I love books that defy genre.

Is it a historical romance? Is it a spy novel? A family drama? Mystery? Eco-fiction?

This book is a smorgasbord.

All in a tight little package I was able to read in one day. That probably speaks more of my holiday plans than the books but read into that what you will.

There was a lot to appreciate with this book. First off, the Cold War time period is one I don't know much about, (such a nice change from WW2 London) so that was super-interesting. The attention to detail, and the amount of research done was stellar. The characters were also well-drawn, and, while not always likeable, you wanted to continue with them until the end.

My only complaint is that this is a debut novel, which means there's no back-catalogue for me to explore!

“Tangles” by Kay Smith-Blum is a real page-turner that was not only entertaining but also very informative. I grew up in the 1960s not knowing anything about this dark side of American history surrounding the Cold War race for nuclear supremacy. It was shocking to learn to what extent the government was covering up the damage to the environment because of lax and carless handling of nuclear waste materials. This book had me googling the Hanford Nuclear Coverup and I’ll be sure to go back and read more on this.

But the book isn’t just a historical eye-opener. It’s a mystery and a tender love story told from two viewpoints in two timelines: the late 1940s and the early 1960s. In 1947, Mary is trapped in a marriage with an abusive husband (who helped perpetuate the lies Hanford was telling the residents and was engaged in the coverup). Luke, the young next-door neighbor grows up to become a scientist, and he discovers irrefutable links between environmental damage and Hanford. Will he also be able to find what had happened to Mary and the secrets she was holding?

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book. My opinions are my own.

This was a sleeper. I chose it, after the publication date (I seldom do that), because it was about the Cold War, a part of history that fascinates me. The last few times I read novels about the Cold War, I was disappointed. This book, I am very happy to report, is one of my top reads for the year. It has everything I could want: history, character development, romance, suspense and even science. The author has obviously done a great deal of research into the history of the Manhattan Project and the science behind the experiments our country has done to develop nuclear weapons.
This book was extremely ambitious and for a new author to be able to tie all of these things together is nothing short of amazing (and actually a bit daunting for someone who likes to write but hasn't published). For the plot, you will need to read it for yourself. It is a dual timeline (years are announced at the beginning of each chapter) and the reader will have to do a little work to keep track of what is going on but it is not confusing.
This is an important book to know of the kinds of secrets the government is capable of keeping from the public, a message that is very relevant in today's world.
I will warn the reader that there is some disturbing content. This should not prevent anyone from tackling this book but it is just something to be aware of.
I absolutely loved this book; I am only sad that there are no other books by this author and I hope she gets right to work on her next one.
Thanks to NetGalley and Black Rose Writing for providing me with a copy of this novel in exchange for my honest opinion.

This story is one of many examples of why I love historical fiction. I never knew about the Hanford Nuclear Reservation in Washington state and all of the fall out from it, whether during WW2 or in the decades following. This story takes you on a dual time line journey of Mary as a secretary/assistant who worked at the facility in the 1940s, and Jack who was working on his PhD in the 1960s to measure the radiation in the flora and fauna downstream from the facility. We learn that Mary and Jack, who lived in adjoining homes in the '40s, were both tracking down radiation leaks and adverse outcomes to exposure, just many years apart. Mary, as was the traditional role during the time, could only take dictation and type up memos and notes, but she worked for several brave men that were trying to expose the companies and government for the exposures. Luke, trying to get to the bottom of why his father died of thyroid cancer, worked on the environmental aspects of radiation exposure beyond the nuclear plant boundaries.
I loved the layers of the characters being developed as the story unfolded, where some were beloved and others despised. There are many themes utilized to add depth to the characters and plot: secrecy, family, deception, power, gender roles.
As a debut novel, I will definitely be looking for more books from this author in the future. Bringing this horrible event to light using historical fiction is a great use of this author's writing skills. I highly recommend this book for all historical fiction readers, especially those that are looking for lesser known events.
#Tangles #NetGalley #BlackRoseWriting #historicalfiction
Thank you Black Rose Writing and Net Galley for a complimentary copy. All opinions expressed are my own.

Tangles, a novel about a small nucleus of people connected to the Hanford nuclear site in Washington State in the 1940s through the 1960s, is a thoughtful read, one worth your time and attention.

Two protagonists lead the story that takes place in a dual timeline. Mary is a secretary at Hanford who is married to one of the men in charge of public relations. Her story begins in 1946, when she is promoted to a top-secret department at Hanford. The second protagonist is Luke, whose story in the novel opens in 1963 but circles back to Mary’s when Luke was still in high school twenty years prior. In the end, Mary and Luke’s stories merge in unsuspecting ways, bringing the novel to an exciting climax.

At the beginning of the story, Luke, a biochemistry doctoral student at Oregon State University in Corvallis, stumbles onto disturbing levels of toxic substances in a whale brought in from the ocean. Luke’s father, who worked at Hanford, died of a mysterious illness some years prior, giving Luke a personal stake in what is causing animals—and people—to die. Determined to find out what secrets Hanford is hiding from the public, Luke begins monitoring water and marine life for toxicity, taking him deep into restricted information that could land him in trouble with the authorities. His health also takes a turn, and we begin to see as readers the impact Hanford’s top-secret work has had and continues to have on the natural environment and the people living along the beautiful Columbia River. Luke’s moral struggle: relentlessly pursue the facts while trying to uncover what he fundamentally believes to be true. To quote Luke in the book: “Evil is evil, but only if you can prove it…if nothing else, my father’s death had taught me that.”

Meanwhile, Mary is a woman besieged by regret. Without giving away her story, suffice it to say she is in a bind. Married to a man who abuses her, she is forced to remain with him for financial reasons. But only until she sees a way out. While Hanford puts her in a position to blow the cover on what is really going on, as well as provide her with her own financial stability so she can leave her husband, she begins to plan her escape. If only it were that easy…

The storytelling in Tangles, a plot-driven novel, will keep you turning the page. The author’s voice is clean, straightforward, and sharply tuned to the era and the situation. The novel includes a good amount of detailed scientific information about the nuclear industry during the Cold Era and the toxins reactors like Hanford produced in its heyday. If you like that sort of scientific twist, you will love this book. Even if you aren’t into books with science as a central plot element, the science is not so overbearing as to overtake the story of Mary and Luke and their families. Instead, you are drawn into the world of people victimized by ambition, lies, and deadly poisons sanctioned by government officials before regulations to the nuclear industry were ever considered. Another draw to this book is its focus on environmental activism and the need to protect nature from government, private, and business exploitation.

I came upon this author on Instagram. I am so happy the algorithm lined up the way it did that day because this book was incredible.

As a big reader of speculative fiction, I’m usually diving in forward. But this novel was a fantastic leap back for me. It’s a great work of historical fiction that takes place at the dawn of the nuclear era (1940s-1960s.) A time in history full of great promise and horror.

Told from multiple points of view, during two time frames, Smith-Blum does a beautiful job describing the world this book takes place in and an even more wonderful work developing the main and even secondary characters. The story is focused on one-time neighbors, Luke and Mary. Smith-Blum drew me right in beside these two; they were so relatable.

This is a love story, a mystery and depiction of atrocity at the hands of the government. From what I can tell (after doing some research mini-side quests) horrible things happened to the flora, fauna and humanity in the US’ Pacific Northwest in the name of wars (hot and cold.) I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys mid-20th century historical fiction, human/civilian stories in times of war and tales of the early days of the atomic era. I really enjoyed this one. I think this book will appeal to such a broad audience and I’m definitely recommending it to my family and friends!

Thank you to Netgalley, Black Rose Writing and Kay Smith-Blum for the opportunity to read an early e-version of this book and allowing me to provide feedback.

Tangles is a riveting novel set in Washington that alternates between two perspectives and decades. Mary, an employee at “The Area” (Hanford Site), provides a look at the early involvement of the U.S. in the Atomic Age. Luke’s perspective in the 1960s, as a Ph.D. student, highlights the growing intensity of conflict over the implications of nuclear development within the United States. As their stories are woven together, I was gripped by the mystery of Mary’s disappearance and Luke’s discoveries. Fittingly, the novel doesn’t provide adequate closure. As the implications and consequences of nuclear waste are still prevalent today, I was left feeling a bit undone and contemplative when it came to a close. This was a very fast read for me, I highly recommend it to those interested in the early Cold War period, government cover-ups, and environmental protection.


I am grateful to NetGalley and Black Rose Writing for providing me with an advanced reader copy of Kay Smith-Blum’s Tangles.

Tangles is a story how life events can circle around and change lives while trying to solve a mystery about the whys of so much pollution and cancer.

Taking place during various eras starting after World War II/during the Cold War with the ongoing development of nuclear weapons in which the town of Richland was created, we hear of the Hinsons family and the dysfunctional marriage of the Petersen along with Mary Peters' relationship with her stepson. We also hear of the required secrecy of the town and all the questions surrounding the work being done. We also see the story of the Hinsons's son Luke in the 1960's. and the work he is,doing on his Ph.D regards the spread of pollution causes by waste that's nuclear in nature
In the course of the book, we hear a multitude of stories of Mary Peters' life, Luke Hinsons' life, how they end up intermeshed which presents as a mystery separate from the other mysteries presented in the book.

With startling revelations, the want for justice, and the need for connection, Tangles his a satisfying book that shows that life is a circle, that secrets are dangerous, and that justice can be served.

Kay Smith-Blum’s debut is an intriguing, gritty delve into the nuclear energy industry in general and, specifically the Hanford Nuclear Reservation along the Columbia River in Washington State.

But it’s the human factors that make Tangles such a fascinating read: a scientist determined to make sense of what he witnesses, a young woman who became entangled in the same mystery, and myriad others who are affected when all life in the Columbia River Basin is threatened and the authorities are determined to keep it all secret from the public. A compelling, important story.

Based on the description I was not expecting to be so into this one but I was. Historical fiction is not my favorite genre but I've recently adored two of them set in 1950s America. Man, what we have done to the earth we live on with the full knowledge of the government and corporations.

Really good debut for this author.

Thanks to Netgalley for the free advanced copy in exchange for an honest review - book publishes 12/3/24

This was a strong historical fiction novel, it used that concept perfectly with what I was hoping for and enjoyed from the idea of this. The plot worked well overall and I thought the characters worked with the story being told. Kay Smith-Blum has a strong way of telling the story and keeping the reader invested. It had that element that I was looking for based on real events and glad I got to read this.