Thank you NetGalley and Harper Perennial and Paperbacks for the copy of Buried Road by Katie Tallo. I had a hard time connecting to the writing style; the first part of the book never caught my attention. Luckily, Part Two picked up and I started to get engrossed in the story. I was disappointed when we learned about past events when a character told Gus and Bly. It would have been more effective to have a past timeline so we could see what happened. I would have also liked to read a POV other than Bly’s, maybe Gus’s perspective? The story was great and kept me on the edge of my seat to see what had happened to Howard. I’m not sure if the final reveal was believable, or that it even made sense. While this wasn’t a great book for me, it was enjoyable enough to keep me reading! 3 stars.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC. This is the story of a mother-daughter duo, changing POV, and a fast paced adventure. I felt like the story had a lot of characters. I couldn't keep them all straight. And I didn't know it was the 3rd book in a series?! You can definitely read it as a stand alone though.

Wow what a gripping novel. I can’t believe I thought I knew where this book was going. The twist was a delightful surprise.

This is a standout thriller, with its blend of heartfelt relationships, razor-sharp suspense, and a web of dark secrets. It’s a must-read for fans of mystery and crime fiction, offering a relentless, edge-of-your-seat experience that will keep readers guessing until the very end.

3.5 stars! I really enjoyed this... Gus's character was so fun and I really loved her "this is me, love it or leave it" attitude. The story kept me hooked and I was satisfied with how the ending played out. I didn't realize that this was book 3 in the series... it can totally be read as a standalone. Would def recommend! Thank you NetGalley and publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The twist I did NOT see coming!
This book started slow but it really picks up and sucks you in about 1/3 of the way through.

It took me a little while to finish the book- it felt repetitive for the first half, but once you got to the second half it picked up and kept my interest to finish. Of course the twist was good once you find out who actually knows the truth. Overall decent book.

This is a subtle, deep, slow moving story of a mother and daughter searching for a man, her partner, a reporter who has been missing for three years. The main characters are persistent, likeable, courageous and they get tangled up with a town with lots of secrets and high stakes. 4.5

Started a bit slow but burned bright as I read on. Suspenseful missing person novel with lots of breadcrumbs. Compelling characters.

I wish the author would have given the narration a duel perspective between Gus and her 13 year ol daughter Bly. At times the story felt YA in its tone. The story weaved in and out of some improbable moments and the ending seemed a little far fetched. With that said, I think an older teen would really like this book. This is the third book in the series so I'm not sure what I've missed about Gus's character that would have added an element to this story but I didn't feel lost about the story in the present at any time. With that said, I'd be curious how the author handles an adult narration of this character and I would probably check out her previous two books.

What a tale of breadcrumbs. I loved the tenacity and confidence of Gus. She was a great character. I also loved that this book was entirely in the daughter's POV. I felt the ending got a little chaotic but overall, it was an amazing mystery.

Gus, her partner Howard, and her daughter Bly are a happy family living in Ottawa. On their annual camping trip to a spot near Howard's parents home, he disappears. Gus and Bly hang around town for a long time looking for him, but eventually have to return home. Three years after his disappearance, Gus spots an obituary for Howard in the newspaper (placed by his parents) and she and Bly race back to Picton to found out why they've decided to hold a funeral now.

When I saw that this book was written from the perspective of Bly, who is 12 going on 42, I wasn't sure how good it would be. Let me tell you, it was great! She might be 12, but Bly is smart, resourceful, and daring as all get out when it comes to tracking down Howard, the only father she's known. Does Gus let her daughter do some things most parents wouldn't dream of? Yes. Does she bring Bly along in situations most children should not be around? Yes. Does it all make sense when you get to know each character, their relationship, and what drives them? Absolutely.

I loved this book. It is the third in a series with these characters, but it reads well as a standalone novel. The twists and turns are plentiful, and I found the whole thing to be incredibly well done.

Thank you to Katie Tallo, Harper Perennial and Paperbacks and Netgalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

(Review will post on Instagram, Goodreads, and Threads on December 1, 2024, and on Amazon and Barnes and Noble on the publication date).

This book is an exciting missing person thriller. I didn’t realize this was the third book in a series till later and it worked just fine as a stand alone. The last half of the book is fast paced and super twisty.

I was very excited about this book but I didn't realize there were 2 books with the back story I'd need in order to understand the depths of this one.

Once I got into this book, I couldn't put it down. I loved the characters-especially Bly & Gus. They were the only ones who kept their determination to find their missing loved one, Howard. And Gus never allowed herself to lose hope that Howard was still alive. The Monet's didn't give up despite all the obstacles, threats, & blame. I was shocked who was behind Howard's disappearance & it was so heartwarming to hear Bly call Gus Mama again after they solved the mystery of Howard's disappearance. The author made you feel every emotion of the characters. I loved the quote at the end of the book: We all have a buried road inside of us, we just have to find it. I loved Buried Road & can't wait to read more by this author.

13 year old Bly and her mother Augusta (Gus) have kept hope alive that the third member of their family- Howard is still alive. Three years ago, Howard left them in his family's home to get ice cream to never return. When the camper he was driving is found, Gus and Bly rush to the scene to investigate. They are sure Howard is alive. and suspect it was a story that he was working on that caused this disaster. Join the two as they fight against the entire community in their beliefs that Howard is still alive. A story of hard scrabbling individuals that do not give up.
#harperperrenial #buriedroad #katietallo

I loved the characters, which is my go to for a high rating, and the plot held up too. It's easy to start off strong with a mystery and fall off, but this read kept it interesting, and the characters kept me invested.

Unfortunately, after multiple attempts I have been unable to get into this. I have chosen to DNF. I apologize.

What I loved about the book:
I loved Bly’s character development, it was like she started off very timid and out of the way on purpose but each chapter she came out her shell and starting showing she means business! I also loved the storyline, the whole “ he didn’t just disappear off the face of the earth” mixed with “ I’m going to uncover this conspiracy” .

What I did not like about the book:
I hated how the town treated Bly and Gus because they were in fact right all along . Also, the writing style isn’t my favorite only b/c the beginning of the story was not drawing me in and it didn’t really until the middle of the book. In fact b/c of this I almost did not continue reading it originally.

I rate this book a 3.5 overall, I would recommend it to my friends and others because even though it didn’t all the way work for me it could possibly work for someone else.

i had a decent time, nothing really to write home about. the characters were pretty average with an average plot. pacing wasn't too terrible. thank you so much for the arc!!