All June Left Behind is a tightly written, emotionally raw story about grief, justice, and secrets that won’t stay buried. It follows Ray Meadows, a weathered farmer trying to keep it together two years after his wife, June, was murdered. The man convicted of the crime is suddenly granted a new trial, cracking open old wounds and unearthing something far more explosive than Ray could’ve imagined, June’s entire past life. What starts as a tale of one man’s pain slowly peels back into a mystery that ties together mob connections, witness protection, and the terrifying thought that maybe, just maybe, everything Ray believed about his wife was a lie.

Ray’s narration is no-nonsense, full of grit, sarcasm, and painful honesty. Right from page one, you feel the weight he carries. That scene where he deletes the detective’s message and talks to his daughter while scrounging for a Pop-Tart is so ordinary, and yet you feel his dread simmering underneath. The writing doesn’t try to be fancy, which I loved. It’s plainspoken, sharp, and emotional when it needs to be. Ray’s grief isn’t pretty or poetic; it’s sweaty, stubborn, and full of denial.

What absolutely floored me, though, was the twist. I had to set the book down and just breathe. The pacing right before and after that moment was pitch-perfect. Karen Grose doesn’t overplay it. She lets Ray react in exactly the way you’d expect, confused, furious, heartbroken. There’s this moment where he’s locked in a cell, soaked in water from a busted faucet, completely unraveling. I could feel the walls closing in. That moment hit hard. And I liked that the book didn’t shy away from showing Ray’s worst sides, his temper, his stubbornness, his pride. It made him believable.

But maybe my favorite part was how Grose writes family. The scenes with Ray and his kids, especially Ryla, are full of tiny emotional jabs. The way they talk around June’s death, the worry in their voices when they think he’s spiraling again is all so layered. The characters felt lived-in, like people you’d meet in a small town diner or at the edge of a cornfield, holding a coffee and a thousand unspoken words.

All June Left Behind is a slow burn with a lot to say about love, anger, and how the past can knock you off your feet when you least expect it. It’s a story about trying to move on when you’re stuck in a loop of what-ifs. If you’re someone who likes character-driven stories with mystery baked in, this one’s for you. It’s got heart, it’s got bite, and it doesn’t let go.

Pages: 324 | ASIN : B0DYL1RYW6