Where the Crawfish Swim is a very well written true crime story. A fast paced edge of your seat plot that kept me reading until I finished the book.

This novel is fictional, but based on true events that happened in Pike County, Ohio, in April of 2016.

I love the way the story was told and if you are a fan of murder mystery books, this is for you. The writing is great. The plot is great

Dea dalton is sent on a low priority assignment to try to uncover some secrets and eventually out to find out who murdered 8 people, but its harder than it looks as he tries infiltrate the tight knit town.

So, I dove into "Where the Crawfish Swim" by Andrea Smith, and let me tell you, it's a gripping ride through the heart of Briar County. Inspired by a true event, this novel weaves reality into fiction seamlessly, leaving me both captivated and slightly unnerved.

Meet Dalton Edwards, the DEA agent thrown into the enigmatic world of Briar County. From the get-go, the story unfolds like a puzzle, with Dalton piecing together a community bound by its own pace and burdened by buried secrets. The characters, especially Dalton, felt like acquaintances, their complexities adding layers to the narrative.

As Dalton digs deeper into this tight-knit community, the plot thickens. The Pike County Massacre, the haunting backdrop, adds a chilling touch of reality to the fiction. The author's ability to balance real-life complexity with storytelling finesse is nothing short of impressive.

And let's talk about Dalton – his journey from an outsider to the unraveller of town mysteries kept me hooked. The writing is sharp, painting vivid scenes of a place where everyone's business is communal knowledge. The tragedy that befalls eight family members becomes a canvas for Dalton's pursuit of justice.

The small-town dynamics felt authentic, and Dalton's relentless pursuit was both admirable and a tad unnerving. Andrea Smith did an excellent job translating the complexities of reality into a fictional narrative. The suspense is palpable, lingering even after the final page.

"Where the Crawfish Swim" isn't just a crime thriller; it's a journey into human nature, resilience, and the pursuit of justice. Andrea Smith's storytelling skill breathes life into the tale, leaving me with thoughts that lingered long after the book was shelved.

This was not it for me.
There was just a mix of information thrown in and then kind of forgotten.
The title doesn’t make sense to me either. There are no crawfish, no swimming and nothing along the lines of what the title suggest. It’s about drugs and farms?

I also don’t enjoy the way she wrote some of the females. “You could tell she enjoyed men looking at her by how she swayed her hips”… this what about a librarian that is not mentioned again after this…

It also left a bad taste in my mouth at the mentioning in the end about building a wall at the boarder of Mexico and the “facts” in the end about Mexican drug smuggling.
No thank you for me.

I didn't love this one but I also didn't hate this one. However I'm not sure how I feel about this one.

Definitely a 4.5-4.75 ⭐️

Absolutely loved this book! The writing was amazing. I felt like I was watching a true crime docuseries!!!

Thank you NetGalley for the eARC. I had just watched a documentary on this and some of the questions that came up were the same questions I had asked myself. This was a very good read and did give a different view on some things. I recommend it

I would give this negative stars if I could. If it wasn't a NetGalley book for me, I would have DNF/abandoned it during the dedication: "This book is dedicated to all of the brave men and women who work tirelessly to protect and secure our country. Specifically, agents of the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement who deserve the respect of every American for what they do and the risks they take..." (vomit). You can tell this author is a MAGA supporter and even though she's a woman, she writes the female characters in a very mysoginistic and chauvinistic manner.

My family comes from this region of Ohio, so I am very familiar with the customs and culture. She literally uses the names Hatfields and McCoys. You can't be more unoriginal than that.

Terrible. Do Not Recommend.

Where the Crawfish Swim by Andrea Smith
I really enjoyed this book. It was very easy to get into and it moved along quickly.
Dalton is an D.E.A agent who finds himself uncover in a small podunk town in Ohio bordering the Appalachian mountains. Most of the townsfolk are in poverty or at least look like it. The D.E.A is aware something is going on there but not sure who or what. Daltons job is to infiltrate into the community and search it out. It doesn’t take long after landing a job at the McCoy Ranch. While there, he befriends Harlan Hatfield, whose family lives not far away. Though the McCoys and the Hatfields get along, it is also common knowledge that they really don’t. Both families seem to have money and a lot of it that don’t quite fit with the jobs they have. Then the whole Hatfield family is murdered execusion style. The law seems to think the Mexican cartel is to blame but Dalton has other ideas.
All in all, a good story. Well written and fast paced.

This book was just ok to me! I really enjoyed the beginning where we follow Dalton's journey as an undercover agent trying to piece together what is going on in Briar County, Ohio. I enjoyed that it was based on a true crime as well. I was intrigued by Dalton's character but I felt the other characters were lacking detail. I also wish there was more of a lead up to figuring out the truth about what really happened. I disagree with others that it was predictable and thought that it jumped from "no clue who did it" to "I know exactly who did it" too quickly!

Dalton Edwards is tasked with blending in with the locals in Briar County, easier said than done. This based on true events fiction reads, was excellent. I couldn't wait to find out who did what and why. Having grown up in a small town where everybody knows everyone's business (or so they think), this was a fascinating read. It's hard to believe that the events that this story is based on took place in 2016.

There were more areas that I would have liked more information and detail about it, but overall I really enjoyed this read!

I didn't know much about this case but It's a sad crime.

The book itself was amazing both the fiction and the non fiction. A definite recommend

Thanks BooksGoSocial and Netgalley

All thoughts and opinions are my own and aren't influenced by anyone else

Following an undercover agent in a small town in America, Where the Crawfish Swim is an amazing blend of true crime and fictionalisation that is very respectful to the actual events. It is a must-read for anyone who enjoys true crime and crime fiction.

Thank you NetGalley and BooksGoSocial for sending me this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Exciting book to read & really held my interest.
Although thus was fictional,it was loosely based on a very similar massacre of a family in Ohio.
The characters in this story were very interesting & easy to accept.
Thank you Net galley for offering me the opportunity to enjoy this book & get to read a book by a talented author "Andrea Smith."

A DEA agent is sent to Ohio on an undercover assignment. He is able to blend in and become a part of this small “clannish” town and solves a drug smuggling case & mass murder. I loved that this was inspired by true events! The very first chapter grabs your attention. It was easy to follow with enough mystery/suspense to keep you guessing. Not easily predictable which I enjoyed.

I also loved that the author included the research and drug related facts that were used while writing the book. Also included were facts and links directing you to the actual investigation. Overall good fiction with a true crime feel

The story grabbed me from the beginning. An undercover agent has embedded himself in small town America, looking for cartel connections to a suspected drug ring. I loved that it was loosely based on a true story and could definitely see how this telling could happen. I liked the main character and would for sure pick up another book continuing his story.

Thanks to NetGalley for the early review copy

Unfortunately this title was simply not for me. I see what the author was trying to do with the fictionalisation of the murders, but I also think that this straddles a very difficult line, There is a really hard balance to strike between real life and fiction, particularly when it comes to true crime, and unfortunately I think that this book lacks the passion that it almost requires to have these stories told in a way that makes sense and is respectful.

We can try to imagine situations and conversations, and I appreciate the effort that went into researching this book, but at the same time, I was a little confused by pieces. We find things out like the poppy crop, but then immediately lose that thread to the rest of the story.

The title as well didn't make sense to me. There was no mention of crawfish, nor of their swimming, or anything related to this. It would be better advertised with a reference to the drug cartels and opioid crisis mentioned in the content of the novel.

I was drawn in by the true crime story behind this fascinating and horrific case. Sadly, I wish it had been a true crime book instead of a fictionalization. It feels like it takes something from the entire family to make this into fiction. Regardless, the story turns out to be a sad story more than anything.

This was a decent read. I was intrigued by it being based on a true crime--a mass murder in Ohio. I had never heard of the real story before. It was a bit predictable and I didn't connect with any of the characters.

Being from Ohio and knowing all about the true crime that this story is based off of made this book so intriguing. This story was a great mix of both fiction and true events.