Goodreads Synopsis:
Now he wants them back.
Four years ago, two teenage girls were abducted.
Four years ago, a ten-year-old boy was murdered.
Both cases remain unsolved.
Desperate to find their missing sisters, Michael and Chloe ask investigative journalist Maggie Turner to help them. And what starts as a simple investigation, soon turns into a frantic race against time.
The kidnapper took the girls to replace his sisters; sisters who died seventeen years earlier.
Forced to face traumatic events from the past, Maggie finds herself in the middle of a nightmare that can only get worse…
Tense, fast-paced, and gritty, The Lost Girls is the first novel in the Maggie Turner series. It’s the perfect read for fans of authors like Angela Marsons, Carol Wyer and Helen Fields.
My review
This is the first book I’ve read from Helen Pryke and I am impressed. A confident, engaging psychological thriller that kept me turning the pages wanting to discover what happens next.
The strengths of the story lie in its excellent characters: particularly Maggie the investigative journalist who seeks to discover who abducted the two young girls.
What surprised me most in The Lost Girls was an unexpected feeling of sympathy for the deranged person who abducted these two young girls. As the story progresses I became more aware that this thriller should be praised for its handling of mental health issues. It’s superb in that respect. The ending was fantastic, and makes me keen to read more. This is the first in this series.
This novel is for you if you enjoy psychological thrillers with a dark edge to them. Please be aware that there are distressing themes in this novel: abduction, sexual assault of a minor, and scenes of violence. These are written in such a way as not to prolong, or be too graphic. So, considerable praise to the author for handling these difficult passages in such a sensitive way.
A difficult one to rate, I’ve been mulling over the rating for a few days.
Overall, an excellent psychological thriller: 4.5 stars, highly recommended.
Looking forward to reading more from Helen Pryke.
I am really enjoying reading thrillers at the moment!
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This is a compelling review, Marje. I am a new reader to this genre and have great admiration for those who write in it well. I like your comment about the reader having sympathy for the abductor!
Thank you Claire. I read a lot of murder mystery/thrillers when I was younger. Seems like my interest in this genre has been rekindled by books I’ve read recently.
A great review, Marje. This sounds like a very good read in a popular genre. Toni x
Thanks Toni, yes would recommend reading. Enjoying thrillers at the moment. 🙂