The Other Girl: A Novel

I received a copy of this book courtesy of NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This was a Five Star book. I enjoyed the song female characters. You're rooting for the underdog and hoping for justice throughout the book. This book held my interest from start to finish. Lots of twists and turns throughout the book. I thought I had it figured out from the begging but I was only right about part of it. The ending is a perfect fit. My only complaint is the self-talk of the main character, Miranda. She continually reminded herself to “let it go” through out the book. It was unnecessary but did not detract from my enjoyment. I highly recommend this book. If you like Gone Girl or Lies She Told you will like this book.

Fourteen years ago Police Officer Miranda Rader was a 15-year-old girl with an attitude. She was known as a liar, shoplifter, all around hellion. One night she makes some really bad choices and finds herself tied wrists and ankles in the woods somewhere. Close by is another girl, also tied. The man who took them is no where to be seen. Feisty Miranda chewed the tape around her wrists, but as she was trying to help the other girl, the man returns. Miranda runs vowing to the girl that she would be back with help. But that was before she found that no one believed her. And when the police searched, the girl had disappeared. She wound up 6 months in juvie jail because she had some weed on her. Her own mother and brothers would not believe her or help her in any way. That is when Miranda made some life altering changes. She is now known for her honesty and integrity. She turns her life around becoming the person she is and wants to be. But when she's called to investigate the murder of a prominent college professor, her past comes roaring back with a vengeance. She discovers that the murdered man is the man who abducted her all those years ago. And someone has planted evidence that points to Miranda as the killer. Then another man turns up dead... the cop that took her statement all those years ago. There are no ties between the men ... only Miranda is the common ground. Once more, she's having to make people believe her .... and if she must, she will go it alone to prove she's innocent of these horrific killings. I've been a big fan of this author for several years. I have always found her books to be well written, with memorable characters, usually lots of suspense and/or mystery. There is always twists and turns that sometimes leave the reader turning pages at a ridiulous pace. This book is no different. The chapters flow seamlessly back and forth from today to Miranda's memories of the trauma she suffered when she was a young teenager. There are plenty of suspects....it's no easy task picking out the one who-dun-it. There's lot of action, especially as she crosses the lines to find evidence. Her partner, Jason, seems to believe her in the beginning, but then he slowly turns away .. leaving her totally alone. Her boss, who has been her mentor, father figure for so long, is not the man Miranda always thought he was. This is a very engaging book, highly recommend for Spindler fans ... or for those who have never read her suspense stories. It's a fast easy read. Many thanks to the author / St. Martin's Press / Netgalley for the advance digital copy of THE OTHER GIRL. Opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.

I received an ARC for an honest review. Erica Spindler has done it again and has delivered another amazing book. The Other Girl was a great book, I could not put it down and was so sad when it ended. I loved Erica Spinder's characters, from the main characters Miranda and Jake to the supporting characters Robby, her mother, Summer, Chief Buddy Cadwell and the Starks. The were so believable. The story is about Detective Miranda Rader, a girl who grew up on the wrong side of the tracks in Harmony, Louisiana. The books bounces between events that happened to Miranda (Randi) fourteen years ago and the current day. Considered "trash" by the local police, no one believed Randi's story of her alleged kidnapping when it happened fourteen years ago. Randi was found with an ounce of marijuana is her pocket and spent six months in a juvenile detention center. Fast forward to current day, Randi Raher has changed her name and image to Miranda Rader, Harmony police detective. Miranda is called into investigate the horrific murder of a local university professor, Richard Stark, in his home. Richard, happened to be the university president's only son. Somehow Miranda's fingerprints are discovered at the gruesome murder scene, and she lies to give a reason why her fingerprints would have been at the scene. Miranda's partner, Jake Billings, covers for Miranda's lie, because he is in love with her. Jake announces his feelings for Miranda, and they begin a relationship. The more Miranda and Jake investigate his murder, the more they discover that Richard Stark was not a very nice man. As they are searching his home, Miranda discovers a yellowed newspaper clipping about her arrest fourteen years ago. That gets Miranda thinking that perhaps, Richard Stark was her abductor. She never got a good look at him., he had an Alabama ball cap on his head. Miranda has always wondered what happened to the other girl in the front seat. As the investigation continues, Chief Cadwell removes Miranda from the case and eventually he suspends her from the police force. Miranda drowns her sorrows at the local bar, the Toasted Cat talking to her friend the owner/bartender Summer about that night fourteen years ago and getting removed from the investigation. Even though she was removed from the case and the force, Miranda keeps investigating both the murder and her abduction and how they might be connected. The book kept me wanting more and kept me guessing who murdered Richard Stark. In the end, everyone is held accountable for the injustices that they allowed to happen all those years ago and enabling Richard to continue those actions. The book has a bittersweet ending, but it left me hopeful that this would not be the last adventure between Miranda and Jake. Hoping that Erica will continue the series between Miranda and Jake. I loved the book. One of my favorite books that I have read recently.