Reviews

The Familiar Dark by Amy Engel

commander_morgan's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense

3.0

This was sitting at a solid 4-4.5 for me up until the twist. I liked this book, but I feel like there were a lot of potentially interesting threads hanging on the periphery that never wound up being explored or resolved. 

readinginhouston's review against another edition

5.0

Wow. This was my first Amy Engel book, and I’m honestly really impressed! This is a story of murder, family ties, and the strength of women. The small town secrets were not incredibly unique, but they were so well written, I truly felt like I understood the main character and what made her tick. I can honestly see myself reading this one again at some point. I don’t give many 5-star ratings, but this one is well-deserved. Thank you to Netgalley and Penguin Random House for the advance copy.

garweilee's review against another edition

dark sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

1.5

superfiona's review against another edition

mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25

mamakbear1116's review against another edition

4.0

Quick read. No filler, which I appreciated. The story moves right along. It surprised me in a lot of ways I wasn't expecting so I'd definitely recommend it for a fast, fresh twist on a murder mystery.

momma_nilsen's review against another edition

dark tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

2.5

meijke's review against another edition

dark fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Loveable characters? It's complicated

4.0

lilyreader's review against another edition

2.0

2.5

bookph1le's review against another edition

5.0

Easily one of the most brutal, gritty, and tragic books I've read in a long time. I'm having trouble even finding words to describe its power. This was an unsettling read that totally blew me away, and I know I'll be thinking about it for some time. I will definitely be looking for Engel's next book.

cdjdhj's review against another edition

4.0

When 12-year-old BFFs Junie and Izzy are murdered in a deserted park on a snowy day in early spring, Junie's mother, Eve, vows to find the murderer herself and administer her own justice. Knowing that the small, hardscrabble ozark town where she grew up and raised her own daughter held dark secrets at every turn, Eve follows the killer's trail until it leads right back to the place where it all began for Eve and her only sibling, brother Cal. After leaving the rundown trailer where they brought themselves up as their mother cooked meth, hosted drug parties and and brought home strange men, Eve became a young single mother who worked hard and tried to avoid her mother and the life she had been raised in. Cal became a police officer and vowed to always protect his sister and her daughter. As Eve follows the murder's trail she finds that she can never truly leave the place she came from behind.

This book was a real page-turner for me. It's well-written plot made me want to read just a bit more every time I picked it up. While the ending was not completely unpredictable, it leaves the reader with a feeling of closure, however dark and troubling it might be. I will probably read another of Amy Engel's books at some point, but this book was pretty dark (as the title implies), so I need to take a break and read something lighter just now. Reader warning - there is some violence, sex and language in this book, but it is all part of the story and not gratuitous or overdone in my opinion.