I really enjoyed this book. It opens with two friends in the Pacific Northwest. Elijah gets set to leave their small town for college in the big city while Nakita remains back on her reservation. Elijah promises to return in 4 years and when he doesn't show, Nakita wonders if she will ever see him again. He does eventually return to the homestead cabin he was raised in to live a quiet life off the land; however, a body is found hanging on his property soon after and Elijah fears he will become suspect #1.

This book reminded me a bit of Once There Were Wolves with its combination of love for nature and the surrounding atmosphere while also bringing in an element of crime and mystery. Crouch does a great job of exploring homesteading with Elijah and all it entails without getting to lost in the weeds and losing the reader. Nakita and Elijah's backstory is sweet. I loved the second-chance romance that had true depth and character growth to it. While part of the storyline felt a bit far-fetched I let myself just go with it all and really got lost in the narrative. This is a debut novel that shows real promise from this author..

There is such a love for this area of the world and the characters in these pages. The writing was well done and kept me wanting to read to find out how all would be resolved in the end. I can't wait to see what she writes in the future.

I am not entirely sure how I feel about this one. The reviews were not super great so I went into it sort of thinking I wouldn't like it. But I breezed through the first half and found it pretty enjoyable. I guess the twist just didn't really do it for me. It seemed so far-fetched and implausible. Erin was out of her mind. And the reason for her actions seem like a pretty big stretch. She's a doctor for crying out loud. Was she so perfect that every decision she ever made did not result in a patient's harm? Obviously not because of Nakita's grandmother. Speaking of Nakita, I really didn't find any of the characters in this very likable so it made it very hard to root for anyone. The police were bumbling and unprofessional. Elijah is whiny and really screws Nakita over in the beginning. Nakita was a little all over the place with her feelings for Elijah. I don't know. I liked the story less the more I read. The courtroom scene is super short and rather unbelievable.

This hit so hard in the atmospheric department, but the characters irritated me, mainly Elijah…

I absolutely loved the beginning. The first 25% is built up in such a fabulous way. I had to suspend my belief when the guy who leaves everyone behind, including the girl he loves, only to come back years later with almost nothing to show for it but something that causes him trouble… then expects to get the girl who’s heart he broke… I didn’t like the way I was supposed to care for this character when I didn’t like him.

The vibes of this book, though… they were fabulous. I love a good small town mystery and this definitely delivers in that aspect.

Middletide is a 90s-era murder mystery about an author who returns to his hometown only to be accused of a crime that mimics the plot of his novel.

Told in dual timelines, Middletide is the story of a small-town police department trying to solve the murder of a local doctor staged to look like a suicide, and the return of a “prodigal son” to his hometown after a setback. When the separate timelines converge, the reader realizes that the murder and the local man are connected in a rather dramatic way.

I enjoyed the slow coming together of the two stories but felt the plot was weak in a couple of major areas. The first issue I had was with the sappy romance between the main character, Elijah, and the girl he left behind, Nakita. I enjoy a good second-chance romance but felt zero chemistry between these two, and their relationship felt oddly chaste and sterile for two people in their thirties. Equally perplexing was his short-lived entanglement with the beautiful local doctor that led to her death. The other area that felt weak was the entire investigation and court case. I found the motive behind the crime disappointing, and the reveal was just kind of dropped on the reader without any “aha” moment. I’m by no means a legal expert, but much of what occurs in the last twenty-five percent of the book seems unrealistic and too easily resolved.

Overall, I enjoyed the pace of this book and the overarching concept, but I felt it fell apart in the details.

3.5⭐️

With complex characters and an immersive setting, Middletide by Sarah Crouch is an interesting character-driven novel with an intriguing mystery at its core.

Set in the small town of Point Orchards, Washington, the novel begins in 1994 with the discovery of the body of Dr. Erin Landry hanging from a tree on the property of Elijah Leith. Elijah had been living alone in his late parents’ cabin after returning to his hometown in 1988 after his first novel failed to launch his career. Elijah hopes to rekindle his relationship with his former high school sweetheart, Nakita, whom he had left to pursue his dreams of becoming an author, breaking his promise to return after four years. Nakita, grieving the recent loss of her husband, isn’t quite ready to move on. Elijah was also friends with Dr. Landry, whose marriage collapsed after the death of her young daughter in a road accident. Erin’s death is initially ruled a suicide, but when Sheriff Jim Godbout discovers that the details from the crime scene are uncannily similar to the plot of Elijah’s novel, Elijah soon becomes the prime suspect. It is up to him and the few people who believe in his innocence to find the truth behind Erin’s death.

I loved the premise of this novel. The prose is sparse, yet elegant and the narrative is presented through past and present timelines and flows well despite a slow start. The narrative gains momentum in the second half of the story. I was invested in the characters and the mystery did hold my interest till the end. The characters were well thought out, but I thought certain aspects of the story could have been explored in more depth, with less telling and more showing.

I did feel, however, that certain components of the story were of no consequence to the plot. The procedural aspect had its moments, but some details weren’t entirely convincing and the courtroom scenes weren’t particularly intense. The ending felt a tad rushed, but I did like how the mystery was unraveled despite the predictability.

Though I won’t call this an entirely satisfying read, there is a lot to like about this debut novel and I look forward to reading more from this promising new author in the future.

Many thanks to Atria Books for the digital review copy via NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

I loved Where the Crawdads Sing, so when I saw this was a comp. title, I was super excited!

Thank you @atriabooks for my #gifted copy!

Middletide is an atmospheric, well-paced murder mystery that follows several timelines and POVs. In other words, it has everything I could’ve wanted.

A small town’s doctor is found dead on Elijah’s property. As the police investigate her death, Elijah’s history and story comes into question.

I am not going to do a great job at describing this one because I really don’t want to spoil anything. It has a love story, beautiful descriptions, complex characters, and a relatively fast-paced plot. I struggled to put this one down and flew through it.

I’m actually surprised that I haven’t seen this one more on booksta, and I’m hoping when Middletide comes out June 11 that changes.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

#litbylillireviews

This one was a struggle at the beginning. I couldn’t get into the love affair of the two teens but once we got to the meat of this story (the murder mystery), I was hooked. I enjoyed the concept of it potentially being a suicide, murder, or a clever turnabout. Middletide was beautifully written and not just your average murder mystery so I’d definitely recommend it! Looking forward to what’s next from this author.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and author for making this title a "Read Now" option. I was excited to read a mystery/thriller set in the Pacific Northwest. When I read it also had "Where the Crawdads Sing" vibes I was even more on board. For me, the book was OK. The first half moved a little slowly and I struggled to connect with the main characters. The second half, however, really took off and kept me guessing. The guessing centers around whether the death of a beautiful and popular small town doctor was murder or suicide. The ending was ... satisfying albeit improbable. There was also some romance, so if you like your murder mysteries with a side of love story, this might be for you.

One peaceful morning, in the small, Puget Sound town of Point Orchards, the lifeless body of Dr. Erin Landry is found hanging from a tree on the property of prodigal son and failed writer, Elijah Leith. Sheriff Jim Godbout’s initial investigation points to an obvious suicide, but then he discovers that the circumstances of the doctor’s death were ripped straight from the pages of Elijah Leith’s own novel.

Elijah had returned to his empty childhood home to lick the wounds of his futile writing career. As the town of Point Orchards turns against him, Elijah must fight for his innocence against an unexpected foe who is close and cunning enough to flawlessly frame him for murder.

Sarah Crouch has given us an engrossing literary thriller about love, loss, revenge, and redemption. The echoes of this novel will stay with the reader well after the last page has been turned. Highly recommended.

3.5 stars for this atmospheric slow burn debut novel. Because of the time hopping nature of the chapters, the mystery doesn't really kick up speed until 50% or so of the way through the novel. While there is a mystery, this novel also focuses on the idea of can you ever really return home as an adult, first loves, loss and grief. For the most part, I liked the character of Elijah.

"One peaceful morning, in the small, Puget Sound town of Point Orchards, the lifeless body of Dr. Erin Landry is found hanging from a tree on the property of prodigal son and failed writer, Elijah Leith. Sheriff Jim Godbout’s initial investigation points to an obvious suicide, but upon closer inspection, there seem to be clues of foul play when he discovers that the circumstances of the beautiful doctor’s death were ripped straight from the pages of Elijah Leith’s own novel.

Out of money and motivation, thirty-three-year-old Elijah returns to his empty childhood home to lick the wounds of his futile writing career. Hungry for purpose, he throws himself into restoring the ramshackle cabin his father left behind and rekindling his relationship with Nakita, the extraordinary girl from the nearby reservation whom he betrayed but was never able to forget.

As the town of Point Orchards turns against him, Elijah must fight for his innocence against an unexpected foe who is close and cunning enough to flawlessly frame him for murder in this scintillating literary thriller that seeks to uncover a case of love, loss, and revenge."

Thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for the free ARC in exchange for my honest review. All opinions expressed herein are my own.

The author did a really great job making this book feel very atmospheric. I feel like the cover is exactly how I imagined this town to be-small town, water, trees, foggy/dark, etc. I liked the actual mystery plotline and how the book jumped back and forth between times. I don't think I guessed the ending right away but it wasn't super twisty. I thought some of the characters were really immature for their age. It wasn't a bad book! It just wasn't as exciting as I thought it would be. I appreciated that it was pretty short.

Thank you so much to Sarah Crouch, Atria Books, and NetGalley for my ARC of Middletide. I thought that this would be a thriller about the murder/suicide of the town’s doctor. I was unaware that this was a teen love strong gone wrong. Think “Where the Crawdads Sing” but in the Pacific Northwest.

I usually can get in to any book, especially if it’s marketed as a thriller but this one just wasn’t that. The thing that really sealed the deal for me was completely making up an indigenous tribe in the area with what seemed like little thought or research. This book just didn’t flow well for me and I had to hype myself up each time I went to pick up my Kindle. 2/5 stars

Middletide is a book about a book, and a murder mystery! I absolutely loved the plot concept, but wish the ending had been a bit more polished as it felt rushed and too cookie cutter.

Overall it was a sweet story, the MMC is a struggling author who gets accused of murdering a local woman he had a past with, just like his first novel “Middletide”.

I thought the connection to the book title and how the murder could be executed was clever. The characters were entertaining and diverse, however I didn’t feel that the addition of a Native American tribe (fictional but based on true cultural facts) was key to the story and could have been left out.

Overall, an enjoyable thriller but not something I see myself rereading. If you’re looking for a quick read this is one that would work.

I cannot believe this is a debut book. Sarah Crouch wrote a murder mystery that kept me guessing and turning pages wanting to find the next clue.

I am a reader that follows the clues that a author lays out. If I am told to turn left, I go left and do not even think about what happens if I go right. So I followed the clues as they were laid out and made a few guesses (they are all wrong). When the who-dun-it was solved, I was surprised but I loved it.

Middletide is a great book. I found the story easy to read and enjoyed the homesteading, the small-town setting, and the second-chance love connection.

(4.5) What a surprise this book was! And what a debut. I saw someone compare it to Crawdads and I saw someone else say the mystery had them flipping pages so fast so I was immediately intrigued. It starts off strong, giving you so much to look forward to. it is a very character driven story with an overall mystery laced throughout and a love story at its roots. I liked the book within a book aspect and was really hooked on this. And the last 30% really had me in a chokehold. I didn’t predict the route it was going at all but I found it to be really clever. The writing was good and the story flowed well. I will say the pacing in the beginning is a bit slow but it does pick up, I promise!

Thank you to Atria and NetGalley for the early access and to Atria for the finished copy!

Thanks to Atria Books for an advanced copy of Middletide by Sarah Crouch.

I wanted to like this book, but ultimately this was not the book for me. The setting was beautiful and this book was so atmospheric but I was bored with the very slow-moving story. This was too character-focused of a mystery for me.

Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced digital copy of this book.

The prologue finds two fishermen who have found a perfect "secret" fishing spot that is the envy of all their friends, where they bring in the biggest and best catch around. But this Saturday, they make a gruesome discovery: a woman is hanging from a tree on the edge of the lake.

Thus begins a story that started with two teenagers in a small northwest town. He has been a champion cross-country runner and she shows promise, so they run together every day this last summer before he goes off to college. And, as they run, they fall in love. He has used running as a way to get a college scholarship which will enable him to leave this town he has been trying to escape since his mother died and his father descended into lonely alcoholism. But they make a vow that five years from this day they will meet again at the lake where their runs always end. But he gets involved in the city and his budding writing career and doesn't show up.

Now, fifteen years later, Isaiah has returned with his writing career in tatters and owning nothing except the remote cabin in the woods he inherited when his father died. And Nakita, after waiting all day for Isaiah's return, has married a good man who makes her happy.

Isaiah takes job at the local garage and hears the story of a man killed in hunting accident and later he finds out the dead man is Nakita's husband. When he runs into her months later, they are friendly, but when he wants more Nakita sends him away. It is only when his boss, his father's best friend, suddenly dies that they see each other again and she encourages him to try writing one more time.

But the discovery of the woman's body leads the police to Isaiah's door, because her death is almost a carbon copy of the plot of his first novel, which only sold a few copies, but when it is anonymously sent the the police, they soon arrest him. The trial is mostly a slam-dunk. Isaiah and the woman briefly dated and the discovery of her diary, detailing his temper and many abuses, almost closes the case. But there is one small detail, one thing the actual perpetrator overlooked.

A good read. A good mystery. I enjoyed this first novel and look forward to others by this first-time author.

A prodigal son. A young doctor’s suicide. A community in need of answers.

In the summer of 1973 in the small town of Point Orchards, Oregon, Elijah Leith is finally about to leave behind the constraints of his home town and life in a small cabin with his alcoholic widower father. He will soon start college in San Francisco, where he wants to hone his writing abilities and embark on a career as an author. His one regret is leaving behind Nakita, the beautiful Squalomah girl with whom he has fallen in love this summer who lives on the neighboring Sacred Mountain reservation. Not only does Nakita have one more year of high school to finish, she does not share Elijah’s desire to leave the Point Orchards area behind. Her family and her roots are there, and she knows that she will find a fulfilling life by remaining. Elijah promises that he will return in four years for her….but that doesn’t happen. Elijah doesn’t return for 15 years, 3 years after his father’s death, and then only because his writing career has been a failure. His one published novel sold fewer than 50 copies and was savaged in a review, and he returns to Point Orchards ashamed and with little money. He has inherited his father’s cabin, so at least he has a place to live, and he is able to remember skills learned as a child to live off the land. He ends up working for his father’s best friend Chitto at the local garage as his father had before him…..a job, definitely not a career…..and hopes to rekindle his relationship with Nakita, who was recently widowed in a tragic accident. It’s not the life he had dreamed of pursuing, but it is a life…one that will come crashing down when two fisherman find the body of local doctor Erin Landry, a beautiful woman whom Elijah had dated a few times and who herself has dealt with tragedy. She is hanging from a tree in a remote spot on Elijah’s land, in what at first glance appears to be a suicide but which the local police quickly decide is actually murder made to look like suicide. A murder, as it turns out, whose details match those of a killing in Elijah’s poorly received novel. All evidence points to Elijah being guilty, and the town is quick to agree….he had motive and opportunity, and entries in Erin’s diary point to a volatile relationship turned violent. Elijah swears that he is being framed, but only Nakita and her father believe him…but who would want to frame him? What is the truth, and can it be discovered in time?
Middletide (which is itself the title of Elijah’s novel) is an emotionally powerful tale of lost dreams, broken hearts, and the relationship between people and the lands where they live. Author Sarah Crouch evokes the beauty and challenge of a particular area with love, and has placed there a group of fully developed characters who have experienced great loss, have struggled to find their place in the world, and whose flaws render them vulnerable and very human. Into this story she has woven a mystery with clues that point conclusively in one specific direction, to Elijah’s guilt. Would he or anyone be foolish or arrogant enough to commit a murder that mimics exactly one about which they wrote, or is someone in fact trying to frame him? Is he banking on the authorities and his community believing him too smart to do something so stupid, so that he will get away with murder? The tragedies in Erin Landry’s past, as well as those in Nakita’s, are integral to Elijah’s return to life in Point Orchards, and the reader slowly learns about the paths each took and the intersections between their lives. My attention was grabbed from the opening scene, and the only part of the novel which disappointed me was the courtroom scenes towards the end of the book….I didn’t feel that they rang true, which given the realistic portrayals of all else in the book was perhaps all the more noticeable. This is the author’s debut novel, so perfection is not (or should not be) expected. I very much look forward to reading what Ms Crouch has in store for her readers in the future, and would encourage readers of authors like Erin Young, Sally Hepworth and Cristoffer Carlsson to pick up a copy of Middletide to experience the quality of Ms Crouch’s writing.

Thank you to netgalley for providing me with this arc in exchange for my honest review. Elijah has big dreams to leave his small town for the big city and become an author. He leaves his love Nakita for college and writes his first novel. He promises to return on a certain day but quickly breaks her heart. When his novel fails to launch after publication he comes back to his hometown where he meets the new doctor Erin. After the death of her daughter and divorce she briefly dates Elijah. When her body is found on Elijahs property he is quickly accused of her murder but did he claims innocence. Did he do it? Was he framed? Read it to find out. Four stars

3.5 stars

I loved the unique plot. I didn’t really know what was happening until about 60% in and for me, I enjoyed the guessing game. The writing is good and was a bit of a psychological headache but in a good way. How the author used her own book to then have a story within its own story was very well done.
There were a couple very tense scenes and one romantic moment I died for.
THOUGHTS:
The ending was rushed beyond what I prefer for this type of story. Maybe if we had less descriptions of the mundane, we’d have more time for a steady pace.
I also wished we’d had a bit more time or memories between the couple to give a stronger foundation for the romance.
I was curious through the entire book, but I wasn’t truly hooked to the story until chapter 21 which isn’t a bad thing and purely a ME problem.
OVERALL:
There were some great scenes and a couple twists I wasn't expecting. I understand why some people dislike it and why others are obsessed. I'm in neutral territory with this book. I would recommend it to readers who love a unique mystery with a fresh plot.