Author: T. Kingfisher
Series: n/a
Series #: n/a
Genre: Horror, Mystery, Gothic
Age Group: Adult
ARC?: Yes

“Mom seems off.”

Her brother’s words echo in Sam Montgomery’s ear as she turns onto the quiet North Carolina street where their mother lives alone.

She brushes the thought away as she climbs the front steps. Sam’s excited for this rare extended visit, and looking forward to nights with just the two of them, drinking boxed wine, watching murder mystery shows, and guessing who the killer is long before the characters figure it out.

But stepping inside, she quickly realizes home isn’t what it used to be. Gone is the warm, cluttered charm her mom is known for; now the walls are painted a sterile white. Her mom jumps at the smallest noises and looks over her shoulder even when she’s the only person in the room. And when Sam steps out back to clear her head, she finds a jar of teeth hidden beneath the magazine-worthy rose bushes, and vultures are circling the garden from above.

To find out what’s got her mom so frightened in her own home, Sam will go digging for the truth. But some secrets are better left buried.


Review

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an arc of this book!

This book was fantastic! I’ve enjoyed Kingfisher’s other works, but this is probably my favorite of them all. This was a dark southern gothic book, and it was interspersed with a scientific main character. So there was a nice juxtaposition between the more gothic/creepy/mysterious elements and the more scientific ones. I very much enjoyed that.

It was an entirely creepy book, and I think is a PERFECT summer read. Read it on a hot night with something to drink and it’d be the perfect atmosphere for this book.

Sam is such a great and relatable character. She is a fat woman in her thirties, who comes home because her job is on furlough. Also her sense of humor. Absolutely hilarious.

The mystery revolves around family secrets and I loved the way that it entertwined ancient family drama with current family drama. It also tackled current social issues as well.

Overall, this was a well done book that anyone who is a fan of horror will love!