Out of the Ashes

3.5 stars!!!

I've always felt the same about every Kara Thomas book I've read and this one is about the same. I was really invested in the backstory of the main character and the mystery but all the answers just fell into the main character's lap. She knew exactly what to search and who to talk to to get the answers she was looking for. But despite that, I had a good time reading this and it was well written. I never really guessed any of the plot twists and most of the red herrings got me. This was fun and it was nice to read something from this author that leaned more adult than YA.






Thank you to Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley for providing me with an eBook copy to review.

⭐⭐⭐.5

Out of the Ashes by Kara Thomas is a heart-wrenching novel of suspense that follows Samantha Newsom's investigation into her family's murders. When Samantha was thirteen years old, her family was killed and their Catskills farmhouse was burned down in an unsolved crime. Twenty-two years later, she returns to her hometown of Carney, New York, haunted by the tragedy. The case had gone cold, but investigator Travis Meacham brings news that a prison inmate claims that Samantha's presumed-dead baby sister survived that fateful night.

As Samantha delves deeper into the investigation, she uncovers shocking truths that challenge everything she thought she knew about her family and the crime. However, Carney is a town that fiercely guards its secrets, and Samantha may find herself in grave danger as she tries to escape its grip.

Overall, I found the book to be engaging with a well-paced plot. The writing was solid, and the cover art perfectly captured the essence of the story. However, I did have a few reservations. With numerous characters to keep track of, it became challenging to stay connected to them all. Additionally, I struggled to warm up to Samantha as a protagonist, and I felt that the character development throughout the book was lacking. Furthermore, the ending left me unsatisfied.

Nevertheless, considering that this is Kara Thomas's first venture into adult fiction, I enjoyed it enough to consider reading more of her work in the future.

ARC Via NetGalley