The Briars - by Sarah Crouch (Hardcover)

About the Book

"When Annie accepted a job as park ranger in the small Pacific Northwest town of Lake Lumin, she was desperate to get away from a relationship gone bad. Her first order of business is to track down a cougar that's been spotted in the area. As she warns neighbors of the looming threat, she quickly discovers not everyone in this tight-knit community is welcoming of a woman park ranger, except for Daniel, a reclusive carpenter who lives on the edge of town. They form a quick bond, even though he keeps details from his past hidden. When birdwatchers stumble upon the body of a young woman amidst the foggy peaks of Mount St. Helens, all eyes turn to Daniel as a suspect. Annie, who is helping the local sheriff with the case, must rely on her extensive wilderness training and trust her instincts to piece together what happened, while the murderer watches her every move. Urgent and emotionally rich, this alluring literary thriller is full of twists and turns, examining the lengths a small-town community will go to protect its own"-- Provided by publisher.

Book Synopsis

The USA TODAY bestselling author of Middletide returns with a lush and atmospheric novel of suspense following a young woman whose job as a game warden puts her in the path of a murderer in a small town eager to protect its own.

Desperate to escape a relationship gone bad, Annie Heston flees north to accept a job as a game warden in Lake Lumin, a picturesque town in the mountains of the Pacific Northwest.

A cougar has been spotted in the area, and as Annie warns the community of the threat, she quickly discovers that not everyone in the tight-knit town is welcoming of outsiders, except for Daniel Barela, a reclusive carpenter who lives in the shadow of the mountain. They form an instant bond, though Annie soon comes to realize there is more to his past than meets the eye.

When the body of a young woman is found in the briars that border Daniel's property, the peace Annie has found in Lake Lumin shatters. As she assists the local sheriff with the investigation, Annie must rely on her wilderness training and intuition to find a murderer hiding in plain sight.

Urgent and emotionally complex, The Briars is a captivating literary thriller that marries an exploration of human nature with a plot as thorny and twisted as the brambles for which it is named.

Review Quotes

"[A] crackling regional mystery...readers will find it hard to look away." --Publishers Weekly

"Crouch's latest goes beyond the typical thriller. It blends romance, suspense, and cozy small-town charm, all set against a vivid outdoorsy backdrop. Fans of Peter Heller will find much to enjoy." --Library Journal


"Compelling, well paced...highly-recommended; readers will fall for Crouch's storytelling." --Booklist

"The Briars is a riveting thriller set in the mountainous Pacific Northwest that will keep you on your toes. After a young woman's body is found in small-town Lake Lumin, the mystery of what happened unfurls through the lenses of Annie, a game warden fleeing heartbreak, and Daniel, a loner hiding from a secretive past. Get ready for twists and turns as Sarah Crouch's crisp prose leads you to a stunning ending." --Kristin Koval, author of Penitence

"Sarah Crouch's delicate and tantalizing prose in The Briars builds the scaffolding for an emotionally charged mystery as a troubled game warden probes for answers in the wilds of the lush Pacific Northwest -- and in the vagaries of the treacherous landscape within. With complicated twists that build to a satisfying surprise, The Briars delivers a powerful emotional experience readers won't be able to shake long after they put the book down. One of the best books I've read this year." --Julie Carrick Dalton, author of The Last Beekeeper

"The Briars has exactly what I love most in a novel: a strong woman thriving in a foreboding landscape. I couldn't put it down. This mystery had me guessing until the very end, and every page was rich, daring, and wise." --Amy Jo Burns, author of Mercury

"One of my favourite reads of the year, The Briars is a show stopping, accomplished mystery that both captivated and intrigued me in equal measure - I couldn't put it down. From the very first page, Sarah Crouch draws you into the beautifully realised setting of Lake Lumin in the Pacific Northwest with lush, lyrical descriptions that left me both longing to visit and deeply chilled. With nuanced, likeable characters, Crouch weaves a complex plot and tightens the tension until breaking point as murder haunts the lake and the past returns to shadow the present. A complex, thrilling page turner that will stay with you long after you finish reading." --Sarah Pearse, New York Times Bestselling Author of The Sanatorium

"The Briars is that rare mystery that is both thrumming with suspense and bursting with beauty. With her steady hand and lyrical prose, Sarah Crouch flexes her muscles in this triumphant follow-up to Middletide." --Kimi Cunningham Grant, USA Today bestselling author of The Nature of Disappearing

Praise for MIDDLETIDE

"A stirring debut with an immersive setting, lush prose, and characters so real that I feel I've known them all my life. Fans of Tana French, Liane Moriarty, and Jane Harper--take note!" --ANDREA BARTZ, New York Times bestselling author of The Spare Room and We Were Never Here

"With her first novel, Sarah Crouch has hit the ground running. In Middletide, she offers readers an emotionally compelling story of loss, vengeance, and redemption. The characters are wonderfully complex, and every scene is nested in a beautifully evoked sense of place. To top it off, she's crafted an amazing, twisted mystery with a stunning conclusion. Sarah Crouch's fine debut novel deserves a place on every reader's bookshelf." --WILLIAM KENT KRUEGER, New York Times bestselling author of The River We Remember

"Sarah Crouch's brilliant debut is a tale of twisted love, revenge, and redemption set against the breathtaking backdrop of Puget Sound. You won't be able to put this one down." --TARRYN FISHER, New York Times bestselling author of Never Never

"Middletide is a riveting mystery with the beating heart of a debut author who has the respect and skill to honor the wisdom of the natural world and the complexity of human desire. In forests thick with both beauty and danger, Crouch's novel is a love letter to the natural world, to the power of friendship, and the willingness to fight for those we love. With the suspenseful timelines drawing ever closer, the pages flying, and a twist that takes the breath, Middletide is an immersive, richly drawn, and wholly powerful experience." --PATTI CALLAHAN HENRY, New York Times bestselling author of The Secret Book of Flora Lea

"Middletide is the rarest of novels: a blistering page-turner and a dazzling love letter to the natural world. Tautly plotted, lushly atmospheric, and gorgeously written, Crouch's debut is stunning. Readers will feel the moss under their feet and smell the petrichor in the air, but they will never guess the twists hidden in this Pacific Northwest forest." --Katy Hays, New York Times bestselling author of The Cloisters

"In this brilliant debut, the line between fiction and reality blurs, as a failed novelist's murder mystery is mirrored in real life, with the author as the prime suspect. An enthralling tale of long lost love, loss, and stunning retribution. I absolutely loved it!" --JAMIE FORD, New York Times bestselling author of The Many Daughters of Afong Moy

"[A] cunning debut...[with] vivid prose and evocative sense of place...readers will be eager to see what Crouch does next." --Publishers Weekly

About the Author

Sarah Crouch is the USA TODAY bestselling author of Middletide and The Briars, literary thrillers set in the Pacific Northwest, where she was raised. She is also known for her accolades in the world of athletics as a professional marathon runner.