3.5 stars

I have to start off by saying that this book will absolutely not be for everyone. In fact, I think it may be for a very specific kind of person but I have no idea who that person is. This story is told in such an interesting way. We are following our main character, Maggie, who is studying to be a forensic linguist and who finds comfort and understanding in constantly breaking down and analyzing sentence structure and meaning. This is something we actually see throughout the book as we are privvy to the actual dissection of sentences that Maggie is working on. Eventually, Maggie gets pulled into a wide array of dangerous situations and we watch as she struggles to get herself out of them.

I think that the unique writing style of this book is going to throw a lot of people off but it also had me completely hooked in the beginning. However, things go so completely bonkers in this book that I'm still not sure I can wrap my head around everything. Maggie finds herself involved in multiple criminal cases with the local police force as well as an increasingly worrisome relationship with a professor and it all felt like too much. I think that the author tried to have too many situations going on at once and we never got enough attention dedicated to any of them. All of the plot points fell a little short because none of them got enough time.

This book is also, inherently, full of flawed characters. There is no perfect character in this book. There is no one to really root for. All of the characters make a ton of mistakes throughout the story and I know that is going to drive a lot of readers up the wall. And, as I said before, I think that each of the mysteries and situations Maggie found herself involved in was compelling and interesting, but we should have focused on just one and really pulled that apart. Also, the ending. The ending was the worst. I get why the author did it but it felt like the most unsatisfying variety of an open ending and it will surely piss plenty of people off especially with how surface layer everything felt throughout the whole book.

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins for providing me with an ARC review copy of "Wordhunter."

Stella Sands' debut fiction novel packs quite a punch. In only 256 pages, she creates characters that are extremely complex, and terrifyingly human. The way she uses dialogue to differentiate even the most minuscule of details between characters is breathtaking. I was really surprised by how fast this moved. I felt greedy for each new chapter. Sands used her presumably immense crime knowledge as a true-crime writer to delve deep into a mystery in a real, lifelike way few authors can. Congratulations!

This was an exciting book delving into the world of forensic linguistics as well as a thrilling hunt for a criminal. I thought this books was well done although it was a little disjointed in places I was able to later piece it together. I'm hoping this will become a series.

Have you ever read a book and hated the protagonist at first but by the end you had grown to love them?

Usually, when I don’t like a protagonist I don’t change my mind. In Stella Sands’ new book, Wordhunter, I found myself in a rare position regarding the novel’s protagonist, Maggie Moore: I spent almost the entire first half of the story not understanding her and actively disliking her. However, by the end of the story I was of a mind I could read another novel full of Maggie Moore solving crimes with forensic linguistics while smoking Camels and drinking Bud and be happy as a clam. She’s such a refreshing female protagonist for a crime procedural thriller with her Gen Z way of looking at life and people and her concentrated rage at men and authority figures. Maggie has more than enough trauma for a salad all on her own, but it’s clear she just wants to compartmentalize it and move on because who the heck doesn’t have a boatload of trauma, especially if they’re female?

Wordhunter doesn’t live on Maggie alone: This novel also has a great idea and story behind it, with some spectacular plotting by Sands. Linguistics and forensic linguistics are things that have always interested me. Those two things were what attracted me to the book in the first place and I was so happy to see they weren’t just a gimmick or cheap trick to get people to read the book. Wordhunter is filled with a ton of small lessons in linguistics, movie quotes, book quotes, true crime facts, forensics knowledge, and just interesting bits of trivia slung around here and there that were effective in keeping me entertained and engaged should the story slow down. Geography and demography also play large (if not explicit) roles in this book as the differences between the regions of Florida come into play as to who might live where and for what reason.

There are some potential triggers in this book: drug and alcohol use/abuse, an overdose, SA (adult, but not explicit), association with criminals (including pedophiles), discovery of underage photos, child kidnapping, vague descriptions of other SAs (adult), child imprisonment, cult behavior, and description of parental death. I apologize if I missed any.

There are some underlying themes of found family, absent fathers, dysfunctional mother/daughter relationships, and love not being logical in here that are kind of simmering like a broth throughout but never brought completely to the surface. I really enjoyed how Sands didn’t just rest on the main plot and theme to carry this book. She gave Maggie and the other characters a loose framework of tropes to swing around on so there were connecting points to build on. That helped this story out immeasurably in the places where it might have felt a little thin.

It was a great read, and I’d gladly read another book about Maggie Moore.

I was provided a copy of this title by Netgalley and the author. All thoughts, opinions, views, and ideas expressed herein are mine and mine alone. Thank you.

File Under: Crime Fiction/Crime Thriller/Kidnapping

This was really interesting and I was not expecting the twists. It was so well done, and I was so invested from the start.

Maggie Moore lives on her own in a single-wide at the Royal Palms trailer court—which, she notes, has no palms and certainly isn’t royal. She never knew her father, and her mother died awhile back. Maggie’s been a word nerd since she was a kid, and now she’s working on a master’s degree in forensic linguistics while holding down a job at a local greasy spoon.

Maggie’s brilliance attracts the attention of one of her professors, who hires her as his PA and recommends her when the local police ask for help identifying a stalker by linguistically analyzing his threatening/taunting notes. Maggie’s excited by both jobs and doing well. Is it all too good to be true?

The police ask her to help on a new high-stakes case: a pre-teen girl has been abducted and the perpetrator is sending taunting notes to the police. Maggie has personal reasons for not wanting to work that case, but she’s not-so-gently persuaded by the laconic bear of a detective, Silas Jackson. Theirs is a version of the oddball cop duo, with Maggie being lavishly tattooed, a hard drinker, a nonstop smoker, and diagrams sentences from literary works for relaxation, while Jackson doesn’t seem to have any vices or interests outside police work.

This is an unusual police procedural that should be entertaining for language mavens—though if there is a sequel, it would be great if the plot leaned into Maggie’s skills more.

3.5 stars, actually.

You know the old marketing rule - sell the sizzle, not the steak? Well, this book has plenty of steak. Sizzle? Not so much.

In theory, the unique subject matter alone should, IMHO, make it a shoe-in as the start of a highly successful series - I mean, forensic linguistics? A lead character whose passion is diagramming sentences? Never in my word-loving, wildest dreams! In practice, though, the story screams for more character development, cohesiveness and, for want of a better word, pizzazz.

Here's the scoop: College grad student Maggie Moore loves words, and she's studying forensic linquistics. One afternoon she's called into her professor's office, where he says the local police need help with a cyberstalker who's been sending threatening texts and he recommended Maggie. He follows that up by asking her to be his research assistant. When Maggie agrees - reluctantly - she calls police detective Silas Jackson, who just as reluctantly agrees to let her help. That successful effort comes just as the local mayor's young daughter goes missing - a suspected abduction - so Jackson and the police chief ask her to keep helping.

Once again, she's reluctant - mostly because her closest childhood friend, Lucy, pulled a similar disappearing act a decade or so ago and was never found. To Maggie, that was due in large part to a lack of police follow-up, so she's carrying a grudge. But she caves, and begins studying all the written communications from a variety of suspects to gather clues, compose a profile and, hopefully, narrow the list down to one. As she researches, ruminates and rambles through her knowledge base (extensive, but a little convoluted for readers to comprehend easily), her sentence diagrams appear. Those, I suppose, are relevant, but I'll never know because they were too small to read on my Kindle (yes, I could have pulled out a magnifying glass, but that would have taken away much of the enjoyment of reading).

Maggie's been carrying around a fair amount of baggage from her past, and as it turns out, so has Jackson; so of course, they're at loggerheads almost from the git-go. But they manage to hold hands to keep from fighting, and in the process, Jackson agrees to re-look into Lucy's disappearing act. That sets other things in motion, including fodder for the next book (assuming there will be one).

If for no other reason than the intriguing subject matter, I really wanted to like both Maggie and Jackson; but both come off more like cariacatures than real people. Maggie smokes Camels like a chimney, drinks beer for breakfast, has more tattoos than any biker gang and a vocabulary far more colorful than any truck driver I've ever known (I don't have an issue with smutty language, but this is way over the top). Hints of their background stories should have made me sympathize, but the descriptions are so sketchy and disjointed that the only thing I felt was "Okay, so what - you're both grown-ups now, so get over it."

The bottom line for me is this: what's here is a more than respectable start that elicits hope of better efforts to come. I love the premise - and like that spaghetti sauce commercial, it's in there; give the next one some serious polishing, and it's gonna shine. Till then, I thank the publisher, via NetGalley, for the opportunity to get in on the action early on by way of a pre-release copy.

An intriguing premise that didn't quite gel for me. Maggie is basically a spin on Lisbeth Salander, transplanted into a Florida trailer park. Given that I enjoyed each successive novel in the Millennium series less than the previous ones, this trope of a young woman MC who is a contradictory mess of genius and damage just doesn't really work for my tastes. Maggie is tattooed, rides a motorcycle, swears up a blue streak, drinks too much, subsists on junk food, and is a linguistics savant. She diagrams sentences All. The. Time., illustrations of which are scattered copiously throughout the novel. Maggie, a graduate student, is engaged by the local police force to help with a kidnapping case, bringing up things from her own past and exposing secrets someone will kill to keep. The mystery/thriller part of the story was well done, and if you do enjoy these types of antiheroines, give it a try. Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Perennial and Paperbacks for a digital review copy.

WORDHUNTER is a delightful read with an unusual, quirky character. Maggie Moore, is a tough, driven, and endearing lover of words and language. who learns to stand up for herself in both her work and personal life. She's a bit of a mess -- but when the daughter of a local mayor is abducted, Maggie is recruited by the police chief to analyze the abductor's notes, which leads to a shocking discovery. The information about linguistics, how we talk and write unintentionally reveals a lot about who we are and where we come from is delivered with a very light and readable touch.

Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free, electronic ARC of this novel received in exchange for an honest review.
Expected publication date: Aug. 6, 2024
Non-fiction author Stella Sands has taken her first foray into fiction with “Wordhunter”, a clever and engaging detective story for fans of Dan Brown and Stieg Larsson.
Maggie Moore is tattooed, pierced and a bit of a misfit, but she has a way with words and can solve just about any linguistic puzzle. Maggie has helped the local police force before, bringing a stalker-turned-rapist to justice so when the young daughter of a small-town mayor goes missing, Maggie is again asked to assist. However, Maggie feels that this case strikes a little close to home, bringing back reminders of the day when her childhood friend disappeared, and she is reluctant to help. But a little girl’s life may be at stake and everyone is desperate- can Maggie put her own past behind her to save a child’s life?
“Wordhunter” is smart and well-formed and Maggie gives off solid Lisbeth Salander vibes, with her tattoos and her brilliance. Right away, I was pulled into this novel, trying to solve the crimes alongside Maggie, and rooting for her eccentricities and talents.
I thoroughly enjoyed the puzzle solving component of this novel, as well as the police investigation and the kidnapping. There is a storyline that revolves around Maggie’s professor, which, although suspenseful and powerful, seemed irrelevant to the story. Socially awkward loner Maggie is recruited by two female friends who we haven’t before met, to go after a professor for reasons I won’t give away. Right around this part of the novel, Maggie’s conversational style changed, and it seemed that “Wordhunter” was going on an entirely different path. Once this storyline had been solved, I was pleased to return to the puzzle and crime solving aspect.
The novel hints that a second story, and possibly more, are incoming and I hope that that is the case. Although some of the conversations are simplistic and rudimentary, and some of the plotlines don’t quite fit, I think with some careful tweaking, Maggie and her wordhunting ways would be something I’d keep reading!

Using forensic linguistics to hunt downñn criminals? I’m in.

This definitely feels like an entry book to a series. With that being said, I wonder if it’s strong enough to get readers connected. While I really love delving into the study of forensic linguistics and having a main character who uses language and literature as a safe space, there were moments I felt like another reader may not have been able to connect with her or appreciate her talent because it wasn’t as thoroughly explained as it could’ve been or explained in a way that was reader-friendly.

There was also a lot of extra plot, storylines, and characters that felt unnecessary for what was supposed to be the main mystery. Our main character, Maggie, is a student who has been recommended to consult with detectives on a stalking case due to her savant-like skills with word analysis. Her successful discoveries on the initial case leads her to be utilized on a larger kidnapping case that shakes the nearby town and local community.

While we’re seemingly focusing on this larger case, we have a case from Maggie’s past involving her missing friend and the missing friend’s mom. Then, they throw in a situation with her professor, which not only felt extremely predictable but also seemed like it was done for filler and shock value. Not to mention the messy romance *eyeroll* as if to remind you, or excuse certain behaviors, due to her age. Italmost felt like the author took you on all these side quests and then wrapped up the book.

As a lover of puzzles, true crime, and mysteries, I was really interested in seeing where this ended up. However, the book spent a lot of time on Maggie’s promiscuity and the descriptiveness of her somewhat messy life. It feels clear that the author is using this book as a starting point for readers to grow with Maggie as she moves into the next chapter of her life.

A lot of the book is about what Maggie wants to do next after she graduates. Some of the side quests feel semi-resolved and it seems like Jackson and Maggie’s relationship is just forming. We’re unraveling parts of Jackson’s past that we’ll likely learn more about in future books. So, I am glad that I read the book because forensic linguistics is not something I see explored often, but I hope to see more focused pursuits and less distractive characters and dialogue in future installments. Especially in a book where linguistics is key.

Puzzles and an entertaining storyline is enough to keep you going and thinking in this thriller. I definitely enjoyed.

Loved parts of this book so much! I enjoyed the words, the forensics and the mystery-solving. Other parts such as the diagramming and the professor plot were overdone and repetitious for me. Fun concept - needs refining to tie the story together better.

Thanks to NetGalley and Harper Perennial and Paperbacks for the opportunity to read this ARC.

A unique take on forensics and crime solving - this novel follows undergraduate student Maggie Moore, who is majoring in Forensics and Linguistics. A professor recommends her as someone to help police solve a crime, which draws her into a local police department as a kidnapping takes place. There was a side plot which was a bit distracting, but highly enjoyable read that kept me turning page until the finish!

this was such an engaging, entertaining story! it follows maggie who can quickly analyze words and speech patterns and uses those abilities to help the police department solve cases. it was definitely inspired by the girl with the dragon tattoo which isn't a bad thing! i did find the conclusion a bit rushed, but it also felt like it was being set up for a sequel which i hope is the case. it's a short, quick read and if i had the time to sit down and read it in one day i would have! i definitely recommend this if you're into mysteries with complex characters, police procedurals (like csi or criminal minds), and want a book you can't put down.

cw: sexual assault, substance abuse

thanks to netgalley and harper perennial for my ARC of wordhunter by stella sands. all opinions are my own.

Liked the concept of a tattooed, pierced forensic linguist who helps rural Florida police analyze a serial killer's notes to crack the crime. But the narrative unravels as the story unspools. Perhaps book 2 will be better?

[arc review]
Thank you to Harper Perennial for providing an arc in exchange for an honest review.
Wordhunter releases August 6, 2024

3.75

Maggie is a grad student specializing in forensic linguistics and has recently been asked to assist the police department with solving active cases.
If you’re fond of diagramming sentences or particularly enjoyed how the Unabomber was solved, then this is the book for you.

I flew through this in one-sitting, and while I would have loved a bit more closure at the end in regard to Lucy and Jackson, I wouldn’t mind if it was an intentional open door for a possible sequel.

Men that are intimidated and threatened by the intellects of women are the literal worst, as seen by Professor Ditmire and the Chief of Police, but they made for great characters to root against!

cw: rape, drug and alcohol abuse, overdose resulting in hospitalization

Maggie Moore is an interesting character. Growing up in rural Florida, she has had an interesting and challenging life. But she has a gift. She is able to analyze words and sentences. Although she still suffers from the disappearance of her best, childhood friend, she is attempting to forge a career in forensics using her unique gift.

While studying at the local college, she is called in by the local police to analyze messages from a serial killer. She is successful and called in for a more serious crime, the kidnapping of a local police chiefs' daughter. But things aren't going well back at school. One of her professors assaults her and then attempts to get her kicked out of school. Maggie needs to solve the kidnapping and resurrect her reputation.

This was an interesting book. My only criticism was that, at some points, the author seemed to be trying a bit too hard to make Maggie the "anti-hero". Maybe a little less emphasis on the drugs, piercings, tattoos, living style, food and insomnia might have helped to keep the focus a bit more on the mystery and its solution. But maybe that's just me. Otherwise, I thought the book was very well written. The ending was quite unique. I highly recommend it.

2.5 stars

This was a fast-paced, easy-to-read thriller. The story follows Maggie, the main protagonist, a university student and linguistic genius who helps the local police find the kidnapped mayor's daughter while being haunted by the trauma of her missing childhood best friend, Lucy.

Overall, I enjoyed the book, but it's not something I would rave about. After reading the synopsis, I had high hopes, but the story felt quite predictable. Maggie seemed like an off version of Lisbeth Salander from "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo." The tortured genius trope is so overdone.

The frequent sentence diagramming got tiring. Like I get it you smart girl but I wanted to see more of her actual work and her “brilliant mind” rather than just her diagramming sentences from popular culture. Additionally, the storyline with her psycho professor felt unnecessary. The resolution and explanation were glossed over, making it seem redundant. Seriously what was the reason????

Overall, it was a decent and quick read, which I appreciated.

I loved this book. I haven’t read any book like this before. I loved the writing and the plot. I loved the character of Maggie Moore. She use her uncanny skill to get to the bottom of the disappearance of Mayor’s daughter as she has been abducted and the abductor or stalker has left the cryptic notes for the police to decipher so they take Maggie’s help as she has a special ability to analyse words, she use her linguistic skill to solve the mystery and find clues dropped by the person behind the abduction and disappearance. The south central Florida setting is interesting. There is an unpleasant memory, Maggie herself is carrying in the back of her mind. I loved how she solved the mystery.

Thanks to the Publisher