HEATHER (2026) - Review

HEATHER 
by Caitlin Mullen
My Rating 4 out of 5 Stars 
Available: June 9, 2026

Recently it turns out that I have been stumbling on some rather unusual books. I picked "Heather" to clear my palate because it was a mystery, police procedural, and set in the New Jersey Pine Barrens. It wasn't until 1965 that the Atlantic City Expressway opened and I remembered the old routes from Philly to the shore through the pine scrubs.

SPOILER?: The title of the book appears several times but you have to reach the very end to learn that pine-barren heather is a low-growing native shrub with bright yellow flowers that thrives in the dry, acidic, and sandy soils of the Pine Barrens.

FIRST SENTENCE: "In the minutes after the baby is born the doctor bends low to your ear."

THE STORY: Newly hired police chief, Callie Hauser, has returned to the Pine Barrens of New Jersey. Her first official arrest brings up unexpected memories of what has become a rather old cold case. In 1999 an infant died and twin sixteen year old sisters, Annabelle and Sabrina disappeared. Callie finds it difficult to get anyone to answer questions but she keeps on as she begins to question what is right, what isn't, and where she fits in the picture.

WHAT I THOUGHT: Caitlin Mullen understands the mystery of the Barrens and makes them an  important part of the story. Her characters belong in this environment. She explores the wilderness, history, and isolated local culture of southern Jersey. Perhaps all the twists and wrong turns are necessary, but the story seemed to fly everywhere. People you thought were good were bad and vice versa. One reviewer wrote that she was so invested in the book that she had to read it in one sitting. Mullen does know how to make the reader turn another page.

BOTTOM LINE: RECOMMENDED and I have now added the non-fiction 1968 classic "The Pine Barrens" to my reading list.

DISCLAIMER: A copy of Heather was provided to me by Celadon Books  / NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.