Member Reviews

Disclosure: Provided ARC copy & all opinions are my own.

Into the Fall is a story about relationships, mysteries, and secrets. Throughout the book we learn about Sarah and Matthews relationship and the secrets they held. Flashbacks provide insight into their relationship over the years and insight into the disappearance of Matthew.
A few things I enjoyed were number one the setting. As a Canadian reader myself I enjoyed the Ontario setting, and descriptions which were well done. Now I might be bias since the author even mentioned my small but growing town of Bowmanville briefly. We get to see the growth of Sarah Anderson, and the secrets kept between both Sarah and Matthew.

One thing that I struggle with in books and is a personal preference of mine is flashbacks. They can either be done well or do not do the book justice. In this case I feel like they serviced the purpose but sometimes I felt like I got lost with what time it was being written in. While the author did not use direct POVs they did write within those specific POVs for example Sarah (majority of the book), Izzy, Matthew, and even Detective Boychuck. I think it was a great way to understand and connect everything together but again personal preferences I don’t like different POVs.
Would I recommend this book… 100%. It was a fast read, great descriptions of the settings, being set in Canada for me is always a bonus, and it was written really well and easy to follow. The author kept you on your toes and makes you draw your own conclusions on what you think happen and at the end you can see if you pieced the puzzle together correctly or not.

About the Author:
Tamara L. Miller is from Ottawa, Canada and a fan of nature which truly shows within this book. Into the Fall is her first book from a transition of writing history and government policy. She wanted to capture the “intensity, mystery and beauty of the Canadian wilderness”.

Where to Purchase: https://www.amazon.ca/Into-Fall-Thriller-Tamara-Miller-ebook/dp/B0CZ9XQ6RR
Author Website: https://bytamaramiller.com/

Was this review helpful?

Decided to give this a try , the premise sounded interesting. Was a good mystery story. Held my interest and I enjoyed the ending. Thank you NetGalley for this ARC

Was this review helpful?

This was a perfect read heading into Fall! It sets scenes perfectly and left me wanting more from the author immediately!

Was this review helpful?

Matthew disappears from a family camping trip without a trace. Sarah, his distraught wife, calls for search and rescue and refuses to believe their theory that Matthew drowned in the lake. As new information about Matthew’s past is uncovered, something still doesn’t seem quite right… does Sarah know more than she’s letting on?

The author kept me guessing throughout the story, and many small details come together to form the big picture in the end. There were several useful flashbacks, but sometimes it was hard to tell where one ended, and where in the timeline I was coming back to.

The one minor complaint I have is the use of “ya” instead of “yeah” or “yes” or something - it took me out of the flow of the story because it struck me as awkward and immature.

As far as mysteries go, this was a good one and I enjoyed reading it.

Was this review helpful?

A terrific read! Atmospheric, suspenseful, and twisty. A tremendous debut. Can't wait to see what Tamara writes next.

Was this review helpful?

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for the ARC. I read this book in one sitting. It’s an easy read that keeps you on your toes. At one point or another I was suspicious of just about every character. The way the ending played out brought this story full circle but was a bit underwhelming.

Was this review helpful?

A poignant novel of personal growth and resilience. Miller’s vivid storytelling explores the transformative journey of its characters against a backdrop of change and challenge.

Was this review helpful?

This is billed as a thriller and it’s really not. It’s a well written novel with a mystery in it but not the standard suspense type of most fiction. This is more about a woman’s life, motherhood, secrets, marital stress and trying to move on when you don’t know what has happened. We eventually find out what happened, but it left me a little unhappy. The strength of the book is the writing and the atmosphere of the Canadian wilderness, not figuring out whodunnit.

I read a digital ARC of this book for review.

Was this review helpful?

I had no clue what to expect from this book but I was pleasantly surprised by how engaged I was by the plot and the setting. The story follows Sarah Anderson who seems to have quite the normal life and whose family enjoys spending time in the Canadian wilderness. On a camping trip, her husband, Mathew, seemingly disappears and leaves her alone with her two young kids. What happens next is a mysterious search for her husband in which the secrets of their marriage are unraveled and the true bonds of family are tested.

This book would be better classified as a domestic drama in my opinion because despite it being a mystery, I wouldn't say this a thriller. I was intrigued by the secrets being uncovered and the tension between Sarah and law enforcement. I also enjoyed the family aspect and how a family can come together to handle tragedy and how they can move on together. Overall, I would recommend this book as a solid read and an impressive debut!

Was this review helpful?

This was good. As others have mentioned, it’s a fabulous debut. Story was taut, well done. I think it would appeal to those who like non-detective driven mysteries featuring women.

Was this review helpful?

I really enjoyed this book.I liked the way the setting was portrayed and was intrigued by the characters. This book surprised me and reminded me that people and things are not always what they seem! Great debut from a newly published author. Will look for more!

Was this review helpful?

I was so excited for this one, I love reading about books that are set in Canadian settings. It was a good debut with some great characters, but the ending just left me feeling wanting more. It was anticlimactic and some things just truly did not make sense, which is why my rating had to be brought down.

Was this review helpful?

Thank you to Netgallery, Tamara Miller and Thomas & Mercer for this ARC copy.
3.75 ⭐
This debut novel really impressed me with its suspenseful plot, even though I’m usually not a fan of shifting timelines. The Canadian setting was beautifully done and added a lot to the overall vibe. It’s not my usual genre, but the twists and surprises kept me hooked. The writing is solid, making it a great pick for anyone who loves atmospheric mysteries. I’m definitely looking forward to more from Tamara Miller!

Was this review helpful?

Imagine waking up one day and your husband is gone. It would be like a nightmare you couldn't wake up from. This is what happens to Sarah. Her family goes camping and Matthew just isn't there one morning. This book was fantastic. I loved how atmospheric is was. I could feel how creepy and scary Sarah felt there. So isolated and dealing with her two kids while trying not to panic about Matthew. I enjoyed how the story unfolded. It kept you guessing as to what had happened to matthew. I like how it the story was yold from two different timelines. It gave you a sense of who they were. I really enjoyed this book. It was a well written and entertaining read. .

Was this review helpful?

"The devil loves unspoken secrets, especially those that fester in a man’s soul."

Tamara L. Miller’s debut novel, Into the Fall, is a gripping read filled with layers of intrigue, betrayal, and hidden truths.

Sarah and Matthew are a married couple whose lives completely change when Matthew mysteriously vanishes during a family camping trip. The story delves into their already strained relationship, revealing its complexities through evocative flashbacks that span their past and present.

Miller’s writing is both engaging and emotionally charged, keeping readers on edge as you’re left wondering: Is Sarah behind Matthew's disappearance? Did he stage his own death? Or is there something darker at play?

While not exactly a high-octane thriller, Into the Fall offers a compelling look at a family's upheaval during tragedy.

Definitely recommend to readers that enjoy a slower burn mystery, well defined characters and good ol’ whodunnit.

A special thanks to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for the ARC!

Was this review helpful?

Into the Fall by Tamara L. Miller is a super intriguing thriller that steadily doles out mysterious details on the characters that ultimately build up to

This book ended up being very difficult to put down with how masterfully seemingly innocent details of the characters lives are laid out, eventually leading to all the answers. Sarah’s husband has gone missing on a camping trip, leaving her and their children on their own, and dealing with the search by the police after the fact. What really hooked me was the fact that there is clearly something going on beneath the surface of this disappearance, and getting to those answers had me so invested in the story.

The interplay between the past, how Sarah and Matthew met, and how their relationship played out to bring them to where they are in the present was perfect both in giving some insight into Matthew and his mysterious past, as well as adding to the question of what might have happened and who he really was. It really added to the mystery and created so many theories and questions while reading which really added to the story and kept me on my toes.

I loved the sisterly relationship between Sarah and Izzy. It was so pure and heartfelt, and getting to see them cover the rift that had grown between them over the years and they reconnected to deal with the difficulties of dealing with Matthew being missing was such a highlight of the book. It created a particular duality between the past and present as well as you see Sarah’s relationship grow with Matthew, while her relationship with Izzy falls apart, whereas in the present this is kind of turned around vice versa as Izzy and Sarah grow closer, while you see Sarah and Matthew’s relationship going through strain leading up to his disappearance.

Into the Fall was such a great read, not just as a thriller, but also as a story of the bonds between people and how important those relationships can be. I very much enjoyed the read and definitely recommend.

Was this review helpful?

Another cover that suckered me in but the contents let me down. It was just okay. A solid debut but nothing that wowed me. It could be a me problem, as I feel like I've been saying that about a lot of mystery/thrillers lately. It's worth the read if it sounds intriguing to you, but it's not something I'm going to go out of my way to recommend either.

Was this review helpful?

Thank you to Netgallery, Tamara Miller and Thomas and Mercer for this ARC copy.
This mystery fully immerced me in the Canadian atmosphere which came alive on the page. While not my usual thriller genre and more smokey mystery/suspense, I enjoyed the twists and turms. The book hit the ground running from the first chapter, though I would have perfered a slighly slower build to the main mystery. Just when you thought you knew something it turned out to be different. The writing style was excellent and well crafted. For an atmospheric suspense, I highly recommend this book.

Was this review helpful?

This was a nice, quick read combining family, nature and a mystery. I enjoyed there nature and you can tell the athotr enjoys the outdoors.
The story itself was ok but, as is often the case, the best part of the novel was the interpersonal relationships involved.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Was this review helpful?

A debut novel that doesn't feel like a debut.....A captivating mystery with compelling characters that will keep you hooked from start to finish.

Sarah has a lovely home in Ottawa, two young kids, and a marriage that is falling apart. During a family camping trip in the brooding forests of the Canadian Shield, her husband Matthew disappears without a trace. Sarah and her children are struggling without Matthew, and to make matters worse, a big storm is on the horizon. The search for Matthew begins, and questions arise about who really is Matthew and the secrets he is keeping from Sarah. and where Matthew might be.

The book alternates between the present during the search, and the past in their relationship, which worked well in this book.

The writing style was excellent and well-crafted. The story is simple, with beautiful descriptions. I enjoyed this book. I wasn't quite sure where it would lead or what to expect. I wouldn't classify this as a thriller; it's more of a mystery story...with lots of twists and turns...A fun Read. I highly recommend this book...Releases on January 21, 2025.

Thank you Netgalley and Publisher for the eARC.

Was this review helpful?