Going into this book, I thought it’d be focused mostly on the crime at hand - what happened to Bertha? However, we learned much more about Agnes and other students of Mount Holyoke College. These women are facing societal fears to earn the education they desire. An admirable cast, for sure! As we learn more about the culture and each person’s experiences, the trouble Bertha faced also came to light.

I nearly abandoned this book halfway through, but I am glad I just took a break and came back. The second half was much more enthralling.

Thank you NetGalley, RB Media, and author Katharine Beutner for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Unfortunately, this was not at all what I’d expected it to be. While that isn’t always a bad thing, it was in the case. I found this story to be incredibly boring. I also felt the narrator was a poor choice for the audiobook. Her tone did not fit the story. There is darkness within the novel and the narrator failed to capture that.

I am immensely grateful to Recorded Books and NetGalley for my copy. All opinions are my own.

I will definitely be picking this up in paper format once it's published, because the premise is still very intriguing to me. But unfortunately I will be DNFing this audiobook, mainly due to the narrator, whom I found to be a bit too abrasive and jarring for my taste.

thank you netgalley for providing me with the arc for this book.
to any of my mutuals or anyone else reading this review interested in picking up killingly, be warned this book deals with rape, incest, family trauma as well as the dissecting of cats (for some reason? i literally have in my notes: “18% in, why are we killing cats i don’t get it?”) anyway let’s get into it:
i picked out this book because i’m a slut for historical fiction/mystery books but i can’t quite say 100% that this book gave everything i wanted it to give.
the plot started off slow and picked up the tiniest bit around 50% but the story focused more on the relationships between each character rather than finding bertha which would’ve been a nice read if the characters had any type of good development but i felt that each character lacked development or depth, they were boring. i enjoyed agnes’ point of view but not many others. it was kind of hard to differentiate between person a’s point of view vs person b’s because of the multiple unnecessary characters with povs. i would’ve just stuck to agnes, florence, detective higham. anyway, to wrap up here cause idk what else to write, it wasn’t a horrible book but it wasn’t good either.

(Rounded up from a 3.5)

I listened to the audio version of this book, and it was successful in a lot of ways. Beutner took a historical event and explored a fictional backstory to it--where did late 1800s college student Bertha disappear to? The story isn't Bertha's though, but instead that of those surrounding her--room mates, housemates, family. There are upsetting twists and suggestions, but it doesn't read like a page turner, which actually worked for me. Instead, this story was rooted in the historical novel, and I love a good campus novel, though I wouldn't compare it to Tartt or anyone else--Beutner is her own writer, and I see a lot of potential here.

A slow burn historical fiction, which takes a few chapter to get into, however when you do it hooks you right in. I loved that this is based on the truth behind the disappearance of a Mount Holyoke student in 1897 and this is quite dark and gory at times. The gothic descriptions and haunting undertones add to the suspense and atmosphere of the book giving you chills. The characters are a bit quirky and strange and I don't think this is for everyone but I do believe it is worth giving a chance.

At the close of the nineteenth century, a Massachusetts student goes missing from her women's college. Bertha seems to have vanished without a trace, leaving her older sister bereft and desperate for answers. Agnes, Bertha's closest friend, is recalcitrant to speak to anyone and quickly lands herself in the "suspicious" category as rumors abound. The family's doctor and a private investigator also take up the search for Bertha, each of them with particular personal interest in the case. This is a fictional story with many twists and turns, but it is based on an actual unsolved disappearance!

I found Bertha's story to be interesting, but the characters themselves were flat for me. I quite liked the way Agnes's version of events unfolded, that was my favorite aspect of the book for sure! The men are generally creepy (not all of them, but generally), and the women all pretty peculiar. I got a bit confused by the inclusion of so many other students, I had trouble keeping the names straight. Overall, I enjoyed this story, especially since it's based on a real story. I love that fiction can write an ending for someone who hasn't truly gotten one.

Thank you to Katharine Beutner, Soho Crime, Recorded Books, and NetGalley for my advance audio copy.

The audiobook and narrator are great. There isn't a problem there.

But for the love of bookfairies can I please find a book that grabs me from the start and doesn't stop? Fantasy has a trend of too much romance right now and finding a good thriller has been hell.

This book is great for any fan of a slow burn historical fiction. The audio version has a fantastic narrator with a slight Transatlantic accent. My favorite part of the book was the social commentary regarding women for this time period. While I enjoyed the writing matching the verbiage and tone of the late 1800's, I didn't connect to this as much as I wanted. There were points where the story picked up, peaking my interest, but then it would go back to a slower pace. Overall I found this book a little too slow unfortunately.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to review this book!

This was a hard book to start, but I was glad I pushed through. I am not normally one for historical fiction. This is based on an unsolved real-life disappearance of a mount Holyoke student in 1897. As I said, the start was slow, but as I continued it picked up with some gore mixed in. I found myself cringing multiple times with the detail described in certain scenes. Killingly had me questioning what happened and making up scenarios in my head for a good while, until the full reveal. While I enjoyed this, it was not something I would typically read.

*ARC audiobook provided in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you NetGalley rb media for the #gifted ALC in exchange for honest my honest review. Not sure what that was but not at all what i expected and waited till the 30% mark ti dnf it. It was moving so slow and i haf it at 3x the speed giving it a try.

Great audio production, the narrator's voice fit the story very well. The mystery itself was pretty interesting and I liked the writing style as well. I can recommend it.

I requested this one because it might be an upcoming title I would like to review on my Youtube Channel. However, after reading the first several chapters I have determined that this book does not suit my tastes. So I decided to DNF this one.

ARC audiobook provided in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed to narration of this book. Her voice is clear and concise, and makes it easy to understand with her accent, even with a 1.5 speed. The story itself takes place in the late 1800’s and is about a young woman who goes missing. The writing was pretty good but I found the characters and storyline to be pretty predictable. There were a few aspects of the story that I found surprising and caught my attention, but unfortunately I didn’t really feel a deep connection to any of the characters. You may enjoy this book if you’re into historical fiction and mysteries, but for me it didn’t hold my attention like I’d want it to.

Wow, this audiobook reeled me in right away and had me on the edge of my seat the entire time. Definitely recommend

Killingly is based on the real story of the disappearance of a Mount Holyoke student in 1897. A girl disappears one day from a boarding college, and her family is anxious to find her but all the investigations are pertaining to be in vain, there is no sign of her - as if she vanished into thin air. The only person who may know all her secrets is her BFF who refuses to reveal any of her secrets.

I feared the book might not be the one for me considering its slow plot building, but thank God for my patience, it turned out to be just another amazing investigating hunt. The peculiarities of characters in the book are very audience-specific n may give you a fair warning - not everyone may like it. But for those who can take a dose of dark and drenching secrets, you may want to pick this up soon. It's been some time since I read this one and my thoughts still refuse to settle on whether what happened is right or wrong. And I may not be the best judge of that. But what I know for sure is that it's real. So freaking real!

Genre: #historicalfiction #lgbtqiap+
Rating: 4/5 ⭐️

Thank you @netgalley @soho_press and @katharinebeutner for the Digital ARC

I am so thankful to Katharine Beutner, Recorded Books Media, Soho Press, and NetGalley for granting me an advanced audiobook copy before it's set to publish on June 6, 2023. I am always down for a book that highlights an LGBTQ+ rep as the Main Character, and if you mix it in with some historical fiction, I'm also all onboard. I can't wait for publication day and can't wait to see others' reviews for this well-done piece of art.