What do you think?
Rate this book
Jane Ryland #2
The Wrong Girl
Award-winning and Boston Globe bestselling author Hank Phillippi Ryan presents a spine-chilling, heart-wrenching suspense novel that explores a terrifying scenario striking at the heart of every family.
Does a respected adoption agency have a frightening secret? Tipped off by a determined ex-colleague on a desperate quest to find her birth mother, Boston newspaper reporter Jane Ryland begins to suspect that the agency is engaging in the ultimate betrayal--reuniting birth parents with the wrong children.
For detective Jake Brogan and his partner, a young woman's brutal murder seems a sadly predictable case of domestic violence, one that results in two toddlers being shuttled into the foster care system. Then Jake finds an empty cradle at the murder scene. Where is the baby who should have been sleeping there?
Jane and Jake are soon on a trail full of twists and turns that takes them deep into the heart of a foster care system in crisis and threatens to blow the lid off an adoption agency scandal. When the threatening phone calls start, Jane knows she is on the right track…but with both a killer at large and an infant missing, time is running out….
The Wrong Girl is a riveting novel of familial relationships--both known and unknown--vile greed, senseless murder, and the ultimate in deception. What if you didn't know the truth about your own family?
The Wrong Girl is the winner of the 2013 Agatha Award for best contemporary novel.
Does a respected adoption agency have a frightening secret? Tipped off by a determined ex-colleague on a desperate quest to find her birth mother, Boston newspaper reporter Jane Ryland begins to suspect that the agency is engaging in the ultimate betrayal--reuniting birth parents with the wrong children.
For detective Jake Brogan and his partner, a young woman's brutal murder seems a sadly predictable case of domestic violence, one that results in two toddlers being shuttled into the foster care system. Then Jake finds an empty cradle at the murder scene. Where is the baby who should have been sleeping there?
Jane and Jake are soon on a trail full of twists and turns that takes them deep into the heart of a foster care system in crisis and threatens to blow the lid off an adoption agency scandal. When the threatening phone calls start, Jane knows she is on the right track…but with both a killer at large and an infant missing, time is running out….
The Wrong Girl is a riveting novel of familial relationships--both known and unknown--vile greed, senseless murder, and the ultimate in deception. What if you didn't know the truth about your own family?
The Wrong Girl is the winner of the 2013 Agatha Award for best contemporary novel.
368 pages, Hardcover
First published September 10, 2013
158 people are currently reading
2848 people want to read
About the author
Hank Phillippi Ryan
47 books2,892 followersHank Phillippi Ryan is the USA Today bestselling author of sixteen award winning novels of suspense. National reviews have called her a "master at crafting suspenseful mysteries" and "a superb and gifted storyteller." SHe is also an investigative reporter for WHDH-TV, winning 37 Emmys for her true crime stories.
Her newest is ALL THIS COULD BE YOURS--an INSTANT USA TODAY bestseller.
Is a debut author’s blockbuster bestseller about to ruin her life? A glamorous book tour becomes a deadly cat-and-mouse chase in this new and captivating thriller!
(Freida McFadden says: "Engrossing! With a main character that I loved, and a twist the left me reeling!" And Jeneva Rose says: I absolutely loved it! This is Hank Phillippi Ryan at her best!”)
Don't miss ONE WRONG WORD, now in paperback. BA Paris says: "A gripping rollercoaster of a read!"
Her 2021 thriller THE HOUSE GUEST (Gaslight meets Thelma & Louise) now in a second printing!
Hank is also an award-winning investigative reporter at Boston's WHDH-TV. In addition to 37 EMMYs and 14 Edward R. Murrow awards, Hank's won dozens of other honors
for her ground-breaking journalism.
She is co-host and co-founder of The Back Room, co-host of First Chapter Fun, and host of CRIME TIME on A Mighty Blaze.
Her previous thriller, HER PERFECT LIFE, received starred reviews from Kirkus and Publishers Weekly, calling it "Stellar."
Her earlier psychological thrillers include,THE FIRST TO LIE (with several starred reviews) an Agatha Award and Mary HIggins CLark award nomination) and THE MURDER LIST, which won the Anthony Award for Best Novel of the year, and was ]an Agatha, Macavity and Mary Higgins Clark Award nominee, a number one legal thriller on Amazon, and a USA Today Bestseller.
Her first psychological standalone, TRUST ME (now in paperback) , is an Agatha Award nominee, and was named BEST of 2018 by the New York Post, Real Simple Magazine, BookBub, Crime Reads, and PopSugar. Mary Kubica says: "Dazzling!" and Lisa Gardner says "Mesmerizing!"
The Booklist *starred review says "...it's a knockout. First-rate psychological suspense."
Her thriller SAY NO MORE, is a Library Journal BEST OF 2016. And this just in: it's a nominee for the AGATHA AWARD and the MARY HIGGINS CLARK AWARD! And now, breaking news, it is also a DAPHNE AWARD nominee! Associated Press calls it "stellar" and Publishers Weekly calls it "thrilling" "unflinching" and "gratifying."
Her 2015 book, WHAT YOU SEE, is a Library Journal BEST of 2015, an ANTHONY and AGATHA Award nominee, and a Top Pick!, dubbed "exceptional suspense." It received a starred review from Library Journal which says: "Readers will find themselves racing to the finish!"
Her 2014 book, TRUTH BE TOLD, won the AGATHA Award for best mystery, and is a Library Journal Best of 2014. It received starred reviews from Booklist and Library Journal, which says, "Drop everything and binge read!"
THE WRONG GIRL won the Agatha Award and the Daphne Award, and is a seven-week Boston Globe bestseller and Anthony Award nominee.
THE OTHER WOMAN won the coveted Mary Higgins Clark Award, and was listed as a Best Book of 2012 by the Kansas City Star, the Sacramento Bee, Suspense Magazine, and The Boston Globe, won the prestigious Mary Higgins Clark Award, and was the only novel nominated for the Agatha, Anthony, Macavity, Shamus and Daphne awards for Best Novel of 2012.
Her first four mysteries, beginning with the Agatha Award-winning PRIME TIME, feature Charlotte McNally, a Boston television reporter. FACE TIME was a BookSense Notable Book, and AIR TIME and DRIVE TIME were both Anthony and Agatha Award nominees for best novel of 2009 and 2010. They are now available in all new editions.
Her journalism work work has resulted in new laws, people sent to prison, homes removed from foreclosure, and millions of dollars in refunds and restitution for victims and consumers. She's been a radio reporter, a legislati
Her newest is ALL THIS COULD BE YOURS--an INSTANT USA TODAY bestseller.
Is a debut author’s blockbuster bestseller about to ruin her life? A glamorous book tour becomes a deadly cat-and-mouse chase in this new and captivating thriller!
(Freida McFadden says: "Engrossing! With a main character that I loved, and a twist the left me reeling!" And Jeneva Rose says: I absolutely loved it! This is Hank Phillippi Ryan at her best!”)
Don't miss ONE WRONG WORD, now in paperback. BA Paris says: "A gripping rollercoaster of a read!"
Her 2021 thriller THE HOUSE GUEST (Gaslight meets Thelma & Louise) now in a second printing!
Hank is also an award-winning investigative reporter at Boston's WHDH-TV. In addition to 37 EMMYs and 14 Edward R. Murrow awards, Hank's won dozens of other honors
for her ground-breaking journalism.
She is co-host and co-founder of The Back Room, co-host of First Chapter Fun, and host of CRIME TIME on A Mighty Blaze.
Her previous thriller, HER PERFECT LIFE, received starred reviews from Kirkus and Publishers Weekly, calling it "Stellar."
Her earlier psychological thrillers include,THE FIRST TO LIE (with several starred reviews) an Agatha Award and Mary HIggins CLark award nomination) and THE MURDER LIST, which won the Anthony Award for Best Novel of the year, and was ]an Agatha, Macavity and Mary Higgins Clark Award nominee, a number one legal thriller on Amazon, and a USA Today Bestseller.
Her first psychological standalone, TRUST ME (now in paperback) , is an Agatha Award nominee, and was named BEST of 2018 by the New York Post, Real Simple Magazine, BookBub, Crime Reads, and PopSugar. Mary Kubica says: "Dazzling!" and Lisa Gardner says "Mesmerizing!"
The Booklist *starred review says "...it's a knockout. First-rate psychological suspense."
Her thriller SAY NO MORE, is a Library Journal BEST OF 2016. And this just in: it's a nominee for the AGATHA AWARD and the MARY HIGGINS CLARK AWARD! And now, breaking news, it is also a DAPHNE AWARD nominee! Associated Press calls it "stellar" and Publishers Weekly calls it "thrilling" "unflinching" and "gratifying."
Her 2015 book, WHAT YOU SEE, is a Library Journal BEST of 2015, an ANTHONY and AGATHA Award nominee, and a Top Pick!, dubbed "exceptional suspense." It received a starred review from Library Journal which says: "Readers will find themselves racing to the finish!"
Her 2014 book, TRUTH BE TOLD, won the AGATHA Award for best mystery, and is a Library Journal Best of 2014. It received starred reviews from Booklist and Library Journal, which says, "Drop everything and binge read!"
THE WRONG GIRL won the Agatha Award and the Daphne Award, and is a seven-week Boston Globe bestseller and Anthony Award nominee.
THE OTHER WOMAN won the coveted Mary Higgins Clark Award, and was listed as a Best Book of 2012 by the Kansas City Star, the Sacramento Bee, Suspense Magazine, and The Boston Globe, won the prestigious Mary Higgins Clark Award, and was the only novel nominated for the Agatha, Anthony, Macavity, Shamus and Daphne awards for Best Novel of 2012.
Her first four mysteries, beginning with the Agatha Award-winning PRIME TIME, feature Charlotte McNally, a Boston television reporter. FACE TIME was a BookSense Notable Book, and AIR TIME and DRIVE TIME were both Anthony and Agatha Award nominees for best novel of 2009 and 2010. They are now available in all new editions.
Her journalism work work has resulted in new laws, people sent to prison, homes removed from foreclosure, and millions of dollars in refunds and restitution for victims and consumers. She's been a radio reporter, a legislati
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 325 reviews
Read
September 8, 2016The Hook The Wrong Girl came to my attention on Cindy Wolfe Boynton’s excellent podcast Literary New England.
How many of you as a child threw this jab in anger at your mom “You’re not my real mother” or “When my real mother comes to get me” when you didn’t get your way? How many of you felt so different from your siblings that you were certain you must have been adopted? I think many of us have been there but in truth know that our parents are those who gave birth to us. But what if you were adopted in a time when adoptions were kept secret, when your record and those of you birth parents would have been sealed? When you were old enough and chose to seek answers to your parentage it might take years of research and perhaps you’d never be reunited.
The topic of adoption has always interested me. It truly hit home when my pregnant daughter made the courageous decision to place her child with two beautiful people in an open adoption. My husband and I worried. I believe the maternal grandparents worried also. Our worry was really fear, the fear of a concept we did not quite understand. It has proved a blessing for all. Everyone knows, there is no wondering. This is truly comforting. This child is now sixteen. I still remember the day she went home with her adoptive mother who reassured us that many would love this baby and that there was enough love to go around. I admire my daughter for making this decision, obviously not an easy one but one she did unselfishly knowing that it was the right choice for this child.
The Line ”Listen Jane. I don’t think she’s my real mother.”
The Sinker – Consider the first line I quote above. What a perfect opening to this Jane Ryland novel. Doesn’t it just grab you and make you want to continue reading? Jane’s friend Tuck was united with her birth mother. Finally. But something doesn’t fit and now Tuck suspects this is not the woman who gave birth to her afterall. Imagine?
The Wrong Girl examines the issues of closed adoption while delivering a satisfying mystery. It explores the questions arising if someone in foster care circumvents the system doing a good thing that is illegal how do you balance the resulting conflicts. The Wrong Girl should have been a book I could whole-heartedly endorse.
I read my first Jane Ryland mystery after attending an author event where Hank Phillippi Ryan spoke. She was poised, articulate, smartly attired, and genuinely engaged her audience. I have listened to many interviews in which she has been interviewed, talking about her career as an investigative journalist, her craft of writing, and the many books she has written. I have seen her on TV. She is an award-winning reporter having 33 Emmys under her belt in addition to 14 Edward R. Murrow awards. As an author she has won many prestigious honors, from Anthony’s to Agatha's and more. She is sought out as a spokeswoman in both the fields of journalism and as an author. She is a past president of Sisters in Crime and has served on the boards of many mystery organizations. She promotes her colleagues, is often a judge in mystery awards and teaches writing classes. Hank Phillippi Ryan walks the talk.
In an audio interview Ryan talks about commitment to her readers. As a reviewer I also have an obligation to respect the work of an author even if their book did not quite work for me. The Wrong Girl is the third Jane Ryan book I’ve read. I was tempted to call this “the third strike, you’re out”. On further contemplation I realized it’s not so much the stories that leave me wanting but the character of Jane Ryland herself. Frankly I’m just the wrong girl for this series. Ryan by my calculation is two years younger than me while her protagonist, Jane, is thirty-three. I realize I’m an older soul than Ryan. Ryan is not Jane but both Jane and Ryan are reporters. Jane does not ring quite true. She has many years of experience in her field beginning as a TV reporter. She exhibits both integrity and professionalism in her job evidenced by being fired when she won’t to reveal a source. This shows her determination and devotion to the code of her career. What really strikes me as out of character is Jane’s frequent use of frigging, freaking. Though I’ve never heard her use the “F” word, the slang version seems juvenile on the one hand while working in a professional capacity. Uneven.
I have pretty much decided I am done with this series. Possibly my loss as Hank Phillippi Ryan chooses interesting topics to write about and she is a master at grabbing you with her well-thought out first lines, making each word count to intrigue your curiosity. I hope you’ll take a few minutes to listen to the podcast that brought me to The Wrong Girl.
As readers we are often curious as to where authors get their inspiration for their books. In another interview Ryan states that she chooses topics that people care about. She describes The Other Woman as The Good Wife meets Law and Order inspired by the headline scandal involving former Governor Mark Sanford of South Carolina who claimed he was hiking the Appalachian Trail when really he was engaging in a tryst with his mistress. You can’t make this stuff up but you can certainly weave a great tale probing the whys and the wherefores.
With sincere respect for Hank Phillippi Ryan, the woman, I’m taking a pass on the Jane Ryland series. If I change my mind my GoodReads friends will be the first to know.
How many of you as a child threw this jab in anger at your mom “You’re not my real mother” or “When my real mother comes to get me” when you didn’t get your way? How many of you felt so different from your siblings that you were certain you must have been adopted? I think many of us have been there but in truth know that our parents are those who gave birth to us. But what if you were adopted in a time when adoptions were kept secret, when your record and those of you birth parents would have been sealed? When you were old enough and chose to seek answers to your parentage it might take years of research and perhaps you’d never be reunited.
The topic of adoption has always interested me. It truly hit home when my pregnant daughter made the courageous decision to place her child with two beautiful people in an open adoption. My husband and I worried. I believe the maternal grandparents worried also. Our worry was really fear, the fear of a concept we did not quite understand. It has proved a blessing for all. Everyone knows, there is no wondering. This is truly comforting. This child is now sixteen. I still remember the day she went home with her adoptive mother who reassured us that many would love this baby and that there was enough love to go around. I admire my daughter for making this decision, obviously not an easy one but one she did unselfishly knowing that it was the right choice for this child.
The Line ”Listen Jane. I don’t think she’s my real mother.”
The Sinker – Consider the first line I quote above. What a perfect opening to this Jane Ryland novel. Doesn’t it just grab you and make you want to continue reading? Jane’s friend Tuck was united with her birth mother. Finally. But something doesn’t fit and now Tuck suspects this is not the woman who gave birth to her afterall. Imagine?
The Wrong Girl examines the issues of closed adoption while delivering a satisfying mystery. It explores the questions arising if someone in foster care circumvents the system doing a good thing that is illegal how do you balance the resulting conflicts. The Wrong Girl should have been a book I could whole-heartedly endorse.
I read my first Jane Ryland mystery after attending an author event where Hank Phillippi Ryan spoke. She was poised, articulate, smartly attired, and genuinely engaged her audience. I have listened to many interviews in which she has been interviewed, talking about her career as an investigative journalist, her craft of writing, and the many books she has written. I have seen her on TV. She is an award-winning reporter having 33 Emmys under her belt in addition to 14 Edward R. Murrow awards. As an author she has won many prestigious honors, from Anthony’s to Agatha's and more. She is sought out as a spokeswoman in both the fields of journalism and as an author. She is a past president of Sisters in Crime and has served on the boards of many mystery organizations. She promotes her colleagues, is often a judge in mystery awards and teaches writing classes. Hank Phillippi Ryan walks the talk.
In an audio interview Ryan talks about commitment to her readers. As a reviewer I also have an obligation to respect the work of an author even if their book did not quite work for me. The Wrong Girl is the third Jane Ryan book I’ve read. I was tempted to call this “the third strike, you’re out”. On further contemplation I realized it’s not so much the stories that leave me wanting but the character of Jane Ryland herself. Frankly I’m just the wrong girl for this series. Ryan by my calculation is two years younger than me while her protagonist, Jane, is thirty-three. I realize I’m an older soul than Ryan. Ryan is not Jane but both Jane and Ryan are reporters. Jane does not ring quite true. She has many years of experience in her field beginning as a TV reporter. She exhibits both integrity and professionalism in her job evidenced by being fired when she won’t to reveal a source. This shows her determination and devotion to the code of her career. What really strikes me as out of character is Jane’s frequent use of frigging, freaking. Though I’ve never heard her use the “F” word, the slang version seems juvenile on the one hand while working in a professional capacity. Uneven.
I have pretty much decided I am done with this series. Possibly my loss as Hank Phillippi Ryan chooses interesting topics to write about and she is a master at grabbing you with her well-thought out first lines, making each word count to intrigue your curiosity. I hope you’ll take a few minutes to listen to the podcast that brought me to The Wrong Girl.
As readers we are often curious as to where authors get their inspiration for their books. In another interview Ryan states that she chooses topics that people care about. She describes The Other Woman as The Good Wife meets Law and Order inspired by the headline scandal involving former Governor Mark Sanford of South Carolina who claimed he was hiking the Appalachian Trail when really he was engaging in a tryst with his mistress. You can’t make this stuff up but you can certainly weave a great tale probing the whys and the wherefores.
With sincere respect for Hank Phillippi Ryan, the woman, I’m taking a pass on the Jane Ryland series. If I change my mind my GoodReads friends will be the first to know.
March 29, 2016
RE-READ 09/17/2015
This is the sequel to The Other Woman and #2 in the Jane Ryland series.
Jane Ryland is a reporter. She is in love with Jake Brogan but they can never be together because he is a cop, and it would be a conflict of interest. This book deals with adoption, meeting your birth parents, foster care, and DCFS.
Like The Other Woman, this is a fast-paced book that I can barely grab hold of. Characters interrupt each other constantly. People never get to finish their sentences. People are always missing really important phone calls while they're busy doing a really important interview. It's enough to make your head spin.
It's frustrating to see how much Jake and Jane love each other, yet know that they can never be with each other and keep their jobs. This is not a romance... and I don't want it to be. The characters never even kiss, much less go to bed together. I find this refreshing. However, I wish they could date. I'm not saying I want Ryan to put sex in the book. She could pull a Robert B. Parker and make all the sex off-screen. I just am sad that these two people are obviously in love but have to be apart. They can't even hug each other, for fear someone will see them and rumors will start.
I like how honorable and decent Jake Brogan is. He is respectful, kind, always does the right thing. He never pressures Jane or makes her feel guilty or uneasy. Also, when he kills a man, or is indirectly responsible for a death, he feels really guilty even though that person was a scumbag. I really like his character.
Jane is a little... annoying. Not as a person, but because she's a reporter and intent on 'scooping' everything. I like the character's personality, but I get annoyed with her looking for an angle 24/7. She's always sticking her nose in, snooping around, and plunging into dangerous situations. I know, logically, that this is what makes her a good reporter, but it also makes me cringe sometimes.
The plot was well-developed and the twists and turns are good and surprising.
Tl; dr - An average mystery. Ryan is great at keeping all these threads separate and then tying them together at the end, although the book is a whirlwind that you can barely keep track of. That's frustrating sometimes. And as I said before, everyone is on their cell ALL THE TIME, or ignoring their cell, or being interrupted fifty billion times in the course of one conversation. While this is very true to life, and very realistic, unfortunately it is annoying and frustrating to read about.
P.S. Excellent cover.
This is the sequel to The Other Woman and #2 in the Jane Ryland series.
Jane Ryland is a reporter. She is in love with Jake Brogan but they can never be together because he is a cop, and it would be a conflict of interest. This book deals with adoption, meeting your birth parents, foster care, and DCFS.
Like The Other Woman, this is a fast-paced book that I can barely grab hold of. Characters interrupt each other constantly. People never get to finish their sentences. People are always missing really important phone calls while they're busy doing a really important interview. It's enough to make your head spin.
It's frustrating to see how much Jake and Jane love each other, yet know that they can never be with each other and keep their jobs. This is not a romance... and I don't want it to be. The characters never even kiss, much less go to bed together. I find this refreshing. However, I wish they could date. I'm not saying I want Ryan to put sex in the book. She could pull a Robert B. Parker and make all the sex off-screen. I just am sad that these two people are obviously in love but have to be apart. They can't even hug each other, for fear someone will see them and rumors will start.
I like how honorable and decent Jake Brogan is. He is respectful, kind, always does the right thing. He never pressures Jane or makes her feel guilty or uneasy. Also, when he kills a man, or is indirectly responsible for a death, he feels really guilty even though that person was a scumbag. I really like his character.
Jane is a little... annoying. Not as a person, but because she's a reporter and intent on 'scooping' everything. I like the character's personality, but I get annoyed with her looking for an angle 24/7. She's always sticking her nose in, snooping around, and plunging into dangerous situations. I know, logically, that this is what makes her a good reporter, but it also makes me cringe sometimes.
The plot was well-developed and the twists and turns are good and surprising.
Tl; dr - An average mystery. Ryan is great at keeping all these threads separate and then tying them together at the end, although the book is a whirlwind that you can barely keep track of. That's frustrating sometimes. And as I said before, everyone is on their cell ALL THE TIME, or ignoring their cell, or being interrupted fifty billion times in the course of one conversation. While this is very true to life, and very realistic, unfortunately it is annoying and frustrating to read about.
P.S. Excellent cover.
September 26, 2013
This book lost me in the first half hour. An adoptee, an ex-coworker, comes to Jane for help in investigating her biological mother because she feels that she has been given wrong information by the adoption agency. I'm wondering, why the fuss--get DNA testing. It's relatively inexpensive these days and should only take a few weeks for a definitive answer. Wouldn't anyone in this situation do that as a matter of course? About 2 or 3 hours in, the question is raised and discarded as irrelevant. An agency hiding illegal adoptions by incorrectly matching parents and adult children wouldn't get very far these days--the whole story premise was outdated several decades ago. And there went a batch of motivation, too. This book was such a disappointment
April 8, 2020
Multiple mysteries draw you in and as Jane pulls the threads to figure out where they lead, she finds herself entwined in a large knot of inconsistencies that keep her pulling for the truth. Unfortunately she is also following the threads into greater peril with someone who obviously does not want her to find the truth. Well plotted and intriguing to keep you entertained, but the characters definitely make the stories come to life and keep you wanting more. I can't wait to listen to the next book in the series!
July 30, 2013
Jane Ryland’s still acclimating to life at The Boston Register, still transitioning from TV to newspaper reporter, after being fired by Boston’s channel 11 for refusing to reveal a source. Deciding maybe this life without “Air Time” and “Face Time” is okay, not having to always be primped has it’s perks, but now it’s all about selling papers and making headlines because there are rumors of more cuts coming.
When former work mate, Tuck comes to Jane with a personal false identity adoption story Jane agrees to help look into Tuck’s adoption. Hoping for a scoop, she begins by finding out just why Tuck thinks she’s The Wrong Girl. The deeper into the story Jane gets there seems to be more questions than answers and Jane’s certain she’s opened a Pandora’s box when she’s personally and anonymously threatened.
In the mean time Boston Homicide Detective, Jake Brogan’s called to investigate a possible domestic turned murder that leaves two children survivors behind, the more comprehensively he and his partner investigate this crime, the more puzzle pieces there are to put into place.
It also places Jane and Jake in the same places at the same time which brings uncertainty as to why and also brings their untimely, star-crossed attraction constantly to the surface where they’re forced to question the sanity of resisting it over giving into it.
Extra, Extra!!
Hank Phillipi Ryan’s newest novel is another brilliant example of why she’s a bestselling, Agatha and Edgar winning author.
Hank’s premise is one that could be headlined on any media source with its mistaken identity adoption draw. She intricately weaves her multiple threaded tale, dropping seemingly innocent thoughts until they start adding up to clues that will lead her readers down the garden path of wrong ways, while she easily slips from one voice to the next. Every character role is played to perfection but at the heart it’s all about Jane. Her scruples are what every J-school professor hopes his students excel at and on pg.142 she says it all when Jane tells readers that her job as a reporter is to “make happy endings” even at the expense of her own, which is yet another pull for fans. The incredible almost palatable attraction between her and Jake and the “right way” Hank always handles it. And then there’s the emotional cliff-hanger Hank so thoughtfully leaves us with that will make us yearn for the next in the series while wondering how on earth we’re going to wait until it’s here.
The Wrong Girl is an adrenaline filled page-turner, an edge of your seat thriller and a romance in hiding; it will attract a variety of readers from multiple genres and attract new fans as well. If you’re looking for a title that will help you heat up those cool autumn nights look no further.
Hank I’ve been there from the beginning and have enjoyed every heart-stopping mile and can’t wait for the next leg of the journey.
When former work mate, Tuck comes to Jane with a personal false identity adoption story Jane agrees to help look into Tuck’s adoption. Hoping for a scoop, she begins by finding out just why Tuck thinks she’s The Wrong Girl. The deeper into the story Jane gets there seems to be more questions than answers and Jane’s certain she’s opened a Pandora’s box when she’s personally and anonymously threatened.
In the mean time Boston Homicide Detective, Jake Brogan’s called to investigate a possible domestic turned murder that leaves two children survivors behind, the more comprehensively he and his partner investigate this crime, the more puzzle pieces there are to put into place.
It also places Jane and Jake in the same places at the same time which brings uncertainty as to why and also brings their untimely, star-crossed attraction constantly to the surface where they’re forced to question the sanity of resisting it over giving into it.
Extra, Extra!!
Hank Phillipi Ryan’s newest novel is another brilliant example of why she’s a bestselling, Agatha and Edgar winning author.
Hank’s premise is one that could be headlined on any media source with its mistaken identity adoption draw. She intricately weaves her multiple threaded tale, dropping seemingly innocent thoughts until they start adding up to clues that will lead her readers down the garden path of wrong ways, while she easily slips from one voice to the next. Every character role is played to perfection but at the heart it’s all about Jane. Her scruples are what every J-school professor hopes his students excel at and on pg.142 she says it all when Jane tells readers that her job as a reporter is to “make happy endings” even at the expense of her own, which is yet another pull for fans. The incredible almost palatable attraction between her and Jake and the “right way” Hank always handles it. And then there’s the emotional cliff-hanger Hank so thoughtfully leaves us with that will make us yearn for the next in the series while wondering how on earth we’re going to wait until it’s here.
The Wrong Girl is an adrenaline filled page-turner, an edge of your seat thriller and a romance in hiding; it will attract a variety of readers from multiple genres and attract new fans as well. If you’re looking for a title that will help you heat up those cool autumn nights look no further.
Hank I’ve been there from the beginning and have enjoyed every heart-stopping mile and can’t wait for the next leg of the journey.
October 4, 2013
After reading the riveting suspenseful, well written The Other Woman, the first Jane Ryland novel, I literally couldn’t wait to read Ryan’s newest book The Wrong Girl. For some reason although I like the two main characters and enjoyed the book in parts, this book just didn’t resonate with me. The Wrong Girl was filled with numerous characters I had no real interest in and combined with the constant changes in points of view and transitions (which worked for me in the first book) left me feeling less intrigued and more frustrated. With today’s DNA technology an adopted woman convinced that the woman they say is her birth mother isn’t …would be solved easily, wouldn’t it? Although it touched on a frightening premise of the link of potential corrupt adoption agencies and an overworked foster care system for me it just wasn’t the compelling read of the first in the series. Entertaining in parts it just wasn’t the adrenaline filled ride that kept me flinging the pages to its climatic conclusion in The Other Woman. Hank Philipi Ryan is a good writer with an excellent insight into both the reporter and police detective angle and am hopeful the next one will live up to my earlier sky high expectations!
April 2, 2015
The book started out a little slow, but then picked up steam and kept a fast pace until the very end. Lots of characters and lots of dead bodies. They all seem to be connected to a respected adoption agency.
Jane Ryland, news reporter, is asked by her friend to investigate when she meets her birth mother ... who may or may not be who the agency says she is. So is the agency finding 'lost' children and placing them with people who aren't their biological parents?
It really gets interesting and puts Jane and her boyfriend, Detective Jake Brogan, at odds as he is investigating the murders of people who are associated with the adoption agency.
Overall, other than the slow start, it was very good. The plot was entertaining ... there were even a few comedic moments.
I gave it 3 1/2 stars
Jane Ryland, news reporter, is asked by her friend to investigate when she meets her birth mother ... who may or may not be who the agency says she is. So is the agency finding 'lost' children and placing them with people who aren't their biological parents?
It really gets interesting and puts Jane and her boyfriend, Detective Jake Brogan, at odds as he is investigating the murders of people who are associated with the adoption agency.
Overall, other than the slow start, it was very good. The plot was entertaining ... there were even a few comedic moments.
I gave it 3 1/2 stars
March 21, 2015
I am going to write this review. Have to. Don't want to. Must. What to say? Disjointed incomplete sentences. Continuously. Annoying. Audiobook. Maybe would have enjoyed it more if reading the written snippets instead of listening to them. Don't know. By the end of the book began to hate the style. Oh well. Life. Journalist Jane Ryland is helping a friend who believes she has been reunited with her supposed birth mother, but is not. The story is a good one with lots of mystery and subplots involving kidnapping, adoption fraud, and theft. But the staccato one and two word substitutes for real sentences was grating. Sorry Hank. Had to say it. Had to.
October 31, 2013
I'd probably enjoy this book more if the writing didn't annoyed me as much. The. one. word. sentence. Gosh! And I can't with the main characters acting the way they did. They didn't act like a normal couple would. They spent of most of the time thinking and worrying about each other, but when they do have the time to spare, they don't meet or even contact each other. The way they were written was as if their character interaction stopped whenever there is a chapter break. This is especially true when they found out that Jane's apartment was broken into. For someone who supposedly love Jane and constantly worry about her safety, is it too much to ask for Jake to at least stay the night at Jane's apartment, or better, stay at his apartment instead? Its just mind boggling for me.
July 5, 2020
What a great installment to this series which is my new addiction. Jane Ryland is a kick ass heroine and the chemistry between Jane and Jake is through the roof
November 14, 2022
An interesting storyline but a rather predictable ending.
September 8, 2013
One of the things I especially enjoy about author Hank Phillippi Ryan’s Jane Ryland Series is how realistic her characters are, particularly her protagonist.
Narrator Ilyana Kadushin does an excellent job giving individual voices to the various characters in Ryan’s THE WRONG GIRL. Kadushin conveys the vast array of emotions the different characters experience. Her cadence holds your attention and heightens the drama of Ryan’s new suspense thriller.
Newspaper reporter Jane Ryland agrees to help former colleague Tucker Cameron with a personal issue concerning her adoption. Tucker has been reunited with her birth mother through the Brannigan Family and Children Service. However, she’s afraid she’s the wrong girl because of several items that were supposedly left with her when she was an infant.
Meanwhile, Detective Jake Brogan - Jane’s ‘sort of’ boyfriend - has his hands full investigating the murder of a woman that left two toddlers unharmed. In addition, Jake believes there had also been a baby at the scene and is now missing.
As Jane and Tucker search for answers to Tucker’s real birth mother, Jake’s murder investigation leads to the same adoption agency. When there are more murders and Jane is threatened, the cases collide turning the lives of several people upside down.
Ryan has a knack for creating realistic and likable characters. She gives them strength and courage, but also flaws and self-problems. The secondary characters are also well-developed adding depth and flavor to the story.
The plot of THE WRONG GIRL flows smoothly and at a quick pace. While there are a number of things happening at once, the reader/listener isn’t lost in any confusion. The dialogue, as well as the bantering, among the characters pulls you in holding you captive as you try to figure out who the bad guys really are.
Ryan’s detailed descriptions of the locations enhances the story painting a vivid landscape of the setting. In addition, she brings out the true worries and fears print journalists face daily with cut backs and lay offs. Her own journalism background enriches the working aspects of this story. Her descriptions of Jane’s inability to get to the point of telling something without going into great deal hits home for this former newspaper journalist.
THE WRONG GIRL is a roller coaster ride of emotions topped off by suspense, humor and touches of romance. The action is heart-pounding, the characters memorable, and the intrigue spine-tingling.
FTC Full Disclosure - This audio book was sent to me by the publisher in hopes I would review it. However, receiving the complimentary copy did not influence my review.
Narrator Ilyana Kadushin does an excellent job giving individual voices to the various characters in Ryan’s THE WRONG GIRL. Kadushin conveys the vast array of emotions the different characters experience. Her cadence holds your attention and heightens the drama of Ryan’s new suspense thriller.
Newspaper reporter Jane Ryland agrees to help former colleague Tucker Cameron with a personal issue concerning her adoption. Tucker has been reunited with her birth mother through the Brannigan Family and Children Service. However, she’s afraid she’s the wrong girl because of several items that were supposedly left with her when she was an infant.
Meanwhile, Detective Jake Brogan - Jane’s ‘sort of’ boyfriend - has his hands full investigating the murder of a woman that left two toddlers unharmed. In addition, Jake believes there had also been a baby at the scene and is now missing.
As Jane and Tucker search for answers to Tucker’s real birth mother, Jake’s murder investigation leads to the same adoption agency. When there are more murders and Jane is threatened, the cases collide turning the lives of several people upside down.
Ryan has a knack for creating realistic and likable characters. She gives them strength and courage, but also flaws and self-problems. The secondary characters are also well-developed adding depth and flavor to the story.
The plot of THE WRONG GIRL flows smoothly and at a quick pace. While there are a number of things happening at once, the reader/listener isn’t lost in any confusion. The dialogue, as well as the bantering, among the characters pulls you in holding you captive as you try to figure out who the bad guys really are.
Ryan’s detailed descriptions of the locations enhances the story painting a vivid landscape of the setting. In addition, she brings out the true worries and fears print journalists face daily with cut backs and lay offs. Her own journalism background enriches the working aspects of this story. Her descriptions of Jane’s inability to get to the point of telling something without going into great deal hits home for this former newspaper journalist.
THE WRONG GIRL is a roller coaster ride of emotions topped off by suspense, humor and touches of romance. The action is heart-pounding, the characters memorable, and the intrigue spine-tingling.
FTC Full Disclosure - This audio book was sent to me by the publisher in hopes I would review it. However, receiving the complimentary copy did not influence my review.
September 13, 2013
3.0 out of 5 stars -- Adoption agency run amok!
This second installment in the Jane Ryland series after The Other Woman finds Jane, now a reporter for a local newspaper, embroiled in another mystery involving betrayal, secrets, and murder. Jane and Jake are drawn into investigating a series of deaths that lead them to a corrupt adoption agency and an overworked foster care system. All the victims seem to be related to a central issue - the question of whether adults who were adopted as babies and are seeking answers are being reunited with their true birth mothers or if something illegal is going on. It seems that an old colleague of Jane's (Tuck Cameron) coincidentally meets her purported birth mother through the agency but is convinced that the agency has made a mistake; that she is "the wrong girl."
The action shifts constantly from character to character and there are a lot of twists and turns in the narrative that keep the reader guessing as to what is actually going on because there are different aspects of the case that are all connected to Brannigan Family and Children Services. Many unbelievable scenarios and coincidences provide the forward momentum of the story as it spins first in one direction and then another.
Of course there is a component of romance to this series -- Jane and Jake want to be together but their jobs make it impossible as they need to remain objective. I found their longing for a public relationship with each other to be the least compelling part of the novel and, seriously, ANSWER YOUR PHONES PEOPLE!
Overall, I didn't particularly like the constant shifts in point of view and the jumpy transitions in the flow of the story. I didn't really care much about any of the characters as I did not see any real depth to them. I think it's important that if you choose to read this book that you read the first in the series prior to doing so. I'll likely not read #3 in the series.
Amazon Vine ARC
This second installment in the Jane Ryland series after The Other Woman finds Jane, now a reporter for a local newspaper, embroiled in another mystery involving betrayal, secrets, and murder. Jane and Jake are drawn into investigating a series of deaths that lead them to a corrupt adoption agency and an overworked foster care system. All the victims seem to be related to a central issue - the question of whether adults who were adopted as babies and are seeking answers are being reunited with their true birth mothers or if something illegal is going on. It seems that an old colleague of Jane's (Tuck Cameron) coincidentally meets her purported birth mother through the agency but is convinced that the agency has made a mistake; that she is "the wrong girl."
The action shifts constantly from character to character and there are a lot of twists and turns in the narrative that keep the reader guessing as to what is actually going on because there are different aspects of the case that are all connected to Brannigan Family and Children Services. Many unbelievable scenarios and coincidences provide the forward momentum of the story as it spins first in one direction and then another.
Of course there is a component of romance to this series -- Jane and Jake want to be together but their jobs make it impossible as they need to remain objective. I found their longing for a public relationship with each other to be the least compelling part of the novel and, seriously, ANSWER YOUR PHONES PEOPLE!
Overall, I didn't particularly like the constant shifts in point of view and the jumpy transitions in the flow of the story. I didn't really care much about any of the characters as I did not see any real depth to them. I think it's important that if you choose to read this book that you read the first in the series prior to doing so. I'll likely not read #3 in the series.
Amazon Vine ARC
October 6, 2013
Jane Ryland may have just received the biggest story of her life. A ex-collegue tells Jane that her mother is not her "real biological mother". She wants Jane's help to locate her real mother.
Detective Jake Brogan gets a call for a murder victim. The victim is a single mother. Someone is wrong with the picture. There is an empty crib and no baby to be found. Jane discovers that there is a link between the murder and her friend's adoption. It seems someone is playing devil's advocate.
I have read almost all of Ms. Ryan's books and enjoyed them. I like that the women she writes as the main character in her books are strong investigative reporters. As the saying goes "Write what you know." Ms. Ryan knows how to write. I was in agreement with another reviewer in regards to looking forward to this book after reading The Other Woman. Sadly this book did not live up to The Other Woman. While I liked the storyline, I was not feeling all of the many characters and I mean many. There is such a thing as too much can be a good thing. In this case, there were too many characters. They popped into the story really quickly and the storyline jumped all over the place. This might not have been as bad if I had shown an interest in the characters. I never grew attached to any of them. However this book was not boring.
Detective Jake Brogan gets a call for a murder victim. The victim is a single mother. Someone is wrong with the picture. There is an empty crib and no baby to be found. Jane discovers that there is a link between the murder and her friend's adoption. It seems someone is playing devil's advocate.
I have read almost all of Ms. Ryan's books and enjoyed them. I like that the women she writes as the main character in her books are strong investigative reporters. As the saying goes "Write what you know." Ms. Ryan knows how to write. I was in agreement with another reviewer in regards to looking forward to this book after reading The Other Woman. Sadly this book did not live up to The Other Woman. While I liked the storyline, I was not feeling all of the many characters and I mean many. There is such a thing as too much can be a good thing. In this case, there were too many characters. They popped into the story really quickly and the storyline jumped all over the place. This might not have been as bad if I had shown an interest in the characters. I never grew attached to any of them. However this book was not boring.
January 11, 2015
Parts of this were excruciating. A bit overly dramatic for my taste. Mr. Branigan was too intuitive to be convincing. Things move distractingly slow, sometimes minute to minute and from scene to scene such as what's on a cop's mind as someone is trying to hold a conversation with him. While it is overly detailed throughout most of it, there are parts which seem to be missing.
There was a romance that wasn't really a romance. With that in mind, the detective was more interested in what was happening to news reporter Jane than he seemed to be in his investigation of a new victim. I'm sorry but I don't think you're supposed to leave a crime scene for something such as what he left for.
The "cleaning" company saga took up about one quarter of the book. It went way beyond what was necessary for the plotline. I don't know whether it was supposed to be slapstick such as something you might see on television - what young children might find funny.
I'm trying to think what I did like about the book. That it was set in Boston Massachusetts?? The narration for that though had some of the characters sounding more like they had a New York accent than Boston, though New York isn't quite right either.
Oh man! I think I could pull out my fingernails with less pain than what this book offers.
There was a romance that wasn't really a romance. With that in mind, the detective was more interested in what was happening to news reporter Jane than he seemed to be in his investigation of a new victim. I'm sorry but I don't think you're supposed to leave a crime scene for something such as what he left for.
The "cleaning" company saga took up about one quarter of the book. It went way beyond what was necessary for the plotline. I don't know whether it was supposed to be slapstick such as something you might see on television - what young children might find funny.
I'm trying to think what I did like about the book. That it was set in Boston Massachusetts?? The narration for that though had some of the characters sounding more like they had a New York accent than Boston, though New York isn't quite right either.
Oh man! I think I could pull out my fingernails with less pain than what this book offers.
March 20, 2016
This book was amazing. Simply amazing. Filled with twists, betrayals, and a little bit of romance, The Wrong Girl simply blew me out of the water.
The mystery in this book simply astonished me. Ms. Ryan has a huge talent for dropping clues left and right and then pulling the wool over the reader's eyes before an explosive reveal at the end. There were so many clues that were presented to the reader, and, now that I look back, I should have noticed them but I didn't. The final reveal was actually like 5 reveals and each and every one of them shocked me.
The characters were wonderful as always. Jane and Jake's "romance" (if you can call it that yet) goes a little bit farther, and I'm excited to see what will come of it in the next book. Tuck reappeared in this book, and I must say, I was apprehensive at first since we didn't find out much about her in the first book. However, she was a great character, that was extremely helpful. I hope she appears in future books!
Overall this was a simply delightful book. Filled with deceit, tricks, underhanded moves, and horrifying moments I highly recommend it! I'm seriously having trouble trying to put into words how good this book was.
The mystery in this book simply astonished me. Ms. Ryan has a huge talent for dropping clues left and right and then pulling the wool over the reader's eyes before an explosive reveal at the end. There were so many clues that were presented to the reader, and, now that I look back, I should have noticed them but I didn't. The final reveal was actually like 5 reveals and each and every one of them shocked me.
The characters were wonderful as always. Jane and Jake's "romance" (if you can call it that yet) goes a little bit farther, and I'm excited to see what will come of it in the next book. Tuck reappeared in this book, and I must say, I was apprehensive at first since we didn't find out much about her in the first book. However, she was a great character, that was extremely helpful. I hope she appears in future books!
Overall this was a simply delightful book. Filled with deceit, tricks, underhanded moves, and horrifying moments I highly recommend it! I'm seriously having trouble trying to put into words how good this book was.
July 26, 2013
This is the second book about reporter Jane Ryland and Boston detective Jake Brogan. This time around, Jane is helping a former co-worker find out if she was sent to the wrong woman while trying to track down her birth mother. Meanwhile, she is also covering a murder that Jake is investigating. A woman is found murdered. Two kids under 3, both alive, are in the next room. It looks like a simple domestic dispute except the woman has no ID anywhere in the apartment.
I loved the book. It started fast and never let me go until I reached the end. The characters were great as well, and I had a blast spending time with all of them.
I got the book via Amazon Vine.
Read my full review at Carstairs Considers.
I loved the book. It started fast and never let me go until I reached the end. The characters were great as well, and I had a blast spending time with all of them.
I got the book via Amazon Vine.
Read my full review at Carstairs Considers.
June 26, 2013
Wow, another thrilling installment in this series. This is a real page-turner folks. Jane gets involved in a multi-faceted story that includes murder, fraud, corruption, and heart-stopping thrills. She starts out reporting on a murder, but somehow finds herself helping her friend figure out what's going on at an adoption agency - with no idea that the two are linked, but is thrown in the middle of both.
Hank Phillippi Ryan and this Jane Ryland series are fast becoming one of my favorites.
Hank Phillippi Ryan and this Jane Ryland series are fast becoming one of my favorites.
January 13, 2014
Something I rarely do is not finish a book once I start reading it. But I quit this one half way through it. I kept waiting for it to get interesting for me and just found myself bored with it and decided to just move on to a different book.
September 19, 2013
Hank knocks it out the park again! And she signed my copy today!
November 21, 2024
I love this series, always rooting for Jake and Jane
June 9, 2025
Unfortunately not great. Took such a long time to get going, the whole basis of the mystery was fairly dull and implausible, and the ending felt rushed with no real “feel good” ending for the heroine, even though there had been so much buildup for it. Disappointing read!
September 21, 2018
In this book I found myself suspecting everyone...then when I got to the bottom of the list I started over and suspected everyone again.
I also loved the subplot with the crime scene cleanup family business!
I also loved the subplot with the crime scene cleanup family business!
October 25, 2014
THE WRONG GIRL (Jane Ryland & Jake Brogan #2) by Hank Phillippi Ryan, offers a complex and suspenseful crime investigation, into the corrupt and scandalous foster care and adoption system; mixed with mystery, intrigue and some sexual tensions between reporter and detective, for an engrossing read.
Jane Ryland, the investigative reporter at the Boston Registry newspaper learns of a former colleague, Tucker Cameron,who was adopted as an infant, and used information provided by her adoption agency to find her birth mother, only to discover that the woman was not her real mother.
Tucker Cameron, needs her help with the investigation of Brannigan Family and Children’s Services, who managed to reunite her with the wrong birth mother. She thinks everything is just too perfect when they meet, and then her suspicious prove correct. A possible conspiracy? What is the motive? Is this a case of falling between the cracks or something more serious?
In the meantime, sexy Detective Jake Brogan (Jane’s love interest), is involved with another case that involves working with the child welfare system when he's called in to investigate a murder and abusive situation leaving two children without a family.
When Jake is investigating the mother of a young woman, he finds two young children and no information about the mother, or any other parent. The children are passed on to a qualified foster mother until another family member can be found; but where is the baby that was in the cradle at the murder scene?
Jane is sharp and utilizes her keen investigative skills to attain answers from Jake’s partner, Jake, Tuc, as well as the adoption agency and everyone connected. Could the two cases be connected?
What comes next, is fast-paced suspense with twists and turns taking them into the middle of a danger zone, with a killer on the loose and a missing infant for a race against time. What a dynamic duo!
My first read by Ryan was her latest TRUTH BE TOLD (#3 Jane Ryland Series) an intense, edgy, and complex suspense mystery drama, of two cases, twenty years apart—from bank fraud, real estate foreclosures, to murder with a hint of romance, between detective and journalist, as they work together, to piece together the puzzle, before the next hit. (#3 is a 5 star winner, performed by award-winning, Xe Sands , which I enjoy).
Fans of both THE OTHER WOMAN (#1) and THE WRONG GIRL (#2) will devour the latest. Each can be read as a standalone; however, you will want to read them all.
Ryan’s writing is tight with well-developed characters, as enjoy the intelligent, funny, and sassy Jane. Ryan’s integration of social issues and corruption into this compelling series, is fresh and on key, in today's world--from politics, foster care, and real estate and mortgage fraud. I also appreciate the well-designed contemporary front covers, as this is a big plus when purchasing a book, as I do "judge a book by its cover". Her vast professional experience lends itself useful for an exciting series, as she does not miss a beat.
Let’s hope #4 will allow Jake/Jane a little time in between chasing the bad guys, for some much needed R&R to some exotic island hideaway. I am sure they would find some mischief wherever they land.
Judith D. Collins Must Read Books Blog
Jane Ryland, the investigative reporter at the Boston Registry newspaper learns of a former colleague, Tucker Cameron,who was adopted as an infant, and used information provided by her adoption agency to find her birth mother, only to discover that the woman was not her real mother.
Tucker Cameron, needs her help with the investigation of Brannigan Family and Children’s Services, who managed to reunite her with the wrong birth mother. She thinks everything is just too perfect when they meet, and then her suspicious prove correct. A possible conspiracy? What is the motive? Is this a case of falling between the cracks or something more serious?
In the meantime, sexy Detective Jake Brogan (Jane’s love interest), is involved with another case that involves working with the child welfare system when he's called in to investigate a murder and abusive situation leaving two children without a family.
When Jake is investigating the mother of a young woman, he finds two young children and no information about the mother, or any other parent. The children are passed on to a qualified foster mother until another family member can be found; but where is the baby that was in the cradle at the murder scene?
Jane is sharp and utilizes her keen investigative skills to attain answers from Jake’s partner, Jake, Tuc, as well as the adoption agency and everyone connected. Could the two cases be connected?
What comes next, is fast-paced suspense with twists and turns taking them into the middle of a danger zone, with a killer on the loose and a missing infant for a race against time. What a dynamic duo!
My first read by Ryan was her latest TRUTH BE TOLD (#3 Jane Ryland Series) an intense, edgy, and complex suspense mystery drama, of two cases, twenty years apart—from bank fraud, real estate foreclosures, to murder with a hint of romance, between detective and journalist, as they work together, to piece together the puzzle, before the next hit. (#3 is a 5 star winner, performed by award-winning, Xe Sands , which I enjoy).
Fans of both THE OTHER WOMAN (#1) and THE WRONG GIRL (#2) will devour the latest. Each can be read as a standalone; however, you will want to read them all.
Ryan’s writing is tight with well-developed characters, as enjoy the intelligent, funny, and sassy Jane. Ryan’s integration of social issues and corruption into this compelling series, is fresh and on key, in today's world--from politics, foster care, and real estate and mortgage fraud. I also appreciate the well-designed contemporary front covers, as this is a big plus when purchasing a book, as I do "judge a book by its cover". Her vast professional experience lends itself useful for an exciting series, as she does not miss a beat.
Let’s hope #4 will allow Jake/Jane a little time in between chasing the bad guys, for some much needed R&R to some exotic island hideaway. I am sure they would find some mischief wherever they land.
Judith D. Collins Must Read Books Blog
October 20, 2013
Author Hank Phillippi Ryan once again has readers on the right track to thrilling action and suspense with "The Wrong Girl". We first met reporter Jane Ryland and detective Jake Brogan in Boston-set "The Other Woman". The chemistry-in-check still simmers between the two leads as they find themselves repeating a pattern of heading toward a crime case from different directions. When they reach the same destination, however, they always work better together. Jane is still adjusting to the change from star television reporter to newspaper journalist. She had lost her broadcast job for failing to reveal her source, and her life was literally up-ended. Jake Brogan is attractive for all the wrong and right reasons, but both of their jobs forbid intimate involvement with sources. Jake and Jane are each other's best source, so they hover around intimacy without acting on their inner desires. For a brief while after Jane joined the staff of the Boston Register, her office mate was a woman named Tucker Cameron. After sharing a work space for just a few weeks, Tuck was fired for sleeping with her source. Now, Tuck has come to Jane with an even bigger personal issue. Tuck had been adopted, and recently she had been reunited with her birth mother through the adoption agency. Something doesn't feel right to Tuck, and she thinks she is "the wrong girl", not the woman's real daughter. Tuck asks Jane to investigate, and eventually the trail connects to the homicide case on which Jake Brogan is working. When Jane gets too close to the deficiencies of the overloaded and mismanaged foster care system, as well as the secrets behind the adoption case, someone wants her silenced and out of the way. Time is of the essence to find a missing baby from Jake's homicide case, but has time run out for Jane? "The Wrong Girl" is recommended for those who like their crime fiction up close and personal with involving issues and compelling characters.
Review Copy Gratis Amazon Vine
Review Copy Gratis Amazon Vine
September 6, 2014
If you like crisply crafted mysteries with interesting and complex main characters, then I strongly recommend this book to you. Ms. Ryan has created a series that will keep readers happily turning pages for what I hope is many books to come.
Ms. Ryan knows her stuff. As an investigative journalist in her "real" life, she can write about her main character's world with authenticity and stay away from the glitzy cliches that less informed writers could wallow in. The stories also have that realistic crackle that I enjoy. Life is not tied up in neat little bows and neither are Ms. Ryan's stories. This book weaves and dodges its way to a conclusion and left me guessing until the very end. It's no wonder that this new series is winning multiple awards.
This would have been a five star review for me except for two points. Since there is not a half star option, I rated it a four. I love a well structured book. A book that has its last page in its sights from the first word and then teases me along is a wonderful experience. This book does that, but I felt the structure and the dogmatic approach to keeping POV straight cut into my enjoyment. To be fair, this is a hot button of mine and other readers love it, but for me the structure was too visible. Second, I was really hoping for a tighter conclusion. I won't give things away here, but I'll only say that events were not as connected as I would have like to have seen.
I truly enjoyed this book and have already recommended it to many people, even you if you've read this review this far. I've met Ms. Ryan and she is a warm, intelligent and generous person, and her main character captures that essence. This book was a pleasure to read, and I learned a great deal about how to write a great mystery by studying just how Ms. Ryan did what she did!
Ms. Ryan knows her stuff. As an investigative journalist in her "real" life, she can write about her main character's world with authenticity and stay away from the glitzy cliches that less informed writers could wallow in. The stories also have that realistic crackle that I enjoy. Life is not tied up in neat little bows and neither are Ms. Ryan's stories. This book weaves and dodges its way to a conclusion and left me guessing until the very end. It's no wonder that this new series is winning multiple awards.
This would have been a five star review for me except for two points. Since there is not a half star option, I rated it a four. I love a well structured book. A book that has its last page in its sights from the first word and then teases me along is a wonderful experience. This book does that, but I felt the structure and the dogmatic approach to keeping POV straight cut into my enjoyment. To be fair, this is a hot button of mine and other readers love it, but for me the structure was too visible. Second, I was really hoping for a tighter conclusion. I won't give things away here, but I'll only say that events were not as connected as I would have like to have seen.
I truly enjoyed this book and have already recommended it to many people, even you if you've read this review this far. I've met Ms. Ryan and she is a warm, intelligent and generous person, and her main character captures that essence. This book was a pleasure to read, and I learned a great deal about how to write a great mystery by studying just how Ms. Ryan did what she did!
April 6, 2014
Usually I stick to YA, but I met Hank at a conference and expected a fun ride from her (yes, Hank is a she). “The Wrong Girl” starts at a fast pace, designed to match the choppy mental thought process of the cop on a case. It's staccato and blunt, difficult to enter the story at first. But give it a chance. Like old English, you get used to the feel. The scenes change fast at the height of tension, using the 3P-POV to maximum effectiveness, and make this a superb page turner. I love the subtle use of stage direction that draws visuals of the body positions and movements. Definitely one of the best I’ve read. In the morgue, on the street at crime scenes, and in the quieter moments you can feel nuances of the characters as 'cop', 'reporter', and then as human beings. Not surprising, given Hank’s respected career in news casting. THere were two issues for me, one perhaps stems from the journalistic background. There is an overuse of adverbs/adjectives, repeated strings of three and four descriptors that momentarily took me out of the "fictive dream", as James N. Frey calls it. The other issue is introducing characters before they walk onto the page, telling vs showing. I’d prefer writers patiently allow characters to emerge organically in a story, even in 3P. Both are minimal issues, and overall Hank creates a twist and turn mystery that gives you answers along the way, but you have to ride to the end for the solution. Even with a few technical bumps she still earns four stars for the lovely story immersion that held me captive, running back to press my face into her words during an especially rainy week. Definitely, I recommend.
May 5, 2014
At first I assumed the author, named Hank, was a man. When I came to descriptions of the women's "outfits" and eyelet lace curtains I realized my mistake. What is it with women authors and women's clothing? Are women readers really that shallow? A male mystery writer wouldn't describe the outfit of an attractive young female character; he'd describe her body, especially her breasts, because, yes, male readers really are that shallow. But that's not what bothered me about the book. It was just ungodly slow-paced. All the blurbs on the back cover about non-stop action must have been written by fellow authors who were paid to write them and never read the book. Nothing ever gets accomplished for the first 300 pages or so because everyone keeps getting interrupted. As soon as character A starts to tell character B that really important thing she just noticed, character B gets interrupted by character C or a cell phone, or something else and we never find out what it was. If a character gets to an important location and is about to enter, the scene shifts elsewhere. If a key message is left on someone's voice mail, that person never checks it. It's exasperating as all getout. I assume an editor told the author to keep the reader in suspense by never resolving anything until the very end. It's more like suspended animation than suspense. The heroine - or protagonist at least - of the story is a total dingbat. The author's abysmal ignorance of police procedure and law are a serious drag on the plot, too. It really deserves a 1 rating on the Goodreads scale, but that sounds just a bit too harsh; it's readable, barely, if not actually good.
July 21, 2014
This second book in the Investigative reporter, Jane Ryland, series is greatly aided by the knowledge that Hank Phillippi Ryan, a TV reporter herself, has in how a story is developed through personal investigations, police procedurals, and keeping all your sources available for inside information.
Jane is working for a floundering Boston newspaper when her friend, Tucker, asks her to help her. Tucker has been matched up with her birth mother and they are getting along beautifully, until Tucker finds out that she's been matched with the wrong woman. At the same time, Jane's boss sends her out on a story of a murdered woman, also being investigated by her secret boyfriend, Jake, on the Boston police force. These investigations slowly collide in a larger investigation of the Brannigan Agency that matches adoptees and birth mothers, the foster care system, Child Services, and greedy individuals.
The pace and building atmosphere of this story are superb in creating great tension and plot that made me feel that I was deeply involved with these people's lives. The problems that are present in the extremely overworked child and foster care system were aptly used in creating a very believable, but deeply troubling plot for this mystery. Definitely a memorable book. I listened to this on audio and believe that added a great deal to my enjoyment of this book !
Jane is working for a floundering Boston newspaper when her friend, Tucker, asks her to help her. Tucker has been matched up with her birth mother and they are getting along beautifully, until Tucker finds out that she's been matched with the wrong woman. At the same time, Jane's boss sends her out on a story of a murdered woman, also being investigated by her secret boyfriend, Jake, on the Boston police force. These investigations slowly collide in a larger investigation of the Brannigan Agency that matches adoptees and birth mothers, the foster care system, Child Services, and greedy individuals.
The pace and building atmosphere of this story are superb in creating great tension and plot that made me feel that I was deeply involved with these people's lives. The problems that are present in the extremely overworked child and foster care system were aptly used in creating a very believable, but deeply troubling plot for this mystery. Definitely a memorable book. I listened to this on audio and believe that added a great deal to my enjoyment of this book !
September 9, 2013
The Wrong Girl is the right read!
Hank Phillippi Ryan brings us back into the world of Jane Ryland, a Boston newspaper reporter, and Detective Jake Brogan, with their smoldering we-can’t-do-this relationship and a trail of deaths, murders and questions involving the foster care system and an adoption agency that appears to be reuniting children with the wrong parents. Danger lurks in every lead; this is another winning roller coaster ride for Ryan. The plots intertwine with delicious suspense, I will admit to having to put the book down and walk away to gather myself when even Jane’s tiny fur friend is in danger! Put aside a day to sit and read, you will not want to put this down. Jane’s former colleague Tuck asks for help to find out why she is being reunited with a woman who is not her foster mother. Is there a sinister motive? Is it for money or something else? Jake is following leads to find out who murdered a young woman, and will his instincts prove right that a baby is missing? The leads head for a collision course, and who will survive the dangers lurking at every turn? This is a page turner that will keep your heart racing and have you second guessing yourself if you think you know what is going to happen! Don’t miss another great book from Boston’s own treasure, Hank Phillippi Ryan!
Hank Phillippi Ryan brings us back into the world of Jane Ryland, a Boston newspaper reporter, and Detective Jake Brogan, with their smoldering we-can’t-do-this relationship and a trail of deaths, murders and questions involving the foster care system and an adoption agency that appears to be reuniting children with the wrong parents. Danger lurks in every lead; this is another winning roller coaster ride for Ryan. The plots intertwine with delicious suspense, I will admit to having to put the book down and walk away to gather myself when even Jane’s tiny fur friend is in danger! Put aside a day to sit and read, you will not want to put this down. Jane’s former colleague Tuck asks for help to find out why she is being reunited with a woman who is not her foster mother. Is there a sinister motive? Is it for money or something else? Jake is following leads to find out who murdered a young woman, and will his instincts prove right that a baby is missing? The leads head for a collision course, and who will survive the dangers lurking at every turn? This is a page turner that will keep your heart racing and have you second guessing yourself if you think you know what is going to happen! Don’t miss another great book from Boston’s own treasure, Hank Phillippi Ryan!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 325 reviews