Review: The Other Girl by Erica Spindler

Title:The Other Girl

Author:Erica Spindler

Published:August 2017, St. Martin’s Press

Format:ARC E-copy, 256 pages

Source:Netgalley via Publisher

From the New York Times bestselling author of Justice for Sara and The First Wife comes a chilling new thriller about a ritualistic murder of a college
professor that sends a small town cop back into the trauma she thought
she’d put behind her.

 

A horrific crime. One witness—a fifteen year old girl from the
wrong side of the tracks, one known for lying and her own brushes with
the law.

Is it any surprise no one believed her?

 

Officer Miranda Rader of the Harmony, Louisiana PD is known for
her honesty, integrity, and steady hand in a crisis—but that wasn’t
always so. Miranda comes from the town of Jasper, a place about the size
of a good spit on a hot day, and her side of the tracks was the wrong
one. She’s worked hard to earn the respect of her coworkers and the
community.

When Miranda and her partner are called to investigate
the murder of one of the town’s most beloved college professors, they’re
unprepared for the brutality of the scene. This murder is unlike any
they’ve ever investigated, and just when Miranda thinks she’s seen the
worst of it, she finds a piece of evidence that chills her to the core: a
faded newspaper clipping about that terrible night fifteen years ago.
The night she’d buried, along with her past and the girl she’d been back
then. Until now that grave had stayed sealed…except for those times, in
the deepest part of the night, when the nightmares came: of a crime no
one believed happened and the screams of the girl they believed didn’t
exist.

Then another man turns up dead, this one a retired cop. Not
just any cop—the one who took her statement that night. Two murders,
two very different men, two killings that on the surface had nothing in
common—except Miranda.

My thoughts:It’s been a long time since I’ve read an Erica Spindler book, so of course I jumped at the opportunity to read and review her latest book…and I am so glad I did! Now I remember why I used to pick up her books and really need to get back to reading her again soon!!!

This book is so engaging – right from the start I was pulled in and ended up reading this book in two sittings. I found the characters to be very-well developed, especially Miranda. I was intrigued by her and wanted to know all about her, especially her relationship with her partner Jake. I have to admit, I was a little suspicious at times about that. I couldn’t put my finger on why, but there were times that I did question certain things.

Miranda has a past. She has managed to turn it around and become a cop – a really good cop, but that past haunts her! And now, someone is using that past to taunt her. Two deaths occur and the only thing that links them is her.

While I was able to guess the identity of who was behind the killings about half-way through, I was still completely hooked. I wanted to know why this person was targeting Miranda and I definitely wanted to see how it would all play out. And boy oh boy was it good! This book takes you on quite a roller-coaster of a ride and is gripping throughout. Between the flashbacks and the present-day story – it totally consumes you. It’s an addicting read for sure!

I really enjoyed this quick read and know that I will be picking up more of Erica Spindler’s books. I think I have a few of her older books on my shelves somewhere that I plan on digging out. Have you read any of her books?