The Shearings

The Shearings by F. Iwan is a masterclass in atmospheric storytelling. From the very first page, I was pulled into a world that felt both eerily unfamiliar and deeply intriguing. Iwan’s prose is deliberate and richly detailed, painting vivid images of place, memory, and unraveling identity.What makes The Shearings so captivating is its quiet tension—an ever-present undercurrent of unease that never relies on spectacle, but instead on the power of subtlety and suggestion. Iwan crafts a main character who feels fully lived-in, flawed, and achingly human. Their emotional depth, combined with the slow, delicate unraveling of their story, creates a psychological landscape as vivid as the physical one they inhabit.This is not a book to rush through. It demands reflection. There’s a richness to its layered narrative, and each chapter raises new questions about family, loss, and the fragile threads that bind us to reality.By the end, I found myself haunted in the best possible way. The Shearings is not just a novel—it’s an experience.

The Shearings is a slow-burn thriller that’s as beautifully written as it is unsettling. F. Iwan’s language is poetic and every scene is so vividly described, it feels like you’re walking through a dream that slowly turns into a nightmare. The story keeps you guessing with quiet tension and unexpected turns. If you love mysteries that are both haunting and gorgeously crafted, this one’s a must-read.

I LOVED IT!!Shearings is a strong and emotionally powerful crime thriller that offers more than just mystery—it explores grief, roots, and redemption. While some legal aspects stretch plausibility and certain passages lag, the core story remains gripping until the last page. Charlotte’s journey is the novel’s heartbeat, and readers who enjoy a rich internal narrative will find it very rewarding.Fans of books like John Grisham’s legal suspense or Gillian Flynn’s atmospheric psychological thrillers will likely enjoy this novel. If you're after a deeply human crime story—this debut by Federico Iwan is worth the read.

"The Shearings" by Federico Iwan is a psychological crime thriller, not a fast-paced one, but equally gripping, and the slow buildup is going to be worth it at the end. In the story we follow Charlotte, an attorney in Washington, DC. Charlotte is haunted by her traumatic past, the unsolved kidnapping and death of her sister on a night of their outing. But this is the same incident that helps her to be the best in her work. While working on one present case, she finds some clues for the unresolved case. But it takes her down to another rabbit hole. The first thing that hooked me to the story is the very first prologue, where we go back in time to see what actually happened that night with Charlotte and her sister; it was horrifying and intriguing at the same time. The second thing that totally grips me into the story is the way the author starts to tell the beautiful backdrop of the Blue Ridge Mountains and the introduction to Charlotte's family and to her character. These are so thoroughly done that it would feel like you are watching a movie unfold. And not just her character; the characters of her family members and her childhood lover are also intricately done. Not to mention the actual plot, which is filled with history, secrets, betrayals, and twists that no one can predict. With the side plot of romance and family bonds, the book is going to be one of the best reads. I enjoyed the book from the beginning till the end; my only problem is the slow pace. Last but not least, the title of the story is so well done, you have to accept the geniuses behind the name.

A federal prosecutor who’s spent her whole life trying to outrun a crime, her sisters death, that wrecked her childhood. And just when she thinks it’s finally behind her — boom, a new case pulls it all right back up.💛Charlotte’s sharp, fearless, and won’t back down for anything. But what really got me is how personal this story gets. Yes, there’s law and justice, but underneath it’s all about memories, trauma, betrayal, and how these wounds can impact us!✨The author does such a great job weaving in old family secrets, small-town drama, and a mystery that’s been buried for decades.