Middletide by Sarah Crouch is an atmospheric literary murder mystery and a story of love lost and found. This debut novel is highly recommended

In the small Puget Sound town of Point Orchards the body of Dr. Erin Landry is found on the property of Elijah Leith. He grew up there, left to become a writer, and after thirteen years he recently returned to live in his deceased father's cabin. Elijah's one book was published and was an abysmal failure after being panned from one critic. Now he is fixing up the cabin, trying to live off the land, and hoping to reconnect with Nakita, his first love.

When Sheriff Jim Godbout’s investigates Erin's death, it initially appears to be a suicide, but suspicions arise that point to murder. Then one of the few published copies of Elijah's book is sent anonymously to the Sheriff's department. The murder in the book seems to match Erin's death. It appears someone is trying to frame Elijah for murder. The question is who would perpetrate this and what would be their motive.

The descriptive writing is quite extraordinary in this debut literary novel that follows a trail of love, loss, and revenge. The setting is the star of the novel and comes to life. Elijah's struggles to build a life for himself and living off the land after his writing failure is interesting, as is the lost love story line. The murder mystery is also intriguing, but the investigation seems inept at times.

A few details in the plot do require some suspension of disbelief, but I found it easy to do so while focusing on the strengths of the writing. The events in Middletide span dates from 1973 to 1994. The dates are clearly given at the opening of each chapter so readers can keep the time period in mind, although the moving between time periods was a bit too frequent. I'll be looking forward to Crouch's next novel. Thanks to Atria for providing me with an advance reader's copy via Edelweiss. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.
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Middletide is a literary thriller about Elijah Leith, a failed author returning to his Pacific Northwest hometown. When the dead body of the town‘s doctor is found on his isolated property, Elijah finds himself under scrutiny. This book is a love letter to the Pacific Northwest, beautifully bringing its scenery to life, but that‘s where my praise ends.

The literary aspect of the story falls down on the job because the characters simply don't come to life. Elijah, who should be compelling and sympathetic, is, at best, wooden. At worst, he is annoyingly selfish, eagerly leaving behind the love of his life with unkept promises to follow his dreams. This wouldn't be so bothersome if he didn't follow it up by returning many years later to badger her back into a relationship too quickly after the loss of her husband.

The thriller aspect is poorly executed. While one might not expect top notch investigational prowess from a small-town police chief and his green deputy, their sloppy police work and easy willingness to buy into obviously leading evidence truly tests suspension of disbelief. The tension expected in a thriller isn't there, and the resolution is simplistic to the point of being unsatisfying. ( )

This is a debut novel but this author, and the premise of this book also focuses on a debut novel. Coincidence?
My mind was looking into whom was the guilty murderer, and I stabbed in the dark for answers. In the mean time, Elijah is stumbling, and pining for his lost love. Will they ever be reunited and end up together?
Answers come, but boy what a mind blowing read, the journey for answers makes for a page turning read, and yes, I was surprised at the outcome!
Does fiction become reality?
I received this book through Net Galley and the Publisher Atria Books, and was not required to give a positive review. ( )

This book was a murder mystery and I liked the sequence in which it was told. It’s a story about the murder of a woman in a small town, told in two perspectives—that of Elijah, first from 1988-1993, who is the suspected killer, and of Sheriff Jim Godbout and his Deputy Jeremy Hart in 1994, who are in charge of the case. The story unfolds quite seamlessly, connecting Elijah’s past to the clues that are unearthed while the murder is being investigated and then bringing in Elijah’s present timeline in 1994. The twist towards the end was unexpected and added another intriguing level to the story. I really enjoyed the author’s descriptive writing and I am looking forward to her future works. ( )

Middletide, by Sarah Crouch is a fascinating read. The story of a young woman’s suicide, or was it a murder, will lead you on a twisting journey through the life of a young man who tries to leave the small town of his birth to follow his dream of finding himself through his writing. Elijah will find that his dream is short lived and return as a failure to the only home he knows. He initially tries to hide from the people in his small town and especially the girl he left behind. He will find that Nikita has moved on after lonely years of waiting for him to come back to her. Elijah moves into his old home his estranged dad passed on to him when he died. While trying to get his life back together Elijah works at a local car repair shop run by an old family friend. Chitto is more like a father to Elijah than his real dad was. While working at the garage Elijah meets the town doctor who happens to be a beautiful woman. This is the woman who Elijah will eventually be accused of murdering. What strange series of events leads to this horrible possibility? The book is tightly written, carrying the reader swiftly along as the mystery is skillfully unfolded. The book was provided for review by the publisher, Atria Books. ( )