Kristen Bird

This was an engrossing and unique family drama/mystery/suspense set in the Appalachian woods of Alabama. The story is told from the POVs of three sisters and their sister-in-law. As the family gathers for their grandmother’s funeral, buried secrets, both past and present, threaten to come to the surface. I enjoyed how the author hid the identity of the missing person until later in the book, which definitely added to the suspense.

I loved these sisters, and I was quickly pulled in by their dilemmas. Each one had her flaws, but all were complex and compelling. Overall, this was an entertaining story about the strength of sisterly bonds, with some Southern Gothic atmosphere and revenge mixed in.… (more)

Small Town Southern Mystery Reminiscent of Malibu Rising. As I begin to think about this book and my experience with it, Malibu Rising keeps coming to mind - which, given that *that* book was a bestseller, tends to be a favorable comparison for this book - or so Ms. Bird likely hopes. Up front, this book does have several different POVs, which is clearly something some readers don't enjoy. So if you're one of those, know this book probably isn't for you. That noted, Ms. Bird actually uses those POVs quite effectively, with the grandma character very much feeling like an old school small town Southern grandma, particularly of the "knows everybody and their business" variety. On some other aspects, at times the tale gets perhaps a bit *too* blatant in its commentary, seemingly coming millimeters from using the actual names (NXVIM, Allison Mack, etc) it is referring to. At other points, it is perhaps a touch too *obtuse*, at times using a few dozen words when a single word or short phrase would have worked just as well.

But ultimately this was a fun book that managed to keep the pacing and mystery solid enough to be entertaining without being so serious and deep as to be dragging. The surprises were done well and the villains were sufficiently creepy, and the humor was just enough to keep everything refreshing. Very much recommended.… (more)

Book Review: Watch It Burn
Stars: 4 X 5
Author: Kristen Bird
Publisher: Harlequin Trade Publishing
Thank you @netgalley for this ARC

What a great mystery book. The book starts a bit slow but it picks up big time after a bit.
Nichole, a school teacher who is on a run finds the body of Beverly Hoffman. Beverly was the wife of the richest and most influential person in town. Jenny is a journalist who is doing her best to create a comeback and the Beverly Hoffman death story may be just the thing she needs. Beverly’s daughter-in-law Robin just wants justice and she is now decided it her time to speak up.

The Hoffman’s themselves are a strange bunch. They are not only rich and influential but they are also run a self help company called Genetive, Inc. in this Texas town called Endenberg.
The Hoffman’s claim this is not cult but others disagree. The police rule Beverly’s death an accident even though she drowned in 2 inches of water. Friends Nichole, Jenny and Robin believe the death was not accidental. As the three of them investigate Beverly’s death they also start to uncover the truth about Genetive, Inc.. The town of Edenberg is small and the people all know each other and Beverly’s death is a shock to all. As the lady’s investigate there are many personal emotions and journeys that occur with the characters. The books brings out aspects such as alcoholism, death, mental health along with all that involves the aspects of a cult. I thought is was interesting that there are three points of view in the book and on is from the deceased Beverly. I really enjoyed this book and there were many twist and turns no follow which is always fun as a reader.… (more)

The Night She Went Missing by Kristen Bird is a 2022 Harlequin MIRA publication.

I have SO many Psychological Thrillers on my Kindle I need to weed through. I know some of them are… shall we say… ‘B movie’ caliber stories- but sometimes I’m in the mood for just that kind of quick, soapy PT that won’t require a lot of effort on my part and for entertainment purposes only- if you will. This one looked like it would probably fit the bill… so I plucked it off my ‘virtual’ shelf and dove in.

In the beginning I thought maybe I’d gotten a bigger bang for my buck than I’d bargained for. It pulled me in right off and held my attention for a good while… but then it just went completely off the rails. While my expectations were not especially high to begin with, I was a little disappointed that after the strong start, it fizzled out so spectacularly.

Unfortunately, the story got more ridiculous as it went and while I can overlook some of that for the sake of entertainment, this was more than even I could tolerate. Still, it is my understanding that this is the author’s debut effort and as such, one can see she shows promise and let’s be honest… there is an audience for these books, and I think Bird can build on the momentum she gained with this effort.

Overall, while I wasn’t looking for greatness, this one was just bit too over the top for me to give it a stronger rating.

2 stars… (more)