From debut author Tamara L. Miller comes a suspenseful psychological thriller tracking the mysteries of a seemingly mundane life as they come to light in the vast, unforgiving Canadian wilderness.
For better or for worse, Sarah Anderson has it a thriving career, a nice home in Ottawa, two young kids…and a marriage coming apart at the seams.
Then her husband, Matthew, vanishes without a trace during a family vacation up north. Sarah and her children are nearly lost among the slumbering lakes, treacherous cliffs, and brooding forests of the Canadian Shield. A glacier-scraped realm of ancient beauty and terror, it’s a world away from the safety of the suburbs. And a big storm is brewing.
A kind rural lawman comes to their aid and takes an interest in the case. The trail goes cold, however, launching Sarah into a yearlong odyssey to find her husband. On the way, she must reconnect with her estranged sister and duck the suspicions of a slick city police officer. But that’s nothing compared to unearthing the dark secrets buried deep in the granite of her marriage—and in herself.
Armed with a Ph.D. and good intentions, Tamara Miller wrote history and government policy before finding her happy place in fiction. Along the way, she became a soccer fan, a nature lover, and the President of Ottawa Independent Writers.
She lives in Ottawa, Canada, with her family and two long-suffering cats. She frequently escapes the city to explore the wilder places.
This was a Kindle First Reads pick for January 2025. I'm glad I didn't actually pay for it.
First off there are so many errors: "gate" instead of "gait"; time descriptions that don't make sense.
There's a whole useless bit about Wendigos, where someone mentions that the town is so scared of them still that there are no streets named after them, while standing in a hotel called The Wendigo?
The plot is paper thin and then just winds into a wet fart of an ending.
Sarah Anderson has a career in the world of theatre, a nice home in Ottawa, Canada and two young children, but then her husband Matthew vanishes without a trace during a family camping trip up north. Eventually the trail goes cold, launching Sarah into a quest to find her husband.
This book is very impressive for a debut novel and I was quite captivated wondering what could possibly be coming especially after the revelations at about 50%. Not only is there the mystery surrounding Matthew's disappearance but also some family drama as Sarah reunites with her sister and also uncovers some startling information about her husband's past. Personally I wouldn't class this as a thriller but it kept me involved right to the end. There are a few extremely negative reviews of the book but I think they're unnecessarily harsh.
Tamara Miller, the author, is a Canadian and the story takes place in the Ottawa area and points north. I'm glad to add her to my list of favourite Canadian authors. Also, take a moment to admire this cover!
My thanks to Thomas & Mercer via Netgalley for the opportunity to read an ARC of this debut. All opinions expressed are my own. Publication Date: February 1, 2025
A debut novel that doesn't feel like a debut.....A captivating mystery with compelling characters that will keep you hooked from start to finish.
Sarah has a lovely home in Ottawa, two young kids, and a marriage that is falling apart. During a family camping trip in the brooding forests of the Canadian Shield, her husband Matthew disappears without a trace. Sarah and her children are struggling without Matthew, and to make matters worse, a big storm is on the horizon. The search for Matthew begins, and questions arise about who really is Matthew and the secrets he is keeping from Sarah, and where Matthew might be.
The book alternates between the present during the search, and the past in their relationship, which worked well in this book.
The writing style was excellent and well-crafted. The story is simple, with beautiful descriptions. I enjoyed this book. I wasn't quite sure where it would lead or what to expect. I wouldn't classify this as a thriller; it's more of a mystery story...with lots of twists and turns...A fun Read. I highly recommend this book....Releases on January 21, 2025.
WOW !! I am truly speechless at the moment !! I can’t believe this is a debut novel , such a smart and brilliant read!!
The ambiguity in this novel alone kept stringing me along for more and more , I couldn’t stop I was so addicted to Into the Fall .
“Magical beliefs and superstitious behaviors allow people to reduce the tension created by uncertainty and help fill the void of the unknown “
The devil loves unspoken secrets. Especially those that fester in a man’s soul”
Without giving too much away Into the Fall is a gripping thriller heavily weighted with mystery , so much that I read this in less than 24 hours , I burned through this book !!
The story starts off so picturesque and vivid I felt like I was in the forest camp setting with Sarah and her husband Matthew and their two children.
Set in the Canadian forests Matthew takes his family for a late fall camping trip , and mother natures storm is not the only storm brewing…. when Sarah wakes up the next morning Matthew is nowhere to be seen , he simply has vanished!!
Now the police are involved and the search and rescue are brought in and countless hours and endless efforts are put into searching for Matthew , but there simply is not a trace or clue of what or where he could be!!
As the investigation goes on the case goes cold , but a semi retired lawman takes interest in the case and he has many speculations running through his head and he can’t help but wonder if Sarah is hiding something from him , does she know more about what happened that night than she claims ??
Was there marriage on the outs ?? Was Matthew having an affair and Sarah did something to Matthew?? Did Matthew fake his own disappearance??
How far would you go to protect the ones you love ?
I loved the writing style of this book so much , the mystery kept pushing me forward and never got stagnant and I loved all the bread crumbs the author left for us leaving us nice and full all the way to the very end !!
Thank you so much NetGalley ,Thomas & Mercer and Tamara L Miller for this scrumptious thriller !! I can’t wait to read more from this talented author !!
As many a poet and playwright has noted, ‘hell hath no fury like a woman scorned,’ one must wonder what truly went through the mind of possibly cheated-on wife Sarah, when she awoke in a tent with her two small children in a remote Canadian wilderness campsite with a brutal storm-front approaching to find her husband nowhere in sight, him not answering her fervid calls, and their canoe, and only escape across the freezing lake missing, in Tamara L. Miller’s debut psychological suspense thriller, “Into the Fall.”
Into the Fall is a beautifully crafted dual timeline mystery with multiple layers of complexity and depth. It’s about love and loss. It’s about emotional immaturity, selfishness, growing-up, vulnerability, betrayal, sacrifice, and self awareness.
Add to that a good dose of empathy and compassion, along with a smattering of eerie Indian, Old World, Huntsman, Forrester, and other native Folklore for a creepy ghost story to tell for years to come. Did someone say, Wendigo?
JoyReaderGirl1 graciously thanks Amazon First Reads, Author Tamara L. Miller, and Publisher Thomas & Mercer for this Advanced Reader’s Copy (ARC) for review. Look for “Into the Fall” available to the public on February 1, 2025.
So let’s start with the elements of the book that I enjoyed. The setting up of the atmosphere was done really well. I felt like I was actually out there camping with them and could feel the eeriness of the woods. I also enjoyed that we got multiple points of views. The author also gave us clues throughout the book and it wasn’t just one huge plot twist at the end which was nice. What I didn’t love was the pacing felt off, sometimes I felt we were getting a lot shared with us but then there was a lull of just hearing about Sarah’s daily life. Also, only the first 30% felt like a thriller, where the rest felt more like a mystery which is fine but when it’s marketed as a thriller, I expect the whole thing to feel like a thriller. And then on that note, the end was very anticlimactic. All this suspense was built up and I had so many theories and then when I got to the end, I felt just like “oh..” Overall, I would definitely be interested in reading more of this author’s books in the future.
Thank you Netgalley and Thomas and Mercer for this ARC!
☆ I’d recommend this book if you love: 🔍mysteries 🏕 camping 🕰 multiple timelines
☆ Spice: some mild talk of spice ☆ Language: some explicit language ☆ When to read: anytime of the year
This book was engaging enough to read to the end, but certainly not gripping. There's a lot of extra text between dialogues that became annoying after awhile, as if the author is trying to stretch out the story. Also annoying are the "Ya" instead of "yeah" (Ya sounds like the speaker is German or something) and American spellings of colour and favourite, which a Canadian author would never do, right? It's difficult to like Sarah, the bereaved wife, or her sister, or even the kids. By far the most interesting characters are the investigators, Boychuk and Ritter. Perhaps a series with them collaborating on crime solving?
This book is not a thriller by any means. A mystery, yes, but definitely not a thriller. The details in this book were at best "fluff" to extend the pages of the book. There were details that had nothing to do with the plot and had no business even being in the book. I should have dnf'd this book earlier on, but I was trying to see if it would ever have a thriller aspect. It didn't! The ending was horrible and went on far too long. Feel like this was a short story forced into a book.
Sarah’s husband is missing. Did something accidental occur to cause him harm, or is something more sinister at play? Is Sarah hiding something? Does she know more than she is saying? This is a mystery that kept me interested throughout. The setting of Ottawa adds to the drama and intensity of this puzzling story of secrets and deception. The narration added a layer of suspense and emotion as the plot unfolded. Atmospheric, suspenseful, and twisty describe this family drama. Thank you, NetGalley and Brilliance Audio for my audiobook.
I don't usually do reviews. However, I want to save someone else the time of reading this book. It was exhausting with the ostentatious use of sesquipedalian vocabulary to create imagery for a less than thrilling storyline with an underwhelming ending. I only completed it because I just really hated to not finish a book and hoped there would be an unexpected twist that would make it worthwhile. Alas, my expectations were deflated. You are probably rolling your eyes in annoyance at my review and that is how I felt while reading this book. 🙄
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this creative, mysterious, and unique book. I was lucky enough to read an advanced copy of Into The Fall. I wasn't quite sure what to expect and I think that was the best way to to into the book, unsure of the exact plot. Without giving too much away, the book centers on Sarah, a married mother of two, who runs a theater company in Canada. One fall weekend she joins her husband and children on a camping trip in the Canadian forest. The second morning Sarah and her children wake up to find her husband Matthew missing from their campsite with no evidence where he went. After calling the police, a forest-wide search starts, leading to more questions than answers. The book is told back and forth in time between the present during the search, and the past in their relationship. It was a very intriguing plot. The time jumps added to the mystery. The Canadian forrest was its own character. It sounds both stunning and dangerous. I really enjoyed this book. I wasn't quite sure where it would lead or what to expect. The book takes turns and changes in different and interesting ways I didn't expect. It reminded me of The Last Thing He Told Me. The plot is not the same but it held the same type of mystery and intrigue of a missing husband and a wife and family trying to discover what happened. I highly recommend it if you're looking for a fun and creative mystery!
This was a 3.5/5 star read for me. It was ok, but definitely not my favorite book of the year. I liked it and wanted to know what happened, but I also didn't really care what happened. It wasn't a huge thriller feel to me, more like a mystery. The ending was mundane and what little build up there was, was just leading to nothing. It was like, really? It wasn't exciting to me. I didn't connect to the characters and didn't really care about the plot. There were no plot twists. If I hadn't been reading this book as an arc, I probably would have dnf'ed it. It was well written as far as, it didn't feel like a cheaply produced, words typed without a thought type of book. It just wasn't good. To be honest, I wouldn't recommend it.
Did this book grip my attention while I was reading? Sometimes. Is this book a thriller? No.
•”Thriller” genre definition per Wikipedia: Thriller is a genre of fiction that evokes feelings of suspense, excitement, surprise, anticipation, and anxiety. •”Mystery” genre definition per Wikipedia: The mystery genre is a type of fiction where a detective or other professional solves a crime or series of crimes. The purpose of a mystery is to create a feeling of resolution and to solve a puzzle for the audience.
This books is 100% without a doubt a mystery novel, not a thriller. When I read a thriller, I want to feel anxious, I want to question every little thing and over-analyze. I want to feel like I can’t trust anyone, even myself. This failed to deliver those feelings on so many levels. That being said, it’s a great mystery! I just think it should be marketed as such.
Also, a minor gripe I had was every time there was dialogue and a character says the word “yeah”, the author spells it as “ya”. It reminded me of text talk and ruined the immersion for me every single time it happened.
*Into the Fall* by Tamara Miller is a mildly captivating read that initially draws you in with its intriguing premise and promises of suspense. I rated it 3 stars, as it managed to hold my interest throughout, yet fell short of its full potential in some areas.
The story excels in building anticipation and curiosity, making you eager to find out what happens next with every turn of the page. Miller's writing style is fluid and engaging, and she creates a vivid atmosphere that immerses you in the unfolding drama. The characters are well-developed and relatable, each bringing their own unique perspective to the narrative.
However, despite these strengths, something essential seemed to be missing. While the plot kept me curious, it lacked the gripping hold that transforms a good read into an unforgettable one. There were moments where the pacing felt uneven, and certain plot points didn't have the emotional impact I expected. Additionally, the climax, though satisfying in its resolution, didn't quite deliver the punch I was hoping for.
In summary, *Into the Fall* is an enjoyable read with intriguing elements and strong character development. It effectively piques your interest, but unfortunately, it doesn't fully sustain the suspense and excitement that it initially promises. For readers who enjoy a light suspense novel with engaging characters, this book is still worth the read.
This read like the author just discovered thesauruses and similes.
Like most have said, not a thriller. Barely even a mystery. I don’t mind the flashing back and forth in times or character perspective, but this was done so haphazardly. Normally, flashbacks or character perspective changes are broken up in chapters. The author just switches at times in the middle of a chapter. Several times I had to go back and make sure I wasn’t skipping pages (which would have been very odd since I read the kindle version!).
The whole book was odd, too wordy, and just not that thrilling.
A nicely paced story about a missing man, and his family’s determination to find out what happened. The twist wasn’t exactly earth shattering, but I did enjoy reading this book!
This was an Amazon First Reads book for January and I was not sure what to expect. I was drawn in with the uncertainty of what was happening from the beginning. I did not know how the story would resolve and I was invested in the characters and knowing what happened both over time and at the end. The stories of the relationships between all the characters and the way humans treat each other was well written and I am glad I could see what was happening from different perspectives.
This was really hard to rate and review. It had some strong positives: atmospheric, deep descriptions, enticing mystery, exciting thrills. But it also had equally strong negatives: minor plot holes, pacing issues, a disappointing end.
I wavered on whether to give this three stars or two. In the end, I leaned toward the positives because I was intrigued through 80 percent of it while I was only disappointed the last 20 percent.
Tough read and pointless “thriller”. Surprise, he bonked his head and was such a dumbass that even as an experienced swimmer he didn’t realize his wetsuit had tons of holes? And he just froze to death? I was surprised at exactly 0 things in this book, other than just the fact that it was a useless, pointless excuse for a thriller. Also, he was setting up a trust fund for his old family while denying his current family hockey because it was too expensive? Please. Plus he works in IT but leaves his email unlocked for his wife to find? Hard to believe plus he is emailing with his 12 year old daughter without her mom knowing? Yeah right. At least it was under 300 pages. Good riddance to the worst book I’ve read in my life, never reading a Canadian thriller again
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
A man goes missing while on a camping trip with his wife and kids. After his disappearance, secrets from his past are revealed while his wife and law enforcement try to uncover what happened to him. Atmospheric setting. Intriguing mystery.
[arc review] Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for providing an arc in exchange for an honest review. Into the Fall releases January 21, 2025
While on a camping trip with his wife and two kids, Matthew disappears sometime between the hours of them going to sleep and waking up the next morning. His wife, Sarah, is left wondering what happened to the experienced camper she married, while trying to keep it together for her two kids.
The very first thing I noticed that set off alarm bells was the fact that there was no mention of Sarah trying to contact Matthew. Even if there wasn’t any cell service at their campsite, it’s natural instinct to take out your cellphone and check it — it’s 2016, not the 90’s. This gave me the impression that she already knew he didn’t take his cellphone, but how exactly would she have known that?
Having Matthew’s pov towards the end was something I really appreciated, but the story still felt anticlimactic. I believe he had good intentions and didn’t deserve the ending he got, which left me extremely melancholic.
A minor pet peeve was having to read the constant use of “ya” in place of “yeah” which became annoying… As a Canadian, I wouldn’t even consider that proper Canadian slang either.
Without getting too deep into specifics, I would recommend this if you like quick reads and plots involving hidden pasts.
Read this book as a part of Amazon Prime two free books per month. Honestly, I had a hard time putting this one down each night and could not wait to figure out what happened with this man! What a crazy tragedy! The author did a great job of giving just the right amount of information to keep me guessing and didn’t waste time rambling. This is a great beach read/pleasure read.
First, I want to thank both NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for providing me with the ARC of “Into The Fall” by debut novelist Tamara L. Miller. An overall success for Miller’s first work, the novel is a simple, captivating read with beautiful descriptions and believable characters.
Perhaps my favorite element of the book was the setting and descriptions of the serene and peaceful lake environment that paradoxically can be equally harsh and unforgiving. The author certainly takes the reader to the banks of the river and along with the family on their mysterious and life altering camping trip.
Sarah, the MC of Miller’s novel is one the reader can attach to and sympathize with. Forced to navigate and finally accept devastating circumstances, Sarah remains stoic for her children and family, but teasingly curt.
As a critic, I was left wanting a little more than the Occams Razor like conclusion to the disappearance of the husband/father. If I am reading fiction, let there be fiction, not a simple answer to an end one might read about in the daily news.
Well written and gripping for the majority of the book.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC. Impressed with this debut suspense thriller. Sometimes I am not keen on timelines going back-and-forth, but it worked well in this book. There were twists and turns to the plot with clues provided along the way. I couldn’t put it down. It kept my attention and I binge read it in a day. Looking forward to other books by Tamara Miller. Into the Fall releases January 2025.
This was an okay read I like the story okay and loved the setting but felt it was like a lot of books out nowdays with the same trope of remote cabin , murder etc but it was an ok read Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher fir letting me read the book
Well, I listened to 65% of this on audio and became convinced that maybe the narrator was the issue, so I switched to Kindle.
Turns out, it wasn’t the narrator. 🤷🏻♀️
This book was both deeply boring and uninteresting. I briefly thought it was going to get interesting at about the 70% mark, but no, the author didn’t go there. We went for boring. We stayed boring until the bitter, boring end.
I literally cannot recommend this at all. What a snoozefest.