Jackal by Erin E. Adams

Jackal

by Erin E. Adams

RECOMMENDED BY GILLIAN FLYNN ON THE TODAY SHOW • A young Black girl goes missing in the woods outside her white rust belt town. But she's not the first—and she may not be the last. . . .

“I read this thriller that is Get Out meets The Vanishing Half in one night.”—BuzzFeed

“Extraordinary . . . A terrifying tale of fears and hatreds generated by racism and class inequality.”—Associated Press

EDGAR® AWARD FINALIST • BRAM STOKER® AWARD FINALIST • SHIRLEY JACKSON AWARD NOMINEE • PHENOMENAL BOOK CLUB PICK

ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR: Esquire, Vulture, PopSugar, Paste, Publishers Weekly • ONE OF COSMOPOLITAN’S BEST HORROR NOVELS OF ALL TIME

It’s watching.

Liz Rocher is coming home . . . reluctantly. As a Black woman, Liz doesn’t exactly have fond memories of Johnstown, Pennsylvania, a predominantly white town. But her best friend is getting married, so she braces herself for a weekend of awkward, passive-aggressive reunions. Liz has grown, though; she can handle whatever awaits her. But on the night of the wedding, somewhere between dancing and dessert, the newlyweds’ daughter, Caroline, disappears—and the only thing left behind is a piece of white fabric covered in blood.

It’s taking.

As a frantic search begins, with the police combing the trees for Caroline, Liz is the only one who notices a pattern: A summer night. A missing girl. A party in the woods. She’s seen this before. Keisha Woodson, the only other Black girl in Liz’s high school, walked into the woods with a mysterious man and was later found with her chest cavity ripped open and her heart removed. Liz shudders at the thought that it could have been her, and now, with Caroline missing, it can’t be a coincidence. As Liz starts to dig through the town’s history, she uncovers a horrifying secret about the place she once called home. Children have been going missing in these woods for years. All of them Black. All of them girls.

It’s your turn.

With the evil in the forest creeping closer, Liz knows what she must do: find Caroline, or be entirely consumed by the darkness.

Reviewed by Quirky Cat on

4 of 5 stars

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If you're in the mood for a dark thriller that will resonate within your soul, be sure to check out Jackal by Erin E. Adams. Seriously, words cannot quite describe how hard this novel hits.

Liz Rocher thought she had finally escaped the clutches of her hometown. She thought wrong. Returning home to celebrate her best friend's marriage, Liz notices things she had been completely unaware of as a child.

Such as the dark coincidence behind all the missing children. Something horribly wrong is happening in this town, and everyone seems to be looking the other way—everyone except for Liz.

Ohhhh. Jackal is one of those books that'll suck you in and give you the chills! It's the perfect read for a stormy Friday night (or not, if you're the type that is prone to nightmares...). This book kept me on the edge of my seat all night and then stuck in my brain for days afterward.

Jackal is a bit of a perfect storm. It combines supernatural horror with thriller vibes but takes several more notches before calling it quits. That leaves plenty of room for tensions to rise. And then there's the whole mystery of the plot – that kept me guessing until the end.

In truth, I don't think I could have predicted how Jackal. I was so surprised by every twist and turn, even having read the description and a couple of reviews. So good luck trying to guess it! I would love to see how this experience is for other readers.

Thanks to Bantam and #NetGalley for making this book available for review. All opinions expressed are my own.

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Reading updates

  • Started reading
  • 21 October, 2022: Finished reading
  • 21 October, 2022: Reviewed