I really enjoyed this one - psychological thrillers are a bit hit and miss these days, still a bit of the old Gone Girl syndrome going on, chasing that twist that we mostly do see coming - but The Night Of The Crash avoids that by shading all the characters in grey, so the outcome is necessarily unexpected.

You keep turning the pages so you can find out exactly what the truth is...and the story itself is an addictive mystery with several criminal layers. Our main protagonist has a path to the truth but whether she actually wants to follow it is another thing entirely.

I thought this was a terrific read especially if what you are looking for is an escape from a rainy day with a stonking good story.

Steppt is a popular true crime Podcaster who wakes up the the hospital after a terrible car accident, in her home town, with no recollection of how she got home, or the accident and also finds out her mother was murdered the same night and her brother is the prime suspect. This book throws a lot at you and I was ok with it. It advertises itself as having a shocking ending and it doesn't dissapoint! That was one i did not see coming!

This was such a good thriller! It kept me hooked right from the start. The car accident and the memory loss make it hard for our character to remember what was happening and seeing how her brother tied in was great. It had so many twists and turns and not all of them were predictable so hat was great!!

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for this complimentary ARC in exchange for an honest review!!

This book is fab. It's so clever flitting between before and after the night of the crash. It creates a chilling atmosphere. I almost felt like I was in that eerie cabin....very very good!!! Great characters.

This thriller book took me by surprise. I was NOT at all expecting the twists and turns. This is the first book I have read from this author and I am highly interested in reading more. This book was suspenseful, thrilling and super fast paced. I would definitely recommend!

This was intriguing! The main character struggles to uncover who killed her mom, what her brother's role in it was, and what she already discovered before losing some of her memory. This is a well-paced thriller with aspects that will intrigue those who are into the podcaster investigating their local town/tragedy trope.

Dang! I loved this one. Super fast paced & suspense that did not stop! I was super surprised and impressed by how off/wrong I was when it came to the twists in this fun read.

I read a lot of suspense/mystery/thriller books and this is one that I will be excited to read again in the future and recommend to others!

If you want to be absolutely addicted to a story and have to know what happens- absolutely read this book!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the fun read in exchange for my honest review.

The Night of the Crash is a fast paced thriller that keeps readers guessing with each chapter.

This book follows Steppy, a true crime podcaster, who wakes up in a hospital with no recollection of a car accident and days prior. All she knows is her mother was murdered and her brother is the prime suspect. But why was she in this town to begin with?

This novel kept me on my toes for the entire ride. Every time I thought I had solved a murder, new evidence was presented and I was back to the drawing board. I would recommend this book to readers who enjoy suspenseful thrillers and mysteries.

I *really* enjoyed "The Night of the Crash". It's a fast paced thriller full of lying characters, a missing girl, a podcaster with memory loss, and a shocking ending!

The main character, Steppy, loses her memory in a car accident while visiting her family for Thanksgiving (and potentially investigating the disappearance of a local woman for the second season of her podcast) coinciding with the shocking murder of her mother (with all fingers of that murder pointing to her brother). The story alternates between two perspectives- then and now. Some of the same information is rehashed as Steppy attempts to retrace her steps and figure out what she had discovered about the disappearance of the woman and who could be responsible. I felt like the alternating timeline was very fluidly done and leaves the reader discovering along with the main character.

All of the characters were hiding something at some point and all seem unreliable. I really wasn't able to guess who had actually murdered the missing woman until the end and then there's another shocking twist right at the very end that I totally didn't see coming. Definitely a book that kept me guessing and glued to the page!

This book had a great plot with intriguing characters. I’ll definitely be looking out for more from this author.

A show stopper!

Perfect for those who enjoy:
- Missing people fiction
- Historical cases
- Satisfying endings
- Edge of your seat thrillers

This book certainly didn’t disappoint and certainly won’t be the last book by Jessica Irena Smith I read!

With thanks to Headline and Netgalley for an ARC copy in return for an honest review.

*The Night of the Crash* is a fast-paced thriller that kept me turning the pages, thanks to its intriguing premise and pervasive tension. Steppy Corner, the protagonist and voice behind a hit true-crime podcast, finds herself entangled in a web of secrets after waking up in a hospital with no memory of the car accident that nearly took her life. As she uncovers the events leading to her mother’s murder and her brother’s implication in both the crime and the disappearance of a local girl, the story plunges into dark and twisty territory. I most definitely read through the entire book with a sense of urgency, wanting to find out what was going to happen/what has happened. I enjoyed the alternating Then and Now chapters. The author is definitely excellent at writing suspense.

That said, while the plot was engaging, I struggled with Steppy’s character development, particularly her relationships with others. Despite describing her best friend as nearly like a sister, Steppy barely shows any emotional reaction to the fact that this same friend betrays her. Instead of expressing the anger or betrayal you'd expect from someone in her situation, Steppy seems strangely passive, even calling her ex-best friend repeatedly like a needy co-dependent. Her reactions felt inconsistent and unrealistic, leaving me frustrated with how little emotional depth was given to what should have been a central conflict.

Similarly, her dynamic with her brother raised some serious questions. Steppy knows he is unpredictable and has a dark side, yet she lets him stay with her and never seems to fully confront what he might be capable of. I couldn’t understand her motivation to protect him or give him the benefit of the doubt, especially since there’s nothing in their relationship that convincingly explains this loyalty. It made her seem like she was letting everyone walk all over her, but the portrayal of this characteristic didn’t feel natural; it felt forced.

Another gripe I had was with the resolution of the mystery. I’m not a fan of thrillers where the outcome is too predictable or where the “bad guy” is obvious from early on. While the author keeps you wondering whether your suspicions are correct, the lack of a real twist or surprise in the conclusion was disappointing. There is a second smaller twist toward the end, but it was predictable and didn’t make up for the more straightforward resolution of the main mystery.

Overall *The Night of the Crash* delivers an engaging story with plenty of suspense and tension, but the character development and the handling of the mystery could have been stronger. Despite these issues, it’s still a compelling read for anyone who enjoys the true-crime podcast angle and dark family secrets.

This is about a popular podcaster who discovers a story about a missing girl from her hometown. However, the suspect hits too close to home. Her mission then becomes to learn the truth no matter the cost

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
The night of the crash is a captivating and emotional thriller that grabs you from the first page and holds you in suspense until the very last. This is a must-read for fans of mystery and thrillers.

The story centers around Steppy, a true crime podcaster, who wakes up in a hospital with no memory of the accident that brought her there – or why she’s in her estranged family’s town in the first place. The only thing she knows is that her mother has been brutally murdered, and the prime suspect is her brother.

What I loved about this book, is the dual timeline, both told from Steppy’s perspective but one from before the accident and one after. Smith masterfully weaves together the then and now POV which heightens the sense of mystery and suspense. As Steppy tries to piece together what happened, readers are right there with her, unraveling clues and navigating her fractured memory. The way it is written keeps you hooked, making it nearly impossible to put the book down.

Jessica Irena Smith is amazing in creating unexpected twists, well-developed characters and an unforeseen ending. Highly recommend this book for anyone who loves a good, gripping mystery.

4 stars

IT CAN ALL CHANGE IN THE BLINK OF AN EYE.

Steppy Corner, voice of hit true crime podcast series All the Dark Corners, wakes in hospital with no memory of what brought her to Heartsick - the small Colorado town where her estranged family live - no memory of why she was racing up the mountainside to her parents' house late at night . . . or why she didn't make that bend.

I ate this book up! If I didn't have to adult this one have been read in one day maybe two.

This book is told by Steppys POV both before the accident that caused her to lose her memory and after. I have read a few thriller/crime books and didn't not manage to guess any of the plot. The ending though... wow didn't even cross my mind.

Thank you to Netgalley and Publisher for this ARC.

#TheNightoftheCrash #NetGalley

This was a twisty novel with some good red herrings and surprises. I liked the main character - Steppy Corner, a true crime podcaster - though at times I found the alternating "then" and "now" narrations/timelines a bit confusing/hard to follow. Special shout-out to Bruce the cat.

Thank you to Headline and NetGalley for the advance reader's digital copy. #TheNightoftheCrash #NetGalley

This book was gripping. It was difficult to put down at times but it left me thinking about it when I was unable to read it. I find that I sometimes hate going through now and then chapters in books but this style of writing worked really well and helped to keep me wanting to read more. The ending was a great finish to the book.

This was a really good book that I could not put down. The ending was definetly not what I expected. I will be looking for more books from this author!

Thank you NetGalley for my ARC copy.

I did enjoy this book. The main character was likeable and relatable and the supporting characters helped the plot along.

I also enjoyed the different timelines and trying to piece together what had happened, just like the main character.

My disappointment came about 3/4 of the way through as I expected a big twist, that unfortunately never came. I had already guessed the “big” revelation. Nonetheless, was a good book and good storytelling

This book kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time. I did not want to put it down. I loved the true crime podcast aspect of it and all the many twists and turns this book takes. I will be buying a hard copy to add to my collection so I can read again and again. Thank you NetGalley for providing this ARC. I will be recommending to all my friends looking for a new thriller to read.