Out of the Ashes by Kara Thomas

This is my first book from the author Kara Thomas. I enjoy mysteries where there are family secrets that are slowly revealed and we find out about it when the main characters do, and cold cases make the story that much better for me. Part of the appeal for me was because I'm originally from NYS & I'd lived for a time in the county that Ms. Thomas based the main plot in, so that piqued my interest further. .

For the first half of the book I was thinking that the story was slow moving and atmospheric, but I was looking for more suspense. The second half of this book drew me in and got me more engaged.. My only complaint was that I wish the main character Samantha had stayed on course to just find out what happened to her family and who was responsible for killing them all those years ago. Also did her little sister die in the fire too, or was she taken by someone as a witness implied? I felt it went off on a tangent seeking justice for other young women who went missing years ago.

Many red herrings are tossed around, enough to perhaps confuse the reader, as it surely did for me. I had a bit of a time keeping the characters' in order, because there were so many step siblings, half siblings and families entwined together All in all, it's worth a read for fans of this genre and for those looking for meandering plot threads that will all come together in the end. I hadn't guessed the outcome correctly and that was a plus.

Recommended 3.5/5 rounded up.. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my digital copy.