Audiobook Review: Tell Me Something Good by Court Stevens

I finished the audiobook of Tell Me Something Good by Court Stevens, and I couldn’t shake it. Court takes us to two towns on opposite sides of the Ohio River, divided not just by water but by money, power, and secrets that have been buried for decades. More than twenty years ago, nine women were murdered in what became known as the Choir Girls case. The locals convinced themselves it was someone else’s tragedy, until a new death forces the past back into the light. At the center is Anna Ryder, who takes a job at the exclusive Lodges hunting resort to pay for her mother’s cancer treatment, only to discover her own life is tangled far deeper in that history than she ever imagined. That’s where it gets interesting…Check out my thoughts below!

Many thanks to Libro.fm for the ALC, which has in no way impacted my review.

Tell Me Something Good

by Court Stevens
Published by: Harper Muse
on June 3, 2025
Genres: Adult, Mystery, Thriller
Bookshop, Amazon
Goodreads

This is a story of the rich and the very poor. This is a story of an illegal auction with dire consequences. This is a story of murders past and present. This is a story of intertwined relationships and the silent ripples they leave behind, where love becomes a guiding force, revealing the lengths one will go to protect those they cherish.

Over twenty years ago, a young hunting guide in rural Kentucky was driving his boat in the early morning mist when his peaceful cruise was cut short by a scene so disturbing, he packed up and moved away. Nine women died early that morning, but it was linked to a similar crime in Texas, so the locals quickly wrote it off as having nothing to do with them.

Now, all these years later, when everyone has nearly forgotten about that grisly part of their past, one man's accidental death will bring everything back up to the surface. The locals who knew better can no longer claim it had nothing to do with them, and one woman, desperate to do whatever it takes to save her mother's life, will learn that nearly everyone in her life has been lying to her.

In Court Stevens's adult debut, she delves deep into the heart of a community, where some will learn that we don't always live to see the ripples we make, but we must make them all the same.

Review

What I loved most is how Court writes people. Nobody here is purely good or evil; they’re complicated, shaped by love, loss, and the lies they’ve told to protect themselves or others. Anna’s messy, unresolved history with her ex-fiancé Jack had me hooked, and her reunion with Foster, a childhood friend she didn’t even remember surviving the massacre alongside, is one of the most moving parts of the book. These relationships, along with the novel’s exploration of how violence ripples through generations, gave the story real emotional weight beyond the mystery.

The audiobook is fantastic. Narrators Marin Ireland, Charlie Thurston, and Annalee Scott capture the tension and atmosphere perfectly, from the clipped urgency of the investigation to the ache in the quiet moments, and the distinct voices of a large cast without ever feeling like they’re doing “character voices.” The pacing is tight but never rushed, letting the twists land without losing the heart of the story.

This is a murder mystery, yes, but it’s also about survival, love, loyalty, and the choices we make knowing they’ll leave ripples long after we’re gone. It’s about how secrets can bind a community together as much as they tear it apart. By the end, I felt like I’d been living in Bent Tree and Luxor for days, and I wasn’t ready to leave. If you want an audiobook that will pull you in, keep you up too late, and stay with you long after it’s over, this is one I’d put at the top of your list.