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3.44 AVERAGE
3.44 AVERAGE
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Riley Fisher is a determined woman working for the Black Hawk County Sherriff's department as a sergeant in Investigations. Set in the Midwestern state of Iowa the location of plains and cornfields sets the backdrop to this engaging, and rather gruesome in places, thriller.
The opening is full of one woman's terror, immediately piquing the interest of the reader and as the story unfolds the sheer extent of horror as a serial killer claims more victims lends an urgency to the plot.
Fisher is a troubled cop with a past that causes her great shame, but it is the memories of the events of one single night which propel her into her quest for justice. Her partner Logan is a likeable character too and there is just the right amount of animosity in the department to make some interpersonal dynamics fizz with unresolved expectations.
A good balance of personal back stories and the current investigation, with a political undertone evident from early on, makes this a very readable, enjoyable and rather shocking read.
The opening is full of one woman's terror, immediately piquing the interest of the reader and as the story unfolds the sheer extent of horror as a serial killer claims more victims lends an urgency to the plot.
Fisher is a troubled cop with a past that causes her great shame, but it is the memories of the events of one single night which propel her into her quest for justice. Her partner Logan is a likeable character too and there is just the right amount of animosity in the department to make some interpersonal dynamics fizz with unresolved expectations.
A good balance of personal back stories and the current investigation, with a political undertone evident from early on, makes this a very readable, enjoyable and rather shocking read.
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Cannibalism, Murder
Moderate: Rape, Sexual assault
What's it about (in a nutshell):
The Fields by Erin Young is a complex procedural featuring Sergeant Riley Fisher, a detective with the Black Hawk County Sheriff's office. As body after body is discovered, she has to determine if there is a serial killer in their small community or if something even more insidious is happening.
What I Enjoyed:
I enjoyed the setting, which is Iowa's farming communities. I haven't read a mystery of any sub-genre that has featured this type of community before this one. The facts about farming and the science that goes into it were fascinating. They made me feel so much more intelligent in regards to that industry.
I also enjoyed the complexity of the plot. Frequently, procedurals hit slow points, but The Field is fast-paced from start to finish, with multiple murders, loads of subterfuge, complex farming practices, corrupt politicians, and more. My head was absolutely spinning with all of the parts and pieces that came into play as the investigation progressed. It effectively mixes a political thriller, a bit of technothriller, and a procedural.
All of the characters felt like they belonged right where they are at. None are one-dimensional characters, but instead, they had a more genuine feel as people you would find if you were to visit the area. I loved the realistic feel of the characters and their individual stories. It definitely helped to suspend any disbelief as the story grew more complex and technical.
Characters:
The main character, Riley Fisher, is developed very well, with her backstory coming into play during the investigation. She is a strong, independent woman who has overcome tragedy and trauma with an easily respected determination. She doesn't always make the best decisions, but that makes her more interesting as you can never predict what she will do next.
What I Wish:
I loved the story's complexity, but it did feel overwhelming at times trying to process so many different elements. So, what I wish is that there had been perhaps some simplifying of the story – not a lot, just a bit – enough to keep my head from spinning but not so much that it slowed at points.
To Read or Not to Read:
If you are looking for a complex and fast-paced crime thriller, The Fields by Erin Young is just the debut novel to fit that bill.
The Fields by Erin Young is a complex procedural featuring Sergeant Riley Fisher, a detective with the Black Hawk County Sheriff's office. As body after body is discovered, she has to determine if there is a serial killer in their small community or if something even more insidious is happening.
What I Enjoyed:
I enjoyed the setting, which is Iowa's farming communities. I haven't read a mystery of any sub-genre that has featured this type of community before this one. The facts about farming and the science that goes into it were fascinating. They made me feel so much more intelligent in regards to that industry.
I also enjoyed the complexity of the plot. Frequently, procedurals hit slow points, but The Field is fast-paced from start to finish, with multiple murders, loads of subterfuge, complex farming practices, corrupt politicians, and more. My head was absolutely spinning with all of the parts and pieces that came into play as the investigation progressed. It effectively mixes a political thriller, a bit of technothriller, and a procedural.
All of the characters felt like they belonged right where they are at. None are one-dimensional characters, but instead, they had a more genuine feel as people you would find if you were to visit the area. I loved the realistic feel of the characters and their individual stories. It definitely helped to suspend any disbelief as the story grew more complex and technical.
Characters:
The main character, Riley Fisher, is developed very well, with her backstory coming into play during the investigation. She is a strong, independent woman who has overcome tragedy and trauma with an easily respected determination. She doesn't always make the best decisions, but that makes her more interesting as you can never predict what she will do next.
What I Wish:
I loved the story's complexity, but it did feel overwhelming at times trying to process so many different elements. So, what I wish is that there had been perhaps some simplifying of the story – not a lot, just a bit – enough to keep my head from spinning but not so much that it slowed at points.
To Read or Not to Read:
If you are looking for a complex and fast-paced crime thriller, The Fields by Erin Young is just the debut novel to fit that bill.
I actually had a hard time believing that this author didn’t live in Iowa with some of the detail she provided! I’m always on the hunt for a mystery or horror set in Iowa.
This book was hard for me to follow though. There was a lot of perspective switching without warning and a lot of threads that just seemed entirely unconnected until the last forty or so pages, so it kind of felt disjointed until then.
This book was hard for me to follow though. There was a lot of perspective switching without warning and a lot of threads that just seemed entirely unconnected until the last forty or so pages, so it kind of felt disjointed until then.
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
This was a weird one for me. My favorite mysteries are basically social novels with a deep sense of place: they use a crime to explore how power and social norms work in a particular location. This is, on the face of it, one of those crime-novels-as-social-novels, and it takes place in a location that is pretty close to where I actually live. And the thing is, while it seems like a pretty good example of the type, it doesn't really get the place right. It's a political thriller about agricultural policy, and unfortunately, agricultural policy isn't a very big issue in Iowa politics, in part because everyone takes it for granted that almost all farmers are going to vote Republican regardless of what they think of Republicans' agricultural policies. It's also bizarrely not-attuned to the racial diversity of Black Hawk County, one of the few parts of Iowa with a relatively-large and longstanding Black community, and to the ways in which politics there is structured by racism, resistance to racism, and white backlash. (And I mean, most of the characters in this book are law enforcement agents. I promise you, their political discussions would focus a lot more on resisting Black Lives Matter than on anything to do with agriculture policy. It's also really weird that the author depicts a lot of casual sexism in the sheriff's department but doesn't seem to wonder if there's an equal amount of casual or not-casual racism.) In general, this one made me want to read a mystery set in the Black Hawk County sheriff's department and written by someone with a better sense of the local political landscape and a sharper take on some of the uglier aspects of Iowa politics and society. This book was pretty graphic and violent, but I think it was actually fairly naive about Iowa.
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Awesome debut crime thriller by Erin Young! Really loved Sgt Riley Fisher's character and learning about her past. Very interesting plot involving government corruption and Big agriculture. I liked how Young highlighted the horrific memories of her past and it really impacts the way the story unfolds. There are many unraveling secrets that eventually come out during Sgt. Riley's criminal investigation, which I really enjoyed reading!
Can't wait to read more by Erin Young!
Thank you NetGalley and Flatiron books for this ARC!
As the pub date comes closer, I will put my full review on Instagram @thrillersandcoffee
Can't wait to read more by Erin Young!
Thank you NetGalley and Flatiron books for this ARC!
As the pub date comes closer, I will put my full review on Instagram @thrillersandcoffee
When I found out this book had the setting of northeast Iowa (close to where I grew up), I had to check this story out. I was even more in awe when I found out it wasn't even written by an Iowan or even someone from the states -- this was the debut novel of Erin Young, an author from the UK. She did months of research and spent time in the area, but it was still amazingly written. The details were incredible; the plot itself was enjoyable and the verdict was quite satisfying. The reason I'm giving this a 3 is because at times, this story was a bit of a slough for me (or maybe I'm just not smart enough to get certain police references and the politics of big ag vs small family farms is definitely NOT a topic for everyone). That's really the only downside of "The Fields" for me. Riley Fisher is a well written character and seems very competent at her job; I was also overwhelmed at times by the number of characters, but not that big of a deal for me. It was easy to eventually separate who was important and who wasn't. I look forward to reading another book by Young. If you're from Iowa, a fan of detective mysteries and into the politics of Big Ag, this is up your alley.