Reviews

Amy Engel returns following [b:The Familiar Dark|52659062|The Familiar Dark|Amy Engel|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1566831575l/52659062._SX50_SY75_.jpg|69295658] and [b:The Roanoke Girls|33015034|The Roanoke Girls|Amy Engel|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1479589097l/33015034._SY75_.jpg|51235136] with her latest, I DID IT FOR YOU, a gripping tale exploring guilt, loss, trauma, and the many ways in which a violent murder transforms the family of the victims and the killer's family.

Greer Dunning returns to her rural hometown of Ludlow, Kansas, from Chicago after the execution of the man, Roy Matthews, who murdered her sister, Eliza, and her boyfriend, Travis, fourteen years ago while making out in a car.

Despite a clear motive, Roy was convicted and executed. Greer, the younger sister, was not satisfied with the original investigation.

Now it appears there is a copycat killer. Two teens, Addy and Dylan, have been murdered, similar to her sister's murder. Is someone trying to lure her back to town?

Greer returns determined to solve this mystery—her family was devasted, and they were not there for her due to their grief.

Set in a rural small town, a story of a sixteen old Greer trying to run away, and now the truth has to come out. She is now getting close to the brother of her sister's murderer, Dean. From family members, friends, and enemies, we revisit the past and present.

Told from the POV of Greer, secrets are unraveled in this slow burn character-driven mystery exploring fear, shame, guilt, trauma, loss, forgiveness, and the many ways it affects everyone close to the victims and the murder's family.

While I would not classify this as a thriller, it is a well-written raw, emotionally—engrossing heart-breaking crime psychological suspense mystery of small-town darkness, focusing on Greer's grief and struggles.

Thanks to #PenguinGroup and #NetGalley for an advanced reading copy for an honest review.

Blog review posted @
JudithDCollins.com
@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
Pub Date: July 25, 2023
My Rating: 4 Stars
July 2023 Must-Read Books

allisonrae13's review against another edition

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dark emotional mysterious reflective medium-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

3.0

lampbee's review

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dark emotional mysterious reflective sad medium-paced

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

3.75

Good :) Middle of the road mystery which was what I wanted / expected. The ending was a little too predictable and wasn’t all that satisfying but it was still good :)

Content Warnings

marvsbooks's review

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dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

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

5.0

I loved this book. My first by the author, and definitely won’t be the last!

I love books with a strong female protagonist who’s looking for answers, despite the tragedy she’s been through. This was exactly that.

The characters were reliable in their actions, and while I suspected the real villain early, it wasn’t because of anything they specifically did or said. When the villainy came to light, I was surprised along the way.

Overall, enough intrigue and mystery to keep me hooked! Not easy to do!