Kari James is a Stephen King-loving, heavy metal-listening urban Indian who has a fairly quiet existence. She goes to work, drinks beer at the White Horse, hangs out with her cousin, Debby, and visits her dad, who was permanently disabled in a car crash. Everything changes when she finds a bracelet that belonged to her mother -- the mother Kari thought abandoned her when she was only two days old. The bracelet leads to visions that help Kari put together the truth about her mother's disappearance.

This book absolutely gave me chills. It's a family drama and mystery and ghost story all in one (and a bit of a love letter to Stephen King). There are twists that I never predicted that made me gasp. Kari is a protagonist you root for. She's flawed for sure, but she's smart and caring. She's haunted by both the ghosts of her mother (thanks to the bracelet) and by the loss of her best friend years ago. But she carries on and she grew throughout the book.

I had a little trouble picturing the events that took place late in the book that helped Kari acquire a new weapon (I don't want to spoil anything, so I won't go into detail) and wondered if it was a little random or coincidental. But, honestly, I just went with it, and I'm glad I did.

Thank you to Netgalley for an ARC of this book.

This book has a lot of elements I normally love in books: visions, monsters, flashbacks, mystery. Unfortunately, I really did not jive with the writing style. It seemed more like telling rather than showing. There were moments that were meant to be scary and tense and I enjoyed what happened, but not how it was crafted.

Additionally, I think there were too many story lines that took away from the main story: the disappearance of Kari's mom. I had a particularly hard time with Kari's relationship with Debby. It dominated a lot of the novel, but felt too repetitive and unnecessary in places. Debby also read VERY young; she did not seem like a character in her mid to late 30s.

I will say the last 15% was very good, and I loved the climax. It was cleverly done and well-written; I normally struggle to read action scenes, but didn't have that problem here.

This thriller takes you on a creepy ride of bloody ghosts, family secrets, and the search for answers. The cigarette smoke is as thick as the tension. You can put yourself right on a barstool at the White Horse and immerse in the Native culture and history. As fast as I finished this book, it will stay with me for ages.