No rating - DNF at 20%

Audra is the town detective on a small island off the Alaskan coast. Her good friend, therapist Allie has been murdered and Allie’s daughter Hayley is missing. Two other teenage girls in town were already missing and tensions are high.

Valorie is the primary suspect. She was found near the crime scene covered in blood. She is the daughter of a cult leader and has significant mental issues and large gaps in her memory.

Who has the girls and are there more secrets about the history of the island?

The POV goes back and forth between Audra and Valorie, and when it is with Valorie, considering her mental illness, it is difficult to read. Her thought aren’t really linear and she speaks of things that, perhaps, will be made clear later in the novel but are just confusing now and the story isn’t grabbing me such that I want to work that hard at it. So I’m letting this one go.

what an amazing and horribly gruesome story!! at first, i wasn't too sure i would really enjoy this book, but i VERY quickly got swallowed in and couldn't stop reading. please please check out trigger warnings for this book!!! it gets VERY dark. it was such a stressful and good story. i don't even know what else to say, i think anyone who has dealt with a not great men in their life will very much relate to parts to this book.

This was extremely suspenseful and well written. It had me guessing until the end. It was difficult to read about some of the things that happened to children in the book. I wish I would have been more careful reading the trigger warnings. But that’s my fault and not the author’s and does not at all affect my rating os the book. It was suspenseful, full of horror, and well written all around.

Amazing phychological horror thriller with a thought through plot, likable characters and atmospheric setting.

Typhon, AK has a horrific past. And it's time figure it out.

We see two pows, two women. One clear in her way, but lost in hee mind. Another lost on her way, but clear in mind. Or so it seems. Both need to get to the end. Find themselves. Find the girls. Solve the mysteries, choose answers for the unknown. Both narrations support each other, connecting the stories, confirming parts of the narration, filling its gaps, and in so, helping us to understand the past and the present. Up until, while everything seems to get clearer, we get more and more lost in the past, in the reasons to trust the narrators' minds or people around them.

I didn't quite like the turn of the truth in the end. It would be better for me if it stayed without the 'metaphor' that wasn't a metaphor.

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Thanks to NetGalley and Rising Action Publishing for providing me with this free eARC in exchange for my honest review!

The Red Knot by Monique Asher is a beautifully haunting story that stayed with me long after I finished reading it. From the very first page, I could feel the weight of the narrative, the pull of its complex characters and the atmosphere that lingers throughout. Asher’s writing is subtle but powerful, drawing you into a world that feels both familiar and unsettling at the same time.

The story is an intricate dance of emotion, mystery, and self-discovery. At its heart, The Red Knot is about the connections we make, the secrets we keep, and the paths we choose—even when they seem impossible. The main character’s journey is one of personal growth, but it’s also about facing the truth, no matter how painful or difficult that may be.

What struck me most was the way Asher develops her characters. They feel so real—flawed, complicated, and deeply human. Each character carries their own baggage, but it’s how they navigate their relationships with one another that brings the depth and richness to the story. There’s an emotional weight to every decision, every interaction, and that made the stakes feel personal.

Asher also weaves a sense of quiet tension throughout, with subtle hints at something deeper lurking beneath the surface. The pacing is steady, but it never feels slow, always moving forward, revealing just enough at the right moments. It’s the kind of book that invites you to pause and reflect as you read, challenging you to think about your own connections, choices, and what it means to find peace.

By the end, I felt like I had journeyed with these characters, and I was left with a bittersweet sense of resolution. The Red Knot is a poignant and introspective read that explores themes of love, loss, and redemption in a way that feels both timeless and deeply relevant. I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys literary fiction that’s rich in both heart and thought.

**Thank you Netgalley & the publisher for providing an arc in exchange for an honest review.**

All I will say before you go into this is: no one can be trusted.

That was a wild ride. Asher left crumbs down every path making every move and every character suspicious, I did not know who was going to be in on this and who was genuine. I'll definitely be checking out more of Asher's work!

The Red Knot was a rollercoaster ride, in the best way possible. It also came with thriller and mystery vibes. I could not put this book down! It caught my attention right from the very beginning. This book is full on horror from beginning to end. It had my heart racing, made me feel anxious and kept my attention the entire time! This author has now become one of my favorite horror authors! The passion and the creativity of this horror author more than exceeded my expectations. If I could give this more stars, I would!

The setting of this story is located on a beautiful secluded Alaskan island. It centers around a woman named Valerie, who has dissociative identity disorder. Her disorder is due to extreme trauma in her past and was a daughter of a cult leader. As the story goes on, Valerie ends up being covered in blood and does not have any recollection as to why. Someone ends up dying and everyone on this thriller island is a suspect. I had no idea what was going to happen as I was reading this book! It is full of twists, turns, secrets and unexpected events! I rate this book a 5 out of 5 star rating!

The content warnings of this book include kidnapping, murder, gore, mental health illness (D.I.D.), body horror, cheating, rape and death.

Thank you to NetGalley, author Monique Asher and Rising Action Publishing for this digital advanced reader’s copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This book is set to be published on August 26, 2025!