Next Girl Missing
LA Larkin
336 pages
Bookouture
published June 16, 2023
Amazon Next Girl Missing | Her Deadly Truth
Next Girl Missing: A completely addictive and gripping crime thriller with a shocking twist (A Sally Fairburn Crime Thriller Book 1)
The little girl fidgets in her seat, wringing the ends of her scarf in a rush of panic. She tugs at the car door handle but it doesn’t open. Tears well in her eyes. “I want my mommy.”
Four years ago, six young girls were snatched from the streets of quiet, suburban Pioneer Heights—chilling, fake “missing” posters of each victim hung around town just before they were taken. Ex-police officer Sally Fairburn has always been haunted by the case and their inability to bring the girls home. Having lost her own daughter, she knows only too well the pain it brings…
Four years on, the wide brown eyes and neat braids of twelve-year-old Anna Moorhouse—the last girl to disappear—still plague Sally’s dreams. She has never stopped fighting to bring the devastated families back together, but all leads have gone cold. Until Sally receives a chilling call out of the blue: their former main suspect, in prison for another crime, wants to talk to her… alone.
Desperate for answers, Sally races to interview him. But a horrifying discovery stops her in her tracks: a missing poster—on her daily running route, in the same style used four years ago—with Sally’s own face on it…
Not only is Sally in grave danger, but the more threats she receives, the more convinced she becomes that the killer is a lot closer to home than she ever could have imagined… But can Sally finally catch him before any more innocents disappear—and before Sally herself becomes his next victim…?
Fans of Lisa Regan, Greg Olsen and Melinda Leigh will love this gripping new crime thriller series. Prepare to stay up all night!
Her Deadly Truth: An addictive and completely unputdownable crime thriller filled with nail-biting suspense (A Sally Fairburn Crime Thriller Book 2)
She stumbles into the street in a thin cotton nightdress, tripping in her haste to get away from her house. Her feet are bare, her movements frantic. “I have to get out of here,” she pleads. “He’s killing me.”
For weeks, Carolyn Tate’s suspicions that her husband is trying to kill her have been ignored—by her neighbors, her friends and even her family. But just two hours after her last attempt to make someone listen, her body is discovered.
Carolyn’s neighbor, ex-police officer Sally Fairburn, is determined to seek justice for her friend’s death. But although Carolyn suspected her husband, Sally finds no evidence he was involved. And Carolyn’s best friends are strangely quick to defend him…
Sally knows one of Carolyn’s friends, Lauren, is hiding something. She can see it in her tear-stained cheeks, averted eyes and tense shoulders: Fear. But just as Lauren’s finally ready to come clean, she is murdered in a brutal hit and run. Reeling from Lauren’s death, Sally is horrified to receive a series of dropped calls and anonymous flowers, leaving her with the unsettled feeling that she, too, is being followed…
Then, on edge but feeling closer than ever to the truth, Sally watches a stranger threaten her teenage son—a finger drawn across his throat. Her world stops. It’s not just Sally at risk—everyone she loves is in danger unless she finds the truth… Can Sally stop a brutal killer before more innocent lives are lost?
A gripping, addictive crime thriller, perfect for fans of Lisa Regan, Greg Olsen and Melinda Leigh. Be prepared to sleep with the light on…
My Review
What a concept. A killer puts up a “missing” poster before they take a girl. Ex police officer Sally Fairburn sees herself in one of these posters and is convinced a serial killer is back. I was in from the start. I love when a crime novel is personal to those working to solve it. It really ups the stakes. And then up it a little more with a serial killer. Maybe this is in style this year or I’m just picking a lot of books about serial killers to read. Either way, this one kept me on the edge of my seat.
If all that isn’t enough, there is a dual timeline that includes her controlling husband and the suicide of Sally’s daughter. The story is intense and fast paced and sets quite the description of Sally. One of the great things about dropping in on a new series, is we get to know the main character. I’ve just started book 2, Her Deadly Truth, and we continue to watch Sally grow. She is a little beat up over her husband but is also willing to jump head first into a situation to solve the crime. That is until she realizes she is not only endangering herself but her son Paul.
I always say I’d never keep hanging around these people that keep ending up in these situations, but I will willingly keep reading these stories. I really like Sally and am looking forward to seeing her character grow. You can see all the potential. And I like these slight twists on a crime procedural. Instead of a police officer or amateur sleuth, Sally is an ex police officer turned advocate. It gives you a little different perspective as you read.
I really think crime series lovers will like this one and need to join in the start of this new series.
About L.A. Larkin
L.A. Larkin’s crime and psychological thrillers have won her fans all over the world. Described as a superb “chiller thriller” writer by Marie Claire magazine, and praised by the king of crime, Lee Child, for her “fast and immersive” thrillers, Louisa’s novels will keep you reading all night.
Her new Sally Fairburn series kicks off with Next Girl Missing (book 1) and Her Deadly Truth (book 2), available from all online bookstores from June 16, 2023.
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