Middletide: A Novel

by Sarah Crouch

In this gripping and intensely atmospheric debut, disquiet descends on a small town after the suspicious death of a beautiful young doctor, with all clues pointing to the reclusive young man who abandoned the community in chase of big city dreams but returned for the first love he left behind. Perfect for fans of All Good People Here and Where the Crawdads Sing.

One peaceful morning, in the small, Puget Sound town of Point Orchards, the lifeless body of Dr. Erin Landry is found hanging from a tree on the property of prodigal son and failed writer, Elijah Leith. Sheriff Jim Godbout’s initial investigation points to an obvious suicide, but upon closer inspection, there seem to be clues of foul play when he discovers that the circumstances of the beautiful doctor’s death were ripped straight from the pages of Elijah Leith’s own novel.

Out of money and motivation, thirty-three-year-old Elijah returns to his empty childhood home to lick the wounds of his futile writing career. Hungry for purpose, he throws himself into restoring the ramshackle cabin his father left behind and rekindling his relationship with Nakita, the extraordinary girl from the nearby reservation whom he betrayed but was never able to forget.

As the town of Point Orchards turns against him, Elijah must fight for his innocence against an unexpected foe who is close and cunning enough to flawlessly frame him for murder in this scintillating literary thriller that seeks to uncover a case of love, loss, and revenge.

• ISBN10: 1668035111
• ISBN13: 9781668035115
• Publish Date: 11 June 2024
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: Atria Books
• Format: eBook (EPUB)
• Pages: 288
• Language: English

Reviews

[annieb123]

Originally posted on my blog Nonstop Reader.

Middletide is a well constructed mystery thriller by debut author Sarah Crouch. Released 11th June 2024 by Simon & Schuster on their Atria imprint, it's 288 pages and available in hardcover, audio, and ebook formats. Paperback due out late 2nd quarter 2025 from the same publisher. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout.

The author has an impressive facility with setting and the tension and politics between the local (non-native) and folks living on the reservation were deep and well rendered. The characters are three dimensional with believable motivations and drives and the mystery itself is well constructed. 

It's not a cozy mystery and there are edges to the descriptions and themes, but it is well written, with a clear and direct voice. The story is told in scattershot flashbacks, but all the chapters are labeled with dates, so it's not too confusing. There are also some slightly overblown plot elements including an 11th hour courtroom denouement that was over-the-top, but again, generally well written and engaging.

Three and a half stars. Well done and, especially for a debut novel, worth a look. 

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.