The Briars by Sarah Crouch: When a mountain town’s secrets turn into a predictable romance

A thick chill crept through the fir trees the moment I stepped into the pages of The Briars — I could almost smell the damp pine needles underfoot in Lake Lumin. In The Briars by Sarah Crouch, an atmospheric backdrop, a lone game warden fleeing her past, and the ominous presence of both a cougar and a hidden murderer promise a taut thriller.

Coming into the novel, I was mesmerized. The descriptions of the Pacific Northwest setting — moss-clad trees, misty mountain ridges, ancient forest trails — transported me so completely I was ready to pack my car up and head to Lake Lumin myself. Annie Heston, newly employed as a game warden, chasing whispers of a cougar sighting: that narrative worked. Her patrols through the woods, the sense of isolation, the danger — I wanted to linger there.

But somewhere between the cougar tracks and the first body found among the briars, the story took a turn. What started as a suspenseful mystery devolved into a romance carried by old-fashioned communication gaps and a protagonist heedlessly ignoring red flags. The bond between Annie and the enigmatic electrician Daniel Barela came on too fast, with too little tension driving their attraction beyond a shared sense of loneliness. I found myself waiting — hoping — that Daniel might turn out to be the murderer. That twist might have been predictable, but it also would have sparked a conversation about why ignored red flags matter. Instead, the book chose comfort.

When it came to the mystery itself, the resolution felt too neat. The “smoking gun” evidence was flimsy, there was little credible foreshadowing of the killer’s identity, and the final reveal happened with too little resistance. It seemed more like a backdrop to raise stakes for the romance than a genuine puzzle demanding the reader’s attention.

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Don’t get me wrong: Crouch’s prose can be compelling — there were moments when the forest, the air, the sense of danger felt real enough to send a shiver down my spine. But I wanted The Briars to remain a thriller. I went in expecting suspense, isolation, and maybe a lurking killer. What I got instead was a conventional romance disguised in wilderness gear.

If you’re drawn to moody, forest-bound thrillers — but skeptical of quick-flame love stories built on shaky chemistry and ignored warning signs — you might want to skip The Briars. But if you’re open to a slow-burn romance set against a wilderness backdrop, there’s a chance you’ll enjoy its dreamy landscapes more than its thin mystery.

What did you think? Did the romance overshadow the suspense for you, or did the forest setting and quiet tension carry you through to the end? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

An advance reader copy of this book (ARC) was provided to me by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

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• A Summer in Shady Springs – Crouch (Reading Is My Superpower)
• Writing in the wild: A guest post by Sarah Crouch (Barnes & Noble)

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