Amber Garza's book Where I Left Her was about a mother and daughter, an estranged relationship, a daughter gone missing, and an unreliable narrator. In a Quiet Town is similar. Given the small cast of characters, the mystery of this book is not difficult to solve. Sadly, I do not connect with any of the characters, and this thriller does not engage me the way I expected it would.

Read my complete review at http://www.memoriesfrombooks.com/2023/12/in-quiet-town.html

Reviewed for NetGalley and a publisher’s blog tour. ( )

Adrienne has disappeared. Her mom, Tatum, knows something is wrong but no one believes her. Tatum and Adrienne have not had the best relationship but they have reconnected lately. So, Tatum knows she did not go away and not tell anyone. When Adrienne’s fiancé shows up, Tatum is relieved that someone finally believes her. Adrienne IS missing! But then Tatum makes a discovery and this just might be the death of her and Adrienne.

This novel brings out all kinds of feelings. Of course, terrified and angry are the first, but you also have sadness because of the way Adrienne has been treated by her family. Being from the small town south, I see this happen all the time. And to say I wanted to come through the pages and slap someone is an understatement…ok..now that that is out of the way…

I enjoyed these characters. I loved the strength of Adrienne. And her mom…I was just giddy when she finally got her backbone. That was almost the best part of the book! And don’t get me started on Adrienne’s “fiancé”…he is a piece of work.

Need a thriller which creates all kinds of emotions…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today.

I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review. ( )

In a Quiet Town by Amber Garza is a recommended family drama/thriller.

After Tatum's husband Shane, an influential pastor in their small California town, disowned their daughter, Adrienne, Tatum thought she'd lost her daughter forever until after several years she finally defied her husband and secretly went to see Adrienne at the bar where she now works. Now every Wednesday night Tatum goes to the bar to see Adrienne and is re-establishing a relationship with her daughter. Then one night Adrienne doesn't show up to work. No one knows where she is and she isn't answering her phone.

Tatum contacts the police and tells her husband about it, but none of them are taking her seriously. When Tatum meets a man claiming to be Adrienne's fiancé, he believes her and is also trying to find Adrienne. Even though Tatum knew nothing about this man, she needs to trust him in her search for her daughter.

The narrative is told through different points of views, alternating between Tatum, Adrienne, and the fiancé, from both the past and the present. Tatum's character is sympathetic, despite her deferential demeanor, although it is nice to see her allowing herself a measure of some fortitude. However, at the start it was also a stretch for me to believe that a mother would not talk to a daughter for years because her husband didn't want her to.

The pacing is slow and there is some repetition and over detailed explanations which bog down the pace further. The overarching theme of Shane, the pastor and members of his church controlling the whole town was played a bit too heavy-handed and wasn't believable outside of a sequestered cult situation. There is a surprising twist. This was just an okay novel for me.
Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of MIRA via NetGalley.
http://www.shetreadssoftly.com/2023/08/in-quiet-town.html ( )

I really enjoyed this well thought out suspense filled psychological thriller. I enjoyed how the story unfolds through the eyes of each different character. I did not want to put this book down. I received a copy of the book from the publisher for a fair and honest opinion that I gave of my own free will. ( )

In Amber Garza's new suspense novel In A Quiet Town, Tatum is a pastor's wife who has begun to question her direction in life.

Her pastor husband is consumed with his job and her every move in their small Californian town is monitored closely the members of his congregation. Their adult daughter Adrienne is estranged from them, something that troubles Tatum. Adrienne struggled under the overly strict rules of her father and moved out.

Tatum has begun to secretly visit Adrienne's place of work, a bar just outside town. She goes every Wednesday when Adrienne is working, and it appears that her efforts are being rewarded. At first wary of her mother, lately Adrienne has been friendlier to her mother, and even agrred to an appointment for a mother-daughter mani-pedi day.

When Adrienne fails to show up for work and misses her appointment with her mother, Tatum becomes worried. She goes to Adrienne's empty apartment, and her texts are unanswered. Convinced that something bad happened to Adrienne, she goes to the police who, after a cursory look around, decide that Adrienne probably just went away with a boyfriend.

Tatum's concerns grow when she notices a man following her. She confronts the man who says that he is Adrienne's fiance Seth, and he too is worried that something happened to Adrienne. They were to go away for a weekend trip and she didn't show up. They team up to find her.

What happened to Adrienne? And why doesn't anyone know about Seth, Adrienne's coworkers or her best friend Mara?

In A Quiet Town is a twisty suspense story, told from the viewpoints of Tatum, Adrienne, and her fiance. There is a a big twist at the end, and while I found parts of the ending a little too unbelievable, you can't deny that a mother will find the strength do anything for her child.

Tatum suffers from a medical issue that her husband seems to have no patience or understanding for, and I think many people will be able to relate to that. Readers of John Searles' recent pyschological suspense novel, Her Last Affair, and fans of Dateline and 20/20 will want to put In a Quiet Town on their list to read.

Thanks to Harlequin for putting me on their 2023 Summer Blog Tours. ( )