The Burning Girls: A completely gripping crime thriller packed with heart-pounding twists

by Rita Herron

The girl was beautiful, even in death. Her skin was translucent beneath the sliver of moonlight peeking through the bare branches of the surrounding pines, and her chestnut hair had tumbled around her pale shoulders. Around her, smoke twisted in the air, curling into the inky sky.

The remote town of Crooked Creek has barely recovered from its most recent tragedy when wildfires tear through the mountains. Detective Ellie Reeves is grappling with her own heartbreak––she has just discovered she was adopted and that her childhood was a lie.

Under the scorching summer sun, Ellie is called to a river where a body has been found. She spots a lone woman’s shoe caught in a nearby tangle of vines, and a pearl necklace scattered by the water’s edge. The remains are surrounded by a circle of stones, which Ellie is certain means something. Was the victim––whoever she was––caught in the fire or is something more sinister at play?

The Fourth of July usually means festivals and fireworks, but when another body turns up the town is left in tatters. A young girl with dark hair lies dead, surrounded by stones, smoke drifting in the air. Thanks to an engraved silver necklace, Ellie identifies the body as eighteen-year-old Katie Lee Curtis, and the diary she finds hidden under the teenager’s mattress could get her close to the killer.

With two victims in less than twenty-four hours, it’s clear Ellie’s up against a serial killer, and she vows that no more innocent girls will be sacrificed. For her, every day is a battle to come to terms with her past, but when this case becomes personal, will she win?

• ISBN10: 1838889833
• ISBN13: 9781838889838
• Publish Date: 10 June 2021
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: GB
• Imprint: Bookouture
• Format: Paperback (US Trade)
• Pages: 408
• Language: English

Reviews

[Emma (SCR)]

This review was originally posted on Star Crossed Reviews I received this book for free from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. Thank you to Bookouture for my copy of this book via netgalley and for letting me take part in this tour. This is the third book in this series but all three can be read as standalones.

Detective Ellie Reeves has been through the mill these last few months and life doesn't seem to be improving much for her. Ellie has a very determined streak. She won’t let anyone stop her from doing her job even if it puts her in danger. I think Ellie has incredible strength too, to stay in the town after everything that has happened can’t be easy.

The story flicks between Ellie, the killer and a few other POVs. I love different POVs as it really allows you to understand how the different characters are thinking and feeling. I think it gives a much more rounded story.

This book was fast-paced and had you on the edge of your seat. Who would the next victim be and what was the connection? Rita had me constantly worrying about the characters.

I was gripped from the first page, the chapters are short so it’s very easy to keep reading long past your bedtime. Rita had me so engrossed!

A thrilling read for all crime fans!

[Nadz@Totally Addicted to Reading]

I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.The Burning Girls by Rita Herron is the third book in the Detective Ellie Reeves series. It can be read as a standalone, but I am sure you will want to pick up the previous books. Read on to learn  why I highly recommend this book.

I had a great time with this book. Rita Herron is a relatively new author to me, this being the second book of hers that I have read. After experiencing her work for the second time  I have added her to my list of must read authors.

The Burning Girls proved a difficult book to put down. Once I started reading, I found myself sucked into the world of Detective Ellie Reeves. Ellie is reeling from news she received in relation to her childhood. As she tried coming to grips with the lie her parents told her, she found herself  plunged into the world of a crazed killer whose modus operandi involves killing his victims and burning their bodies beyond recognition. It appeared he chose his victims randomly, but as the story progressed, the connection between them became clear. As the bodies started piling up, Ellie found herself in a race against time (Tick, Tock, Tick, Tock) to stop the killer before he claimed another victim.

Several things took place in the story and I wondered at each page turn how each of the events were. As I made my way through the story, the dots slowly connected. The case was quite complex, placing Ellie in a precarious position. The deeper she dug, she discovered she may have a connection to the victims.

I enjoyed getting to know the characters. Although there were at least three I didn’t particularly care for. I admired Ellie’s dedication and the way she approached the investigation. The characters were so well fleshed out that by the end of the story my heart cried for the killer. He too was a victim. I won’t say how. You would have to discover it for yourself. This book showed how sinister the human mind can be.

The story was well crafted with its well paced twists, secrets and nail biting moments. I spent the majority of the story attempting to figure out the killer’s identity. Never once did I get it right. There was a hint of a romantic entanglement. This got little page time, but from what I have read so far it seems rather complicated. She will have choices to make.  

Conclusion/Recommendation

Overall, a thrilling read and one I recommend to fans of suspense, mystery and thrillers. This review was originally posted on Totally Addicted to Reading