This book is a murder mystery/thriller but is much more as it focuses more on themes such as grief and relationships. The main character, Jess returns to her home town after more than a decade when her missing mother’s remains are discovered. Jess is a young woman who can’t maintain long term relationships and appears to be a wanderer with very few possessions. Her sister, Liz lives like a recluse in the childhood home and has few friends. As the story progresses, we learn that Liz was only nineteen when their mother disappeared and had to put her life on hold to finish raising 13 year old Jess. Both sisters’ lifestyles seem to be directly related to their grief and parental absence. The story is also heavily focused on the sister relationship and the growth by both women in learning to understand how their mother’s disappearance and the possibility that she was still alive has affected each of them.
I enjoyed this story for being much more than a murder mystery and appreciated the relationship complexities that the author explored and was able to portray as long as the book was carefully read. Once I realized that this was not an action packed, quick read thriller, I slowed down to try and capture all the nuances and themes. This did make the book more of a slog at times. Another problem that I had with the writing style was the author’s tendency to switch time frames with no warning or introduction and I often had to go back and reread to figure out what timeline I was reading about. So, I both liked and disliked the different style of this book and think I would have enjoyed it more with better separation and chapter headings “then” and “now”.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC. Opinions are my own.

An interesting mystery that centered around 2 sisters whose mother disappeared years ago. Their story was interesting but it was mostly small town living and how it is when you live in a small town. The police are slow moving and I just wanted to find out what happened. The ending tied up some ends but I think I just wanted more.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

Set in a small northern New York town near the Canadian border, Knife River is the story of thirty-something Liz and her younger sister Jess who are are seeking closure to their mother's disappearance fifteen years ago. Liz chose to remain in the house when she grew up and continues to work as a bank teller. Jess left her family's home and has couch-surfed her way through multiple relationships, never really establishing a new home. When Liz is notified by the police department that her mother's remains may have been found, Jess returns to Knife River to await the medical examiner's results. The novel is told from Jess's observations and her thoughts on being raised by her teenage sister. The novel is a long, thoughtful, compelling read with subplots involving the sisters and their relationships. Recommended for fans of small town fiction

This was an interesting book and not what I was expecting. I found the story to be a very slow burn and that's just not something that I vibe well with. Unfortunately this one just wasn't for me!

Knife River by Justine Champine offers a captivating blend of mystery and emotion. The setting is beautifully depicted, immersing readers in its atmospheric landscape. Champine's writing shines in her vivid descriptions and character development, drawing you into the lives of her protagonists.

However, the pacing felt uneven at times, with some sections dragging while others rushed to a conclusion. A few plot points also seemed a bit predictable, which detracted from the overall suspense.

Despite these flaws, Knife River is an enjoyable read that keeps you invested in the characters' journeys. I appreciated its depth and emotional resonance, making it worth the read!

This is labeled a mystery/thriller, but it's really more of a novel about the effects of a murder on the survivors. It's a slow read, and at times it was easy to put down and hard to pick back up. Labelling this ia thriller does a disservice to the book.

I really enjoyed this book, it was a murder mystery with a queer main character and messy family dynamics.

I thought that all the red herrings of who the killer was were very well executed. I also really appreciated how messy all the characters were, Jess ane Liz just never really recovered from losing their mom so seeing them finally get to have some closure and work on being sisters again was a very raw and hard experience.

I think this story does a great job of showing long lasting trauma and vicitimization.

Jess, somewhat of a wanderer, lives with her girlfriend, Sarah, eleven years her senior. Never one to settle down in one place or stay in one relationship too long, she is comfortable living with Sarah, though they really aren’t compatible. She receives a phone call from her sister, Liz, stating that bodily remains have been found and believed to be those of their mother, who went missing many years ago. Jess packs up what little she owns and heads home to Knife River, near the Canadian border.

Liz and Jess are estranged, though with Liz being older than Jess, they had been close as kids, but after their mother went out for an alleged walk when Jess was thirteen and never returned, Liz found herself with the obligation of taking care of Jess. Then, when Jess became of age, she left home and went out on her own. Liz has never approved of Jess’ s lesbian lifestyle and has lets her feelings be known, so why should Jess stay with her and deal with her hostility?

Now, with little choice, and realizing her relationship with Sarah is at a dead end, Jess returns to her childhood home. She is amazed to see nothing has changed. The house still looks like it did fifteen years ago, yet now with mounds of trash, dust, and the same worn-out furniture. The town and the locals haven’t changed either, and her return causes a bit of controversy for the highly conservative residents who deride Jess’s lifestyle. Jess, used to the ridicule in her hometown states this while out for a walk.

“On the corner, a middle-aged couple idling at the stoplight stared at me from inside their car, their two heads swiveling slowly as I passed . . .

. . .”It was a stare I knew well; they registered me first, just peripherally, as a grungy young man. Then when I came into clearer focus and the subtleties of my body revealed themselves, their eyes sharpened. These were stares laced with discomfort, even displeasure, that I not only existed but was walking in public so brazenly as myself.”

Though Jess only plans to stay until she and Liz get definitive answers as to their mother’s death, she ends up staying much longer. While Liz fixates on their mother’s murder and other unsolved cases, Jess reunites with Eva, her old high school girlfriend, slipping away to spend nights with her, which causes more tension between her and Liz.

Her intended week’s stay turns longer, and she breaks off her relationship with Sarah, wondering where she’ll end up next. She doesn’t like being alone.

“All my possessions fit in the trunk of a car. I had nothing. No attachments, no dependents, and still I hadn’t managed to take charge of my own dreams. I was afraid of the sound of my own breath, my own heartbeat, along in a room. Afraid enough to live with women I often felt nothing for, and to keep living with them even after I’d come to almost despise them, just to have a body next to me in the dark.”

As Jess wrestles with her emotions concerning her mother’s death and the alienation with her sister, one can’t help but wonder where life will lead her. She wants nothing more than to belong and have someone to love, yet she is adrift.

Liz is also stuck. She’s in a time warp, living in the same house, afraid to leave, believing, even after all these years, her mother will return, and in the years that have passed she has given up the life she envisioned. Now that her mother’s remains have been located, what will she do? Will she follow the dreams she once had for her life, or will she remain stagnant and stuck in the past?

The big question for the sisters now is to find the killer and get justice for their mother. Though they believe they know the identity of the murderer, they are surprised when they finally do learn the truth.

As this tale comes to its climax, Jess and Liz are able to come together, air their grievances, and learn acceptance. This novel is written in the first person with Jess relating the differing scenarios she has dealt with, making this read more involving and relatable. The plot is well fleshed out, offering mystery and suspense along with the portrayal of human frailty, giving intensity to the story.

Knife River just was not the book for me. I tried to pick it up several times but I only got to 60%
I was really bored and it just seemed to drag on.

Knife River is a haunting exploration of grief and resilience that delves into the complexities of family relationships against the backdrop of a small, rural community. The author effectively captures the stark beauty of the landscape, which mirrors the emotional struggles of the characters. While the narrative offers poignant moments and insightful reflections, the pacing can be uneven, and some plot points feel underdeveloped. The themes of loss and healing resonate deeply, but at times, the characters' motivations lack clarity, making it difficult for readers to fully connect with their journeys. Overall, Knife River presents a compelling premise but falls short of delivering a fully satisfying emotional impact.

Thank you to Random House Publishing and NetGalley for the ARC in return for my honest opinion. This is a story that digs into the complicated relationship between mother, daughters and sisters. Liz and Jess's mom went out for a walk and never returned. Once grown up, Jess moves away from Knife River and her sister. Fifteen years later, there is new evidence in the disappearance, so Jess returns to Knife River. As I was reading this, I thought I had the entire mystery figured out, but I was so wrong.

The writing is a bit hard to follow at first as it seems to go back and forth in time. I enjoyed the way that the relationships between sisters was written, but I found the relationship between Jess, her old friend, Eva, and the detective a bit odd. It almost felt like it didn't need to be the detective didn't need to be intertwined in it.

Overall, I did enjoy this book.

This story was deeply heartbreaking. Knife River is the hometown of Jess and Liz, two sisters that lost their mother when they were very young, 13 and 19 years old, respectively. Natalie, their mother, disappeared without trace. After years of having no clue of what happened, not even knowing if she was alive or dead, Jess moves away to start a new life. She falls in and out of love, moves in and out of her girlfriends' houses, and settles for a job she is good at but doesn't like. Liz stays in their house just in case her mother is found. Fifteen years after her disappearence, Natalie's bones are found, so Liz asks Jess to come home. Reading about all the details of the case and how the authorities do close to nothing to find a murderer, the sisters grieve their mother all over again. I loved the ending, it was very well written and I liked that the sisters' future looked hopeful.

thank you netgalley for the e-arc. i think the author excels at writing beautiful, well-planned out stories that keeps you engaged until the last page. i definitely think it was a slow burn right to the end and pays off.

When Jess was thirteen her mother went for a walk and never returned. Jess and her older sister Liz never found out what happened. Instead, they did what they hoped their mother would do: survive.

This novel is a poignant exploration of the imperfect but profound bonds that women share—be it in romantic relationships, intergenerational friendships, or the unique sisterly connection. The story unfurls with tension and intimacy, painting a vivid picture of the complexity of love and loss.

This book is definitely a slow burn, which is why it took me so long to get through. I lost sight of the point about 55% through and wasn't going to finish. I'm glad I did, though, because it was wrapped up quite satisfyingly.

When Jess was thirteen, her mother left to take a walk and never returned. Her older sister Liz took care of her as they tried unsuccessfully to find their mother. Naturally the loss of their mother with no idea about what happened to her left the girls emotionally scarred.

Jess left her community of Knife River as soon as she was able and led a wandering life and had a string of same-sex relationships. Liz, stayed in the family home and continued to find answers about their mother, while she held down the same job at a bank for the next 15 years.
Liz rarely dated and her best friend was a much older woman that she might have seen as a surrogate grandmother.

When her mother’s remains are found 15 years later, Jess returns to Knife River to be with her sister and bury their mother. The remains have left little evidence behind to provide answers as to why she died.

The story was a bit too slow for my taste, but I will say, the ending more than made up for it. I am glad I stayed the course and finished the book. I also loved that the girls seemed to be able to move on from this tragedy and make a fresh start.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group, Dial Press for allowing me to read a complimentary copy.

A mother who went missing, two sisters with very different recollections of their mother and childhoods and a lot of questions. When many years later her bones have been found, Jess goes home to her sister Liz and they’ve got so many questions. It's a bit of a slow read, but an emotional and well written story. The ending was not at all what I was expecting. I look forward to what comes next from this author.

intriguing and well-written work with a strong sense of internal identity and good inner motivation. tysm for the arc

This book was very interesting about a girl named j.A e s s. She was from Knife River where she lived with her sister l.I z and her mother. Things start to go wrong when she turned thirteen when her mother disappeared. Her older sister Liz could not go on to college.She had to raise her sister. I took a job in the bank to support her and her sister. J AES S turned 18.She fled to new york city and left her sister behind. She had a very complicated life there.She had girlfriends but she could never really commit to them. She have one girlfriend.She really loved back and knife river , but she just left and didn't teller. The town kept looking for the mother , by the kept going on for years. There was a man named Nick.Her sister thought he killed her mother. This was a very interesting book because it had twisted turns. Then 1 day a body was found and then. This was her mother. L I ztold j a e s s the found the body. She broke up with her girlfriendnew York and move back home.. Shall we connect it with your own lover as well? Was the same in town , but they were still trying to find out who really killed her mother. Book has a surprise END. We don't really like it and know why the story is all time together at that point

Knife River is categorized as mystery/suspense, but the mystery components of the story weren’t what I found most compelling. While this story is in fact a mystery, in my opinion it is mostly a story about grief, loss, and family. Jess and her sister Liz processed their mother’s disappearance in very different ways, partly because of their ages at the time, and partly because of their different relationships to their mother. When Jess turned 18 she left home, moving from girlfriend to girlfriend, barely even experiencing her own life. Liz stayed in their home in Knife River, working the same job, and channeling her grief into a search for answers.

You do eventually find out the truth of what happened, but the part of the story that moved me the most was the ever-evolving relationship between Jess and Liz. They spent years on the periphery of each other’s lives. But when their mother’s remains are found, they get thrust together again. As the story unfolds, the dynamics begin to shift as they finally communicate with each other about their grief and memories and lives. They slowly begin to build a new kind of relationship together.

I also loved the messy dynamics between Jess and her high school girlfriend, Eva. Jess left without saying goodbye, but it’s clear that a decade later the pull between them is still as strong as ever. Except now things are even messier than before and their relationship is still something that can’t see the light of day.

There was a lot I really enjoyed about this story - the small town vibes, the mystery, the messy relationship dynamics between Jess and Liz and Jess and Eva (really Jess and everyone), the sapphic romance subplot, the quirky old lady/friend, the different twist on forced proximity, the flawed characters trying to find their way through complicated situations. I was expecting a bit more mystery and suspense in the story, but all in all it was an enjoyable read. And I can’t wait to read what Champine releases next!

🏳️‍🌈Rep: Lesbian MC, Sapphic Pairing

📝Tropes/Themes: mystery, family relationships, grief & loss, sisterhood, return to hometown, second chances, small town

⚠️TW/CW: parental disappearance/death, sexual content, homophobia, murder (off page, not graphic)

Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this title. I have mixed feelings about this book. A story about relationships first, with the mystery a distant second. At times the writing was beautiful and inspiring, while at other times it felt never ending. Overall I enjoyed the story this author told, it just felt like it took a really long time to get there