The Girl from Silent Lake: A totally gripping and heart-pounding crime thriller (Detective Kay Sharp, #1)

by Leslie Wolfe

Her daughter, with emerald eyes and the sweetest smile, is everything to her. Her whole world. “Mommy,” the little girl says, touching her mother’s face with trembling fingers before she’s torn away. “Don’t cry.” Will she ever see her again?

When single mother Alison Nolan sets off with her six-year-old daughter, Hazel, she can’t wait to spend precious time with her girl. A vacation in Silent Lake, where snow-topped mountains are surrounded by the colors of fall, is just what they need. But hours later, Alison and Hazel vanish into thin air.

Detective Kay Sharp rushes to the scene. The only evidence that they were ever there is an abandoned rental car with a suitcase in the back, gummy bears in the open glove compartment and a teddy bear on the floor.

Kay’s mind spins. A week before, the body of another woman from out of town was found wrapped in a blanket, her hair braided and tied with feathers. Instinct tells her that the cases are connected––and it won’t be long until more innocent lives are lost.

As Kay leads a frenzied search, time is against her, but she vows that Alison and little Hazel will be found alive. She works around the clock, even though the small town is up in arms, saying she’s asking too many questions. Then she uncovers a vital clue – a photograph of the blanket that the first victim was buried in.

Just when Kay thinks she’s found the missing piece, she realises she’s being watched. Is she getting too close, or is her own past catching up with her?

With a little girl’s life on the line, Kay will stop at nothing. But will it be enough to get inside the mind of the most twisted killer she has ever encountered, or will another blameless child be taken?

A totally gripping and utterly pulse-pounding crime thriller series for readers who love Lisa Regan, Robert Dugoni and Kendra Elliot. This twist-packed page-turner gives “unputdownable” a whole new meaning!

• ISBN10: 183888985X
• ISBN13: 9781838889852
• Publish Date: 19 February 2021
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: GB
• Imprint: Bookouture
• Format: Paperback (US Trade)
• Pages: 356
• Language: English

Reviews

[Emma (SCR)]

This review was originally posted on Star Crossed Reviews Thank you to Bookouture for my copy of this book via Netgalley and for letting me take part in this tour.

Kay Sharp is moving back home and has A LOT of ghosts in her home town. She left for university and never looked back. While her family understood now, she has to return home. There was a lot of mystery around why Kay had to return and what happened to her when she was younger. Leslie did an excellent job of hooking me into the story with this mystery.

I really liked Elliot, Kay's "partner". He’s funny, hardworking and an all-round good cop. He's a little self-deprecating. He does need to believe in himself a bit more. I think he has some good character development ahead of him.

The case was disturbing. The Unsub is very mentally disturbed and the way he can act so normal in public is terrifying. There were enough hints to guess who the killer was for me. While I do like to be surprised there is also some satisfaction in being right. There were some real complex elements for Kay and Elliot to uncover. There was a lot that just didn't make sense. I liked the flashbacks and the different POVs. It really helped to get an all-round insight into the characters.

The story was very fast-paced and never really let up. I sped through the story in less than 24 hours! Leslie had me hooked from the beginning and I needed to find those women and children just as much as Kay and the team.

I loved the chapter headings, little things like that are always a bit different which I like. I hope this continues for the rest of the series. I'm excited to read the next book which comes out in April!

[annieb123]

Originally posted on my blog: Nonstop Reader.

The Girl from Silent Lake is the first book in a new thriller/mystery series by Leslie Wolfe. Due out 19th Feb 2021, it's 373 pages and will be available in paperback, audio, and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately. For Kindle Unlimited subscribers, this book is currently included in the KU subscription library to borrow and read for free.

The author is adept at her craft. The book is well written technically, all the parts work the way they're supposed to. The action and plotting are engaging, and the majority of the dialogue is smoothly written and not clunky. Nevertheless I had a hard time reading this book. I just don't enjoy reading "kidnapper serial killer" thrillers and that is what this one is, top to bottom.

The language and content are explicit and difficult to read in some places. I found it a gruelling and depressing read. For fans of the subgenre (serial killer kidnap mysteries with flawed protagonists with a hidden tragic past) this will be a four star read.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.