Amber Garza

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 target="_top">http://www.memoriesfrombooks.com/2023/12/in-quiet-town.html

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

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.… (mere)

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… (mere)