Girl Without A Prayer

Tara Strong #5

by Rylie Dark

When wealthy home owners are found dead in their mountain vacation retreats, Deputy Sheriff Tara Strong senses this is more than just the work of an envious local. Something more sinister is at play—but not even Tara can anticipate the shocking twist awaiting her.


GIRL WITHOUT A PRAYER is book #5 in a new series by #1 bestselling and critically acclaimed mystery and suspense author Rylie Dark, whose books have received over 2,000 five-star reviews and ratings.

Tara Strong has risen to become her county’s Deputy Sheriff through her bravery and her brilliant capacity to enter a killer’s minds. Small-town life in the mountains, centered around their picturesque lake, should be idyllic. But Tara has already seen enough to know that there is a dark side to everything, that small towns hide secrets, that everyone has something in their past—and that a killer may just be lurking right next door.

Tara remains haunted by her own past, by her missing sister, by her guilt over the unsolved case. She must battle the demons of her own past, while trying to get ahead in a male-dominated police force.

Can Tara keep it together long enough to catch a killer?

A cat-and-mouse thriller with harrowing twists and turns and filled with heart-pounding suspense, the TARA STRONG mystery series offers a fresh twist on the genre as it introduces two brilliant protagonists who will make you fall in love and keep you turning pages late into the night.

Genres: Audiobook

194 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 7, 2023

About the author

Rylie Dark is author of the SADIE PRICE FBI SUSPENSE THRILLER series, comprising six books (and counting); of the CARLY SEE FBI SUSPENSE THRILLER series, comprising six books (and counting); of the MIA NORTH FBI SUSPENSE THRILLER series, comprising six books (and counting); of the MORGAN STARK FBI SUSPENSE THRILLER series, comprising five books (and counting); of the HAILEY ROCK FBI SUSPENSE THRILLER series, comprising five books (and counting),of the TARA STRONG MYSTERY series, comprising five books (and counting); and of the ALEX QUINN SUSPENSE THRILLER series, comprising five books (and counting).

Rylie loves to hear from you, so please feel free to visit www.ryliedark.com to receive free ebooks, hear the latest news, and stay in touch.

BOOKS BY RYLIE DARK

ALEX QUINN SUSPENSE THRILLER

FIRST, MURDER (Book #1)

SECOND, DEATH (Book #2)

THIRD, ENVY (Book #3)

FOURTH, LUST (Book #4)

FIFTH, WRATH (Book #5)

HAILEY ROCK FBI SUSPENSE THRILLER

BEHIND YOU (Book #1)

BESIDE YOU (Book #2)

AFTER YOU (Book #3)

WATCHING YOU (Book #4)

JUDGING YOU (Book #5)

TARA STRONG MYSTERY

GIRL WITHOUT A CHANCE (Book #1)

GIRL WITHOUT A HOME (Book #2)

GIRL WITHOUT A TRACE (Book #3)

GIRL WITHOUT A NAME (Book #4)

GIRL WITHOUT A PRAYER (Book #5)

SADIE PRICE FBI SUSPENSE THRILLER

ONLY MURDER (Book #1)

ONLY RAGE (Book #2)

ONLY HIS (Book #3)

ONLY ONCE (Book #4)

ONLY SPITE (Book #5)

ONLY MADNESS (Book #6)

MIA NORTH FBI SUSPENSE THRILLER

SEE HER RUN (Book #1)

SEE HER HIDE (Book #2)

SEE HER SCREAM (Book #3)

SEE HER VANISH (Book #4)

SEE HER GONE (Book #5)

SEE HER DEAD (Book #6)

CARLY SEE FBI SUSPENSE THRILLER

NO WAY OUT (Book #1)

NO WAY BACK (Book #2)

NO WAY HOME (Book #3)

NO WAY LEFT (Book #4)

NO WAY UP (Book #5)

NO WAY TO DIE (Book #6)

MORGAN STARK FBI SUSPENSE THRILLER

TOO LATE (Book #1)

TOO CLOSE (Book #2)

TOO FAR GONE (Book #3)

TOO LOST (Book #4)

TOO BROKEN (Book #5)

Reviews

[Stephanie Coniff · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book 5 of 6 - Detective Tara Strong novel. Each of these have been very enjoyable, but I honestly thought the narrator for this one was not as good. There was a different narrator for books 1-4 and this one for book 5 was very monotone so I couldn't envision the characters as well.

[Rebecca Lewis · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the fifth book in the Tara Strong FBI Suspense Thriller series, and it sticks to the formula Rylie Dark has established- a fast-moving, small-town murder mystery with a damaged but determined female lead. This time, the plot revolves around a string of murders in mountain vacation homes — rich victims, hidden motives, a case that spirals deeper than it first appears. Tara Strong remains a compelling character. She’s carrying unresolved trauma — her sister’s disappearance — and that personal darkness gives some weight to her investigation. I’d argue it’s that inner tension, more than the procedural beats, that keeps the story from feeling paint-by-numbers.The series’ recurring problem persists- it leans on genre tropes a little and the pacing sometimes sacrifices depth for speed. The reception has been middling to positive — about a 4.0 average on here, though we’re talking under 100 ratings. That tells you something- this isn’t a breakout thriller everyone’s buzzing about, but it has its niche audience. Reviews praise the twists and the easy readability; critiques (which are harder to find in volume) suggest it doesn’t stray far from the expected path. Clocking in at around 250 pages, it’s the kind of book you’d tear through on a weekend. If you’re already invested in the series, it delivers what you’re after. If you’re new to it or looking for something that pushes the genre boundaries, I’m skeptical this will be the book to change your mind.

[Wanda · Rating 2 out of 5]

Can’t even rate it a three. Totally irritating to listen to.

[Lydia Mason]

I didn’t listen to this one very well, but I like the other books in the series!!

[Susan Mabry · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enjoyed following Tara Strong solve the murders in her small town along with her sister. Moving on to book 6!

Rylie doesn’t disappoint!

[Lyn Quilty · Rating 3 out of 5]

Clever plot, kept me reading despite the spelling and grammatical errors. Brief book, a good escapist read to take a break from more serious reading.

[Laura Poppenwimer · Rating 4 out of 5]

This series is winding up and still very interesting. While the plots are pretty straight forward the pages fly by and easy to read in one sitting. Hard to put down until the ending.

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Need more Tara strong