Book Review: Buried Road by Katie Tallo
Rating: 4.6 out of 5
Katie Tallo does something special in Buried Road — she brings the classic missing-person thriller into sharp emotional focus, turning the chase for answers into a mother-daughter odyssey full of grit, grief, and dangerous hope. This is the third book in her Monet series, but it stands strong on its own, fueled by the tender, perceptive narration of young Bly, whose voice might be the secret weapon of this entire story.
The novel opens on a gut punch: Gus Monet and her daughter Bly discover the obituary of Howard, the man who anchored their little family and vanished three years earlier while chasing a story that slithered into dark territory. The grief is old but the wound is fresh, and the moment Bly and Gus find Howard’s hidden notebook and final video message in his recovered camper, the book shifts into high gear — headlights slicing through the unknown.
Tallo paints Prince Edward County with this haunting summer glow, all heat and hush, like something beautiful is rotting just beneath the surface. Abandoned places, eerie roadsides, dusty secrets — the atmosphere is a character of its own. And at the center are Gus and Bly, spiraling deeper into Howard’s investigation, dodging danger that feels too real, too close, too easy to imagine breathing down the back of your neck.
The pacing is a delicious slow burn that spikes into a pulse-hammering final act. That twisty last third? Absolutely delivers. It’s emotional, terrifying, and ruthless in the best way. Tallo never loses sight of the heart of the story either — the fierce love between a mother and daughter, the way truth can cost as much as it gives, and the brave, reckless things we do so the people we love don’t stay lost forever.
If you crave thrillers with atmosphere thick as smoke, characters you want to shield with your whole soul, and mysteries that unravel in shocking, satisfying bursts, Buried Road will hit you right where it counts.
Perfect for fans of: Dark August, Lisa Jewell, Megan Miranda, and small-town secrets that don’t stay buried.
Final verdict: A poignant, propulsive thriller with a lyrical undercurrent and a finale that leaves your heart trembling like a struck bell.