The Season of Sinking by Daphne Woolsoncroft @daphne.woolsoncroft @nvansistine @hachetteaudio @hachetteaudio.bsky.social @grandcentralpub @grandcentralpub.bsky.social #TheSeasonOfSinking

the setup…
Imogen Bly is returning to Blair, Washington, the place where she and her fraternal twin sister Amelia grew up. Both left for Seattle after high school but Imogen was the one who rarely returned. Now they’re both back to pack up their mother Alice’s house on Lake Blair. She inexplicably died two weeks ago and Imogen dreads not only the grief she’ll have to face but the anxiety that drove her away. It’s not long after their arrival, Imogen can’t shake the feeling that she’s being watched and strange things begin to happen in the house. Run!

the heart of the story…
There’s a strong sense of atmosphere created from the start, picturesque and beautiful, but also something else. Imogen should have trusted her instincts because things got creepy right away and it wasn’t her imagination. I couldn’t shake the feeling and neither could she. But I knew something she didn’t…Imogen was being stalked. And, the nightmares she’s had since her childhood had to be meaningful.

the narration…
Natalie Van Sistine was wonderful at voicing Imogen’s anxiety, in contrast to Amelia’s more sensible attitude. She certainly brought the tension in her storytelling, too.

the bottom line…
I did a read/listen combination, which helped a lot in going back to check stuff. It’s a seriously creepy story high on atmosphere and suspicions of the other occupants in that cul-de-sac. While I got a lot right, I had no idea how it was being pulled off and that kept me riveted. The climatic ending was superb. I loved the debut novel and now Woolsoncroft is two for two with me.

Book Info

• Release Date: July 7, 2026
• Narrator: Natalie Van Sistine
• Audio Length: 9 hours, 41 minutes
• Publisher: Hachette Audio

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(Thanks to Grand Central Publishing for my complimentary hardcover. All opinions are my own.)