Take one part corrupt mayor, one part serial killer, one part reluctant sheriff, and mix with a small town erupting with rumor as swarms of cicadas emerge from a 17-year sleep. It all adds up to intrigue and a compelling read in Cicada Spring. Galacar excels in setting the stage and getting into his character's heads without needless overwriting. The story is well constructed and every chapter compels you to read the next until you reach the satisfying conclusion. I could see this on the big screen. I'm putting Galacar on my list of authors to watch (and read!) ( )

I loved this book. The characters were fully fleshed and we caught the sense of small town America in the mid 1900"s. CSI was just about non existent and your importance in town life could protect you from the law. In particular, the author realistically described Kara's feelings of helplessness in the aftermath of the rape. The story did not race along but proceeded at a leisurely pace. This added to my enjoyment of the story. I also loved the way a cicada would intrude in many of the events of the story. ( )

I stumbled upon this book by debut author Christina Galacar. It's worth the stumble. I love the characters, the plot and the fact I couldn't put it down until I knew the conclusion. Well done, great writing. Don't miss reading this one, you won't be sorry. Great traveling book. ( )

First words:
~As adults we find solace in the knowledge that monsters do not exist~

This was a freebie from amazon.ca. It sounded interesting and there seemed to be a lot of controversy about the book with quite few reviewers saying they gave up in disgust after the first few pages and quite a few saying it was a remarkable piece of work for a first novel. I was curious.

Well, monsters do exist. I enjoyed this first novel by Galacar. Interesting that we human beings can enjoy monsters. Of course, it was the writing I enjoyed and the way that Galacar gets us into the twisted mind of the rapist and the serial killer. The writing reminded me of Karin Fossum, whose writing I really love, who gets into the mind of her characters.

I like the way the villain got his comeuppance. I liked the character development.

I did find that few happenings were a little bit too ‘pat’ but the book overall worked for me.

I would actually like to hear more about the people of Heartsridge, Mass especially the new sheriff. I like her a lot. A strong female character who doesn’t hesitate to speak up to her boss when she feels things are not right.

I see that the author has several short stories, but I probably won’t check them out as I am not fond of the short story.

I will read more by this man as soon as he writes it.

4 stars ( )

I received this book from the Goodreads Giveaway in exchange for an honest review and I was quite happy to have won such a wonderful book! Cicada Spring opens with the rape of a young teenager, Kara, in a small New England town. Early on it is disclosed that the popular mayor is the man who raped her. Without substantial evidence to back up her claim, it becomes a story of Kara's word against that of the mayor. Told from all the different character's perspective allows you to get to really know them. This wonderful character development, the introduction of several serial killings and how all of these events come together makes this a book a real page turner. ( )