I love novels that take place in the PNW! This was an interesting one but fell a little flat in the end. I think the first part was done really well and I loved the slow atmospheric build of it. For me, there was too much of the lead up and not nearly enough of the conclusion. I would have loved a little more of a middle, it was missing a lot of the detective stuff that I find interesting. I found the ending abrupt, rushed and a bit unbelievable.

Thank you NetGalley and Atria! I really enjoyed this debut novel. It reminded me of where the crawdads sing in a way but at a different age and a different setting. Overall, I really enjoyed and would recommend!

Atmospheric and enjoyable! Further review to come.

Thank you to net galley and the publisher for providing an eARC

Spanning a period between 1973 and 1994, Sarah Crouch’s atmospheric debut features failed young author Elijah Leith, who left his Pacific Northwest town of Point Orchards at age 18 to find success in writing his great American novel. But 15 years later, he’s back and living alone in his long gone parents’ isolated cabin and still infatuated with his childhood love, Nakita. Elijah’s lone published book (called “Middletide”) only sold 48 copies and he used his last copy as tinder for a fire. Six years later, after reestablishing himself as a resident of Point Orchards, the body of the local young doctor, Erin Landry, is found hanging from a tree on the Leith land with a possibly forged suicide note. And the close-to-retirement sheriff eventually realizes this murder is very similar to the plot of Elijah’s failed book. It’s apparent law enforcement wants a quick solution to the murder case and there’s a convenient suspect. It’s up to Elijah to exonerate himself.

Crouch masterfully describes the life of a young man whose big city dreams are initially shattered, but who comes to terms with small town life again, only to discover he has an unseen enemy. As Elijah’s new novel is meant to be a love letter to the surrounding land, so, too, is Crouch’s. I think this will be rightfully compared to “Where the Crawdads Sing” and deservedly so. 4 stars!

Literary Pet Peeve Checklist:
Green Eyes (only 2% of the real world, yet it seems like 90% of all fictional females): YES Dr. Erin Landry has blue-green eyes.
Horticultural Faux Pas (plants out of season or growing zones, like daffodils in autumn or bougainvillea in Alaska): NO The forests of the Pacific Northwest do act as a main character.

Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for a free advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review!

5.0/5.0 ⭐

Flawless blend of mystery, coming-of-age, and romance. Perfectly suited for fans of 'Educated' and 'Where the Crawdads Sing', Sarah Crouch's debut 'Middletide' is set to be published June 2024.

Set in the small town of Point Orchards, Dr. Erin Landry's suspicious death stirs up whispers of foul play from the community. All eyes turn to Elijah Leith, the prodigal son whose reclusive return sparks intrigue and suspicion. Jaded and aimless, Elijah slowly begins to rebuild his life and work to make amends with Nakita, the woman he once betrayed, all while the investigation into Erin's death tightens its grip.

Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for the advanced copy of this novel.

Trigger Warnings:
<spoiler>suicide, murder, death of a parent, death of a child, minor animal death (hunting), minor domestic violence </spoiler>

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Many thanks to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review! Excellent debut novel with a great moody atmospheric setting. I had a complete vision in my mind of the forest, lakes & cabin in the Pacific Northwest. The switching back & forth of timelines was often aggravating as I wanted to know more before the switch. They say you can never go home again, but the Prodigal Son does try to do exactly that for a second chance. An intriguing murder mystery. I look forward to reading more from this author.

Suspicious death of a beautiful doctor in a small town....This book has a vibe all of its own..ominous, atmospheric, suspenseful, with a handful of shocking revelations!

Remarkable! This book consumed my life for 24 hours! I was completely immersed in this incredible debut. Between the amazing characters, the unreal setting, and the heart pounding mystery, this book was everything and so much more! There were themes of love and loss threaded into the plot and it allowed me to connect with the characters. I love how this story was structured with the different timelines, both of which were equally addicting to read!

Also a moment for the cover!! It is one of my new favorites! I felt like I was dropped directly into the Pacific Northwest! Thank you Sarah Crouch for writing such a gripping mystery! Can’t wait for more of your books!

Thank you Netgalley & Atria Books Publishing for an eARC ♥️

I just finished reading this haunting debut novel, and I'm left with a sense of sorrow and unease. The story takes place in the small town of Point Orchards, where the tragic death of a young doctor, Erin Landry, sends ripples through the community. All eyes are on Elijah Leith, a troubled young man who returned to his hometown after chasing his dreams in the city, only to find himself at the center of a murder investigation.

As I delved deeper into the story, I couldn't help but feel a sense of despair wash over me. Elijah's struggles to clear his name and uncover the truth are both heartbreaking and futile, like trying to hold onto sand slipping through your fingers. The circumstances of Erin's death are eerily familiar, ripped from the pages of Elijah's own novel, a cruel twist of fate that seems to mock him at every turn.

The writing is evocative and immersive, transporting me to the misty woods and crumbling cabins of Point Orchards. But it's also a stark reminder of the darkness that lurks beneath the surface of even the most idyllic towns. The author's use of language is masterful, conjuring a sense of foreboding and dread that settles in the pit of your stomach.

This book is a poignant exploration of love, loss, and the devastating consequences of our actions. It's a reminder that some wounds never heal, and that the past can be a cruel and unforgiving mistress. If you're looking for a thought-provoking and emotionally charged read, then this book is for you. But be prepared to confront the darkness that lies within.

Following the death of the local town doctor, all signs point to suicide until the sheriff uncovers evidence that points toward a murder coverup. Told in alternating timelines, we follow the story of failed author Elijah, the main suspect in the murder. While not the most likable character, it’s easy to become invested in watching him fight for his innocence.

Middletide is a powerful suspense that is both atmospheric and intriguing. With important life lessons on love, loss, revenge and redemption, this book is much more of a slow burn mystery than an intense thriller. The character development is superb, and the depictions of the scenery make you feel as if you’re there!

Well written debut from Sarah Crouch! 👏

Thank you to NetGalley & Atria Books for the opportunity to read this digital ARC. All opinions expressed are my own.

2.5 stars!

Unfortunately, I am in the minority opinion on this book in that I did not like it. This was under 300 pages and it felt SO long. Every time I picked it up, I wanted to go back to scrolling on my phone because I was so bored. After finishing, I saw that this novel was compared to Where the Crawdads Sing, and I do think if you liked that book, you would like this one as well. However, I think the reason why I didn't like Middletide is for some of the same reasons why I didn't like Where the Crawdads Sing. The writing and description of this lakeside Pacific Northwest town was very descriptive and very good, however every portion of this book felt like we were meandering. This was less of a mystery and more of a self exploration of Elijah.

Additionally, I was increasingly annoyed by every single character's actions? The law enforcement in this book was very bad, I felt like most characters were only there to prop up Elijah, and I guessed the mystery (if you could call it that?) within the first 25%. Also I know there were dates noting what timeline we were in with each chapter, but I was still just so confused about when things happened. Overall, I think if you go into this expecting it to be more of an exploration of someone coming back to their hometown after failing their dream as opposed to a mystery, you may like this better!

Beautiful cover though!

Thank you to Netgalley and Atria for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I read Middletide in one day and really enjoyed this debut by Sarah Crouch. This novel is a slow burn mystery with a touch of romance. This is not a fast-paced thriller. and should not be labeled a thriller in my opinion.

The novel alternates between different time periods in the main character, Elijah's life, including present day in which he is charged with murder. I did have to slow down and confirm whether the chapter was pre-murder or post-murder, but this did not affect the overall experience of the book.

Crouch does an amazing job describing the setting of the novel - Pacific Northwest. I would love to visit this area. I am rarely moved by the setting of a novel, but really enjoyed Crouch's atmospheric prose.

I wish Crouch expanded on the trial of Elijah vs. wrapping up the legal process in the last thirty pages of the book. Overall, I really enjoyed Middletide and highly recommend. I look forward to future works from Sarah Crouch.

Thank you Netgalley and Atria for my advanced copy! Middletide comes out June 11, 2024!

I love a slow burn suspense novel, so this book really appealed to me. Crouch is an excellent writer and the premise was unique and intriguing, but the pacing was frustrating. The novel covers a lot of ground in very few pages, and with the descriptive nature writing, there wasn’t much left for character development. I wanted more plot development and less about living off the land, which was not as relevant to the story (although beautifully written).
Thank you Atria Books and NetGalley for this advance copy.

There is something about atmospheric mysteries set in the Pacific Northwest that just draws me in. I’ve always wanted to live in this area so maybe this is just me living out that dream.

Middletide, Sarah Crouch’s debut, follows the investigation into the death of the towns local doctor. All signs point to suicide, that is until Sheriff Jim Godbout digs deeper and finds circumstances that point towards murder. A murder that mirrors those in the pages of Middletide, a book written over a decade again by recluse Elijah. As the primary suspect Elijah must figure out a way to prove his innocence and catch a killer.

Once again, my biggest pet peeve, not all mysteries are Thrillers. I loathe when a mystery is automatically classified as a thriller, and Middletide is not a edge of your seat thriller. If you go in with that expectation, you will be disappointed. It is very much a literary mystery with a romance subplot. In the vein of William Kent Kruger and Joanne Tompkins, Middletide is a slow burn, character driven (with plenty of plot), beautifully written mystery.

With multiple timelines and narrators, the story does jump around quite a bit from person to person and timeframe to time frame. However, the majority of the story is told from the late 80’s through 1994 and from Elijah’s perspective. Elijah is by far the main character, though we do get plenty of investigating from Dt. Godbout. Somethings this jumping around confuses me or makes me lose momentum in a story, but Crouch has used it to enhance the overall experience of the story and to fully flush out our characters. Every single character is flawed, realistic, and multi-faceted. I felt as if I had lived in the town.

While not an edge of your seat page turner, I flew through this beautiful story. Everything just worked, and I cannot believe this is a debut novel. I highly recommend this mystery and it’s most likely going to be in my top 10 this year.



Middletide comes out June 11, 2024. Thank you to Atria for my advanced copies in exchange for my review. If you liked this review, please let me know either by commenting below or by visiting my Instagram @speakingof.books.

Middletide
Sarah Crouch
💥 Pub Date: 6/11/2024

⭐️⭐️.5/5

• moody mystery
• small town vibes
• character-driven

The premise was interesting but it never fully hooked me in. At times, I found the switching of timelines hard to keep up with. This was a debut, and I look forward to checking out more from this author in the future.

🗣 Thank you to netgalley and Atria Books for the opportunity to read and review this book via gifted eARC! All opinions are honest and my own.

This was an interesting book and though the themes were heavy, it was an easy read and helpful in a slump! I was immediately drawn into the story with the romance and was looking forward to seeing how everything developed. There were some areas that felt a little forced and some that confused me - but I think the confusion was on purpose to keep you guessing. I wasn't able to connect with the characters, but overall, a good, well-written story!

This is a debut novel but this author, and the premise of this book also focuses on a debut novel. Coincidence?
My mind was looking into whom was the guilty murderer, and I stabbed in the dark for answers. In the mean time, Elijah is stumbling, and pining for his lost love. Will they ever be reunited and end up together?
Answers come, but boy what a mind blowing read, the journey for answers makes for a page turning read, and yes, I was surprised at the outcome!
Does fiction become reality?
I received this book through Net Galley and the Publisher Atria Books, and was not required to give a positive review.

An interesting whodunit story that kept you guessing until the end. The book was well written but the author loved to jump around in the story and for someone reading it on a Kindle it became hard to keep track of where we were in the story. This was especially true for the first half, I am not sure if I got the hang of the chronology or I just didn't care anymore by the second half. I found the jumping to be very distracting from the story. I also felt like the ending was rushed. The book throws everything together in the last 30 pages or so. Prior to that detail seemed so important, now it was just about getting the book completed. This was a good first novel.

Middletide by Sarah Crouch is one of the best puzzle mysteries I’ve read in awhile. Elijah Lieth has known that the city life could offer so much more than the small town he grew up in. So after he graduates, he heads off to become the famous novelist he’s always wanted to be and leaves the girl he loves. 20 years later he’s back with nothing but a failed novel to show for it. As he struggles to find his way, a woman is found dead on his property. And it seems like Elijah knows more than he’s willing to admit.

Many thanks to @atriabooks @simonandschuster and @netgalley for my #gifted (free) copy. Pub date 6/11/24.

THIS BOOK WAS TRULY AMAZING, and I don't think I can write a review good enough to do this book justice. You know when a book comes along that just takes over your life? You cancel plans just to go home and read, push all chores aside, and wish you could call into work? Well, this is that book for me! MIDDLETIDE had everything I love in a book: well-rounded characters, mixed genres, 5+ star ending, short chapters, literally, it was perfect! I would love to see this book made into a movie. This is the best debut novel I have ever read, and I am so excited to read whatever the author writes in the future.

1994: Two fishermen find the body of Dr. Erin Landry hanging from a tree with a suicide note tucked in her pocket. Her body was found on Elijah Leith's property. Signs are pointing to her being murdered, so did she really commit suicide?

1973: Elijah and Nakita just had a wonderful romantic summer of young love, but Elijah is leaving his hometown to go to college to start his writing career. He promises to come back to her after he graduates, will he return?

Pre-order, add to your WL, buy a copy on 6/11. This is definitely a book you want to read, and it will stay with you for a long time!

A debut that will keep you guessing! Being from Washington, I loved the atmosphere of this small town in Puget Sound. A place where you can’t hide your secrets for long.

—Dianna Rostad, USA Today bestselling and award-winning author of You Belong Here Now