Book Review: Middletide
- Author: Sarah Crouch
- Publisher: Atria Books
- First published: June 11, 2024
- Edition: Hardcover
- Pages: 288
- ISBN: 9781668035092 (ISBN10: 166803509X)
- Available in digital format (ePub, PDF, etc.)
- ASIN: 166803509X
- Language English
Introduction
Sarah Crouch is a renowned American long-distance runner, celebrated for her impressive marathon performances and prestigious awards.
Today, however, I am meeting her not through her athletic achievements but through her debut novel, Middletide.
Brief Summary
Mystery, thriller, a love that time cannot erase, and a swirl of powerful emotions shake the seemingly peaceful coastal town of Point Orchards after a suspicious death on the lakeshore.
Everything initially points to the young doctor Erin Landry having taken her own life out of grief, following a personal tragedy several years earlier. However, as the investigation progresses, attention shifts towards the only cabin near the lake, inhabited by a lonely, failed writer who recently returned to town. In a place where everyone knows each other and secrets are hard to keep, not everything is as “obvious” as it seems.
The story unfolds across two timelines: the present, seen through the eyes of the sheriff and his deputy after the discovery of Dr. Landry’s body, and fifteen years earlier, revolving around a young couple, Elijah and Nakita, as they navigate the first tremors of love and disappointment. Gradually, the two timelines intertwine, leading to the climax and the crime in question.
Analysis and Evaluation
Nakita is a humble girl from the nearby Native American reservation, while Elijah is an ambitious boy living with his alcoholic father in a cabin on the hill. Chasing a dream of becoming a writer, Elijah leaves town but returns years later after his father’s death and the failure of his literary aspirations, resigning himself to a lonely, uneventful life — until a murder occurs “in his backyard.”
The characters are well-crafted, with deep insights into their inner worlds and psyches. Although Elijah is the central figure, the novel gives ample attention to all other characters, making the story feel more vibrant and alive.
From the very beginning, Erin’s death appears suspicious. As we delve into her character throughout the story, certain traits emerge that hint at trouble: the loss of a child, a missing husband, and a brief affair with Elijah — if it could even be called that. Following both the perspective of the boy from the past and the man who returned in the present, I tried to understand what could have driven him to violence, as all clues pointed toward him. However, I found nothing incriminating — only a man with broken dreams and a wounded heart.
Eventually, I began suspecting everyone. By the end, every character seemed a potential suspect.
Sarah Crouch weaves her passion for both sports and writing into the book. Although the novel is categorized as a thriller, to me it felt much more like a love story seeking its second chance — and I truly appreciated the resolution. As for the mystery, although it lacked the level of suspense I had expected, it still held my interest, especially since the true culprit remained hidden until the very end.
Personal Impressions
It is said that fans of Where the Crawdads Sing would enjoy this novel. I cannot personally confirm this comparison, as I have not read that book, but I thoroughly enjoyed Middletide for its beautifully intertwined destinies and the whirlwind of emotions it evokes.
The small-town setting adds a haunting undertone of inevitable tragedy while somehow also providing a strange sense of comfort.
In this gripping and intensely atmospheric debut, disquiet descends on a small town after the suspicious death of a beautiful young doctor, with all clues pointing to the reclusive young man who abandoned the community in chase of big city dreams but returned for the first love he left behind. Perfect for fans of All Good People Here and Where the Crawdads Sing
One peaceful morning, in the small, Puget Sound town of Point Orchards, the lifeless body of Dr. Erin Landry is found hanging from a tree on the property of prodigal son and failed writer, Elijah Leith. Sheriff Jim Godbout’s initial investigation points to an obvious suicide, but upon closer inspection, there seem to be clues of foul play when he discovers that the circumstances of the beautiful doctor’s death were ripped straight from the pages of Elijah Leith’s own novel.
Out of money and motivation, thirty-three-year-old Elijah returns to his empty childhood home to lick the wounds of his futile writing career. Hungry for purpose, he throws himself into restoring the ramshackle cabin his father left behind and rekindling his relationship with Nakita, the extraordinary girl from the nearby reservation whom he betrayed but was never able to forget.
As the town of Point Orchards turns against him, Elijah must fight for his innocence against an unexpected foe who is close and cunning enough to flawlessly frame him for murder in this scintillating literary thriller that seeks to uncover a case of love, loss, and revenge.
