Title: The Burning Girls
Author(s): Rita Herron
Series: Detective Ellie Reeves #3
Also in this series: Widow Lake
Published by Bookouture on June 10, 2021
Pages: 441
Genre(s): Suspense, Thriller
Source: Netgalley
Format: eArc
Purchase: Amazon|Audible
Rating:
Series Rating:
The girl was beautiful, even in death. Her skin was translucent beneath the sliver of moonlight peeking through the bare branches of the surrounding pines, and her chestnut hair had tumbled around her pale shoulders. Around her, smoke twisted in the air, curling into the inky sky.
The remote town of Crooked Creek has barely recovered from its most recent tragedy when wildfires tear through the mountains. Detective Ellie Reeves is grappling with her own heartbreak––she has just discovered she was adopted and that her childhood was a lie.
Under the scorching summer sun, Ellie is called to a river where a body has been found. She spots a lone woman’s shoe caught in a nearby tangle of vines, and a pearl necklace scattered by the water’s edge. The remains are surrounded by a circle of stones, which Ellie is certain means something. Was the victim––whoever she was––caught in the fire or is something more sinister at play?
The Fourth of July usually means festivals and fireworks, but when another body turns up the town is left in tatters. A young girl with dark hair lies dead, surrounded by stones, smoke drifting in the air. Thanks to an engraved silver necklace, Ellie identifies the body as eighteen-year-old Katie Lee Curtis, and the diary she finds hidden under the teenager’s mattress could get her close to the killer.
With two victims in less than twenty-four hours, it’s clear Ellie’s up against a serial killer, and she vows that no more innocent girls will be sacrificed. For her, every day is a battle to come to terms with her past, but when this case becomes personal, will she win?
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.
The Burning Girls by Rita Herron is the third book in the Detective Ellie Reeves series. It can be read as a standalone, but I am sure you will want to pick up the previous books. Read on to learn why I highly recommend this book.
I had a great time with this book. Rita Herron is a relatively new author to me, this being the second book of hers that I have read. After experiencing her work for the second time I have added her to my list of must read authors.
The Burning Girls proved a difficult book to put down. Once I started reading, I found myself sucked into the world of Detective Ellie Reeves. Ellie is reeling from news she received in relation to her childhood. As she tried coming to grips with the lie her parents told her, she found herself plunged into the world of a crazed killer whose modus operandi involves killing his victims and burning their bodies beyond recognition. It appeared he chose his victims randomly, but as the story progressed, the connection between them became clear. As the bodies started piling up, Ellie found herself in a race against time (Tick, Tock, Tick, Tock) to stop the killer before he claimed another victim.
Several things took place in the story and I wondered at each page turn how each of the events were. As I made my way through the story, the dots slowly connected. The case was quite complex, placing Ellie in a precarious position. The deeper she dug, she discovered she may have a connection to the victims.
I enjoyed getting to know the characters. Although there were at least three I didn’t particularly care for. I admired Ellie’s dedication and the way she approached the investigation. The characters were so well fleshed out that by the end of the story my heart cried for the killer. He too was a victim. I won’t say how. You would have to discover it for yourself. This book showed how sinister the human mind can be.
The story was well crafted with its well paced twists, secrets and nail biting moments. I spent the majority of the story attempting to figure out the killer’s identity. Never once did I get it right. There was a hint of a romantic entanglement. This got little page time, but from what I have read so far it seems rather complicated. She will have choices to make.
Conclusion/Recommendation
Overall, a thrilling read and one I recommend to fans of suspense, mystery and thrillers.
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The Burning Girls by Rita Herron delivered a heart pounding story that will leave you breathless as you join detective Reeves in her race against time to stop a crazed killer. @bookouture #newrelease #suspense #thriller #netgalley Click To Tweet
About Rita Herron
USA Today Bestselling and award-winning author Rita Herron fell in love with books at the ripe age of eight when she read her first Trixie Belden mystery. Although she wanted to be a writer then and actually scrawled her first novel at age twelve, she didn’t think real people grew up to be writers, so she became a kindergarten teacher instead. Ten years ago, she traded her classroom storytelling and puppets for a computer and now writes so she doesn’t have to get a real job. Having sold over fifty books to date, she enjoys spinning spine-tingling romantic suspense tales filled with murder, mayhem, and spicy romance as well as sexy romantic comedies. Rita Herron currently writes romantic suspense for Harlequin Intrigue and she’s writing dark, gritty romantic suspense thrillers for Amazon Montlake.
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Reading this book contributed to these challenges:
Ahhhh, I love the sound of this one! Can this be read standalone?
Yes it can, Vanessa
I think I remember wanting to read this series after you reviewed the first book you read. It sounds thrilling and just the sort of mysteries I like.
Sophia, this is right up your alley.
This sounds like my kind of read. Glad you enjoyed it. Great review.
Stacey, I do believe you would enjoy this one.
I really need to pick up this series! Great review!
Thanks Angela. I an sure you would enjoy it.
I have this one on my cloud and have been itching to get to it. Glad to see you liked it.
I hope you enjoy it.
I don’t think I’ve read her Nadene but this sounds right up my alley. Great review! Thanks
Debbie, I am sure you would enjoy The Burning Girls.
everything about the book appeals to me too
I know you will enjoy it. Thanks for stopping by.
That cover is striking. It really sounds good too.
Yes, the cover was what got my attention and then when I read the synopsis I knew I had to request it. I was lucky to be approved.
I’d love to listen to this series on audio. Great review!
Kim, this would be perfect on audio.
I’m not much for thrillers but like the slower-paced mystery/detective ones. Sounds like you enjoyed The Burning Girls quite a bit 🙂 Great review!
Yes, I did enjoy. I love mysteries be it fast or slow paced. As long it keeps my interest and have me guessing I am good.
I love thriller/mysteries and I like that there’s a hint of romance. I’ll have to check this author out. Fab review, Nadene!
Thanks Rachel. This would make a great addition to your reading list.
I enjoy thrillers so thanks for putting The Burning Girls on my radar.
You are welcome. So glad I could introduce you a new book.
This book sounds good. I enjoyed her writing and I’ve got to make time for the series.
I do believe you would enjoy this series.