This story is set during the height of COVID, and cover a lot of social issues that rose during that time while also tracking a serial killer that targeted women! WHEW! I will have to go back and read the first book in the series, as I didn't realize was series when I requested the book.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion,

I should have read The Fields prior to this one but didn’t realize it was a book 2. Slow burn but picks up and is entertaining.

I need to read The Fields first and then will come back to this novel. I really can't enjoy a book that has illusions of previous characters and plots. I have FOMO that way!!

Thank you to the author and publisher for the ARC.

Thank you NetGalley and Flatiron Books for the opportunity to read and review Original Sins by Erin Young.

Here's the set up: Riley Fisher is an FBI agent that has transferred back to her hometown of Des Moines. A harsh winter is beginning and setting the atmospheric scene for what is about to happen to the unsuspecting city. A serial attacked named the Sin Eater has started attacking women again. She is teamed up with with a FBI agent that doesn't want her around to start up the investigation of both the serial attacker and a threat against the governor. Will she be able to solve either case? You will need to read to find out.

Original Sins is book two in the Riley Fisher series by Erin Young. I did not read the first in the series, but it did not hinder me from thoroughly enjoying the book. There was enough back story throughout the book that helped me understand everything that was going on with the main characters. So, I think it could be read as a stand-alone if needed. I though the main character was well developed and was rooting for her to succeed till the end. This is a serial killer/attacker story with a lot of violence against women, so I would issue maybe a trigger warning here. There are a couple of continuing storylines from the first book, but it was easy to follow. I enjoyed the plot twist and thought it propelled the story in a little bit of a different direction that made the story even better. I also think the end of the story could definitely open up for a third book in the series. If you are interested in checking this one out it will be released on February 13, 2024.

I wish I loved this one more, but in general, a good "cold case becomes suddenly hot" read, with a solid twist. The multiple POVs were distracting, rather than enlightening, but Young is a good writer. A read centered on white nationalism and the rise of a certain kind of political capital, especially when that capital comes at the expense of women.

I was thrilled to return to Riley Fisher’s world. She’s become an FBI Agent, and moved to Des Moines. Jess Cook is Governor and has been receiving death threats. At the same time, a serial murderer and attacker has reawakened after 15 years and has begun assaulting women again. What’s the connection? Riley has to figure it out before more women get hurt. I couldn’t put this down! Less personal drama than the first book, and seemed to move quicker. 5 stars for me. Thanks to Netgalley for the free copy in exchange for an honest review.

Riley Fisher is the protagonist who is starting over in her law enforcement career at age 37. As the oldest recruit in her graduating class at the FBI academy and newly assigned to Des Moines Iowa she finds her new boss and partner are less than welcoming.

The main plot revolves around a serial killer but also touches on domestic violence, mental health, addiction, and women’s rights.

I loved and connected to Riley’s character. Her life is messy, she has insecurities, and relationship struggles both personally and at work which makes her so relatable.

Original Sins is a sequel to The Fields but I was able to read it as a stand-alone due to the character-building and background detail provided in the first half of the book. The second half was fast-paced and I couldn't put it down until I finished. I love a good FBI, serial killer thriller with unexpected twists, and this one hit the mark for me. I will be reading the first book The Fields and look forward to more from author Erin Young.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher Flatiron Books for allowing me to read this ARC in return for my voluntary and honest review.

I want to start by saying that the only reason I gave this book 4 starts instead of 3 is because the second half of the book had me turning pages like crazy. I couldn’t get enough of the book and finished the entire second half in just a few hours. With that being said the first half of the book was a lot of tedious plot building that just wasn’t interesting to me. It took me multiple sittings to get through because it would be multiple chapters of nothing interesting happening besides character building. Once you power through, like I said, it’s a super good read that keeps you on the edge of your seat. If you enjoy a good murder mystery / thriller you will like this one!

I enjoyed the premise of the novel - a rookie FBI agent on the tail of the return of the Sin Eater, notorious murderer who went uncaught in the nineties. I had trouble keeping my mind focused as it had many characters and connections to keep track of as the reader unravels the mystery of the Sin Eater and why he has returned. However, for a slow middle, the last third of the novel was so exciting as everything came together. Overall, it was an enjoyable crime detective novel.

4/5 stars 🌟 Original Sins is Erin Young’s second novel following Riley Fisher, who has now relocated to a different city in Iowa as a newly appointed FBI agent along the investigation of the resurfaced serial attacker the “Sin Eater”.

Original Sins can be read as a standalone, however, I still found myself having to reread parts of the authors first novel to jog my memory of characters and the plot as the author referenced it often. I love Riley Fisher as a strong MC and I really enjoyed The Fields, so I had good expectations going in. Unfortunately, I felt this story started out super strong but fizzled out chapter by chapter. It seemed there was a lot of different moving parts to this book that didn’t quite come together in the end for me. I really hope there is more in store for Riley Fisher in the future. I am definitely wanting more of her story!

All in all a good legal/politcal thriller and a good sequel!

Thank you to NetGalley, Flatiron books, and Erin Young for this advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review 🤍

- Pub Date: February 13, 2024 -

Riley Fisher becomes a FBI agent. A killer who has been hidden and quite for 30 years comes back. This book was so good. The ending was on a cliffhanger so I can’t wait to see another book in the series. Thank you so much for allowing me to read this book early in exchange for a honest review.

FBI Agent Riley Fisher is dealing with a stalker during one of the worst winters Des Moines, Iowa has ever seen. The Sin Eater, a masked man who brutally beats women, has started attacking again after being away for years. As Riley tries to set boundaries with her family, adjust to the politics of her new job, & decide who she can trust, all while hunting a violent criminal.

I love that the author chose to give us a geographical references within Des Moines, & other local places popped up throughout the story.The pace of the story kept me wanting to know what would happen next and the way that the hunt for the Sin Eater ended up being so much more involved than anyone originally would have predicted was genius. The character development we see in Riley is realistic and I enjoyed reading about a character like that.

I’m not sure if it was the book, or my mood at the time I read this. I wanted to like it but could not connect with the main character or storyline. I kept putting it aside and coming back to it but it was not my culpa tea. I certainly don’t want to put it down because I really think it may have been my mood. I did not read 5he first 8n this series and maybe it would have helped me in making a deeper connection to the character. So, I’m going to rate it a solid 3. A special thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to read this uncorrected proof in exchange for my honest review. I may revisit this again at a later date or not…..

I tried my hardest to read this one but I just couldn’t do it. I realized it was a sequel which was fine since we got a back story. But i prefer when authors show you rather than tell you things. Sadly, this was a DNF for me

This book continues the story of Riley Fisher, a newly promoted FBI agent who works in Des Moines. Her new job coincides with the return of the Sin Eater, a serial killer who had been dormant for thirty years. She gets assigned to protect Iowa's new female governor from recent death threats. She soon realizes that the Sin Eater case and the threats to the governor are connected and races to figure out who is responsible. Riley is a layered character who is often torn between her job and her family but still manages to get the job done. Erin Young also does a good job of making the setting feel real with her descriptive writing. I've enjoyed both books in the series and would read another one. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

Picture this: it’s your first posting as a female FBI agent, & you chose to relocate a few hours away from your home. You’re getting settled in, trying to adjust to being away from family & do all the things they trained you for at Quantico (where you were pretty much the oldest trainee, & one of only a handful that had actual previous experience in public service) when a boogeyman from the past comes back to haunt the streets of your new city.

That’s what rookie FBI Agent Riley Fisher is dealing with during one of the worst winters Des Moines, Iowa has ever seen. The Sin Eater, a masked man who brutally beats women, has started attacking again after being dormant for years. As Riley tries to set boundaries with her family, adjust to the politics of her new job, & decide who she can trust from amongst her coworkers, all while hunting a violent criminal, the governor receives some disturbing threats - are they connected to the Sin Eater case?

I love that the author chose to relocate Riley in this second book of the series, set two years after the first, & am happy that it’s still somewhere in my home state of Iowa. The first chapter was packed with geographical references within Des Moines, & other local places popped up throughout the story (the Iowa Women of Achievement Bridge, Wells Fargo Arena, the Iowa Wolves team, MercyOne, Principal Park, the botanical gardens, HyVee, etc.). The pace of the story kept me wanting to know what would happen next, & the way that the hunt for the Sin Eater ended up being so much more involved than anyone originally would have predicted was genius. The character development we see in Riley from the first to the second book is realistic & relatable, & I enjoy reading about a character in her late 30’s. I really hope to see a third book in this series!

Thank you to NetGalley & publisher Hodder & Stoughton for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book was so-so for me. Definitely enjoyed the first book (The Fields), which I read thinking this book may not be a true standalone. I had difficulty getting into the chapters but the storyline quickly picked up. Then we hit a snag where the middle chapters seemed to drag on with repetitive information. Thankfully, the final chapters were fast paced and pieces of the plot smoothly came together. The main character Riley was portrayed as a strong and determined female; however, it often felt as though she was trying too hard and was naive. Trying to recall the characters was confusing at times. Enjoyed the splash of law enforcement and political drama. Overall, this was a good stand-alone read and look forward to Erin Young’s next book.

Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for the gifted ARC…as all opinions are my own.

This book was exactly what I needed. Original sins by Erin Young is a story about women being attacked. Riley Fisher of the FBI takes the task of hunting down the assailant personally. Only problem: this attacker has been on the loose before. He wasn’t caught then, and he’s difficult to catch now.
Strengths: there were some real zinger lines. There was a lot of interesting moments that had me at the edge of my seat and page turning like sleep don’t matter.
Weaknesses: I’ll admit, I got a bit bored with the story at times and the sati thing POVs broke up the building momentum.

Not all readers connect with all authors. Unfortunately, I was unable to connect with the protagonist of Original Sins or become invested in the story. The author writes well enough, and I understand how difficult it is to write a novel and find a publisher. I absolutely respect the process. I wish the author all the best.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Flatiron Books for providing an ARC to read and review. *NetGalley Top Reviewer*

Really really liked this book. Especially for a rookie author bravo! I couldn't wait to finish. I saw a lot of parallels I would like to read the next book in the series.
There were a few things that made me scratch my head, but for the most part, I couldn't put this book down. I gave it a 3.89/5
I hope this isn't the only book I have ever read from that author.