A truly inspired mashup with exquisite art and a captivating serial killer story, this delightful graphic novel lives up to its clever premise.

This was a 5 ⭐ graphic novel for me!! Picture your favorite horror movie mixed with Animal Crossing!!! It had absolutely everything I have been hunting for in a GN, it's gruesome, bloody, and has cute animals just killing away!

"I've buried forty-three people out here and in over twenty years no one has ever been the wiser, expect for Mother Nature. Nobody ever fools her.".

I cannot wait to check out the rest of the series since this one hit the jackpot. I will 10,000000000% be purchasing this in physical copy! Thank you so much to Netgalley and IDW Publishing for sending me this ARC and letting me review it! Best adult GN I've read to date!

Who knew a book about a serial killer living in a town of cute and cuddly creatures could be so enjoyable? Just the right amount of gore, sarcasm, and cuteness. With multiple twists that I never saw coming, I couldn't put this book down until I reached the end. Hoping this is the beginning of a long, successful series.

*Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.*
3.5 stars.

If you like twisted stories and stuff about serials killers, then this could definitely be for you. Unfortunately, it was not for me. The juxtaposition of the appealing and almost cutesy art style with the graphic, morbid, and confronting content of the story, was a bit too far for me. If I attempt to look past those uncomfortable things, it was a pretty decent story, but the sort of story where there's not actually any development by the end. A serial killer slice of life where the serial killer is an anthropomorphised bear? That's what it is.

Patrick Horvath’s debut graphic novel introduces us to the quirky town of Woodbrook, where adorable anthropomorphic animals live side by side. Enter Samantha Strong, a serial killer with a heart of gold (and fur). Here’s the scoop:

Pros:
Charming Setting: Imagine Richard Scarry’s Busy Town, but with a dark twist. The cozy atmosphere, cedar-scented air, and freshly baked apple pie create an inviting backdrop.
Adorable Characters: From the upstanding citizen bear to the quirky animal folk, the cast is endearing and memorable.
Juxtaposition: Soft, cutesy art clashes brilliantly with moments of extreme violence, making the impact even more jarring.

Cons:
Pacing Hiccups: While the story flows well overall, there are occasional speed bumps. But that’s not the main reason for the 4-star rating.

Beyond pacing, it’s the unexpected depth that steals the show. Horvath weaves humor, mystery, and heart into a tale that transcends its cozy exterior. So, grab your detective hat and join Sam as she hunts down a rival killer - just don’t disturb the peace

I really enjoyed this story! It was really amazing too see how beautiful all the drawings were. It was very cutesy but also graphic, a lot of blood 😂

I found it interesting all the mystery and how the main character tried to solve it.

A really nice read 😄

It was well-written and the art furthered the story and themes seamlessly. I didn’t love it, but I’m not big on serial killer stuff and I found our senior serial killer’s straight-line precision dismemberment deeply disturbing.

I had a lot of fun reading this. Interesting take on a murder mystery. It is like Dexter meets the Hundred Acre Woods.

4 stars

This was so fun, shocking and unhinged! This graphic novel is a mix of “Shady Hollow” and “beautiful darkness.” I really enjoyed the art style and plot. The only reason it’s not five stars is because I found it a little predictable, but I still really, really enjoyed it!

Thanks to Patrick Horvath, the publisher, and NetGalley for this eARC. Although the illustrations might attract young readers, the subject matter and plot are definitely more suited for grown-ups! It's a fascinating story that I highly recommend.

As a child, I grew up re-reading Richard Scarry’s Busy, Busy Town and its beautiful illustrations. But boy this book put a spin to it.

As an adult, this was enjoyable to say the least! An illustrated whodunit from a serial killer's POV and the plot unfolding with a surprise was cherry on top.

Definitely worth picking up.


Thank you NetGalley and IDW Publishing for giving me the opportunity to read this!

This was adorable and *deeply* disturbing. It did what it did really well, but I cannot understate just how disturbing it was. If you like slashers and horror, you'll probably like this. As for me, I need to go read something uplifting now to cleanse my brain.

The perfect blend of cozy anthropomorphic animal tale and shocking murder thriller.

Beautiful artwork blends with a psychologically tense narrative, managing to create a strong world that feels grounded in a plausible reality and all in under 200 pages. There is still mystery and ‘rules’ to uncover here though (the bears! the sniffer dogs!) that leaves me hoping for a second volume to explain.

A brutal, yet beautifully illustrated, graphic novel about a series of small town murders.

Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees follows local serial killer Samantha Strong, an intelligent, well known community figure that has been carefully, and quietly murdering for years, when all of a sudden a new killer shows up in town leaving horrifying crime scenes for all to see. Samantha must find this killer before the police can, to prevent her years of crimes from being discovered.

The well drawn, full coloured, illustrations and riveting description pulled me in, and now I'm hooked. I hope Patrick Horvath will create more stories set in this town or at least in this style.

Thank you so much to Patrick Horvath and NetGalley for the ARC.

If Dexter were a graphic novel told with personified animals... this would be it. Samantha the bear seems like an ordinary citizen of her small town. She owns the hardware store, she visits her oldest and best friend and she harbors a deep secret - she has an urge to kill people. She does it away from the city. And she's always careful. She doesn't make mistakes. But when people in her town start showing up violently murdered.... she knows someone knows. Who in the town is toying with her?

What I loved:
It was a tad violent
The Dexter vibes
The twisted fate of some of her friends

Sam has owned the family hardware shop for years. She knows all the people, she knows all the routines, and it's her home, her safe place. She knows better than to hunt inside her town, but someone else has decided the small town is just ripe for picking. After a few residents are murdered, Sam realizes that she knows who the killer is, but also that she's the main suspect. Not willing to give her town up without a fight, Sam becomes a hunter in her own town. A strange but fascinating story that juxtaposes humanity and nature. In a blend of soft colors, the small town feel is beautiful, and while the story wraps up quickly, it's a horrifically beautiful graphic novel. A definite read.

Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees - ARC Review

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC

Title: Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees
Author: Patrick Horvath
Rating: 5/5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Release Date: Sep 17 2024

THIS BOOK IS JUST SOOO GOOOOD! I absolutely love it to death. If you have been around my page for a bit now you would have seen me talking about the individual comic issues of this story as they were released, well I am happy to say that the full trade paperback of all 6 volumes is out this September and you need to pick it up to kick off the spooky reads.

It's got the aesthetic of Little Bear, Beatrix Potter, and just that small-town picturesque vibe that I love.

But it's got the story of Dexter, Hannibal, and Beastars.

Who do you trust more, the serial killer you know or the one hiding in the shadows?

This is a fantastic battle of wits between two stone-cold killers in a trap where only one of them can make it out.

This book is also one you’ll definitely have to give a reread after you finish to go back and find all the incredibly well-executed foreshadowing and hidden elements in the art.

I loved this. The juxtaposition of the adorable animal character with the very gory violence added an extra layer of horror. The story was fast paced and interesting. Highly recommend for horror fans.

The mix of this cartoon style and the gore and murders is perfect. The idea is so fun and the execution is also very good. I would love to continue reading this series.

Super lovely graphic novel. Loved the characters and the art style. Was a pleasure to read. Can't wait to engage with more from this author! Can highly recommmend if you like darker storytelling