Release date: March 12, 2024
Publisher: MIRA
Genre: Mystery/Thriller
Synopsis:
Three women work to uncover the scorching lies and scandal behind a self-help movement, igniting a powder keg of secrets that could blow their town apart, in this suspense novel perfect for readers who love Southern mystery.
It’s early morning in the small Texas town of Edenberg when the body of sixty-seven-year-old Beverly Hoffman is discovered in the Guadalupe River—drowned in only two inches of water.
After elementary school teacher Nichole Miller discovers the woman’s body, she makes two phone calls: first to the police, who call Beverly’s death a slip and fall, and second to her best friend, journalist Jenny Martin. Jenny is attempting to revive her flailing marriage and her all-but-DOA career, and she knows foul play when she sees it. The two women enlist the help of Beverly’s daughter-in-law, Robin, who’s eager to expose the truth.
Beverly had been beloved in the tight-knit community, having cofounded the wildly popular personal-development company Genetive, Inc., alongside her influential husband. But something sinister has been smoldering beneath the surface of their picturesque hometown. And Genetive is at the center of it all.
Review:
There was so much about this one that I liked from the cult like vibes to the multiple viewpoints to the conservative Texas setting and while I did like it, I didn’t love it as much as I expected to. I’ve read two other books by the author and her Southern style mysteries are always pretty unique and told in a manner that holds my attention but there was something small missing for me here. The cult vibes were pretty creepy and unsettling and gave me shades of Scientology which is a subject I’ve been endlessly fascinated by for years. I think when it lost me a bit was in the pacing, I would’ve liked a more excitement and tension in the end but it fell flat for me. But overall I’m glad I read it, as I said before lots to like and the overall themes are strong.
Overall rating: 3.5/5
Thanks to the publisher for my review copy.
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