Review copy was received from Publisher. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Heartwood by Amity Gaige Narrator: Justine Lupe, Helen Laser, Alma Cuervo, Rebecca Lowman, Ali Andre Ali, Cary Hite
Published by Simon & Schuster Audio on April 1, 2025
Genres: Mystery, Suspense
Length: 8 hours, 45 minutes
Format: Audiobook
Source: Publisher
Goodreads
Amazon, Audible, Libro.fm, Barnes & Noble, Apple
In the heart of the Maine woods, an experienced Appalachian Trail hiker goes missing. She is forty-two-year-old Valerie Gillis, who has vanished 200 miles from her final destination. Alone in the wilderness, Valerie pours her thoughts into fractured, poetic letters to her mother as she battles the elements and struggles to keep hoping.
At the heart of the investigation is Beverly, the determined Maine State Game Warden tasked with finding Valerie, who leads the search on the ground. Meanwhile, Lena, a seventy-six-year-old birdwatcher in a Connecticut retirement community, becomes an unexpected armchair detective. Roving between these compelling narratives, a puzzle emerges, intensifying the frantic search, as Valerie’s disappearance may not be accidental.
Heartwood is a mystery told by a character story. Valerie is a nurse hiking the Appalachian Trail in Maine, supported by her husband, who is not hiking but following along. Lena is an older woman living in a nursing home who watches birds and works on various ideas in her mind. Beverly is a game warden and leads the search and rescue effort. I came for the mystery and the search and rescue, with some dogs, and stayed for the characters.
The easiest for me is Beverly who manages all the rescuers and teams. She has spent decades running searches. Beverly is competent and has good people on her teams. She handles all the volunteers and coordinates other departments who are helping. They try to pin Valerie’s last known location and map searching from there.
Valerie has the story of how she got lost and surviving weather with lack of food and water. She writes in her journal to her mother as she reflects on life.
Lena is surprisingly a big internet user where she checks for facts and input on her topics. She has connected with a young man and he gives her information about the woods, along with photos, and some government conspiracy theories.
Lena and Valerie are both isolated in their own ways. They feel like unreliable narrators but mostly they aren’t. Valerie seems more sketchy when she hasn’t eaten for several days. Beverly is the solid base doing her job, but considering options for retirement and reflecting on her long career, beginning when she was the only female in her area. Each of these women analyzes their life and considers their relationships with friends and family.
Narration:
The cast has narrators for all the main characters and a few more. The distinct performers made it easy to tell whose point of view we were getting and to immerse more fully into the story. I listened at my usual 1.5x speed.
Listen to a clip: HERE
About Cary Hite
I am a NYC-based SAG-AFTRA & AEA actor, audiobook narrator, and a pretty swell son of a biscuit eater….
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I read all types of books but my favorites are urban fantasy and romantic suspense.I like some romance and some action / adventure / mystery in everything.I like sex in my books but please, only between TWO people.Intimate conversation is equally important to the sex in a book.It lets me see the characters.The other thing I enjoy is humor.
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- 🎧 Heartwood by Amity Gaige #AmityGaige #JustineLupe #AlmaCuervo #RebeccaLowman #AliAndreAli #CaryHite #HelenLaser @simonaudio.bsky.social#LoveAudiobooks @SimonAudio - April 24, 2025
- 🎧 Great Big Beautiful Life by Emily Henry #EmilyHenry @justjuliawhelan @penguinaudio.bsky.social @libro.fm#LoveAudiobooks @BerkleyRomance @BerkleyPub@PRHAudio - April 22, 2025
- Sunday Post – 20 April 2025 @caffeinatedreviewer.com @readingreality.bsky.social @kimbacaffeinate @readingreality - April 20, 2025
Reading this book contributed to these challenges:
- 25-Audio
- 25-COYER
I have this coming up and am glad it’s got a multiple performers for the characters.
I’ll certainly look forward to your thoughts.