Book Review: The Familiar Dark

THE FAMILIAR DARK | Amy Engel
03.31.2020 | Dutton Books
Rating: 4/5 stars

Within the poorest part of the Missouri Ozarks lies a small town filled with big secrets. Eve Taggert’s daughter Junie and her best friend, Izzy, have just been found murdered. The girls were only twelve-years-old and had their whole lives ahead of them. Who would want to kill them? That’s the question that Eve can’t get from her mind. Eve will risk bringing back old memories and reuniting with shady individuals from her past on a quest for justice for her daughter. 

I have said it a million times and I’ll say it again, I love mysteries set in small towns! There is something so intriguing about a town filled with secrets and everyone in everyone else’s business. Amy Engel has gifted readers with a thrilling journey into Eve’s small town deep within the hollers of the Missouri Ozarks. This is one of those towns that people drive through on their way to bigger and better locations. A town filled with secrets about drugs and money. A town that Eve tried desperately to shield her daughter from the darkest parts of, but still ended up losing her. 

Our main character Eve is the type of person you want in your corner in times of need. She’s willing to do anything in order to discover who killed her daughter. The reader watches as Eve steps into one risky situation after another pushing her way towards the truth. I loved Eve’s take charge attitude, but it was the vulnerable side of Eve that Engel gave us, which truly allowed me to connect with her character. I could feel how hard Eve had worked over the years to correct her mistakes for her daughter Junie to have a better life and the desperation she’s experiencing trying to find out who took her daughter from her.

THE FAMILIAR DARK is one of those books that draws a reader into the story within the first few pages. When a book opens with murder, you tend to pay attention! There are plenty of heart-pounding moments within the pages of this book, which drive the story forward and keep the reader hooked. I absolutely loved the bingeablity of this book and highly recommend adding it to your TBR!

This book is available to buy from: Amazon | Book Depository

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