Good morning! Time for the first blog tour of the month
Thanks to Flatiron Books for the free copy in exchange for my honest review
THE FIELDS – Erin Young (Released January 25th, 2022)
Book Description:
A breakneck procedural that is beautifully written and masterfully crafted, Erin Young’s The Fields is a dynamite debut—crime fiction at its very finest.
Some things don’t stay buried.
It starts with a body—a young woman found dead in an Iowa cornfield, on one of the few family farms still managing to compete with the giants of Big Agriculture.
When Sergeant Riley Fisher, newly promoted to head of investigations for the Black Hawk County Sheriff’s Office, arrives on the scene, an already horrific crime becomes personal when she discovers the victim was a childhood friend, connected to a dark past she thought she’d left behind.
The investigation grows complicated as more victims are found. Drawn deeper in, Riley soon discovers implications far beyond her Midwest town.
My Thoughts: 4/5 stars
This is Erin Young’s debut and talk about a gruesome and graphic police procedural. THE FIELDS isn’t exactly what I was expecting but I really enjoyed it. If you’re a fan of darker thrillers at the start of a new detective series, a Midwestern rural area, and don’t mind the details around Big Agriculture then this is going to be a great fit for you! I know a lot of other reviewers out there loved the murder mystery portion but didn’t really like everything surrounding the politics and scandals of the agricultural industry. I honestly didn’t mind it. I like political thrillers and while this one wasn’t at an International level or include espionage, I still enjoyed having that little aspect included.
There is no denying that the writing is phenomenal and Young immediately sucked me in. I loved the character development and I’m looking forward to the next book following the newly promoted Sergeant Riley Fisher and seeing where the author takes us. The dialogue felt natural and the story had a good pacing to it, and she definitely did her homework in creating the Iowa setting! As a Midwesterner, its always refreshing to see these stories take place somewhere other than New York, California, or Florida.
Keep in mind when starting this, it is not for the faint of heart. There are some gruesome crime scenes and this will not be for everyone. After reading enough horror and police procedurals, not much phases me at this point, but just remember that when starting (that opening in particular). Overall, a solid debut and a new series that I’ll definitely continue to pick up.
Jessicamap Reviews 