When Elijah Leith returns to his family’s abandoned cabin in the woods of Washington state, he’s hoping to find a better life than he left behind in San Francisco, and maybe the girl he left there 15 years earlier. Elijah endures several years alone in the woods, but when things seem to finally begin to go his way the bottom falls out and he is accused of murder. This is a book with a lot of unfilled spaces where the author trusts the reader to fill in the blank, and sometimes that works and sometimes that doesn’t. Middletide tries to be a lot of things — a thriller, courtroom drama, love story, and bildungsroman to name a few — and all of it mixes together to be an engaging book. ( )

Set in the Pacific Northwest, Middletide is the story of Elijah, a young man who left home to become a writer. His first novel was the subject of a scathing review and sales dipped until the publisher dropped the book. Because his alcoholic father scorned his choice of becoming a writer, Elijah never came home until after his father’s death and he struggles with guilt over not reconciling with him before he died.

Once home, Elijah has tries to rekindle his previous relationship with Nikita and it doesn’t go well. He then dates Erin, the local doctor for a brief time before realizing she is not a good fit for him. Elijah and Nikita manage to work out their issues and become a couple once again.

Meanwhile, Erin its found hanging from a tree on property owned by Elijah. Naturally he becomes a suspect. When the local sheriff is mailed a copy of Elijah’s book, he realizes that Erin’s death is the exact death of a character in Elijah’s book. Elijah is arrested and has to find the one mistake made in the death in order to get himself free.

I found the story predictable, but I enjoyed anyway. I would have liked to have seen more character development with Elijah and Nikita. Overall I felt this was a good debut mystery.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for allowing me to read an advance copy. I am happy to give my honest review to other readers. ( )

Middletide by Sarah Crouch is an atmospheric literary murder mystery and a story of love lost and found. This debut novel is highly recommended

In the small Puget Sound town of Point Orchards the body of Dr. Erin Landry is found on the property of Elijah Leith. He grew up there, left to become a writer, and after thirteen years he recently returned to live in his deceased father's cabin. Elijah's one book was published and was an abysmal failure after being panned from one critic. Now he is fixing up the cabin, trying to live off the land, and hoping to reconnect with Nakita, his first love.

When Sheriff Jim Godbout’s investigates Erin's death, it initially appears to be a suicide, but suspicions arise that point to murder. Then one of the few published copies of Elijah's book is sent anonymously to the Sheriff's department. The murder in the book seems to match Erin's death. It appears someone is trying to frame Elijah for murder. The question is who would perpetrate this and what would be their motive.

The descriptive writing is quite extraordinary in this debut literary novel that follows a trail of love, loss, and revenge. The setting is the star of the novel and comes to life. Elijah's struggles to build a life for himself and living off the land after his writing failure is interesting, as is the lost love story line. The murder mystery is also intriguing, but the investigation seems inept at times.

A few details in the plot do require some suspension of disbelief, but I found it easy to do so while focusing on the strengths of the writing. The events in Middletide span dates from 1973 to 1994. The dates are clearly given at the opening of each chapter so readers can keep the time period in mind, although the moving between time periods was a bit too frequent. I'll be looking forward to Crouch's next novel. Thanks to Atria for providing me with an advance reader's copy via Edelweiss. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.
http://www.shetreadssoftly.com/2024/05/middletide.html ( )

Middletide is a literary thriller about Elijah Leith, a failed author returning to his Pacific Northwest hometown. When the dead body of the town‘s doctor is found on his isolated property, Elijah finds himself under scrutiny. This book is a love letter to the Pacific Northwest, beautifully bringing its scenery to life, but that‘s where my praise ends.

The literary aspect of the story falls down on the job because the characters simply don't come to life. Elijah, who should be compelling and sympathetic, is, at best, wooden. At worst, he is annoyingly selfish, eagerly leaving behind the love of his life with unkept promises to follow his dreams. This wouldn't be so bothersome if he didn't follow it up by returning many years later to badger her back into a relationship too quickly after the loss of her husband.

The thriller aspect is poorly executed. While one might not expect top notch investigational prowess from a small-town police chief and his green deputy, their sloppy police work and easy willingness to buy into obviously leading evidence truly tests suspension of disbelief. The tension expected in a thriller isn't there, and the resolution is simplistic to the point of being unsatisfying. ( )

This is a debut novel but this author, and the premise of this book also focuses on a debut novel. Coincidence?
My mind was looking into whom was the guilty murderer, and I stabbed in the dark for answers. In the mean time, Elijah is stumbling, and pining for his lost love. Will they ever be reunited and end up together?
Answers come, but boy what a mind blowing read, the journey for answers makes for a page turning read, and yes, I was surprised at the outcome!
Does fiction become reality?
I received this book through Net Galley and the Publisher Atria Books, and was not required to give a positive review. ( )