The Guilty Girl by Patricia Gibney #bookreview #audiobook #seriesreview

Thank you Bookouture Audio for the ALC and Bookouture & Netgalley, #partner,  for the advanced copy of The Guilty Girl in exchange for my honest review. 

Publisher: Bookouture

Published: June 15, 2022

 

Summary:

Something whistling through the door behind her caused her to turn. A shadow spread across the opening. She clasped a hand to her mouth, stilling the fear that was rising. The menacing shadow was followed by a face that sent a cold shiver down her spine….

When the call comes in about Lucy, a 17-year-old girl murdered after the secret party she held in her parents’ home, Detective Lottie Parker is first on the scene. As she picks her way through the smashed glasses and the blood spatter on the perfect cream carpet, she is horrified to see Lucy’s angelic face, silvery-blue eyes forever closed.

As Lottie breaks the news to Lucy’s heartbroken parents and the devastated partygoers, she discovers that hours before her death Lucy had revealed a terrible secret about her friend Hannah. And when Lottie finds Lucy’s bloodstained clothing hidden in Hannah’s bedroom, she has no option but to bring the shy, frightened girl into custody.

But Hannah claims to have no memory of the night Lucy died and Lottie begins to question her guilt. Then a 15-year-old boy who also attended the party is pulled from the canal. And as Lottie investigates, she discovers something shocking. Her own son Sean was at the party. Why did he lie to her? Is her beloved child a witness or a suspect…or is he now in the killer’s sights?

If you love Karin Slaughter, Robert Dugoni, and Rachel Caine, you’ll be hooked by this heart-stopping thriller from Patricia Gibney. The Guilty Girl will have you gripped.

 

My thoughts:

This is the 11th book in Patricia Gibney’s Detective Lottie Parker series and this series is so incredibly good! Yes, it’s dark and not for everyone, but I do love my crime fiction and this detective series continues to be one of my favorites! And, I just found out that there will be at least a few more coming out, which makes me so happy!

Once again, we have a fresh and original story here with this latest installment. I’ve found that this has been the case with each and every book so far and as someone who read a lot of series and sometimes gets series fatigue, I have yet to feel that with this series. I get excited to read each new book, knowing I will not be getting the same old story, and more importantly I will be getting additional character development which has been the shining point in this series.

The case the Detective Lottie Parker and her team are called to work on is so much more than what it first appears to be. Her own son, Sean, is mixed up in the case and the case is far reaching, far beyond their little town of Ragmullin. I loved that it really kept me on my toes, and that as usual, we get some sections narrated by an unknown character that just adds to the tension and suspense of the overall story. This book is dark, yet I loved how some things are handled with sensitivity and care. That is just a testament to the writing of this author and why I love her books!

I think what really makes this series a success, in addition to the fact that it is non-stop action, is that the characters are so relatable. Lottie in particular is someone that many can see something of themselves in – she is a working mom, trying to make the best of what was a difficult situation. She now finds herself as part of the sandwich generation – she is taking care of her mom who isn’t doing that well in this installment and she has her teenage children to deal with, who often keep her on her toes trying to keep up with all that they get up to. She is very dedicated to her job and often is willing to do whatever it takes to solve a case, often to the detriment of herself or others. In this installment, we see her a few times go up against her superior because she is determined that she is so close to solving the case.

I cannot recommend this series enough. If you haven’t read any, start with this one and I promise you you will end up loving it and wanting to go back to the beginning. They are addicting, fast-paced reads that are just so good! I am already counting the days until the next one comes out!

 

Audio thoughts:

This is the first time I’ve listened to one of these books and I think given the chance, I will continue to do so moving forward. The story translated so well onto audio and the narrator, Michele Moran, did such a great job with the voices and pacing. I was glued to my headphones and even though this is on the long side – just under 15 hours, I managed to finished it in just 2 days – I could not put it down!!!

 

Books in this series:  

 

1. The Missing Ones
2. The Stolen Girls
3. The Lost Child
4. No Safe Place
5. Tell Nobody
6. Final Betrayal
7. Broken Souls
8. Buried Angels
9. Silent Voices
10. Little Bones
11. The Guilty Girl