The Briars

Gripping, atmospheric, mysterious, and wonderfully written, Sarah Crouch delivered with The Briars! I was drawn in by the mystery, the wonderful writing, the vivid descriptions and the intriguing characters! Sarah Crouch won me over with Middletide and took me into the woods again with The Briars. I could almost smell the scent of the leaves, hear the chilling Cougar calls at night, and the sounds of insects, and the sound of oars in the lake water. Make no mistake about it, the outdoors is very much a character in this book. The descriptions of the wilderness and the lake had me wanting to leave my cares behind and go for a long hike in the woods.

After a breakup, Annie Heston moved to the Pacific northwest to accept a job as a game warden in Lake Lumin. As she investigates a Cougar in the area, she finds herself involved in the murder investigation of a young woman whose body was found in the Briars. Annie begins helping Jake Proudy, a friendly and helpful local law enforcement officer, with the murder investigation. She also finds herself drawn to Daniel, a mysterious handsome man whose property is near where the murder victim’s body was found.

This was an intriguing and captivating read. I found myself completely invested in the plot after the first chapter. The three main characters of Annie, Jake and Daniel were likeable and very well developed. They mystery kept me on my toes, and I tried my best to solve the care right along with Annie and Jake. I thought Sarah Crouch did a great job with the descriptions in this book. I felt as I was right in the middle of the scenes along with the characters. She also did a great job with setting up the twists, inserting tension, doubt, and danger as the book progressed.

This is Sarah Crouch’s second book, and she delivered once again. Her lush descriptions, use of nature, and intriguing characters are her strong points. As with her previous book, Middletide, she has proven that she knows how to expertly use atmosphere in her books. The Briars is a great book which delivers a riveting mystery with a little romance sprinkled in along the way.

Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.