What do you think?
Rate this book
The Field of Wrongdoing
How well can you really know someone? The smallest towns hold the darkest secrets. And the people you least suspect are the ones you should fear the most. When Cassie’s friend disappears, Cassie knows all too well the tragic end Jennifer has probably met. After all, Cassie is the one who found the last murdered girl in the field on her boyfriend Leo’s property nine years ago. She never believed the love of her life was capable of such a brutal crime. Not even after Leo went to prison for an unrelated crime. But now he’s back, released on parole, and another girl has gone missing . . . USA Today bestselling author Lili St. Germain delivers a terrifying, unpredictable thrill ride that explores how far one woman is willing to go to discover the truth - and the brutal betrayals she unearths along the way.
360 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 12, 2021
143 people are currently reading
7458 people want to read
About the author
Lili St. Germain
44 books4,327 followersLili is a USA Today bestselling hybrid author who has sold over a million books since January 2014. She writes stories about vengeful girls and villainous men, with readers crowning her "The Queen of Darkness" and "The best when it comes to dark, brooding and bloody romance."
Lili quit corporate life to focus on writing and so far is loving every minute of it. Her other loves in life include her gorgeous husband and beautiful daughter, good coffee, Tarantino movies and spending hours on Pinterest.
She loves to read almost as much as she loves to write.
Lili quit corporate life to focus on writing and so far is loving every minute of it. Her other loves in life include her gorgeous husband and beautiful daughter, good coffee, Tarantino movies and spending hours on Pinterest.
She loves to read almost as much as she loves to write.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 185 reviews
October 1, 2021
4.3 Stars
One Liner: Twisted as hell. Not for the fainthearted.
TW:
Small towns may look perfect from the outside but are full of secrets no one wants to reveal. Nine years ago, a dead body was found in the well on Leo’s property. The killer is never caught. Soon, Leo and Cassie, two teenagers in love, get separated when Leo ends up in an accident. The event puts him in prison and away from the only girl he has ever loved.
Cassie has lost everything that night but continues to exist with neither hope nor any desire to make her life better. Leo comes back to the town and is on parole when another girl goes missing.
Cassie's stepdad is the town’s sheriff and is determined to keep Leo away from Cassie in one way or another. After what seems like an eternity, Cassie realizes that she needs to take control of her life. That means she has to find the missing girl and solve the past case.
But what does it do to her? Where will her quest for truth lead her?
The book is 360 pages long and goes by super quick. I finished it two days (appx. 3+ hours). The chapters are short and rush by. The narration slows down around 20-40% and picks up pace again.
The POV shifts between Cassie and Leo most of the time, with another third POV towards the end. The storyline goes back and forth a little, but it’s all neatly planned. There’s no confusion anywhere.
Events are revealed one after another, and we realize things aren’t what they are. The characters get darker and more twisted, except for (not saying). Most of them are bad. That’s it. No redeeming arc or even a single likable attribute.
The dark mood sustains throughout. There is no respite or a breather at any point. The story keeps pushing worse stuff as we turn the pages.
Cassie has a great arc and is the major narrator of the book. She starts as a hopeless alcoholic. Her actual personality comes out only towards the end, and we see what Cassie is capable of.
Coming to the rest of the story, there were a few things left loose. That dimmed the story’s appeal a wee bit. That shouldn’t stop you from picking this one, though.
To sum up, The Field of Wrongdoing is twisted, messed up, dark, and even suffocating at times. This one is no causal read.
Thank you, NetGalley and Level 4 Press, for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.
#TheFieldofWrongdoing #NetGalley
One Liner: Twisted as hell. Not for the fainthearted.
TW:
Small towns may look perfect from the outside but are full of secrets no one wants to reveal. Nine years ago, a dead body was found in the well on Leo’s property. The killer is never caught. Soon, Leo and Cassie, two teenagers in love, get separated when Leo ends up in an accident. The event puts him in prison and away from the only girl he has ever loved.
Cassie has lost everything that night but continues to exist with neither hope nor any desire to make her life better. Leo comes back to the town and is on parole when another girl goes missing.
Cassie's stepdad is the town’s sheriff and is determined to keep Leo away from Cassie in one way or another. After what seems like an eternity, Cassie realizes that she needs to take control of her life. That means she has to find the missing girl and solve the past case.
But what does it do to her? Where will her quest for truth lead her?
The book is 360 pages long and goes by super quick. I finished it two days (appx. 3+ hours). The chapters are short and rush by. The narration slows down around 20-40% and picks up pace again.
The POV shifts between Cassie and Leo most of the time, with another third POV towards the end. The storyline goes back and forth a little, but it’s all neatly planned. There’s no confusion anywhere.
Events are revealed one after another, and we realize things aren’t what they are. The characters get darker and more twisted, except for (not saying). Most of them are bad. That’s it. No redeeming arc or even a single likable attribute.
The dark mood sustains throughout. There is no respite or a breather at any point. The story keeps pushing worse stuff as we turn the pages.
Cassie has a great arc and is the major narrator of the book. She starts as a hopeless alcoholic. Her actual personality comes out only towards the end, and we see what Cassie is capable of.
Coming to the rest of the story, there were a few things left loose. That dimmed the story’s appeal a wee bit. That shouldn’t stop you from picking this one, though.
To sum up, The Field of Wrongdoing is twisted, messed up, dark, and even suffocating at times. This one is no causal read.
Thank you, NetGalley and Level 4 Press, for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.
#TheFieldofWrongdoing #NetGalley
October 29, 2021
3.75 Dark & Disturbing Stars ⭐️
October 26, 2021
I started this book expecting one of those mainstream female-driven thrillers. I expected dark, I hoped for some smut. Right away there were a few tiny red flags, but I kept reading, and soon I roped my friend Nenia in for a buddy-read because she is ALWAYS up for a BR, especially a dark one.
BOY WAS IT DARK.
I actually doubt I would have finished this if it wasn't for our BR. Both of us had our reservations, but we kept discussing the story at length, and we kept reading because this book is actually a train wreck and we wanted to see it through.
The thing about this book is that there is no apparent plot for like, 90% of the story. It's just a string of traumas and trigger warnings guiding you to the finale. Just when you think it's bad IT GETS WORSE. I swear to god, I've never encountered another book that stacks various traumas like a demented game of Jenga. It's like a soap opera on steroids. It's like the author had a hat of paper strips with dark subjects written on them, and instead of choosing one or two for her next book she just dumped them all out onto her laptop. YOLO, right?
Nenia lists the TWs in her review, but I want to address one in particularly because I'm annoyed it hasn't been mentioned in the negative reviews for this edition or for Gun Shy, which this book was originally called. The hero/male love interest has sex with a minor and he never feels remorse for it. He is repeatedly shown in a sympathetic light except for this one thing, but if I'm going to root for a character they cannot have sex with a minor. I don't care how long you've been in prison, you are a piece of shit if you can't keep it in your pants long enough to not have sex with a child. This is where I wanted to DNF, but Cassie was a compelling heroine, and for the sake of the BR, I kept going.
I was going to give this one star, because it pissed me off so many times for a number of reasons (most of which I can't precisely remember because I texted them to Nenia in a fit of rage). Some of them were nitpicky reasons, like the fact that no one in Nevada would call the 95 "the 95 highway." And if Tonopah is your closest "big" town, then your town probably does not have a mayor or its own sheriff, and you might even get bussed to another town for school. Also, the fact that almost every character is a piece of shit, especially the male love interest who FUCKS A MINOR. And he's not the only one who does.
Where was I? Oh, I was going to give this one star. But at the end, when everything started to be explained, I realized I liked the bones of the story. I did not like how it was told or how it all played out, and I definitely didn't enjoy the characters (except Cassie, she was fine). The writing was choppy and not exactly pleasant to read. But the idea came through, and I liked the idea. So I added a star.
I definitely like dark books, but this one felt dark for the sake of being dark. What's one trigger when you can have TEN? Why build a story around one trauma when you can include ALL THE TRAUMAS? Like, several TWs could have been cut from this book in favor of character development and atmospheric storytelling without sacrificing a single scrap of plot. For example, the entire Hannah arc could have been eliminated completely. And the whole Jennifer/Leo thing could have been different, aka him NOT fucking a sixteen-year-old, with the added bonus of me not totally hating Leo's guts.
I won't be scrambling to pick up another Lili St. Germain book anytime soon, because this was kind of a chore to read, and it just kept getting longer (damn those final chapter to HELL). I thought this was a thriller that dreamed of being a dark romance, but it's actually trauma porn, and I like my dark books to be a little less "laundry list of traumas."
BOY WAS IT DARK.
I actually doubt I would have finished this if it wasn't for our BR. Both of us had our reservations, but we kept discussing the story at length, and we kept reading because this book is actually a train wreck and we wanted to see it through.
The thing about this book is that there is no apparent plot for like, 90% of the story. It's just a string of traumas and trigger warnings guiding you to the finale. Just when you think it's bad IT GETS WORSE. I swear to god, I've never encountered another book that stacks various traumas like a demented game of Jenga. It's like a soap opera on steroids. It's like the author had a hat of paper strips with dark subjects written on them, and instead of choosing one or two for her next book she just dumped them all out onto her laptop. YOLO, right?
Nenia lists the TWs in her review, but I want to address one in particularly because I'm annoyed it hasn't been mentioned in the negative reviews for this edition or for Gun Shy, which this book was originally called. The hero/male love interest has sex with a minor and he never feels remorse for it. He is repeatedly shown in a sympathetic light except for this one thing, but if I'm going to root for a character they cannot have sex with a minor. I don't care how long you've been in prison, you are a piece of shit if you can't keep it in your pants long enough to not have sex with a child. This is where I wanted to DNF, but Cassie was a compelling heroine, and for the sake of the BR, I kept going.
I was going to give this one star, because it pissed me off so many times for a number of reasons (most of which I can't precisely remember because I texted them to Nenia in a fit of rage). Some of them were nitpicky reasons, like the fact that no one in Nevada would call the 95 "the 95 highway." And if Tonopah is your closest "big" town, then your town probably does not have a mayor or its own sheriff, and you might even get bussed to another town for school. Also, the fact that almost every character is a piece of shit, especially the male love interest who FUCKS A MINOR. And he's not the only one who does.
Where was I? Oh, I was going to give this one star. But at the end, when everything started to be explained, I realized I liked the bones of the story. I did not like how it was told or how it all played out, and I definitely didn't enjoy the characters (except Cassie, she was fine). The writing was choppy and not exactly pleasant to read. But the idea came through, and I liked the idea. So I added a star.
I definitely like dark books, but this one felt dark for the sake of being dark. What's one trigger when you can have TEN? Why build a story around one trauma when you can include ALL THE TRAUMAS? Like, several TWs could have been cut from this book in favor of character development and atmospheric storytelling without sacrificing a single scrap of plot. For example, the entire Hannah arc could have been eliminated completely. And the whole Jennifer/Leo thing could have been different, aka him NOT fucking a sixteen-year-old, with the added bonus of me not totally hating Leo's guts.
I won't be scrambling to pick up another Lili St. Germain book anytime soon, because this was kind of a chore to read, and it just kept getting longer (damn those final chapter to HELL). I thought this was a thriller that dreamed of being a dark romance, but it's actually trauma porn, and I like my dark books to be a little less "laundry list of traumas."
November 6, 2021
I pre-ordered this book because... Lili St. Germain and I love (read that: lu-uh-uh-uh-ove love) this author.
And as I was reading, I realized this story was very familiar to me. It was dirty and depraved and depressing and disgusting and oh so good... but it was familiar.
And then I found out that it used to be titled Gun Shy, which I read back in 2017. And it was just as amazing now as it was then. You can check out my review for that HERE.
So what can I offer that's new? Wouldn't it be hilarious if I was just as blind this time as I was before? Well, go ahead and laugh because I still had no clue!
I loved that!
Like stories that keep you guessing? Stories that are full of darkness and heartache? Read. This. Book!!
Find my full blog review here
And as I was reading, I realized this story was very familiar to me. It was dirty and depraved and depressing and disgusting and oh so good... but it was familiar.
And then I found out that it used to be titled Gun Shy, which I read back in 2017. And it was just as amazing now as it was then. You can check out my review for that HERE.
So what can I offer that's new? Wouldn't it be hilarious if I was just as blind this time as I was before? Well, go ahead and laugh because I still had no clue!
I loved that!
Like stories that keep you guessing? Stories that are full of darkness and heartache? Read. This. Book!!
Find my full blog review here
March 24, 2023
** previously titled Gun Shy **
"You begin to realize that the darkness you've been given is not a burden, but a gift. "
First of all, I want to point out that even though this book has some romantic elements, it's NOT a romance novel. I love Lili's books so I was really excited to read Gun Shy. I went in blind and without any expectations, because I didn't really know what to expect. I enjoy when books are unpredictable and has me guessing throughout the book. Gun Shy definitely was a mysterious and suspenseful book. I didn't know which character was good or bad, and who was behind the crimes. The author did a great job in confusing me, having me doubt certain characters and creating mixed feelings in me.
"I can see myself in his eyes. My soul. He's taken it from me. "
The main character Cassie was intriguing and I didn't really know what was going on inside her head. She had reactions to certain situations that shocked me. I loved how bit by bit the story unfolded and the author revealed what was going on. It definitely had me on my edge of my seat during a couple of scenes, because I didn't know what would happen next. The only reason why I didn't rate this book higher was because it was somewhat difficult to fully connect with them as I didn't know what was going on with certain main characters. Also I wish some loose ends were tied up better, because I have some questions about a couple of characters and it was like they vanished and that was it. I especially wanted to know what happened to Leo's sister Hannah after she came home. Overall a solid book I enjoyed, and I really hope that Lili St. Germain will write more books in this genre.
"You begin to realize that the darkness you've been given is not a burden, but a gift. "
First of all, I want to point out that even though this book has some romantic elements, it's NOT a romance novel. I love Lili's books so I was really excited to read Gun Shy. I went in blind and without any expectations, because I didn't really know what to expect. I enjoy when books are unpredictable and has me guessing throughout the book. Gun Shy definitely was a mysterious and suspenseful book. I didn't know which character was good or bad, and who was behind the crimes. The author did a great job in confusing me, having me doubt certain characters and creating mixed feelings in me.
"I can see myself in his eyes. My soul. He's taken it from me. "
The main character Cassie was intriguing and I didn't really know what was going on inside her head. She had reactions to certain situations that shocked me. I loved how bit by bit the story unfolded and the author revealed what was going on. It definitely had me on my edge of my seat during a couple of scenes, because I didn't know what would happen next. The only reason why I didn't rate this book higher was because it was somewhat difficult to fully connect with them as I didn't know what was going on with certain main characters. Also I wish some loose ends were tied up better, because I have some questions about a couple of characters and it was like they vanished and that was it. I especially wanted to know what happened to Leo's sister Hannah after she came home. Overall a solid book I enjoyed, and I really hope that Lili St. Germain will write more books in this genre.
November 10, 2021
Oh my goodness. THIS. BOOK. WOW.
Full review to come. I’m honestly speechless right now.
--
Have you ever loved a book so much that you just couldn’t find the words to even talk about it? That’s definitely me with this book.
I finished The Field of Wrongdoing by Lili St. Germain a few weeks ago and have been struggling to write my review because I don’t know what I could possibly say that will do this book justice. I honestly don’t know what to say, other than the fact that this is by far my favourite crime book of the year and that it deserves all the stars, and so much more.
I would love for EVERYONE to read this book—but at the same time, I know that it won’t be for every reader because it’s by far the darkest book that I’ve ever read and it contains every possible trigger warning you could ever imagine 😳 I’m not even joking.
HOWEVER, if you’re like me and love your crime books on the dark(-est) side, then The Field of Wrongdoing is definitely the book for you.
I’ll repeat: This book is DARK 😳 It’s so graphic, so disturbing, and so horrifying, but you won’t be able to pull away from its pages because it’s also just so gripping. Once you start, you will NEED to know what happens and how it all ends because you won’t be able to do much else until you’ve finished it. The prologue hooks you right in (it also gave me nightmares) and sets the tone for the res of the book. It’s been a few weeks since I’ve read this book and I’m STILL thinking about it often… it’s just SO captivating. I cannot wait to see what else Lili St. Germain has up her sleeve because this one was excellent! 🙌🏻
Thank you to Lili St. Germain and Level 4 Press for sending me a copy in exchange for an honest review.
Full review to come. I’m honestly speechless right now.
--
Have you ever loved a book so much that you just couldn’t find the words to even talk about it? That’s definitely me with this book.
I finished The Field of Wrongdoing by Lili St. Germain a few weeks ago and have been struggling to write my review because I don’t know what I could possibly say that will do this book justice. I honestly don’t know what to say, other than the fact that this is by far my favourite crime book of the year and that it deserves all the stars, and so much more.
I would love for EVERYONE to read this book—but at the same time, I know that it won’t be for every reader because it’s by far the darkest book that I’ve ever read and it contains every possible trigger warning you could ever imagine 😳 I’m not even joking.
HOWEVER, if you’re like me and love your crime books on the dark(-est) side, then The Field of Wrongdoing is definitely the book for you.
I’ll repeat: This book is DARK 😳 It’s so graphic, so disturbing, and so horrifying, but you won’t be able to pull away from its pages because it’s also just so gripping. Once you start, you will NEED to know what happens and how it all ends because you won’t be able to do much else until you’ve finished it. The prologue hooks you right in (it also gave me nightmares) and sets the tone for the res of the book. It’s been a few weeks since I’ve read this book and I’m STILL thinking about it often… it’s just SO captivating. I cannot wait to see what else Lili St. Germain has up her sleeve because this one was excellent! 🙌🏻
Thank you to Lili St. Germain and Level 4 Press for sending me a copy in exchange for an honest review.
October 20, 2021
*https://mrsbbookreviews.wordpress.com
Lili St. Germain is a USA Today bestselling author who currently resides in my own home state of Western Australia. I was keen to read and support a local author thanks to an invitation to review The Field of Wrongdoing. A dark psychological thriller set in a murky small town named Gun Creek in Nevada, The Field of Wrongdoing is an extremely graphic tale that is best suited to readers who appreciate disturbing thrillers.
Questions of trust, understanding, truth, secrets and lies descend on The Field of Wrongdoing by Lili St. Germain. We meet Cassie, who is concerned that her missing friend Jennifer has been murdered. Cassie is haunted by the discovery of a girl she found murdered on field near her boyfriend’s property, almost a decade ago and she can’t help but think these tragic circumstances are somehow linked. Cassie continues to question this series of events and in the back of her mind she struggles to overcome the issues surrounding her boyfriend’s possible involvement in a brutal crime. Cassie’s boyfriend has recently returned from a stint in jail for a different offence, it is possible that Cassie’s boyfriend is behind Jennifer’s disappearance? The small population of Gun Creek are on high alert, will another girl be murdered and will they find Jennifer alive?
I do like to reach for a dark thriller from time to time and the blurb of The Field of Wrongdoing immediately piqued my interest. I also feel that it is important to support local authors and as Lili St. Germain is a writer from my part of the world, so I was keen to review this title. Unfortunately I came into a great deal of trouble with this title from the onset.
On the plus side, I appreciated the small town setting that Lili St. Germain has crafted in The Field of Wrongdoing. I can’t say that I have read many books set in the Nevada area and the author’s small-town world building made the locale very clear to the reader. I think the small-town landscape, vividly drawn by St. Germain, compounds the shocking events of the tale. I was taken aback by the problems, issues, fears, concerns and situations faced by the local community of Gun Creek. It really was a disturbing cesspool of violence, underhanded deeds and trouble. In terms of characters, they are a pretty rotten bunch in The Field of Wrongdoing, except for a few. I found it hard to feel any sympathy or appreciation for the cast! It really was a hopeless situation. St. Germain adopts a shared form of narration and these viewpoints shift as the story progresses. This was a good technique, along with the short and sharp chapter lengths. I knocked this one over in two evening sittings as a result.
Sadly I encountered many issues with this novel that hampered my enjoyment of the story at hand. The Field of Wrongdoing does contain a few significant triggers and as a result, I would suggest readers proceed with trepidation. There are a number of graphic scenes involving violence and other heinous acts. Although the author tries to keep these situations within the realms of the story, but I found it very hard to stomach. The Field of Wrongdoing also contains a great deal of explicit language, which is a personal pet hate of mine, so I found this story really wasn’t suited to my tastes. At times I think the awful violence, foul language and overwhelming darkness really did detract from the overall storyline, so my enjoyment level of this book plummeted.
Somehow, I made it to the end of The Field of Wrongdoing. I felt compelled after reading this book to connect with the Goodreads community for other review responses to this one. After reading many of these reviews I realised that I am in the minority group of readers who clearly had a difficult experience with Lili St. Germain’s book. I also discovered through my Goodreads scrolling that this book was previously published as few years ago as Gun Shy. There are many glowing very positive and five-star reviews for The Field of Wrongdoing on Goodreads and Amazon, so please check these out if you are at all interested in this book. For me, The Field of Wrongdoing is definitely a miss, which is a shame as I do like to endorse local authors.
*I wish to thank Level 4 Press for providing me with a free copy of this book for review purposes.
The Field of Wrongdoing is book #94 of the 2021 Australian Women Writers Challenge
Lili St. Germain is a USA Today bestselling author who currently resides in my own home state of Western Australia. I was keen to read and support a local author thanks to an invitation to review The Field of Wrongdoing. A dark psychological thriller set in a murky small town named Gun Creek in Nevada, The Field of Wrongdoing is an extremely graphic tale that is best suited to readers who appreciate disturbing thrillers.
Questions of trust, understanding, truth, secrets and lies descend on The Field of Wrongdoing by Lili St. Germain. We meet Cassie, who is concerned that her missing friend Jennifer has been murdered. Cassie is haunted by the discovery of a girl she found murdered on field near her boyfriend’s property, almost a decade ago and she can’t help but think these tragic circumstances are somehow linked. Cassie continues to question this series of events and in the back of her mind she struggles to overcome the issues surrounding her boyfriend’s possible involvement in a brutal crime. Cassie’s boyfriend has recently returned from a stint in jail for a different offence, it is possible that Cassie’s boyfriend is behind Jennifer’s disappearance? The small population of Gun Creek are on high alert, will another girl be murdered and will they find Jennifer alive?
I do like to reach for a dark thriller from time to time and the blurb of The Field of Wrongdoing immediately piqued my interest. I also feel that it is important to support local authors and as Lili St. Germain is a writer from my part of the world, so I was keen to review this title. Unfortunately I came into a great deal of trouble with this title from the onset.
On the plus side, I appreciated the small town setting that Lili St. Germain has crafted in The Field of Wrongdoing. I can’t say that I have read many books set in the Nevada area and the author’s small-town world building made the locale very clear to the reader. I think the small-town landscape, vividly drawn by St. Germain, compounds the shocking events of the tale. I was taken aback by the problems, issues, fears, concerns and situations faced by the local community of Gun Creek. It really was a disturbing cesspool of violence, underhanded deeds and trouble. In terms of characters, they are a pretty rotten bunch in The Field of Wrongdoing, except for a few. I found it hard to feel any sympathy or appreciation for the cast! It really was a hopeless situation. St. Germain adopts a shared form of narration and these viewpoints shift as the story progresses. This was a good technique, along with the short and sharp chapter lengths. I knocked this one over in two evening sittings as a result.
Sadly I encountered many issues with this novel that hampered my enjoyment of the story at hand. The Field of Wrongdoing does contain a few significant triggers and as a result, I would suggest readers proceed with trepidation. There are a number of graphic scenes involving violence and other heinous acts. Although the author tries to keep these situations within the realms of the story, but I found it very hard to stomach. The Field of Wrongdoing also contains a great deal of explicit language, which is a personal pet hate of mine, so I found this story really wasn’t suited to my tastes. At times I think the awful violence, foul language and overwhelming darkness really did detract from the overall storyline, so my enjoyment level of this book plummeted.
Somehow, I made it to the end of The Field of Wrongdoing. I felt compelled after reading this book to connect with the Goodreads community for other review responses to this one. After reading many of these reviews I realised that I am in the minority group of readers who clearly had a difficult experience with Lili St. Germain’s book. I also discovered through my Goodreads scrolling that this book was previously published as few years ago as Gun Shy. There are many glowing very positive and five-star reviews for The Field of Wrongdoing on Goodreads and Amazon, so please check these out if you are at all interested in this book. For me, The Field of Wrongdoing is definitely a miss, which is a shame as I do like to endorse local authors.
*I wish to thank Level 4 Press for providing me with a free copy of this book for review purposes.
The Field of Wrongdoing is book #94 of the 2021 Australian Women Writers Challenge
October 26, 2021
You might be a redneck if...
He OD'd in her bed and she left his corpse tangled in her bedsheets for three days thinking he was asleep.
A deeply disturbed redneck.
No dark cloud can forever prevent the sun from shining. Unless you're living in Gun Creek, Nevada.
Gun Creek, Nevada where sex is anger, violence and darkness.
No warmth, intimacy or light.
Are all the men possessed by demons in this god forsaken town?! Looks like it. Ever woman was raped, beaten or both.
"You're not a mother, you're a whore. A whore who should have been sterilized at birth." -Leo
Whoa! did you read that? This is what you are in for. You've been warned. Not a poorly written book but no. A big NO!
He OD'd in her bed and she left his corpse tangled in her bedsheets for three days thinking he was asleep.
A deeply disturbed redneck.
No dark cloud can forever prevent the sun from shining. Unless you're living in Gun Creek, Nevada.
Gun Creek, Nevada where sex is anger, violence and darkness.
No warmth, intimacy or light.
Are all the men possessed by demons in this god forsaken town?! Looks like it. Ever woman was raped, beaten or both.
"You're not a mother, you're a whore. A whore who should have been sterilized at birth." -Leo
Whoa! did you read that? This is what you are in for. You've been warned. Not a poorly written book but no. A big NO!
Read
February 24, 2022i have no idea how to rate this 😳
December 12, 2021
Well that was one hell of a wild ride!
💀💀💀💀💀/5
8 books in this month and this is def my favorite so far. Absolutely a fav for the year!
I feel so conflicted trying to write this review because I have so much to say but don’t even have the words.
It was so twisted and disturbing.
⚠️ If you are easily triggered by… just about anything this one is not for you. Rape and abuse being the most heavily triggering things. ⚠️
I can’t wait to see what else this author comes out with!
💀💀💀💀💀/5
8 books in this month and this is def my favorite so far. Absolutely a fav for the year!
I feel so conflicted trying to write this review because I have so much to say but don’t even have the words.
It was so twisted and disturbing.
⚠️ If you are easily triggered by… just about anything this one is not for you. Rape and abuse being the most heavily triggering things. ⚠️
I can’t wait to see what else this author comes out with!
January 9, 2025
My Rating: 2⭐️⭐️ difficult to rate, but ultimately it was all over the place and a bit too Extra!!!
How well can you really know someone?
The smallest towns hold the darkest secrets. And the people you least suspect are the ones you should fear the most.
When Cassie’s friend disappears, Cassie knows all too well the tragic end Jennifer has probably met. After all, Cassie is the one who found the last murdered girl in the field on her boyfriend Leo’s property nine years ago.
She never believed the love of her life was capable of such a brutal crime. Not even after Leo went to prison for an unrelated crime. But now he’s back, released on parole, and another girl has gone missing . . .
OK…. This was hard to rate, because it kind of had everything I wanted in a DARK mystery/thriller. And it is dark… It has all the Trigger Warnings ok, so be careful…. Like seriously all of them. Normally I would love a small town, gritty gross and weird vibe and to be fair I was really enjoying it, BUT then it went BOOM and got into overkill and throw the kitchen sink at it territory. I mean its on the verge of that from the start but you can see how they are building a narrative.
This just went gangbusters, Leo has 50 things going on, he’s been to prison, he’s accidentally killed someone, he’s looking after his family, his mum is a meth head, the mayor has had an illegitimate child with his mum, there is someone who’s gotten his underage special needs sister pregnant… like come on guys… this is just Leo’s storyline and thats not even mentioning the fact that he’s being framed for murder TWICE, and he’s lovesick over his ex Cassie… phew… that’s a a lot right.
But then you get to Cassie’s story and it’s BLEAK I MEAN BLEAK AF!!! She was the girl that was going places, but her ex killed her mum in a car accident, then he went to jail (yep its Leo), and now shes living in actual hell with her step-dad (use your imagination), and his brother (oh yeah it gets worse), shes got a drug addiction, and an eating disorder, but the list just keeps going on and on…
Things in this place get worse and worse and worse, so while there should be one or two main themes in this there are so many its hard to keep track… the step-dad is the sheriff, he’s got a past that no one is expecting and you find that out… plus then Cassie does some sick and twisted shit… and look its just get so over the top that its not funny.
Without completing going into spoilers its hard to really explain but… I just think it was trying to wayyyyy to much. Plus then shock factor of all the r@pe, and assault, and dead people and the underage pregnancies and it just went on and on… the town really should have been blown up.
Overall, I don’t recommend it… and the only reason I gave it two stars and not one was, it was ok for a while, the writing wasn’t actually too bad and the story before it got too out there was good… plus I had to know what happened so I had to end up finishing it…. With that though I do not recommend this to my GR friends. I certainly do not recommend it to you if you don’t already have it on your list and if you do… please consider what you are willing to read. The TWs are REAL… and it’s literally everything you can think of, and if that doesn’t put you off then I know this will… there is also animal harm.
So please be warned.
How well can you really know someone?
The smallest towns hold the darkest secrets. And the people you least suspect are the ones you should fear the most.
When Cassie’s friend disappears, Cassie knows all too well the tragic end Jennifer has probably met. After all, Cassie is the one who found the last murdered girl in the field on her boyfriend Leo’s property nine years ago.
She never believed the love of her life was capable of such a brutal crime. Not even after Leo went to prison for an unrelated crime. But now he’s back, released on parole, and another girl has gone missing . . .
OK…. This was hard to rate, because it kind of had everything I wanted in a DARK mystery/thriller. And it is dark… It has all the Trigger Warnings ok, so be careful…. Like seriously all of them. Normally I would love a small town, gritty gross and weird vibe and to be fair I was really enjoying it, BUT then it went BOOM and got into overkill and throw the kitchen sink at it territory. I mean its on the verge of that from the start but you can see how they are building a narrative.
This just went gangbusters, Leo has 50 things going on, he’s been to prison, he’s accidentally killed someone, he’s looking after his family, his mum is a meth head, the mayor has had an illegitimate child with his mum, there is someone who’s gotten his underage special needs sister pregnant… like come on guys… this is just Leo’s storyline and thats not even mentioning the fact that he’s being framed for murder TWICE, and he’s lovesick over his ex Cassie… phew… that’s a a lot right.
But then you get to Cassie’s story and it’s BLEAK I MEAN BLEAK AF!!! She was the girl that was going places, but her ex killed her mum in a car accident, then he went to jail (yep its Leo), and now shes living in actual hell with her step-dad (use your imagination), and his brother (oh yeah it gets worse), shes got a drug addiction, and an eating disorder, but the list just keeps going on and on…
Things in this place get worse and worse and worse, so while there should be one or two main themes in this there are so many its hard to keep track… the step-dad is the sheriff, he’s got a past that no one is expecting and you find that out… plus then Cassie does some sick and twisted shit… and look its just get so over the top that its not funny.
Without completing going into spoilers its hard to really explain but… I just think it was trying to wayyyyy to much. Plus then shock factor of all the r@pe, and assault, and dead people and the underage pregnancies and it just went on and on… the town really should have been blown up.
Overall, I don’t recommend it… and the only reason I gave it two stars and not one was, it was ok for a while, the writing wasn’t actually too bad and the story before it got too out there was good… plus I had to know what happened so I had to end up finishing it…. With that though I do not recommend this to my GR friends. I certainly do not recommend it to you if you don’t already have it on your list and if you do… please consider what you are willing to read. The TWs are REAL… and it’s literally everything you can think of, and if that doesn’t put you off then I know this will… there is also animal harm.
So please be warned.
October 1, 2021
The Field of Wrongdoing by Lili St. Germain is a darkly graphic standalone crime thriller taking place over a period of years and is based in Gun Creek, a small town in northern Nevada. The novel is told by different alternating narrators and a handful of flashbacks.
Some readers may be dissuaded from reading the novel when learning of the graphic nature of the novel, in both violence and sexual depictions, however, the descriptions, while quite raw and explicit, are not grossly exploitive or purely done for juvenile titillation. Such depictions are clearly for the purpose of propelling this violent and destructive story forward and in a way to create emotive responses from the reader.
The story opens nine years in the past when Leo and Cassie are late teenagers in love, with the two of them spending time in Leo’s home, a refurbished Conex container. Leo’s drug-addicted mother lives in a nearby dilapidated trailer, with both of them being squatters on public land. After Leo discovers a corpse in a nearby well (which includes a dark Coen Brothers-esque opening), suspicion of murder falls upon Leo. The suspicion grows even after he is sent to prison for an unrelated crime and incident that causes Leo and Cassie to separate.
The novel then moves years forward and finds Leo released from prison and returning to his Conex container. Soon, a young teenage girl becomes missing and Leo, still a suspect of the corpse found in his well, again falls under suspicion.
For reasons other than just the search for the missing girl, Leo has also found himself under the close and vengeful watch of the sheriff, a man with secrets of his own, and who also happens to be the stepfather to Leo’s former girlfriend, Cassie.
Almost every character in The Field of Wrongdoing possesses secrets that keep the reader guessing how the story will end and who did what and why.
The writing in this novel is spare enough to still create descriptive mental imagery while not being overwhelmingly wordy, which is found too often in today’s current fiction. In the stark language used in the novel, just as with the graphic scenes, the writer is quite adept at when to intricately describe a scene in contrast to being very limited in the wording in others – in other words, she knows exactly when less is more and when more is needed.
Lili St. Germain also creates characters with depth and different layers, oftentimes being contradictory to the more discernable attributes of characters which allows the characters to be more three-dimensional rather than paper-thin.
The Field of Wrongdoing is highly recommended to those fond of dark thrillers and authors such as Mo Hayder, Jussi Adler Olsen, and the writing duo Anders Roslund and Borge Hellstrom.
The Field of Wrongdoing is set for release on October 12, 2021.
Netgalley provided an ARC of this novel for the promise of a fair review.
This review was originally published at MysteryandSuspense.com.
Want to read
December 8, 2024WoW! WoW! WoW!
I read this book in two days. Its that good!
Definitely not what I thought this was going to be!
But in such a good way!
Yes this story it dark, twisted with some major trigger warnings...
But damn if this didn't suck me right in and had me up all night reading!
Lili has a way that had me totally hooked to these pages.
And honestly I don't know how to best describe this book. Just read it!
If you don't mind strong language, sex and some darkness!
It's a wild ride, gripping, messed up, controlling and it's sad as hell... But this was one I couldn't put down!
I can't Thank Level 4 Press enough for this advanced ebook!
NetGalley thank you
And Lili Saint Germain you're writing was great!
I read this book in two days. Its that good!
Definitely not what I thought this was going to be!
But in such a good way!
Yes this story it dark, twisted with some major trigger warnings...
But damn if this didn't suck me right in and had me up all night reading!
Lili has a way that had me totally hooked to these pages.
And honestly I don't know how to best describe this book. Just read it!
If you don't mind strong language, sex and some darkness!
It's a wild ride, gripping, messed up, controlling and it's sad as hell... But this was one I couldn't put down!
I can't Thank Level 4 Press enough for this advanced ebook!
NetGalley thank you
And Lili Saint Germain you're writing was great!
October 31, 2021
What the hell did I just read!? This was so not what I was expecting. It’s like “You” season 2 on steroids. It was horrible and also remarkable. I have no words yet so much to say about it. I want to keep reading it but I’m also glad it’s over. I’m not sure where I’m going with this review… just read the book - (as long as you can stomach every trigger warning known to man.)
July 28, 2021
This book was a riveting read. If you want a story that'll constantly keep you on your toes and mess with your mind in the best and worst ways possible, then this is the book for you.
The Field of Wrongdoing is dark twisted mind fuxkery at its finest, it'll leave you with all kinds of mixed feelings. The characters were fascinating and sometimes terrifying. I was definitely left wondering exactly who the craziest one of all was.
An exhilarating thriller that I absolutely loved, and highly recommend.
The Field of Wrongdoing is dark twisted mind fuxkery at its finest, it'll leave you with all kinds of mixed feelings. The characters were fascinating and sometimes terrifying. I was definitely left wondering exactly who the craziest one of all was.
An exhilarating thriller that I absolutely loved, and highly recommend.
October 25, 2021
Previously published as Gun Shy
This is probably the most twisted book I’ve read this year. And one of my favorites.
I’d say the blurb is misleading, it portrays the book as a small-town mystery about a girl’s disappearance, but is so much more. At its core, this is a very bleak, gloomy story about people stuck in a little nowhere town and the fact that – if you’re fed evil, evil you’ll become.
Gun Creed, Nevada is the setting of the novel, it happens during winter, and those factors contribute to the overall depressing atmosphere. It’s almost as if the town itself is the character, slowly sucking life out of its inhabitants.
The story is messed up, the characters are not black or white, they’re all flawed, they’re human, that’s why you feel for them. But my favorite thing has to be the writing, it flows so nicely, author gradually reveals things to us and she masterfully establishes the mood.
Triggers:
And yes this may not make you want to pick up this book, but if you generally enjoy books that are a little on the dark side, challenge your views, show you the in-between gray areas and the fact that even monsters have a little light in them, and even angels may have darkness inside them. Then yes, read this.
My soundtrack: Dark Mind by Janine
This is probably the most twisted book I’ve read this year. And one of my favorites.
I’d say the blurb is misleading, it portrays the book as a small-town mystery about a girl’s disappearance, but is so much more. At its core, this is a very bleak, gloomy story about people stuck in a little nowhere town and the fact that – if you’re fed evil, evil you’ll become.
Gun Creed, Nevada is the setting of the novel, it happens during winter, and those factors contribute to the overall depressing atmosphere. It’s almost as if the town itself is the character, slowly sucking life out of its inhabitants.
Grown where you’re planted, the saying goes, but everything withers and dies here in winter. Even in summer, it’s winter for me. It’s been winter for eight years. I have long since shed my petals and burrowed beneath the layer of snow that smothers this place.
The story is messed up, the characters are not black or white, they’re all flawed, they’re human, that’s why you feel for them. But my favorite thing has to be the writing, it flows so nicely, author gradually reveals things to us and she masterfully establishes the mood.
Triggers:
And yes this may not make you want to pick up this book, but if you generally enjoy books that are a little on the dark side, challenge your views, show you the in-between gray areas and the fact that even monsters have a little light in them, and even angels may have darkness inside them. Then yes, read this.
Some days I feel like I’m made of glass, my clothes and my hair and my downturned eyes the only things that stop the light from getting in, from showing the world what’s happening within me. Who’s touched me. Who’s been inside me.
Nobody can ever know the things I’ve done.
My soundtrack: Dark Mind by Janine
July 30, 2021
5++++++++stars
I was lucky enough to be given a hard copy ARC of Gun Shy ( I've also pre-ordered one) from a book signing and trust me when I say it was certainly worth the wait.
Love and Cassie's story is a lot of thing, beautiful, dark, depressing, brutal, violent and revengeful.
So many things happen in Gun Creek you will not be wanting or able to put this book down.
A few times I thought I had it all worked out but the twists thrown in made me second guess myself.
It is definitely one of my top reads for 2017.
So Lili, 'YOU NAILED IT'. Thanks for an amazing story.
#plop#splash#gunshy
I was lucky enough to be given a hard copy ARC of Gun Shy ( I've also pre-ordered one) from a book signing and trust me when I say it was certainly worth the wait.
Love and Cassie's story is a lot of thing, beautiful, dark, depressing, brutal, violent and revengeful.
So many things happen in Gun Creek you will not be wanting or able to put this book down.
A few times I thought I had it all worked out but the twists thrown in made me second guess myself.
It is definitely one of my top reads for 2017.
So Lili, 'YOU NAILED IT'. Thanks for an amazing story.
#plop#splash#gunshy
October 12, 2021
Sometimes I go in rather blindly on a book and it works. And sometimes…not so much. This book leaves me so conflicted. It’s not one I feel comfortable recommending.
I’ll start with the good: The story had me intrigued. I wanted to see where this messed up, small town mystery was going. And it was a pretty solid mystery.
What I struggled with: This book contains every trigger warning. Should you choose to read this, just know it is incredibly disturbing in SO many ways. It is graphic and violent. And just when I thought it couldn’t get more disturbing…it did. I can typically handle dark and twisty. This one went too far for me.
At 20%, I considered marking this as a DNF. But for whatever reason (mostly that I struggle with not finishing a book), I continued. Honestly, I’m left feeling icky. Right now, there are some great reviews for this book. But ultimately it wasn’t for me.
Proceed with major caution on this one.
Thanks to @netgalley and Level4 Press for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.
I’ll start with the good: The story had me intrigued. I wanted to see where this messed up, small town mystery was going. And it was a pretty solid mystery.
What I struggled with: This book contains every trigger warning. Should you choose to read this, just know it is incredibly disturbing in SO many ways. It is graphic and violent. And just when I thought it couldn’t get more disturbing…it did. I can typically handle dark and twisty. This one went too far for me.
At 20%, I considered marking this as a DNF. But for whatever reason (mostly that I struggle with not finishing a book), I continued. Honestly, I’m left feeling icky. Right now, there are some great reviews for this book. But ultimately it wasn’t for me.
Proceed with major caution on this one.
Thanks to @netgalley and Level4 Press for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.
September 18, 2024
Rating: 4.25
Don’t be fooled by the calm looking cover, this book is NOT for the easily appalled. I’ve long since considered Karin Slaughter’s books to be pretty much the peak of disturbing horror-adjacent mystery thrillers, but this one really gives her a run for her money.
I’m a massive fan of psychological interesting (AKA messed up) characters, so Cassie is exactly the type of POV character I find the most engaging to follow. Leo… Maybe not so much, but I didn’t necessarily dislike him. I’m always morbidly delighted to find protagonists like Cassie. She doesn’t exist to impress the audience with her smarts and/or badassery. She isn’t an audience stand-in whose narration we’re supposed to nod along with. She’s an incredibly damaged person whose story we experience like a trainwreck that we can’t look away from.
It did not surprise me in the slightest when I clicked onto the author’s page and discovered that her main genre is dark romance. This book definitely had that sort of vibe about it. (I don’t mean this as a criticism, I’m a fan of the dark romance genre, the darker the better.)
In terms of the mystery, it was a bit ridiculous at times, but not so ridiculous that I wasn't willing to suspend my disbelief a little to enjoy the story. At the end of the day, I read to be entertained, and this story was certainly entertaining. The truth behind the mystery wasn’t too obvious, but…
I do have a bone to pick with the author regarding her character naming choices. I usually wouldn’t bother to nitpick such a detail, but I can’t not complain when the name choice actually affects my reading experience.
One other thing about this book that I didn't love was the subplot about Leo's sister Hannah. I didn't hate it, it was alright, but it just felt really unnecessary to me since it was . I guess it could be argued that it contributes to Leo's characterisation and solidifies his brotherhood with Pike, but in my opinion, it just made the middle part of the book drag out for longer than necessary and messed with the pacing. That's just my personal opinion though, not a major complaint.
To be honest, I was this close to taking a star off my rating in disgust when it looked like the ending was going for the vile -type ending, but then I realised that it wasn’t over yet, and thank goodness for that. I would have been pissed if after everything that happened, the author decided to disappoint with that sort of garbage ending.
I really hope that Lili St. Germain will continue to write more mystery thriller books in the future. Pitch dark, super dramatic, super engaging mystery thrillers like this one are exactly my cup of tea.
Don’t be fooled by the calm looking cover, this book is NOT for the easily appalled. I’ve long since considered Karin Slaughter’s books to be pretty much the peak of disturbing horror-adjacent mystery thrillers, but this one really gives her a run for her money.
I’m a massive fan of psychological interesting (AKA messed up) characters, so Cassie is exactly the type of POV character I find the most engaging to follow. Leo… Maybe not so much, but I didn’t necessarily dislike him. I’m always morbidly delighted to find protagonists like Cassie. She doesn’t exist to impress the audience with her smarts and/or badassery. She isn’t an audience stand-in whose narration we’re supposed to nod along with. She’s an incredibly damaged person whose story we experience like a trainwreck that we can’t look away from.
It did not surprise me in the slightest when I clicked onto the author’s page and discovered that her main genre is dark romance. This book definitely had that sort of vibe about it. (I don’t mean this as a criticism, I’m a fan of the dark romance genre, the darker the better.)
In terms of the mystery, it was a bit ridiculous at times, but not so ridiculous that I wasn't willing to suspend my disbelief a little to enjoy the story. At the end of the day, I read to be entertained, and this story was certainly entertaining. The truth behind the mystery wasn’t too obvious, but…
I do have a bone to pick with the author regarding her character naming choices. I usually wouldn’t bother to nitpick such a detail, but I can’t not complain when the name choice actually affects my reading experience.
One other thing about this book that I didn't love was the subplot about Leo's sister Hannah. I didn't hate it, it was alright, but it just felt really unnecessary to me since it was . I guess it could be argued that it contributes to Leo's characterisation and solidifies his brotherhood with Pike, but in my opinion, it just made the middle part of the book drag out for longer than necessary and messed with the pacing. That's just my personal opinion though, not a major complaint.
To be honest, I was this close to taking a star off my rating in disgust when it looked like the ending was going for the vile -type ending, but then I realised that it wasn’t over yet, and thank goodness for that. I would have been pissed if after everything that happened, the author decided to disappoint with that sort of garbage ending.
I really hope that Lili St. Germain will continue to write more mystery thriller books in the future. Pitch dark, super dramatic, super engaging mystery thrillers like this one are exactly my cup of tea.
March 22, 2022
"You begin to realize that the darkness you've been given is not a burden, but a gift."
Set in a rural small town called Gun Creek in Nevada, The Field of Wrong Doing was one really fascinating read! I can't really narrow down what it is about or what genre this book falls into to be honest. It was not just about the mysterious disappearance of a young girl, but also about the people in this town, in particularly Leo and Cassie.
This was a really dark, disturbing and bleak story, and you do need to be in the right headspace for it in my opinion. There is a boatload of TW and this book is not for everyone.
The storytelling was really good and the engaging writing kept me turning the pages. I loved the melancholy and gloomy feel in the book, which helped in connecting with the characters. I liked Leo character the most.
Although this was more of a character driven story, the plot is really good too especially when everything made sense in the end. I totally did not expect the shocking ending but it was perfect for this book!
Overall, this was a really good read and I enjoyed it more than I expected!
***Thank you Level 4 Press for this gifted reading copy. All opinions expressed are my own.***
Set in a rural small town called Gun Creek in Nevada, The Field of Wrong Doing was one really fascinating read! I can't really narrow down what it is about or what genre this book falls into to be honest. It was not just about the mysterious disappearance of a young girl, but also about the people in this town, in particularly Leo and Cassie.
This was a really dark, disturbing and bleak story, and you do need to be in the right headspace for it in my opinion. There is a boatload of TW and this book is not for everyone.
The storytelling was really good and the engaging writing kept me turning the pages. I loved the melancholy and gloomy feel in the book, which helped in connecting with the characters. I liked Leo character the most.
Although this was more of a character driven story, the plot is really good too especially when everything made sense in the end. I totally did not expect the shocking ending but it was perfect for this book!
Overall, this was a really good read and I enjoyed it more than I expected!
***Thank you Level 4 Press for this gifted reading copy. All opinions expressed are my own.***
October 16, 2021
Dark and twisted, a town full of craziness. (Please note this book was also titled Gun Shy)
Small towns definitely have craziness and lots of secrets.
Leo has loved Cassie forever, unfortunately so doesn't someone of power... ge makes sure Leo is out of the picture.
Years of abuse would make you go a little crazy, and Cassie is Loco for sure.
I would've like to see Leo's mother get what was coming to her especially after what happened to Hannah.
Small towns definitely have craziness and lots of secrets.
Leo has loved Cassie forever, unfortunately so doesn't someone of power... ge makes sure Leo is out of the picture.
Years of abuse would make you go a little crazy, and Cassie is Loco for sure.
I would've like to see Leo's mother get what was coming to her especially after what happened to Hannah.
August 16, 2022
This book is not for the faint of heart. I REPEAT this book is not for the faint of heart.
Took me longer than norm to finish a book but that’s because this book exhausted me with every few chapters I read. Every time I’d get slapped in the face with a scene, another slap would be ready for me. I know Lili St. Germain can write some dark reads (I’ve read several of her books) but wow...this one left me saying, DAMN, GINA!
4 solid stars.
Took me longer than norm to finish a book but that’s because this book exhausted me with every few chapters I read. Every time I’d get slapped in the face with a scene, another slap would be ready for me. I know Lili St. Germain can write some dark reads (I’ve read several of her books) but wow...this one left me saying, DAMN, GINA!
4 solid stars.
January 1, 2024
Okay
Not bad. A few good twists. Just a lot to take in and honestly, just not my cup of tea.
Not bad. A few good twists. Just a lot to take in and honestly, just not my cup of tea.
June 19, 2024
3.5 stars! Yeah ... I just have this to say ... Unsettling and disturbing, till the very end !!!!!!
September 23, 2024
4.5 stars * Listen this book was written well but the reason it wasn’t a solid 5 was because it was too dark/disturbing for me. And I have never said that about a book before. Really dark and disturbing (emphasis on disturbing)
October 28, 2021
‼️Read trigger warnings before starting this‼️
Wow.
I just finished the book and I have no words.
This is my first Lili St. Germain book and this whole book is just dark and descriptive. I finished the entire book because I wanted to know if there was some light towards the end, but nope.
Not the type of book I was expecting. If you’re really into dark dark stories, then this is perfect for you
Wow.
I just finished the book and I have no words.
This is my first Lili St. Germain book and this whole book is just dark and descriptive. I finished the entire book because I wanted to know if there was some light towards the end, but nope.
Not the type of book I was expecting. If you’re really into dark dark stories, then this is perfect for you
October 1, 2021
The Field of Wrongdoing by Lili St. Germain is a darkly graphic standalone crime thriller taking place over a period of years and is based in Gun Creek, a small town in northern Nevada. The novel is told by different alternating narrators and a handful of flashbacks.
Some readers may be dissuaded from reading the novel when learning of the graphic nature of the novel, in both violence and sexual depictions, however, the descriptions, while quite raw and explicit, are not grossly exploitive or purely done for juvenile titillation. Such depictions are clearly for the purpose of propelling this violent and destructive story forward and in a way to create emotive responses from the reader.
The story opens nine years in the past when Leo and Cassie are late teenagers in love, with the two of them spending time in Leo’s home, a refurbished Conex container. Leo’s drug-addicted mother lives in a nearby dilapidated trailer, with both of them being squatters on public land. After Leo discovers a corpse in a nearby well (which includes a dark Coen Brothers-esque opening), suspicion of murder falls upon Leo. The suspicion grows even after he is sent to prison for an unrelated crime and incident that causes Leo and Cassie to separate.
The novel then moves years forward and finds Leo released from prison and returning to his Conex container. Soon, a young teenage girl becomes missing and Leo, still a suspect of the corpse found in his well, again falls under suspicion.
For reasons other than just the search for the missing girl, Leo has also found himself under the close and vengeful watch of the sheriff, a man with secrets of his own, and who also happens to be the stepfather to Leo’s former girlfriend, Cassie.
Almost every character in The Field of Wrongdoing possesses secrets that keep the reader guessing how the story will end and who did what and why.
The writing in this novel is spare enough to still create descriptive mental imagery while not being overwhelmingly wordy, which is found too often in today’s current fiction. In the stark language used in the novel, just as with the graphic scenes, the writer is quite adept at when to intricately describe a scene in contrast to being very limited in the wording in others – in other words, she knows exactly when less is more and when more is needed.
Lili St. Germain also creates characters with depth and different layers, oftentimes being contradictory to the more discernable attributes of characters which allows the characters to be more three-dimensional rather than paper-thin.
The Field of Wrongdoing is highly recommended to those fond of dark thrillers and authors such as Mo Hayder, Jussi Adler Olsen, and the writing duo Anders Roslund and Borge Hellstrom.
The Field of Wrongdoing is set for release on October 12, 2021.
Netgalley provided an ARC of this novel for the promise of a fair review.
This review was originally published at MysteryandSuspense.com.
Some readers may be dissuaded from reading the novel when learning of the graphic nature of the novel, in both violence and sexual depictions, however, the descriptions, while quite raw and explicit, are not grossly exploitive or purely done for juvenile titillation. Such depictions are clearly for the purpose of propelling this violent and destructive story forward and in a way to create emotive responses from the reader.
The story opens nine years in the past when Leo and Cassie are late teenagers in love, with the two of them spending time in Leo’s home, a refurbished Conex container. Leo’s drug-addicted mother lives in a nearby dilapidated trailer, with both of them being squatters on public land. After Leo discovers a corpse in a nearby well (which includes a dark Coen Brothers-esque opening), suspicion of murder falls upon Leo. The suspicion grows even after he is sent to prison for an unrelated crime and incident that causes Leo and Cassie to separate.
The novel then moves years forward and finds Leo released from prison and returning to his Conex container. Soon, a young teenage girl becomes missing and Leo, still a suspect of the corpse found in his well, again falls under suspicion.
For reasons other than just the search for the missing girl, Leo has also found himself under the close and vengeful watch of the sheriff, a man with secrets of his own, and who also happens to be the stepfather to Leo’s former girlfriend, Cassie.
Almost every character in The Field of Wrongdoing possesses secrets that keep the reader guessing how the story will end and who did what and why.
The writing in this novel is spare enough to still create descriptive mental imagery while not being overwhelmingly wordy, which is found too often in today’s current fiction. In the stark language used in the novel, just as with the graphic scenes, the writer is quite adept at when to intricately describe a scene in contrast to being very limited in the wording in others – in other words, she knows exactly when less is more and when more is needed.
Lili St. Germain also creates characters with depth and different layers, oftentimes being contradictory to the more discernable attributes of characters which allows the characters to be more three-dimensional rather than paper-thin.
The Field of Wrongdoing is highly recommended to those fond of dark thrillers and authors such as Mo Hayder, Jussi Adler Olsen, and the writing duo Anders Roslund and Borge Hellstrom.
The Field of Wrongdoing is set for release on October 12, 2021.
Netgalley provided an ARC of this novel for the promise of a fair review.
This review was originally published at MysteryandSuspense.com.
July 29, 2021
**previously titled Gun Shy
Cassie and her boyfriend Leo both can’t wait for the day they can leave Gun Creek. That was the plan at least until one horrific discovery changes their lives forever. One dead body, one small town and one mystery that still needs solving. After eight years what will happen to the people of Gun Creek and the secrets that lie beneath? This is a very dark psychological thriller/mystery that I recommend going in blind. I was intrigued by this story and couldn’t turn the pages fast enough to find out the full story however, the pace is on the slower side as you get all the characters stories until you hit 50% then it picks up. These are two very damaged individuals trying to learn to live with what has happened. Possible triggers for some as this has some very tough topics and is definitely intended for Adults to read as it is graphic. If you enjoy a small town dark psychological thriller that keeps you guessing you will want to pick this up. A cleverly crafted mind twisting thriller! **This is not a romance. Told in dual POV
Cassie and her boyfriend Leo both can’t wait for the day they can leave Gun Creek. That was the plan at least until one horrific discovery changes their lives forever. One dead body, one small town and one mystery that still needs solving. After eight years what will happen to the people of Gun Creek and the secrets that lie beneath? This is a very dark psychological thriller/mystery that I recommend going in blind. I was intrigued by this story and couldn’t turn the pages fast enough to find out the full story however, the pace is on the slower side as you get all the characters stories until you hit 50% then it picks up. These are two very damaged individuals trying to learn to live with what has happened. Possible triggers for some as this has some very tough topics and is definitely intended for Adults to read as it is graphic. If you enjoy a small town dark psychological thriller that keeps you guessing you will want to pick this up. A cleverly crafted mind twisting thriller! **This is not a romance. Told in dual POV
October 1, 2024
This is a terrible book, about terrible people in a terrible town who do terrible things. I could not recommend this to anyone - so many trigger warnings (worse than you can imagine) and yet I couldn’t put this book down.
July 28, 2021
“This is not a fairytale and there is no happy ending, no prince to ride in on his horse and save me. It’s just me and my monster, just us in our house built out of bones and lies.”
Shudder...a deliciously dark deviant shudder as this story is about as twisty and intense as it gets. In a small town where the law is governed by one man when a girl goes missing is less about evidence and suspects more about who the Sheriff holds a grudge against. Recently home after spending eight long years in prison Leo is trying to piece back together the tattered remains of his life. Losing the girl he loved, still lives, haunts him surrounded by the memories of what they had can he find his way back to her? Cassie’s world slowly started to unfurl from the morning of finding the first lost girl...a downward spiral into the hell that she now exists in. But when the devil invites you in to his liar is he prepared for the demons he may unleash?
Formerly released as Gun Shy, this is a psychological thriller where no one is as they first appear, hiding their darker desires behind masks of civility. The victim is more predatory, seemingly harmless yet has hidden depths. The perpetrators not really fully aware of the monsters that are created in the depths of depravity. When longing turns into needing can the girl with darkness in her heart survive and find her happily ever after? This story is breathtakingly haunting as two teenagers with so much hope fall prey to the darker elements of life, twisting them and stripping them of their hope and naivety. This is one of my favourite reads of 2017, with a female lead that doesn’t need an alpha male to rescue her and can look after herself, surviving some truly horrific events. A love interest that embraces the darkness and becomes enveloped within it, choosing to accept the twists of fate and make the best out of a terrible situation. Gun Shy surpasses all expectation.
A five star black heart read.
~*~ Reviewed on behalf of Obsessed by Books ~*~
Shudder...a deliciously dark deviant shudder as this story is about as twisty and intense as it gets. In a small town where the law is governed by one man when a girl goes missing is less about evidence and suspects more about who the Sheriff holds a grudge against. Recently home after spending eight long years in prison Leo is trying to piece back together the tattered remains of his life. Losing the girl he loved, still lives, haunts him surrounded by the memories of what they had can he find his way back to her? Cassie’s world slowly started to unfurl from the morning of finding the first lost girl...a downward spiral into the hell that she now exists in. But when the devil invites you in to his liar is he prepared for the demons he may unleash?
Formerly released as Gun Shy, this is a psychological thriller where no one is as they first appear, hiding their darker desires behind masks of civility. The victim is more predatory, seemingly harmless yet has hidden depths. The perpetrators not really fully aware of the monsters that are created in the depths of depravity. When longing turns into needing can the girl with darkness in her heart survive and find her happily ever after? This story is breathtakingly haunting as two teenagers with so much hope fall prey to the darker elements of life, twisting them and stripping them of their hope and naivety. This is one of my favourite reads of 2017, with a female lead that doesn’t need an alpha male to rescue her and can look after herself, surviving some truly horrific events. A love interest that embraces the darkness and becomes enveloped within it, choosing to accept the twists of fate and make the best out of a terrible situation. Gun Shy surpasses all expectation.
A five star black heart read.
~*~ Reviewed on behalf of Obsessed by Books ~*~
Displaying 1 - 30 of 185 reviews