WHERE ECHOES DIE By Courtney Gould

I received this book for free from Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

WHERE ECHOES DIE By Courtney GouldWhere Echoes Die by Courtney Gould
Published by Wednesday Books on 6/20/23
Genres: Horror & Ghost Stories, LGBT, Mystery & Detective, Thrillers, Young Adult
Pages: 346
Format: eARC
Source: Publisher
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Beck Birsching has been adrift since the death of her mother, a brilliant but troubled investigative reporter. She can’t stop herself from slipping into memories of happier days, longing for a time when things were more normal. So when a mysterious letter in her mother’s handwriting arrives in the mail that reads Come and find me, pointing to the small town at the center of her last investigation, Beck hopes that it may hold the answers.

But when Beck and her sister Riley arrive in Backravel, Arizona, it’s clear that something’s off. There are no cars, no cemeteries, no churches. The town is a mix of dilapidated military structures and new, shiny buildings, all overseen by a gleaming treatment center high on a plateau. No one seems to remember when they got there, and when Beck digs deeper into the town’s enigmatic leader and his daughter, Avery, she begins to suspect that they know more than they’re letting on.

As Beck and her sister search for answers about their mother, she and Avery are increasingly drawn together, and their unexpected connection brings up emotions Beck has fought to keep buried. Beck is desperate to hold onto the way things used to be, but when she starts losing herself in Backravel—and its connection to her mother— she risks losing her way back out.

Short and Sweet Review

Ever since the death of her mother, Beck hasn’t been quite right, she’s always thinking about her mom and why she was obsessed with a town called Backravel. When Beck gets a note in the mail in her mothers handwriting saying Come and find me, Beck thinks this is her chance to go to Backravel and get some answers. In Backravel, Beck and her sister Riley quickly learn that things are off in this town. People have memory lapse and they always seem to turn to the town founder and his daughter Avery. Beck and Avery are drawn together and Beck seems to be slowly finding answers about her mother, but the longer she stays in Backravel the more she begins to lose herself.

Where Echoes Die, was an interesting read, Beck is on the hunt for answers about Backravel a town her mother was obsessed with. She brings her sister Riley along not necessarily being completely honest about what they’re doing there. Ever since her moms death Beck has been trying to find what drew her to Backravel, Beck has also been a shell of her former self. When Beck and Riley see how strange things are in this town, including the fact that they don’t have a church or any cemeteries they just brush it off, until they see how strange the townspeople act. Beck knows the only way to get answers is to talk to the town leader Ricky and the only way to get to him is through Avery. Avery has an air of mystery about her, but for some reason her and Beck click. There is a bit of romance between the two, I wasn’t really invested in this relationship mainly because of the thing that’s affecting everyone in town. It was interesting that everyone gets treatment by Ricky. I did like that Beck was getting some answers about her mom and what exactly kept bringing her back to this town. The ending was good and I didn’t want to put the book down, I wanted to know what was going to happen.

Where Echoes Die, has a great premise and it is an engaging read, especially when we learn about Becks mom and what it is about the town of Backravel that makes it different. I do wish that the pacing was better, otherwise this is an interesting read for people who like mysteries with a bit of sci-fi.

THE DEAD AND THE DARK By Courtney Gould

I received this book for free from Reviewer Purchase in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

THE DEAD AND THE DARK By Courtney GouldThe Dead and the Dark by Courtney Gould
Published by Wednesday Books on 8/3/21
Genres: Horror & Ghost Stories, LGBT, Mystery & Detective, Thrillers, Young Adult
Pages: 374
Format: Ebook
Source: Reviewer Purchase
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The Dark has been waiting for far too long, and it won't stay hidden any longer.

Something is wrong in Snakebite, Oregon. Teenagers are disappearing, some turning up dead, the weather isn’t normal, and all fingers seem to point to TV’s most popular ghost hunters who have just returned to town. Logan Ortiz-Woodley, daughter of TV's ParaSpectors, has never been to Snakebite before, but the moment she and her dads arrive, she starts to get the feeling that there's more secrets buried here than they originally let on.

Ashley Barton’s boyfriend was the first teen to go missing, and she’s felt his presence ever since. But now that the Ortiz-Woodleys are in town, his ghost is following her and the only person Ashley can trust is the mysterious Logan. When Ashley and Logan team up to figure out who—or what—is haunting Snakebite, their investigation reveals truths about the town, their families, and themselves that neither of them are ready for. As the danger intensifies, they realize that their growing feelings for each other could be a light in the darkness.

Short and Sweet Review

Logan’s dads ghost hunters on the show ParaSpectors. When Logan’s dad Brandon goes back home to Snakebite, Oregon, things start to go wrong teenagers start disappearing and some even end up dead. Everyone starts to suspect its Logan and her dads but Logan is ready to figure out what’s really going on and she learns that some secrets are better left buried.

Ashley’s boyfriend was one of the first teens to go missing and ever since then she can feel his presence. Because Logan’s dads are well known ghost hunters Ashley decides to team up with her to figure out what is going on in Snakebite.

This book is everything you want when it comes to books about ghost, small towns, and weird vibes. The people in Snakebite definitely have that small town mentality where they really look down on outsiders and that’s exactly what Logan and her dads are. But Brandon and Alejo grew up in Snakebite they just happened to leave, but they weren’t welcomed back with open arms, honestly if these people had pitchforks I’m sure they would have used them. Logan is a strong and determined character, she may have a rocky relationship with Brandon but she’ll still defend him and Alejo’s innocence. Logan has a dry sarcastic sense of humor and if you like that you’ll love her. Logan and Brandon’s rocky relationship gets explored and I liked how it gets resolved. Ashley and Logan start working together and it was an interesting pairing because Logan doesn’t care what people think but Ashley does and that makes her want to hide the fact that she’s working with Logan, also her friends weren’t very supportive and they wouldn’t hear her out. Ashley and Logan find a lot secrets about both of their families and something called the Dark which is a very interesting entity. Logan, Ashely, and The Dark had POVs and it was great because Logan and Ashley are going through different things throughout the book and seeing what The Dark is doing adds to the creepy tone of the book.

If you like creepy ghost books this one is for you! I loved the characters and seeing how their investigation progressed. There was a lot of things that were uncovered that’ll leave you wanting more and the ending was satisfying.