This is my first book to read by Ken Jaworowski and I appreciate the audio ARC from publisher Henry Holt & Co. and #NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

The book is written from the three main characters' point of view and a different narrator told each story. I like that the author made the transition from each person smooth; the story jumps from person to person but not in a way that leaves the reader confused. The three different narrators contribute to how smooth the transitions are. While one character's story is being told, the reader will pick up tiny clues of how the other two stories tie in. But don't expect the ending to be nice and tidy. The ending is anything but neat and tidy and that's one reason I liked it. I did not expect the book to end like it did.

I like the way Ken Jaworowski developed his characters. For me, one character got under my skin but by the end, I felt bad for him. Sort of.

Another character has the worst luck and at one point, it felt comical to me. The story itself wasn't comical but in the movie version that was playing in my head, her bad luck was almost comic relief.

The setting of the book is a small town in Pennsylvania. I've never been to PA so I relied on the author's description of the scenes. The details were enough that I feel I had a good visual but the details weren't overbearing, i.e., I didn't lose track of the plot while picturing this place or that.

I recommend this book to fellow fiction readers and I'll read future novels by Jaworowski.

3 stars = I liked it.

Thanks to NetGalley for an audio ARC. I really enjoyed this and fluctuated between 4 and 5 stars. I found it heartbreaking and haunting, which is exactly the kind of book I like.

When Nathan, volunteer fireman finds a substantial amount of cash in a burning building it will forever change the course of his life and others he isn’t connected to. Callie is a nurse taking care of a terminally ill cancer patient that doesn’t have much longer to live. Andy is a recovering addict that has just lost his wife and daughter and he is on the verge of spiraling.

Each character’s story was strong enough to be a stand alone book. While I loathed some of the character’s decisions I understood why it was written the way it was. The connecting factors the author put in place didn’t work well for me throughout the majority of the book. I feel more dialogue between the characters with one another would have been a beneficial tie in. The ending was definitely too abrupt and left a lot of things unanswered.


Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book. All opinions are my own.

Publish Date : August 1, 2023

Darker, grittier, small town crime fiction has really grown in the past 5-7 years and this fits the genre nicely. The front half was better and showed promise. Once you reached the halfway mark, the characters made some really dumb (and in some cases odd (even out of character) choices), which I think were written more to propel the plot further along and in more of a mess, but it kind of ruined the book for me. With the book gradually introducing you to each of the three main characters, I felt that I got to know each one pretty well (thought each character was well written up to midpoint), but then things just seemed chaotic for chaos' sake. Since the first half was a slower pace, the rapid pace of the second half was a little puzzling because the end was kind of abrupt for so much build up.

I listened to the audiobook and enjoyed the performance of each narrator. Ensemble casting in audiobooks is the best and it was a good listen.

Overall, I felt this had a lot of promise, but I'm not sure I would pick up the next book by the author right away.

Thank you to Henry Holt books for the gifted copy and Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for the audiobook copy.

Review Date: 07/31/2023
Publication Date: 08/01/2023

Many thanks to NetGalley, Henry Holt & Company, and Macmillan Audio for gifting me both a digital and audio ARC of this debut book by Ken Jaworowski and wonderfully narrated by Chris Ciulla; Jennifer Blom; John Pirhalla - 5 stars!

This book highlights the stories of three residents of a small Pennsylvania town. Nathan, a factory worker and volunteer firefighter finds a bag with a substantial amount of cash during a rescue operation in a burning building. Nathan takes the money and hides it in the attic, then tries to convince his wife, Paula, a nurse at the local hospital, that they should take the money and leave. Andy is a former addict who turned his life around when he got married and his Down's Syndrome daughter was born. After a huge loss, he discovers evidence that a preacher is a predator and sets out to expose him. Callie is a nurse born with a cleft lip that set her up for bullying and unkindness all her life. She becomes close to a terminally ill teenager in her care and risks her job to make her dying wish come true.

This is a beautifully written, haunting story that feels gritty and real. I really liked the fact that while all these individuals lived in the same small town, the stories didn't really intertwine. Instead, they showcase a similar narrative of poverty, greed, despair, guilt, both good and bad decisions. Each chapter is told from the viewpoint of the three main characters, so you get to delve into each person's life. While it's not necessarily a happy read, it's a look into how our decisions affect our lives and those of the people around us. Fabulous debut and the audio narration was wonderful!

Set in the once thriving steelwork and coal mining small town of Locksburg in central Pennsylvania, population 5000, Small Town Sins by Ken Jaworowski follows the lives of three of its long-time residents as they try to navigate through a vicious cycle of financial struggles, personal demons, poor choices, and broken dreams.

Nathan Stultz, a middle-aged factory worker and volunteer firefighter finds a bag with a substantial amount of cash during a rescue operation in a burning building. Nathan dreams of leaving Locksburg with his wife Paula, a nurse, and believes that the money he found would be the solution to all his problems not realizing that his actions could have far-reaching consequences.
Callie is a kind-hearted nurse born with a cleft lip for which she has been on the receiving end of much unkindness all her life and suffers from low self-esteem. When she bonds with a terminally ill teenager under her care, she risks her reputation and her job to fulfill her patient’s dying wish.
Andy Devon is a former addict in his thirties who turned his life around after his special needs daughter was born. Reeling from a devastating loss, Andy is in a downward spiral. When he makes a shocking discovery that one of the respected townspeople in their midst is a predator targeting children, he sets out to expose the person and bring him to justice.

Small Town Sins by Ken Jaworowski is a powerful debut novel with compelling characters, an atmospheric setting and a gripping immersive narrative. The tone of these stories leans toward dark and depressing. Each of these characters and their stories are well-drawn and the author does an amazing job of describing the setting and dynamics of a small town. The narrative is presented from the perspectives of Nathan, Callie and Andy in alternating chapters. While there are elements of crime, reckless behavior and an element of suspense in each of the storylines, these stories offer much more than that, revolving around themes of family, poverty, addiction and recovery, greed, grief and much more. Each of them hopes to change their circumstances but has been held back by a dearth of opportunity, secrets from their past and questionable judgment. The threads of these three storylines read more like three separate short stories set in the same small town rather than a novel in the true sense of the term but this does not detract from the overall reading experience. I was emotionally invested in these characters and was hooked till the very last page. The ending is not neatly tied up which may not work for some readers but I thought the ending was incredibly impactful. I look forward to reading more from this talented new author.

I paired my reading with the full-cast audio narration by Chris Ciulla, Jennifer Blom and John Pirhalla, who have done an excellent job of breathing life into these characters and their stories, making for a riveting immersion reading experience.

I would definitely recommend this book to those who enjoy reading gritty and realistic character-driven fiction.

Many thanks to Henry Holt & Company, NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the digital review copy and the ALC of this novel. All opinions expressed in this review are my own. The book/audiobook are due to be released on August 1, 2023.

I was unable to finish this book. I listened to the first 45 minutes and It really wasn't for me. I didn't enjoy the introduction of the first character. It was too jarring for the start of a book and really turned me off that the boy had an indirect hand in his mother's death. Not for me.

A declining Pennsylvania town, and those still there and trying to survive, live, thrive. Three of these souls, Nathan, Callie and Andy, different lives, different challenges, moral dilemmas. Harsh times, often seems hopeless. Their stories are gritty, pull at the heartstrings because these are people which with one can identify.. An intense read, not a happy.little story but a realistic one. The choices, decisions we.make in life, decisions that can impact.others. Right or wrong? Which way to.go? Hmmmm.

A remarkable and poignant first.novel. Kudos to the author.

Narration by a full cast was exceptional.

One choice, one action, and one moment can change everything.

Small Town Sins is the kind of pensive crime fiction that twists my emotions until I’m all tangled in the story.

Some descriptors that come to mind: Real. Relatable. Immersive. Emotional. Haunting.

We follow three characters as their lives derail in unexpected ways. We see the moments when single events alter their directions, sending each one into a tailspin.

I was hooked from beginning to end.

I alternated between listening to the audio and reading the print, and I highly recommend either/both.

Nathan, Callie, and Andy all live in the impoverished, rural town of Locksburg, PA. Their lives aren't really connected other than living in the same town. Nathan has lived there his whole life. He works in a factory, is a voluntary firefighter, and is married to a nurse. When he discovers $2,000,000 while rescuing someone from a burning building, he steals it. His life begins to unravel after that. Callie is a nurse in the local hospital. She is bitter- born with a cleft palate, people are unkind to her. She has seen too much and doesn't believe in God. When a terminal sixteen year old is brought into the hospital, mere days from death, she makes a connection with the girl. The girl has one wish- to see the ocean before she dies. Her parents refuse to take her- believing God will miraculously heal her and then they can go. Callie takes things into her own hands and plans to take her to see the ocean before it is too late. Andy is a recovering addict. The death of his beloved daughter, followed immediately by the suicide of his wife, has him spiraling. He wants to end his life, too. After a failed attempt, he decides to steal in order to get the money to buy drugs- enough to intentionally overdose. But when he steals a briefcase, his mission in life changes.

For the most part, this book had me. I hated Nathan and wished he'd jump off a bridge, but liked Callie's story and loved Andy's. I stayed up late to finish- but was disappointed. That would be due to the ending. It had the worst kind, in my opinion. <spoiler> As in it had no ending. Everything was left up in the air. I wanted to know if Callie had consequences. What happened when the priest was found?! Ugh. I don't need everything to be tied up in a perfect bow, but I need SOME answers.</spoiler>

Chris Ciulla, Jennifer Blom, and John Pirhalla narrate the audiobook. The audiobook was good- easy to follow, all paced well, etc...

I received an audio copy in exchange for an honest review.

This book is SO sad. When people say: “you have to read this book, I cried so much,” I avoid that book. I guess I didn’t know what I was requesting when I asked to review this audio and I was unprepared for how incredible heartbreaking these small town folks with their small town sins would be.
This book is raw and, I’m sure, very real, but it’s not necessary a reality I wanted to spend hours listening to. The voices were all unique and the stories were interesting- a fireman who stumbles across a bag full of money, a recovering addict mourning the loss of his wife and daughter, and a nurse caring for a dying cancer patient, but, goodness, I just feel so emotionally spent. Go into this with eyes wide open for lots of tough TWs and the knowledge of rough reality.

I had hemmed and hawed over adding this book to my to-read list numerous times whenever I would come across it, which is kind of weird because I’m a bit of a sucker for small town crime thrillers. Last week, I finally added it. The book summary pretty much lays out the premise of the primary storyline: how the lives of three people in a small, run-down PA town mired in poverty and drug addiction, and whose lives became irrevocably changed one night.

Nathan is a 41yr old, married man who is bitter over how his life has turned out who steals 2M dollars from a burning house and is angry that his wife, Paula, won’t go along with his scheme to get out of town with the money and move to FL. Callie is a 28yr old, sad, and single woman with a noticeable birth defect on her face, who is compelled to help a 16yr old girl fulfill a dying wish to see the ocean before she dies. Her religious parents refuse to grant her dying wish. Andy is a widower and recovering addict (10+yrs clean) in his mid-30’s who is suicidal since his wife committed suicide right after their daughter died of a heart condition related to her Downs Syndrome. Early in the story, Andy unwittingly discovers a pedophile priest (in the process of trying to rob him) and is determined to extort money from him (so he can buy drugs to kill himself with) before exposing the priest’s crimes.

Most of the story revolves around the behavior and actions of Nathan, Callie, and Andy and the repercussions and consequences of a series of one bad decision after another. The ending comes fast with a really abrupt ending for all of the characters, which left me really unsatisfied, hence, the 3star rating. This was a classic story where "actions have consequences." I liked Callie’s and Andy’s stories the best; Nathan was a dirtbag!

I listened to the audiobook and the narrators, Chris Ciulla; Jennifer Blom; John Pirhalla, all did a really good job with the narration. I want to thank NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for sending me this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

#NetGalley #MacMillanAudio #SmallTownSins

I sat on the edge of my seat during this entire book. Waiting. Holding my breath. While the plot unfolds…
“Small Town Sins” By Ken Jaworowski is the newest addition to my Binge Worthy Books board on Pinterest. I needs to be made into a movie!
This compelling story of a small town grabbed my interest immediately. I listened to 55% the first day and got up and immediately finished the rest the next morning. I could not wait to see what happens next! Is she going to survive? Is HE going to survive? Are they going to get caught?!! So many different characters expertly rolled into this story. Plot twist, plot twist again! This book is so very well written!
The audio book was read by 3 Narrators. Professionally executed. Great voices expertly bring “Small Town Sins” to life.
This book was offered for free for my unbiased review.

Small Town Sins is a great book that left me wanting more. The story follows three different characters that are in the small town of Locksburg Pennsylvania. The three stories are not really linked outside of some side characters being present in more than one plot line and it all being in the same town. I would have loved for there to be more linking them all together but this was not a deal breaker for me since I felt the three plot lines were great on their own.

My least favorite plot line was the one that followed Nathan. Nathan is a volunteer firefighter who finds a garbage bag filled with money in a house fire that he believes was a meth house. His story is devastating but I personally feel everything went wrong because of Nathan and I did not like him at all. The true tragic story in Nathans's plot is his wife.

The other two plot lines are both equally heartbreaking. Andy is a junkie that met the love of his life and had a baby, which made him go clean. He was 9 years sober when his wife and child pass away. He wants to end his life and join them but he gets caught up in trying to stop others from being hurt. This reads like a superhero or vigilante origin story but we never really get a full resolution. Andy's story was hard to read being so sad but was well done.

Callies story was another plot that was tough to read since it was so heartbreaking. Callie is a nurse who has a young girl in her care. Sadly the young girl of only 16 has just days to live. All she wants to do is see the ocean. Callie breaks all the rules to take a road trip against the clock to take her to see the ocean. Again I felt like I wanted more and didn’t get a full resolution.

This is not an easy read that shows off a lot of the evils in the world. I said I was left wanting more, I take that as a good thing because it means I love what I had. This is one that I recommend.

Thank you Netgalley for this audio edition of Small Town Sins by Ken Joworowski.

Ok Mr Joworowski, I've got your number, this was a great book! Set in a small Pennsylvania town, this book is told by three people, a nurse, a family man who has kicked a drug addiction, and a volunteer fireman who has just made a life changing discovery. All narrator's have lives the brush up against each other, but each story is very much their own, and they will simultaneously have your heart racing, while pulling at it's strings. It's written very well, I could feel the bleakness of the small town, especially the hospital that they all end up in at least once. You can also feel the desperation and despair of all of their plights. It's so human, relatable, and real. I loved this book!

Small Town Sins is one of those books that will quickly capture your attention with its pacing and characters. Initially, I enjoyed the story, but sadly, that enjoyment declined throughout the book. As one of my fellow readers mentioned, the character's voices were not unique and sounded the same despite having different experiences. And I also have to agree with another reader that commented on how the stories were over the top and didn't seem realistic. My final issue with the stories of Nathan, Callie, and Andy was that their stories weren't resolved in the end, which is one of my pet peeves. I only enjoy it when stories are finalized.
I will complement the narrators of the audiobook, Chris Ciulla, Jennifer Blom, and John Pirhalla; they did a fine job establishing different voices for the characters with their intonations and accents.

DNF @ 52%

Initially I liked some of the characters and wanted things to work out for them, but the stories are so over the top and unbelievable with "coincidences" and fake drama. I had to give up; I felt to keep reading would be admitting I was a dumb dumb.

Small Town Sins gripped me from the beginning and didn't let go. All three main characters had choices to make and they all had significant repercussions. They intertwined a little bit through the town hospital, Nathan's wife works at the hospital, Callie works at the hospital and Andy ends up needing the hospital, but the stories didn't have significant overlap.

Of the three Nathan is the one that will stick with me the longest. He found a secret stash of money and his life was irrevocably changed because of it. My favorite was Andy, he's the true hero of Small Town Sins and did what needed to be done.

Small Town Sins isn't a happy ending kind of book, and does feature tough subjects (suicide, suicide ideation) and at times is pretty messed up. But it was engaging and I couldn't put it down! This one will stick with me for awhile.

Holy moly - I live in a small town and so much of this could happen. I loved all the different moments in time that were pivotal. These people are all Doing their best for the most part, and once choice spins things out of control. I liked all the characters and I liked how well they are brought to life in the audiobook. So many times we only see what happened and not what’s in their hearts. This book will give us perspective and hopefully soften our hearts to those who are SINNING a in our communities. I connected with them all and could have listened for longer.

What a debut novel!

Wow! A great listen! This riveting tale of characters in the Rust Belt was satisfying. Different people, with a variety of struggles, went through life changing moments. It was touching in its own uniquely rough way.