A very fast paced, quick read. It's brutal with pretty vivid confessions about rape and violence against a small child. I liked the short, quick chapters that easily changed from present day to 20 years earlier. I don't think there was too much of a mystery, since the direction of the investigation switches pretty early but I did find the story interesting and I wondered how it would all play out. A good, quick read.

A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.

What a thrilling reading! It got me hooked from the beginning and I was really cheering on for the right culprit to be identified. Such a horrible crime could not go unpunished and other crimes had to be prevented through the imprisonment of the right person. Susan, although, heartbroken, did not stop until she found all the answers she needed and she was thankful to have the FBI agent standing behind her. She also met kind people on her path who made her think that all good was not gone from her life. Very, very entertaining!

The book "The Necklace" By Matt Witten won't let you go from the very first word to the very last! I was fortunate to receive an advanced copy from Oceanview Publishing on my Kindle. And I'm glad it was on my Kindle otherwise I would have jumped ahead to the end to find out the how it ends. WARNING: If you buy the physical book you will be tempted to flip to the last chapter to find out the ending. But DON'T do it!!! There is so much great reading through out the book. I HIGHLY recommend this book!

*5 Stars*

ARC kindly received for an honest review.

This was a really good read, and I found the characters to be very interesting. Great investigation in the book and a great ending. Really enjoyed this and definitely recommend.

I’m not sure what to say about The Necklace, it wasn’t what I expected and I struggled to keep my attention on the plot due to my inability to connect to the character of Susan. I found the novel slow, alternating between present day and twenty years ago. The “ clue" is such it leaves all mystery. It is a well written novel which I am sure will have huge appeal to many other readers. I could not connect with the character of Susan and this meant I had difficulty with the book.

Great premise, fast paced thriller-mystery.
Really liked the story and determination of main character Susan and her surprise relationship with Kyra.
Some slow parts but what a ride ounce it picked up!
Although I found some things weren't believable the story brought to light some important issues within justice systems.
Do yourself a favour and read the authors note! Was interesting to read how he came up with the idea to write this book. Would love to see a movie adaptation of this one.

Wow! I literally could not put this book down! I fell in love Susan and Kyra, as well as agent Pappas right off the bat. I was guessing about what might happen until the last chapter. The fact that the author somewhat based it on a true story (which I didn't learn until after I finished it) makes it even more awesome. I have to find more books written by the author.

Thank you NetGalley for a great read. Wow, I didn't see that ending coming either. Who would of guessed? I hope the author writes another one soon. I enjoyed the past and present variation and I can imagine the guilt of the Mom and the Grandma. I think I would of been borrowing money for a better way to get out to North Dakota. Maybe a loan from the bank on her house? I sympathized with her being hungry and scared on the journey but I would of been too scared to sneak into a house. Or maybe not....Anyway a very good read and recommend this!!

The protagonist is a middle-aged woman - Susan Lentigo. Life is tough as she is only just squeezing out a living for herself as a waitress. There, Amy, who is pretty world wise at such a young age about money as she worries about things like a necklace, being too expensive for her mum to buy. The book is astutely observant in its narration and conversations for all the characters. In the beginning the atmosphere is warm and fuzzy. The necklace itself is cute and lovely, but this quickly turns as the story unfolds and becomes a thriller about what happened to Amy.

The atmosphere becomes chilling and what seems at first a slow-burn, becomes a very fast-paced thriller that does not miss a beat. Every word is crucial as is every nuance as tension increasingly builds.</p>

The Necklace, succinctly and expertly shows both the present times and Amy's backstory, both which evokes many emotions of sadness and anger from the people within it. Weaving through Amy's story is also about the relationship between Susan and her mother as they try to live in the same home together, which is also interesting.

Susan's worst nightmare happened 20 years ago and the aftermath of the spiraling of her mental health and also a recovery of sorts, with the appropriate help is portrayed well. There is also the search and hope that the necklace will be found and the trial. The case throws up many questions, which adds another layer, including showing how far forensics has come over the past couple of decades. All isn't as clear cut as it seems and a race against time ensues to find out the truth. Each stage of the book is gripping in many ways. The experience Matt Witten has in tv translates very well into writing books.

As The Necklace plays out, it is easy to see why it is optioned for a film and would, if translated well onto the screen, will be as enthralling as the book. It is definitely worth reading the book first as it is such a page-turner and readers will get to know the woman who may not have much, but has a bundle of strength to get to the truth of who's innocent, who's guilty..

Matt Witten's The Necklace is really unlike other mysteries I've read before. It's told in two different time frames from present day to 20 years previously. I thought the two time frames worked really well for this story of Susan and Danny's little girl, Amy, who goes missing and is sadly found murdered. Fast forward twenty years and the convicted person is about to be executed, so the town's people have a fundraiser to send Susan to North Dakota to view his execution; however, as Susan runs into various situations along the way she uncovers some pretty shocking evidence that she believes might prove that the convicted man isn't guilty. What all Susan goes through in order to find out the truth is to be applauded.

I really liked the story line and the characters. I felt that Susan was the best developed character and that more should have been done to better develop other characters. I also thought it was very straight forward, meaning that (for me) there wasn't that much suspense, twists and turns. I never felt the page-turner, heart-stopping, sitting-on-the-edge-of-my-seat feelings that I like to when reading a book of this genre.

I would like to thank NetGalley and Oceanview Publishing for giving me an e-ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

#TheNecklace #NetGalley

Wow! Just when I thought I had it figured out comes another smashing twist. This book grabbed me from the title and blurb and never let go. It was so good I finished it in a day!
Great writing and delivery of the story. I connected with so many characters and was emotionally invested all the way.
Highly recommend
Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book

This book was a page turner from beginning to end. A family’s daughter is kidnapped and murdered. The person responsible is brought to justice and now is finally going to fulfill the death sentence. Yet the mom is starting to have second thoughts - is he truly the one who killed her daughter? This book had me guessing until the end!! I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

3.5 stars

Imagine the rage you would feel if a person strangled and raped your young daughter. You would want him to receive his just desserts, as capital punishment might be exactly what you think you need in order to placate somewhat the hurt and emptiness of your heart.

Susan Lentigo, is just such a mother. She sat through the trial of the accused who confessed, with anger burning through her so that when the conviction came down, she stood before the judge and demanded the death penalty, intending some day to sit front and center as the killer was put to death.

Twenty years later, she has her wish. However, as Susan travels from upstate New York to North Dakota on a number of buses, she begins to wonder and question if they murderer is truly the one who did it. It all hangs on a necklace her daughter loved and wore, a necklace made by Susan and her daughter, a necklace that was never found.

Susan is determined to know the truth and in the end save a convicted man from death. She courageously enlists the aid of a number of people, a rebellious teenage girl and an ex policeman who worked on the case.

The clock ticks down towards the execution as Susan battles both the clock and others to try to save the life of a man she knows is innocent as she discovers the horrible truth of her daughter's death.

This was an intense but easy read as the pages flew in this reader's hope that eventually justice would be served.

Thank you to Matt Witten, Oceanview Publishing, and NetGalley for a copy of this story that was published on September 7, 2021.

Thank you to the author, Oceanview Publishing and NetGalley, for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The murder of her young daughter 20 years ago sent her mother into a destructive spiral and ended her marriage. Now the convicted murderer has exhausted his appeals for clemency, despite still insisting he is innocent. As the mother embarks on a journey across the country to attend his execution, doubts start to creep in as to whether the right man will be punished for the crime. I understand the mother's anger on an intellectual level, even though I am fervently opposed to the death penalty. The author did a great job of bringing the reader into the life and thoughts of the mother, who has to call upon unexpected inner reserves of strength, resourcefulness, and resilience. She receives many acts of kindness and helpfulness along the way and meets some interesting and supportive people - and the ending is so satisfying. I especially liked the insight into the author's process, given at the end, which reveals what is behind the story. .

Oh my….the suspense factor is off the chart!
What a terribly twisted story😳.
I have to rate it 5🌟just for the suspense aspect and how the author kept me on the edge of my seat more then once. I was kept engaged and guessing until the end.
The story is not a easy one to read. I found it so heartbreaking and brutal…..i had to take breaks every now and then while reading. The subject matter is hard to read.
Highly recommend to anyone that reads true crime stories.
Many thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and author for the opportunity to read this book for my honest opinion. All opinions expressed are my own.

I was intrigued when I got the email months ago about Matt Witten’s upcoming novel The Necklace. It definitely sounded right up my alley as I am a huge thriller fan. I was absolutely not disappointed.

The story follows Susan’s journey as she travels across the country to attend the execution of her daughter’s murderer. On this journey she comes to some realizations that her anger towards this man on death row may not be the one to blame for the murder and time is running out for her to get someone to listen.

This story was so interesting. It has a lot of different angles to it as we read about the actual crime itself, which was heart wrenching to hear. We read about Susan’s grief and her relationship with her husband Danny and it becoming rocky and ending. We read about her current journey across the country and her inner turmoil. I quite enjoyed Kyra, a side character who plays a great part in this book. I love what she did for the story. I think Witten portrayed Susan’s grief in the most raw, real way. She was going through the motions of life, but hadn’t yet been able to move on from the death of her daughter. I felt her grief in my chest. That heavy, unbearable feeling was there as I read her story. As a mom, I felt her pain. Witten did a fantastic job writing that in the most real way.

The story of the mother’s suspicions that the wrong person had been convicted had me hooked from the beginning. I read the second half of this book in one sitting in just a few hours. I literally could not put it down. I had to know what had really happened. I had to know if the original convict would be put to death. I had to know what actually happen to little Amy. Matt Witten did such a good job building suspense that I was literally chained to this book needing to keep reading.

I have read quite a few books so far this year, and Matt Witten’s The Necklace is in my current top five. I have more to read, but I suspect this may remain there. The Necklace was such a remarkable book with a well thought out plot and flowed in such a seamless way, even though we were jumping around a bit in the story to fill in information. I loved everything about this book and I have absolutely nothing to critique. It was that good. Pick it up. If you love suspense or if you are wanting a good suspense novel, pick this up. You will not be disappointed.

⭐⭐⭐⭐/5

• interesting plot with a great pace
• then and now perspectives
• really liked our female protagonist, but let's not forget about the briefly featured Kyra!

The twenty years' worth of suffering and now determination that Susan has to get closure on the death of her young daughter is so palpable through the writing. We go along with Susan on her wild journey to the execution of the man who is responsible... or is he? 🧐 Really enjoyed The Necklace!

Thank you to NetGalley, Oceanview Publishing and Matt Witten for the opportunity to read and review this book. All opinions are honest and my own.

The Necklace is an addictive thriller that hooks you from the start. I felt that it was obvious the author has written for television because the whole time I was reading, it felt as if I were “watching” it; the writing is incredibly visual, adding depth, realism, and interest to the story. This would make an incredible movie (side note: it is being optioned for a movie!!).

The characters were well-written and thoroughly fleshed out, allowing me to continually learn about who they are throughout the story. I loathed the bad guys and loved the good guy because of how well they were each portrayed in their part. I love books that allow me to feel close to the characters and what they are going through, in this case, it’s heartbreaking and my heart was most definitely broken for Susan, the main character. I was able to empathize with her, I felt protective over her, and was fighting with her. I loved that Susan met friends along the way that she was able to trust and who were ready to fight alongside her, this allowed Susan to open up and be the woman she longed to be.

The plot of this book is set up so well. Just when you think things can’t get any worse, they do. Just when you think the main character is going to get a win, she doesn’t. It’s intense and keeps you quickly turning the pages. I found myself thinking about the story and wondering what was happening even when I wasn’t reading.

The Necklace is an intense, emotional thriller that entertains you from start to finish. I really was addicted to the story and just had to know what was happening. I recommend this book to lovers of domestic suspense thrillers because this is such an entertaining book with relatable, realistic characters and written by an author who, in my opinion, knows how to engage his readers in an incredible story.

Trigger warnings: I would say that anyone who is triggered by child abuse and rape (it’s off the page but is described) should look further into the book before reading to see if it will be triggering.

Rating: 5/5 stars

Chilling to the bone.

If you are from a small town, you know some things are just different, I found a few things happening here that others would find unrealistic, actually does happen in smaller towns.

The story here will be a gut kicker if you happen to have a child the same age as the one in the story, as I do. I found it difficult to hold onto my emotions in certain places.

Twenty years ago, Susan's daughter Amy was murdered. To find the peace she has longed for she decides to attend the execution of the one who killed her daughter. As she starts this journey things fall apart and some fall together. She begins to question what she knew to be true.

The story was inspired by a mash up of two true crimes and that makes it even more chilling to read. This one was a great thriller read for me and I encourage you to read some reviews and determine if you'd like it. I understand some have a hard time when children are the subjects.

Thank you to NetGalley and Oceanview Publishing for allowing me to read a copy for my honest review.

An interesting story with a seat of your pants ending. The writing could have been better with more suspense. It seemed a little disjointed in spots.