Alright….I think perhaps I just may not be the right audience for this book, so either read other reviews or just dive right in and take the chance. That said…I would actually recommend skipping the synopsis if you can. I think you’ll have a better reading experience going in blind, as the synopsis is a tad misleading almost.

That said: there is a huge TW for animal harm/animal involvement. It is a very gory book overall (in the setting of murders, serial killings, psychological issues, grooming of a serial killer).

At its core this is a small town whodunnit. There is a lot interspersed with this (old romances, family dynamics, single parenthood, child protection, small town society, criminal investigation, serial killer insights, and so much more). I personally felt there were too many characters, oftentimes not adding much to the storyline or outcome other than to introduce other characters. At times this made things confusing, or added choppy transitions. I also felt that there was sometimes too much background information that became filler, and the book could have been more concise.

I did appreciate the intricacies of the story line, and appreciated how the author was able to make everything come together. I appreciated the themes of small town culture and parental protectiveness.

Thank you to Celadon and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Granite Harbor is an unusual book. The premise is interesting but like a lot of other books: small town, missing teenagers, possible serial killer. Sounds good but nothing unique, nothing that grabs you . . . until you read a couple of chapters and realize you are already completely immersed. Author Peter Nichols fills this story with people surprisingly fascinating and different than expected, situations and events that you don’t see coming, and so many twists and turns and shocks that you won’t want to put it down until the mystery is solved, the killer is identified.

Alex Brangwen is one of those unexpectedly fascinating people. An Englishman who was a novelist when a whirlwind romance and marriage brought him to the United States and eventually to Granite Harbor. Things are a little different than those early days, though. Novelist: failed. Marriage: failed. Alex is now Granite Harbor’s sole detective. He shares a daughter, Sophie, with his ex. They get along well enough to co-parent, but once Morgana realized she wasn’t married to a soon-to-be-famous novelist she returned to her high society self without Alex. Loving Maine, never even considering leaving Sophie, Alex became a policeman and then a detective. He’s content – well, content enough anyway. And now it’s his job to solve this crime and make sure no more teenagers are taken and murdered.

Isabel Dorr is also a single parent, to son Ethan. Widowed eleven years ago, she’s still stuck in grief and losing her husband and Ethan’s father has been difficult on them both. Difficulties at work for Isabel, at school for Ethan. They’re making do, but barely. There was at one time a little spark, a barely started what-if relationship between Alex and Isabel but things got complicated and it ended.

Granite Harbor is so good, so compelling, that to say much more about the plot would introduce major spoilers. The Granite Harbor Living History Settlement as well as some rough, wooded country of Maine plays a major role – and some of the people, some of what goes on, is nothing short of weird. Once the killings start the story takes off and you just have to hang on. It’s one of those books so full of suspense your brain is churning, trying to figure out who the murderer is and how to prevent the next murder from happening. At the start, you can read a couple of chapters and put the book aside, but at some point your brain goes from merely churning to frantically churning. So many suspects to worry about. And even once you learn who the killer is, instead of calming down, your brain becomes even more frantic, because now you have to warn the potential next victims: Go! Run! Hide! What? What can you tell them? How can you tell them? Everything will be okay, though, won’t it? Your favorite characters will live happily ever after, won’t they? Well, maybe a little trauma, but they will be alive and breathing. Not dead. Or will they? And you absolutely cannot put this book down anymore.

The characters are so well drawn. Alex is complex, Isabel is heartbreaking, especially when she “sees” things that terrify her. Supporting cast is varied with a multitude of secrets. The words, the pace, the plot: excellent.

Thanks to Celadon Books for providing an advance copy of Granite Harbor via NetGalley. As always, I am proud and happy to be a Celadon Reader because their selection of books is the absolute best. Peter Nichols has written a suspenseful, startling, satisfying book that I thoroughly enjoyed and recommend without hesitation. I voluntarily leave this review; all opinions are my own.

A serial killer is loose in a small coastal town in Maine. Young teenage boys are being hunted and Alex must find the killer before more children are harmed.

Super slow with lots of character POVs that could be confusing at times. Overall, enjoyed the story and how Peter Nichols described Maines coastal towns.

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC!

GRANITE HARBOR by Peter Nichols is a race to the finish to find a serial killer in a small, bucolic, coastal town in Maine. Nothing ever happens here and people just seem to float through their day to day. Until….the body of a teenager is found with a very strange calling card.

When Shane’s body is found, there is talk about his friendships with other local teenagers. Sophie is the daughter of the only detective (Alex) in town. Ethan is the son of a single mother (Isabel) whose husband was lost at sea. The three of them were best friends since an early age. When another body is found on the grounds of The Settlement, an archaeological site that is the town’s largest employer, both Alex and Isabel worry about the safety of their children and also set out to find out who the killer is. But what of the former teacher who runs the apothecary at The Settlement? And why is Isabel having strange visions of animals? As both pairs complete different parts of the puzzle, no one sees the whole picture and ultimately, the teenagers put themselves in serious jeopardy.

I really enjoyed the author’s writing style. I also learned quite a bit about the difference between frogs and toads. I mean, we read to learn things, right? The only reason I only gave 4 stars was because there were just too many characters to try to keep track of, which had me confused at points. But this is definitely worth the time.

Thank you to NetGalley and Celadon Books for this ARC opportunity. All opinions are my own and given voluntarily..

Granite Harbor
Peter Nicols

I kept hearing that this book was dark and I thought I was ready for it but I was not. If you read this definitely check your trigger warnings. I admittedly was a bit lost in the beginning of this story only because there were so many characters being introduced at one time.

I love a good thriller especially when it involves a serial killer. There are just a few things that happen in this book that just tore my heart out and I’m still thinking about them. My overly empathetic self was dying a little inside when we learned the backstory of the serial killer. 😭 Thankfully the ending wrapped up the story in a way that gave me a little bit of peace.

Granite harbor is the story of a small town suddenly plagued with murder. Alex, A novelist turned police officer takes on the case-which could be his first major one as he has a personal connection to the victim, as his daughter is one of the victims best friends. Isabel, the mother of the victims other best friend, tries to help Alex as she fears her son may be the next victim. As Alex investigates, secrets from the town become to come to the light and he finds the current crime tied to mysteries from the past.

This book has more a supernatural and occult tinge to it than I originally thought by the synopsis and is not a straight mystery/thriller. As long as the reader knows that there are those elements going into, he or she should find the read enjoyable! It is paced well and atmospheric, but there were parts hard to read at times. The read is more 3.5 than 4 star.

Thanks to the publisher for providing the arc via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Could not read this book while being uncomfortable with the animal abuse this book has throughout it. Also very slow.

Granite Harbor, a small Maine town, is a place of peace and simplicity until the gruesome murder of a teenager. Peter Nichols’ dark thriller might be classified as horror. Although it was unnerving, I can honestly say that the narrative keeps the reader’s attention. The story follows the transformation of a violent serial killer. Once I was hooked, I had to stay and help detective Alex figure out who was carrying out these heinous acts. Keep the lights on when reading this one!

A dark thriller about a serial killer in Maine. Please don't read the official synopsis- something is described that doesn't happen until 3/4 of the way into the book.

This book will not be for everyone! Overall, I liked it. But the serial killer murders a 16-year old at the beginning which will be too much for some readers. Also, I could've done without the animal abuse. I think it was around chapter 34 (about 55% of the way in). It was too descriptive. It was very upsetting and I ended up skipping the entire chapter.

Other than that, it was good! It's dark but easy to binge. The final 25% flew by!

3.75 stars

"Granite Harbor" by Peter Nichols is a fast-paced, on-the-edge-of-your-seat police procedural/thriller. A fair warning: this book involves a serial killer who targets teenagers, and kills in a particularly gruesome, albeit creative, way. There is also some animal abuse. I was kept guessing all the way to the end, and there were several twists I didn't see coming. It is a creepy read and I found myself holding my breath at several moments. I really liked the main character, Detective Alex Brangwen, especially his backstory and how his character developed throughout the novel. I also enjoyed the chapters told through the eyes of the killer, even before his identity was revealed. Fans of police procedurals and thrillers will devour this book as I did and I can't wait to read more from author Peter Nichols.

A dark crime thriller set in a cold, seaside town in Maine. Peter Nichols’ Granite Harbor is not for the faint of heart, but fans of crime fiction and small towns will enjoy this atmospheric, gripping story.

Nichols is a talented writer—this book is extremely well-paced and expertly plotted. Crime fiction more than some other genres seems to have a high bar to clear in that regard, and Nichols kept up with other contemporary writers expertly. This is an engaging book that is quite dark (both the murders and other content). It has some disturbing content that I expect won’t work for some readers. For those used to the genre (and particularly Nordic Noir, which this actually reminded of), this is one to read.

The small town, coastal setting was one of the best parts of Granite Harbor. The sea isn’t necessarily a main part of the plot, but it’s also ever-present (and has some key roles). The sea can be such a mood and it definitely set the mood for this book. I also pictured every scene happening at dusk or after dark and also with a cold breeze. I have no idea if that was intended, but isn’t it a mark of a good book if we build out the scene in our minds?

The characters were well-developed and so were the relationships between them. The characters were what drew me into the story. This is a small community where most residents have lived their whole lives. There are stories that center around the teenage character as well as the adults, so I recommend early on making a note for yourself of which child belonged to which parents. It helped until I got the feel for everything, especially because this is a bit of a latchkey town where the parents don’t necessarily spend a lot of time with their kids.

There isn’t exactly a main character in this book because we hear from many different perspectives, but if I had to identify one, I’d say it’s our writer-turned-detective, Alex Brangwen. Alex is the only detective and he’s new to the town. But that doesn’t mean he lacks ties to the book. His daughter and his daughter’s mother live there (its what drew lex there), and there’s a compelling backstory that pulls through into this story that added an interesting layer to Alex and his family.

There’s also a part of the story that surrounds a place called the Settlement, which is an historic archeological site in town. Not only is that where the body is found (raising the question if its related), but one of our other central characters Isabel works there. Things with the Settlement will make more sense as the book goes on, so don’t worry if you’re confused at first with Isabel’s narrative.

One of the more interesting parts of the story are the chapters narrated by an unknown male who we know is the person who goes on to be the murderer. Those chapters actually don’t get into the current events until close to the end of the book. The majority of them tell the story of a boy who was relentlessly and cruelly bullied, abandoned, and isolated in many ways. It has the effect of making the reader feel mildly sympathetic, while also horrified at what he’s become.

Granite Harbor begs the question of how serial killers become who they are. Are they always born that way, or can life make them that way? Would this boy have still ended up on this past if his childhood had been different?

A dark and occasionally disturbing crime fiction novel with outstanding character development and compelling storytelling. Granite Harbor won’t be for every reader, but for those who like Nordic noir and crime fiction, this is for you.

Thank you to Celadon Books for my copy. Opinions are my own.

Set in a small coastal town in the State of Maine, we stumble across an occult murder that turns out to be the work of a serial killer.

Now this story had solid police procedural, well fleshed out characters and those amazing small town vibes! We alternate between multiple POVs and timelines, which was a little bit murky at times, but served a purpose. The characters are colorful and written in a way that you do feel for them in their situations. I enjoyed the history of occult factors that play into the murders, and absolutely loved the historical village as I grew up visiting a similar settlement where my Aunt worked for many years.

Overall this was a very solid serial killer police procedural story! I recommend to all who enjoy these types of books, even though I found the pacing to be a tad slow. However, I look forward to reading more from this author!

A twisty nightmare of a hunt for a killer in a small Maine town. Gentle readers beware that there is graphic violence against people and animals, both of which are victims of an unhinged person. Alex, a writer born in the UK, is now a detective in Granite Harbor where he shares custody of his daughter Sophie with his ex wife Morgana. Isabel, a widow, is mom to Ethan, friend of Sophie and a kid who makes ship models. When Shane is killed, these two are desperate to protect their kids and to find the villain, whose story also trails through the novel. No spoilers. It's atmospheric (small towns, teens) and the characters are wonderful (Morgana!). It's also quite gritty. This had some surprises for me (always a good thing). Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A page turner and a very good read.

This is a dark crime novel about a small town serial killer who targets high school-aged kids. Alex, the town detective, is desperate to solve the mystery and find out who the killer is, especially since his daughter was a friend of the victim. Ethan was also a friend of the victim and his mom, Isabel, is trying to help find the murderer before Ethan might become the next target. The reader will gradually learn tidbits about the murderer's past but I was guessing until the end on who it was.

I basically read this is one sitting. It was very fast paced and my heart was racing!

However, I would skip the synopsis on the back of the book, as it spoils something big that happens probably about 75% into the book. Also, the TW list I received only included animal abuse, but I would also add child abuse, grotesque / brutal murder, ritualistic actions, and SA of minors.

Granite Harbor, the new thriller by Peter Nichols was one of those books that I started one night, put it down after just a few pages because I got busy, and then a week later picked it up and was hooked from that moment one.

I am always up for a thriller, it is probably my favorite genre, but when you add in a serial killer, there is no way I will pass it up. Granite Harbor gave me my serial killer, along with some gruesome murders, and a setting of a small town in coastal Maine, which I always seem to imagine being isolated. Personally I don't know this, I have been just over the border into Maine, but in my mind all the coast of Maine is isolated ( yeah I know Kennebunkport is hardly small or isolated, let me have my imagination )

The murder of Shane, a highschooler in Granite harbor shocks the town, and new Detective Alex Branwen is tasked to find the murderer. The murder does take on a bit of a personal note with him, when he finds out his teenage daughter is friends with Shane.

Alex's personal life is a bit of a side story with his daughter and his ex wife, it breaks up the thriller at times when you might need it.

I absolutely loved the murder, or I should say how the murders were done. It was something I had never heard of before, so for me very original. I am not going to tell you any more about it to keep from spoiling, but it was definitely a first for me and very interesting.

There are quite a few people that have roles in this story, both major and very small parts, and I am usually a bit confused by a lot of characters, my ADHD mind, has a hard time keeping track of them all, however, Granite Harbor was very well written and it was never a problem with me as I read along. Mainly the POV is Alex's but there are several chapters in the book that gives us the killers POV, especially on his past. These chapters give us a look into his mind, yet are written so he or she's identity is not given away. All the characters here were well written and their place in the story was well thought out.

The beginning can come off as a bit slow, but I find a good built story usually is to an extent. Getting to know the characters and the world they live in is important to me, but I will tell you that the end picks up and is more fast paced. I had a hard time putting the book down toward the end.

This book is dark, disturbing, and gruesome. It has a lot of trigger issues, including animal cruelty, so please take note. BUT...its a great read if you can get past those.

Thank you to Celadon Books for this great read.

In tranquil Granite Harbor, life is shattered by a brutal murder at the historic Settlement site. Detective Alex Brangwen, a single father and struggling writer, tackles his first murder case, facing the town's mounting fear. Isabel, a single mother grappling with her own demons, gets entangled as she works at the site where her son and Alex's daughter were friends with the victim. With a second body found, fear grips the town, pushing Alex and Isabel to race against time. As secrets emerge, Granite Harbor's tight-knit community faces unraveling. "Granite Harbor" blends gripping suspense with small-town dynamics, echoing "Mare of Easttown" and "Silence of the Lambs."

I enjoyed this one, but overall it was very graphic! Alex Michaelides is quoted on the front cover calling this book deeply unsettling, and I would agree with that assessment. The entire vibe of the book is a deep sense of dread and an overall creepiness.

There are some very disturbing moments, in particular the flashbacks to the murderer's childhood and young adulthood. The story is told through multiple perspectives in the third person. It is mostly told in the present, except for the ambiguous murderer who jumps into the past.

Overall, this is a thoroughly creepy page-turner. If you like horror movies and unsettling thrillers, this one might be for you. I urge you to check the trigger warnings, particularly if you are sensitive to scenes involving animals.

Thank you Celadon Books Publishing for an e ARC ♥️


The story takes place in this quaint coastal town in Maine, but don't let the charm fool you - a serial killer is on the loose and things get dark fast.

The main character, Alex, is a single dad and detective who's trying to solve the case, but he's got his own baggage. And then there's Isabel, a single mom who gets pulled into the investigation when her son becomes a target.

The writing is great, the characters feel real, and the twists and turns had me guessing till the end. If you're into thrillers or mysteries, you'll love this book. Just be prepared to stay up late reading!😵‍💫

Unfortunately, I guessed the killer as soon as he was introduced. If you're a seasoned thriller reader, you're likely to pinpoint him immediately as well. There are also some psychic scenes that were interesting to read, but you know how I feel about using paranormal elements to solve the thriller: the writing feels a bit lazy when the only reason they find the killer is because the psychic said so.

A handful of the book takes place on a Colonial Williamsburg/Old Sturbridge Village kind of reenactment site. This was a setting I haven't read before in a thriller, and I thought it worked quite well.

One word of caution, there is some mistreatment of animals within the story. If this bothers you, you can skip Chapter 34 to miss the worst of it. The detailed descriptions of toads and coyotes being harmed could have been skipped, in my opinion.

While this book wasn't necessarily a win for me, I would give Peter Nichols another chance in the future.

This was a slow burn literary suspense more than it was a thriller, but I enjoyed the writing style and the little crumbs revealed along the way.
I will say there's TW for animal abuse and child sexual abuse and both things were hard to read.

The vibes were Tana French if she wrote about New Englanders mixed with The Whisper Man.

Unfortunately this book wasn’t for me. It wasn’t as thrilling as most thrillers are for me. In the sense that I put it down and wasn’t drawn to picking it back up and wanting to know what happened. I lost interest a few times, especially after a few scenes. There are some trigger warnings in this book so make sure to check those. The multiple POVs usually don’t bother me but for this particular book it just didn’t work for me. I enjoy serial killer books and honestly the graphic scenes didn’t even bother me all that much but I just couldn’t get into the book. But I am grateful I had the opportunity to read a copy of this work!