What horrors will an amateur sleuth find when she visits a picture-perfect neighborhood?

Summer, 1989. Sick and tired of a divorce she can’t seem to get over, Francine leaves San Francisco to visit her sister in Hawthorn Woods, Illinois: an idyllic slice of Midwest suburbia that looks like the perfect place to relax and recover. But it doesn’t take long before strange occurrences in the neighborhood enliven Francine’s natural passion for playing detective. The dark mysteries hidden in Hawthorn Woods might just give Francine a path back to being herself, assuming they don’t kill her first…

Buy Hawthorn Woods and discover the secrets hiding right next door…

Twists, Turns & Surprises!

This one really kept me on my toes!

Francine is still raw following her divorce, so a visit to her sister is in order. Swapping San Francisco for the suburban streets of Hawthorn Woods, Illinois should get her back into the swing of things. What she didn’t bargain for was a local mystery to get stuck into . . .

As this is an author new to me I wasn’t quite sure what to expect, but this is a very readable and enjoyable novel. With wide ranging characters – as you would find in any small community – and plenty of twists and turns, my focus never wavered as I read long past the time when I should have been asleep. I enjoyed every twist and turn then got hit with shocks and surprises; with plenty going on, there is no shortage of suspects and I was glued right up until it was all done and dusted. I’m happy to recommend this one and give it 4.5*.

My thanks to the author for my copy; this is – as always – my honest, original and unbiased review.

Tags: domestic thriller

• Format: ebook, paperback, audiobook
• Size: 301 pages
• Publication Date: 04 August 2020
• Book Links:
• https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/54499746
• https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/hawthorn-woods-patrick-canning/1137359705
• https://www.amazon.co.uk/Hawthorn-Woods-Patrick-Canning-ebook/dp/B08CS2RK9S

Author Details

PATRICK CANNING is the author of three novels, including Cryptofauna (2018), The Colonel and the Bee (2018), and his latest, Hawthorn Woods (2020). He has also published several short stories. When he isn’t writing, he enjoys playing beach volleyball, following space exploration, and losing at bar trivia. Patrick lives in Los Angeles with his Australian Shepherd, Hank, who some consider to be the greatest dog of all time.

• Website: https://www.patrickcanningbooks.com/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/patrickcanningauthor
• Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/17913001.Patrick_Canning
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/catpanning/