This book was so good, I flew through it. The narration is very enjoyable as well as the story. Sometimes an otherwise good book can be ruined by not enjoying the narrator's voice, tone, etc. This story definitely had me second, third and fourth guessing myself on who I thought the killer was. Even after I guessed right, I went back on it a couple times before the reveal. The characters, while not all likeable are definitely interesting and well developed. This novel adds something to your standard small town who is the killer story. I will definitely be on the lookout for Emily Smith's next book. Her writing is reminiscent of Gillian Flynn and that's good company to be in!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to listen to an early copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review. You Always Come Back by Emily Smith will be released on October 10th, 2023.

TW: Serial killers, mentions of suicide, mentions of drug and alcohol addiction, mental illness.

This was a really good book and I loved the narrator! You Always Come Back features a dysfunctional family who had one of their youngest children murdered, leading to the eventual conviction of the father. But did he really do it? In this book, you follow the main character, July, as she goes back to her hometown after one of her younger brothers tries to unalive himself. While back home, July starts to notice some things that don't add up to the original story she believed about what happened to her baby sister and the comments from her mother only push her further into trying to uncover more information.

Emily Smith does an excellent job of switching between the past and the present so that you get the whole story of what happened and the whole process of July figuring out the truth. She portrayed the mental illnesses of the characters in a very respectful way and she didn't feel the need to go into vivid descriptions of how people died, which I very much appreciated.

For a while, I thought I had the plot twist figured out. From the very beginning, even, but BOY WAS I WRONG. My jaw was on the floor in the last 90% of this book.

You Always Come Back by Emily Smith is a captivating story and a very quick read. I didn't feel like there was a ton of unnecessary fluff included just for the sake of making the story longer and I loved that. If you are looking for a mystery that won't put you into a book slump but could possibly get you out of one, I would highly suggest picking this book up when it is released.

This book was wildly exciting and I throughly enjoyed all the twists and turns it offered!! I kept thinking I knew the ending but then something new came along and changed my mind!

REVIEW You Always Come Back by Emily Smith (audio)

This book blew me away and kept me on edge trying to figure it out. A haunting thriller set in Georgia with a first person narrative, we learn of the dysfunctional Weaver family dealing with mental illness and a murderer among them. The main character, July, named after the month of her birth, is the narrator and the one responsible for sending their father to prison through her testimony. Told in alternating chapters of then and now, we learn of the tragic events that the family had to deal with and the present day way they manage to come together to sort out the past. This book is riveting but not graphic. There is no horror or gore in the scenes of violence, but it will keep you in suspense through the back and forth telling of the story. Definitely one of the best audiobooks I’ve listened to and I look forward to more books from this author.

If you liked the book A Flicker in the Dark by Stacy Willingham then you will probably like this book.

Thank you NetGalley and Dreamscape Audio for a free copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

You Always Come Back by Emily Smith - The book is the definition of you cannot trust ANYONE. WHO IS THE SERIAL KILLER? I literally suspected every single character at some point in the book and I was SHOCKED by the ending. This book had me hooked from the first page and I just could not stop listening. The narrator was fantastic. READ THIS BOOK!! Thanks NetGalley and Dreamscape for the ARC!! Loved, loved, loved this book!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the free audio book in exchange for my honest review. This is narrated by Andi Arndt who is fantastic at telling this story!!! I highly recommend the audio book if you like to listen.

This is such a FANTASTIC story of a dysfunctional family in a small town, murder and a serial killer!!! Be prepared to stay up as you will not be able to stop once you start this tale!

Meet the Weavers...Kathy and Harry, who are flower children and their brood of misfits named after their birth month: March, July, August, December, April and May. Each of the uniquely dysfunctional characters adds to the family dynamic, which is on a good day very odd but at the same time feels very universal. The squabbling, the stubbornness, the side taking, the pettiness, the grudges, the unwavering loyalty, the addiction and of course the murders, give the story and the characters great depth.

This publishes October 10th and lives up to the hype! Loved It!!! Highly recommend!!!

Characters were so easy decipher and keep separated with their parents naming convention. I was hooked from the first chapter.

Truly enjoyed this listen. I wanted to come back to listen to find out what was going on, and to understand this dysfunctional family better. Shocking twist that made me want to reread the story again to see how I missed some of the red flags. Can’t wait to read more from this author!

Small comment for audio listeners, it would be nice if the audio could include the chapter titles or changes between before and now. I heard it a few times but other times it jumped around and I was left trying to determine where I was in the characters timeline.

This has been posted to Goodreads.

Emily Smith's You Always Come Back is going on my list for 2023 top debuts. I was caught completely by surprise by how mesmerized I was with the Weaver family and their dysfunction. July Weaver left Pacific Lake after her father was convicted as the Pacific Lake Serial Killer, but she's forced to go back home to help her brother, and that's where the suspense really starts to build. Everyone is hiding something, and some long-buried secrets aren't staying in the past anymore. I loved every minute, and I hope You Always Come Back gets lots of well-deserved attention. The narration is perfectly nuanced to give every suspenseful turn that something extra.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.
I loved this audiobook. I was hooked from chapter 1 and there were a lot of surprises throughout. Definitely an ending I did not expect.
Great job by the narrator.

Super enjoyable family drama/ could serial killer suspense novel.

July has left her home town for good and made a new name for herself as a country star when her little brother has an episode and she is pulled back into her old arboretum/manor and all the chaos of the past is dredged up.

This had all the elements I love in a family suspense
-dual timeline
-tons of sketchy characters
-a sub plot of plants/a botanist character

Was I super surprised by how it all played out ? No. But I had such a great time I didn’t really care that I knew who dunnit pretty early on.

Thanks to NetGalley and Dreamscape media for an ALC.

3.5 stars rounded up

My first book by this author, and I am looking forward to reading more from her! I loved the opening chapter of this book, one July’s earlier memories of her father, and how it came back throughout the book. I guessed who the killer was but there was enough doubt that I wanted to keep reading to see if I was right, and find out why. I would probably consider it more of a domestic drama than a thriller.

I listened to the audiobook version and really enjoyed the narrator.

Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

"You Always Come Back" by Emily Smith marks a remarkable debut in the realm of serial killer thrillers. This gripping novel unfolds in the heart of Georgia, where a chilling serial killer once terrorized the community. What sets this story apart is the haunting connection between the killer and his daughter, Jules, who testified against him, leading to his imprisonment.

As fate would have it, Jules, also known as July, finds herself reluctantly returning to her hometown for the summer, only to be met with a resurgence of horrifying murders. With her father still behind bars, she begins to question if she testified against the wrong person all those years ago.

The audiobook version of this tale is a true gem, with expert narration featuring the perfect Southern accent. It had me on the edge of my seat from start to finish. The characters are thoughtfully crafted, their complexities adding depth to the narrative. The unexpected twists and turns left me genuinely shocked, and the exploration of family dynamics added a heartbreaking layer to the story.

I wholeheartedly recommend grabbing the audiobook version of "You Always Come Back" and immersing yourself in this suspenseful novel as soon as it becomes available. A big thank you to Dreamscape Media and NetGalley for providing me with the opportunity to listen to this audiobook ahead of its publication in exchange for my honest review.

July and her brothers and sisters had a really nontraditional upbringing. Their mom had mental health issues which were usually left untreated, leaving her very unstable at times. In addition, their father, living in his own eccentric world, is absent a lot. All six children ended up basically raising themselves, with the 2 oldest taking on the parental roles.

May, one of the eight year old twins, goes missing. Then two women go missing. When May is found dead, their father is convicted & is believed to be a serial killer. After her boyfriend suddenly breaks up with her, July moves to Nashville to start a new life, with a new name, and a career as a song writer.

Ten years later there’s a family emergency that brings the whole family back together in Georgia. It’s the last place July wants to be, with the family stigma and women starting to go missing again. And now she has to reconsider her fathers involvement in the previous murders.

This story gripped me from the beginning and I really enjoyed it all the way through to the end. The dual timelines going between the past and the present were both really immersive. I’m really looking forward to future books from this author.

The audiobook was fantastic, with great narration. I highly recommend it.

Thanks to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for providing me with an advanced copy of this audiobook.

DNF at 25%

This book is probably “fine” and a 3-star read. I, personally, can’t read this story again. It’s too reminiscent of other books I’ve read. I’m also exhausted listening to “southern talk” and cardboard southern characters and plots. I also can’t do another Glass Castle.

That memoir was outstanding but I don’t need another fictitious story about a gaggle off troubled siblings raised in dysfunction because one parent has mental health issues and the other parent is an enabler.

The story flashes between now and the past which seems to drag the story out unnecessarily. It’s much more of a domestic drama than a thriller or crime book. At 25% I’m still waiting to start the investigation or the crime(s).

Thanks netgalley for my ALC ARC

You Always Come Back by Emily Smith is a debut serial killer thriller novel. This book is about a serial killer in Georgia, whose own daughter gave testimony to put him behind bars. Jules, aka July, is suddenly forced back to her hometown for the summer and the murders begin again even with her father still behind bars. Did she give testimony on the wrong person all those years ago?!

The audiobook version is well narrated with the perfect Southern accent and it had me sitting on the edge of my seat! The characters are well developed, the twists were shocking, and the family dynamics were heartbreaking. I’m highly recommend grabbing this audiobook and listening to this novel as soon as it publishes!

Thank you @dreamscape_media and @netgalley for allowing me to listen to this audiobook ahead of publication in exchange for my honest review.

(Shared this review on the Barnes & Noble website)

Nine years ago, July Weaver’s 8-year-old sister was one of the first victims of the Pacific Lake Killer, a serial killer in Georgia. When two more girls disappeared and their bodies were found in the Pacific Lake, it was July’s testimony that put her own father in prison for the murders. After her father's sentencing, July fled to Nashville to focus on her music career and leave her past behind. When her youngest brother tries to kill himself, July is forced to come back to her hometown and reunite with her mother and four siblings. As July returns home, she uncovers new evidence that makes her question everything. Is the Pacific Lake Killer still out there, and did she put the wrong person behind bars?

If you enjoyed Freida McFadden's "The Locked Door" and Stacey Willingham's "A Flicker in the Dark," then I highly recommend "You Always Come Back." This was a truly unputdownable book that had me on the edge of my seat from the first page until the shocking conclusion. I thought I had it all figured out, but my theories were ever-changing as the story progressed, and I was surprised when the truth was finally revealed. Not only is this a riveting mystery, but it is also a compelling story about a dysfunctional family and the impacts of their father's arrest and subsequent conviction. An incredible debut from Emily Smith, and I look forward to reading her future novels.

I listened to the audiobook narrated by Andi Arndt. This was my first time listening to an audiobook narrated by her, and I thought she did a great job. She distinguished the characters' voices very well, and she made this an enjoyable book to listen to.

Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the ALC in exchange for an honest review.

Wow! I would give this story a hundred stars if I could! I’ve never heard of a literary thriller, but I imagine this is what one would be like were there such a thing. It kept me engaged from the start. I was fully immersed in the story and loved the characterization. This author has a real talent that I wish I could come close to. Not only that, she portrayed the two schizophrenic characters with absolute respect and grace. My mother-in-law is schizophrenic and let me tell you, she was spot on to the point that I wondered if someone in her life was as well. Incredible writing and the.narrator was fantastic. I have a new go to author!

Huge thanks to Dreamscape Media and NetGalley for sending me this ARC for review! All of my reviews are given honestly!

So our girl is forced to come home when her mentally ill brother attempts suicide. She has been away for nine years because her sister went missing and later her dad was convicted of killing her and other women. He was branded a serial killer. She arrives home and the children are all united. Her mother warns her away but she stays.
Anyway, a bunch of scary stuff happens. There are twists and other victims and the book has a really good ending. I read this a while ago so I was super excited to have a chance to listen to the book.
I felt it so much more!

July Weaver vows to never return home. Her father is a convicted serial killer, making her family the town outcasts. But, nine years after she left, she comes back home after her youngest brother attempts suicide. The longer she is in town, the more she doubts the events of the summer her sister died and her father was arrested. She was the key witness in her father's trial, but she is starting to think that more was happening that summer than she knew.

I read this one pretty much straight through. I both hated and felt sorry for July's parents. I definitely felt sorry for the six kids, who basically had to raise each other on their own. It was a mystery, but also had a complex family dynamic (how could you not with a family of eight!) While I did have the mystery figured out pretty early on, I devoured the rest of the book, hoping I was wrong.

This is a debut author and I will keep my eyes out for future books from her.

Andi Arndt narrates the audiobook. She is one of my favorite narrators, and it was wonderful, as always.

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