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All June Left Behind
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
Flat Out Lies
Flat Out Lies is an aptly named mystery thriller by Karen Grose. It is filled with unexpected twists and turns that will keep you guessing until the very last page. Ria and Jim appear to be a typical married couple, striving to maintain a happy home for their two teenage sons. However, their facade begins to crack when an unexpected murder shakes their tranquil neighborhood. As secrets unravel, the foundation of their seemingly perfect marriage reveals itself to be a web of lies threatening to tear their family apart.
From the first page, Grose crafts an atmosphere of suspense. As readers try to understand the motivations of Ria and Jim, they quickly realize that the narrative is unreliable. Both characters conceal crucial information, transforming this mystery into a complex puzzle. With each chapter, new revelations about the characters deepen the intrigue, making it clear that nothing and no one can be trusted. Ria and Jim’s fear of their past actions being exposed leads to mounting tension and paranoia. Jim views Ria as increasingly erratic, while Ria suspects Jim is hiding something significant. The resulting confusion and uncertainty raise doubts about whether the truth will ever surface. Grose’s writing captivates and keeps readers on edge. Her compelling storytelling immerses readers in a world of secrecy and suspense. The plot’s numerous twists make it difficult to put the book down, as each answered question spawns new mysteries. Grose transforms readers into detectives, challenging them to piece together the truth.
Flat Out Lies is a deeply engaging thriller with a meticulously structured plot and well-developed characters. For anyone seeking a gripping read from start to finish, this book is an excellent choice.
Pages: 313 | ASIN : B0D4R9DP1X
The Dime Box
The Dime Box by Karen Grose is a thrilling crime novel about a young woman who tries to move on from her past, but it comes back to haunt her. Greta Giffen grew up in an abusive home, but she fled from her father’s house in northern Ontario when she was almost sixteen and moved to Toronto. Now three years later, she finds herself a suspect in a murder investigation. Greta’s memories of the night of her father’s death are not clear, plus she has a strong motive to want him dead, which makes her seem guilty to Detective Sergeant Astra Perez. What is the truth about what really happened that night? And will Greta find herself a victim once more, charged with Ian Giffen’s murder?
Karen Grose has written a compelling mystery novel. It drew me in from the very beginning and kept my attention throughout. The further I got into the story, the more questions I had (Who were Greta’s real parents? Was it a legal adoption?). These intriguing questions is what kept me flipping pages and what kept calling me back to this book. I liked the mystery aspect of the book because it didn’t follow the standard formula of simply settings up a mystery and then solving it. Detective Perez spends much of the book interviewing Greta, but even though the story is told from Greta’s point of view, the reader does not know what happened because Greta can’t remember all the details of the night in question due to a head injury she suffered as a child.
The book starts out in the present and Greta reveals more and more details about her past as the story progresses. I typically prefer books that follow a character’s life in chronological order, but in this case the style worked, adding additional intrigue to the story for the reader. This book is much more about Greta’s story and her life leading up to her father’s death, rather than solely focused on solving the case of how Ian died. However, at times I grew impatient to learn the truth of whether or not Greta was responsible for his death. Since everything remained uncertain as I read the story, it kept me constantly guessing how the book would end. Some things that I suspected were correct, but the ending still surprised me, but some of the questions remained unanswered.
The Dime Box is a thriller with a refreshing take on the murder mystery genre. With an engaging character to follow and an elusive mystery to solve, readers will have plenty to enjoy in Karen Grose’s novel.
Pages: 267 | ASIN: B081XH5CFP
LITERARY TITAN 