This was such a fun and tense read that had unexpected turns from the very first page.

It was so easy to lose yourself in the pages of The Night I Died. I didn’t want to put the book down because I was so intrigued by finding out the truth of what was happening and getting to the bottom of it along with the characters.

I can honestly say I didn’t see half of the huge plot twists coming and that’s what I love about books like these.

I do have to say that personally, I felt like some things could’ve been left out of the book as it wasn’t necessary or needed for the plot.

Overall, I had great fun with this and I am excited to see what comes next from this author.

Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for providing me with this ARC. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I have never read a book by Anne Fraiser! I really enjoyed this book and everytime I put it down I wanted to pick it back up. I love engaging stories like it.
Such a crazy story, and kansas…man that small city…and the main character was just great.
The reference to the wizard of oz was cool too because that movie was one of my favorites when I was little.
Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for the e-arc. My opinions on this are my own.

I feel like this one took me for every to get through. It was sooo boring and predictable. While the premise was good, the writing unfortunately didn’t do it justice.

There is no words to describe how great this book is and how much I loved it! Olivia goes back to her hometown after talking to an old friend Bonnie who is in jail for murdering her children or did she? So many twists and turns and such great writing that you can't help but not want to finish in one sitting. Highly recommend reading ! Plan on getting nothing else done because once you start this book you will not be able to put it down!

The Night I Died by Anne Frazier
This was a pretty quick read that grabs your attention straight out of the gate.
Olivia has lived with pain and multiple surgeries since she was a little girl and involved in a train/car wreck that killed her mother and her best friend. Her best friends mother and little sister, Bonnie also survived. Now an adult and a well known investigator, she gets a call from Bonnie. She’s in jail for killing her third child and wants Olivia’s help. Olivia is tormented by her past since she has no memory of it at all. She really don’t want to help Bonnie but feels drawn to it for some reason. She decides to talk with her and go from there but one the questions and answers don’t measure up in more ways then one.
A good read that definitely keeps you guessing.

I don't know what to say about this book except WTF.... and not in a good way.

Olivia Welles is an ex-homicide detective turned PI from KS now living in California. She was in a horrific train/car wreck as a child in KS and has been called back to her hometown by Bonnie Ray. Ray is accused of murdering her child - her third child to die and wants Olivia's help. On the way to KS, Olivia meets Will, a reporter with Truman Capote aspirations.

I'm from Kansas and Frasier made KS seem like the shi*thole of the U.S. Olivia's hometown is said to be the "Hellhole Hillbilly Redneck" of KS. There were so many Wizard of Oz references in this book that it was ridiculous. The freakin' dog's name is Dorothy, FFS. Also, Frasier writes the train wreck happened on the way back from the state fair in Kansas City. The KS State Fair is not in KC, nor has it ever been (it's in Hutchinson).

The twist about the kids? Not surprising, but there was not motive or reasoning at all.
The "twist" about Olivia? WTF. How does this make sense at all??? Stupidest thing ever.

Olivia and Will have no personality or character development.
I would have liked more insight into Bonnie's character, but there was none.

Disappointing.

I sat down thinking I’d read a few pages, a few hours later I had finished this book. This book is written in multiple points of view, and I love that. The main characters are great, the twists were absolutely unseen, This was such an easy read with an unpredictable ending.

I LOVED this book. Whenever I read this genre I'm usually disappointed because plot twists are predictable or downright unbelievable. In contrast to my usual experience, this book worked so well for me. I was hooked from the first chapter and couldn't put it down. The twists were twisty, the story was unique and interesting, the setting was off the beat and path and the characters were layered. I have never read anything by this author before, but obviously will now! I'll be recommending to my bookies for sure! Thanks for the advanced read!

This book felt a little bit like a fever dream that you are being told about by somebody who just woke up from it. There is so much going on and somehow I predicted the Big Plot Twist but was also so bewildered by all of the smaller ones that it left me feeling just as off-kilter. It was an interesting concept and I did like our two main characters, but everyone’s behavior was so wildly unpredictable that I felt like I was being jerked around a bunch even by them.

The book’s title was misleading as to what the story would actually be about. I was surprised to see that the main character was not the topic of the story as much as I was expecting. There definitely was some mystery, but I was hoping for a little more suspense.

Olivia Welles has almost lost track of how many times she's died. She has also unable to retrieve memory prior to the first time the angel of death came calling. The night a train demolished the car she was riding in as a child, changed her family and town forever. That was the first time she flatlines but was able to be revived, All grown up now, Olivia has become a successful detective. She loves her career and her home in California but trauma dies hard. One day another of the other survivors of that night, Bonnie, calls upon Olivia for her detective skills. She still lives in the small Kansas town and has been accused of murdering her two children. Intrigued by the possibility of filling in gaps where her memory escapes her, she agrees to help. This trip home completely changes her whole worldview. She also creates lasting new relationships while helping to solve Bonnie's mystery, as well as what happened the night of the train wreck.
I appreciated that the author portrays Will and Olivia as mainly platonic friends. Once I had experienced some of the plot twists, I ended up really liking the title, whereas at first, thought it was weak, I enjoyed the fact that the story had multiple twists, some separate from "who dunnit". It was a page turner that did keep my attention.
First off, as a nurse, Olivia "flatlining" 5 times, was far fetched for me. There isn't much of an explanation of the other times or how she doesn't have any residual damage from that. I'm still not sure I understand why Will set his rental car on fire. That is such a bold move, and after reading the rest of the story, seemed really out of character for him. Lastly, growing up in Kansas City I felt there were huge misconceptions being perpetuated. I promise it's more evolved than what the author writes it as.
Overall, I am glad I read the book, but would not recommend it to my friends.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC and the opportunity to provide feedback!

I'm an absolute sucker for a good detective book, The Night I Died sure had some juicy twists! Private investigator, Olivia Welles, is called back to her roots by a woman, Bonnie Ray, who is to believed to have killed all of her own children.

Olivia agrees to investigate the mysterious deaths which surround Bonnie back in her small home town. Whilst dealing with the unnerving, forgotten memories of her past life, Olivia finds trust in the unexpected when journalist, Will LaFever, walks into her life.

It was a little slow to get into as the start of this book felt a little confusing, but once I pushed through it things settled more into place, and it really starts to get going half way through.

I loved Olivia and Will's relationship, and the lighthearted banter they built between them. However, I didnt find the character development particularly grasping. I think my main downside is that parts felt questionable, and some of it felt a little repetitive.

If you're a fan of detective mysteries then I think this will either be hit or miss. You'll either love it as it's filled with some funky twists, or you'll end up comparing it to other detective/crime books which makes this one feel less impactful.

Thank you to NetGalley, Thomas & Mercer, and Anne Fraiser for the ARC in return for an honest review.

"The Night I Died" by Anne Frasier is a gripping and thrilling read set in a small Kansas town. Olivia, an investigator, teams up with journalist Will LaFever to uncover a web of secrets and find closure in Finney. The well-crafted plot twists and the unexpected ending kept me engaged. Frasier's compelling writing style and the references to "The Wizard of Oz" added to the intrigue. Overall, it's an amazing mystery recommended for fans of suspense.

This book started out a little slow and I can't really put my finger on what it was specifically, but I found the writing style to be a llittle tough to get into as well, but it picked up around the half-way mark and had numerous twists and turns that kept me interested and entertained.

Anne Frasier did a great job at depicting the eeriness of a small Midwestern town, and the book had somewhat of a Gothic feel to it. It have me some similar vibes to Sharp Objects, so I would recommend this if you enjoyed that.I also liked the many Wizard of Oz references, but I can see how they could get repetitive and overkill for some people.

This is my first read from the author and it absolutely will not be my last!

From the very first sentence, I was enthralled. I loved (loved!) our main character and her unexpected ‘sidekick’ and was completely horrified by this small Kansas town.

I didn’t want to put the book down. (In fairness, the author did send me down an internet rabbit hole when she wrote about the people selling dirt – for eating – on Etsy.)

The story is wonderfully twisty without feeling gimmicky and there’s a definite edge through everything.

I absolutely loved this and I’m so glad I read it!

• ARC via Publisher

I wish Olivia and Will were given a romance angle. I don't know why the author wrote Bonnie the way she did- she is a terrible human and you don't pity her at all. I was kept on my toes trying to figure out who killed Olivia's mom and what happened during the crash. I never saw the twist coming and missed so many little clues.

This book was a riveting read with lots of twists and turns. Just as a good thriller should. It has been quite some time since I was impressed by a thriller and when requesting this title, I had no idea this would be the one.

I enjoyed taking this journey with the protagonist. She was one interesting character to follow. I was glad there wasn't a romantic subplot in this book which in my personal opinion can bog down the thrilling aspect of a thriller. The narrative kept me on the edge of my seat, biting my nails in anticipation of what's what was next was a true page-turner.

A good, enjoyable read with writing that was simple but hooking to follow. Liked this one and would widely recommend it.

4 stars

I haven’t read Frasier in quite a while, and after reading this book I wonder why? She really can write a great thriller/mystery. The suspense was high, the twists were around every corner. It was fast paced and quite a satisfying read.

Wow this book had a lot going on. There was a lot of dramatic twists and turns that kept you guessing. At times it could be a bit hard to keep track of the action. But was interesting to say the least.

Thank you to NetGalley and the author for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my review

"Private investigator Olivia Welles had died five times so far in her life". With this amazing opening sentence, THE NIGHT I DIED captures the reader's attention and with the story's various twists and turns keeps it.

SUMMARY:
Private detective Olivia Welles has no memory of the world before the car crash that killed her mother and best friend. She has no memory of coming back to life in the morgue. In fact, Olivia doesn't remember anything about her hometown, Finney KS. So when her fellow survivor, Bonnie Ray, the baby sister of her late best friend, Mazie calls from jail begging for help, Olivia feels compelled to check out what's been happening in Finney.

Bonnie Ray has just lost her third child under suspicious circumstances. Nearly everyone in town thinks she's murdered the children but the evidence is circumstantial. Olivia agrees to investigate - not because she necessarily thinks Bonnie is innocent - but because of all the unanswered questions surrounding their deaths and the mystery of her own.

Will LaFever, a 'journalist' and Truman Capote wannabe, is determined to get Olivia's help in getting the real story whatever it is. As Olivia is pulled deeper into the mystery of what really happened to Bonnie’s children and her own forgotten past, she and Will have to count on each other if they’re going to find out what’s really been going on in Finney.

OVERALL
Olivia Welles is a strong, compelling character with enough flaws to feel like a real person not a 'know-it-all/seen-it-all PI. The lasting effects of the car accident have shaped her life and her ongoing issues that resulted from it play a role in the story. She finds it hard to connect with or trust other people. Her interactions with Ezra, Will, and Bonnie all ring true amid the threads that make up Olivia's backstory. Will is a less likable character initially and while he exists to push the story forward, it's difficult to understand why Olivia connects with him at all. Bonnie on the other hand is interesting - readers will want to understand why she's in the situation she's in - but are never quite sure how reliable she is as a narrator. The Kansas landscape is thanks to Anne Frasier's writing style a character all on its own which also helps to ground the story in place and time.

THE NIGHT I DIED is a twisty, engaging, and entertaining mystery. While some of the twists seem unnecessary, they never take the attention away from the central story. The ending is not as strong as expected given the tight narrative of the book but THE NIGHT I DIED is nevertheless a recommended read.

Thanks to #Netgalley for providing access to this advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

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Pub: October 24, 2023
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