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drskspawn's review
4.0
“The Fallen in Soura Heights” is made up of twenty-five chapters, a prologue, and an epilogue, and follows Fey Anderson, a young widower on the cusp of turning twenty-one who moved to Soura Heights about a year ago and is still grieving for the unexplained death of her husband, Bruce. Fey is a bit of a dreamer; every other chapter flashes back to her youth and her whirlwind romance with popular baseball player Bruce. Soura Heights became a bit of a fixation of hers and she would often jot down her ideas of this idyllic town populated by people who actually took the time to get to know you, ask how you are, and avoided being transfixed by their screens and technology. Devastated by Bruce’s death, which occurred in Soura Heights, she travels there to try and get some kind of closure and is amazed to find that the town pretty much lives up to her expectations as a peaceful little place full of friendly characters.
Her best friend in town in Frankie, the friendly and helpful owner of a pie shop (adorably called Pie-Pie For Now); Frankie is instrumental in ingratiating Fey to Soura Heights and is a prominent figure in town; she seemingly knows everyone, engages with the locals and out-of-towners, and is very excited to show Fey the time of her life on her birthday. Other characters in town include the cranky owner of a book shop Fey frequents, a local nutjob, and Sheriff Tom Brickshaw, all of whom cross Fey’s path throughout the story and add to the quirky charm of the small town. Soura Heights is beautifully brought to life by the author; small business line the streets, each with their own bell jingle and cute pun names, and the town has a welcoming air…except for the wilds of Covista Forest, where Bruce’s body was found a year ago. Fey is both fascinated and terrified by the forest, something only exacerbated by the popularity of the Covista Trap, a Venus fly trap-like flower that many in town have taken to.
I was happy to find that “The Fallen in Soura Heights” was far from another cliché murder mystery saga; instead, it’s a charming little story of a grieving young woman just trying to find answers and constantly haunted by memories of happier times. Fey is quite a likeable character with all kinds of flaws and quirks to her personality; Bruce’s death left her somewhat broken, and I really enjoyed the flashbacks to their time together as a loved-up couple. I really enjoyed “The Fallen in Soura Heights”; the author does a wonderful job of characterising Fey, her relationship with Bruce, and this quirky little small town and a handful of its inhabitants. The story is less about trying to pick out possible suspects (although the author does throw in some alluring red herrings) and more about following Fey as she tries to cope with her grief. It all culminates in a dramatic showdown between Fey and those responsible for Bruce’s death, and ended up being an incredibly enjoyable read; chapters are easy to digest, the narrative is charming to follow, and the portrayal of the townsfolk and characters really makes the story a pleasurable experience. I wouldn’t mind returning to Soura Heights again to find out more about the town and see what other secrets are buried there but, for now, I would definitely recommend picking this one up if you’re a fan of character-driven mysteries.
Her best friend in town in Frankie, the friendly and helpful owner of a pie shop (adorably called Pie-Pie For Now); Frankie is instrumental in ingratiating Fey to Soura Heights and is a prominent figure in town; she seemingly knows everyone, engages with the locals and out-of-towners, and is very excited to show Fey the time of her life on her birthday. Other characters in town include the cranky owner of a book shop Fey frequents, a local nutjob, and Sheriff Tom Brickshaw, all of whom cross Fey’s path throughout the story and add to the quirky charm of the small town. Soura Heights is beautifully brought to life by the author; small business line the streets, each with their own bell jingle and cute pun names, and the town has a welcoming air…except for the wilds of Covista Forest, where Bruce’s body was found a year ago. Fey is both fascinated and terrified by the forest, something only exacerbated by the popularity of the Covista Trap, a Venus fly trap-like flower that many in town have taken to.
I was happy to find that “The Fallen in Soura Heights” was far from another cliché murder mystery saga; instead, it’s a charming little story of a grieving young woman just trying to find answers and constantly haunted by memories of happier times. Fey is quite a likeable character with all kinds of flaws and quirks to her personality; Bruce’s death left her somewhat broken, and I really enjoyed the flashbacks to their time together as a loved-up couple. I really enjoyed “The Fallen in Soura Heights”; the author does a wonderful job of characterising Fey, her relationship with Bruce, and this quirky little small town and a handful of its inhabitants. The story is less about trying to pick out possible suspects (although the author does throw in some alluring red herrings) and more about following Fey as she tries to cope with her grief. It all culminates in a dramatic showdown between Fey and those responsible for Bruce’s death, and ended up being an incredibly enjoyable read; chapters are easy to digest, the narrative is charming to follow, and the portrayal of the townsfolk and characters really makes the story a pleasurable experience. I wouldn’t mind returning to Soura Heights again to find out more about the town and see what other secrets are buried there but, for now, I would definitely recommend picking this one up if you’re a fan of character-driven mysteries.
energyrae's review
4.0
Wow, what an atmospheric novel! Jaeger has done a superb job of creating this town with an atmosphere that, while things appear as if everything is all right in the world, most certainly isn’t. And I loved that while you got this bad feeling while reading, you couldn’t quite pin down where that feeling would lead you. Then clues started dropping, and you suspected some things were at play, but the slow unfolding let you know you didn’t fully understand what was going on.
Fae is the ultimate weak, but not weak, heroine. I found myself screaming at her to wake up, look around her, and stop letting people control her. This poor girl, if she didn’t have Frankie leading her by the hand to navigate life, I would have stepped in and done it myself. Jaeger wrote her character, and Frankie’s very well. I would be remiss if I didn’t mention Louise, whose ramblings were well thought out. Everything from the punny shop names to the small details is incredibly satisfying. What an enjoyable read!
Fae is the ultimate weak, but not weak, heroine. I found myself screaming at her to wake up, look around her, and stop letting people control her. This poor girl, if she didn’t have Frankie leading her by the hand to navigate life, I would have stepped in and done it myself. Jaeger wrote her character, and Frankie’s very well. I would be remiss if I didn’t mention Louise, whose ramblings were well thought out. Everything from the punny shop names to the small details is incredibly satisfying. What an enjoyable read!
harrieteverend's review
4.0
This is my kind of book! I'm a fan of mystery/thriller/suspense stories and this was a well written debut novel by an amazing author. To be honest, I wasn’t the biggest fan of Fey, but she eventually grew on me and by the end...wow! I personally love the back and forth timelines and it was easy to follow. Give Amanda Jaeger's book a read (or listen); you won't be disappointed!
amberherbert's review
5.0
*I received a free copy in exchange for an honest review.*
The Fallen in Soura Heights is a phenomenal thriller debut. Fey is a great protagonist and Soura Heights is the perfect backdrop for a murder mystery. From the first page, I was hooked. It didn't hurt that the characters were compelling and the descriptions of the landscape and town were easy to visualize. Though the "twist" was an easy call, I appreciated the way everything played out. Amanda Jaeger is a writer to watch out for.
I recommend picking up this quick read if you enjoy a good thriller/mystery.
The Fallen in Soura Heights is a phenomenal thriller debut. Fey is a great protagonist and Soura Heights is the perfect backdrop for a murder mystery. From the first page, I was hooked. It didn't hurt that the characters were compelling and the descriptions of the landscape and town were easy to visualize. Though the "twist" was an easy call, I appreciated the way everything played out. Amanda Jaeger is a writer to watch out for.
I recommend picking up this quick read if you enjoy a good thriller/mystery.
bwagner's review
5.0
This is my first book by this author, I loved it and can't wait to see what she has for us in the future. This is a suspenseful story that left me sitting on the edge of my seat through most of the book. The characters are connectable and made the story engaging. They made the story come to life on each page. This is a well written story that made me feel as if I was part of the story. Fey made such a great character despite she is a little strange but I feel that made her character even more real. I was left with questions through most of the book on who did and why (which is a good thing). I am glad I picked this book up and I think you will love the suspense of it too. I highly recommend this book.
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