Disclosure: I received a copy of this book for review. Opinions shared are mine.

Small town mysteries are probably my new favorite genre. I love the relationships and histories that develop when people live together, know each other, and interact over a long time. Even when you’ve been gone for years, when you go back to a small town it feels like home. Everything We Didn’t Say by Nicole Baart has that feeling. It releases on November 2, 2021.

About the Book:

From the author of Little Broken Things, this eerie and intriguing page-turner that explores family dynamics, crime, and how hard it is to keep secrets in a small rural town. This mystery follows a mother who must confront the dark summer that changed her life forever in order to reclaim the daughter she left behind. Baart brilliantly weaves mystery into family drama in this expertly-crafted novel for fans of Megan Miranda.

My Review:

This was my first time reading a book by Nicole Baart, although I have a few of her books on my shelves. As I mentioned earlier, I enjoyed the small town vibes, even though the drama in small towns is sometimes (usually) exaggerated. I wanted to love Juniper, but I resented the fact that she was trying to claim her daughter Willa after leaving her behind so many years ago. While some of Juniper’s decisions were out of her control, it still felt like she was making Willa pay for her own mistakes.

All is revealed by the end, but waiting so long took some of my enjoyment away. I would have liked it more if less time was spent on Juniper’s teenage years and more time spent on the here-and-now. The author’s writing style is so beautiful; I loved her descriptions and felt that she really evoked a mood with her writing.