This book was kindly provided by the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review
An adorable brown bear called Samantha Strong, loved by her city, is a serial killer. Her cardinal rule is to never attack in Woodbrook and always go for people in the big city for victims. One day, a new serial killer appears in the city, and he doesn't respect her rules, putting everything that Samantha has at risk, with her secret being in jeopardy.
Comic books are one of my favorite genres, and I can read them quickly. The script of this one was intriguing, and I couldn't put my phone down until I finished it.
The character design is adorable (even with the murders); they reminded me a lot of Sylvanian Families.
The city has a cozy, relaxing atmosphere. When the other murderer starts to attack, the changes in the scenery and characters are very noticeable.
I recommend this book for anyone who wants a quick but solid mystery. It's important to note that the deaths are quite graphic, especially the first ones.

This was so so fun to read. The style in which it is drawn is so interesting and the story itself was compelling with the right amount of darkness and intrigue. This world seems very fun to explore the complexities of especially with the ending.

Jump and dive into this adult cozy serial killer graphic novel. This is great, and I am not sure why it has not shown up in my bookstores or popular B&N. Especially with the hype surrounding manga.

It's not a new storyline. It's somewhat similar to Dexter or the TV series You. However, the idea of turning our childhood story book into an adult serial killer graphic....sort of works. It does have some gruesome art, but not because the art wasn't something I haven't "seen" before (I've certainly noted more graphic images in CSI, Bones, etc). However, I think we (as a society) are more desensitized to that imagery as it is more common. I was a bit traumatized seeing these cutsey-animal characters reminiscent of my childhood torn asunder and murdered! (I mean looks like the author murdered Franklin or Arthur, or the Richard Scarry characters from Busytown).

But the storyline and excellent artwork pulled me along. It's for adult readers for sure. But at 156 pages; easily read in one sitting.

Thank you IDW Publishing and Patrick Horvath for the ARC!

I received this DRC from NetGalley.

I liked the juxtaposition between the illustration style, which reminded me of old children's books, and the serious tone and gruesome scenes. My only question is why most of the animals walk and talk like people, but some animals are just regular animals. It needed to be that way in order to have the comparison between Sam and other bears, but it just seems odd, especially since they're in such close proximity.

Sam leads a seemingly normal life, working at the local hardware store, helping build parade floats, sharing meals and being an active member of the community alongside the good-natured and trusting residents of Woodbrook. She's also a serial killer. Over the years, Sam has found a way to let out her murderous urges via trips to the city while keeping those of Woodbrook safe from her paws. Sam's perfectly crafted life begins to crumble when another killer starts taking down the residents of Woodbrook. Having to grapple with this new threat, Sam is forced to come face to face what it truly means to be a killer and embrace her inner nature.

With the lightheartedness of a children's book in the imagery and the sharp juxtaposition of blood and gore, this is a treat for anyone who loves stories that refuse to be neatly defined by a single genre and how two seemingly opposed concepts can come together to create something quite unique.

I absolutely loved this! Such fun and quick read. It was very well written and beautifully drawn. I can’t wait to read more from Patrick Horvath! Thanks NetGallery!

Loved this read. From the cover I assumed this would be a cute animal town visual, with a dark secret. I was not disappointed!

This graphic novel was unsettling and entertaining a and really scratched that serial killer next door itch that I’m always getting. Gave me Dexter vibes, which was very entertaining.

Not sure how I thought a story compared to Dexter wouldn't be this bloody. or maybe it wasn't the blood. Maybe it was overall darkness of the story. No one was really likeable. There was no ethical code like with Dexter, no close ties to loved ones. Just someone awful who kills people, and someone else who becomes a hindrance to her killing. This is definitely small-town horror. So while I wouldn't say Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees is a poorly written story, it was very much not to my taste. I didn't love the illustration style or the characters or the plot. Would not read more graphic novels by this author.

Nevertheless, thank you to #Netgalley and #idwreviews for granting me a digital advanced copy of #BeneaththeTreesWhereNobodySees

Like Dexter meets Richard Scarry, the cheerful animal world juxtaposed with bloody killing scenes makes this a great read for people who enjoy dark, twisted stories. However, for those familiar with murder mysteries and thrillers, the plot offers nothing new to the genre. Not bad, but not great.

I went into it mistakenly thinking it's a children's book since the art style looks like it but oh boy was i surprised, positively so might i add. Who wouldn't want to read about murder in pastel colors? I certainly would. The look inside the bear's mind was super interesting as well. I thought I'd read a book similar to Beatrix Potter and yet I had so much more fun with this murder mystery.

It’s like this was made for me! Beautiful artwork of cute anthropomorphic animals in a small town, but wait, there’s a serial killer on the loose. I flew through this, and I can’t wait to buy a physical copy so I can appreciate the illustrations even more. Hope he releases more of this soon, I’m obsessed.

Sylvanian Families meets Criminal Minds.

This book is quirky, interesting, terrifying and cute. The mature content and storyline and the gorgeous art are kind of the opposite of each other but it's done so incredibly well.

Thank you IDW Publishing and NetGalley for the review copy.

This is an adorably dark graphic novel about life in a small town for a serial killer. I’d describe it as evil Winnie The Pooh, I mean murder can be cozy right?

The art is amazing which can make or break a graphic novel. The story is cute, stabby and a little unexpected. I wish it was longer, not that it was missing anything I was just really enjoying it and didn’t want it to end. Trying to not share any spoilers, but if you think you maybe interested based on the cover and the blurb then trust me you want to read it. I will happily be picking up additional books from the author.

This is an adult graphic novel (due to well murder, lots of murder) please keep that in mind, but I would say it would also be fine for most teens.

Disclaimer: I requested this book from Net Galley and received an advance review copy for free. I'm leaving this review voluntarily.

I know that I say I'm soft all the time (I am). But I also love a good mystery, scary & disturbing art, and listening to true crime podcasts. So, when I saw Beneath The Trees Where Nobody Sees by Patrick Horvath I knew I had to read it. I knew it was going to be dark and bloody, but I was still caught off guard by the gore. There's just something about the art style that made everything extra disturbing. I checked the locks so many times after reading this graphic novel. It was so good in the worst ways, but that's just what I expect from horror-mystery books.

As I said I knew before reading, based on the description and cover, that this was going to be a blood bath. However, I didn't expect the art to be so disarming. It added so much to those feelings of unease I got while reading this graphic novel. It is just extra unsettling to see cute anthropomorphic animals being murdered by equally cute and fluffy murderers. There are a few murder scenes in this book. But that first one was all on page and so meticulously gory. It caught me so off guard. Which is why I think the art style is perfect for this story. I've read gory comics before I've become desensitized to fictional human gore. It's everywhere in all types of media. But cute anthropomorphic animal gore is new (to me) and the murders were brutal. I've never seen anything like it before and because of that this graphic novel got to me. It got under my skin and made me uncomfortable and scared. But I had to keep reading.

I needed to know what was going to happen next. I was invested in the mystery. Could "small-town serial killer Samantha Strong" (taken from the description) find her rival? And if she did what would she do? And what about the rest of the people in town? I became so attached to the characters, especially the side characters. Specifically Bertie the turtle (not just because turtles are my favorite animal). There was just something endearing about the way he chose to eat that chew-pop. He didn't have to eat it like that. It was so silly and it brought a bit of humor and sweetness to this very dark graphic novel. I needed to know if he was going to be okay. I was also so invested in Samantha's story.

Beneath The Trees Where Nobody Sees put me in the strange position where I was rooting for a murderer. I wanted Samantha to win despite her being a serial killer. The way her rival was behaving at the near the end of the book was unhinged. Watching the semi-subtle scheming/ planning of the rival was horrifying. What was going to happen next? What would the rival do? And I know from the readers side the rival wasn't being subtle at all. But the mentality of small towns is just different. I grew up in a small town and the amount of stuff people just let slide is alarming. So, I don't even think the people truly registered that something was off. And I think Patrick Horvath did an amazing job of capturing that a bit of that mentality.

Lastly I want to say a few thing. One, I'm still uncomfortable. Two, that duck will haunt me. Three, I can't wait to see what Patrick Horvath does next. Three I can't believe this was a debut graphic novel, it was damn good.

This book is exactly what it seems like it will be. Cute cozy vibes mixed with graphic gore and murder.
I did feel the pacing of the book was off. Some areas were too slow, others too fast. But when the pacing was good, it worked really well. There were a couple twists that were cool and spun the story in a different direction. I just wish the world and characters were given more depth and/or backstory. The main story was a bit bland and predictable.
The art was solid. The painted panels and character/world designs really fit the part. So when the more grisly scenes came up, they really stuck out and were impactful.
I’d love to read more if this becomes a series. But as a one off, it left something’s to be desired.

Thank you to NetGalley and IDW Publishing for this ARC!

Busy, Busy Town meets Dexter. I’m not a huge graphic novel fan, but the idea of cutie anthropomorphic animals getting murdery in a small town seemed fun, and it was. The art is great and tinged with a bit of morbid humor. Be warned they didn’t skimp on the blood and violence, these adorable critters get nasty. I did think the story and dialogue were a little too slim. I would LOVE to see this turned into a cartoon series.

I received an advance reader copy in exchange for a review. :)

So many things to say about this one! To begin, the art style stole my heart in 3 seconds flat. Taking such a cute design (calico critters esque) and turn that on its head is so creative! I can’t wait to see where this series goes as everything about it had me on the edge of my seat! Just amazing stuff really!

Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees is a story about a (avoiding the spoiler here) serial killer bear called Samantha.
Sam resides in a small town (Woodbrook) with other anthropomorphic characters. It is your usual small town - you know, good citizens, good residents, good people taking care of each other, going about their business.
Someone or something is killing the Woodbrook folk.
What will Sam do?
I was eyeing this book up and finally requested it. I was truly joyful to have this opportunity - it is hard to come across curious graphic novels and have the chance to review an ARC.
The cover is awesome. The colour palette, the perspective and the art stand out.
Here is a breakdown of my opinions;

Pros

The setting of a small town of anthropomorphic animals and real animals living in the woods (though I wonder why this was. I”ll keep my two guesses to myself, and let other readers enjoy their guesses)

The gruesome details, body gore - this is done well, it is fresh and nuanced (at the risk of making me sound like a psycho). The art style allows you to keep a distance from the gore but also not too distant that you lose your interest in the story.

The introspective and insightful prose was weaved into the dialogue and prose very well.
Plot 3/5 - I wish this had been longer, more detailed and layered. Will this be a stand alone graphic novel or the first of a series? It feels a tad incomplete. The beginning was gripping, then the twist was truly interesting. But the ending felt rushed and a bit unsatisfactory. A couple of the subplots did not fully pay off.

Characterisation 3.5/5 - due to graphic novel’s visual features, it is impossible to separate the character designs and illustrations from this aspect when rating the book. Including Sam, the protagonist, several characters have immense potential and are well-designed. Back to my point about the plot, the core and unique traits of the characters could have been explored more.


Themes, mood, prose: All of these are their own categories but these work well together in this novel and the dialogue is good. 4.5/5
(I watched a few episodes of Dexter and never got gripped. It was the opposite here - the tone was right)

Pacing: 3.5/5 good, then momentarily slow, good again, too soon to wrap up

Art: 4/5 This was almost a 5/5 for me - the character designs/profiles in the end of the book are perfect. When it comes to the actual story, I understand that the action and the scope require a different approach. I normally go for a clean style as in the character designs. Though, to be fair, the print book might look perfect and what I am saying is highly subjective. I generally liked the colour palettes and the expressiveness of the characters. Only looked for a bit more detail and ironically, cleaner lines (I am not an expert in design and drawing-related aspects, please bear this in mind)

I found this fresh as the nuances and subtleties make a story unique. I am sure this will be well-liked, and deserves to be widely acclaimed.
If a few aspects were slightly different and more detailed, this would have certainly been a read in the higher rating range for me too.
3.5 stars, overall.

First, the illustrations seemed like old-fashioned children book illustrations, with pale and soft color scheme and animal characters. But don't let them fool you, because the story within was dark and grim🙂 oh my god. Not exactly a pleasant read for me, but okay.