Three Drowned Girls & One Liar Left
Detective Freya Sinclair Series
Emily Shiner
352 and 360 pages
Bookouture
published April 22, 2024
Three Drowned Girls Amazon | Goodreads
One Liar Left Amazon | Goodreads
Three Drowned Girls:When Freya Sinclair was a little girl, she had no idea what her parents were hiding in the basement of her childhood home…
After five years away from her hometown of Fawn Lake, Detective Freya Sinclair isn’t expecting a warm welcome from the people she’s sworn to protect. She became a detective to bring serial killers like her parents to justice, but the tight-knit North Carolinian community can’t see past her twisted roots.
Minutes after stepping foot back home, the body of a dark-haired young girl is pulled from the river and Freya races to the scene. She’s determined to identify the child and finally prove herself, but before Freya even has a chance to search through missing persons, another girl is reported missing.
Freya’s heart breaks at the sight of little Isa’s blonde ringlets and pristine soccer uniform in the photo her father clutches, but the look on his face says he doesn’t trust Freya. Does he think she’s just like her parents, or does he have a sinister secret of his own?
But when another innocent girl is found drowned, Freya finds a white hair ribbon snagged on a branch, and instantly recognizes it as part of the soccer team uniform at the local school…
Two drowned girls. One daughter still missing. Can Freya save Isa before she becomes the third victim? Or has the killer already set their sights on Freya next?
The first in a new, totally gripping serial-killer thriller series by Amazon bestselling author Emily Shiner. Fans of Melinda Leigh, Mary Stone and Elle Gray won’t be able to put this down!
My Review
I was a little concerned I was getting burned out on crime procedurals, so I was nervous to start this one. But I need not be as I was invested in this one from the start. Freya is introduced in this first in a new series. And while the reader is a little slow to learn about her, we know she is the daughter of serial killer parents. If that isn’t a heck of a stigma to live with. We know she was injured on her last job and there was some sort of incident that brought her back to her hometown even with it being haunted by her parents’ actions. I like this slow burn of information. Freya is interesting enough that I want to know more and like that anticipation.
In addition to being a fan of Freya, I also like the team she has and how their characters are also slowly being established. They are there from the start, but slowly become more fleshed out as we learn little bits of information about them.
This case is a little bit dark as it involves missing children. Well, it starts with the death of one and moves on to missing children that everyone fears may also have been killed. This could be a trigger for some, but I felt it was tactfully done without any gruesome details.
Amelia Sciandra does a good job narrating the audiobook and the various characters. While I wasn’t a huge fan of her male voices, there isn’t a lot of male dialogue. But she did a great job with the story itself and the female voices.
It’s a good start to an intriguing series.
One Liar Left:The one killer Detective Freya Sinclair never caught is back…
High up in the mountains of Clear Creek Forest, where mist clings to the pines, the bodies of Millie Woodward and Jolie Marin are discovered by their fading campfire. Could this be the work of the notorious Fawn Lake Killer? This forest was once his hunting ground. And Freya knows the tattered, red woolen scarf wound tightly around Jolie’s neck is hiding his chilling MO. Her throat has been cut.
The one case Freya has never solved has haunted her for years. She knows the Fawn Lake Killer is organized, that he never leaves any DNA. But why did he stop, and why has he resurfaced now? Before she can even search the forest, Freya makes a heart-breaking discovery in her own backyard: the body of Annaliese Nowland, her long blonde hair fanned out in the tall grass. Annaliese’s tongue is missing. Freya knows it’s a message: he’s silencing these women. And taunting Freya.
Working day and night to make a connection, Freya finally uncovers the missing puzzle piece: a photograph of all three victims in high school together. But there’s a fourth woman in the photo, her face turned slightly away from the camera. Freya must track her down before it is too late.
Freya won’t let the past repeat itself. Did these women die because of her failure, or is she overlooking a vital clue that points to someone close to home? Freya must face her demons if she’s going to stop this predator taking another innocent life. But he’s one step ahead. And he’s coming for her…
An unputdownable mystery thriller perfect for fans of Melinda Leigh, Rachel McLean and Mary Stone. Prepare to sleep with the lights on!
My Review
While I liked book one, I loved book two. It gave me a lot more about Freya and the case centers around her only unsolved case. Is this a coincidence or is the killer back for more? Not only did I learn more about Freya, but there was development amongst her team, both their chemistry and their personal growth. They are all tenacious as they try and solve two murders and possibly prevent more.
Freya works tirelessly, sometimes defying authority, to get justice. I was gripped from the start and appreciated the red herrings and twists. I can’t wait to see where book 3 takes her.
Emily Shiner always dreamed of becoming an author. After spending years devouring stacks of thrillers, she decided to try her hand at writing them herself. Now she gets to live out her dream of writing novels and sharing her stories with people around the world. She lives in the Appalachian Mountains and loves hiking with her husband, daughter, and their two dogs.
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