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Need spoilers, the ending explained, a character list or a plot summary for I Will Find You by Harlan Coben? You’re in the right place! Here’s my Spoiler Discussion for I Will Find You. I Will Find You is coming to Netflix on June 18 2026 and I have updated this post to reflect some of the changes.
I enjoyed this twisty thriller that puts a new spin on the “solving a case using DNA” trope. Check out my review of It’s One of Us by J.T. Ellison
If you love mysteries that are heavy on character development and the ruminations of the main character, you should definitely give this one a try. Check out my Review of Scorched Grace.
Published on February 21, 2023 by Xando/Gillian Flynn Books. Thanks to the publisher for providing a review copy.
When Saint Sebastian’s School becomes the target of a shocking arson spree, the Sisters of the Sublime Blood and their surrounding community are thrust into chaos.
Unsatisfied with the officials’ response, sardonic and headstrong Sister Holiday becomes determined to unveil the mysterious attacker herself and return her home and sanctuary to its former peace.
Her investigation leads down a twisty path of suspicion and secrets in the sticky, oppressive New Orleans heat, turning her against colleagues, students, and even fellow Sisters along the way.
Sister Holiday is more faithful than most, but she’s no saint. To piece together the clues of this high-stakes mystery, she must first reckon with the sins of her checkered past-and neither task will be easy.
Goodreads suggests she has published a short story collection, Girls Like You, and a collection of poetry, Scranton Lace. But not sure where or by whom these were published. Scorched Grace seems to be her first published novel.
At first I was in love with this story of a queer, tattooed nun with a lot of baggage who is trying to solve a mystery while also trying to hide her snarky opinions and her smoking habit.
Sister Holiday is the unlikeliest of nuns. Raised in Brooklyn, she is now living in New Orleans and barely tolerated by her clerical sisters. She’s tattooed, she secretly smokes, she’s entirely irreverent.
When an employee of the Catholic school at which she works dies in a mysterious fire and she’s the one to witness his death, Sister Holiday wants to get to the truth.
In my opinion, mysteries require a balance of character development and plot. It’s more typical to see less developed characters and a robust, twisty plot. I felt that Scorched Grace was the opposite: the story was more about Sister Holiday and her views of the world and her crisis of faith and her observations on New Orleans and (for me) just not enough of a mystery plot.
The problem with this extremely character-centric approach to writing a mystery is that the reader really has to like the main character. Do you find Poirot fussy and annoying, or brilliant and funny?
A reader who really vibes with Sister Holiday will love this book. I definitely liked her, but just wanted a little more of a mystery. For me, the balance was off.
If you love mysteries that lean heavy on the character and attitude then definitely give this a try! If you are looking for something with more plot, this may not be for you.
And check out my upcoming post on Mysteries Featuring Crime Solving Clergy!
I thought this one was pretty good, but it was really giving me the feeling that I’d read it before. Check out my Review of What Lies in the Woods by Kate Alice Marshall
Written and edited by Jen Ryland. Last updated on:
[Read more…]On the Savage Side is a different kind of mystery. More victim-centered than the typical mystery or thriller, it is inspired by an Ohio true crime case and focuses on twin sisters Daffy and Arc and their life in a family struggling with addiction. If you enjoyed books like The Quarry Girls, definitely check out my review of On The Savage Side by Tiffany McDaniel.
To be published on February 14, 2023 by Knopf. Thanks to the publisher for giving me an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.
Arcade and Daffodil are twin sisters born one minute apart. With their fiery red hair and thirst for an escape, they forge an unbreakable bond nurtured by both their grandmother’s stories and their imaginations.
Together, they create a world where a patch of grass reveals an archaeologist’s dig, the smoke emerging from the local paper mill becomes the dust rising from wild horses galloping on the ground, and an abandoned 1950s convertible transforms into a time machine that can take them anywhere.
But the two sisters can’t escape the generational chaos that grips their family. Growing up in the shadow of the town, the sisters cling tight to one another.
As an adult, Arcade wrestles with these memories of her life, just as a local woman is discovered drowned in the river. Soon, more bodies are found. While her friends disappear around her, Arcade is forced to reckon with the past. Arcade’s promise to keep herself and her sister safe becomes increasingly desperate while the powerful riptide of the savage side becomes more difficult to resist.
Her first book was The Summer That Melted Everything, in 2016, and she followed that with Betty, a stark coming-of-age story set in Appalachia, in 2020.
Wow, this was a very, very tough (but also moving) read, a mystery a very different kind.
Just a heads-up that the book features depictions of abuse, domestic violence, and addiction. It’s a dark book that doesn’t shy away from the harsh realities of poverty, trauma, and human suffering.
Inspired by an unsolved true crime case in Chillicothe, Ohio, the book focuses on twin sisters, Arcade and Daffodil (Arc and Daffy).
Arc and Daffy live with their mother, who is grappling with mental health and addiction issues and sells herself to support her habit. The girls also have their grandmother and an aunt as a presence in their life, but they use their vivid imaginations to escape the very tough circumstances they find themselves in and tell themselves stories.
The story switches between a narrative of the girls at age ten and again at age twenty, when Arc, Daffy and their friends Thursday, Violet, Nell, and Indigo have also drifted into a life similar to the twins’ mother.
When the body of the woman turns up in the local river, the group mourns and resolves to stay careful, but a monster is roaming among them.
This was my first book by Tiffany McDaniel. She is a writer and poet and her writing is definitely on the lyrical side.
I really loved these two sisters, their one blue and one green eyes, their scrappy natures, and how they always tried to see the beauty in life despite their difficult circumstances.
I loved how nature and the river tied in to the story. In this sense the book reminded me of a few books I’ve read recently: The Paper Palace, which had a similar style and some similar themes, The Quarry Girls by Jess Lourey, which also was inspired by a true crime case and was very focused on humanizing the victims, and Before You Knew My Name by Jacqueline Bublitz, a story about a girl trying to solve another girl’s murder. So if you enjoyed these titles, you should definitely check out On The Savage Side.
I’m a big fan of Scandinavian Noir on the screen and am trying to read more Scandi Noir fiction. I’ve been enjoying this series since it was translated and published in the U.S. What did I think of this installment? Check out my review of The Sanctuary by Katrine Engberg.
