Thank you NetGalley for this arc!!

This book was written very well, kept my interest. I’ll be sure to check out more from this author!

I really enjoyed this book! It had a slow build that kept me intrigued from start to finish, and I found the characters to be multifaceted with well-developed backstories. I’m excited to recommend it to my friends!

Thank you to NetGalley and BooksGoSocial for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

Book Review: The Bluff by Bonnie Traymore

I recently finished The Bluff, and I can confidently say it’s a gripping thriller that kept me on the edge of my seat from start to finish. The author, Bonnie Traymore, masterfully crafts a narrative that intertwines personal loss with suspense, drawing me into the haunting world of Crest Lake.

The story revolves around Kate, a woman grappling with the death of her husband, Ryan, and the isolation that comes with it. Traymore does an excellent job of capturing Kate's inner turmoil as she navigates her grief while facing the daunting reality of a crumbling home and community tensions. I felt her desperation to move on, yet the memories of her past—especially those tied to Ryan—are ever-present and beautifully depicted.

The setting of Crest Lake, particularly the bluff overlooking Lake Michigan, adds an atmospheric layer to the story. I could practically feel the weight of the impending disaster as the bluff erodes, paralleling Kate’s crumbling sense of security. When a contentious committee meeting turns deadly with the murder of Kate’s adversary, the stakes are raised significantly. I found myself racing through the pages, eager to uncover the truth behind the murder while questioning Kate’s own secrets.

What I appreciated most was how Traymore built the tension little by little, keeping me guessing at every turn. The characters are well-developed, each with their own motives and

I was totally engrossed in this story from the start! The blend of personal loss and the suspense surrounding the crumbling property was so well done. The protagonist’s struggle with her grief over Ryan’s death and the pressing issues with her home created a tense and gripping narrative.

I loved how the murder of the shoreline committee member added a whole new layer of intrigue. The way secrets start to unravel, combined with the uncertainty of the property situation, kept me on edge. The atmosphere was rich with suspense, and the protagonist’s desperation to resolve everything while dealing with her own buried secrets made for a captivating read.

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC copy of this book. At first I was pretty drawn in to the story and as it built, I was definitely very invested in the whodunnit of it all.

But the story in the second half, starts to slow and there are too many red herrings that when the reveal finally takes place, it kind of leaves you scratching your head?

And there’s another reveal in the epilogue that I also couldn’t get my head around.

Overall enjoyed the story, very suspenseful and looking forward to checking out more from Bonnie Traymore

A decent mystery that could have benefitted from more details about the characters and their motivations. The characters were interesting and the protagonist was easy to root for. The author included a bit of psychology and what makes some people tick, but didn’t expand enough to make it truly interesting in terms of the characters. The plot had an old murder and a new murder. The ending didn’t make a lot of sense to me. I felt like the author could have done much more with it. The flow of the book moved well, but like I said, it felt like there were some gaps that needed to be filled. Overall, not a bad mystery, but one that did need a little work.

My review is voluntary and all comments and opinions expressed are
my own.

I had the opportunity to read this book and it took me on a ride.
I hadn't read anything previously by this author.
The plot is interesting, although lacking some detail for me and the mystery and intrigue got me hooked.
I enjoyed it !

Kate moved from the bustling city of Manhattan to the tranquil town of Crest Lake six years ago, seeking a quieter life and a fresh start. She had her share of worries—finding a job, adjusting to a slower pace, and navigating her relationship with Ryan Breslow, a charming photographer. Yet, she never anticipated the ground beneath her would become a literal and figurative threat.

A year ago, Ryan's tragic death in a car accident left Kate reeling. Still grappling with her grief and the desire to escape the painful memories, Kate aims to sell her house and leave Crest Lake behind. However, her plans are thwarted as the house edges dangerously close to a crumbling bluff that has affected the entire lakefront community.

Tensions escalate as the town debates how to address the erosion problem. The situation takes a darker turn when a contentious vote on the issue is marred by the murder of Kate's adversary on the shoreline committee. With her property now practically unsellable and the community in turmoil, Kate finds herself entangled in a complex web of secrets and suspicions.

As Kate navigates the escalating crisis, she must unravel the mystery behind the murder and confront the truth about her own life and relationships, all while grappling with the ever-present threat of the crumbling bluff.

The Bluff is a well-paced, compelling Psychological thriller with believable motivations and actions from the characters. It happens that the two homicides in the plot occur in same connected manner and leave evidence and accusations seems unexpected.


Thanks to Netgalley and Publisher ‏ : ‎ Pathways Publishing for an advance copy for my honest review.
NOVEL NERD BLOG: https://smithareading.blogspot.com/

Thank you NetGalley and BooksGoSocial

I really appreciate the opportunity to read this prior to publication. However, The Bluff fell flat from start to finish. The characters were uninteresting and had very little depth. The story was surface level and felt rushed. There was a lack of detail that could have carried this book much farther than what it was.
The Bluff has an interesting concept but in the end this story just was not for me.

The description for The Bluff immediately hooked me! This gripping story takes you on a journey of loss, betrayal, and mystery. Kate is a widow trapped in a small town after the suspicious death of her husband in a car crash a year prior. The house that she lives in is precariously perched on a bluff looking out onto a large lake. The ground beneath the house, much like Kate’s life, is slowly crumbling.

The tension escalates as the lakefront community grapples with a literal crumbling shoreline and unmarketable real estate - bringing out the worst in its residents. Kate desperately wishes to leave Crest Lake, so she joins a committee to plan a course of action for the real estate crisis. Secrets are revealed, contentions escalate, and desperation takes over. Soon a member of the shoreline community is found dead by homicide.
Is the death related to the suspicious death of Kate’s husband one year ago? If so, is Kate somehow involved? Are extra marital affairs at play? Will Kate make it out of Crest Lake with her sanity intact?

The bluff is a suspenseful psychological thriller set against a dramatic and unforgiving environment, echoing the melodrama and tension of the residents of Crest Lake. I highly recommend this book to lovers are psychological thrillers, red-herring mysteries, and suspenseful who-dunnit books.

This was a suspenseful story. There were so many secrets. I really enjoyed this and wasn’t expecting the ending! I will read more of this author’s work.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) copy of this book and I am voluntarily leaving an honest review.

This was a new author to me. The book was definitely gripping and full of mystery. What an enjoyable read.

Thanks for the opportunity to review the book

Kate Breslow moved to a beautiful house on Crest Lake with her husband Ryan. It was against her wishes as she had a thriving job and really loved living in the city but she loved Ryan and didn’t want to go against his choice. Now Ryan is dead, having died in a car accident that is still under investigation. And the house she poured all her money into is sitting on a crumbling bluff.

Kate is on a committee to decide on a course of action to correct this but there are a number of different opinions and a group of extreme environmentalists who don’t seem to play by the rules. As things start happening to those on the committee, old secrets are brought up and indiscretions exposed. It seems someone is out for revenge, but the reason for the revenge might not be what they think it is.

This definitely had another edge coming into it than your usual thriller as there were so many characters keeping secrets that landed up intersecting with each other. It is a quick read but some arcs are slow in coming as the characters keep mentioning past secrets that are horrific or things they are hiding and yet they turned out not to be.

I found the technical aspects very interesting when it came to what could be done to stop the bluff from crumbling. It must be a nightmare to have land so close to the edge when Mother Nature decides to take some back. I couldn’t even imagine what it would be like to “pick your house up” and move it backwards.

I can well imagine that in such a small place people’s lives are going to interfere with one another and relationships will be tested but it also showed what a lack of communication and friendship can cause. The different POVs that drove the story made for an interesting look at different sides and the psychological explanations of narcissists/psychopaths/sociopaths were illuminating.

The story was easy to read if a little slow in places and there were some unanswered questions. No cliffhanger as such but when the end arrived, I did turn the page to look for more. The twist is also not that surprising as there are clues in the inactivity.

Overall a good read that brought an interesting perspective into a domestic thriller and made people question the severity of punishment based on what led to the crime.

This book was super twisty & kept me engaged throughout the whole book! I'd definitely recommend reading this story!!

The Bluff was a great mystery story that keeps you thinking of all the ways this could have been every person in the story. Also by the end karma really does work its self out for some characters.

It is so hard to give a review on a thriller/mystery that you loved so much without spoiling any details.

This is more of a detective, fact-finding mystery mixed in with the lives of the characters so it’s not as suspenseful as other thrillers and you get to see the perspective of Kate (the female protagonist) and the law enforcement.

With that being said, a lot of drama gets uncovered in a short period of time and you spend the whole book piecing together the clues that are beautifully laid out. It is well written, and keeps a nice steady pace, so you’re always hooked into the story. Highly recommend as a good start to thriller, spooky season.

Thanks so much to NetGalley and BooksGoSocial for the ARC! I thought that this book was so good! It was a slow burn that kept me guessing throughout the entire novel - I found the characters to be complex with pretty well thought out backgrounds. I can't wait to recommend this to my friends! Get this book while it is hot!

Thank you NetGalley and BooksGoSocial for this eCopy to review

The Bluff was quite intriguing

The story revolves around a gripping mystery set in a seemingly idyllic town of Crest Lake on Lake Michigan, where secrets and lies are buried just beneath the surface. Traymore does an excellent job of building suspense and creating a sense of unease that kept me hooked from the beginning.

Kate, finds herself living in a house precariously positioned on the edge of a crumbling bluff and is on the committee to choose how to protect the bluff. The town’s serene and beautiful environment contrasts sharply with the underlying tension and danger posed by the eroding cliff. Who's proposal will be chosen? How far will people go to get the one they want?

The setting not only adds to the atmospheric tension but also mirrors Kate’s own precarious situation. The descriptions of the bluff, with its harsh winds and stunning views, create a vivid backdrop that enhances the suspense and drama of the narrative2.

However, I did find the pacing to be a bit slow at times. There were moments when the narrative dragged, and I felt that some sections could have been trimmed down to maintain a tighter, more engaging flow.

The character development and plot twists were well worth the wait. Traymore’s ability to weave complex characters and unexpected turns into the story kept me invested until the very end. The resolution was satisfying and tied up the loose ends nicely.

Overall, The Bluff is a compelling read for fans of mystery and suspense

Many thanks to Net Galley and BooksGoSocial for an ARC of this book in exchange for a review.
Kate is still dealing with the death of her husband Ryan, he died in a fatal car accident, the police were suspicious of Kate at that time, did someone force his car off the road? She had married Ryan after a short whirlwind romance, she packed up her life in New York, spent a huge chunk of her money modernising and renovating the house he owned at Lake Michigan. Ryan had changed, no longer the romantic, now a bully and Kate suspected he was having an affair. Kate feels demoralised, with no one to turn to. Her marriage and new life is falling apart.
There is trouble in the small local community, Their home and other homes are at risk of the environment, there are several different plans suggested by the owners affected, one of the ideas is Kate’s. The owners gather for a meeting and to vote on the way forward, one of them is late, reported as missing and then dead. The circumstances are definitely fishy, the police question if this death is related to Kate’s husbands accident and death, they definitely seem connected.
This story moves at a good pace, told in a dual narrative, there are two death, marital affairs, and other secrets which are slowly revealed. 3.5 stars

The premise for The Bluff, was truly so interesting and truly gripped me. The execution although did not work it was so slow and I just think it was missing something to make it more exciting.