Is that a chill in the air, or is it just wishful thinking? Reality check: it's still the end of August, and I live in Texas, but I'd say 93 degrees is refreshingly cool compared to the 100+ degree days we've had all month. And so, with the promise of fall just around the corner, it's time to get into some fall reading.
Sarah Pinborough's newest, They Say a Girl Died Here, seemed like the perfect transitional read. It's got the page-turning thrills I love in a summer thriller mixed with the kind of atmospheric mystery that starts to drive my reading as fall approaches. Basically, it's exactly the kind of book I want to be reading while I pretend 93 degrees counts as sweater weather.
There's not much happening in Harper's Creek. It's the kind of dusty farmland that time seems to have forgotten. But the people who live there haven't forgotten the terror one man caused. The Farmhand, as they called him, murdered two young girls three years apart. He was killed while trying to escape the police, but the fear he left behind has turned him into something of a local legend.
For Anna, Harper's Creek is the last place she ever thought she'd end up. She and her family have moved there to help care for her grandmother, whose dementia is becoming increasingly difficult to manage. With little else to occupy her time, Anna finds herself drawn to the story of the Farmhand and begins digging into the murders. Before long, she's questioning whether the police actually got the right man.
She's not the only one thinking about the killings. As the three-year anniversary of the last murder approaches, Anna's little sister becomes afraid that she could be the Farmhand's next victim. Meanwhile, their grandmother begins having strange, paranoid episodes of her own, claiming to know things about the murdered girls that she couldn't possibly know.
Anna begins to wonder if her grandmother may be the key to discovering what really happened all those years ago. Something strange is happening in their old house, Grandma knows far more than she should, and the closer Anna gets to the truth, the less certain she becomes that the terror in Harper's Creek ever really ended.
They Say a Girl Died Here is the kind of mystery that really gets under your skin. Sarah Pinborough imbues every page with the sense that something sinister is bubbling just beneath the surface. The more we uncover, the more justified those suspicions become.
I was initially drawn into the story by the eerie, almost folkloric nature of the Farmhand legend, but it was Anna who kept me there. She's a classic unreliable narrator. We're never quite sure how much of what she experiences we can actually believe. But you can't help but root for her. Her intentions are pure, and that makes everything she experiences all the more impactful.
Pinborough keeps the story moving at a fast pace while never sacrificing the eerie atmosphere that makes it so effective. It's clever, unsettling, and filled with moments that made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. Apparently, I didn't need to wait for cooler weather to get that first chill of fall. Even in the Texas heat, They Say a Girl Died Here brought it to me.
For more information, visit the author's website, Amazon, and Goodreads.
(2026, 69)
It's still over 100F here. It will cool down eventually but not yet.
ReplyDeleteDigging into the murders and thinking they got the wrong guy is scary. Imagining a killer on the loose still is frightening. Sounds like a good book.
A guy can dream right? (As I sit here sweating)
DeleteIt's finally cooled down here, but I know it's hot in Texas! My daughter lives in Austin. It sounds like there might be a supernatural element to this thriller. I can see why it'd give you the chills despite the 93 degree weather, haha!
ReplyDeleteWe escaped to the lake cabin for the long weekend. It's still hot and crazy humid, but I'll take the change of scenery!
DeleteWe had a great August. Lots of rain but mostly stayed under 90. The main character sounds very complex, and I applaud the author for being able to make her appealing with so many facets to her personality.
ReplyDeleteI was really pleased with the way the author handled her. One of the better mysteries I've read this year.
Delete"Apparently, I didn't need to wait for cooler weather to get that first chill of fall. Even in the Texas heat, They Say a Girl Died Here brought it to me."
ReplyDeleteGreat final lines!
I love me an unreliable narrator, especially if they're the good guy in the story.
Thanks! I can be hit or miss on an unreliable narrator, but this one worked really well.
DeleteSounds delicious! Just put it on hold at the library. We've been miserable all month here too and were in a heat warning that finally expired yesterday. We're in the 90s a bit longer, then dropping to the 80s in a few days, fingers crossed.
ReplyDeleteI really hope you like this one. It surprised me. And yep, still in the 90s here, but I'll take it until we get actual Fall weather.
DeleteDunno what 93 is but probably hotter than it was here all summer
ReplyDelete