JH Moncrieff always delivers chills and this slow burn delivers big time!
A small town always holds secrets and when the past comes back to haunt you, you'd better be ready!
Any story featuring the disappearance of a friend under mysterious circumstances pulls me in instantly.
Dragonfly Summer did just that!
Do yourself a favor and grab this book!!!!

There is something about summer that makes me want to read all the beach books.

Late last night after my third fight with the pillow and snoring husband I gave up and started scrolling . I was too tired to research but too awake to sleep so I was just going to pick a book based on a cover ….

Dragonfly Summer
By: JH Moncrieff

This was an easy read that I flew through in just a couple of hours . This book is under 300 pages and gets straight to the point. No repetitiveness or corny dialog. The twist was just enough to give you a gasp and the characters were the perfect blend of likable and unlikable.

Teaser :

Dragonfly Summer is a gripping thriller that asks: What happens when the past comes back to haunt you? Jo Carter never thought she'd return to Clear Springs, Minnesota. But when the former journalist receives a cryptic note about the disappearance of her friend Sam twenty years before, she's compelled to find out what really happened. During her investigation, she learns another high school friend has died in a mysterious accident. Nothing is as it seems, and Jo must probe Clear Springs' darkest corners and her own painful and unreliable memories to discover the truth - and save herself from the killer who could still be on the hunt. Deliciously twisty and suspenseful from the first minute to the last, Dragonfly Summer proves that no small town’s secrets can stay buried for good.

This book is definitely one you could binge in one go. It's got twists and intrigue, and I was hooked from the start. The duel timeline was well written and the characters were really well rounded. Jo was a very interesting character, I could absolutely read more of her. I will look out for more from this author as I've not read any of their previous work.

Many thanks to the publishing team for my digital copy for review
This was my first read from the author and I was really impressed.
It was a fast paced thriller with some paranormal elements that were well done and pulled off in the story. Jo character was very complicated and multilayered. You know there are secrets but getting to the bottom of them through the past and present storyline kept you contemplating. Lots of intrigue and mystery around the plot and it wasn't what I expected.
There are some tough subject matters throughout the plot such as abuse and murder.

It's been almost thirty years since Jo left the tiny town of Clear Springs. In that time, not only has she never looked back, but apparently she's forgotten most of it.

Including the disappearance of one of her best friends.

But someone wants her to remember. She receives an anonymous note with information about a vigil to be held all these years later. And on the note is a message to find Sam.

Sam's case was never solved. Most assume she died. And while someone wants Jo to find the truth, many want this part of the past to remain buried.

I thoroughly enjoyed this latest from Moncrieff! A decades-old mystery and the drama of teenage friendships...it had an air of Yellowjackets around it that I am 100% on board for!

Jo has been living in New York City ever since graduating high school. And though her plans to become a writer have fizzled, her interest in investigations can't be denied. Most disturbing though is the fact that when the article about Sam's vigil arrives, Jo has no memory of her at all.

As the dawning realization hits that this is someone she knew and that this was undeniably a huge event in her life, the prompt to look into it is one that pulls her back to Clear Springs. That and the discovery that the other friend in their old trio has died as well.

Jo is the only one left who seems to want to find out the truth about Sam. But she can't even trust her own memories, which is something I find absolutely fascinating!

I know for most, comfort reading right now means holiday rom coms. For me, though, Dragonfly Summer is exactly the kind of comfort read I'm looking for! A good mystery, a twisty plot, and a book that I can get cozy and curl up with that begs to be read in a single sitting!

This book did hold my interest but, I found it to be a bit over the top at times. I didnt like the paranormal addition as its not my thing. This book still left me asking for answers.

I don't know exactly where to begin with Dragonfly Summer but I can tell you that this book was amazing!

Starting with a classic backstory of the main character returning to her home, Jo is trying to solve the mystery of her childhood friend disappearing. What exactly happened all those years ago and which of the shady characters from this town are responsible.

There are so many twists and turns in this book, that it will keep you rooted to your seat, flipping pages until the final secret is revealed. I will say this has a slow start, but once the momentum is built it throws you full force to a tumultuous conclusion. One where no one can fully be trusted, and no the kids aren't alright!

Check this out amazing story by JH Moncrieff and Flame Tree Press!

My Thoughts: i really enjoyed this one, but be warned it’s not for everyone with graphic descriptions of sexual assault rape and incest.

If you can either look past all that or read about it then this one is well worth your time, it’s fast paced and definitely keeps you turning the pages even after the “one more chapter” you said you’d read is over 🤣

Jo learns a lot about herself whilst trying to work out the truth of what happened to her best friend all those years ago.. weirdly she has absolutely no memory of that time in her life!

If she trusts the wrong person she could be the third victim.. but how do you know who to trust when you don’t know what happened?

Full of twists & enough moments to shock you that you’re left doubting yourself and wondering if you’ve read things right.

I would absolutely recommend this one.

🐧❤️

Absolutely brilliant mystery that had really dark and creepy moments. I loved the main character and her struggle to return to her home town. Lots of mysterious characters in this small town mystery xx

🏡 “YOU COULD’NT GO HOME AGAIN, ESPECIALLY WHEN IT HAD NEVER BEEN HOME IN THE FIRST PLACE.”

🏡 Without giving away any spoilers the story follows Jo Carter, the former journalist who receives a mysterious note about the disappearance of her best friend Sam twenty years before. She travels to her hometown Clear Springs to find out what actually happened on the night of Sam’s disappearance. During her investigation she finds out that her other friend Amanda had died too in mysterious way. Will Jo be able to uncover the truth?

🏡 Pick this up if you like/don’t mind:
📌 small town setting
📌 fast paced plot
📌 mystery behind disappearance of a girl
📌 strong female protagonist with memory loss
📌 whodunnit vibes
📌 paranormal and creepy vibes
📌 unexpected turns and twists
📌 reading past bed time 🛌
📌 finding it hard to stop reading and pausing your daily activities so you can read one more chapter. ( guilty of doing this 😭 )
📌 losing your brain cells trying to figure out the mystery. ( yeah I have read many mysteries and I was able to predict few things but rest came as a total surprise )
📌 rushed ending

⚠️ TW: rape, domestic abuse, mental health.

🏡 I have seen quite mixed reviews about this one but I was totally blown away by the book. This was a real page turner that kept me on the edge of my seat. Though I was eager to uncover the mystery but I never wanted the book to end either. Highly recommended. 👍 Thanks 🙏 @randomthingstours & @jh_moncrieff and NetGalley for giving me an opportunity to review this book.

A journalist returns to her small-town home after receiving some disturbing communications about a friend who disappeared when she was in high school. She wants to use her investigative skills to solve the mystery, but isn't sure who to trust and is not received well by any of the people in her hometown.

This book was intriguing, but when I finished reading it, I was disappointed. The characters weren't very interesting (and the main character somewhat naive given her background). The plot was somewhat predictable, and thus not overly interesting. The relationship between the journalist and her estranged father seemed to take a sudden turn, one that was not very believable.

So, I'm not sure I'd recommend this book. It was so-so, at best. Thank you NetGalley and Flame Tree Press for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

A cold case mystery unexpectedly resurfaces, compounded by unexplained memory gaps and long-held secrets nobody wants revealed. Intriguing and absorbing, the story constantly evolves, gradually revealing the truth.

I really loved this book. It has touches of magic and the supernatural which adds an extra layer to a an exciting thriller.

Following the mysterious disappearance of Jo Carter’s friend Sam, she leaves her home town of Clear Springs to go to university and then to live in New York where she starts out as an investigative journalist, but now works in PR. As far as she is concerned, there is nothing to go back for.

Then one day, over twenty years later, she receives a message about Sam’s disappearance and she feels compelled to return and try to uncover the truth. She also discovers that their other friend Amanda has been killed in a horrific accident. She was heavily pregnant when she died. Her grieving husband Doug also happens to have been Sam’s boyfriend when she went missing.

So many secrets, so much intrigue and at least one person who doesn’t want Jo to find out what really happened. But the problem for Jo is that something happened at the time that she doesn’t remember. In fact she has almost no memory of Sam or Amanda or anything that took place that year – the year they should all have graduated from High School – only Sam never did.

There are other people who Jo left behind – her friend Jack and her own father, whom she hasn’t seen since she left. More of her relationship with her father is revealed in the book and it’s a harrowing read.

Many thanks to @annecater for inviting me to be part of #RandomThingsTours

A great mystery story where plenty of twists and an unreliable main character keep you guessing to the end. Well-drawn and realistic characters give the tale a lot of heart.

I am delighted to be taking part in the blog tour today for Dragonfly Summer by J. H. Moncrieff. My thanks to Anne Cater of Random Things Tours for inviting me to take part and to the publisher for my digital copy of the book, which I have reviewed honestly and impartially.

This book was not at all what I expected from reading the blurb. I love it when this happens. I love it when a book takes you completely by surprise and whisks you off in a totally different direction than the one you were expecting it to go. It’s like being on one of those switch-track rollercoaster that suddenly take your breath away and make you squeal with a combination of delight and fear. I can’t think of a better way to describe this book, actually. A mixture of delight and fear.

It’s going to be hard to explain exactly why this book is so surprising without giving away the very things that make it so. Suffice it to say that I started out believing this was going to be a fairly ordinary, psychological thriller and it is anything but. It goes to unexpected places and makes you feel unexpected things and it had an unexpected ending. Unexpected is good. I like to be surprised and befuddled and caught out when I’m reading a book. It is what makes a book compelling and makes you want to read on and on to find out what happens. This book is very compelling and hard to put down. If you are looking for something gripping, prepare to be gripped.

The main character in this book is fascinating, both in who she is and what has happened to her (of course, one of those things informs the other, as you would expect.) I enjoyed the claustrophobic, small town setting, the feeling of your past coming back to haunt you and resolving trauma from your youth. But it is the unexpected aspect of this book that really make sit stand out, which is why it’s such a shame I can tell you about them. You’ll just have to take my word for it, I’m afraid!

I went into this book with no great anticipation of what was to come, but I was taken on a thrilling journey that terrified, entertained and enthralled me all at once. It is one of those books that comes out of nowhere and makes itself memorable. It’s one of those books that I would probably never have come across if it weren’t for blogging, but boy am I glad I did. If I manage to bring it to the attention of some other person who might not have read it otherwise and who enjoys it as much as I did – well, that’s why I blog. For books like this.

This originally was listed as an audio book only and now is also printed novel although not yet listed on Goodreads!

Jo Carter, a single woman and former war correspondent journalist swore she would never go back to the small town where she grew up, Clear Springs, Minnesota yet twenty-seven years later here she is. Jo has so many bad memories especially concerning her abusive father that she has not had any contact with him since she left for college almost a lifetime ago. Jo receives a cryptic note seemingly out of nowhere concerning her beautiful and vivacious best friend Sam, who mysteriously disappeared before prom and high school graduation but when Jo tries to remember Sam she can't even recall what Sam looked like which doesn't make any sense. Jo realizes she must go back to Clear Springs to recover her faulty memories and to do some investigating on her own to find out what happened to Sam and why can't she seem to remember anything about her high school years.

After Jo arrives she finds that another friend (Amanda) has suddenly died which police said it was a horrific accident but Jo's instinct tells her differently and that somehow both of these tragic cases are related even though they are decades apart but how and where will she begin putting the pieces together when she can't seem to remember anything at all about her high school years or the most important people.in her life during that particular time! Will this trip back to Clear Springs spark Jo's mysterious blank memory or will she discover that certain memories should be left dead and buried!

Oh, this was a difficult book to review. I was so excited to read this exciting, sounding mystery but it became an entertaining mess for me. I couldn't connect with the writing, sometimes the story seemed written like a cozy mystery yet too much of the subject matter was very dark and all the characters were shallow. and didn't respond with appropriate connecting emotions. Jo was a feisty and fun character yet for the way her actions were portrayed I could never have seen her being out in the field as a news war correspondent There were some heavy, graphic and taboo scenes that seemed weirdly glossed over without any depth of emotion from any of the people involved. While sounding negative I was still entertained by the story because the author did throw in many red herrings and twists but maybe that was the problem for me, there just was too much material thrown in and rushed over without giving enough any detail to connection of thoughts with emotion. When I read a dark mystery of thriller I just want to feel tension and experience some feelings for the characters involve not just reading words that don't carry enough depth to reach my mind or heart. When I read a book I want to feel or believe I'm being transported into the pages of another place and time, not feeling is a such waste of time or me. Please don't go by my review alone since a good majority of other reviews found the book very riveting and exciting so maybe I must be the tall weeds standing out in the beautifully manicured garden with my opinions. I would encourage mystery readers to take a chance if the storyline appeals to you and base your own opinions. I have read one other book by "Moncrieff" and thoroughly enjoyed it giving it a five star rating but unfortunately this book was just all over the place for me even writing in a bit of the supernatural (lol) which just then became Way, Way, Way over the top!

Trigger Warnings: Physical Abuse, Rape, Incest, Etc.

I want to thank the publisher "Flame Tree Press" and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this digital copy and any thoughts or opinions expressed are unbiased and mine alone!

I have given a rating if 2 1/2 BROKEN AND FALLEN ⭐⭐🌠 STARS!!

I would probably never had picked this novel without the cover! However I was very quickly drawn into a twisty, sometimes horror filled world of small town America.
Jo gets a message that send her back from her city life to Clear Springs where in her childhood and with friends Samantha and Amanda she had navigated High School. boyfriends and then tragedy, despair and disillusion with people to escape.
The atmosphere was soon established by the author and we were as spooked as Jo by the twists and turns in the plot. Who was really to blame for Sam's disappearance, for Amanda's death? and were they still there or a ghost from the past.
Never return is a classic idea of adults who find themselves back where their emotions were young and raw.
Found this thriller very good and would recommend it highly.

The story:
Just before her graduation, honor student Samantha Kennedy went missing. The only suspect at the time was boyfriend Doug Flaherty, who was released without charge.

Jo Carter escaped the small town of Clear Springs for New York as soon as she could, leaving her unhappy childhood and cruel father, but also her friends, behind. But now an anonymous message has drawn her back, and Jo is determined to uncover the truth behind her best friend’s disappearance.

But without being able to trust her own memory, how can Jo get to the bottom of events that happened 27 years ago? And will the secrets she uncovers be worth the risk?

My thoughts:
I read "Dragonfly Summer" by JH Moncrieff in just a few sittings, and this twisty, fast-paced thriller gives just the right balance of plot and excitement!

Jo's childhood home of Clear Springs, a small town in Minnesota, is the perfect setting for the mystery of Sam's disappearance to play out. Everyone knows everyone else, and they all seem to have secrets to hide. That is apart from Jo, whose memory loss means she's discovering the town's hidden past along with the rest of us.

Jo is a tenacious and likeable character, drawn back to her childhood home even though she hates it, to try and find out what happened to her friend. And there are plenty of suspects to consider! From Sam's creepy younger brother, to her aloof and unhelpful father, to ex-boyfriend Doug, there’s no shortage of motives for Jo to try and unearth. But the biggest questions of all are — is Sam really dead, and if so, how can she be sending messages to Jo?

The story has supernatural elements to it, but nothing that couldn’t be explained so it is left up to the reader to decide… Spooky stuff! I would recommend this book to all fans of psychological thrillers where small towns hide big secrets. I'll be looking out for more of JH Moncrieff's books to fill the dark winter nights!

5 Stars!

J.H. Moncrieff is fast becoming one of my favorite authors. I had read some of her books in the past but started to catch up on what I had missed this year. When I saw that Dragonfly Summer was scheduled to be published by Flame Tree Press for the first time in print (it had previously been available as an audiobook), I knew this was a read for me. I was surprised by the story that I found but, as the author had responded to one of my reviews, the reader has to expect the unexpected in Moncrieff’s novels. That is a very good thing.



Jo Carter had left Clear Springs just after her senior year of high school and never thought she would go back. She could not get far enough from her past and a father that abused her and a mother that allowed it to happen. She never once gave it a thought, letting friendships and all connections turn to dust, until the day she received the strange note about a friend of hers, Samantha, who had gone missing long ago. Jo felt compelled to discover the truth behind the disappearance no matter how painful it would be. Now she returned only to find that her other close friend had been recently killed in an accident that may have a connection to that long ago disappearance and the mystery of the past comes crashing into the present. Jo does not just want to learn the truth. She must solve the mystery. Her life may depend upon it.



Everyone has a secret, even in a small town, and those secrets begin to come to the surface in disturbing and dangerous ways. Someone does not want Joe to learn the secret behind Samantha’s disappearance and will do whatever it takes to keep the past shrouded in shadows. Jo will not only learn about the dark secrets of the town but also about her own. What starts as a journey to unravel the mystery surrounding her friend becomes a journey of self-discovery as well. Everyone may think they know everything about their fellow residents of the small town, but this could not be further from the truth. There is a darkness in Clear Springs waiting to burst through and Jo must set the beast free before it consumes all that she once held true.



Moncrieff weaves a tangled web of a story in Dragonfly Summer that is filled with numerous twists and turns. I kept thinking that I knew what was coming next only to find that I was either wrong or only partially right. The story keeps the reader on his toes as the characters’ motives are never clear and can change from chapter to chapter. There is a mix of redemption and desperation in this novel that keeps the story changing and growing throughout. Even with all the misdirection, Moncrieff keeps control of the story and it never felt forced or unbelievable. It can be difficult to get a firm grip on the story as it is ever-changing, but this also makes it easy to get lost in the story. This is by no means a horror story, and this could be an unpleasant surprise for those who have read Moncrieff’s earlier books, but is rather just a compelling story that cuts to the heart of humanity. Part mystery and part drama (with a whiff of the supernatural), Dragonfly Summer is simply a very, very good novel.



Dragonfly Summer is a bit of a departure from the other books I have read from Moncrieff. There is a hint of the supernatural in the novel, especially in the end, but it is a small part that takes a back seat to the human drama that unfolds throughout the story. In reality, or at least the reality of the story, the supernatural may not even exist as anything more than within the minds of the characters as more harbingers of guilt and redemption than ghosts. This plays well in the story, though, as everyone in the story is haunted by something from the past. This is what really brings the story home. Perfection is an illusion. Innocence is an illusion. Life is more a sequence of shadows that blow across perception to shape the world around us. Jo digs through those shadows to shine a little light on a mystery that most would rather leave in the dark and just maybe provide a little redemption for her lost friend. This will set some people free from the burdens they have had to bear while others will finally receive the justice they deserve. Life is messy and, to some extent, so is this book. But that is the beauty of it all as well. Just like life, Dragonfly Summer weaves through the beautiful mess that is life to find the bright spots that live in the shadows and the only constant is humanity. I was captivated from the first page and am happy to say that this is my favorite book of the year, slightly edging out Beneath Cruel Waters by Jon Bassoff. Highly recommended for any human who will enter into the story with an open mind.



I would like to thank Flame Tree Press and NetGalley for this review copy. Dragonfly Summer is scheduled to be released on November 15, 2022.

The best days of our lives in relation to schooldays is one of those phrases that tends to make me look at people a little askance but increasingly memories fade. Can you remember everyone still who was in your school form. What they all looked like; their voices and would you recognise them now? In the really interesting dark themed thriller Dragonfly Summer j H Moncrieff has created a compelling twenty year mystery where a small quiet town hides secrets one woman is trying to uncover without losing her life.

Jo Carter is seeking a quiet life. Reporting in the Middle East and around the world she has seen too many things leaving scars that now make her think a simple PR role in a quiet museum may be the better decision. That is until she receives a mysterious notice about a vigil to a young woman who she hardly remembers…but realises that it was for her once best friend Sam who went missing just prior to graduation and the school prom. Curious she finds the vigil notice was faked, a call back to her hometown also reveals that another former friend Amanda was investigating Sam’s disappearance but has died in mysterious circumstances. Jo feels drawn back to the small town of Clear Springs in Minnesota she has not seen since leaving for College. She discovers she has little memory left of those years but she also finds strange clues and unpeels the town’s darker secrets being hidden by those who do not want to be exposed.

This is a very strong, well-told thriller that very quickly hooks us into the mystery and also Jo’s battle to solve it. From a brief prologue watching the last moments of pregnant Amanda’s life we soon recognise that this tale will tackle difficult subject matter and also sets up that this is a dangerous place to visit. I really liked that Moncrieff makes the return home feel dangerous. Really helped by the othr mystery as to why Jo who is only in her thirties struggles to remember people or key events from what was an important year.

Jo as our narrator and lead is a very strong character - her journalistic instincts winning out over her desire not to return home. She is determined, witty and also is carrying some baggage particularly in the face of her estranged father who she knows is hanging around but she is trying hard not to start the next row. To aid her and give some valuable human moments Moncrieff adds Jack her male schoolfriend who she knew very well. They’re the kind of friends who you click with whenever you see them, and they bring much needed humour but also acts as Jo’s refresher course in who is who in this town and what happened after she left. Jo’s reporter skills see her interviewing key people and also starting to look for clues - always refreshing not to have just another police offer lead and I found her really interesting to get to know her and her past.

The mystery is a good one and there is an array of potential suspects we meet throughout the novel and I was surprised how Moncrieff kept us on our toes all the way to the final chapter. The finale is clever and while I did not see coming felt right for this tale. There are some very nice spooky scenes also suggesting Jo may be getting some help from beyond the grave. Is this more coincidence or something else going on. I never felt cheated with this approach - it added to the mystery and of course may or may not have a perfectly normal explanation. For me it added some extra dimensions and who doesn’t like a genre blurring from time to time. I do warn readers though there is a theme of sexual violence and assault including a very stark rape scene that some readers may wish to be wary of. Overall, though I found this difficult subject was handled sensitively as was discussion of mental health issues and recovery.

Dragonfly Summer is a well plotted thriller that doesn’t spoon=feed the reader on the plot. Full of interesting characters, an unusual approach in looking to the past for answers and a subtle hint of the supernatural too it is a great surprising frosty autumn read to help chill your blood just that little bit more. Highly recommended!