Well, we all know that towering tbr pile? So The Fields has been on my shelf for ages, but as I had a book spring clean, I thought I would give it a go. And holy moly what a book! Set in the cornfields of Iowa, the novel starts with the finding of a female in the middle of a cornfield in the high heat and humidity of Summer. This book has such epic descriptions of the Iowa countryside and sprawling scenery, Erin Young has totally captured the landscape here, and having been freaked out by Children Of The Corn as a teenager, the sense of dread and tension really helped me to love The Fields. The fantastic plot involves Genetically Modified Crops, Politics, Murder, Cannibalism and betrayal. We meet Sargent Riley Fisher in the sweltering heat of the cornfield with the first horrifically injured body, and we follow her throughout the novel. Riley is from a small Midwest town and has her own secrets from the past that she struggles to keep a lid on when we find out that the murder victim is a childhood friend. I loved Riley’s character and in fact, all the characters are exceptionally well written and they sit well into the novel. It had me thinking of novels like The Dry by Jane Harper, because of their attention to detail with the settings, the weather, the townsfolk and the small Black Hawk County Sheriff’s Office. But that does not take away what a fabulous novel this is. It has a great pace that keeps the reader fully engaged and I was really invested in the plot and st

Well, we all know that towering tbr pile? So The Fields has been on my shelf for ages, but as I had a book spring clean, I thought I would give it a go. And holy moly what a book! Set in the cornfields of Iowa, the novel starts with the finding of a female in the middle of a cornfield in the high heat and humidity of Summer. This book has such epic descriptions of the Iowa countryside and sprawling scenery, Erin Young has totally captured the landscape here, and having been freaked out by Children Of The Corn as a teenager, the sense of dread and tension really helped me to love The Fields. The fantastic plot involves Genetically Modified Crops, Politics, Murder, Cannibalism and betrayal. We meet Sargent Riley Fisher in the sweltering heat of the cornfield with the first horrifically injured body, and we follow her throughout the novel. Riley is from a small Midwest town and has her own secrets from the past that she struggles to keep a lid on when we find out that the murder victim is a childhood friend. I loved Riley’s character and in fact, all the characters are exceptionally well written and they sit well into the novel. It had me thinking of novels like The Dry by Jane Harper, because of their attention to detail with the settings, the weather, the townsfolk and the small Black Hawk County Sheriff’s Office. But that does not take away what a fabulous novel this is. It has a great pace that keeps the reader fully engaged and I was really invested in the plot and storyline. How Big Agricultural Companies are always looking at ways to produce more crops and get more money, the greed that comes with that and how that may take people down an illegal path. Brilliant just brilliant is my take home from The Fields, very well written and so atmospheric and tense. I loved Riley Fisher and hope I don’t have to wait too long before I get to read about her and her family in the future. Superbly written and gripping another 5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ read from me.

The Fields is one of those books that grabs hold of you early and does not let go until its dramatic end. Riley Fisher is the newly promoted Head Investigator of the Black Hawk County Sheriff department and she has just been called to attend a murder of an old friend in a remote cornfield. This doesn’t sit well with Riley as the woman has links to her dark past. When a second body is found, panic starts to spread and pressure is heaped on Fisher so she must find the killer and quickly. She soon realises there is something a lot more nefarious out there that she could ever dreamed of. It’s a race against time to rescue her town and herself as well. This is a brilliant debut crime novel from a master of historical fiction. The atmosphere is gripping and intense throughout, with an immersive plot seeped in darkness which I found utterly compelling. Riley Fisher is a star in the making and The Fields is the start of what I hope will be a great series of books to come. Whether it is crime or historical fiction there is no doubt this lady is a fine writer and master storyteller and this book is an absolute triumph. I absolutely loved it.

My thanks to Hodder & Stoughton for an eARC via NetGalley of ‘The Fields’ by Erin Young in exchange for an honest review. This dark crime thriller opens with the discovery of a woman’s body in an Iowa cornfield, on one of the few family farms still managing to compete with the giants of Big Agriculture. Sergeant Riley Fisher has recently been promoted to head of investigations at the Black Hawk County Sheriff's Office. She is shocked to discover that the victim is an old friend, from the dark past that she thought she'd left behind. She manages to convince her superiors that she can remain impartial. Amid the sweltering heat rumours travel quickly throughout the locality. Then another body is found. It becomes clear to Riley that something deeply disturbing is occurring in Black Hawk County and beyond. This was a well written police procedural that also addressed the issues linked to the rise of Big Agriculture and its impact upon the economy and environment. I will warn that some scenes are quite graphic. Overall, I felt that ‘The Fields’ was an assured debut for Erin Young as well as a promising start to this new series of police procedurals.

The Fields by Erin Young is the first in the Riley Fisher series. It was an interesting storyline about wheat growing in America and how genetic engineering can alter the size and speed of growth. Full of intrigue and murder and many twists and turns. I would read the next in the series to see what happens next to Riley Fisher. Highly recommended