WHO’S KILLING THE GIRLS OF WILLOW BAY? When the body of a missing girl washes up on the banks of the Willow River, the killing is linked to two cold case murders, and the investigation must uncover the twisted motive of a serial killer before he kills again.
Still reeling after her sister’s brutal murder, grief-stricken Eden Winthrop has returned to Willow Bay, where she runs the Mercy Harbor Foundation, a safe haven for victims of violence.
When a teenage trafficking victim disappears from a shelter run by her foundation, Eden is drawn into the search for the sadistic killer. The hunt becomes personal when Eden's niece is abducted just as the body of yet another victim is discovered in a local river.
In a desperate effort to save her niece, Eden must partner with the small-town police force that had failed to save her sister. And to catch the killer, she realizes she must trust the one man she vowed to never forgive and summon the strength to face her deepest fears.
The gripping first book in the page-turning Mercy Harbor Thriller Series will keep you up at night.
I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
This post contains affiliate links you can use to purchase the book. If you buy the book using that link, I will receive a small commission from the sale.
This book may be unsuitable for people under 17 years of age due to its use of sexual content, drug and alcohol use, and/or violence.
The River Girls by Melinda Woodhall is the first book in the Mercy Harbor thriller series. It introduces Eden Winthrop who runs a shelter for abused women in honor of her sister Mercy whose life was snuffed out prematurely. Eden blames herself for her failure to protect her sister, so when a troubled teen showed up at the shelter, then disappeared she made it her duty to locate the girl which led to her filing a missing report. Her desire to help the teen intensified when a friend of the same teen turned up dead in the Willow River. Meanwhile, Detective Nessa Ainsley receives a call from an inmate at the local detention centre who was calling to report her daughter missing. Is this the same girl who came to the shelter or is it the one whose body the police found in the river?
I found this to be an interesting read. The story began with a murder in progress. The villain believes he is trying to save his victims, who comprises young girls who find themselves in unfortunate situations. Besides the missing girls, there was sex and drug trafficking and police corruption.
I thought the author did a good job with character development. I love stories that feature strong female leads and The River Girls delivered in that regard. In this story, we get not one but two strong female leads. I enjoyed getting know both women. Eden appeared fragile, but that was a facade as beneath that fragility lay a woman who was not afraid to face danger to protect not only those she loves, but also women whom she believed were in need of protection. Detective was no pushover. As the only female in her unit, she had many male egos to contend with, but she held her own.
The secondary characters who helped in solving the case as the villains helped to stir things up and made for some interesting moments.
I thought the mystery was well done. There were several plot threads, and the author did a great job in tying them together to make for a suspenseful and mysterious ride. This is one of those mysteries, which keeps you guessing, and then things begin to slowly unravel to all the pieces fit together.
Narration
The narration was ok, but it did not blow me away. I was not a big fan of the accent used for detective Ainsley. She sounded too much like Kyra Sedgwick in The Closer, which I found annoying. Her other voices were ok; however there were some instances of mispronunciation. Thankfully, these occurrences were few.
Conclusion/Recommendation
Overall, the mystery satisfied me, and I am glad I got the chance to read it.
Nadene's addiction to reading began at an early age, when a family friend gifted her a copy of Wuthering Heights. From that moment she was never without a book.She will read anything as long the material is compelling enough to hold her attention. She gained many experiences through the pages of the books she had the opportunity to read.She created this blog to share her love of books with like minded individuals hopes that in sharing reviews of the books read visitors to the blog will discover their next addictive read. When not reading, Nadene enjoys cooking, listening to music and watching television.
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This sounds like a really well done mystery. I had listened to a couple of audiobooks where the voice used just sounds wrong but I am glad you were still able to enjoy this one.
Title: The River Girls
This sounds like a really well done mystery. I had listened to a couple of audiobooks where the voice used just sounds wrong but I am glad you were still able to enjoy this one.
An intense read . . . I’m glad it worked well, I do like a good mystery 🙂
I like the look of this, but it seems like it would be better via physical book than audio!
I think this is one I would be better reading instead of listening to. I’m very picky about narration.
Awesome review.
Not my cup of tea, but I do love when plot threads that mix are executed correctly. Thanks for sharing this!
I always hate when the narrator doesn’t work for the book! Thanks for the review!
I adore your reviews – excellent post!
sounds intense Nadene thanks for sharing!
It was intense.
I love strong female leads too, and the mystery in this story sounds intriguing! Great Review Nadene!
Lindy@ A Bookish Escape
I’m always a fan of a good mystery, and that cover is intriguing too. Happy Saturday to you! Hugs, RO
That sounds like a good mystery.
I like the sound of the leading characters and the set up for the series.
Great review!
I enjoyed some books by this author but I haven’t tried this one
Great review, I am really glad you fully enjoyed reading this book. Thank you so much for sharing your awesome post.
I love a book with numerous threads weaved together. Great review.