The Fields by Erin Young
Published: January 25, 2022
Flatiron Booms
Pages: 348
Genre: Crime Thriller
KKECReads Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I received a copy of this book for free, and I leave my review voluntarily.
Erin Young is the pseudonym of acclaimed historical novelist Robyn Young, author of eight internationally bestselling novels. She has been published in 19 languages in 22 countries, selling two million books worldwide. THE FIELDS is her first contemporary thriller. She lives and writes in Brighton, England.
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.
“What did justice mean when criminals got parole and victims got life?”
Riley was recently promoted to sergeant. Between dealing with jealous male coworkers who are bitter about her promotion and keeping her family drama secret, the last thing she expected to find was a body in a cornfield. Now, things start to spiral, and Riley and her team have to scramble to find a brutal killer before anyone else dies.
This was an exciting novel. While there was the classic “thriller” aspect, which was very well done, there is an entirely different element to this book.
And not since The Dancing Girls by M.M. Chouinard has a twist been both random and terrifying.
There were some political power plays, which were executed well, and added good drama to the story. I enjoyed the characters and getting to know them through the book.
Riley is awesome. I enjoyed that she wasn’t perfect, knew she wasn’t perfect, but that she was willing to try. No matter what, she gave her all. Her backstory is interesting, and I think as the series continues, we will get more of it, and she is coming into her own as a leader. She is tough, intelligent, and protective Uber those she loves.
Logan was a shining star for me. I loved the imagery of him moving from Michigan to Iowa and the culture shock he displayed. It was very well done. I identified with his character being a transplant as I went to college in North Dakota. Logan’s character had a nice comedic element, which sometimes kept things from being “too” intense.
Maddie, Riley’s niece, has had a rough go with her parents. But her aunt adores her, and sometimes that is enough. Maddie is coming into her own, wanting more than her small-town life, and she has a lot of trauma that hasn’t been dealt with. I do not doubt that as the series continues, we will see huge strides in this character’s arc.
I enjoyed a lot of the side characters and felt they added a nice dimension to the story. The development was well done, and I think the human element was well played.
Overall, I enjoyed this novel more than I anticipated. It’s a bit out of my genre element, it’s like a political thriller, but I couldn’t put it down. I think this series has a lot of potentials, and I am stoked to be ahead of the trend in saying that.