What a book! one of my top books for 2024

In this book you follow and mother and daughter who are trying to find someone they love that went missing three years prior.

It was very well written and will suck you in from page 1! I wasn't sure i was even going to be able to finish it since it is told through a 12 year olds thoughts and perspective. The character development was very well done and just kept you wanting to read.

I will read more from the author this was a fantastic read.

Thanks NEtGalley for letting me read and review.

This book has a great thriller concept….but has an ABSOLUTELY BIZARRE ending and many randomly inserted… things.

Gus Monet and her daughter Bly are looking for Howard, Bly’s adoptive father and Gus’s boyfriend. Bly remembers Howard going to get ice cream, on their family beach vacation three years ago, and never returning. Since, Gus and Bly have been tracking the clues to find him. The police aren’t really doing their job. They will never give up the hope of finding Howard, even though Howard’s parents are moving ahead with his funeral. As Gus and Bly get closer to finding the answers, they begin to realize that there is a more intricate web of deception in the town where Howard disappeared.

The components that bother me about this book are 1. The ending was so strange and random. 2. There are too many random concepts or lines that make no sense to the plot. Insertions of randomly collected items that Bly hopes to use to find her Dad just had me sincerely confused. Here is an example of another randomly inserted piece of information:

“ She grabs the phone and turns on the power. She can’t wait any longer. She taps Howard‘s passcode onto the screen and unlock the phone. He’s had the same one forever. We both know it. It’s my birthday. I lean close as the screen lights up“

It’s my birthday. HUUUUUUH??!!
There is absolutely no follow up to this! 🤣. And the ending…while I can’t share it…was also random.
And yet….the concept of this book is creative!

Many thanks to Net Galley, Katie Tallo, and Harper for this eARC in exchange for my all too honest review.

Buried Road by Katie Tallo is an intense, fast-paced thriller with a chilling edge. The story follows Gus and her daughter Bly as they embark on a perilous road trip to uncover the truth behind the mysterious disappearance of Gus’s partner, Howard. The premise is compelling—Howard vanished three years ago while working on an explosive story, and his sudden reappearance in the form of a shocking obituary leads Gus and Bly back to the small town where he was last seen.
This is the third book in a series. This is my first read in the series. It can be read as a stand alone and the author introduces the characters and story to the readers very well.
It was so well written, and sucked me in. I have to admit, I was a little leery when I saw that it was written from 12 year old Bly's perspective. But it really surprised me! The character development was really well done, and the way that the clues and breadcrumbs were woven into the story were so well thought out.
**Thank you NetGalley and Harper Perennial for sending me this book for review.*

Wow! This was definitely a chart topper of 2024 for me.

It's a story of mother and daughter on a mission to find a loved one that went missing three years prior.

It was so well written, and sucked me in. I have to admit, I was a little leery when I saw that it was written from 12 year old Bly's perspective. But it really surprised me! The character development was really well done, and the way that the clues and breadcrumbs were woven into the story were so well thought out.

Every time I thought I had it figured out, I'd be thrown for another loop. I definitely had not figured out the end!

**Thank you NetGalley and Harper Perennial for sending me this book for review.**

4.5⭐️ I could definitely see how this book may not be for some people as it is a slow burn in the first half. I also don’t think it follows the typical pacing of a thriller. That said, I loved it! The image of grief and the mother daughter duo was written so incredibly well and I never thought any of it was unbelievable.

I did struggle a few times to remind myself that Bly was only 13, because when I was reading it she most of the time did feel older to me in the way she helped solve the cold case with her mom. I will say, I did not read the first two books so maybe that is part of why it was hard for me to recognize she truly was 13.

The last 30% of this book, I was unable to stop reading! I was shocked by the ending and had no idea what was coming. The way this was written I truly feel like I was watching a movie rather than reading through a thriller and it was incredible.

Buried Road by Katie Tallo is an intense, fast-paced thriller with a chilling edge. The story follows Gus and her daughter Bly as they embark on a perilous road trip to uncover the truth behind the mysterious disappearance of Gus’s partner, Howard. The premise is compelling—Howard vanished three years ago while working on an explosive story, and his sudden reappearance in the form of a shocking obituary leads Gus and Bly back to the small town where he was last seen.

The writing really shines in its depiction of eerie, abandoned places and the tension that builds around the sinister secrets of a small town. Bly's voice as the narrator adds a unique layer to the story, giving it a personal and emotional depth as she relives the traumatic events and her search for answers alongside her mother. The twisty final third of the book definitely kept me on the edge of my seat.

That said, while I enjoyed the build-up and the suspenseful moments, I felt the pacing was a bit inconsistent at times. Some sections were slow to develop, and I was hoping for more depth in the exploration of Gus’s and Bly’s relationship. The ending was satisfying but slightly predictable, and while the plot delivered a solid conclusion, I wasn’t as emotionally moved as I expected to be.

All in all, Buried Road is a thrilling ride that kept me turning pages, but there were moments where it didn’t quite hit the mark for me. Still, a solid read for fans of missing persons thrillers with a strong mother-daughter dynamic.

Thank you NetGalley for this arc. This was really good and such a fast paced read that sucks you in. Bly is a young girl devastated because her stepdad Howard has gone missing and has been missing for three years. Bly and her mother Gus see that Howard’s parents have given up hope in finding their son and have decided to do a funeral service. So Gus and Bly head to Howard’s home town. While there, they discover information regarding Howard’s disappearance which makes them believe that he may not be gone. Gus and Bly are faced with a lot of opposition and don’t take heed to the danger that they are in as uncover why Howard went missing and who was involved.

Firstly, I read this as a standalone without issue (though I will likely go back to read books 1 and 2 at some point just because). This mystery/suspense follows the story of a mother/daughter team on the hunt for information regarding their missing loved one.

Gus and her teen daughter, Bly, haven't given up hope of finding out what happened to Gus's boyfriend, Howard, who went missing 3 years prior. Despite Howard's family, the police and everyone else in the community thinking they are crazy, the pair continue to search for clues or answers to what may have happened.

When some evidence is uncovered and the family decides it is the right time to have an official funeral, Gus and Bly double down with renewed passion. This leads them into run ins with the law, lots of danger, and uncovering some fairly large issues within the town.

I can see why others have reviewed the book as slow but I really felt like it was because the book was written in Bly's perspective. Bly is a young teen, and seems to be on the spectrum or dealing with major mental issues. She is very dry, has a lot of quirks and struggles to relate to many other people.

Overall, I really enjoyed the read. I thought the suspense was great, the plot twists/revelations were scattered throughout to keep the story moving and the book had a "creepy" vibe to it in a sense. I would recommend you giving it a try!

This is the third book in a series. This is my first read in the series. It can be read as a stand alone and the author introduces the characters and story to the readers very well. Thank you to Net Galley and to the publisher. My review is my own opinion. This is such a great thriller read and really kept this reader on the edge of my seat. Well done to the author.

Gus is a Mother of a young daughter who is suffering grief over the loss of her partner who disappeared three years prior. He was a journalist working on a big lead for a case. Gus and her daughter have not accepted his death and believe he can be found. They begin a investigation and soon find clues that lead the reader to a explosive thrilling conclusion.

This is a new author to me and I look forward to her next work. I enjoyed this immensely and recommend this book for all readers who enjoy a thrilling mystery with complex clues to keep you reading into the night.

No one can ever truly escape their past.

Three years ago they were a family….mercurial Gus (Augusta) Monet, her nine year old daughter Bly, and Howard, the love of Gus’s life and the man who has been a father to Bly in all ways save biologically since she was born. They were on a camping trip in one of their favorite spots when Howard, a journalist working on a story, left Gus and Bly on the beach while he drove off to meet with a source who (he hoped) would help him break open his current investigation. Only Howard never came back, and no sign of him nor of the camper he drove was found. Gus and Bly moved in with Howard’s parents, who had always treated them as family (even though Gus and Howard had never married) in Picton and for a year conducted their own search and investigation even as the police conducted theirs. Gus was and is an intense person, and ruffled more than a few feathers as she pushed and ranted until she had earned the (not affectionate) nickname the Cuckoo Bird. After a year with no sign of Howard and no new information to pursue, and having worn out their welcome with Howard’s parents, Gus and Bly moved back to the home they had shared with Howard and went on with their lives. Neither has gotten over the loss. When they spy Howard’s obituary in the newspaper two years later announcing a memorial service, there is no doubt in Gus’s mind what needs to be done….she and Bly are headed back to Prince Edward County to attend the service. Once there they immediately if inadvertently cause waves in the small town (which has not forgotten the Cuckoo Bird), and are stunned to discover that just a few weeks earlier the missing camper van had been found. Although they are warned to stay out of the way, they are able to get Bly into the camper to look in secret hiding places only they would know and she discovers Howard’s phone, his notebook about the investigation on which he was working, and a recorded video message. With these new bits of evidence Gus and Bly have new avenues to pursue and proceed to do so regardless of the cost or danger to themselves. After three years, could Howard still be alive? If he is why hasn’t he contacted them, and if he isn’t what happened and who was responsible for his disappearance?
The novel is narrated by now 13 year old Bly, who craves order and structure as much as Gus eschews it. Gus isn’t going to win any mother-of-the-year awards, but she does love Bly in her fashion. Both feel the loss of Howard, the stabilizing force in their lives, profoundly and are desperate to find him or at the very least settle the matter of why he was taken from them once and for all. The characters are well-developed and endearing (although Gus can be a bit much at times), and though the story starts out a bit slow it hits its stride about a third of the way in and it is impossible to not be as invested in solving the mystery of Howard’s disappearance as Gus and Bly are. I did not realize until after I’d read the book that it is actually the third to feature Gus, but it read perfectly well as a standalone so readers should not feel like they will be at a disadvantage if they have not read Dark August or Poison Lilies. There is a strong sense of place, and Bly is a compelling narrator. Perfect for readers of authors like Jaime Lynn Hendricks, Kate Alice Marshall and Adrian McKinty, Buried Road is an intriguing missing person thriller and a tale of family and the power of love. My thanks to NetGalley and Harper Paperbacks for allowing me early access to a copy of this engrossing read.

I really enjoyed this book. It kept me guessing until the very end. I enjoyed the suspense. It was well-written.

I read this book at a time in my life where concentration was hard to come by. Unfortunately, that also means this cast of many, MANY characters was extremely hard to keep track of. Add to it that the author vacillates between using first names and last names, there were points in the book that I walked away confused & looking for context clues. That to say, the premise of the book is good. Just maybe takes notes as you go.

MIND BLOWN!!! What did I just read?! This book has a slow start but man, when it gets there… it GETS there! I could not put it down! Seriously has been one of the top thrillers I’ve read this year.

This book follows Gus and her daughter on the 3 year long search for their Howard. Howard was a writer, and working on an article when he suddenly disappeared. Even though Howards’s parents are ready to accept they will never know what happened to their son, Gus could not let that be the end. Follow them on their journey with many twists and turns before they get to the end. Will it be happy? Read and find out!

An excellent, fast paced, thriller with twists that will have you questioning everything you thought you knew. Katie Tallo will be an auto read on my TBR after reading this book!

Buried Road is told from Bly’s POV. Bly is a preteen who likes order, quiet, and following the rules. She’s quite the opposite of her mother, Gus, who is stubborn, unafraid, and will do whatever it takes when she’s on a mission. Together they are determined to find out what happened to Howard (Gus’s partner and Bly’s father figure) years ago when he disappeared. They are reunited with the camper van Howard was last seen driving before his disappearance and now they are following breadcrumbs in hopes that they will lead to answers.

I liked that this was told solely from Bly’s POV. It gave the story a sense of innocence coming from a child, even when the plot took turns into drugs, guns, and corruption. This felt a bit slow moving, but in an enjoyable way. I throughly enjoyed the ending. It’s been awhile since I had tears at the end of a book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Perennial and Paperbacks for this ARC in exchange for my honest review. This review will be shared on NetGalley and Goodreads.

Each book in this series can be read as a standalone. However, since I had read the previous book, where Gus met Howard, I was definitely more invested in finding out what happened to him.

Gus is a strong woman. She has had to deal with what has happened in her life. She learned how to take care of herself and not rely on anyone—at least until she met Howard, who snuck under all her walls and made himself an integral part of her and her daughter's lives. But three years ago he went missing and the case went cold. When the camper van he was driving is found Gus and Bly find some clues that send them in a new direction in finding out the truth.

The previous books were told from Gus' POV, in this one we are in the POV of her daughter Bly, who I thought was the perfect narrator for this book. It gave a whole new view of Gus and the effect she has on other's lives. We see her strength, stubbornness, and how she does whatever she needs to get what she wants from a whole new perspective. From the moment Gus and Bly got the new lead on Howard the pacing took off, it was non-stop until the end with so many twists and turns almost all of which I had no idea were coming. And that ending I did not see coming at all!
I'm not sure if this is the last book or not, but if there are more books featuring Gus and Bly I will definitely be picking them up!!

This one kept my interest all the way through! It started as a slow burn and tells the tale of a mother and daughter (Gus and Bly) trying to find Howard, the man whom they both love, the one who was going to propose marriage to Gus and make the three of them a forever family. This is the third book in a series. I read this as a stand-alone.

Howard, a journalist, disappeared three years ago while tracking a story. They were never sure of the details, but they have clues and ideas about where he went. Bly is the narrator, and she’s spunky and brave! The last half of the story picked up the pace and started the race to the finish. The idea that Howard was missing for such a long time, yet they still had hope, was moving, but could he still be alive?

And what a finish! I didn’t have the ending figured out, but the author had me fooled.

I definitely recommend this one! Four stars!

I have read the first two books in this series and so I was very excited to read the third book. I was not expecting this to be told from Gus’ daughter’s POV, as the first two are from Gus’ POV, but it worked really well once I got into it. I liked the story and the case, and really enjoyed this third installment. I think this can be read as a standalone for sure, but your reading will be enhanced if you have read the first two books in this series, and they are quite good so it is worth it.

I’m a big fan of Katie Tallo. And Buried Road did not disappoint.
Tallo wrote an addictive, suspenseful and thrilling novel that peeled the layers of the story so perfectly with the right pacing that had me on the edge of my seat.

Book #3 featuring Gus Monet and her daughter. Katie Tallo started Gus's journey in DARK AUGUST, continued in POISON LILLIES and has now rewarded her dedicated readers with BURIED ROAD. These books are excellent thrillers, starting the tension quickly and keeping the story moving, throwing us a clue or two and then taking them back with a twist. Tallo's books are addictive. Be prepared to binge one after the other as Gus runs until she's cornered, then she fights.