e-ALC, 06:49:12
Narrated by: Lisa Flanagan
Release Date: July 28, 2026
Published by: Simon & Schuster Audio
Read from: July 24-25, 2026
Stand-alone
Source: Libro FM (I received this ALC from Libro FM and the publisher. This did nothing to influence my review.)
Content Warning: Animal Death, Death, Gore, Drug Use, Murder, Injury/Injury Detail
For Readers of: Audio, Contemporary, Gothic, Horror, Libro FM, Paranormal, Thrillers, YAIn an insular small town steeped in Norse traditions, a teen’s developing romance with a newcomer becomes fraught as dark secrets from the past rise to the surface in this gorgeously atmospheric mystery by New York Times bestselling author Jacqueline West.
Lucia Sorenson holds on hard to the things she loves. Her tiny Wisconsin hometown clings to the bluffs above the Mississippi River, threatened by weather, time, and the creep of climate change. Her mother is pushing her to go away to college and see the world beyond their small town, but Lucia is determined to stay and to keep her grandfather’s Viking museum going.
When the Black Point Hotel, a 150-year-old landmark that’s been empty for decades, is bought by an outsider, tongues start wagging. Lucia meets the new owner’s teenage nephew, Max, and as they grow closer, she discovers there’s something thrilling about getting to know someone who hasn’t known her all her life—and maybe something more.
Then Max discovers some ominous things about Black Point hidden away in the hotel—stories of ghosts and mysterious disappearances. Lucia refuses to believe that her town is hiding a sinister past. But the river is rising, and more secrets are washing to the surface. Soon, Lucia will have to choose between the home she thought she knew and uncovering the dark truths hidden underneath.
*MY THOUGHTS*
This is another one where I didn’t know if I was going to like it. (I have run into a lot of these this week my goodness!) It started out really slow and I just couldn’t get into it. But I wanted to see where the Norse mythology fit in with everything. And I’m glad I trusted my intuition, it turned out really good there at the end.
As someone who loves mythology and diverse mythology, I was hella excited for this. I thought it had mythology, but not really. Moreso just some Nordic customs. I Googled them to make sure and was kind of right. There was the museum, the rituals, and how everything was held on so tightly by the “Oldies” of the town. I really enjoyed this part of the book. I love to learn about people and their customs. I loved that it didn’t feel teachy at all. Like I said, I had to Google what I did learn.
I did think the beginning was slow tho. Even with the letters that kept showing up, we didn’t know what they were from, so it didn’t actually make sense to me. I was mostly confused. But once the hotel and all that got introduced, it went a little easier. Unfortunately it wasn’t until late in the book when they turned up and started finally making sense. It made so much more sense after that.
The mystery was actually crazy. I don’t think even I was ready for it. When the pieces started clicking together I remember gasping and sitting up and then everything happened all at once. Except that group. I knew their asses were up to no good. But I didn’t know about the main plot twist whatsoever. I think I figured it out when she did. And that was depressing. I was severely disappointed about that situation. I was yelling at them like they could hear me lol It was a lot.
I want to say more, but spoilers. It’s so hard to review thrillers when you want to say all the things, but also nothing at all. So I’ll just say this…. If you’re someone who likes to have action and get the creeps from right out the gate, you might want to pass on this. But if you don’t mind and can get through the longer back story and initial weirdness, go pick this up and let me know what you think!
Overall, I give this
