Travel through time and multiple points of view as you attempt to unravel the mystery of what exactly happened to Sammy St. John, the golden boy of Savage Ridge. Except, everybody knows – but can’t prove, who did it. Ten years later his brother has hired a top PI to prove it.
About the Book
Small town justice comes with a price.
Ten years ago, in the pine-shaded town of Savage Ridge, Nick, Emmy, and Pete murder their high school classmate, Sammy Saint John.
His body is never found, and no arrests are made. The three friends make a pact to leave Savage Ridge and never return…
Now, each is drawn home, seemingly by chance or fate. But it’s neither: Private Investigator Sloane Yo has brought them back to finally answer for their crime.
The noose begins to tighten. But with each stone turned over in pursuit of justice, the long-buried secrets of Savage Ridge, and Sloane’s employers – the ruthless Saint John family – start to come to light.
What aren’t they telling Sloane? Is Sammy Saint John the only victim? And when the truth is finally revealed, whose side will she choose?
For fans of Chris Whitaker’s We Begin at the End, Savage Ridge is a shattering, propulsive why-dunnit crime thriller set deep in the pines of the American Pacific Northwest.
Praise for Savage Ridge
‘Full of tension and suspense, I couldn’t put this down. The twists and turns kept me on the edge of my seat. Brilliant!’ Simon McCleave
‘Dark, gut-punching and satisfying all at once. Expert handling of characters and pace, and a glorious evisceration of moral duty!’ Rachel Lynch
My Thoughts
Very rarely do you start a book knowing who the killers are, so this was an interesting take on the classic murder mystery or thriller. Instead of trying to figure out who did it, we were led to sympathize and empathize with the killers. Pretty quickly, we’re pretty sure the guy they killed and his entire family are not nice people. The kind of rich people who can get away with murder. So, how have three poor kids gotten away with murdering one of them?
The story follows the three kids ten years after the event, the first time they’ve come home – manipulated into doing so by a top, but morally grey, PI. I don’t really think there is a “good” character in the book, actually. I liked most of them – except maybe for all the people from the rich family and one of the cops – but none of them were very good. Everyone had some level of moral greyness. And, to be fair, we all do don’t we? I’m not sure if we all stretch to this level though.
The small town setting and sheriff were so well done. I grew up in a small town and spent the first several years of my career living in a small town as a journalist, interacting with the police on an almost daily basis. Those characterizations were great, if a little caricatured. But overall, the big man in town who can control everything, pulling all the purse strings was too familiar for comfort. Not a direct quote but a paraphrase by one of the characters – we all work for Mr. St. John in some way. I feel that in my soul. That is what it feels like to live in a small town like that. Sometimes it isn’t one person, but a few, but the sentiment is the same.
I’m so grateful to the author and Love Books Tours for including me on this tour and I can’t wait to read more by this author. The twists and turns kept me rushing through the pages, really stretching my speed-reading abilities! I needed to know what was going to happen!
Who’s It For?
If you love a good thriller packed with intrigue, twists, corruption, and comeuppance this is the tale for you. I gasped out loud when I hit the biggest twist of all. More and more thrillers and mysteries are surprising me than ever, but this one was brilliant in its turn! It deals with some very sensitive subjects, so please check the content warnings.
Content Warnings: Death, Murder, Violence, Corruption, Wealth Entitlement, SA, SI/SC, Adult Language, Drug Abuse, Alcohol Abuse, Cancer, House Fire
About the Author
Morgan Greene grew up in Wales and studied Creative Writing and English Literature at Swansea University where he focused on narrative structure and theory. He has worked as an author across multiple genres, including science fiction and dystopia, and in 2020, wrote and published the first Jamie Johansson novel. The Detective Jamie Johansson crime series takes major cues from Scandinavian Noir and brings Morgan’s signature white-knuckled over-the-shoulder style into the mix for a unique and thrilling experience that keeps readers churning pages well into the night.
Morgan is also working on several other projects, and currently lives in British Columbia, Canada, with his partner and their neurotic collie, who inspired a certain canine character in his books …
To learn more about Morgan’s books and to get updates on new releases, find him on Facebook, or visit his website.
Link
Amazon US: https://a.co/d/0UytpwH
Bookshop US: https://bookshop.org/a/25511/9781667207315
Amazon UK: https://amzn.eu/d/eYvVGFW
Bookshop UK: https://uk.bookshop.org/p/books/savage-ridge-a-darkly-atmospheric-dual-timeline-crime-thriller-morgan-greene/7594529?ean=9781804367308
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/199222683-savage-ridge
Author Website: www.ataleofbooks.com
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Published by Amorina Carlton. Award-winning American author, Amorina Carlton, is currently working on her first novel. You can find more about her published work and works in progress on the home page. She also serves as the PR/Marketing Lead for Ravens and Roses Publishing, and reviews books, mostly by other indie authors, here and on Bookstagram.