A quiet New Hampshire lake. A murder from twenty-five years ago. A missing father. And a town full of people who seem to know more than they’re willing to say.
I loved this book. It’s the kind of thriller where you keep turning pages without realizing how much you’ve read because there is always something else happening. Secrets, lies, complicated relationships, family drama, debts, buried truths—and somehow, Edwin Hill manages to keep all of it moving.
Charlie Kilgore returns to his hometown determined to uncover what really happened the night his father allegedly murdered a man, nearly killed his mother, and disappeared. Charlie believes his father may still be alive, and he turns the mystery into a true-crime podcast in an attempt to finally piece everything together.
And I absolutely loved the podcast element. It gives the story this almost conspiratorial feeling, as Charlie starts pulling at one thread after another and realizes just how many people have something to hide.
One of my favorite parts of the story is Charlie’s relationship with Seton, the new Chief of Police. There’s already a complicated history between them—especially because Charlie’s father was allegedly responsible for killing Seton’s father that fateful night. Add in Charlie’s feelings for her, his brother’s mounting debts, his mother hiding the truth, a famous actress who has settled in town, and her connection to a powerful police chief… and suddenly this tiny lake town is overflowing with secrets.
And there are A LOT of secrets.
Honestly, so much happens in this book, and I was completely here for it. Mystery, action, tangled relationships, family secrets, lies, suspicious characters—I wanted to know everything. It’s the kind of thriller where you reach the end and think, wait, already? I’m not ready to leave this town yet.
But what made the atmosphere especially special for me was the lake setting. Charlie, Seton, and all these complicated little-town characters completely transported me there. I grew up spending my summers at the lake with my parents, so reading this felt strangely nostalgic. I could almost feel those summers again—and, honestly, I miss them. I miss that feeling, and I miss them.
The mystery stayed complicated right until the end, and I was genuinely invested in finding out how everything would unravel—and whether Charlie’s podcast would ultimately lead him to the truth.
I was also very relieved that some of the characters I had grown attached to made it through the chaos okay.
This was my first Edwin Hill book, but it definitely won’t be my last. I absolutely loved this one. It had everything I want from a thriller: atmosphere, secrets, messy relationships, twists, and that irresistible feeling that there’s still one more thing you need to uncover.
Edwin Hill, you’ve got yourself a new reader.
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