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Out of the Ashes
A woman’s investigation into her family’s murders uncovers lies, secrets, and dangerous truths in a heart-wrenching novel of suspense.
When she was thirteen years old, Samantha Newsom’s family was murdered and their Catskills farmhouse set ablaze in an unsolved crime that left nothing behind but ashes.
Twenty-two years later, Sam is pulled back to her hometown of Carney, New York, under the shadows of the grim tragedy she’s never forgotten or forgiven. Authorities mishandled the evidence, false rumors were seeded about her family, suspects yielded nothing, and the case went cold. Not anymore. Investigator Travis Meacham has been assigned to the case, and he has news for Sam: a prison inmate has come forward with a shocking admission. Sam’s baby sister, presumed dead in the fire, made it out of the house that night.
It’s not the only reveal that upends everything Sam thinks she knows about the crime and her family. But Carney protects its secrets. And this time, Sam might not be able to escape the town alive.
When she was thirteen years old, Samantha Newsom’s family was murdered and their Catskills farmhouse set ablaze in an unsolved crime that left nothing behind but ashes.
Twenty-two years later, Sam is pulled back to her hometown of Carney, New York, under the shadows of the grim tragedy she’s never forgotten or forgiven. Authorities mishandled the evidence, false rumors were seeded about her family, suspects yielded nothing, and the case went cold. Not anymore. Investigator Travis Meacham has been assigned to the case, and he has news for Sam: a prison inmate has come forward with a shocking admission. Sam’s baby sister, presumed dead in the fire, made it out of the house that night.
It’s not the only reveal that upends everything Sam thinks she knows about the crime and her family. But Carney protects its secrets. And this time, Sam might not be able to escape the town alive.
286 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 1, 2023
5026 people are currently reading
13768 people want to read
About the author
Kara Thomas
17 books2,382 followersKara is the author of The Darkest Corners, Little Monsters, and The Cheerleaders. She is also the author of the Prep School Confidential series from St. Martin's Griffin under the pen name Kara Taylor.
Kara has written for Warner Brothers Television and currently writes full-time on Long Island, where she lives with her husband and rescue cat.
Kara has written for Warner Brothers Television and currently writes full-time on Long Island, where she lives with her husband and rescue cat.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 860 reviews
May 7, 2023
Well, it’s so great to see Kara Thomas can also write he’ll of a great adult thriller. I enjoyed her previous young adult works. I loved the intriguing plot, dark- heart shattering family massacre story blended in small town people hiding big secrets story theme!
The main character Samantha, 30 years old, divorced, taking a break from her struggling career at hospital to return back to her home town where her parents, her baby sister and uncle have been killed and her family house have been burned to the ground! She is back to help her step uncle to take his life. He has been suffering from big C for a long time and Sam helps him to end his misery with her injection.
Now her uncle is dead. She plans to pack his things,donating them and never returning back to this haunted place but when a prosecutor knocks her uncle’s door and tells her he re-examine her family case and her sister can be alive, the past comes back to haunt Sam’s present.
There was always a rumor that a police officer might have been involved with her family’s massacre and the entire station tried to cover up the corruption but now Sam is back to find the truth and she has nothing more to lose!
Only thing a little bothered me was changing direction of the story with lost girls’ cases in the middle of the book. Both of the storylines intercepted at the end but main reason of Samantha’s returning back to her old town was finding the truth about what happened to her family instead of investigating her missing friend. There are enough sources to build the developments of two different books in here.
Overall: it’s fast pacing, dark, well developed, heart wrenching psychological thriller with great twist! The ending was emotional and powerful!
Giving my 4 I love thrillers stars and looking forward to read more books of Kara Thomas!
Many thanks to NetGalley and Thomas Mercer for sharing this digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest opinions.
The main character Samantha, 30 years old, divorced, taking a break from her struggling career at hospital to return back to her home town where her parents, her baby sister and uncle have been killed and her family house have been burned to the ground! She is back to help her step uncle to take his life. He has been suffering from big C for a long time and Sam helps him to end his misery with her injection.
Now her uncle is dead. She plans to pack his things,donating them and never returning back to this haunted place but when a prosecutor knocks her uncle’s door and tells her he re-examine her family case and her sister can be alive, the past comes back to haunt Sam’s present.
There was always a rumor that a police officer might have been involved with her family’s massacre and the entire station tried to cover up the corruption but now Sam is back to find the truth and she has nothing more to lose!
Only thing a little bothered me was changing direction of the story with lost girls’ cases in the middle of the book. Both of the storylines intercepted at the end but main reason of Samantha’s returning back to her old town was finding the truth about what happened to her family instead of investigating her missing friend. There are enough sources to build the developments of two different books in here.
Overall: it’s fast pacing, dark, well developed, heart wrenching psychological thriller with great twist! The ending was emotional and powerful!
Giving my 4 I love thrillers stars and looking forward to read more books of Kara Thomas!
Many thanks to NetGalley and Thomas Mercer for sharing this digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest opinions.
December 9, 2023
Writing: 3.5/5 | Plot: 3/5 | Ending: ummm???
SYNOPSIS
Samantha returns to Carney to clean out her uncle's house after he dies and finds her sucked back into the case of her family's murder.
MY OPINION
This was an Amazon First Reads that I never got around to until now. Tbh I think this is the only First Reads I've actually read, despite downloading one every month. This is why I refuse to get book subscriptions. Plus it helps that they never deliver to Quebec LOL.
ANYWAYS, this was... ight. I think 3 stars is a bit generous but you know me... I'm a generous spirit (CLEARLY SARCASM). update: changed it to a 2 because let's be real lol This definitely had potential, but the storytelling was a bit strange. When I finished, I double checked that the author doesn't usually write TV/movie scripts. Why? Because the dramatic scenes were so bitesized and ended so abruptly, it felt like I was watching a movie. Every time Sam drove 80 miles to confront a suspect, she'd literally have a 30-second exchange with them and then storm off. Huh??? Homegirl never asked any pertinent follow up questions. She was like: did you kill my family? Suspect: no. Sam: Ok then I hate u bye. Waste of gas if you ask me.
Also, idk if this was because I read the book over the span of a week, but there were too many damn characters. I usually don't complain about this (shocking — ya'll know I love to lodge a complaint) but there were too many Ealy's and not enough time was spent on flushing them out. It's kinda like when you take your contacts out and everything is blurry but you can still make out the shape of things. It didn't help that the author was using two diff names for one character throughout the book (Mitch and Michelle).
Not only were there too many characters, but too much was going on and too many strings were left untied at the end. I can't get into it without spoilies so you know what time it is...
SPOILERS ALERT. SCROLL TO BOTTOM.
1) The missing persons' cases needed to go. It was so irrelevant in the grand scheme of things. Also, fuck ya'll for literally helping your step?half?-brother commit murder without a single qualm but then be mad af at the town's crooked cop for his alleged crimes. What in the world????
2) This citizens gone rogue tale went a lil TOO rogue for my liking. I'm begging Meacham and Sam to communicate. If this was a romcom, the trope would be miscommunication. Also, why did Sam try to bang him on the anniversary of his daughter's death? Bold move.
3) Can you really just exhume bodies without the consent from the next of kin? My quick google search says no. Also... why were the identities of the burned bodies not confirmed originally? I know the town was notorious for shoddy policework but the author never gave us a reason for them NOT wanting to run a lil DNA test to make sure they had the right people.
4) Why did Gil go to New York and pretend he was in Afghanistan? Idk maybe she explained this but it got lost amongst the other 10259025 things going on in this book.
5) The fact she used her coochie to sneak drugs into prison sent me into orbit. You're telling me no one noticed homegirl reaching up her shorts, popping out an entire Diva cup, shaking out and baggy of pills, and passing them over to Boggs in the visitor's lounge at prison? And what did she do with the cup? I don't remember her popping that bad boy back in? Also that's serious talent for pulling it out whilst sitting... IYKYK!!!!!!
6) Why wasn't Sam the least bit torn up about assisting Gil with his su!cide. She had more emotions about CJ Ealy's banging body than this whole event. Twas odd.
7) What in the fresh fuck was that ending? So after spinning your tires having unproductive convos all over Carney, you solve the case with the help of a PI? Why not start with the PI? Or wait... COMMUNICATE WITH MEACHAM???? And then once you FINALLY figure out what happened to your family and that your lil sister is actually alive and well, you just go to the diner where she works and... that's it? Then you're like, oh well, Meacham will eventually find her and break the news. I can't believe it but I was actually disappointed there wasn't an epilogue because unless this is gonna be a series, talk about unsatisfactory.
SPOILERS DONE
PROS AND CONS
Pros: sometimes funny, fast paced, case itself was intriguing
Cons: characterizations were lacklustre, too many subplots, ending was BLEH, many side eye moments
___
Check out my YouTube and my TikTok
SYNOPSIS
Samantha returns to Carney to clean out her uncle's house after he dies and finds her sucked back into the case of her family's murder.
MY OPINION
This was an Amazon First Reads that I never got around to until now. Tbh I think this is the only First Reads I've actually read, despite downloading one every month. This is why I refuse to get book subscriptions. Plus it helps that they never deliver to Quebec LOL.
ANYWAYS, this was... ight. I think 3 stars is a bit generous but you know me... I'm a generous spirit (CLEARLY SARCASM). update: changed it to a 2 because let's be real lol This definitely had potential, but the storytelling was a bit strange. When I finished, I double checked that the author doesn't usually write TV/movie scripts. Why? Because the dramatic scenes were so bitesized and ended so abruptly, it felt like I was watching a movie. Every time Sam drove 80 miles to confront a suspect, she'd literally have a 30-second exchange with them and then storm off. Huh??? Homegirl never asked any pertinent follow up questions. She was like: did you kill my family? Suspect: no. Sam: Ok then I hate u bye. Waste of gas if you ask me.
Also, idk if this was because I read the book over the span of a week, but there were too many damn characters. I usually don't complain about this (shocking — ya'll know I love to lodge a complaint) but there were too many Ealy's and not enough time was spent on flushing them out. It's kinda like when you take your contacts out and everything is blurry but you can still make out the shape of things. It didn't help that the author was using two diff names for one character throughout the book (Mitch and Michelle).
Not only were there too many characters, but too much was going on and too many strings were left untied at the end. I can't get into it without spoilies so you know what time it is...
SPOILERS ALERT. SCROLL TO BOTTOM.
1) The missing persons' cases needed to go. It was so irrelevant in the grand scheme of things. Also, fuck ya'll for literally helping your step?half?-brother commit murder without a single qualm but then be mad af at the town's crooked cop for his alleged crimes. What in the world????
2) This citizens gone rogue tale went a lil TOO rogue for my liking. I'm begging Meacham and Sam to communicate. If this was a romcom, the trope would be miscommunication. Also, why did Sam try to bang him on the anniversary of his daughter's death? Bold move.
3) Can you really just exhume bodies without the consent from the next of kin? My quick google search says no. Also... why were the identities of the burned bodies not confirmed originally? I know the town was notorious for shoddy policework but the author never gave us a reason for them NOT wanting to run a lil DNA test to make sure they had the right people.
4) Why did Gil go to New York and pretend he was in Afghanistan? Idk maybe she explained this but it got lost amongst the other 10259025 things going on in this book.
5) The fact she used her coochie to sneak drugs into prison sent me into orbit. You're telling me no one noticed homegirl reaching up her shorts, popping out an entire Diva cup, shaking out and baggy of pills, and passing them over to Boggs in the visitor's lounge at prison? And what did she do with the cup? I don't remember her popping that bad boy back in? Also that's serious talent for pulling it out whilst sitting... IYKYK!!!!!!
6) Why wasn't Sam the least bit torn up about assisting Gil with his su!cide. She had more emotions about CJ Ealy's banging body than this whole event. Twas odd.
7) What in the fresh fuck was that ending? So after spinning your tires having unproductive convos all over Carney, you solve the case with the help of a PI? Why not start with the PI? Or wait... COMMUNICATE WITH MEACHAM???? And then once you FINALLY figure out what happened to your family and that your lil sister is actually alive and well, you just go to the diner where she works and... that's it? Then you're like, oh well, Meacham will eventually find her and break the news. I can't believe it but I was actually disappointed there wasn't an epilogue because unless this is gonna be a series, talk about unsatisfactory.
SPOILERS DONE
PROS AND CONS
Pros: sometimes funny, fast paced, case itself was intriguing
Cons: characterizations were lacklustre, too many subplots, ending was BLEH, many side eye moments
___
Check out my YouTube and my TikTok
April 17, 2023
Are you kidding me??!!!! Kara Thomas ❤️🩹🤯
The urge to dip your head amongst ice cubes was immense when I reached the second half! Cos by then there are a few unreliable characters who became rather notorious and began to show their true colours!
No. No spoilers and I am not repeating the blurb as the plot. I would rather suggest you to pick up this book without knowing anything.
Trudge through the first forty pages or so and just then you will be in a dilemma soon. You will know why!
This is the first book I am reading by a very popular author. So I was caught in between too much high expectations and going into the book blindly. And I am glad I enjoyed the thrill the story gave me. The plot is good but I would still say not to rush to the end to know ‘who done it’. My less than one star rating is because of the ending because I was expecting something rather obvious which I didn’t get. Hopefully a sequel comes out and gives me the closure I need now!
The writing is good! The first half is a little slow which I expect in every book nowadays and there’s less disappointments.
It’s the second half which made me ignore everything else and made me want to throw every character there out of this planet (just feel how frustrated I was with them!). Good writing there!
However, I still need an answer. A closure. Even a hint that a sequel is coming out will do.
Thank you, Thomas & Mercer, for the advance reading copy.
The urge to dip your head amongst ice cubes was immense when I reached the second half! Cos by then there are a few unreliable characters who became rather notorious and began to show their true colours!
No. No spoilers and I am not repeating the blurb as the plot. I would rather suggest you to pick up this book without knowing anything.
Trudge through the first forty pages or so and just then you will be in a dilemma soon. You will know why!
This is the first book I am reading by a very popular author. So I was caught in between too much high expectations and going into the book blindly. And I am glad I enjoyed the thrill the story gave me. The plot is good but I would still say not to rush to the end to know ‘who done it’. My less than one star rating is because of the ending because I was expecting something rather obvious which I didn’t get. Hopefully a sequel comes out and gives me the closure I need now!
The writing is good! The first half is a little slow which I expect in every book nowadays and there’s less disappointments.
It’s the second half which made me ignore everything else and made me want to throw every character there out of this planet (just feel how frustrated I was with them!). Good writing there!
However, I still need an answer. A closure. Even a hint that a sequel is coming out will do.
Thank you, Thomas & Mercer, for the advance reading copy.
February 22, 2023
You know when you have like 555 other reviews to do but you just want to talk about the last book you read because it knocked your socks 🧦 off? Well that is this book!! Wow!! Thank you soo much @mbc_books for putting this gifted copy in my hands. 🥰 I seriously can’t recommend this book enough!! ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️ Pub date is 5/1/23!!🎉🎉🎉🎉
Why was it so exceptional?? Let me tell you…😉 First off… Dark… gritty… Suspense filled… 😳I went in completely blind and @karathomaswrites is a new to me author. So I was absolutely blown away when I loved this so much!! 😍
Samantha is an ICU nurse… Hey girl.. I am an ED nurse… soooo I ✅Loved that…We have seen ALOT!! Not much surprises us… yet Sam did manage to suprise me…😳😬
Imagine this… your entire family.. murdered and then burned in your childhood 🏡 home.. not you… as you were spending the night at a friend’s house… now your entire family is gone… and the killer is on the loose…😳 Fast forward 22 years… you are back… you left this small town that is riddled with drugs… crime… and lots of secrets 🤫… You NEED to know what happened that night… did everyone really die in that fire? 🔥
Seriously this was so well done… I had no idea 🤷♀️ what to think!! Who did it? Are these cops corrupt? The writing was so atmospheric…..I could feel the small town feeling.. and it wasn’t a good one… 😬 … Let me tell you… this town put the G in gritty… 😏…. SO sketchy!!! 🤨…. Now let’s talk about THAT ending!! Wow!! 😳🤯🤯🤯I loved it!!! I know it’s only February but this is one of my favorite books so far this year!! I can’t recommend it enough!! 😍😍😍 Obviously..5 big stars ⭐️
This isn’t a thriller that is so far out there that it is over the top… this was a perfect mix.. I felt like I could be reading true crime. I seriously can’t wait to read more by @karathomaswrites !!
Why was it so exceptional?? Let me tell you…😉 First off… Dark… gritty… Suspense filled… 😳I went in completely blind and @karathomaswrites is a new to me author. So I was absolutely blown away when I loved this so much!! 😍
Samantha is an ICU nurse… Hey girl.. I am an ED nurse… soooo I ✅Loved that…We have seen ALOT!! Not much surprises us… yet Sam did manage to suprise me…😳😬
Imagine this… your entire family.. murdered and then burned in your childhood 🏡 home.. not you… as you were spending the night at a friend’s house… now your entire family is gone… and the killer is on the loose…😳 Fast forward 22 years… you are back… you left this small town that is riddled with drugs… crime… and lots of secrets 🤫… You NEED to know what happened that night… did everyone really die in that fire? 🔥
Seriously this was so well done… I had no idea 🤷♀️ what to think!! Who did it? Are these cops corrupt? The writing was so atmospheric…..I could feel the small town feeling.. and it wasn’t a good one… 😬 … Let me tell you… this town put the G in gritty… 😏…. SO sketchy!!! 🤨…. Now let’s talk about THAT ending!! Wow!! 😳🤯🤯🤯I loved it!!! I know it’s only February but this is one of my favorite books so far this year!! I can’t recommend it enough!! 😍😍😍 Obviously..5 big stars ⭐️
This isn’t a thriller that is so far out there that it is over the top… this was a perfect mix.. I felt like I could be reading true crime. I seriously can’t wait to read more by @karathomaswrites !!
May 26, 2023
When she was 13, Samantha Newsom’s family was murdered and their Catskills farmhouse set ablaze in an unsolved crime that left nothing behind but ashes. Samantha was spending the night at a friend's so was unharmed. Now 35, Sam returns to her home town of Carney, New York, following the death of her uncle.
After a short break, we're back to protagonists named Sam, short for Samantha in this case! This book is well written and an easy-to-read story and yet it didn't really grip me. It wasn't a book I thought about when not reading it. I suspect maybe I've had my fill of 10, 20, 30, etc -year-old cold cases being investigated/solved in present day. The story is told from Sam's POV, mostly in the present as she inserts herself into the new investigation of what happened to her family, with occasional flashbacks to her childhood. A possible witness has popped up which is why the investigation is active once again. So many missing people too; it was hard to keep track of who was dead and who was just missing! There are many characters in the book and more than once I had to search back to remind myself who someone was. Some of the chapters are really long but there's usually a break within the chapter where you can stop for a breather. Also, I'm sure this was more than 286 pages. Even though I wasn't enthralled with this one, I'd give it 3.5 stars but unfortunately I need to round down. I'll definitely be on the look-out for future novels by Kara Thomas.
Thanks to Thomas & Mercer via Netgalley for the opportunity to read this novel which was published on May 1, 2023. All opinions expressed are my own.
After a short break, we're back to protagonists named Sam, short for Samantha in this case! This book is well written and an easy-to-read story and yet it didn't really grip me. It wasn't a book I thought about when not reading it. I suspect maybe I've had my fill of 10, 20, 30, etc -year-old cold cases being investigated/solved in present day. The story is told from Sam's POV, mostly in the present as she inserts herself into the new investigation of what happened to her family, with occasional flashbacks to her childhood. A possible witness has popped up which is why the investigation is active once again. So many missing people too; it was hard to keep track of who was dead and who was just missing! There are many characters in the book and more than once I had to search back to remind myself who someone was. Some of the chapters are really long but there's usually a break within the chapter where you can stop for a breather. Also, I'm sure this was more than 286 pages. Even though I wasn't enthralled with this one, I'd give it 3.5 stars but unfortunately I need to round down. I'll definitely be on the look-out for future novels by Kara Thomas.
Thanks to Thomas & Mercer via Netgalley for the opportunity to read this novel which was published on May 1, 2023. All opinions expressed are my own.
March 23, 2024
🧡🖤🔥🖤🧡🖤🔥🖤🧡🖤🔥🖤🧡🖤🔥🖤🧡
Out of the Ashes follows Samantha Newsom. Sam is 35-years old and works as a nurse in NYC. She hasn't had an easy life, filled with early trauma that has had lasting repercussions.
When Sam was 13, her family was murdered and their home set ablaze. Sam escaped harmed, as she was at a friend's house that night for a sleepover, but the rest of her family, her Mom, Dad and baby sister were not that lucky.
Sam was taken in by family after the tragedy, but her life was no longer filled with love, or warm relationships. Particularly, tenuous was her relationship with her Aunt Mitch. The two butted heads something awful.
Needless to say, Sam was eager to leave her small town of Carney, New York, behind when she got old enough. She's rarely gone back since.
She still keeps in contact with her Uncle Gil though and when he dies, he leaves Sam his house, hoping she'll keep it. Return to her roots.
Sam doesn't want anything to do with Carney. The mystery of who killed her family was never solved, in large part due to the actions of local law enforcement. She doesn't want to be reminded of all that.
When Sam is contacted by an Investigator, Travis Meacham, who has been assigned the cold case though, she sees a glimmer of hope for finding the truth.
Meacham reports he has a fresh lead. A prison inmate who claims that he saw Sam's baby sister, Lyndsay, being removed from the home before it burned.
Could her sister be alive? Was she kidnapped, not murdered?
She needs to take care of her Uncle's house anyway, it's the perfect excuse to return to Carney. While she's there, Sam plans to do some digging of her own.
Sam's determined to get the answers she deserves about the night that shattered her life forever. With Meacham's help, she just may be able to solve this decades old mystery.
I really enjoyed this Adult Debut from Kara Thomas. It's the type of gritty Crime Fiction I tend to enjoy, the kind that feels a bit Hillybilly Noir, for lack of a better term.
The title of this book fits it to a tee. Sam literally feels like a phoenix rising from the ashes. She's been through some things, it's definitely had an impact on her adult life, but I felt like throughout this story, she grows and is sort of able to rebuild herself.
I loved Sam as a main character. This story is told entirely through her perspective and I appreciated that choice by Thomas. It felt fitting with the nature of this story.
I love the trope of a character leaving their small town in the dust and then returning many years later to investigate something that happened in the past. Luckily for me, that's exactly what this is.
Out of the Ashes is a slow-burn, but I didn't mind. Overall, I felt it easy to get swept up in the story. There's a lot of drama in the town and with Sam's remaining family.
At times I struggled a little trying to keep up with the dynamics between them all, but I feel like for the most part, it was really well done.
There is one really powerful family in the town, they own a large farm that employees a lot of people, and Sam and her family are quite involved with them. They definitely added a sinister, dangerous tone to the narrative.
The majority of the story is fairly bleak. There's not a lot to be jazzed, or happy about, but honestly, there shouldn't be. It's not that kind of story.
The town is floundering, drugs have had a huge impact, like in many small towns in America. The locals seem a bit desperate and suspicious of outsiders.
They definitely view Sam as an outsider at this point. She's been gone too long, has a fancy education and a solid career.
I felt for her. The jarring nature of her return to her hometown. That's always something I enjoy reading about. I've been in that position, so find it easy to relate to. When I do visit my hometown, it's like a completely different world.
There were some twists in this I didn't see coming and I did like how Thomas continued to build the tension throughout. She also allowed Sam to gain strength and confidence as the story progresses. Sam's a bit of a badass.
The conclusion almost brought me to tears. I was stunned. It was wrapped up really well. I'm impressed with Thomas's ease of transitioning into the Adult Thriller genre. I hope she continues to write YA Thrillers too though, because she is one of my favorite authors in that space.
Look at you being all multi-talented, Kara Thomas!
Thank you to the publisher, Thomas & Mercer, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I think this is a great effort for an Adult Debut.
I definitely recommend this one for fans of dark, gritty Crime Fiction.
Out of the Ashes follows Samantha Newsom. Sam is 35-years old and works as a nurse in NYC. She hasn't had an easy life, filled with early trauma that has had lasting repercussions.
When Sam was 13, her family was murdered and their home set ablaze. Sam escaped harmed, as she was at a friend's house that night for a sleepover, but the rest of her family, her Mom, Dad and baby sister were not that lucky.
Sam was taken in by family after the tragedy, but her life was no longer filled with love, or warm relationships. Particularly, tenuous was her relationship with her Aunt Mitch. The two butted heads something awful.
Needless to say, Sam was eager to leave her small town of Carney, New York, behind when she got old enough. She's rarely gone back since.
She still keeps in contact with her Uncle Gil though and when he dies, he leaves Sam his house, hoping she'll keep it. Return to her roots.
Sam doesn't want anything to do with Carney. The mystery of who killed her family was never solved, in large part due to the actions of local law enforcement. She doesn't want to be reminded of all that.
When Sam is contacted by an Investigator, Travis Meacham, who has been assigned the cold case though, she sees a glimmer of hope for finding the truth.
Meacham reports he has a fresh lead. A prison inmate who claims that he saw Sam's baby sister, Lyndsay, being removed from the home before it burned.
Could her sister be alive? Was she kidnapped, not murdered?
She needs to take care of her Uncle's house anyway, it's the perfect excuse to return to Carney. While she's there, Sam plans to do some digging of her own.
Sam's determined to get the answers she deserves about the night that shattered her life forever. With Meacham's help, she just may be able to solve this decades old mystery.
I really enjoyed this Adult Debut from Kara Thomas. It's the type of gritty Crime Fiction I tend to enjoy, the kind that feels a bit Hillybilly Noir, for lack of a better term.
The title of this book fits it to a tee. Sam literally feels like a phoenix rising from the ashes. She's been through some things, it's definitely had an impact on her adult life, but I felt like throughout this story, she grows and is sort of able to rebuild herself.
I loved Sam as a main character. This story is told entirely through her perspective and I appreciated that choice by Thomas. It felt fitting with the nature of this story.
I love the trope of a character leaving their small town in the dust and then returning many years later to investigate something that happened in the past. Luckily for me, that's exactly what this is.
Out of the Ashes is a slow-burn, but I didn't mind. Overall, I felt it easy to get swept up in the story. There's a lot of drama in the town and with Sam's remaining family.
At times I struggled a little trying to keep up with the dynamics between them all, but I feel like for the most part, it was really well done.
There is one really powerful family in the town, they own a large farm that employees a lot of people, and Sam and her family are quite involved with them. They definitely added a sinister, dangerous tone to the narrative.
The majority of the story is fairly bleak. There's not a lot to be jazzed, or happy about, but honestly, there shouldn't be. It's not that kind of story.
The town is floundering, drugs have had a huge impact, like in many small towns in America. The locals seem a bit desperate and suspicious of outsiders.
They definitely view Sam as an outsider at this point. She's been gone too long, has a fancy education and a solid career.
I felt for her. The jarring nature of her return to her hometown. That's always something I enjoy reading about. I've been in that position, so find it easy to relate to. When I do visit my hometown, it's like a completely different world.
There were some twists in this I didn't see coming and I did like how Thomas continued to build the tension throughout. She also allowed Sam to gain strength and confidence as the story progresses. Sam's a bit of a badass.
The conclusion almost brought me to tears. I was stunned. It was wrapped up really well. I'm impressed with Thomas's ease of transitioning into the Adult Thriller genre. I hope she continues to write YA Thrillers too though, because she is one of my favorite authors in that space.
Look at you being all multi-talented, Kara Thomas!
Thank you to the publisher, Thomas & Mercer, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I think this is a great effort for an Adult Debut.
I definitely recommend this one for fans of dark, gritty Crime Fiction.
April 18, 2023
Always curious when a YA author writes their first “adult” novel, so chose ”Out Of The Ashes” as April’s Amazon First Reads selection.
Whilst it was well-written and engaging, it took me a while to connect with the plot. But it was a bit of a page-turner when I finally did. Still wanted to find out the conclusion no matter what especially as more about the characters was revealed.
I really wanted to rate this higher and couldn’t quite put my finger on why I didn’t connect with the story overall as much as I would have liked. I’m having some better luck with a different crime based thriller that I’m currently reading (Karin Slaughter’s Pretty Girls)… This one is more my cup of tea, utterly unputdownable so far!
At the age of thirteen, Samantha Newsom’s entire world was turned upside down. Her family were murdered, their home burned down. Twenty two years later, she has returned to her hometown of Carney, New York, with the memories of her past still haunting her mind. The case of what happened to her family has gone cold; evidence was mishandled, false rumours were spread, all the leads ended up going nowhere. Enter; Detective Meacham who has recently been assigned to the case. He is as passionate about solving it as Samantha. And he has some news for her. A prison inmate has told him that Samantha’s sister made it out of the fiery blaze alive. Will the sisters get to reunite? Who murdered their family? There’s one thing about Carney and its residents however… They’ll do anything to protect their secrets.
Whilst it was well-written and engaging, it took me a while to connect with the plot. But it was a bit of a page-turner when I finally did. Still wanted to find out the conclusion no matter what especially as more about the characters was revealed.
I really wanted to rate this higher and couldn’t quite put my finger on why I didn’t connect with the story overall as much as I would have liked. I’m having some better luck with a different crime based thriller that I’m currently reading (Karin Slaughter’s Pretty Girls)… This one is more my cup of tea, utterly unputdownable so far!
At the age of thirteen, Samantha Newsom’s entire world was turned upside down. Her family were murdered, their home burned down. Twenty two years later, she has returned to her hometown of Carney, New York, with the memories of her past still haunting her mind. The case of what happened to her family has gone cold; evidence was mishandled, false rumours were spread, all the leads ended up going nowhere. Enter; Detective Meacham who has recently been assigned to the case. He is as passionate about solving it as Samantha. And he has some news for her. A prison inmate has told him that Samantha’s sister made it out of the fiery blaze alive. Will the sisters get to reunite? Who murdered their family? There’s one thing about Carney and its residents however… They’ll do anything to protect their secrets.
December 28, 2023
I overall enjoyed this book, but there’s so many characters and subplots that at times, it was hard to keep up with.
I also found it hard at times to connect with Samantha, the main character. I understand that someone who has lost their entire family might’ve behaved the way she did, but I found most of her decisions selfish and reckless. there’s just something missing.
so many characters and subplots that were just a dead end. I felt lost.
the ending felt flat and not what I expected from a whodunnit. there was no actual closure for me.
thank you #netgalley for the ARC
I also found it hard at times to connect with Samantha, the main character. I understand that someone who has lost their entire family might’ve behaved the way she did, but I found most of her decisions selfish and reckless. there’s just something missing.
so many characters and subplots that were just a dead end. I felt lost.
the ending felt flat and not what I expected from a whodunnit. there was no actual closure for me.
thank you #netgalley for the ARC
March 16, 2023
Kara Thomas is a very popular YA thriller author, so I'm excited for her jump to adult crime-fiction. That being said, OUT OF THE ASHES is a bit too straightforward for me. I'm giving it a 3-star middle of the road type of rating as I felt that the narrative was a bit unoriginal. That being said, the ending is a tearjerker! I'm excited to see what this author has in store for readers next.
October 1, 2022
My Rating System: 4⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ticked nearly all the boxes THOROUGHLY ENJOYED IT!!
Samantha Newsom is a nurse in a busy stressful job in New York City, she is trying to keep her life on track, but Sam has a dark past that she doesn’t share with anyone. When Sam was 13 years old her entire family was murdered in their home (including her baby sister) and then the house was burnt to the ground.
Her last words to her mother haunt her, that last hug from her father and uncle and the giggle from her baby sister are never far from her mind. Having a last minute sleep over with her friend Sam was spared the same fate.
Twenty-two years later she is back in her home town after her uncles death and everything is brought back to the fore. The mishandling of evidence by the police, suspects that were never followed up and now a new investigator may have new evidence to assist in solving the murders of the Newsom family.
Can Sam find out the truth once and for all but still leave town alive??
Ok… cards on the table I started this book directly after a stinker - soooo my opinion may be skewed slightly but I still think this is a worthy 4 stars so I am sticking with it!!! 😝
If you are not a citizens gone rogue fan you may find this one slightly irritating - Sam does not follow rules and she does indeed go rogue. HOWEVER… can you blame a girl!!! Her whole family is dead, she was brought up by her mean old aunt and stuck up cousin and she is all alone in the world wishing like hell she could just find out once and for all what happened. I MIGHT GO ROGUE!!! 🕵️♀️
The thing that saved this was it was not done scooby doo style at all. You can feel the pain Sam is going through and she knows some of things she is doing are dangerous and wrong but… she just has to know. She does try to keep on the good side of Investigator Travis Meecham buuuut he is forever frustrated with Sam so she doesn’t always let him know she is doing something dumb. 🤷♀️
This was another one of those books that was able to get you to feel the atmosphere of the town. It was gritty and grimy and had a small town claustrophobia and seediness that made you feel like you needed a shower. The writing was really very good and I have no complaints at all. I liked how the dialogue in Sam’s head and with others felt like a real conversation or thought. The characters weren’t perfect and all the author had to do was scratch just a bit of a surface to show the underbelly of each situation or person. I really loved this and it helped the story flow really well. 👌
I also liked that this was another under 300 page book so you get to the point nice and quick which is good but also when its written well you feel like you want more. The chapters are a bit long within the shorter style book but that didn’t bother me because I was racing through this one. This is only told from Sams perspective there are no alternating POV in this one but I think it worked well for the story that needed to be told. The ending was also not wrapped up in a neat and tidy Hallmark bow for you to feel good. There were feels but not all were good and I think that was exactly how it should have ended. 🙌
Did I guess who the big baddie was - NOPE not at all - once it started to be revealed I was like uh uh no way!! But I had no idea throughout the book. I wasn’t in love with the reveal because it felt like this could have happened or that should have happened (no spoilers here) BUT overall I think the way it unfolded gave Sam even more emotions and layers of feelings so I think that was really well done. 💖
Why didn’t I give it 5 stars after my rave review - Wellllll…. I have read a few books that have this similar feel (not the same story by any means) this year and I feel like this one didn’t quite have what those books had to make them 5 stars. That is just my opinion though - let me know if you disagree and you think this is a 5 star winner because I am keen to hear it!! 🌟
So…Would I recommend this -Abso-freaking-lutely!! Definitely get yourself a copy if you like a gritty mystery with a whole range of emotions and good writing!! 🤩
I want to thank Thomas and Mercer, NetGalley and Kara Thomas for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!!
Samantha Newsom is a nurse in a busy stressful job in New York City, she is trying to keep her life on track, but Sam has a dark past that she doesn’t share with anyone. When Sam was 13 years old her entire family was murdered in their home (including her baby sister) and then the house was burnt to the ground.
Her last words to her mother haunt her, that last hug from her father and uncle and the giggle from her baby sister are never far from her mind. Having a last minute sleep over with her friend Sam was spared the same fate.
Twenty-two years later she is back in her home town after her uncles death and everything is brought back to the fore. The mishandling of evidence by the police, suspects that were never followed up and now a new investigator may have new evidence to assist in solving the murders of the Newsom family.
Can Sam find out the truth once and for all but still leave town alive??
Ok… cards on the table I started this book directly after a stinker - soooo my opinion may be skewed slightly but I still think this is a worthy 4 stars so I am sticking with it!!! 😝
If you are not a citizens gone rogue fan you may find this one slightly irritating - Sam does not follow rules and she does indeed go rogue. HOWEVER… can you blame a girl!!! Her whole family is dead, she was brought up by her mean old aunt and stuck up cousin and she is all alone in the world wishing like hell she could just find out once and for all what happened. I MIGHT GO ROGUE!!! 🕵️♀️
The thing that saved this was it was not done scooby doo style at all. You can feel the pain Sam is going through and she knows some of things she is doing are dangerous and wrong but… she just has to know. She does try to keep on the good side of Investigator Travis Meecham buuuut he is forever frustrated with Sam so she doesn’t always let him know she is doing something dumb. 🤷♀️
This was another one of those books that was able to get you to feel the atmosphere of the town. It was gritty and grimy and had a small town claustrophobia and seediness that made you feel like you needed a shower. The writing was really very good and I have no complaints at all. I liked how the dialogue in Sam’s head and with others felt like a real conversation or thought. The characters weren’t perfect and all the author had to do was scratch just a bit of a surface to show the underbelly of each situation or person. I really loved this and it helped the story flow really well. 👌
I also liked that this was another under 300 page book so you get to the point nice and quick which is good but also when its written well you feel like you want more. The chapters are a bit long within the shorter style book but that didn’t bother me because I was racing through this one. This is only told from Sams perspective there are no alternating POV in this one but I think it worked well for the story that needed to be told. The ending was also not wrapped up in a neat and tidy Hallmark bow for you to feel good. There were feels but not all were good and I think that was exactly how it should have ended. 🙌
Did I guess who the big baddie was - NOPE not at all - once it started to be revealed I was like uh uh no way!! But I had no idea throughout the book. I wasn’t in love with the reveal because it felt like this could have happened or that should have happened (no spoilers here) BUT overall I think the way it unfolded gave Sam even more emotions and layers of feelings so I think that was really well done. 💖
Why didn’t I give it 5 stars after my rave review - Wellllll…. I have read a few books that have this similar feel (not the same story by any means) this year and I feel like this one didn’t quite have what those books had to make them 5 stars. That is just my opinion though - let me know if you disagree and you think this is a 5 star winner because I am keen to hear it!! 🌟
So…Would I recommend this -Abso-freaking-lutely!! Definitely get yourself a copy if you like a gritty mystery with a whole range of emotions and good writing!! 🤩
I want to thank Thomas and Mercer, NetGalley and Kara Thomas for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!!
January 28, 2024
Author Kara Thomas’s debut in the world of adult fiction with OUT OF THE ASHES, a disquieting suspense thriller, is successful. While fans sing her praises as a young adult author, this is my first time reading the work of this obviously talented writer, and I am duly impressed.
OUT OF THE ASHES is a gritty suspense thriller relayed through the point of view of nurse Samantha Newsom who reluctantly returns to her hometown of Carney, New York, to clean out and sell property left her by her deceased uncle. Sam fled the area twenty years prior, but never got over the devastating loss of her family, including her parents, baby sister and uncle, in a brutal unsolved crime that concluded with the burning of her family home. Sam can't shake her gut feeling that a local, arrogant police officer who had run-ins with her family got away with the murder of her family and others. Corruption, contempt and depraved behavior is rampart in the secluded, small-town where few escape the free-flowing drugs and alcohol, controlled through fear tactics by one unethical family who remain untouchable. When an investigator knocks on Sam’s door with news of an informant willing to come forward in exchange for a plea deal, it's all the incentive she needs to rip the Band-Aid off old wounds and begin investigating the cold case on her own. Ignoring repeated warnings to leave well enough alone, Sam's inquiries lead to the surfacing of dark, long buried secrets that threaten the comfortable livelihoods of locals with criminal connections. A murder and the disappearance of two women serve to fuel Sam's determination to strip the small town and its occupants bare in search of the truth. In Sam's eyes, it's clear that corruption among the police department and locals led to her family's murders in an epic coverup, but will she survive the truth of what rises out of the ashes?
Author Kara Thomas has penned a crafty, raw, enthralling thriller featuring deeply flawed characters, none more than the protagonist struggling to accept and let go of past sorrows and torments haunting her sleeping hours while driving her every waking move. A steadily rising pace escalates with each new secret and threat uncovered in this sordid, twisted tale, and readers can expect to be sucked into Sam's plight quickly as repeated revelations threaten her sanity. The large cast of players keeps readers on their toes as they work the case alongside Sam in search of a killer. The author's choice to tell the story exclusively from Samantha's point of view allows readers to slip into her shoes and experience her confusion, pain and frustration as she struggles to understand each new revelation. The author's ability to expertly manipulate characters and readers keeps everyone guessing until the final big shocker that many won't see coming.
OUT OF THE ASHES is a tension laden, heart wrenching domestic thriller that firmly establishes Author Kara Thomas in the adult thriller genre. This tale of corruption, murder and redemption is mesmerizing and hard to put down. Highly recommended to fans of suspense thrillers and murder mysteries.
Many thanks to publisher Thomas Mercer for an arc of this title. All opinions expressed are my own. This review first published in Mystery & Suspense Magazine and is also available on my blog Cross My Heart Reviews.
OUT OF THE ASHES is a gritty suspense thriller relayed through the point of view of nurse Samantha Newsom who reluctantly returns to her hometown of Carney, New York, to clean out and sell property left her by her deceased uncle. Sam fled the area twenty years prior, but never got over the devastating loss of her family, including her parents, baby sister and uncle, in a brutal unsolved crime that concluded with the burning of her family home. Sam can't shake her gut feeling that a local, arrogant police officer who had run-ins with her family got away with the murder of her family and others. Corruption, contempt and depraved behavior is rampart in the secluded, small-town where few escape the free-flowing drugs and alcohol, controlled through fear tactics by one unethical family who remain untouchable. When an investigator knocks on Sam’s door with news of an informant willing to come forward in exchange for a plea deal, it's all the incentive she needs to rip the Band-Aid off old wounds and begin investigating the cold case on her own. Ignoring repeated warnings to leave well enough alone, Sam's inquiries lead to the surfacing of dark, long buried secrets that threaten the comfortable livelihoods of locals with criminal connections. A murder and the disappearance of two women serve to fuel Sam's determination to strip the small town and its occupants bare in search of the truth. In Sam's eyes, it's clear that corruption among the police department and locals led to her family's murders in an epic coverup, but will she survive the truth of what rises out of the ashes?
Author Kara Thomas has penned a crafty, raw, enthralling thriller featuring deeply flawed characters, none more than the protagonist struggling to accept and let go of past sorrows and torments haunting her sleeping hours while driving her every waking move. A steadily rising pace escalates with each new secret and threat uncovered in this sordid, twisted tale, and readers can expect to be sucked into Sam's plight quickly as repeated revelations threaten her sanity. The large cast of players keeps readers on their toes as they work the case alongside Sam in search of a killer. The author's choice to tell the story exclusively from Samantha's point of view allows readers to slip into her shoes and experience her confusion, pain and frustration as she struggles to understand each new revelation. The author's ability to expertly manipulate characters and readers keeps everyone guessing until the final big shocker that many won't see coming.
OUT OF THE ASHES is a tension laden, heart wrenching domestic thriller that firmly establishes Author Kara Thomas in the adult thriller genre. This tale of corruption, murder and redemption is mesmerizing and hard to put down. Highly recommended to fans of suspense thrillers and murder mysteries.
Many thanks to publisher Thomas Mercer for an arc of this title. All opinions expressed are my own. This review first published in Mystery & Suspense Magazine and is also available on my blog Cross My Heart Reviews.
April 22, 2023
As a teen, Samantha Newsom's uncle Scott is pulled over by a cop in August 2021 and beat up. A month later, Sam's entire family is murdered: her uncle, dad, mom, and baby sister, Lyndsay. Over twenty years later, Sam returns to her hometown of Carney. While there, an investigator tells her a prison snitch has proffered up some new information about the night of the murder, and there's a chance Lyndsay may be alive.
So this book shouldn't have been so good. It's total trope city: a woman with a messed up past and dead family from a small town filled with secrets comes back and then starts her own misguided investigation. And, of course, she's drinking more than she should. Why with the investigations that only lead to certain trouble, why? I wanted to yell at Sam to just get out of Carney and never come back!
Yet this is an addictive read with a complex and tortured main character desperate to figure out the truth about her past. Sam has more than her share of survivor's guilt, but also plenty of secrets. Thomas weaves a twisty read that keeps you guessing, especially as Sam jumps from place to place searching for the truth. I wanted to wring her neck as she made a string of horrible choices, but she was a surprisingly strong character nonetheless. ASHES has that perfect small town feel, illustrating how trapping a corrupt and dying town can feel. There are corrupt cops, drugs, messed up families, horrible friendships, and so much more.
Overall, this is an addictive read that follows a lot of different paths. 4 stars.
I received a copy of this book from Thomas & Mercer and Netgalley in return for an unbiased review.
So this book shouldn't have been so good. It's total trope city: a woman with a messed up past and dead family from a small town filled with secrets comes back and then starts her own misguided investigation. And, of course, she's drinking more than she should. Why with the investigations that only lead to certain trouble, why? I wanted to yell at Sam to just get out of Carney and never come back!
Yet this is an addictive read with a complex and tortured main character desperate to figure out the truth about her past. Sam has more than her share of survivor's guilt, but also plenty of secrets. Thomas weaves a twisty read that keeps you guessing, especially as Sam jumps from place to place searching for the truth. I wanted to wring her neck as she made a string of horrible choices, but she was a surprisingly strong character nonetheless. ASHES has that perfect small town feel, illustrating how trapping a corrupt and dying town can feel. There are corrupt cops, drugs, messed up families, horrible friendships, and so much more.
Overall, this is an addictive read that follows a lot of different paths. 4 stars.
I received a copy of this book from Thomas & Mercer and Netgalley in return for an unbiased review.
April 7, 2023
I was really curious about the setup here and I’m a sucker for a cold case mystery but ultimately I was underwhelmed. For a fairly short book it took me longer than I expected to get through, I think the entire thing was missing a sense of urgency to propel things forward. The writing was good, the plot was decent but the ending was resolved enough for me to be satisfied. Meh
April 4, 2023
Not one likeable character
I have rarely read such a sad book. The narrative is choppy, the related characters indistinguishable and saddest of all, not one likeable person.
I have rarely read such a sad book. The narrative is choppy, the related characters indistinguishable and saddest of all, not one likeable person.
January 13, 2023
Review coming soon.
December 28, 2023
Sadly didn’t love this one!
I’d have loved the story to stay focused on the actual deaths of her family, but as is, it meandered so much. There were way too many characters and extended family relations of who was related to who and who knew childhood friends, etc. So many plot threads (Dani, Rhodes, Luisa…) didn’t really serve except just as a small hint to what really happened. Additionally, a WHOLE huge plot thread really tried to justify the whole ‘cops are racist and bad’ narrative, and the worst part was that it was entirely unnecessary for the plot except as a red herring. The cop actually nearly puts a hand on his gun because a well-dressed black man shows up? The characters are terrified he was going to shoot them? Come on. That was very clearly leftist propaganda sneaking in….
I did love the ending—a lot people don’t seem to like it, but I thought it was the most interesting and strongest bit. If the whole story could’ve been focused on building up to that, more than extended relations/long lost family friends/bad cops, the story would’ve been so much stronger.
Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for this arc!
I’d have loved the story to stay focused on the actual deaths of her family, but as is, it meandered so much. There were way too many characters and extended family relations of who was related to who and who knew childhood friends, etc. So many plot threads (Dani, Rhodes, Luisa…) didn’t really serve except just as a small hint to what really happened. Additionally, a WHOLE huge plot thread really tried to justify the whole ‘cops are racist and bad’ narrative, and the worst part was that it was entirely unnecessary for the plot except as a red herring. The cop actually nearly puts a hand on his gun because a well-dressed black man shows up? The characters are terrified he was going to shoot them? Come on. That was very clearly leftist propaganda sneaking in….
I did love the ending—a lot people don’t seem to like it, but I thought it was the most interesting and strongest bit. If the whole story could’ve been focused on building up to that, more than extended relations/long lost family friends/bad cops, the story would’ve been so much stronger.
Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for this arc!
October 5, 2022
This one just didn't do it for me. I didn't care about the characters and by the end I didn't even care whodunit.
Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for the e-arc.
Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for the e-arc.
April 3, 2023
This was an Amazon First Read selection for April 2023 and it was a great choice for a quick read on a rainy Sunday afternoon. It starts off strong. Sam ends the night shift at the emergency room to head to the Catskills to see her uncle who has stage 4 cancer. Her family had been murdered and their house set ablaze when she was a teenager twenty two years ago, and all sorts of memories and strange events await her return to the area. Something happens with Uncle Gil (no spoilers here), and then the book gets murky. Frankly there are so many events and bad things happening to so many people in a few short days that the story belies credibility. The woman is a nurse but given what she uncovers throughout the book, she could be mistaken for a well-trained and highly decorated homicide detective. Except for all the times where she gets drunk, high or puts herself in other compromised situations - so annoying. The ending was unexpected and even a bit touching so there was some redemption with that.
May 10, 2023
4.5 STARS
I’m a huge Kara Thomas fan and was excited to see how her adult debut would compare to her YA novels. She did not disappoint.
Samantha’s life has be marred by tragedy, from the murders of her parents and sister, to the subsequent fire to a loveless life after their deaths with her cold aunt. When her mother’s foster brother asks for Sam’s assistance in expediting his impending death, she agrees bringing her back to the small town of her childhood. Now in her thirties, Sam learns all she didn’t known about her family’s deaths and starts to ask questions, questions that may kill her.
Thomas is a master at creating complex, detailed characters who are flawed yet often sympathetic. I love her writing style, work building and plot. Though OUT OF THE ASHES dragged a little in the beginning, it quickly became unputdownable so I rounded up to 5 stars.
I’m a huge Kara Thomas fan and was excited to see how her adult debut would compare to her YA novels. She did not disappoint.
Samantha’s life has be marred by tragedy, from the murders of her parents and sister, to the subsequent fire to a loveless life after their deaths with her cold aunt. When her mother’s foster brother asks for Sam’s assistance in expediting his impending death, she agrees bringing her back to the small town of her childhood. Now in her thirties, Sam learns all she didn’t known about her family’s deaths and starts to ask questions, questions that may kill her.
Thomas is a master at creating complex, detailed characters who are flawed yet often sympathetic. I love her writing style, work building and plot. Though OUT OF THE ASHES dragged a little in the beginning, it quickly became unputdownable so I rounded up to 5 stars.
August 12, 2023
I like a good tale about a cold case where the main protagonist becomes invested in solving questions of the past. Even if I don't agree with all their actions.
A lot of characters to keep track of so future readers beware. A little let down by the ending. I would certainly read more titles by this author.
Goodreads review published 11/08/23
A lot of characters to keep track of so future readers beware. A little let down by the ending. I would certainly read more titles by this author.
Goodreads review published 11/08/23
July 25, 2023
When Samantha Newsom was thirteen, her family was murdered and her family home was burned to the ground with their bodies in it. The Carney police bungled the investigation, and an arrest was never made. Now, twenty-two years later, Samantha has returned to her hometown and an investigator is telling her there's been a recent development in the case and her sister, two at the time of the murders, might still be alive.
This was a slow, slow burn, and, if you know me, you know that's just not my jam. There was a lot of, what seemed like, efforts to make it seem like things were happening when nothing really was. Samantha was racing here and there, in her effort to figure things out, but nothing came to fruition...
Until it does, and, of course, she figures it all out before the state investigator does. 🙄 She was fumbling around most of the time, drunk or high, accusing this one and that one of this thing and that thing, and then, it suddenly comes together.
I couldn't connect with any of the characters, especially our MC Samantha. Also, there were a lot of characters, and I was getting the members of one of the families confused.
If you like slow burns where your MC, an every day, regular human being, solves murders no one else could with zero training, this one is for you. That may sound snarky, but, really, there's a niche for this exact type of novel! Go get em!
This was a slow, slow burn, and, if you know me, you know that's just not my jam. There was a lot of, what seemed like, efforts to make it seem like things were happening when nothing really was. Samantha was racing here and there, in her effort to figure things out, but nothing came to fruition...
Until it does, and, of course, she figures it all out before the state investigator does. 🙄 She was fumbling around most of the time, drunk or high, accusing this one and that one of this thing and that thing, and then, it suddenly comes together.
I couldn't connect with any of the characters, especially our MC Samantha. Also, there were a lot of characters, and I was getting the members of one of the families confused.
If you like slow burns where your MC, an every day, regular human being, solves murders no one else could with zero training, this one is for you. That may sound snarky, but, really, there's a niche for this exact type of novel! Go get em!
December 13, 2022
Once again I'm reading the first adult book written by a traditionally YA author: Kara Thomas. This one "Out of the Ashes" is a emotional butt kicker.
It stars 30 year old Samantha Newsom who "escaped" her town of Carney, NY 22 years ago after her family was murdered and their house burned down. The local police screwed up the case and nobody knows what happened that day. She is living as a RN when she gets the news that her uncle has died and she needs to go back and settle affairs with his house. She is also given news by the investigator handling the murder case: Travis Meacham that new evidence has come to light: A prison inmate has came forward and stated that he saw someone carry her infant sister out of the fire. She is still alive! Hmmmmmmm.
I love reading about strong female characters and Sam is one of them. She is relentless in her pursuit to find out what happened that night 22 years ago. You will meet a ton of country characters in this book that didn't "make it out of Carny" like Sam did.
The book itself is short and on point and you will roll through it quickly. But maybe way more emotional and gut wrenching then I personally like in my books but I still loved reading about Sam not letting anything get in the way of her goals.
I really appreciate Thomas & Mercer giving me the opportunity to read and review this book and it has a publication day of May 1st, 2023.
Advance Reader Copy given free for honest review.
It stars 30 year old Samantha Newsom who "escaped" her town of Carney, NY 22 years ago after her family was murdered and their house burned down. The local police screwed up the case and nobody knows what happened that day. She is living as a RN when she gets the news that her uncle has died and she needs to go back and settle affairs with his house. She is also given news by the investigator handling the murder case: Travis Meacham that new evidence has come to light: A prison inmate has came forward and stated that he saw someone carry her infant sister out of the fire. She is still alive! Hmmmmmmm.
I love reading about strong female characters and Sam is one of them. She is relentless in her pursuit to find out what happened that night 22 years ago. You will meet a ton of country characters in this book that didn't "make it out of Carny" like Sam did.
The book itself is short and on point and you will roll through it quickly. But maybe way more emotional and gut wrenching then I personally like in my books but I still loved reading about Sam not letting anything get in the way of her goals.
I really appreciate Thomas & Mercer giving me the opportunity to read and review this book and it has a publication day of May 1st, 2023.
Advance Reader Copy given free for honest review.
April 29, 2023
I’ve read a few of Thomas’ young adult mystery novels and enjoyed them so I jumped at the chance to read Out of the Ashes. Unfortunately, it didn’t work for me. There were too many characters who were not properly introduced and developed so I had a hard time remembering who was who and the mystery was forgettable. Honestly, I can’t even remember who the culprit was after having finished it a few days ago.
What I enjoyed most about Out of the Ashes was the main character, Samantha. The best way to describe Samantha would be gritty and morally gray. She managed to flee from her hometown after her entire family was brutally murdered and the case is still open.
Samantha returns to her hometown with the hopes of getting closure for her family’s murder as she’s sucked into the investigation. Readers are introduced to many characters both new and old to Samantha. This is where the novel falters. The characters are forgettable and the relationships are confusing making it difficult to keep track of everyone, let alone their potential motives.
Overall, Out of the Ashes was disappointing since it was difficult to follow as too many characters were introduced with little to no development and the mystery that was entirely forgettable.
What I enjoyed most about Out of the Ashes was the main character, Samantha. The best way to describe Samantha would be gritty and morally gray. She managed to flee from her hometown after her entire family was brutally murdered and the case is still open.
Samantha returns to her hometown with the hopes of getting closure for her family’s murder as she’s sucked into the investigation. Readers are introduced to many characters both new and old to Samantha. This is where the novel falters. The characters are forgettable and the relationships are confusing making it difficult to keep track of everyone, let alone their potential motives.
Overall, Out of the Ashes was disappointing since it was difficult to follow as too many characters were introduced with little to no development and the mystery that was entirely forgettable.
November 11, 2022
4.5 stars
Many Thanks to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!
One Sentence Summary:
Out of the Ashes is a thriller about a woman who comes back to the town she grew up in and "investigates" the way her family was murdered and their house burned down 22 years ago.
As soon as she was back in her hometown the book had me hooked! I wanted to know who was the killer and who burned the house down. Was it one person? Were two people involved? Who's saying the truth and who is just lying to your face?
Since the book took part in a small town, everyone seemed to know everyone and you could never really know what was the truth and what was gossip. So that always kept you guessing. Who did it? And what? Who knows about it? Or at least about bits and pieces?
I also really liked the ending.
With under 300 pages, it's also a (subjectively) short book. So you can read it very fast if you want.
All in all it was a great book that keeps you on your toes.
Many Thanks to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!
One Sentence Summary:
Out of the Ashes is a thriller about a woman who comes back to the town she grew up in and "investigates" the way her family was murdered and their house burned down 22 years ago.
As soon as she was back in her hometown the book had me hooked! I wanted to know who was the killer and who burned the house down. Was it one person? Were two people involved? Who's saying the truth and who is just lying to your face?
Since the book took part in a small town, everyone seemed to know everyone and you could never really know what was the truth and what was gossip. So that always kept you guessing. Who did it? And what? Who knows about it? Or at least about bits and pieces?
I also really liked the ending.
With under 300 pages, it's also a (subjectively) short book. So you can read it very fast if you want.
All in all it was a great book that keeps you on your toes.
May 30, 2023
2⭐
…the bullet points
- mystery thriller
- cold case
- a nurse trying to solve her family’s murder
- some secrets want to stay buried
I usually love Kara Thomas. I believe this is her first foray into an adult crime thriller, and maybe her YA books are better suited for me because I couldn’t seem to get with her storytelling here.
Things I didn’t like:
- The story was all over the place, making it very difficult for me to stay in the story.
- Way too many characters.
- The side story was unnecessary and only added to my confusion and the overwhelming large cast of characters.
…about the narration
🎙️🎙️🎙️/5
- Jordan Cobb…I’m thinking she was at least partially to blame for my lackluster feelings towards this book.
...the score (out of 10)
- 3.36/10
- Opening ￫ 4
- Characters ￫ 3
- Plot ￫ 3
- Atmosphere ￫ 3
- Writing Style ￫ 4
- Ending ￫ 3
- Overall Enjoyment ￫ 3.5
…the bullet points
- mystery thriller
- cold case
- a nurse trying to solve her family’s murder
- some secrets want to stay buried
I usually love Kara Thomas. I believe this is her first foray into an adult crime thriller, and maybe her YA books are better suited for me because I couldn’t seem to get with her storytelling here.
Things I didn’t like:
- The story was all over the place, making it very difficult for me to stay in the story.
- Way too many characters.
- The side story was unnecessary and only added to my confusion and the overwhelming large cast of characters.
…about the narration
🎙️🎙️🎙️/5
- Jordan Cobb…I’m thinking she was at least partially to blame for my lackluster feelings towards this book.
...the score (out of 10)
- 3.36/10
- Opening ￫ 4
- Characters ￫ 3
- Plot ￫ 3
- Atmosphere ￫ 3
- Writing Style ￫ 4
- Ending ￫ 3
- Overall Enjoyment ￫ 3.5
July 5, 2023
An unputdownable mystery, filled with twists, turns, and plenty of dark family secrets!
April 17, 2023
This was an Amazon prime free book for April. It was an interesting story of a nurse that had lost her family years ago. She returned to her hometown to help her "uncle" in his final days. During the time she was home she found more information on the death of her family. It was a good story but there were so many characters and subplots that it was hard to follow. It could have been a much better without some of the extraneous leads and red herrings.
I would read another by this author.
I would read another by this author.
September 24, 2022
This book had so many good spins to it, just when you thought you were on track to what happened something else would show up and it would take a different direction. I loved all the 90’s memories this book brought in an oddly fun way, like the mention of Lisa frank stationary!
January 27, 2023
Kara Thomas makes her mark in the adult thriller genre.
I enjoyed a few of her YA thrillers, so I was super excited to see what she could do with an adult book.
This was so, so wild. It really stood out against other thrillers i’ve read that follow the same sort of theme. It’s typical for thrillers to be about something relating to an unsolved case, and small town but Kara Thomas outdid it.
I love reading about an unhinged main character in these books, and Sam was definitely that. She wasn’t afraid of anything, and was going to find the truth no matter what it took.
The side characters were good. Truthfully, there were a lot. I did forget who was who a time or two, but I felt like the author did a good job reminding the audience of who it was - if they hadn’t been mentioned in a while.
The ending was So sad. It definitely wasn’t what I was expecting, or wanting - honestly. It makes sense though. Especially when we see who Sam is as a character, and everything she had went through.
I would have loved to see an epilogue set 6 months to even a year later.
I definitely didn’t know where there this book was going in terms of plot twist. I thought it was figured out a time or two, but it just kept having twist after twist.
If you enjoy more small town secrecy, everyone is a bad person, drama esque thrillers - this is one you need to add to your tbr.
thank you netgalley for the arc!
I enjoyed a few of her YA thrillers, so I was super excited to see what she could do with an adult book.
This was so, so wild. It really stood out against other thrillers i’ve read that follow the same sort of theme. It’s typical for thrillers to be about something relating to an unsolved case, and small town but Kara Thomas outdid it.
I love reading about an unhinged main character in these books, and Sam was definitely that. She wasn’t afraid of anything, and was going to find the truth no matter what it took.
The side characters were good. Truthfully, there were a lot. I did forget who was who a time or two, but I felt like the author did a good job reminding the audience of who it was - if they hadn’t been mentioned in a while.
The ending was So sad. It definitely wasn’t what I was expecting, or wanting - honestly. It makes sense though. Especially when we see who Sam is as a character, and everything she had went through.
I would have loved to see an epilogue set 6 months to even a year later.
I definitely didn’t know where there this book was going in terms of plot twist. I thought it was figured out a time or two, but it just kept having twist after twist.
If you enjoy more small town secrecy, everyone is a bad person, drama esque thrillers - this is one you need to add to your tbr.
thank you netgalley for the arc!
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