Knife River is a slow-burning, atmospheric mystery that explores the weight of unresolved grief and complicated family ties. Jess’s reluctant return to her hometown after her mother’s remains are found forces her to confront both the past and herself in ways she never expected. The novel moves at its own pace—sometimes hypnotic, sometimes frustrating—but the emotional depth and sharp, introspective writing kept me engaged. While not every thread felt fully satisfying, the story’s exploration of trauma, memory, and sisterhood made for a compelling, if sometimes uneasy, read. I’m definitely curious to see what this author does next.

I feel like the slow burn mystery, or literary suspense novel is a genre that has exploded in the past year, and I have to say, I am not a fan. Like some others I've read, Knife River feels drawn out unnecessarily, and the ending doesn't quite satisfy all the time it takes to get there. I love a small town mystery, but the strength of the characters wasn't enough to carry me through this one.

A life of broken relationships, in the escape from and return to the past. It's gritty at times, sad often, and deals with issues that touch modern families.

It's almost impossible to find novels or films without at least some gender bending relationships and that spoiled this one for me. That said, it was a compelling story. And a heartbreaking one.

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! No spoilers. Beyond amazing I enjoyed this book so very much. The characters and storyline were fantastic. The ending I did not see coming Could not put down nor did I want to. Truly Amazing and appreciated the whole story. This is going to be a must read for many many readers. Maybe even a book club pick.

A slow burn mystery with thoughtful, beautiful writing and a deep dive into character. Enjoyable, though probably not for everyone.

While I enjoy a slow-burn small town crime, warning, this one was a little slow for me. At the end I was very satisfied and glad that I stuck with it but it is not a fast-paced read that I often expect with mysteries.

I found it realistic in the idea that folks have a hard time moving on - both as individuals and as towns. I think it also was a fair depiction/story telling of those trying to distinguish between the now and then.

An engrossing novel on grief and the aftermath of a missing persons case with carefully drawn characters, sisterly drama, and the prodigal daughter’s return. Jess and Liz are both frozen emotionally after the disappearance of their mother when they were teens. Law enforcement has no answers and little interest in finding them. The rift between the sisters - now adults and living separately - seems beyond repair. When their mother’s remains are discovered, Jess returns home to await the outcome of the medical examiner’s investigation into the cause of death, hoping for clues as to what happened to her.. This is a suspenseful, emotional read on what remains when tragedy strikes, the bonds between two broken sisters, and the tension that arises when secrets are uncovered. Recommended for those who enjoy cold case novels, mysteries, and family drama.

While this story is in fact a mystery, it is mostly a story about grief, loss, and family. Jess and her sister Liz processed their mother’s disappearance in very different ways, 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. 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 was expecting a bit more mystery and suspense in the story, but all in all it was an enjoyable read.

Thank you Netgalley for this eARC!

I agree with all the reviewers saying this is a slow burn of a book, At times it was a tad to slow, BUT the words, the story, it all makes up for it.
I was and still am speechless that this is Justine Champine;s first book.
THe heart of this story was the characters especially Jess and her sister Liz and the mystery about their mother. I think the fact that there wasn't alot of drawn out romance and the meat and bones of this story was family is what made it so appealing to me.

Keep a box of tissues near you. That is all I'm going to say

I enjoyed reading this slow burn, small town mystery, although I would have liked more suspense and tension in the unfolding of what really happened to Jess and Liz’s mother. Character development was central to the novel, as we watched Jess and Liz struggle to move on from the past and embrace a future free from the all-encompassing trauma of their mother’s disappearance. This is Justine Champine’s debut novel, and I’m looking forward to what she writes next! Thanks to NetGalley and The Dial Press for the opportunity to read an advance copy of this book.

This novel really tugged on my heartstrings and was heartbreaking to see how the girls confronted (and didn’t) the loss of their mother. I didn’t love all the romantic partner stuff about Jess but I really enjoyed the mystery of the mother’s death.

Knife River is a debut novel by Justine Champine. It's a literary thriller that explores themes of grief and family in a small town. It's a bit more of a slow burn than I prefer, but I will look forward to reading more from this author.

Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for sharing this book with me.

This is definitely a slow burn, literary thriller. The writing style was engaging and interesting. The story is sprawling, and I think that is exactly where it falls short - it drags and takes too long to get where it's going.

Knife River is an atmospheric blend of mystery and family drama that dives deep into the impact of trauma on sisters Jess and Liz after their mother’s disappearance. The tension between the sisters is raw and believable, with layers of grief and unresolved resentment slowly unraveling as new evidence emerges. While the story's pacing and time shifts can be disorienting, the red herrings and eventual revelations kept me engaged. A poignant exploration of loss, identity, and rebuilding relationships.

The mysterious disappearance of a mother haunts her daughters many years later in Knife River. Champine explores sisterhood, relationships and loss as the daughters unravel the night their mother never returned.

I longed for more suspense and mystery, and less of Jess's romantic escapades since leaving the town. This storytelling could've been tightened-up to make this a page-turner instead bits were boring and NOT important to the story.

Thank you, Random House Publishing Group - Random House | The Dial Press

This book was such a tragic tale. The mother left one day and was never seen again. The one sister ran and the other stayed stuck. The way this book was laid out it was like I was standing there witnessing every scene. The characters were very well developed. I started this book and could not put it down. I wanted to know everything going on and what would be done next.

I highly recommend this book.

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for this advanced reader copy. This is my honest opinion.

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