Two skilled narrators, Saskia Maarleveld and Carlotta Brentan, present this sensitive police procedural. In an unusual narrative pattern, Brentan reads the first-person chapters and Maarleveld presents the third-person sections. Both narrators convey the richly articulated characters of the three female protagonists, a genealogist, a middle-aged cold case investigator, and the ghost of a murder victim whose body was found in a barrel in the Gila National Forest in New Mexico. The voices of all the women are thoughtful and instantly relatable. This skillfully narrated debut novel, a study in the psychology of violence, is a new take on a familiar genre. D.L.G. © AudioFile 2023, Portland, Maine

04/03/2023

In Herchenroether’s poignant debut, research librarian Laura MacDonald is perusing a crime website while awaiting a double mastectomy in a Connecticut hospital when a post catches her eye: in 1983, hikers lost in Sierra County, N.Mex., found barrels containing the skeletons of a woman and two girls. Thirty years later, the victims remain unidentified, so Laura decides to use her professional skills to investigate. Meanwhile, despite pressure from her husband to retire and help the couple’s single daughter raise her child, Det. Sgt. Jean Martinez has reopened the Sierra County Sheriff’s Department’s case file on the same hikers, hoping recent media coverage triggered by the discovery’s anniversary will turn up a lead. As the women’s investigations converge, Jane Doe’s ghost worries that if her killer is caught, she’ll only be remembered for how she died. Nuanced characters and artful prose complement the intricately crafted mystery, but what distinguishes Herchenroether’s tale is her visceral, resonant recounting of Laura’s cancer experience: Laura “had no voice. No identity outside her diagnosis.” This author is off to a strong start. Agent: Rachel Ekstrom Courage, Courage Literary. (May)

"A character-driven story that moves the reader to cheer as much for the discovery of the victim’s identity as for the identification and capture of the murderer."

"Sara Herchenroether's astonishing, intricate debut is a deeply nuanced portrayal of those called to name the dead. A cold case detective and soon-to-be grandmother, a genealogist librarian recovering from breast cancer, and the ghost of a murdered woman are the unforgettable heroines of a novel about confronting—and transcending—mortality. Like Tana French meets Ann Patchett, The Night Flowers begs to be raced through the first time and savored the second. Sara Herchenroether is a fierce talent with much to say about women's strength in their most vulnerable moments."

"A librarian and a detective team up to solve a cold case in New Mexico’s Gila National Forest? Yes, please."

"Hypnotic, heart-wrenching, and harrowing, The Night Flowers is an exceptional debut. The twisted path of long-buried wrongs coming to light will keep you on the edge of your seat. Still, it’s the honest exploration of violence, trauma, and scars that never heal that will haunt you. Sara Herchenroether is a true talent."

"Pulse-pounding and poignant."

"Gripping. . . . Beautiful and haunting. . . . This novel presents unique ways in which women bond with each other and confront their own vulnerabilities."

"Compelling…. It’s hard to write a mystery about a 30-year-old, triple-homicide cold case with real-time stakes, but Sara Herchenroether nails it. . . . I devoured this book."

"A clever cold case mystery with a haunting twist."

"How refreshing to have three women protagonists in this cold case crime debut. . . . Herchenroether’s fact-based novel speaks to all the missing women and children, and to breast cancer survivors everywhere."

"An affecting mystery-thriller that’s hard to put down. . . . Set in New Mexico, which Herchenroether depicts exquisitely. . . . You’re going to want to rip through this gripping book to get to the bottom of the mystery."

"Get ready to read through the night. . . . This is a grab-you-by-the-collar page-turner fans of dark thrillers won’t want to miss."

"The Night Flowers is so many things: a murder mystery, a ghost story, a meditation on violence and the fragility of the body. Compelling, insightful, and evocative."

"The Night Flowers will satisfy anyone seeking a Bechdel test-passing novel with supernatural overtones and a frank look at what it means to be a survivor."

"Unique. . . . Part whodunnit, part missing-person drama, with a sprinkle of ghost story. . . . Well worth a read."

"Unforgettable. . . . Seasoned with supernatural suspense, including a killer who stalks the ghosts of his dead victims, The Night Flowers is an entertaining crime thriller enhanced with the engaging personal dramas of the two women investigating the triple homicide."

"Haunting and compulsively readable, The Night Flowers is impossible to put down. A novel that is as much ghost story as mystery, Herchenroether has crafted a truly original narrative that unfolds with a shocking array of twists and turns against the backdrop of the Gila National Forest. Every voice in the chorus that makes up this novel sings a siren song of suspense you won't be able to resist. I devoured it."

Two skilled narrators, Saskia Maarleveld and Carlotta Brentan, present this sensitive police procedural. In an unusual narrative pattern, Brentan reads the first-person chapters and Maarleveld presents the third-person sections. Both narrators convey the richly articulated characters of the three female protagonists, a genealogist, a middle-aged cold case investigator, and the ghost of a murder victim whose body was found in a barrel in the Gila National Forest in New Mexico. The voices of all the women are thoughtful and instantly relatable. This skillfully narrated debut novel, a study in the psychology of violence, is a new take on a familiar genre. D.L.G. © AudioFile 2023, Portland, Maine