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The Three Deaths of Willa Stannard
It’s not that they’ve been all that close in the past few years, but sisters Willa and Sawyer Stannard are bonded by the ups and downs of the life they’ve lived with their mercurial single mother. When Willa is found dead in her apartment from an apparent suicide, Sawyer just knows it’s not possible. A cryptic note from the acclaimed broadcast journalist leads police to rule out foul play. Shattered by grief—and obsessed by the idea that her sister’s death was not a suicide—Sawyer plunges into a search for the truth.
When Sawyer learns that Willa was writing an explosive true crime book about the decades-old disappearance of a toddler that rocked a small town hundreds of miles away, she’s even more convinced that Willa’s death is suspicious. Believing it is somehow connected to the research Willa was doing for the book, Sawyer begins to trace her sister’s steps, deep into a community she can’t begin to understand and to a truth that could destroy her as easily as it did Willa.
When Sawyer learns that Willa was writing an explosive true crime book about the decades-old disappearance of a toddler that rocked a small town hundreds of miles away, she’s even more convinced that Willa’s death is suspicious. Believing it is somehow connected to the research Willa was doing for the book, Sawyer begins to trace her sister’s steps, deep into a community she can’t begin to understand and to a truth that could destroy her as easily as it did Willa.
320 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 20, 2023
73 people are currently reading
882 people want to read
About the author
Kate Robards
2 books94 followersKate Robards is the author of the suspense thriller The Three Deaths of Willa Stannard.
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June 21, 2023
EXCERPT: Willa - Now
If Willa Stannard were on air to break the news of her death, she'd report that the police lights sliced through the night. Carved through the darkness. Fragmented the neighbourhood. Anything to give a dead-end story a sense of urgency.
ABOUT 'THE THREE DEATHS OF WILLA STANNARD': It's not that they've been all that close in the past few years, but sisters Willa and Sawyer Stannard are bonded by the ups and downs of the life they've lived with their mercurial single mother. When Willa is found dead in her apartment from an apparent suicide, Sawyer just knows it's not possible. A cryptic note from the acclaimed broadcast journalist leads police to rule out foul play. Shattered by grief, and obsessed by the idea that her sister's death was not a suicide, Sawyer plunges into a search for the truth. When Sawyer learns that Willa was writing an explosive true-crime book about the decades-old disappearance of a toddler that rocked a small town hundreds of miles away, she's even more convinced that Willa's death is suspicious. Believing it is somehow connected to the research Willa was doing for the book, Sawyer begins to trace her sister's steps, deep into a community she can't begin to understand and to a truth that could destroy her as easily as it did Willa.
MY THOUGHTS: Sawyer is an unpredictable character. The narrator, Susannah Jones, pronounced Sawyer as 'Soya' throughout the narration which initially irked me, but as I became increasingly engrossed in Sawyer's quest, she could have called her 'Puddeny-Tame' and it wouldn't have mattered. I do confess, however, that I did wonder why anyone would call their child Soya - duh!
Anyway, back to Sawyer's unpredictability . . . the saying 'fools rush in' can be applied here. So not only unpredictable but at times irrational. But, it all makes for great reading, or listening, and an intriguing storyline.
Sawyer just can't believe her independent and talented sister would commit suicide and clumsily rushes around like a bull in a china shop trying to trace Willa's last moments until she comes up with the idea of 'being' Willa - well, not quite, but posing as someone who is working with Willa on her book.
The Three Deaths of Willa Stannard is an excellent debut thriller. There are numerous twists and turns and, although I still had a few unanswered questions at the end, I really enjoyed this unpredictable mystery-thriller.
⭐⭐⭐⭐.2
#TheThreeDeathsofWillaStannard #NetGalley.
I: @dreamscape_media
T: @Kate_Robards @Dreamscapeaudio
#contemporaryfiction #crime #familydrama #mystery #suspense
THE AUTHOR: Kate Robards holds a degree in journalism and works in communications at a nonprofit organization. She lives outside of Chicago with her husband and children.
DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Dreamscape Media via Netgalley for providing an audio ARC of The Three Deaths of Willa Stannard written by Kate Robards and narrated by Susannah Jones for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.
If Willa Stannard were on air to break the news of her death, she'd report that the police lights sliced through the night. Carved through the darkness. Fragmented the neighbourhood. Anything to give a dead-end story a sense of urgency.
ABOUT 'THE THREE DEATHS OF WILLA STANNARD': It's not that they've been all that close in the past few years, but sisters Willa and Sawyer Stannard are bonded by the ups and downs of the life they've lived with their mercurial single mother. When Willa is found dead in her apartment from an apparent suicide, Sawyer just knows it's not possible. A cryptic note from the acclaimed broadcast journalist leads police to rule out foul play. Shattered by grief, and obsessed by the idea that her sister's death was not a suicide, Sawyer plunges into a search for the truth. When Sawyer learns that Willa was writing an explosive true-crime book about the decades-old disappearance of a toddler that rocked a small town hundreds of miles away, she's even more convinced that Willa's death is suspicious. Believing it is somehow connected to the research Willa was doing for the book, Sawyer begins to trace her sister's steps, deep into a community she can't begin to understand and to a truth that could destroy her as easily as it did Willa.
MY THOUGHTS: Sawyer is an unpredictable character. The narrator, Susannah Jones, pronounced Sawyer as 'Soya' throughout the narration which initially irked me, but as I became increasingly engrossed in Sawyer's quest, she could have called her 'Puddeny-Tame' and it wouldn't have mattered. I do confess, however, that I did wonder why anyone would call their child Soya - duh!
Anyway, back to Sawyer's unpredictability . . . the saying 'fools rush in' can be applied here. So not only unpredictable but at times irrational. But, it all makes for great reading, or listening, and an intriguing storyline.
Sawyer just can't believe her independent and talented sister would commit suicide and clumsily rushes around like a bull in a china shop trying to trace Willa's last moments until she comes up with the idea of 'being' Willa - well, not quite, but posing as someone who is working with Willa on her book.
The Three Deaths of Willa Stannard is an excellent debut thriller. There are numerous twists and turns and, although I still had a few unanswered questions at the end, I really enjoyed this unpredictable mystery-thriller.
⭐⭐⭐⭐.2
#TheThreeDeathsofWillaStannard #NetGalley.
I: @dreamscape_media
T: @Kate_Robards @Dreamscapeaudio
#contemporaryfiction #crime #familydrama #mystery #suspense
THE AUTHOR: Kate Robards holds a degree in journalism and works in communications at a nonprofit organization. She lives outside of Chicago with her husband and children.
DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Dreamscape Media via Netgalley for providing an audio ARC of The Three Deaths of Willa Stannard written by Kate Robards and narrated by Susannah Jones for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.
June 9, 2023
TW: Child Abuse, Murder, Suicide, Kidnapping, Untreated Mental Health Condition
Actual Rating 2.5
Sawyer and her sister Willa haven’t spoken in almost a year, so Sawyer is dumbfounded when she learns that Willa has been found dead in her apartment, apparently having committed suicide. Unwilling to accept this, Sawyer begins to comb through Willa’s recent past and stumbles across a secret project she was working on. As she dives deeper into the mystery project, Sawyer becomes even more convinced that Willa discovered the secret behind a decades old cold case and that the murderer wanted to stop the truth from coming out. Will Sawyer be able to find her sister’s killer? And what dark secrets did Willa uncover during her last months alive?
I enjoyed that this story was told from both Willa’s and Sawyer’s POVs for the first portion of the book. This allowed us to see both characters more accurately than if it had just been from one POV, with insights into how they saw themselves and how they saw each other. This rounded out their characters well.
That being said, I wanted more from the characters. Willa was the best developed and the best written, but as she’s not alive, we don’t get much from her POV. Her POV gets dropped before the halfway point of the book, which was sad – she had several interesting aspects (psychological tics, etc.) that made her intriguing. Sawyer left me wanting more. She’s described a certain way, but acts completely differently, much more how Willa was described. There’s no good reason given for this (e.g., trying to honor Willa or be more like her), it just happens. Then she’d say or do things completely out of left field with no explanation for her motivations. And she’s really not all that interesting. I believe the author tried to paint her as naïve, but it mostly came across as her simply being stupid – but still smarter and more dedicated than police, apparently! The author also relied too much on telling the reader things, especially relating to what the characters were thinking/feeling, leaving the characters feeling wooden overall.
There also wasn’t really any tension or suspense in this work. There were some very cliché thriller moments added in that were supposed to boost the tension, but really didn’t add anything to the atmosphere, plot, or suspense. If you’re interested in the premise, there are many reviewers who rated this much higher than me, so check those out. But for me, this was a miss. My thanks to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for allowing me to read this work. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.
Actual Rating 2.5
Sawyer and her sister Willa haven’t spoken in almost a year, so Sawyer is dumbfounded when she learns that Willa has been found dead in her apartment, apparently having committed suicide. Unwilling to accept this, Sawyer begins to comb through Willa’s recent past and stumbles across a secret project she was working on. As she dives deeper into the mystery project, Sawyer becomes even more convinced that Willa discovered the secret behind a decades old cold case and that the murderer wanted to stop the truth from coming out. Will Sawyer be able to find her sister’s killer? And what dark secrets did Willa uncover during her last months alive?
I enjoyed that this story was told from both Willa’s and Sawyer’s POVs for the first portion of the book. This allowed us to see both characters more accurately than if it had just been from one POV, with insights into how they saw themselves and how they saw each other. This rounded out their characters well.
That being said, I wanted more from the characters. Willa was the best developed and the best written, but as she’s not alive, we don’t get much from her POV. Her POV gets dropped before the halfway point of the book, which was sad – she had several interesting aspects (psychological tics, etc.) that made her intriguing. Sawyer left me wanting more. She’s described a certain way, but acts completely differently, much more how Willa was described. There’s no good reason given for this (e.g., trying to honor Willa or be more like her), it just happens. Then she’d say or do things completely out of left field with no explanation for her motivations. And she’s really not all that interesting. I believe the author tried to paint her as naïve, but it mostly came across as her simply being stupid – but still smarter and more dedicated than police, apparently! The author also relied too much on telling the reader things, especially relating to what the characters were thinking/feeling, leaving the characters feeling wooden overall.
There also wasn’t really any tension or suspense in this work. There were some very cliché thriller moments added in that were supposed to boost the tension, but really didn’t add anything to the atmosphere, plot, or suspense. If you’re interested in the premise, there are many reviewers who rated this much higher than me, so check those out. But for me, this was a miss. My thanks to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for allowing me to read this work. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.
September 26, 2024
3⭐
Genre ~ mystery, not thriller or suspense
Setting ~ Chicago, Illonois & Michigan
Publication date ~ June 20, 2023
Est Page Count ~ 309 (p+ 50 chapters)
Audio length ~ 8 hours 52 minutes
Narrator ~ Susannah Jones
POV ~ single 1st & 3rd
Featuring ~ debut, multiple timelines, suicide references, kidnapping
Willa (3rd) is found dead in her home. Suicide is ruled as the cause of death.
Sawyer (1st) is told her sister has taken her own life. They haven’t spoken in nearly a year, but she just can’t believe it. So she dives into Willa’s work as a journalist to try to uncover what led to her death. Could the 26 year old cold case of a missing baby she was researching be the key? Is she putting herself in danger trying to follow in her sisters footsteps?
I’d say this was an okay debut. It wasn’t super suspenseful or thrilling, but the story slowly unfolds and leads us to a shocking discovery. Not exactly shocking for me, but I can see how it would be for some. I'd probably give this author a whirl again.
Narration notes:
I thought she did a fine job.
Connect with me ➡ Blog ~ Facebook ~ Twitter
Genre ~ mystery, not thriller or suspense
Setting ~ Chicago, Illonois & Michigan
Publication date ~ June 20, 2023
Est Page Count ~ 309 (p+ 50 chapters)
Audio length ~ 8 hours 52 minutes
Narrator ~ Susannah Jones
POV ~ single 1st & 3rd
Featuring ~ debut, multiple timelines, suicide references, kidnapping
Willa (3rd) is found dead in her home. Suicide is ruled as the cause of death.
Sawyer (1st) is told her sister has taken her own life. They haven’t spoken in nearly a year, but she just can’t believe it. So she dives into Willa’s work as a journalist to try to uncover what led to her death. Could the 26 year old cold case of a missing baby she was researching be the key? Is she putting herself in danger trying to follow in her sisters footsteps?
I’d say this was an okay debut. It wasn’t super suspenseful or thrilling, but the story slowly unfolds and leads us to a shocking discovery. Not exactly shocking for me, but I can see how it would be for some. I'd probably give this author a whirl again.
Narration notes:
I thought she did a fine job.
Connect with me ➡ Blog ~ Facebook ~ Twitter
July 13, 2023
Lost interest halfway through.
Willa was recently found dead in her home. The police ruled it as suicide but Sawyer, Willa's sister, found that unbelievable. Sawyer knew her sister. Willa was strong-willed and would never do such a thing. Sawyer decided to take things into her own hands and tried to solve her sister's death.
I wanted to like the story, but unfortunately, it dragged around the middle. There wasn't enough going on to keep my interest. Also, the ending was predictable.
If you want a more in-depth review, I highly recommend checking out A's Review.
But overall, it wasn't for me.
***Thank you to NetGalley, Kate Robards, and Dreamscape Media for graciously sending me the audiobook to review. As always, all thoughts are my own.***
Willa was recently found dead in her home. The police ruled it as suicide but Sawyer, Willa's sister, found that unbelievable. Sawyer knew her sister. Willa was strong-willed and would never do such a thing. Sawyer decided to take things into her own hands and tried to solve her sister's death.
I wanted to like the story, but unfortunately, it dragged around the middle. There wasn't enough going on to keep my interest. Also, the ending was predictable.
If you want a more in-depth review, I highly recommend checking out A's Review.
But overall, it wasn't for me.
***Thank you to NetGalley, Kate Robards, and Dreamscape Media for graciously sending me the audiobook to review. As always, all thoughts are my own.***
June 21, 2023
This book was amazing!! It was such a great story!! I couldn’t put this book down!! I definitely need to get myself a copy for my library so I can read it again!
Read
July 10, 2023Dnf 36% wildly do not care
March 24, 2023
Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of The
Three Deaths of Willa Stannard.
This is a familiar premise where two not-so-close sisters are brought back into each other's lives when one of them dies suspiciously.
Convinced her smart, confident old sister Willa didn't kill herself, so younger, wilder sister Sawyer takes it upon herself to find answers.
She discovers Willa was investigating the disappearance of a toddler from over two decades ago in rural Michigan.
Might this case be linked to Willa's unexpected death?
Willa and Sawyer are typical sisters in fiction and in real life; wildly different with opposite personalities.
Willa is blunt, focused, and ambitious where as Sawyer is flighty, spontaneous, and less reliable.
But, a few years ago, a panic attack had turned Willa into somewhat of a recluse, working at a job below her standards and skill set and cutting herself off from friends and family.
Sawyer turns into Willa, or her version of Nancy Drew, as her investigation brings her into the orbit of some shady characters, and cliche thriller tropes; her car is tampered with, someone leaves a dead cat in her trunk, she thinks she's being followed.
All of this leads up to a twist I saw coming earlier, but the most frustrating aspect of the narrative is, as one reviewer pointed out, Sawyer just needs to speak to one person to sort all the clues out.
Her excuse for not speaking to this one person is because she's in denial or not easy to speak to.
That's why the narrative feels drawn out, especially at the end, when the truth is revealed.
Willa is the most interesting character; not surprisingly, sometimes the deceased in a novel is the most intriguing.
We get brief flashbacks into her life, what she was doing earlier, but we still don't know her.
Why was she suddenly compelled to investigate the disappearance of this toddler?
Sawyer isn't unlikable, nor did I find her likable.
It was hard to take her seriously considering her personality; she mentions she was the good daughter, quick to do whatever her mom said, since Willa liked to push people's buttons, including their mom's.
Sawyer's also sheltered, lacking street smarts, and I found her personality annoying, as well as some of the choices she made.
It was as if the author wanted to communicate she wasn't dumb, just naive, but it came off as really dumb.
The writing was decent, and I enjoyed the procedural aspects of the story; Sawyer following in Willa's footsteps, interviewing the victim's family and potential suspects.
Also, I'm still not sure what the title means or maybe I missed it.
What are Willa's three deaths?
This is a familiar premise where two not-so-close sisters are brought back into each other's lives when one of them dies suspiciously.
Convinced her smart, confident old sister Willa didn't kill herself, so younger, wilder sister Sawyer takes it upon herself to find answers.
She discovers Willa was investigating the disappearance of a toddler from over two decades ago in rural Michigan.
Might this case be linked to Willa's unexpected death?
Willa and Sawyer are typical sisters in fiction and in real life; wildly different with opposite personalities.
Willa is blunt, focused, and ambitious where as Sawyer is flighty, spontaneous, and less reliable.
But, a few years ago, a panic attack had turned Willa into somewhat of a recluse, working at a job below her standards and skill set and cutting herself off from friends and family.
Sawyer turns into Willa, or her version of Nancy Drew, as her investigation brings her into the orbit of some shady characters, and cliche thriller tropes; her car is tampered with, someone leaves a dead cat in her trunk, she thinks she's being followed.
All of this leads up to a twist I saw coming earlier, but the most frustrating aspect of the narrative is, as one reviewer pointed out, Sawyer just needs to speak to one person to sort all the clues out.
Her excuse for not speaking to this one person is because she's in denial or not easy to speak to.
That's why the narrative feels drawn out, especially at the end, when the truth is revealed.
Willa is the most interesting character; not surprisingly, sometimes the deceased in a novel is the most intriguing.
We get brief flashbacks into her life, what she was doing earlier, but we still don't know her.
Why was she suddenly compelled to investigate the disappearance of this toddler?
Sawyer isn't unlikable, nor did I find her likable.
It was hard to take her seriously considering her personality; she mentions she was the good daughter, quick to do whatever her mom said, since Willa liked to push people's buttons, including their mom's.
Sawyer's also sheltered, lacking street smarts, and I found her personality annoying, as well as some of the choices she made.
It was as if the author wanted to communicate she wasn't dumb, just naive, but it came off as really dumb.
The writing was decent, and I enjoyed the procedural aspects of the story; Sawyer following in Willa's footsteps, interviewing the victim's family and potential suspects.
Also, I'm still not sure what the title means or maybe I missed it.
What are Willa's three deaths?
March 6, 2025
A engaging story told from two perspectives. We hear the thoughts of Willa before her death and from her sister Sawyer who is trying to piece together what everyone else thinks was her suicide. Sawyer can’t believe that she killed herself and once she discovers that Willa was investigating an abduction from thirty years ago, she believes that is what led to her being murdered. A captivating story with some nice twists.
March 8, 2023
A missing child, a small town’s secrets, and a desperate killer set the stage for a darkly wrought debut novel that will haunt readers long after the last page.
30 years ago a child went missing and Willa , an investigative journalist is following the case. Willa is killed and her sister Swayer decides she cannot rest until she finds out what actually happened to Willa and why. But what she will discover will have all readers on the edge of their seats. A brilliant book with a well developed plot and fantastic characters that bring the story alive and had me turning the pages very quickly.
A small town with many secrets and I am happy to say that I did not pick what would happen at the end, this was very cleverly put together and there were quite a few 'oh my gosh moments' as we hurtled to the end, I literally could not put the book down.
I will definitely be looking out for more of this authors work after reading this book, thank you to Netgalley the author and publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest, unbiased review. 5 stars
30 years ago a child went missing and Willa , an investigative journalist is following the case. Willa is killed and her sister Swayer decides she cannot rest until she finds out what actually happened to Willa and why. But what she will discover will have all readers on the edge of their seats. A brilliant book with a well developed plot and fantastic characters that bring the story alive and had me turning the pages very quickly.
A small town with many secrets and I am happy to say that I did not pick what would happen at the end, this was very cleverly put together and there were quite a few 'oh my gosh moments' as we hurtled to the end, I literally could not put the book down.
I will definitely be looking out for more of this authors work after reading this book, thank you to Netgalley the author and publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest, unbiased review. 5 stars
March 2, 2023
It started off a little slow, but the end made up for it. Some twists I guessed, but others I was blindsided by. I would recommend to any lovers of good twists. But trigger warning - there is a lot of talk about one character's suicide or not.
June 1, 2023
3.5 stars
This is an engaging listen (audio version recommended when and where accessible), and while I guessed a main twist immediately, there were still surprises to be had.
The titular Willa plays an expectedly central role in this narrative, which is unusual in that her (also titular) death happens right at the start of the novel. On a death-related note, folks sensitive to discussions of suicide should be aware that this comes up constantly throughout the work and that one character in particular keeps putting their foot in their mouth by making incredibly insensitive references to it. If this is not for you, do not proceed.
Willa's death is most challenging for her sister, Sawyer, who is shocked by the method and circumstances and who then takes it upon herself to determine what really happened. This leads Sawyer into the seemingly more interesting mystery of what happened to a little girl who disappeared many years ago.
Piecing together the potential connections between Willa's interest in this case and the outcomes of the case itself makes for an enjoyable ride. There are pieces of that journey that are a bit too easy to connect, but there is still fun to be had along the way.
*Special thanks to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for this alc, which I received in exchange for an honest review. The opinions expressed here are my own.
This is an engaging listen (audio version recommended when and where accessible), and while I guessed a main twist immediately, there were still surprises to be had.
The titular Willa plays an expectedly central role in this narrative, which is unusual in that her (also titular) death happens right at the start of the novel. On a death-related note, folks sensitive to discussions of suicide should be aware that this comes up constantly throughout the work and that one character in particular keeps putting their foot in their mouth by making incredibly insensitive references to it. If this is not for you, do not proceed.
Willa's death is most challenging for her sister, Sawyer, who is shocked by the method and circumstances and who then takes it upon herself to determine what really happened. This leads Sawyer into the seemingly more interesting mystery of what happened to a little girl who disappeared many years ago.
Piecing together the potential connections between Willa's interest in this case and the outcomes of the case itself makes for an enjoyable ride. There are pieces of that journey that are a bit too easy to connect, but there is still fun to be had along the way.
*Special thanks to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for this alc, which I received in exchange for an honest review. The opinions expressed here are my own.
November 17, 2022
Willa is an investigative journalist out to solve a mystery of a missing child from 30 years ago. When she dies, her sister Sawyer is determined to find out why. As she tries to retrace her sister steps, she gets deeper and deeper involved and can’t stop. Kate Robards created a chilling story of small town secrets. It’ll definitely stick with you long after you finish!
*ARC provided by NetGalley for an honest review.
*ARC provided by NetGalley for an honest review.
March 28, 2023
Advance review copy received with thanks from NetGalley and the publisher. More in my next Good Reads blog at www.sandiwallace.com/blog/.
July 23, 2023
This one started out strong and then kind of fizzled out for me. Not sure what it was exactly but I felt like it started to drag on in parts and my interest then couldn't be reached again. I did like the dual POV's though and the premise did sound intriguing. It could have just been me and the day I read it too so don't let my review sway you.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
December 19, 2022
I know, I am a hard customer.
Bare bones: Willa Stannard is a perfectly composed, overly pedantic, celebrated broadcaster who froze suddenly on air. In an attempt to overcome this huge gaff of her career she decides to use her journalistic knowledge to shed a light on decades old unsolved case of a kidnapped child. Which is why her sister Sawyer is surprised when she gets a news about Willa's suicide. Sawyer can't reconcile with the explanation that her sister would take her own life so she hopes solving the case will bring her the answers of what was happening with Willa.
The premise of this novel actually has potential: there is a strained relationship between sisters that leaves enough space for character development, there is an old mystery not solved which drives the plot forward and there is a bit of danger to allow for suspense. I particularity enjoyed the hook for the mystery aspect: you read how Willa choked during live program and suggests it's something about the news she was supposed to report on and I was interested to know what really happened to her.
There are bones of a good story there, but it's like Robards didn't utilise the most interesting aspects of her premise to write one. For example, she starts with dual point of view: Willa's describing the events prior to her death and Sawyer's in aftermath of Willa's death. And this is a great tool (Sadie, for example), but then she leaves this approach completely focusing only on Sawyer's investigation and excerpts from Willa's book. Now, I am a character reader first and foremost and I thought Willa is by far the most intriguing character, not just in terms of mystery she was investigating for her book, but also psychologically: her pedantic nature, signs of ocd behaviour, striving to perfection in her work, emotional dissonance. Let me tell you- a phone call Willa left for Sawyer is more intriguing than anything Sawyer or anyone else have to say in this book. And Robards never really dug into her and it's a such a missed opportunity. It's also kind of an odd choice considering the title and what it suggests. At a certain point story changes the focus from Willa to mystery of disappeared child and Sawyer's investigation into it and I'd say it was the moment the book took a dive for me. I wanted more to know what was happening with Willa in last months of her life that would perhaps make the ending work better for me, than I wanted to know what happened with disappeared baby.
The big twist of entire story was predictable, but predictable is not something that means automatically bad for me, because sometimes I just want to see how it will play out. I was more annoyed with how Sawyer realizes fairly early one there is one person who can give her all the answers and she has access to that person, but she keeps putting that convo away and not pushing it for no reason that's even remotely logical or convincing. Speaking of logical or convincing, I wasn't sold on reason for Willa's death, or to be precise, how it was framed as inevitable because of it rather than contributing factor to it and perhaps it's the consequence of the fact Willa was not explored enough to my liking.
Writing is fine; I'd say dialogues are stronger than inner thoughts or descriptions, but I noticed this only because telling instead of showing was sometimes so glaring. For example, this line:
There was no need to tell the reader what Will wanted to do with that sentence because I think majority of us would come to that conclusion ourselves.
That's it, those are my reasons for rating the book two stars, and I decided on two stars because per Goodreads standards it means it's good. And it is good, but nothing more than that. Honing the craft comes with experience and for a debut author, Kate Robards showed enough potential for me to keep an eye on her future projects.
I would like to thank Netgalley, Crooked Lane Books and Kate Robards for an advanced copy of the three Deaths of Willa Stannard. All opinions are my own.
Bare bones: Willa Stannard is a perfectly composed, overly pedantic, celebrated broadcaster who froze suddenly on air. In an attempt to overcome this huge gaff of her career she decides to use her journalistic knowledge to shed a light on decades old unsolved case of a kidnapped child. Which is why her sister Sawyer is surprised when she gets a news about Willa's suicide. Sawyer can't reconcile with the explanation that her sister would take her own life so she hopes solving the case will bring her the answers of what was happening with Willa.
The premise of this novel actually has potential: there is a strained relationship between sisters that leaves enough space for character development, there is an old mystery not solved which drives the plot forward and there is a bit of danger to allow for suspense. I particularity enjoyed the hook for the mystery aspect: you read how Willa choked during live program and suggests it's something about the news she was supposed to report on and I was interested to know what really happened to her.
There are bones of a good story there, but it's like Robards didn't utilise the most interesting aspects of her premise to write one. For example, she starts with dual point of view: Willa's describing the events prior to her death and Sawyer's in aftermath of Willa's death. And this is a great tool (Sadie, for example), but then she leaves this approach completely focusing only on Sawyer's investigation and excerpts from Willa's book. Now, I am a character reader first and foremost and I thought Willa is by far the most intriguing character, not just in terms of mystery she was investigating for her book, but also psychologically: her pedantic nature, signs of ocd behaviour, striving to perfection in her work, emotional dissonance. Let me tell you- a phone call Willa left for Sawyer is more intriguing than anything Sawyer or anyone else have to say in this book. And Robards never really dug into her and it's a such a missed opportunity. It's also kind of an odd choice considering the title and what it suggests. At a certain point story changes the focus from Willa to mystery of disappeared child and Sawyer's investigation into it and I'd say it was the moment the book took a dive for me. I wanted more to know what was happening with Willa in last months of her life that would perhaps make the ending work better for me, than I wanted to know what happened with disappeared baby.
The big twist of entire story was predictable, but predictable is not something that means automatically bad for me, because sometimes I just want to see how it will play out. I was more annoyed with how Sawyer realizes fairly early one there is one person who can give her all the answers and she has access to that person, but she keeps putting that convo away and not pushing it for no reason that's even remotely logical or convincing. Speaking of logical or convincing, I wasn't sold on reason for Willa's death, or to be precise, how it was framed as inevitable because of it rather than contributing factor to it and perhaps it's the consequence of the fact Willa was not explored enough to my liking.
Writing is fine; I'd say dialogues are stronger than inner thoughts or descriptions, but I noticed this only because telling instead of showing was sometimes so glaring. For example, this line:
Willa scoffed. “I refuse to see a shrink,” she said,trying to minimize the profession...
There was no need to tell the reader what Will wanted to do with that sentence because I think majority of us would come to that conclusion ourselves.
That's it, those are my reasons for rating the book two stars, and I decided on two stars because per Goodreads standards it means it's good. And it is good, but nothing more than that. Honing the craft comes with experience and for a debut author, Kate Robards showed enough potential for me to keep an eye on her future projects.
I would like to thank Netgalley, Crooked Lane Books and Kate Robards for an advanced copy of the three Deaths of Willa Stannard. All opinions are my own.
July 4, 2023
This one took me a while to get through. Sawyer's sister Willa commits suicide, and Sawyer is determined to prove it wasn't just that. In doing so, she follows Willa's footsteps in investigating the disappearance of a baby 26 years earlier for a book she was writing.
The story jumps around between Sawyer's and Willa's point of view, along with chapters from Willa's book.
I might have missed what the 3 deaths were...hence the title doesn't make sense to me. I also figured out the big twist from the beginning, which felt a bit predictable. 2.5
Thank you, Netgalley, publisher, and author for the ARC.
The story jumps around between Sawyer's and Willa's point of view, along with chapters from Willa's book.
I might have missed what the 3 deaths were...hence the title doesn't make sense to me. I also figured out the big twist from the beginning, which felt a bit predictable. 2.5
Thank you, Netgalley, publisher, and author for the ARC.
April 23, 2024
This was laughably bad
December 18, 2022
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
When Sawyer Stannard’s sister Willa is found dead in her apartment of an apparent suicide, Sawyer refuses to believe her sister would have killed herself. When Sawyer discovers Willa was writing a true crime book about the disappearance of a toddler twenty six years before, Sawyer wonders if Willa discovers something that lead to her death, and begins looking into the case herself.
I had a very enjoyable time reading this book. I was immediately hooked from the beginning of the book, as the action starts from the beginning and doesn’t stop. I really enjoyed the flow of the story, it felt like something was always happening, and there was never a lull. I also thought the plot twist was pretty good, it was nothing groundbreaking, but it was a solid choice and added another layer to the story.
One thing that did bother me was how disjointed Sawyer’s actions could sometimes be. Sometimes the things she said and did came seemingly out of nowhere, with no real motive or purpose, and it took me out of the story. Overall though, I did really enjoy this one, and will be interested to see what the author writes next.
When Sawyer Stannard’s sister Willa is found dead in her apartment of an apparent suicide, Sawyer refuses to believe her sister would have killed herself. When Sawyer discovers Willa was writing a true crime book about the disappearance of a toddler twenty six years before, Sawyer wonders if Willa discovers something that lead to her death, and begins looking into the case herself.
I had a very enjoyable time reading this book. I was immediately hooked from the beginning of the book, as the action starts from the beginning and doesn’t stop. I really enjoyed the flow of the story, it felt like something was always happening, and there was never a lull. I also thought the plot twist was pretty good, it was nothing groundbreaking, but it was a solid choice and added another layer to the story.
One thing that did bother me was how disjointed Sawyer’s actions could sometimes be. Sometimes the things she said and did came seemingly out of nowhere, with no real motive or purpose, and it took me out of the story. Overall though, I did really enjoy this one, and will be interested to see what the author writes next.
December 11, 2022
A terrific debut novel by Kate Robards. Sawyer Stannard refuses to accept the circumstances around the death of her sister Willa so, against everyone else’s advice, retraces her sisters’ last year. She learns that her sister, an investigative journalist, was writing a book about the disappearance of an infant in a small town close to 30 years before and this leads her to her own shocking connection to the story. Suspenseful, recommended reading.
December 4, 2022
A masterpiece of storytelling for Kate Robards debut. Brilliant writing that brings to life all the participants in this sensational novel. The twists in the story lead to a surprising but shocking finale. This novel deserves the highest rating of 5 stars.
September 19, 2023
Decent read with a twist ending.
August 31, 2024
A sister commits suicide and younger sister doesn't understand why so delves into her last days only to discover dark family secret which becomes quite a convoluted ending. Just ok
July 2, 2023
When I first saw the title of this book I was immediately intrigued. Reading last night kept me up til 3 am wanting to finish it and find out what happened.....
Willa has always been a writer. She worked as a reporter, then a news anchor, and then tried her hand at writing a novel. When Willa is found in her bathtub dead from what seems to be a suicide, her sister Sawyer just will not accept it. Sawyer just knows Willa would not have killed herself. The police are not investigating as Sawyer would expect them to, so she starts digging into her sister's life to see what or who could have caused this. While looking for answers, Sawyer finds out the book Willa was writing was a true-crime cold case from decades ago, about the mysterious disappearance of a toddler from a small town in Michigan. While trying to uncover the truth about her sister, now she starts piecing together the mystery of the missing baby in hopes that answers about her, will bring more answers about Willa. What Sawyer doesn't know, is that there are many more secrets than she might be ready for, and someone might come after her if she gets too close to the truth.
This book was intense! I thought it was great, especially as a debut novel! I listened to the audio and thought the narrator did a great job keeping up the suspense. I did have an inkling as to what the twist might be, but I did not guess it all! Also while some characters could have used more information, or more development, I think what we were given worked fine if you are reading the story to read the story. When you start to over-analyze it, you may find yourself disappointed in one thing or another. I for one will be looking forward to more by Kate Robards.
Thank you to #Netgalley & publishers for the opportunity to listen to a free audio copy in exchange for my honest review!
Willa has always been a writer. She worked as a reporter, then a news anchor, and then tried her hand at writing a novel. When Willa is found in her bathtub dead from what seems to be a suicide, her sister Sawyer just will not accept it. Sawyer just knows Willa would not have killed herself. The police are not investigating as Sawyer would expect them to, so she starts digging into her sister's life to see what or who could have caused this. While looking for answers, Sawyer finds out the book Willa was writing was a true-crime cold case from decades ago, about the mysterious disappearance of a toddler from a small town in Michigan. While trying to uncover the truth about her sister, now she starts piecing together the mystery of the missing baby in hopes that answers about her, will bring more answers about Willa. What Sawyer doesn't know, is that there are many more secrets than she might be ready for, and someone might come after her if she gets too close to the truth.
This book was intense! I thought it was great, especially as a debut novel! I listened to the audio and thought the narrator did a great job keeping up the suspense. I did have an inkling as to what the twist might be, but I did not guess it all! Also while some characters could have used more information, or more development, I think what we were given worked fine if you are reading the story to read the story. When you start to over-analyze it, you may find yourself disappointed in one thing or another. I for one will be looking forward to more by Kate Robards.
Thank you to #Netgalley & publishers for the opportunity to listen to a free audio copy in exchange for my honest review!
July 26, 2023
When Sawyer Stanarch finds out her sister willa was found in the tub deceased due to cutting her own risk Sawyer doesn’t believe it her sister was a perfectionist and cared about how others saw her it would never be found in the state she was found in sawyer hadn’t talked to her sister in over a year, this is why she asked those closest to her about the last time they saw her this will lead Sawyer on her own investigation of the last months of Willa‘s life she learns the last thing Willa was working on was a book about a missing baby named Melody she went missing 30 years ago but what does all this have to do with the death of Wella? Sawyer also find out that was DNA in dog hair found in Willis Apartment and Willow didn’t have a dog nor a boyfriend. Can Sawyer find out what happened to her sister without the same thing happening to her? This book was so good it was way better than any expectations I had I loved Sawyer and thought you made for a great main character with all her faults and flakiness she eventually saves the day and I love that. This is a great book and a five star mystery because if I just based my star rating on the ending then it is a definite 10 star book but as five is the most you can give five it is. What a great book, what a great title, what a great read! I want to think Net Galley and Crooked Lane books for my free Ark copy please forgive any mistakes as I am blind and dictate my review.
June 20, 2023
Willa Stannard is found dead in her bathtub; wrists slit, apartment cleared out, and a suicide note left for her sister. Willa was a perfectionist who worked as a news anchor, she always wore a smile on her face on and off the camera. Nothing terrible ever happened to her, until her panic attack on air that ruined her reputation.
Now Willa is gone, and it’s up to her sister, Sawyer, to pick up the pieces. Sawyer notices that before Willa’s death, she was investigating a twenty-six-year old missing person’s case about an abducted toddler that rocked a small town a few hours away. Was Willa’s death caused by her involvement in this cold case or was it, in fact, a suicide?
On Willa’s behalf, Sawyer decides to continue investigating the cold case, hoping that it’ll reveal answers about her sister’s suicide, but she soon realizes that the people in this small town do not like outsiders poking around in their business, and she might’ve put her own life in danger by digging up the past.
This was an extraordinary creepy, twisty, atmospheric thriller that kept me guessing until the very end. I loved the multiple POV’s from both Sawyer and Willa; Willa is present throughout the book reminiscing her memories with her sister and her findings leading up to her fateful end.
This was a quick read for me because the momentum of suspense never stopped. With Willa’s excerpts and police investigation transcripts, I felt like I was working alongside Sawyer to piece together this cold case mystery. I was on the edge of my seat near the end and was blown away by the conclusion. I can’t believe this was a debut novel! I can’t wait to see what other books Robards writes next.
Now Willa is gone, and it’s up to her sister, Sawyer, to pick up the pieces. Sawyer notices that before Willa’s death, she was investigating a twenty-six-year old missing person’s case about an abducted toddler that rocked a small town a few hours away. Was Willa’s death caused by her involvement in this cold case or was it, in fact, a suicide?
On Willa’s behalf, Sawyer decides to continue investigating the cold case, hoping that it’ll reveal answers about her sister’s suicide, but she soon realizes that the people in this small town do not like outsiders poking around in their business, and she might’ve put her own life in danger by digging up the past.
This was an extraordinary creepy, twisty, atmospheric thriller that kept me guessing until the very end. I loved the multiple POV’s from both Sawyer and Willa; Willa is present throughout the book reminiscing her memories with her sister and her findings leading up to her fateful end.
This was a quick read for me because the momentum of suspense never stopped. With Willa’s excerpts and police investigation transcripts, I felt like I was working alongside Sawyer to piece together this cold case mystery. I was on the edge of my seat near the end and was blown away by the conclusion. I can’t believe this was a debut novel! I can’t wait to see what other books Robards writes next.
April 11, 2023
Thankyou to NetGalley, the publisher and author for allowing me to read this ARC.
This is my first title by this author and I will be reading more from them in the future.
This story line is as very unique and I found it interesting.
I enjoyed the styles with multiple POV.
There were so many twists that you didn’t see coming and you were sitting here like “what the heck”.
I found the characters well written and well set out.
This book was fantastic.
I highly recommend this book.
Thankyou again.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This is my first title by this author and I will be reading more from them in the future.
This story line is as very unique and I found it interesting.
I enjoyed the styles with multiple POV.
There were so many twists that you didn’t see coming and you were sitting here like “what the heck”.
I found the characters well written and well set out.
This book was fantastic.
I highly recommend this book.
Thankyou again.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
February 7, 2024
What are the other 2 deaths, because I only caught the one? I was lost when Sawyer "instinctively started coughing" from the dust cloud even though she was in the car with the windows all up...no one does this. Another thing that bugged me, towards the end her knee is injured and "cannot bear her weight" and then she "kicked" 2 - 3 times after that was said, were you kicking with the bad leg you couldn't stand on or the good leg? Lots of conflicting wordy words to fill up the pages, ending was meh. Sawyer was annoying and whiny.
July 22, 2025
Such a cool story with interesting twists and turns. I will say that I kinda saw one of them coming, but I had no idea how it was going to make sense for the story, until it came to pass and then I was equally surprised. This was so interesting, although I am left with a few questions, but none that leave me needing or wanting more explanations, just that there is some ambiguity which I enjoy. I would recommend this book.
June 23, 2023
4ish stars
This was a twisty and thrilling story. It was a bit different than what I thought it would be like, but I did enjoy it and found many elements of the plot and characterization to be captivating. I had a good part of the ending figured out, although I was right about the reveal and not the underlying motivation. The ultimate conclusion was a bit melodramatic, but I didn’t mind. I think future books from this writer will be on my radar.
An ARC of this book was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This was a twisty and thrilling story. It was a bit different than what I thought it would be like, but I did enjoy it and found many elements of the plot and characterization to be captivating. I had a good part of the ending figured out, although I was right about the reveal and not the underlying motivation. The ultimate conclusion was a bit melodramatic, but I didn’t mind. I think future books from this writer will be on my radar.
An ARC of this book was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
July 13, 2023
Two hours into the audio I thought I’d figured it out. But then I didn’t. BUT THEN I DID. Kind of. This was enjoyable, but I have to admit that Sawyer was a little oblivious at times which was a little annoying.
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