I enjoyed this atmospheric missing person mystery but found it a bit slow moving at times. I also might have been more invested had I known it was the 3rd book in a series and had read the first 2 as well. It does work as a stand alone but I could have become more invested in the characters prior to reading.

This missing person cold case thriller is worth all the hype!! I loved that the story is told from Gus's daughter, Bly's perspective and that the mother-daughter duo refuse to give up hope of finding Howard, the father/husband figure in their family who mysteriously disappeared three years ago. Set in Ontario wine country, this was a fast-paced read that kept me guessing right to the end. The final third especially went in so many different directions my head spun but it all wrapped up in a satisfying conclusion and was good on audio too narrated by Lauren Ezzo. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital and audio copy in exchange for my honest review by this latest by a new to me Canadian author!

The search for a missing journalist who was working on a story with widespread implications for many in the small Canadian town is the background of Buried Road. But the two main protagonists are what make this book one of the best thrillers I have read. Augusta (Gus) Monet is one crazy, brave, and determined woman and her 12-year-old daughter Bly and the story’s narrator is fast becoming just like her mom. The two have spent the past 3 years trying to find out what happened to Howard, and no matter what, they do not give up. Lots of clues get dropped and eventually things begin to make sense – or so you think. Then comes twist after twist.

Audiobook Title: Buried Road
Author: Katie Tallo
Format: 🎧
Narrator: Lauren Ezzo
Publisher: Harper Audio Adult/Harper Audio
Genre: Mystery Thriller
Pub Date: December 3, 2024
My Rating: 3.4 Stars
Pages 336

Story is told from the POV of our protagonist thirteen year-old Bly
Bly Monet and her mother Gus (Augusta0 are on a mission to find Howard a man they both loved. Howard isn’t Bly’s biological father but someone she has known all her whole life and treated her as his daughter.
Gus is an angry bitter woman who has been dealt a sad hand with death of her parents as well as her grandmother. Howard has always treated her with respect and love.
Now with Howard Gus is hopeful but fears the worst.
Sure enough three years later, Gus sees an obituary in the paper that is Howard’s
This campervan was found the body inside was assumed to be Howard’s.

Gus and Bly go to Prince Edward County where Howard and his camper were found.
After the police finish their investigation Gus and Bly do their own investigating and find Howard’s notebook, cell phone, and a video with a message he recorded the night before he went missing. These items were found in a secret panel that the investigators missed.

Although this is the third book in this series, I felt I knew the characters although not positive of their backstory. “Dark August’ was the first which actually inspired the trilogy with “Poison Lilies” and now “Buried Road”.

I did struggle with the foul language and wasn’t sure if it was going to work for me. I have a low tolerance for profanity but if the story is good – I find it is worth my time to hang in there….
Plus I was curious so stuck with it.
I ended up liking it and enjoying the ending with Bly giving us an insight regarding the meaning of the title.

Want to thank NetGalley and Harper Audio Adult/Harper Audio for granting me this audiobook.
Publishing Release Date scheduled for December 3, 2024.

So sorry to say that this one did not work out for me. I was getting really bored with it. I didn't care for any of the characters or the storyline. I ended up DNFing this one at about 40%.