Book Description:
She didn’t notice the corn stalks shiver a few feet to her right. By the time she looked up, the man towered above her. In a single movement he wrapped one thick hand around her waist, the other he clamped over her mouth, muffling her screams.
Detective Clara Jefferies has spent years running from her childhood in Alber, Utah. But when she hears that her baby sister Delilah has disappeared, she knows that the peaceful community will be shattered, her family vulnerable, and that that she must face up to her past and go home.
Clara returns to find that her mother, Ardeth, has isolated her family by moving to the edge of town, in the shadow of the mountains. Ardeth refuses to talk to the police and won’t let Clara through the front door, believing she and her sister-wives can protect their own. But Clara knows better than anyone that her mother isn’t always capable of protecting her children.
When Clara finds out that two more girls have disappeared, all last seen around the cornfields near her family’s home, she realizes it’s not just Delilah who’s in danger. And then she gets a call that a body has been found…
Clara will have to dig deep into the town’s secrets if she’s going to find Delilah. But that will mean confronting the reason she left. And as she gets closer to Delilah, she might be putting her more at risk…
Gripping and spine-chilling, readers will love Detective Clara Jefferies, reading The Fallen Girls deep into the night. Fans of Kendra Elliot, Lisa Regan and Melinda Leigh won’t stop turning the pages of this unforgettable new series from bestselling and award-winning author Kathryn Casey.
Detective Clara Jefferies has spent years running from her childhood in Alber, Utah. But when she hears that her baby sister Delilah has disappeared, she knows that the peaceful community will be shattered, her family vulnerable, and that that she must face up to her past and go home.
Clara returns to find that her mother, Ardeth, has isolated her family by moving to the edge of town, in the shadow of the mountains. Ardeth refuses to talk to the police and won’t let Clara through the front door, believing she and her sister-wives can protect their own. But Clara knows better than anyone that her mother isn’t always capable of protecting her children.
When Clara finds out that two more girls have disappeared, all last seen around the cornfields near her family’s home, she realizes it’s not just Delilah who’s in danger. And then she gets a call that a body has been found…
Clara will have to dig deep into the town’s secrets if she’s going to find Delilah. But that will mean confronting the reason she left. And as she gets closer to Delilah, she might be putting her more at risk…
Gripping and spine-chilling, readers will love Detective Clara Jefferies, reading The Fallen Girls deep into the night. Fans of Kendra Elliot, Lisa Regan and Melinda Leigh won’t stop turning the pages of this unforgettable new series from bestselling and award-winning author Kathryn Casey.
My Review
Many years ago, Detective Clara Jefferies left her hometown of Alber, Utah for a new life in Dallas, Texas. She left her family and their way of life behind and never looked back. Then, she gets a call from an Alber detective, who happens to be an old friend, telling her that her younger sister Delilah is missing. For the first time in a long time, Clara is going back home to help in the search for Delilah.
Clara’s mother won’t have anything to do with her and refuses to even talk to her. To add to the mystery, her family won’t help the police or even admit that Delilah is missing. They claim she is away and there is nothing to investigate. When Clara learns two more girls are, also, missing and then a dead body is discovered, Clara is not dropping this investigation. Show vows to find her sister and the other girls.
There are so many facets to this story - a polygamous community, kidnapping, mystery, family drama and second chances. It moves along at a fast pace. I was hooked from page one of this book.
It is an intense storyline filled with realistic characters, which kept me at the edge of my seat until the very end. I thought I figured it out early on, but I was wrong. There was so much more to this storyline than I realized. A truly captivating book that would make an exciting movie.
For reading challenges:
Alphabet Soup Reading Challenge 2020
Literary Escapes Reading Challenge 2020 (Utah)
Cloak & Dagger Reading Challenge 2020
FTC Disclosure: I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are my own.
Author Bio
A novelist and award-winning journalist, Kathryn Casey is the author of eleven highly acclaimed true crime books and the creator of the Sarah Armstrong mystery series. Library Journal picked THE KILLING STORM as one of the best mysteries of 2010. Her latest true crime, IN PLAIN SIGHT, investigates the Kaufman County prosecutor murders, a case that made worldwide headlines. Casey has appeared on Oprah, 20/20, the Today Show, Good Morning America, the Biography Channel, Reelz, The Travel Network, Investigation Discovery, and many other venues. Ann Rule called Casey “one of the best in the true crime genre.”
kathryncasey.com
https://www.facebook.com/kathryn.casey.509
@KathrynCasey
Buy Links:
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Apple: https://apple.co/2AgcCic
Kobo: https://bit.ly/3c8HMWa
Google: https://bit.ly/2THaEyb
Not my kind of book, but your review is well done.
ReplyDeleteThis does sound like an intense, well-written book! I'm glad that you enjoyed it, Yvonne.
ReplyDeleteI think I'd enjoy this one. Thanks for sharing your review!
ReplyDeleteThank you for the review. Deep and intense feelings involved when it is family oriented like this one is.
ReplyDelete