This was one of the two novels my book club picked to read in October.

Travis Wren has been hired to locate a missing children’s book author named Maggie St. James. One of the few clues he has is the name of a reclusive community founded in the 1970s: Pastoral. But when Travis finds the commune, he disappears too. When Travis’s truck is discovered abandoned on the outskirts of Pastoral, three members of the community begin to unravel the mystery. But there is danger in going beyond the borders of Pastoral. They could become infected with the rot and spread it among the community, endangering everyone. Are Theo, Calla, and Bee ready to face the secrets they’ll uncover in their investigation? How much are they willing to risk to find the answers that haunt them?

This book was just okay for me. The ending fell kind of flat and left me feeling indifferent. Unfortunately, this seems to be a theme with the books I've read this year! It's a very atmospheric book, which makes it perfect for autumn, and the plot did keep me intrigued and kept me turning the pages to find out what was going on. However, I didn't find any of the characters particularly relatable or likeable, so if that's a dealbreaker for you, maybe skip this one.