This was an amazing audiobook!!! It’s definitely one you just don’t want to stop listening to! In a small town everyone knows everyone’s business and the Weaver family are almost the town pariah. They come off weird and their mom is crazy! All the rumors, a small town community can come up with. Until one of them goes missing and other females start to go missing, and when the bodies start to finally turn up…. One of the Weaver children begin to believe that it is her father, who has committed these terrible murders. It is her testimony that seals the deal and puts him behind bars. Years later, when one of the siblings is believed to have attempted suicide the family all comes back home to come together And then there is a news report of another girl gone missing. It is then that the eldest daughter July starts to wonder if she got it wrong all those years ago when evidence pops up and so many unanswered questions and so many things that just don’t add up she begins to put the pieces together to figure out what really happened, and if she sent an innocent man, her father, to jail. This is a thrill ride all the way to the end with mini twists and turns along the way when you think you have it figured out you really don’t in the end was epic. Great read! Or listen this was an audiobook, and the narrator was fantastic. It really set the story for me. Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me access to this content!

I went through this small town dysfunctional family thriller so fast! Lots of secrets within this family.

Nine years ago, July Weaver’s little sister was of the first victim of the Pacific Lake Killer, a serial killer in Georgia. When other girls began to disappear and were found dead, it was July’s testimony that put her own father into prison for the crimes. After the sentencing, she fled to Nashville to focus on her music career and to try to forget the horrible past. But when her brother tries to kill himself, July is forced to come back home and reunite with her four remaining siblings.

What she isn’t expecting is to uncover new evidence that makes her question everything that happened to her sister nine years ago. Is it possible that July blamed the wrong person? Is it possible that the Pacific Lake Killer is still out there? As the linchpin to the case against her father—and the reason the Pacific Lake Killer case is closed—July knows it isn’t long before the killer will set their eyes back on her.

If they’re really still out there.

ARC audiobook provided in exchange for an honest review.

The narration done by Andi Arndt fit perfectly with the main character of the story! She is very versatile and it makes for an easy listening experience. The story is about a woman named July who comes home after being gone for a long time and has to deal with her severely destructive family. It was an interesting plot and I really liked all the flashbacks to when she was younger and all the emotion that goes into keeping a family of that size together without a lot of parental support. I really liked that i couldn’t predict the ending and there were multiple twists I never saw coming! I would definitely recommend to anyone who likes mysteries and thrillers.

You Always Come Back follows the story of a group of six siblings, all named after the month in which they were born. We learn that July's younger sister was the first victim of the Pacific Lake Killer; followed by a number of others. July's testimony sees her own father imprisoned for the crimes. July flees the small town, until now; her brother tries to kill himself and she is forced to return to her siblings. New evidence comes to light and July finds herself revisiting her horrific past and wondering whether her father really was to blame.

For a start, I found the siblings named after months of the year to be incredibly annoying! But that aside, the book was an interesting listen. The writing was good, but I found that there were loads of different characters to get to grips with.

There is something that just didn't quite click for me and it didn't keep me as hooked as I would've liked. I found it to just be 'ok'.

My thanks to NetGalley and the Publishers for sending me this ARC in return for an honest review.

If you are into dark, twisty mysteries and dysfunctional family dynamics, this is the book for you. This book is suspenseful, riveting and unputdownable. There are quite a few characters and the story is told in dual timelines, but the author did a great job with the flow making it easy to follow along. And the narration was excellent. Highly recommend! Thank you to the author, NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the ALC in exchange for my honest opinion.

It’s been almost 10 years since July Weaver’s sister was killed by the Pacific Lake Killer. The killer was not only a prolific serial killer, he was also July’s father. After her testimony put him behind bars, she moved to Nashville to concentrate on her music and try to forget about her nightmarish passed. But then her brother tries to commit suicide, and July is forced to return home to her remaining siblings. But when she gets home, she and covers evidence that makes her wonder, if she was wrong about her father. Is it possible she sent the wrong man to jail? And if so, is the real still killer out there, waiting for a chance to make her silent once, and for all?

4 Starts for this one! Great narration. and a story that did a great job of holding my attention. I had several guesses on the twist, and did end up being mostly correct. Well done, but def on the darker side.

In the earlier part of the year I read ‘The Only Survivors’ by Megan Miranda, and I must say, that book cemented my neutrality, or just not really enjoying the past/present way of telling a story. That said, I did enjoy the then and now perspective as it really made me get the full picture of everyone involved and not just Jules.

This is a very cliché thing to say, something a must-see in thriller reviews, but I really just couldn’t put it down! Smith’s writing is just so page turning, and persuasive and takes full control of your mind to get going and getting way too attached to the Weaver family.

Small town vibes, (really) messed up family and a serial killer is exactly what is promised and delivered in ‘You Always Come Back’. Even though this is a mystery-thriller, the troubled family aspect took most of the spotlight but it was so necessary for the story and I’m just not mad about it at all. Solid read.

You Always Come Back is a thriller from the beginning. This book is a debut novel and I think it's a winner. July Weaver (all the kids are named for their birth months) is happily, or so it seems, living her life in Nashville writing songs for hit singles when she finds out her brother attempted to jump off a bridge, almost dying by suicide. She decides to go home to Pacific, Georgia to try and sort out the large family she left behind in a huge hurry. Her father is in prison for killing several women in the area and the family is falling apart as a result. It doesn't take July long to realize that something is terribly wrong. And maybe her father is innocent after all?
Read this exciting new novel to find out!

The characters were super interesting and family dynamic was dysfunctional and every one had issues. It was a train wreck that you can’t ignore. And I didn’t because I finished it in less that 24 hours! Yup, I was hooked!

I would definitely recommend to those who love a good mystery and family drama.

In You Always Come Back, readers are plunged into a suspenseful tale of a traumatic past, family secrets, and the relentless pursuit of justice. July Weaver is a woman haunted by the chilling events of her past. Nine years ago, her younger sister fell victim to the Pacific Lake Killer, a serial murderer who terrorized Georgia. July's own testimony played a pivotal role in her father's conviction for the crimes. Fleeing to Nashville in search of solace and a music career, July hoped to leave her traumatic past behind.

However, when her brother's life takes a dark turn, July is compelled to return home and reunite with her remaining siblings. What she never anticipated was the discovery of new evidence that raises unsettling questions about her sister's murder. Could she have wrongly accused her own father? Is it possible that the Pacific Lake Killer still lurks in the shadows?

As July becomes entangled in a web of doubts and fears, she realizes that her past testimony is the linchpin that sealed her father's fate and closed the case. With the possibility of a relentless killer still at large, July knows that she could be the next target. The storytelling is an intricate dance of suspense and mystery, masterfully weaving a narrative that keeps readers on the edge of their seats. The character of July is a complex and relatable protagonist, whose quest for the truth is both a personal journey of redemption and a relentless pursuit of justice.

While it explores themes of trauma, family bonds, and the enduring nature of guilt and fear. The author expertly crafts a narrative that keeps readers guessing until the very end, with unexpected twists and turns that add depth to the suspense. It is a riveting thriller that will grip readers from the first page and never let go. Emily Smith's storytelling prowess shines through as she unravels a tale of trauma, secrets, and the unyielding quest for answers. This novel is a must-read for fans of mystery and suspense who crave a thrilling and emotionally charged journey into the heart of darkness.

I actually felt this was a bit slow paced and not too intriguing of a story. I didn’t really like the characters. I do love the narration though and that had me into the book. I was hoping for more but overall it was a good story.

So Good! The narration was phenomenal for this book. She did such a great job.

The story was full of suspense and I loved how smoothly the author went back and forth from present to past.

Fantastic writing and story with great narration!

You Always Come Back👣
By Emily Smith👀

Review✍🏻

I really wanted to love this one, but it just felt a little bit all over the place. The story was good; it just didn’t flow. I love everything related to serial killers, so I thought that aspect was intriguing for sure. It was a dark read, with a lot of very creepy things happening in a small town. There was lots of family drama, and all the characters were hiding something or another, which was fun. I’ll definitely try this author again!

Two time lines⏰
Serial killer🔪
Mystery⁉️
Suspense🫣

3 stars
⭐️⭐️⭐️

🌟🌟🌟🌟.5
This debut suspense about the Pacific Lake Killer, a serial killer in Georgia, is captivating. The audiobook narrator is perfect at capturing the atmosphere and family composition. If you enjoy audiobooks, I highly recommend this one!

With one parent mentally unstable and the other parent inattentive, you can imagine the drama and crises that frequent this home routinely. The family shatters when one of the children becomes the victim of the serial killer and the father is convicted of being that killer!

When the family reluctantly reunites years later, clues and suspicions point to someone else as the killer. Has the killer been loose all these years?

#YouAlwaysComeBack #EmilySmith #debutthriller #netgalley #dreamscapemedia #crookedlanebooks #audiobookreview #upcomingthriller #comingsoon #justfinished #giftedARC #thriller #honestreview #thrillerbooklovers #thrillerfriendsunite #mysteryandthrills #thrillerobsessedbookishclub #suspense #mystery #lovetoread #bookworms #lovebooks #lovetoreadbooks #fortheloveofbooks

This suspenseful thriller, that is also flooded with lots of family drama, was fantastic . I really enjoyed feeling like I solved the mystery, but another clue would change my mind.

Nine years ago, July’s younger 8 year old sister, was kidnapped and murdered in her small hometown in Georgia. She was the first victim of a serial killer who came to be known as the Pacific Lake Killer. July was the one who discovered the incriminating evidence that put her own father in prison for the crimes. After moving to Nashville to reinvent herself, she is called back home because there is a family crisis. Revisiting her hometown where memories are impossible to run away from, she soon begins to question if her father is really the Pacific Lake Killer or did she accuse the wrong person?

Emily Smith cleverly wrote the past and present to reveal clues to the mystery in each chapter. I was instantly caught up in the lives of this incredibly dysfunctional family as you start to suspect every member of this town could possibly be the killer.

The audiobook was a great way to read this book. The narrator was great and it announced whether each chapter was the past or present.

Thank you NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the Advanced Reader Copy. #NetGalley #Dreamscape #YouAlwaysComeBack

You Always Come Back was an excellent thriller that I could not put down. This reminded me of What Lies in the Woods by Kate Alice Marshall, which is one of my top books of the year.

January Weaver returns home after one of her siblings tries to kill himself. Nine years ago it was her testimony that sent her father to prison and was convicted of being the Pacific Lake killer. Returning home she didn’t expect to find new information that had her questioning everything from nine years ago including her testimony.

This book has all the ingredients to be confusing. There are a lot of characters and two timelines. I expected to get lost but never did. This was because of not just the fantastic writing but also the character names. There are five siblings and they are named after the month they are born. For me, this just made it so much easier to remember who is who.

I found myself guessing the entire time trying to figure out the end and I kept thinking wrong. I didn’t see the twists coming and those are always the best twists. Definitely check out You Always Come Back!

You Always Come Back is another Southern based story where the family is dysfunctional. The mother is "not all there" and the kids raise each other. The story is very slow to get going. The author goes back and forth between the present and the past while telling the tragic story of the family. Of course, the siblings do not get along either. There are lots of family secrets in the story and that keeps it going.

This was a decent story however it felt the same as many stories read before.

The narrator was a dream. I enjoyed her ability to draw you in. She was able to make each character sound different.

WOW, I loved the work by this narrator. Superb performance, and a great book. Very suspenseful. Masterful doling out of clues, keeping the reader guessing until the very end. I'll be coming back for more by Emily Smith. Highly recommended.

Thank you Netgalley and Dreamscape Media for the ALC.

Story: 🌟🌟🌟
Narration: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
Overall: 🌟🌟🌟✨

You Always Come Back is my first book from this author and was overall, an entertaining thriller. Nine years ago, July’s sister was a victim of the serial killer Pacific Lake Killer. July’s testimony ends up putting her own father behind bars for the crimes. Since then, July has been in Nashville working on her music career. When one of her brothers attempts suicide, July is forced to return home. There she finds new evidence that makes her question whether she put the wrong man behind bars.

The narration by Andi Arndt really elevates this story. It has plenty of twists and turns, but is not particularly memorable in my opinion. Overall, this was a solid thriller with excellent narration.

ALC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.