Middletide is set in the small town of Point Orchards, and follows Elijah who plans to leave for college to follow his dreams of becoming a famous writer. After 15 years of being away, and only having a failed novel to show for it, Elijah returns to his family’s secluded home, where he just wants to hide away. He spends his time repairing his childhood home, which has been abandoned since the death of both of his parents, but eventually finds himself getting back into the community. Elijah also wants to reconnect with Nakita, who he was in a relationship with before leaving for college, but is afraid of seeing her because of a promise he did not keep when he left. Unfortunately, the body of the town’s doctor is found on Elijah’s property and the odds are stacked against him, so he must find a way to prove he did not murder her.

I thought Crouch really set the atmosphere of the book with the small town feel and imagery of Puget Sound. I loved the small town murder mystery and the way gossip so easily spreads among the people of Point Orchards. The different timelines kept the story interesting and gave some good insight into the characters.

I did find the pacing of the book to be a little problematic. The first half seemed to go at a much slower pace, and then things pick up for the second half of the book. But, I felt like the ending was a bit too rushed, and the conclusion is only covered in two short chapters.

The book is still a really good read. It’s quick and easy to get through. I enjoyed the way Crouch tied in Elijah’s book with the suicide/murder story line and would definitely recommend the book to those that love a small town murder mystery.

What a stunning debut! It was atmospheric, with beautiful writing. I was immersed in the lush prose and didn't want it to end.

I enjoyed the multiple POVs and the past/present timelines. I wish we had the POV of one character to better understand the reasoning behind the decisions. I think the MC's character development was done amazingly well.

I am looking forward to reading more by this author!

You can never go home again but many try to. Elijah Leith, an author, had left his small town for fame and fortune. Not only leaving the town, he also left the love of his life, Nakita, but as Elijah fails to get what he seeks, he returns to Point Orchards, to the home his father built.

His adjustment to life is shaky but gradually he cleans the cabin, and starts to grow his food, and desperately tries to connect with his lost love. When that also fails Elijah is lonely so he turns his attention to the town doctor, Dr. Erin Landry, beautiful but also grieving for a daughter who died. As things progress, Erin is found hanged from a tree, in what appears to be a suicide, but attention and situations place the blame on Elijah and he is arrested and brought to trial.

The books starts slowly and seems to meander for the first half. It isn't until the last 50-60% that the story takes off and intrigue begins.

This is the author's first attempt and she had a good story but just needed to move it along at a faster pace in my opinion.

Thank you, NetGalley and the publisher for the gifted copy.
If you love nature and poetic writing, this would be a great fit for you. I feel like this is a great book to cozy up with in the fall or winter. It is on the slow side and has a fantastic sense of setting.
The reason this did not work out for me was the plot and one particular thing the detective Jim did. I was not too fond of the detective and courtside of this book because it felt fully made up, when I read fiction set in our world I need it to be somewhat accurate. Also, the book is focused on the crime, but at its heart, it is a coming home and community story instead. We barely spend any time around the crime and the court hearing, maybe if those parts were flashed out more I would have liked it better. But for people who need a book with strong character development and just a focus on the main character, this would be a hit.

Thank you for the arc and early read of this debut! This one, unfortunately, isn't for me. I struggled to connect with the characters and plot and found the inclusion of a fictional Indigenous community problematic. That said, I'm sure this will be a big hit with so many readers this summer as it's a page-turner and includes all the necessary elements of a great book club pick. Wishing the author and this title success!!

The prose was so atmospheric and I loved that aspect! The descriptions of the land and homesteading definitely had Crawdads vibes going into the story. Part mystery, part police procedural, I was sucked into the dual timeline of Elijah’s life.

I do think the characters were not fleshed out enough and we needed more in the end. More effort went into setting the scene rather than developing the characters. The story felt rushed and ultimately unconvincing. I was able to piece together where the author was heading very early on. While I loved the idea of the story, the resolution was lacking for me.

I do think if you love a good atmospheric mystery, you might enjoy this one because I have seen a lot of great reviews.

These are the types of books I really love: a quiet novel with slow burn suspense. This was not flashy or action-packed, but I became invested in the characters and intrigued by the plot very quickly.

Elijah moves back to his hometown after a failed writing career and shortly after, the body of his ex girlfriend is discovered. Elijah is the prime suspect, due to the murder scene closely resembling the murder in his failed novel.

The characters were unreliable and kept me guessing until close to the end when things started to take shape. Usually, the flip flopping timelines confuse me and throw me off, but it really worked for me here. This style left the reader with cliffhangers throughout and it was hard to put down!

I really loved the genre mashup: small town community crime, suspected murder, whodunnit, romance, unreliable narrators, second chance love, loss, grief, chosen family, etc. This book had a little bit of everything and I enjoyed it immensely! Hard to believe this was a debut author!

Thanks to Netgalley and Atria books for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book was a bit drawn out without the magic of the setting to help engage the reader. A miss for me.

I love a debut that is well-written to swoop in and surprise me with a great twist. With multiple timelines, it slows down then picks up to see the background of the characters. Elijah is a reclusive author that is down on his luck. He moves back to his hometown to reunite with his high school sweetheart Nikita. Instead, he finds her gone and he falls in love with the beautiful Dr. Erin Landry. Two fishermen find her body hanging from a tree similar to Elijah's book. At first, it was determined she was grieving over her daughter's death, but then the investigation turns on Elijah. As he became the main suspect, I found pity in Elijah's luck and circumstance.
The undertone of the story is heavy with grief. It doesn't take long to become enthralled in the mystery. I had heard so much about this book that I could not wait to read it. It did not disappoint, especially the twist. The only problem with it I found it really slow getting me into the story.
Thank you NetGalley and Atria Books for this ARC in exchange for my review.

Highly recommend this one!! This is my first time reading one of their books but it won't be the last! This book sucks you in from the get-go and you will find yourself thinking about the characters long after you finish it. Do yourself a favor and get this book!!

If you loved Where The Crawdads Sing, this is the book for you! It’s small town, crime, thriller fiction, with a light romance. In the small town of Point Orchards, Washington, the local Doctor is found hanging from a tree on the property of Elijah Leith. It looks like a suicide, but a closer look makes the town sheriff believe it’s a murder. After an anonymous tip, Elijah becomes the main (and only) suspect and must prove his innocence. Could he be a murderer or is it all a misunderstanding?

The story held my attention throughout its entirety. The only reason I gave this 4 stars, was because I was expecting a bigger plot twist at the end and was pretty sure what happened about half of the way through.

Thank you so much to the #netgalley team for allowing me to review this in advance! It was so good!!

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC of Middletide by Sarah Crouch.

It's not often that I would call a murder mystery "lovely," but it's the first word that comes to mind when I think about this book. Crouch does such a great job making this coastal town it's own character, to the point that I began to long for it myself.

I read some of the reviews complain about the slow pace of this, and I can see this, however, I also understood the deliberateness of the slowness to help build tension. It never bothered me at all, the more I read, the more I needed to continue.

This book won't blow your mind, but it will stay with you. I really felt this story, and I look forward to reading more from Crouch.

I was really blown away by this debut novel, that took place in small town Pacific Northwest. I enjoyed that the story was told from different perspectives and in different timelines. This was a slower burn, suspenseful murder mystery with a love story element as well. I thought the characters were very well thought out and well written. The book kept me guessing the whole time, and I never anticipated the twist that came up.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the early copy to read and review.

Middletide

4.25 ⭐️

What a solid mystery! I was so happy to pick up a copy of this book on @netgalley when I saw more and more people talking about it. Very solid debut too!

Elijah is a failed writer trying to start his life over back in his small hometown in the pacific northwest. While he reconnects with his family roots, a mysterious death forces those around him to question whether he is what he seems.

Told from multiple timelines and multiple perspectives, it was very easy to be sucked into the story and follow along. While this wasn’t filled with crazy twists, I honestly enjoyed the slow mystery!

Middletide is a literary thriller about Elijah Leith, a failed author returning to his Pacific Northwest hometown. When the dead body of the town‘s doctor is found on his isolated property, Elijah finds himself under scrutiny. This book is a love letter to the Pacific Northwest, beautifully bringing its scenery to life, but that‘s where my praise ends.

The literary aspect of the story falls down on the job because the characters simply don't come to life. Elijah, who should be compelling and sympathetic, is, at best, wooden. At worst, he is annoyingly selfish, eagerly leaving behind the love of his life with unkept promises to follow his dreams. This wouldn't be so bothersome if he didn't follow it up by returning many years later to badger her back into a relationship too quickly after the loss of her husband.

The thriller aspect is poorly executed. While one might not expect top notch investigational prowess from a small-town police chief and his green deputy, their sloppy police work and easy willingness to buy into obviously leading evidence truly tests suspension of disbelief. The tension expected in a thriller isn't there, and the resolution is simplistic to the point of being unsatisfying.

Absolutely wonderful novel. Although it has a completely different plot, it reminds me of Mercury and The Berry Pickers - both 5 star reads for me. Sarah Crouch has a great talent for stringing words together to create depth. I’ll be thinking of this for years to come.

I sincerely appreciate the publisher and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this novel in exchange for an honest review.

When a woman’s death is ruled a homicide, suspicion falls on Elijah, who owns the land she was found on. He must try to prove his innocence.

I wanted to like this one, but I didn’t like the time jumps. I felt like they were inconsistent. I almost wish it had been present day Elijah reflecting on his past within chapters. I think that would’ve made it a little easier. I also thought the twist at the end was just ok for me.

This was a very intriguing murder mystery. The plot was very unique.
I loved the setting of the Pacific Northwest. The atmospheric prose was just beautiful. Full of suspense and action!

A dual timeline atmospheric mystery that was both inventive and immersive. A small town doctor is found dead, hanging in the woods. All eyes point to Elijah, the small town creative recluse. A slow burn of a mystery.

Middletide delivered on mystery and romance. I enjoyed following the lives of two young kids in a small town in the northwest. The story was often confusing and disquieting, but that is fine with most readers.

Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the advanced copy of the book, which will be published in June.