When a teenage boy is found dead, hanging from a wooden structure in Granite Harbor, Maine,, Detective Alex Brangwen must keep other teenagers. Including his daughter, safe while digging into the town’s history to catch a gruesome killer. Go in blind on this one - the synopsis reveals too much of what happens in the book - if you like creepy, atmospheric murder mysteries.* Thanks to NetGalley and Celadon Books for the opportunity to read and review this ARC!

*Content warnings for animal cruelty and ritualistic death.

If your looking for a dark, gritty crime novel then Granite Harbor by Peter Nichols is the perfect read. This one was so scenic that I could almost feel the cold Maine air while reading this one!

This one starts out with the murder of a teenage boy in a small coastal Maine town. The teen was discovered strung up in an elaborate display at the local tourist attraction called The Settlement. Alex Brangwen is the town's detective and former writer. He moved to Maine from England. His ex-wife was a wealthy woman who is on the more spoiled side but is also a helicopter mom. They share a teenage daughter. Their daughter was friends with the victim so this one hits close to home for the detective. After a second teen gets murdered and left in a similar way, the community realizes they have a serial killer on the loose.

The town's chief calls in the FBI to help solve this case and they realize this might tie in to a case that happened not far years ago. With a possible serial killer on the loose, everyone is frantic and Alex has to work tirelessly to get this case solved. His own daughter could be in danger.

This one had my heart racing and I loved the drama! The small town setting made me suspect EVERYONE. This is one of those books that has you paging through to find out what is going to happen next and who the killer is. The characters in this one were unique and the way the author wrote this had me side-eyeing everyone. I love a book with some good build-up. I haven't read anything by Peter Nichols before but I will add him to my growing list of authors to follow. I can see this making an excellent movie. In my head I was picturing who would play each character.
Thank you to NetGalley and Celadon Books for proving us with an ARC of this exciting book.

This was such a thrilling novel that had me guessing after every page.
A serial killer is active in Granite Harbor and police detective Alex Brangwen is racing around the clock to find the killer before someone close to him falls victim.

This book had me on the edge of my seat the entire time and I truly had no idea who the killer was until the very end. It had me guessing on what would happen next and I couldn’t get enough.

I loved this book so much and I really hope it will become a series because I would love to see what Alex does next.

wow, can’t believe how much i enjoyed this book! it was pretty slow in some parts but the parts that picked up really picked up! i loved the changing perspective and see the story through other peoples eyes. learning about the antagonist was super interesting, how he slowly started to unravel in a short time and then even more so over the years. i definitely figured out who it was after a certain characters POV. it just automatically clicked lol, and i did a little fist bump when it was confirmed 😂 while it was slow, i still found it highly engaging and was involved w most of the characters, except Morgana, she’s a bitch lol
thank you netgalley and Celadon for this e arc in exchange for my honest review. 4/5

GRANITE HARBOR by Peter Nichols and narrated by Peter Ganim is out Today! (Even though you may have gotten one from their LFL drop last week!)

I was impressed with this incredibly sinister and dark, small town crime drama.

I am not entirely sure how much to say about this plot, so I will only give this: small town Maine, generational secrets, bizarre ritualistic murder. This would make a perfect Criminal Minds episode, if you like comps.

This will not be a story for every palette. I, however, was fascinated and cringing, but could not put it down. The mystery was compelling, the characters engaging, and the pace was solid. I was able to enjoy both the audio and physical, which as you may know, is a favorite of mine.

Thank you to @celadonbooks @macmillan.audio & @netgalley for this dreadfully good suspense!

Have you read this one yet? Are you wondering, like me, what is so sinister about Maine?! (Just kidding, I want to visit someday and I am not afraid!)

Alex Brangwen is not your typical police detective. Once upon a time, the Englishman was a celebrated author with a novel shortlisted for the Booker Prize, a cultural cachet that was a large part of his appeal to his then-wife Morgana. At his American bride’s urging, the couple moved from London to Maine while she was pregnant with their only child Sophie. By the time Alex realized that his writer’s block was far more long term than he’d anticipated, and that he needed a much steadier paycheck, a disillusioned Morgana was already leaving him.

Desperate to find a job with a decent salary and benefits, Alex applied for a position with the Granite Harbor police force. He was honestly surprised to discover how much law enforcement training resonated with his writerly inclinations:

QUOTE
As if for emphasis, Officer Evans blinked twice and stared at the recruits in the front row of the lecture hall. “Write it all down. Go over it later. You might start putting things together. <i>Details tell a story</i>.”

Alex couldn’t have put it better in a fiction writing class. Many of the courses of the Basic Law Enforcement Training Curriculum might have been creative writing seminars: Ethics, Moral Issues, and Discretion; Dealing with the Vulnerable; Family Dynamics; Admissions and Confessions.

He was riveted.
END QUOTE

Since graduating over a decade ago, he’s done well in his fairly quiet town, getting promoted to detective and helping to maintain law and order. So when a local teenager is found murdered in grisly fashion, Alex is both thrown for a loop and uniquely poised to use his less than conventional – though always strictly legal – methods to find the killer.

The dead boy was friends with Sophie and, perhaps more significantly, with the son of another of Alex’s former love interests, the widowed ex-schoolteacher Isabel Dorr. When another teenager is found dead, the stakes ramp up for both Alex and Isabel, as the murderer seems to be targeting their kids’ circle of friends. Will Alex, Isabel and even Morgana be able to set their differences aside in order to find and stop this twisted serial killer before their own children become the next victims?

Peter Nichols has written an engrossing thriller that straddles that line between literary and genre, as a deeply disturbed criminal stalks the young people of a sleepy town. I especially admired Mr Nichols’ propulsive writing in the first half of the book, with its wealth of original and gruesome ideas. I just could not stop turning the pages, especially while reading wonderfully creepy passages like this one, where Alex and Granite Harbor Patrolman Mark Beltz are examining the first body:

QUOTE
There was no sign of blood on the leaves around the frame base, no footprints, no sign of disturbance. This was not the kill site. The body had been brought here dead. Maybe the forensic team would find–

“Oh my!” Mark said suddenly.

Alex looked over his shoulder at Mark and then, following the direction of his gaze, back at the body. His eyes involuntarily caught at the wound.

The clean line of the incision undulated. Something was moving beneath it. Inside [the corpse’s] belly.

As both men stared, a tiny hand, almost humanlike, dark red with gore, protruded from the wound.
END QUOTE

The suspense only ramps up as the book goes on, with supernatural elements introduced later on in the story. While I didn’t find the back half of the book as compelling as the first, I did very much enjoy the characterization of the adults in the novel, especially Alex. What creative doesn’t know the agony of needing to apply for a “safe” job, after all? The parallels Alex is able to draw between his chosen career and his life's passion are fortuitous, however, and help him excel (in at least one of those fields anyway.)

I was also impressed with the fair, if not always sympathetic, portraits drawn of both Isabel and Morgana. Each woman is doing her best to be a good parent, even if they have wildly different philosophies and practices that often put them at odds with Alex. Their teenage children are realistically portrayed, in the manner of many adolescents, as annoying, impulsive and not too bright. This genre-crossing novel balances all this realism with the highly unusual circumstances it portrays, making for uncommon, and often deliciously scary, reading.

I had seen so many positive reviews of this that I was so excited to dive in. I was hooked immediately. This had all the best elements of a slow burn and by the time, it ramped up, it hit the perfect intensity. The small town depicted was described so well, I felt like I’ve been there! This was a really good, gritty read.

I did enjoy this mystery/thriller. Kept my attention and made me want to keep reading to find out what was going to happen. It had good buildup and development throughout the book. I thought the mode of kill was unique and interesting and not something I’d seen in other books. Enjoyed the historical element that had a more of a reenactment kind of town settlement. Which added to the knowledge and history of the town. It is to be noted that the topic of the serial case may be triggering for some. My final thoughts are that I felt for the more human aspect that you don’t always find in this genre. But I felt for the characters and what they were going through. Overall would recommend.

This book follows Alex Branwen, a single father and Granite Harbor’s only detective. Granite Harbor is a typical small town until a local teenager is brutally murdered.

If you enjoy a book with an eerie setting and darker elements, then you’ll love this book!

I would give this 6 stars if I could! I thought Granite Harbor was excellent-the characters, the setting, the plot, the voice of Alex-I would read more in this world. I really felt as if I was in Maine (and I’ve been there multiple times in different coastal locations) and I was wrapped up in the characters whose actions and dialogue felt real. Thanks to #netgalley and Celadon Books for this ebook of #graniteharbor to read and review. All opinions are my own.

Granite Harbor
By: Peter Nichols
I read this through NetGalley and followed along with the audio from Macmillan Audio. I gave this book a 3.5⭐️. I enjoyed it, but I felt like it started off okay, then got better, and then fell flat. I also felt like there were too many characters in this story.

This story takes place in a small town in Maine, a single mom who works at a reenactment museum where a dead body of a teenage boy is found. The boy ends up being her son’s friend. Soon after another boy is found dead and the detective on the case tries to find the serial killer of the two murders.

I received the advanced digital copy from Netgalley without requesting it, but after reading the plot I was very intrigued. I hadn't heard of this author before, so I wasn't sure what kind of writing style it was going to have. I did appreciate the back and forth of "POVs". One of those focused on the whodunnit and I always love seeing their side throughout a thriller. I also really enjoyed the mystery in it. It had a little bit of gore, nothing too crazy, but enough to make it interesting and put you on the edge of your seat a bit. There were a lot of unique aspects to the story that I found refreshing and intriguing. Overall I'm giving it a 3.5 out of 5 because I would recommend this to someone who is wanting a unique thriller, but it didn't feel like there were enough layers to it to give it a higher rating than that.

This was a slow burn for me. The beginning was slow and there were a lot of characters and I was struggling to keep them all straight and I just didn't really care too much what was happening. But then about halfway through, it really picked up and I found myself wanting to know what happened and I started to care a little more about the people.

A murder takes place in a small town in Maine and the one detective in town has to figure out what is going on all while dealing with his own personal life. This was a pretty dark read. Some very disturbing things happen so I definitely recommend checking out trigger warnings before starting. I think this could be classified as a bit of a horror because of some of the scenes but I thought it was more just in the thriller/suspense genre. If horror/thrillers are your genre, I would recommend this book as it did pick up a lot by the second half but it is gritty and gruesome so go in being prepared.

Thank you to Celadon for an advanced copy. 3.5 Rounded up.

Unfortunately, this book just wasn't for me. I couldn't get more than halfway through.

My issue is that I need a book to grab ahold of me early on and keep me moving. But while this had a creepy beginning and a semi-gruesome murder, it just drug on from there.

If you enjoy police procedurals that thoroughly get into the story of every character's lives (in my opinion, taking away all suspense and creepiness) and are very slow burn, then this would probably be a great pick for you.

I did read that there is animal death and cruelty in this, which I thankfully didn't get to. I don't have many triggers, but hurting/killing animals is one. So, just a heads up if you're thinking of reading this(you may need to skip those parts).

On a side note, I listened to the audiobook to help me get through this, but I didn't find that the narrator added anything to the story.

As always, thank you to Netgalley and Celadon for giving me an advanced ebook copy of this book.
2⭐️

This was a very good, but dark and often disturbing mystery. It was well written and the characters were interesting and realistic. The only thing that bothered me were there are some pretty gruesome scenes in the book - I don't really know that it was necessary for them to be that descriptive and to be repeated multiple times throughout the book. If you like dark and gritty mysteries, then you will like Granite Harbor. Thanks to NetGalley for the digital ARC.

This was a very interesting book. The beginning was written in a way that felt detached and I wasn’t sure the style was for me. As the book got more intense (there are trigger warnings for this one, not just death but animal abuse, sex abuse, torture. If you can’t do the animal abuse I think it’s chapter 34 you can skip although I do think that chapter is relevant to the story others seem to disagree and skipped it). This book is a bit more graphic that your typical mystery or thriller. There are also a couple of far fetched elements, but overall it was a fast paced and gripping story. Once the story really got going it was defintely one I didn’t wan to put down. Alex is a detective in a small Maine town after following his wife (now ex wife) to America. He didn’t ever expect to be in law enforcement but he needed a steady job with benefits. Alex is caught off guard when he comes across a dead body and unlike his prior experiences this dead body was murdered and a kid who went to school with his teenage daughter. Sprinkled in between the present day are past tense chapters from the unnamed killer explaining his upbringing and giving his perspective to the murders. I definitely will be interested in reading more from this author. It was a bit gruesome but that doesn’t bother me with a good thriller.

I was provided both an audio and print ARC of the book via Netgalley, all opinions are my own.

I enjoyed this mystery thriller, it kept me on my toes and invested in the storyline until almost the end. There were a few elements that took this from a really great thriller to just an OK thriller for me. They all happened toward the end of the book, so I have mixed feelings about it. I thought it was a solid thriller for the most part, but there were a few character and plot things that occurred that really didn't work for me. There are some things that are far too convenient and I had to suspend a little too much belief for this to work.

Granite Harbor is a small Maine Town with a local historical settlement, where many of the townspeople work and demonstrate how life as an original settler would have looked. Life in the town is turned upside-down when a local teen is found brutally murdered and his body left at the settlement to be found. We follow the characters through the investigation as the town morns the loss of one of their own and as things begin to escalate.

There are quite a few characters to keep track of, some are relevant, while others don't really add much to the storyline. The premise was interesting but the execution was a bit off. The transitions between characters was at times jarring as you jumped from Alex the detective investigating the murder to Isabel the mother of one of the kids, to another random character who may be involved or may be a red herring, to the murder who's identity is kept secret and who's POV is told in the past tense. It was hard to keep track of everyone at times.

You will definitely want to check the trigger warnings for this one before picking it up. There are some fairly disturbing and graphic scenes.

Graine Harbor is a small idyllic town in Maine. It is a close-knit community where everyone knows everyone else. What can turn this town on a dime? A horrifically dark, spine-tingling murder of a young teenage boy. His body found on the archaeological site called the Settlement. Where many of the towns' people work to reenact the early settlers in the area. What brought this horror here? Why was this teenager chosen? When a cold case is discovered the death and details terrifyingly similar, it is up to Detective Alex Brangwen to uncover what is happening and to stop the serial killer before he strikes again.

I feel for this slow burn read. Maine, archaeology, what could be better? Not much in my book. The characters are fantastically detailed and rich. The plot is twisty and dark. Making you wonder who could be behind it all. Thank you to Peter Nichols and Celadon Books for my gifted copy of this riveting read.

The body of a local teenaged boy is found mutilated and displayed at a historic preservation site in the small town of Granite Harbor, Maine. I really enjoyed getting to the bottom of this murder most strange through the eyes of writer-turned-detective Alex and the many residents of this small town, all of whom are shocked by the murder—but one of whom must be the perpetrator. A heavy dose of the gory and gruesome so beware. I will definitely be keeping this author in my radar in the future.

Granite Harbor by Peter Nichols ranks up there beside The Quiet Tenant (by Clémence Michallon) for my favourites in the subgenre of literary thriller!

From the jump this book is dark and foreboding; it's quiet and ominous, like fog in the dead of night. Characters are paralyzed by indignation and fear as small-town Maine is rippled by a shocking death. It was altogether both disturbing and fascinating to occasionally get inside the mind of a serial killer as unsettling events transpire in the community.

Even with the shadowy subject manor, readers will connect with this plot as it portrays everyday societal norms. There's a strong vein of the guttural and primordial protectiveness that is motherhood along with the fabrication of Granite Harbor perfectly mirroring stereotypes present in any rural community. This book proves that life should not be two dimensional, but instead have a three-hundred-and-sixty-degree view.

Audiobook narrator Peter Ganim did a phenomenal job to further set the tone. His narration took a back seat, allowing the characters to become even more subdued, unsettled, pensive, or deficient with Ganim's subtle diction.

Immersive. Atmospheric. Haunting.

One I won’t soon forget.

Thank you NetGalley, Celadon Books and Macmillan Audio for the complimentary copies to read and review.