The Quiet Girls: An absolutely addictive mystery thriller

Full of twists and turns, get ready for a ride! This is a story riddled with several seemingly unrelated narratives mostly centered around the idea of escaping a pedophile. How well do you really know those closest to you? What if in trying to escape the danger you only succeed in bringing it that much closer? Eleven-year-old Melanie narrowly survives a close encounter with a pedophile, scaring her depressed father into relocating their entire family off-grid alongside another family with fifteen-year-old twins. The husbands are determined to start their own community, living off the land, whether their wives and children like it or not. Along comes Detective Carrie Flynn, investigating the missing person's reports filed by the schools that both Melanie and the twins previously attended, along with reports from a desperate young woman pleading for help. Throughout Carrie's chapters, we're provided with insight into the moments leading up to and following her little sister Hattie's abduction some twenty-years ago. Her sister was taken right in front of her eyes, but she can't seem to recall the face of the man who took her. As the story progresses Carrie is constantly reminded of the loss of her sister, still craving justice.. and answers. As a mother and wife, I found myself repeatedly irritated with Alice's character for the first 3/4 of the book. Alice is Melanie's mother, wife to Harry. For someone so confident in the courtroom it's a wonder why she was so complaisant in her home life. I do believe, however, that she was perfectly written for the role she plays within The Quiet Girls; likely meant to drive the reader insane! I kept wanting to yell through the pages at her, "Say something! Do something!" Luckily Alice gets it together towards the end of the story, earning herself an "atta girl" from me. Please note, don't accidentally overlook the final pieces of the puzzle! I was quite thankful for the epilogue and the author's note. In the epilogue, we get those last bits of character development that we were left wishing for in the final chapter. Hewitt manages to tie everything together while still leaving room for Detective Carrie Flynn's story to progress in a hopeful book three. As for the author's note, don't skip this part! This is where we learn the origins of the story's setting, giving even more credence to the mystery shrouding Pomona. The Quiet Girls is book two in the Detective Carrie Flynn thriller series. Rating a solid 5/5 stars! I enjoyed the many different storylines, trying to solve the case myself but not quite figuring out the connection until the final moments. You know that if a story can keep you guessing, intrigued enough to stay up well past any decent hour of night just to figure out the twist, then it's well worth the read! I'd recommend this book to anyone looking to get lost in a dark and twisty thriller! Also, to anyone who's already read book one, The Night Crawler, which I fully plan to catch up on as I await book three! Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher Bookouture, and the author J.M. Hewitt for providing me with an advanced reader copy of this title in exchange for an honest review. I just reviewed The Quiet Girls by J.M. Hewitt. #TheQuietGirls #jmhewitt #NetGalley #Bookouture #MistysCornerReviews #Bookstagram

Having loved the first book in this series The Night Caller, I was so excited when it was announced that we would be getting The Quiet Girls in the same year. As soon as it was made available, I devoured it in one sitting! I could not get enough. With an intriguing and interesting plot, mystery, suspense and plenty of twists and turns along the way, this book keeps you on the edge of your seat until the final page! As the wording on the book cover states this is an “Absolutely Addictive Mystery Thriller” J.M. has created a compelling plot to keep you on your toes. Told over two storylines where one is set in the present with the other in the past, you are kept guessing how the two will come together. There is enough in the blurb without me going into further detail, but I do want to mention J.M.’s use of the desert island of Pomona. I found this to be a fascinating place and it’s use also added another layer to the story like no other I have read before. This for me was really intriguing and I enjoyed these aspects of the story very much. Make sure you also read J.M’s authors note where she goes into more detail of Pomona‘s origin which is really interesting. This time around, Carrie plays more of the lead role in this story. I enjoyed getting to know a bit more about her and this time we become privy to the heartbreaking and tragic events from her past that shows her vulnerable side that was not there in the first book. I still feel though that there is more to uncover with her. I also enjoyed Paul’s character and I look forward to him evolving and getting to know him more in future books. The secondary characters in this story have all been written perfectly and carry out their part of the story well. This is only the second book I have read from J.M Hewitt but she has fast become an author where I impatiently wait for their next book. I enjoy her writing style which is fluid, engaging and she excels in getting a readers attention right from the get go. She also knows how to build tension like no other which results in explosive outcomes and jaw dropping moments. I love that in the books I read. Although the second book in the series, The Quiet Girls can be read as a stand-alone, but you would be missing out if you didn’t read The Night Caller first. It is a stunning piece of literature that is still under my skin months after reading it. I can not wait to see what is in store for Carrie with her next case as I wait eagerly for the third instalment. It has been an absolute pleasure to read and review The Quiet Girls which I highly recommend. Thank-you to NetGalley, Bookouture and J.M. Hewitt for allowing me to read an advanced copy of The Quiet Girls which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.

Thoroughly enjoyable book from start to finish. Good ending that I didn't guess halfway through.