“IT STARTS WITH A BODY-a young woman found dead in an Iowa cornfield, on one of the few family farms still managing to compete with the giants of Big Agriculture.

For Sergeant Riley Fisher, newly promoted to head of investigations at the Black Hawk County Sheriff’s Office, an already horrific crime takes on a personal edge when she discovers the victim is an old friend, from a dark past she thought she’d left behind.

Rumour travels fast in small towns, while sweltering heat and state-wide elections only add to the pressure-cooker atmosphere. When another body is found, Riley is in danger of being engulfed by the fear and the frenzy. Something deeply disturbing is out there – and it reaches far beyond Black Hawk County.

Beautifully written and masterfully crafted, The Fields is a stunning crime debut.”

Hello and welcome to damppebbles. Today I am delighted to share my review of The Fields by Erin Young. The Fields was published by Hodder & Stoughton on 12th January 2023 and is available in hardcover, paperback, audio and digital formats.

When newly promoted Head of Investigations of the Black Hawk County Sheriff’s Office, Sergeant Riley Fisher, is called to a grisly murder scene, she’s shocked to discover she knows the victim. Chloe Miller and Riley used to be best friends at school. Until everything changed. Knowing that revealing her connection to the victim will have her removed from the case, Riley decides to down play her history with Chloe. When a second brutalised body is discovered, Riley knows that the small, Midwest town she grew up in has a sadistic killer on their hands. And it’s down to Riley to find them…

The Fields is a beautifully written, slow build police procedural featuring an intriguing lead protagonist in Sergeant Riley Fisher. I thoroughly enjoyed the small town, midwest setting with its claustrophobic feel where everyone knows your business whether you like it or not. I thought setting the book amongst a farming community where corn is life was a great choice and something I don’t remember seeing before in a crime fiction novel. When the mangled body of Chloe Miller is found in a field owned by a family-run farming cooperative, suspicion immediately falls on Chloe’s husband, James, who does very little to convince investigators of his innocence. But when the discovery of a second body is made, the investigating team need to cast their net wider. Particularly as Governor Bill Hamilton, petitioning for re-election, personally requests James is left in peace. This is a complex murder mystery with many intricate threads running throughout its pages but it’s all done so well and wrapped up skilfully.

Would I recommend this book? I would, yes. The Fields is a well-written, compelling police procedural with a twist. I enjoyed the author’s storytelling, I thought the characterisation was excellent and the setting was highly atmospheric and drawn in such a way to make it incredibly vivid. Riley Fisher is a character I am looking forward to seeing more of. I believe the second book in the series is being published in the UK in February so that’s something to look forward to. Riley’s own traumatic past plays a pivotal role in this novel showing the extreme emotional pressures she is under to solve this case. Not helped by her immature adult brother who seems to get himself in serious trouble more often than not. Riley really has an awful lot on her plate and I’m keen to see how the events of this book mould and shape the character further. All in all, I thoroughly enjoyed The Fields with its intriguing slow build storyline, multiple interwoven threads and different backdrop. Recommended.

The Fields by Erin Young was published in the UK by Hodder & Stoughton on 12th January 2023 and is available in hardcover, paperback, audio and digital formats (please note, the following links are affiliate links which means I receive a small percentage of the purchase price at no extra cost to you): | amazon.co.uk | Waterstones | Foyles | bookshop.org | Goodreads | damppebbles bookshop.org shop | damppebbles amazon.co.uk shop | damppebbles amazon.com shop |

THE FIELDS was Erin’s debut crime thriller, featuring Sergeant Riley Fisher of Black Hawk County, in the first of a planned series.

THE FIELDS has been published in North America and Canada, the UK, Australia and New Zealand, Germany, Italy, France, the Netherlands and Taiwan.

On publication in 2022, THE FIELDS was a Glamour book of the year, a Times thriller of the month, an Amazon USA pick of the month, and was shortlisted for hardcover of the year at the ITW thriller awards.

Erin was named in Oprah Daily as one of the best emerging female thriller writers of the year. THE FIELDS is in development for TV by the producers of Big Little Lies and City on a Hill.

The sequel, ORIGINAL SINS, will be published in 2024.

Erin lives and writes in Brighton, England. She also writes historical fiction as Robyn Young.