This is a solid middle of the road slow burn thriller. It's well written but poorly paced, winding a bit too much here and there when Id have preferred a bit tighter plotting. This one is definitely for fans of the author and an ambitious plot, who can savor the Iowa nights with some tea and a warm blanket.

A little predictable but still enjoyable. Would have maybe liked a little more insight into some of the characters. I did enjoy the switch between time periods.

I feel solidly meh about this one… it’s got a really interesting premise, and it’s written well, but I feel like too much is crammed into to few words,

3.5 cold case stars

This slow burn mystery is set in a small town in Iowa. The premise is one I’ve read before, a decades old unsolved murder and the main character returns to town and the case gets renewed interest. Two things I will remember from this book – the unique character names (Juniper, Reb, Law, Willa) and the fact that it was a slow read!

In this one, we have Juniper, she’s escaped to Denver from her Iowa hometown and works in a library. She returns to Jericho to help her librarian friend Cora. She would also love to work on her relationship with her daughter, left behind in Iowa all these years to be raised by Juniper’s mom and stepdad.

The book alternates between present day chapters and then back about 14 years to the summer before she was set to leave for college. Juniper is in love that summer and trying to hide it. There’s also a terrible tragedy with neighbors Cal and Beth Murphy murdered and Juniper’s brother is the prime suspect. He’s never charged with the crime and the case goes unsolved.

A new podcast is rumored to be starting to get to the bottom of the murders. As a reader, I was hoping for some episodes to be included! There’s a police officer in town who is reopening the case as well.

This one had a great ending that I did not guess, but I wish the pace were a bit faster.

This is a beautifully written book about a family in trouble still haunted by a murder 14 years ago. It is told in two timelines, we witness the main character falling in love, trouble coming in between her and her almost twin brother and her best friend. We witness her as adult coming back to try to mend the rift between her and the daughter she was forced to give up and to finally solve the mystery of the murders. While parts of it were a little too slow moving, the beautiful at times, heart wrenching writing made up for it

A slow-burn mystery

This is my third from the author and it had more of a YA feel to it. The chapters switch timelines from 14 years ago when a murder took place to the present. Juniper returns to her hometown to delve into the unsolved murder.

I had a hard time focusing on the many secrets and backgrounds of suspects ( a lot going on here). Juniper's past romance with a teenage love interest kind of lost me and gave it that YA feel. Many small town secrets are slowly revealed along the way. A lot of the characters have vendettas.

The pace picks up quite a bit around 80% and everything resolves in an explosive conclusion that ties it all together nicely. Although this wasn't my favorite from Baart, I'll still be looking forward to her next.

Those who enjoy family drama with a slower pace may enjoy this one.

TWO TIMELINES

14 Years ago, Cal and Beth Murphy suffered through vandalized property, and the poisoning of their pet dog, before they were brutally murdered. Jonathan Baker became the prime suspect, but he was never convicted, and his sister Juniper’s life was changed forever. She left for college, only returning home about once a year.

In the present day, Juniper has returned to Jericho, Iowa, presumably to help an ill friend manage the local library, and to try to repair her relationship with her 13 year old daughter, who is being raised by her own mother, Reb and step father, Law. But she has actually returned to try and solve the Murphy murders before a local true crime podcaster does. You see, Juniper witnessed something that night that she has never revealed.

History begins to repeat itself, but this time her brother and his family are the targets of vandalism, the death of their family dog and now an accident-with Jonathan’s life hanging in the balance.

There is no doubt that Nicole Baart’s descriptive prose is quite lyrical, as we savor life in this small Iowa town, and discover the controversies and secrets of the farming community and its residents. And, eventually the story does wrap up with a SATISFYING conclusion BUT-the pace was so SLOW that it just took too long to get there for me!!

It took me a week to read this book, when I can usually read a book every two days!

And, apparently I am a bit of an outlier, here, but I wanted to hear excerpts from the Podcast that lured Juniper back to town, (we heard none) and explore why her friendship with Cora was close enough to bring her home to help at the library. (Where her help didn’t seem to be needed)

In addition, when you leave your infant with your own parents, and have them raise her-visiting once a year-you don’t get to just decide to be a parent 13 years later. Face time phone calls and texts don’t cut it.

Had these three sub plots been developed in more detail, perhaps the book would have held my interest more. As it was, I was often BORED.

Many other reviewers have enjoyed this more, so be sure to read some of these reviews as well, to determine if this will be a better fit for your taste. And, definitely check out DeAnn’s amazing review, as we read this together and she may have enjoyed it more than I did, as well. 3.5 rounded down for the slow pace

Thank You to Atria books for the gifted ARC, provided through NetGalley. It was my pleasure to offer a candid review! AVAILABLE November 2, 2021.

This felt like it moved really slowly, which was slightly bothersome, although I did end up enjoying it. There are things I wanted to know more about that were wrapped up too quickly or glossed over, and a fair amount of context in the middle that could have been pared down so it read at a better pace. Overall this was enjoyable, and I'll be checking out more of Baart's work, but it wasn't absolutely amazing.

Perfect mystery that will make you lose sleep - one of those you have to finish right away. June has such a sad life till she comes home to help a friend. Lots of interesting layers to her family’s history. Talk about skeletons in the closet! Well done!

⭐⭐⭐⭐+ Stars
I have only read a few Nicole Baart’s novels. . I especially loved the page-turner "You Were Always Mine" and have been looking forward to reading another of her stories.

The time frame is THEN fourteen years ago when Juniper Baker was a high school graduating senior and NOW!

THEN: Neighbors Cal and Beth Murphy were murdered on the 4th of July.
Juniper and her brother Jonathan have both been very helpful to their long time neighbors.
Jonathan found the Murphy’s’ and reported the murder thus became a suspect.
He was not convicted but many still believes he is guilty.

Juniper leaves to attend the University of Iowa; she also leaves Willa her infant daughter to be raised by her mom Reb and step-dad Law.
NOW: Juniper is a Librarian and lives in Colorado. She has returned home to Jericho, Iowa to help her friend Cora who has cancer and needs help managing the local library.
Juniper would also like to help clear her brother’s name and find who really killed the Murphy’s’. There is talk of a ‘true crime podcast’ that has proof that Jonathan indeed was the murderer.

NOW: Jonathan was recent in an accident that has left him on life support. This seems to add fuel to the fire that he is guilty.

NOW: Ashley, Juniper’s best friend in high school has married Sullivan Tate the guy she loved in high school. Also the same guy Juniper hung out with that summer.
Juniper has hidden this from her friend as she felt she was betraying her loyalty.

THEN: Sullivan’s family and the Murphy’s did not get along.
The Murphy’s and the Tate’s have been feuding and the Murphy’s are threating to sue for unethical perhaps illegal farming. Additionally, it seems they are responsible for killing their dog by poising the water.

Not a typical psychological thriller but yes there are twists ~ author, Nicole Baart does NOT disappoint.

As always rea the ‘Acknowledgements' Truly love reading the inside scoop and the motivation
behind the story! This iis very interesting. Ms. Baar talks about writing during the lockdown

Want to thank NetGalley and Atria Books for this eGalley. This file has been made available to me before publication in an early form for my honest professional opinion.
Publishing Release Date scheduled for November 2, 2021

4.5 stars. Can’t decide between 4 or 5 but definitely a really good suspense/mystery. I did not put it together or guess the ending and it’s a really good ending! I really liked Junipers character and her relationship with her brother. Good character development! Thanks to Netgalley and the Publisher for the ARC

This is my first Nicole Baart work, and I really enjoyed her beautiful writing style. I know she accomplished this book during a stressful pandemic, so extra kudos! This is a really good book, and I devoured it quickly.

Juniper is back at her hometown after leaving 14 1/2 years earlier. A couple named the Murphy's from a nearby farm were murdered at that time when Juniper left her hometown. Her brother was accused of murdering the Murphy's. Juniper is back at her hometown to help her friend run the library. She is also there to solve the Murphy cold case. She is worried about a podcast implicating her brother's involvement in the murders. The story goes back and forth from 14 years earlier to present day. What secrets does Juniper remember from that fateful day? The last 60% of the book was page turning and had me SHOOK. I think this was a great thriller mystery and I highly recommend it. Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for an eArc in exchange for my honest opinion.

Wow! What a brilliantly written book! It keeps you flipping pages, needing to know what took place to these characters you have literally gotten to know like friends! Quite slow build, which I usually don’t like, but done in such an unique, captivating way, I just couldn’t not connect! Became quite unputdownable, intense, and chilling! Absolutely highly recommend, as you’ll love all except for the mega hangover you’ll get after you finish!

Will buzz around platforms and use top Amazon reviewer number on release!

From the descriptions to the twists I loved every page. Favorite book by my FAVORITE author. Compulsively readable

Jupiter returns home to do two things. Ahe wants to mend her relation with her daughter and solve a murder about the Murpbya from years a go. A dual time line issues as your pulled into the plot.
Well written and an interesting premise. . .

Juniper Baker was young, on her way to college and in love. In one summer, all of that was turned around when her neighbors the Murphys were brutally murdered and her beloved brother, Jonathan, became the prime suspect. Years later, Juniper has returned to town, an archival librarian coming home to help out an ailing friend who runs the local library. Now, she’s determined to fix her relationship with her teenaged daughter who her parents have been raising, and to solve the mystery of what happened that summer.

I find parent-child loss/estrangement themes really hard to read about but the author dealt with these issues gently. And sometimes switching back and forth through two timelines--June’s last summer in Jericho and the present--can be jarring or unwelcome. Sometimes one storyline is more compelling/fleshed out than the other and I’m impatient to return to the more engaging thread. In this case, both were captivating. If there is one storyline that seemed a bit ill-conceived it was the podcaster one—when the reveal about the mystery podcaster happens, it’s a head-scratcher. But overall, I really enjoyed this book and stayed up far too late to finish it.

What a book!!! The story unfolds with slow building to the climactic conclusion. I loved every moment of getting to know these characters, their lives, and how everything was woven together. I highly recommend this book!!!

Such a great read! Juniper is a great character that you connect deeply with. I loved how the author jumped back and forth to reveal the whole story and was so surprised by the ending! Be careful who you trust!!

This thriller follows June as she returns to her hometown after a podcast emerges trying to implicate her brother in a murder that occurred when they were teenagers, but the story ends up being a lot more layered. Family dynamics and small town secrets come to light in this pretty fast paced book and I was actually surprised by the reveal at the end.

I mean... this book!!!! Seriously, Everything We Didn't Say by Nicole Baart was absolutely fantastic! I love novels about podcasts. I love novels in two time periods. And I love novels with insane family drama. This book had all three- AND the story itself was so well told and addictive. I couldn't get enough and had a major book hangover afterward!!