gratitude to NetGalley and Oceanview Publishing for this pre=published book for an honest review.

A good thriller is a page turner and this book did not disappoint! The Necklace offered all the necessities of a thriller with the added bonus of relatable characters, humanity, and humor. The grit shown by Susan Lentigo made me cheer as I turned each page, rooting for her to find the clues needed to find justice for her daughter Amy. As the story line unfolded the twists and turns made me read faster and faster! And finally, JUSTICE!!

A good, but not great, thriller that was hurt by gratuitous language that seems to have been added for its future screenplay. The story was fast-paced, but the characters just didn’t “click” for me.

This book definitely kept me engaged throughout. The pace is fast and intriguing. I found myself cringing at much of the crass dialogue. Was this integral to the story and/or the protagonists? I thought the book could have been just as interesting and fast moving with less base language. Thank you NetGalley and Oceanview Publishing for this opportunity.

the publisher kindly provided me with an arc through netgalley

This was such an amazing read and a page turner, I couldn't stop reading because I just wanted to know what happened. The story is about Susan a woman who's daughter was raped and murdered, so a huge trigger warning for those. The execution of the murderer is coming up and she's planning on attending to get some peace. But during her trip, several things happen which makes her doubt if the convicted man really killed her daughter or if it was maybe her now ex husband..

I love love Susan and she's such a strong and amazing woman. It all felt very real and I just could imagine her feelings through and through. The book took turns and there were points I didn't even know who did what anymore. I started to think everyone could have done it and that's when I know a book got to me. A fantastic read and I'll definitely keep an eye out for what the author releases next.

I'm so sorry but this book wasn't really for me. I was hoping the story would focus more on the struggle of emotions - grief, guilt and accepting the truth.

I wanted to feel something but unfortunately I didn't. The book focused more on dramatic effect than true emotion, which didn't make some of the events easily believable for me personally.

I'd recommend this book to readers who like a lot of side drama and who are happy to go with the flow and accept things the way they are.

Thank you so much for allowing me the opportunity to read this book.

What a great story about a mother’s resilience. Susan is leaving to go to North Dakota, to see the execution of the man that murdered her daughter Amy, 20 years ago. As soon as she sets off to drive from NY to North Dakota her car breaks down forcing her to find some other way to get to North Dakota. She takes the bus and manages to stop in the town her now ex husband lives in and let him know where she is going, while there she starts to have memories that she thought long ago buried and questions what’s real and what isn’t. With alternating time lines and a full cast of memorable characters and an ending that breaks your heart you will not want this one to end. Can’t wait to see what Matt writes next!

Wow!! Get ready for this book!! It was intense, thought provoking, and then some.
Although it has some heavy themes, it was really well written and it made me feel for the main character of this book. It was a great weekend read!!

I thought this was an amazing book and read it in less than 2 days! Kept me interested and on my toes until the end. Would definitely recommend.

Very good read. Kept me interested throughout. This is my first read of this author but will be on the lookout for more.

I read this in two days! I was always engaged and definitely wasnt hard to stay interested. I wish there was more to read.