Watch It Burn by Kristen Bird is a novel I would classify as mystery and thriller-light. There was enough here to keep me intrigued but nothing that was too scary to read before bed.

This novel set in Texas is told from the POV’s of three women that are all linked by their connection to their home town. They each have secrets to hide and secrets to share which might play a part in the town going up in flames. This is not a spoiler as we learn in the opening pages that this little Texas town is literally in flames. What we don’t know is why and how these three women are connected.

This slow-burn mystery surprised me in parts and grabbed my attention enough to keep turning the pages to the very end. It’s best to go in knowing only the basic premise and enjoy the ride.

Read Let It Burn if you like mysteries with a southern setting, slow-burn suspense, and cult-ish themes.

3.5 Stars rounded up to 4 Stars

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for the ARC of Watch It Burn by Kristen Bird

Thanks to Netgalley, the publishers and Kristen Bird for the ARC. The premise of the book sounded exciting, but it was just too boring and over-written for me to get into it. I had to DNF around 30%. I tried!

"Watch It Burn" is a gripping novel by Kristen Bird that tells the story of a small Texas town called Edenberg. The book revolves around the discovery of Beverly Hoffman's body, which triggers a thrilling investigation that uncovers the truth behind Genetive, Inc., a "self-help company" that is not what it seems.*cough* CULT *cough*
The narrative is told from the perspective of three women who share a complicated history and emotional struggles, One unique aspect of the book is the fact that we also get Beverly's perspective after her death as a narrator. The plot is layered, and the tension builds up as the story progresses. Bird's writing is sharp, and her descriptions of the setting are vivid.
The story felt slow at moments but its strength lies in its rich character development and the intricate relationships that drive the story forward. Bird’s prose is sharp, her setting vivid, and her ability to maintain tension is commendable.

While having various points of views and different angles of storytelling can be really interesting and really effective in some thriller novels, there is such a thing as too much. Watch It Burn is truly an example of too many and too much: too many POVs, too many angles, too much shifting, too many characters, and a major POV character I just wanted to glaze over every time she came on the page.

Some may call this book timely. I call it tired. It was really just below average on every level for me.

I was provided a copy of this title by NetGalley and the author. All thoughts, opinions, views, and ideas expressed herein are mine and mine alone. Due to a three star or lower rating this review will not be appearing on my social media. Thank you.

I couldn't put this taut, moody story down. Relationships, small town secrets, culty elements- absolute catnip and well written to boot.

Thank you NetGalley, Harlequin Trade Publishing, MIRA and the author for the ARC of Watch It Burn.

Let me just start with how much I loved the characters in this. So many well developed personalities. This is a big must for me in any 5 star read, as having a mental picture in my head is very important to me. I don't know how other readers picture books which the read, but for me it's almost like a film going on in my brain; this was a book which I could perfectly pictures the characters and events unfolding like a movie.

There are so many elements unfolding in this book, a town run by a rich white family that appears perfect from all sides, a school teacher with a fear of water that manages to find a dead woman downed in several inches of water and a journalist attempting to uncover how this happened and what is going on in the town by digging through the newspaper's old editions and records.

Our dead woman who happens to be the grandmother and matriarch of the town's beloved 'ruling' family was immediately intriguing because if so beloved, then why killed? Our three main ladies (go girl power) have been friends since high school and all realize that something is incredibly wrong with this death and how can someone 'accidentally' drown in 2 inches of water. Of course our ladies can't help but dig deeper, not to mention that Robin, happens to have married into the family and they hope to keep her safe from whatever evil is lurking.

A complicating subplot is that Beverly (the dead) happened to run Genitive, a personal development company. Although Genitive seems like a genuinely developed self-help campaign, we know many supposed self-help companies and group have a strong tendency to veer into cult territory, regardless of being developed altruistically. Well folks, I have to say some elements start to feel suspect the further you read about Bev's family and genitive.

All three women are incredibly different and I loved each of them. This is a book that I feel like I can't write about without revealing too much. That being said, it was fantastic and takes many twists.

Any lover of small town drama, family drama, mystery, thriller, cult reader should pick up this book. I cannot overstate how much I enjoyed this fast-paced read.

I love stories set in my home state of Texas, and this one did not disappoint. And, it starts with discovering a body. I was hooked! Told from three points of view, including the deceased, kept revealing twists upon twists. This is my second book from Kristen Bird, and I enjoyed it.

Thank you to the publisher for giving me the chance to read an early digital copy of this book. I have seen other books by Kristen Bird that I have wanted to read, so when I saw that she had a new book coming out, I thought it would be fun to give it a try. I was definitely intrigued by the cover, synopsis, and title of the book, but I must admit that once I started reading it, it was different than what I thought that it was going to be. I am going to set this one aside for now; I was having a hard time getting into it and connecting with the characters and story, so I think I will try to come back to it at a later date when I am in the right mood for it. I am thinking this might be a better read for a fall day/night.

This slow burn mystery begins and ends with fire, as we learn about the cult taking over a small town in Texas.

George and Beverly Hoffman are the founders of Genetive Inc, a personal development company that espouses extreme right wing propaganda to donors willing to pay big bucks for the privilege. The founders have slowly taken over many places in the small town of Edinburg, Texas, and they have big plans to continue taking over. When Beverly’s body is found in the river, journalist Jenny and her best friend Nichole decide to attend a weekend retreat at the Genetive compound and do a little digging.

The garbage that George and Genetive spew and the way their acolytes lap it up was sickening to me, particularly due to how true to life some of it felt. The timely exploration of current cultural hot topics like censorship in school, book bans, and traditional family values definitely fit in with our country’s current political climate, and it felt fitting that the women eventually watched it all burn to the ground.

I thought the addition of Beverly’s POV after her death was an interesting narrative choice, and a good way to tell the backstory of Genetive and to understand a bit of the psychology of George. The story picked up for me once the women were at the retreat, right in the mix with members of the society going through their meetings and courses.

Thank you to NetGalley and HTP Books- Mira for the arc. All opinions are my own.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for this ARC!

This was my second read by Kristen, but I didn’t enjoy it as much as I Love It When You Lie. I enjoyed the first half, but once they enter Genetive things got strange. It felt like a lot was happening with not really much happening. You found out some interesting plot twists, but the ending falls flat.

I think this book had great potential, but got bogged down by the amount of characters and different plot lines.

I would read more by Bird in the future!

Kristen Bird returns following I Love It When You Lie with her latest sizzler, WATCH IT BURN — Something sinister is happening in this picturesque Texas town. If you read the author's last book, you know to prepare for a wild ride!

Only one person knew how long the fire had been burning before the first call to 911 came through, but she would never tell. Nine minutes and 27 seconds later, three fire trucks laden with hoses and brave men arrived. By dawn, every place of business and historical home in the center of Main Street would be cradled in ash, mourning the markers of lives well lived.

Set in the Southern small Texas town of Edenberg, the body of sixty-seven-year-old Beverly Hoffman is discovered in the Guadalupe River—drowned in only two inches of water. This could not have been an accident.

Nichole Miller discovers the body and calls the police and her best friend, Jenny a journalist. Jenny and Nicole seek the help of Beverly's daughter-in-law, Robin, who wants the truth exposed. They do not think this was an accident. Robin knows this about this empire—from lies, secrets, and manipulation. How will they prove their suspicions?

Beverly co-founded the popular Genetive, Inc., a development company with her husband (a man who controls the town). But something sinister has been smoldering beneath the surface of their hometown, and Genetive is at its center.

It is told from the POVs of Nichole, Jenny (a journalist), and Beverly. Beverly's voice is the best, as we get an inside view from the dead, as she knows the truth. So there is a death and a fire. Are the two connected?

WATCH IT BURN is a twisty, scandalous Southern mystery where three fearless women work together to solve the mystery and uncover the secrets behind a woman's death. There is also a self-help movement (cult-like vibe).

The author explores death, grief, trauma, small-town politics, and a cult with a dominating, dangerous man who controls everything. A slow burn to set up the characters at the beginning of the novel, and then the three women attend a weekend retreat to the private Genetive compound—from here, the pace picks up inside the compound with riveting suspense.

This is a dark tale about the underbelly of suburbia, with a sinister mix of family trauma, greed, politics, manipulation, evil, loss, grief, toxic teachings, power, and devastating secrets in this small Texas town. There are coverups and secrets, with metaphors of water and fire, as three women tackle their losses while attempting to expose the corruption.

The author knows Southern women and tackles toxic behavior in this self-help group, which is gripping, thought-provoking, timely, and atmospheric. It has a twist of crime fiction and revenge, with well-developed characters. Cannot wait to see what comes next!

Thanks to MIRA, the author, and NetGalley for a gifted ARC for an honest opinion.

I am excited to listen to the audiobook (pre-ordered) with a cast of favorite narrators: Megan Tusing, Hillary Huber, Jennifer Sun Bell, and Chris Andrew Ciulla.

Blog review posted @
JudithDCollins.com
@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
Pub Date: March 12, 2024
My Rating: 5 Stars
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This started out really exciting - teacher Nichole finds a dead body floating in the river, a body which belongs to the matriarch of the most influential family of this small town.

I loved the southern small town vibes, and I was curious to see where the story was going, but once we get 1/3 into the book it changes direction as Nichole and her journalist friend Jenny decide to infiltrate a cultlike retreat organised by the family to investigate the murder. the story lost a lot of steam for me at this point.

it starts to really hit you over the head with its feminist commentary (i found it similar to a book i read a few weeks ago - araminta hall’s one of the good guys). I believe most people who would pick up this book would agree with what Bird is trying to say here in regards to traditional values, so it’s spoonfed in a way that just feels very heavy handed, I prefer more subtlety.

Jenny, a journalist, is struggling in her marriage decides to move her family back to her idyllic hometown of Edendburg, TX. Little does she know, a lot has changed in the years she's been gone. The Hoffman family runs the town. George and Beverly Hoffman are the husband and wife leaders of Genetive, a multimillion dollar cultish self-help company. Jenny's childhood best friend, Nichole, is on a run one morning and she discovers Beverly Hoffman's body in the Guadalupe River. It is up to Jenny and Nichole to solve Beverly's murder and figure out just how deep Genetive's hold is on their small town.

I really enjoyed this book! My favorite part was Beverly's POV. I loved learning about her past traumas and her relationship with George in her vivid memories from beyond the grave. Her love of art also really resonated with me, it made me want to visit an art museum and walk around with her. Jenny and Nichole were also very relatable characters, each had their own flaws and internal struggles with grief and marital issues. I was captivated by their personal lives and rooting for them to come together to save themselves and their town. The feeling of "there's something not quite right with Genetive" simmered throughout the book. There were a lot of twists I didn't see coming and the ending was satisfying.

As always, Kristen Bird handled sensitive topics like infant death with a lot of care.

Rating: 4/5 stars

"Watch It Burn" by Kristen Bird offers a gripping mystery set in the Texas Hill Country. Journalist Jenny leads the investigation into the death of Beverly Hoffman, unraveling a web of secrets tied to George Hoffman's enigmatic organization, Genetive, Inc. Alternating perspectives, including a post-mortem view from Beverly, add depth, while the portrayal of Genetive, Inc's cult-like dynamics sparks intrigue.

The novel's timely exploration of societal issues, such as book censorship in Texas schools, adds relevance and depth. Through Jenny's experiences, Bird deftly examines the dangers of controlling narratives and the importance of challenging authority. "Watch It Burn" is recommended for mystery enthusiasts who enjoy piecing together clues and unraveling complex puzzles. Readers drawn to narratives of empowered minorities and strong female bonds will find much to appreciate in this riveting tale.

Publication date is March 12, 2024!

Many thanks to Kristen Bird, Harlequin Trade Publishing, and NetGalley for providing an ARC.

Nichole, an elementary teacher, finds the body of Beverly floating in the river early one morning. After reporting it to the authorities, she calls her best friend (and journalist) Jenny. While the police rule Beverly’s death an accident, Jenny doesn’t believe it was that simple. She knows that Beverly and her husband belonged to a very close community and ran a self-help company, Genetive Inc. Everyone in the town seems to blindly follow what Genetive says, without question. Even Beverly’s daughter-in-law Robin begins to question her husband’s involvement in the company. Could it be that there is more burning beneath the surface?

“Watch it Burn” is a solid slow-burn mystery (how fitting, given the title! LOL) and it was very intriguing. I enjoyed the creepy, small town vibes - how everyone knew everyone else and how it felt that there was something sinister happening behind the scenes. Told from multiple points of view, each of the main characters adds a bit more perspective to the mystery in the town they all grew up in. The coolest point of view, in my opinion, was Beverly’s, because she was already deceased at that point. That perspective added a unique spin to this story!

Thank you to Kristen Bird for letting me be a part of the promo for this book - its been fun!! And thanks to Kristen Bird, Netgalley and MIRA for the ARC! This review will be shared to my instagram blog (@books_by_the_bottle) shortly :)

Thank you to NetGalley, author Kristen Bird, and Harlequin Trade Publishing: MIRA for providing me with a free ARC in exchange for my honest opinion!

I have had the pleasure of meeting Kristen and hearing her speak several times, as we are both Houston locals. I am absolutely thrilled to report that Watch It Burn is her best work yet!! It has been an absolute joy to read each of her 3 works and see her writing and character development grow so much. I love anything related to cults, so this read was right up my alley. Genetive was the perfect creepy, almost Scientology-esque organization that set the tone for the overall novel. Bird writes "bad women looking for revenge" SO well, and I enjoyed Barbara's after-death narrations to guide the story. I also loved seeing the lasting friendship of Jenny, Nichole, and Robin grow and come back together over the years. This book is filled with lots of suspense and had a big twist at the end that I wasn't quite expecting. I think Bird does an amazing job with the critique of Texas conservatives' mindset, especially in a controlling small town, and I think a big part of what made this book so unsettling is just how plausible it was and how I could absolutely see this happening. I devoured this read, and I'm already anxious to see what Kristen does next!

This was such a fun thriller! I am obsessed with a cult aspect and this delivered - if you are familiar with the NXIVM cult (and/or Scientology) there were definitely similarities between their ideologies. The mystery unraveled well and I was shocked by some of the twists. I love how Bird wove the storylines together and kept the reader guessing throughout. This is the second book I have recently read where a small town used status pins - is this a real thing that places do? Why am I kind of obsessed with the idea lol?

If you liked ‘Little Big Lies’, you’ll love this multi-POV mystery/who done it set in the Texas Hill Country as three childhood friends reunite to investigate the death of a prestigious woman of the community in their hometown of Edenberg, Texas.

Jenny, the journalist, is finding her spark again despite things falling apart at home with her marriage. Is foul play in the air or is it coincidence that the growing power of George Hoffman and his “self-help” organization, Genetive, Inc are somehow involved? One thing after another seem to be adding up and she’s going to need a little help to figure out what really happened to Beverly Hoffman. It’s what Beverly would’ve wanted anyway, as mysterious clues are discovered helping Nichole, Jenny, and Robin ban together to untangle what’s really happening in their town.

The alternating perspectives keep things unfolding and I quite enjoy the post mortem POV from Beverly as she helps to give a lot of personal background to her husband, George. The cult-like vibes and manipulation of Genetive, Inc remind me a lot of Scientology specifically their hierarchy system where they focus on celebrities for influence and wealthy people who can pay to climb to new levels. The timing of the release has been interesting as real-life present day Texas Education Agency attempts to enforce a state law in Texas that requires booksellers to rate books before selling them to school libraries. In ‘Watch It Burn’, we see a similar storyline where the school system is attempting to control the narrative to teach students the “right things”. Jenny witnesses the manipulation indirectly as her children come home with haunting repetitive sing-song rhymes they’ve learned from the newly enhanced curriculum.

I recommend this mystery novel to those who like puzzles, piecing clues together, empowered minorities, and female bonding. Publication day is March 12, pre-order now from your local bookstore or order a signed copy from Murder by the Book (bookstore in Houston, TX). My review will also be found on my Instagram feed @astorybyjewels

Many thanks to Kristen Bird and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC. #WatchItBurn #NetGalley

Nichole heads out for a morning run and as she is running by the Guadalupe River, she spies something that looks like clothing in the water. As she gets closer, she sees it is a woman. She gets close enough to touch her to see if she needs CPR and realizes she is dead.....and she is someone she knows! She calls 911 and then calls her best friend Jenny who is a journalist.

The story is told from the perspective of Nichole, Jenny and Beverly, the dead woman. Beverly is married to George Hoffman the head of a Genetive, a large organization that sounded a lot like Scientology to me. An organization that sounds good, but has a lot of secrets and requires a lot of money. So how did Beverly die? The law thinks it was an accidental drowning but the investigative reporter in Jenny suspects fowl play.

I personally got a little bogged down in the section where we learn a lot of about Genetive, but the eye-opening beginning and the last third of the book when Nichole, Jenny and Robin, George and Beverly's daughter-in-law, get involved in trying to figure out what really happened to Beverly kept me turning the pages until late last night when I finished. There are some twisty surprises!

My thanks to author Kristen Bird, Mira Books and Net Galley for an advanced copy of this e-book.

I'm sure this book would be such a hit for someone who enjoys religious cult books with no quirkiness, but unfortunately, I am not one of those people. I am not one to be into rich people's politics and religious characters. This book also contains a lot of info dumping. I was interested in Nichole and Jenny as characters but unfortunately, the story is more focused on George & Beverly who are wildly uninteresting in my opinion. It's not a bad book, but it was very much not for me.