Middletide

Middletide is a satisfying slow burn debut which is heavy on atmosphere, loss, grief, and mystery. Slow burns usually don’t work for me, and there were times in the beginning I wanted to give the pace a gentle push along, but the later part of the book made up for slow beginning.

Two fishermen find the body of their town doctor, Dr. Erin Landry hanging from a tree on the land of Elijah Leith. Elijah had big plans of being a famous author when he left town after a relationship with Nakita, who lives on a nearby reservation. He returned home in shame after his father’s death and tries to keep a low profile while living in his parents’ cabin. Living off the land, he hopes to rekindle his relationship with Nakita, who is experiencing her own grief. Natika and Elijah aren’t the only characters experiencing grief in this book. Dr. Erin Landry recently lost her daughter in a car accident.

Loss and grief are dripping off the pages in Middletide.

This book becomes a mystery as an investigation ensues to determine if the doctor’s death was a suicide or murder. When investigators learn that her death mirrors a homicide in Elijah’s poorly selling book, eyes turn to him.

As things begin to unfold, I became more and more invested in the plot. It snuck up on me and I enjoyed the mounting sense of dread and tension. I wanted answers as to what led to Dr. Erin’s death. The book is told through past and present timelines. Readers are given glimpses into Elijah’s and Nakita’s young lives and love. Then we see them years later, after they have both experienced many life experiences. I enjoyed this touch.

The mystery and relationships in this book were intriguing and I thought the author did a great job depicting loss.

Overall, this was a satisfying debut novel and I do look forward to reading more of what Sarah Crouch writes in the future.

Atmospheric, well thought out, and mysterious.