[3.9] i may be an avid mystery reader, but the closest i get to true crime is documentaries on netflix and random reddit threads i happen to stumble upon in the wee hours of the morning. even if i have come across my fair share of case rundowns, i wasn't entirely surprised to realize this particular one was new to me.

the moment i read the author's note, i rushed to the interwebs to read about the actual disappearance that served as the novella's inspiration (i genuinely got chills when i saw her disappearance happened on the same date as my birthday). i can say that this story does indeed follow the case <i>very</i> closely, down to some of the finest details. to the point where people might not be comfortable reading it even if it's written as a fictional recount of sorts. at least Josh Lanyon acknowledges to an extent within the text that creating content around true crime stands on the very thin line between exploitative and beneficial. i also appreciated the mc's self-awareness that he plays into that online "armchair psychologist" culture as a true crime podcaster, but please keep all this in mind in case it's something you can't see yourself looking past.

since the priority was clearly on delivering the ins-and-outs of the case within the constraints of a novella, it's a given that the vast majority of pages was dedicated to exposition in lieu of development on the romance front. that said, i still enjoyed what we were able to get both mystery and relationship wise, even if they were rushed. now the likelihood is small, but i do hope we can follow more adventures with Sky and Rory because the potential is blinding. not to mention the high i was riding at seeing the (albeit too-few and too-brief) references to Sam & Jason 🥰

<i>Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a copy of the book - this is my honest review :)</i>

3.5* Well written, as all JL books are, but a little too rushed.

Being a Brit, I wasn't at all familiar with the missing American nurse that JL says inspired the tale, but on googling, I was struck by how seemingly very close to what's known of the case this tale was. It is well done, with a telling that can be believed, but there was very little padding to the bare bones.

It was a short but decent read, though there wasn't the depth that I'm used to from JL. This felt like a novella with a few lite red herrings and too quick and easy an ending. It's still a cut above most, but I needed more...intrigue...mystery. Saying that, the leads xould easily become a successful collaboration, with more tales.

ARC courtesy of JustJoshing Publishing, Inc. and NetGalley.

I enjoyed following along the case in this book and thinking about the mystery. I feel that the romance felt a little out of place. A full review is on my Instagram, booknerdysam

Josh Lanyon delivers another wonderful story with 44.1644 NORTH. The novella, based on a real true crime story, features Skylar (a true crime podcaster) and Rory (an FBI agent from Lanyon's larger BAU-verse) as they work together to solve the cold case (and, in the process, fall in love). Written with Lanyon's usual grace and charm, the novella tells a satisfying story in a short number of pages (even if this reader, selfishly, would have liked it to be longer!).