About the Book

After aspiring opera singer Tessa loses her voice in a fire, she needs both a place to heal and a way to keep music in her life. She retreats to her aunt’s apple orchard in rural North Carolina to collect folk ballads. But amid the autumn splendor of this isolated Appalachian community, she uncovers an unnerving connection between a murder case and a long-ago disappearance. Tessa gets a glimpse into an almost-forgotten world, encounters a corrupt, small-town political dynasty, and finds superstition and prejudice at every turn.

She’s also drawn to Zeke, the handsome but enigmatic orchard caretaker, who shows her that mountain justice is neither impartial nor just. But battling a conspiracy of silence, Tessa isn’t sure if she can trust him. Yet somewhere in the mists of the Blue Ridge Mountains, evil lurks, and a killer is determined to keep the past where it belongs—dead and buried.

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In My Opinion

There’s a different way of life in the hollers of Appalachia, and Lisa Carter captures many of the nuances in The Sound of Falling Leaves.

From the music to the mountains to the long-held superstitions, readers are immersed in a different world and guided along a treacherous tale of greed, corruption, and crime. While Tessa and Zeke clash often through the first half of the book, it’s obvious there’s more going on between them than either wants to admit.

The slow build leads to many blind curves, twists, and turns you don’t see coming until they’re right up on you. The book does take the violence further than some might be comfortable with, and there is a lot of darkness and evil (both current and past), but there are hints of hope for Tessa and Zeke.

Disclosure statement:
I receive complimentary books from publishers, publicists, and/or authors, including NetGalley. I am not required to write positive reviews. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.