Three Drowned Girls

Detective Freya Sinclair #1

by Emily Shiner

When Freya Sinclair was a little girl, she had no idea what her parents were hiding in the basement of her childhood home…

After five years away from her hometown of Fawn Lake, Detective Freya Sinclair isn’t expecting a warm welcome from the people she’s sworn to protect. She became a detective to bring serial killers like her parents to justice, but the tight-knit North Carolinian community can’t see past her twisted roots.

Minutes after stepping foot back home, the body of a dark-haired young girl is pulled from the river and Freya races to the scene. She’s determined to identify the child and finally prove herself, but before Freya even has a chance to search through missing persons, another girl is reported missing.

Freya’s heart breaks at the sight of little Isa’s blonde ringlets and pristine soccer uniform in the photo her father clutches, but the look on his face says he doesn’t trust Freya. Does he think she’s just like her parents, or does he have a sinister secret of his own?

But when another innocent girl is found drowned, Freya finds a white hair ribbon snagged on a branch, and instantly recognizes it as part of the soccer team uniform at the local school…

Two drowned girls. One daughter still missing. Can Freya save Isa before she becomes the third victim? Or has the killer already set their sights on Freya next?

The first in a new, totally gripping serial-killer thriller series by Amazon bestselling author Emily Shiner. Fans of Melinda Leigh, Mary Stone and Elle Gray won’t be able to put this down!

Genres: Thriller, Audiobook, Mystery, Mystery Thriller, Fiction, Horror

352 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 22, 2024

About the author

Emily lives in the mountains of North Carolina and loves hiking with her dogs--only when she's not thinking up twisted tales, that is. She loves books that keep you up long after you should be in bed.

Reviews

[PamG · Rating 4 out of 5]

Emily Shiner brings suspense and great characterization to Three Drowned Girls, the first book in the Detective Freya Sinclair series. Freya returns to her hometown of Fawn Lake, North Carolina after leaving five years ago. Her roots are a sub-plot in this story. The body of a young girl is found in the river on her first day back as captain of the detectives in the small police department. Soon another girl is reported missing by her father, and a third girl is found drowned. What is going on in this small town?

Freya is loyal, dedicated, driven, and honest. However, she’s not great at letting new people into her life and she doesn’t let those in power intimidate her. She’s a strong protagonist with a strong sense of justice and determination that made it easy to support her. Candy Ellinger is her only detective for now. She and Freya communicate well. She’s also not afraid to tell Freya what she thinks. Brad Williams is a patrol officer who wants to be a detective. He’s the one she can call on for extra help when cases require it. Chief Callahan knows Freya’s background and rehired her, but he doesn’t fully trust her judgment yet.

A chilling prologue is the start to this dark and disturbing series. Freya’s background is sprinkled throughout the novel so readers gradually understand why the town may not be welcoming her back with open arms. While this is a crime thriller and a police procedural, the police procedural part had a few misses for me. The lack of evidence bags and gloves when searching for clues was one glaring error. Additionally, the pacing was a little uneven in places. Despite this, the twisty plot had me fully engaged in finding the killer and determining what was going to happen next.

The storyline is gripping, grabbing readers attention immediately and transporting them to the world of the victims and the investigators. There are several sub-plots that keep the investigators and readers wondering how or if they are interrelated. The tension was high as the detectives try to understand the events and race to solve the case.

Overall, this exciting, intense, and disturbing novel is a powerful page-turner with great characterization and tension that feels alive. This book demanded my attention and was a fast read. I’m looking forward to reading the next book in the series. Those who enjoy dark crime thrillers may enjoy this series.

Bookouture and Emily Shiner provided a digital ARC of this novel via NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own. Publication date is currently expected to be April 22, 2024. This review was originally posted at Mystery and Suspense Magazine.
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My 3.88 rounded to 4 stars review is coming soon.

[Debra - can't post any comments on site today grrr · Rating 4 out of 5]

Detective Freya Sinclair is on the case in this unsettling, twisted, and shocking mystery thriller. When the body of a young girl is pulled from the river, Freya is determined to get to the bottom of things. Three Drowned Girls had me doing my own detective work trying to figure out whodunit.

Freya has a dark history. Her parents are serial killers, and she has vowed to do her best to bring other criminals to justice. She knew returning to her hometown would be hard, but she never imagined what would be waiting for her when she did. Freya is determined, hardworking, tough, and unrelenting. I loved her relationship with Esther, the woman who took her during her teenage years. Enough is provided about Freya's serial killer parents to whet my appetite and pique my interest. I look forward to learning more about her past and her parents in future books.

This is an interesting and dark police procedural with a likeable character - Freya, Esther, Brad, and Candy. I enjoyed them and look forward to getting to know more about each of them in future books.

Although this book did not move as fast as I would have liked, I found it to be enjoyable, with a nice number of twists and turns. Reading about the murder of children is not easy but the author handled it with care, and nothing is told in detail or graphic.

I had both the book and audiobook versions of this book. I enjoyed the narrator of the audiobook. I thought she did a great job bringing the characters to life.

Dark, twisted, captivating and well written.

3.5 stars

Thank you to Bookouture, Bookouture Audio, and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.

Read more of my reviews at www.openbookposts.com 📖

[Connie · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.25 Stars

Detective Freya Sinclair has returned to her hometown after being away for five years, and her first case involves the tragic drowning of a little girl in a river. The situation becomes even more devastating when another young girl's body is discovered. As Freya races against time to solve the case and prevent further loss of innocent lives, she encounters several challenges that test her skills and determination.

While this novel didn't capture my attention as much as the author's previous work, You Can't Hide, I still found it to be a decent read. The ending was satisfying, and I found Freya's personal history quite intriguing. I wish there was a novel dedicated to exploring her relationship with her parents.

This book might be a great fit for those who enjoy dabbling in mystery and police procedural novels. However, it may not offer anything groundbreaking for avid readers.

***Thank you to NetGalley, Emily Shiner, and Bookouture Audio for graciously sending me the audiobook to review. As always, all thoughts are my own.***

["Avonna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Check out all my reviews at: https://www.avonnalovesgenres.com

THREE DROWNED GIRLS (Detective Freya Sinclair Book #1) by Emily Shiner is a captivating first book in a new crime thriller/police procedural series set in small-town North Carolina. What sets this dark serial killer series apart is that the female detective protagonist’s background is as shocking and twisted as the serial killers she chases.

After five years away, Freya Sinclair returns to her hometown of Fawn Lake, NC and returns to her place in the Fawn Lake PD as Captain of the Detectives. Not everyone is happy she is back.

On her first hour back on the job, a young girl is found floating in the local river. With the help of newly promoted Det. Candy Ellinger, they begin searching for her identity because no one has reported a missing child. Before they can make any headway, another girl is reported missing.
When Freya discovers another young girl dead in the river, she knows she is in a desperate race to stop a serial killer, but the killer has set their sights on Freya as she gets ever closer.

I really enjoyed meeting this new set of characters. Freya is intelligent and determined to prove she can handle returning to her job. While the author gives some information on Freya’s past with the disclosure of her parents being serial killers, there is still much we don’t know, and I liked that because this first book is more of an introduction to the characters and how they are going to work together as a team and not an info dump. This is a darker crime thriller with the serial killing of very young girls, and discussions of serious topics, but I did not feel it was overly graphic. That said, while the overall crime plot is seriously twisted, and I think unique, I did not find it realistic which diminished my overall satisfaction. I am looking forward though to learning more about Freya and her team in future books in this new series.

I recommend this engaging first book in this new crime thriller series.

[Haley Huckabay · Rating 5 out of 5]

Title: Three Drowned Girls
Author: Emily Shiner
Genre: Thriller
Media: ebook
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

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Favorite quote: N/A
Sum of this book in 5 words or less: So much senseless child killing.

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Themes: murder, child abuse, detective

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Thoughts:

I received a free ebook in exchange for an honest review.

Short summary - Freya Sinclair has been away from her hometown for 5 years and when she comes back she doesn’t expect a welcome, especially coming back as a detective. A little girl is pulled from the river, drowned, soon after she returns home. Another girl is reported missing soon after. Freya dives into solving these murders even with backlash from the town.

We talk in the synopsis about a father that doesn’t trust Freya but it’s really the entire town that doesn’t trust her. Also, the title is three drowned girls. There are more than 3 that end up dying, just a warning.

If you can handle a detective solving the murders of little girls under the age of 6/7 go for this book. I wanted to read it because it’s good to know, even though it’s fiction, that there are detectives and police officers out there that actually do care.

This book is the first of two so far and are both available on Kindle Unlimited! I’m going to dive into the second one once I have a chance!

[Josephine Jarman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow this high quality first in a series crime series left me hungry for more. The characters were well developed and the dialogue matched them. I loved ed the drip feeding of the past of the main character related yo the main story.
It was action pacted full of tension. It covered complex scsry issues such as religion, child abuse and put them in a .modern setting. Once the pieces fitted together it seemed to be over like youd ecpect in real life. I loved the way thd reactions were talked about snd the way it showed the police are people too and domeyimes its hatd to do a difficult job.. it had some very powerful nessages such as you are not responsible for other peoples mistakes.
Highly recommended tgank you gor this 5 star listen. The narrator was perfect

[Michelle Godard-Richer · Rating 4 out of 5]

This slightly dark police procedural is driven equally by a fascinating main character named Captain Freya Sinclair with a complicated backstory, and an intricately woven and shocking plot. I loved the distinctive secondary characters including her fellow detectives Candy and Brad and also Esther, the woman who took her in as a teen when her parents abandoned her. I don't want to give away any of the plotting, but it's twisted and disturbing with red herrings a bound. A great read for fans of crime fiction and psychological thrillers.

[Kristina Anderson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the ARC (Advance Reader Copy) of Three Drowned Girls by Emily Shiner. This book was enjoyable with several twists and turns. There were interesting characters and some back story was provided to get to know the main character. This is a dark crime thriller because it involves children being killed. It was not overly graphic. I have read several books by this author and she did not disappoint. I am looking forward to reading the next one in the series. A 4 star rating. Give it a try.

[Mandy K · Rating 2 out of 5]

Three Drowned Girls (audio)
2.5⭐️

What a busy first day for Captain Freya at her hometown police department! A small quiet town suddenly has multiple reports of missing girls and drownings. At first it seems obvious that the girls reported missing would coincide with the girls found in the lake, but nothing is adding up.

I was enjoying most of the book, but 2 things pulled down the rating for me:
1. I was expecting more background information about Freya’s serial killer parents which was included in the synopsis. In reality, that wasn’t brought up until the 95% mark. The synopsis made it seem like it would be woven into the story telling, maybe past and present POVs-but this was not the case.
2. The reveal was hard to accept. If I take it solely on entertainment value, then it was fine/okay, but there’s no way the community and media would just be “meh” about girls being found dead and even more missing. And then as far as the person who was doing it…Someone would have said something. There’s no way everyone would pretend the way they did. It’s like it wanted to give cult feels, but it wasn’t strong enough to support that angle.

The writing was good. It had good flow. The narration was okay. I disliked the chief’s voice.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture Audio for providing this ARC. This review is being shared on NetGalley and Goodreads.

Pub Date 22 Apr 2024

[Ⓢ Ⓨ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Detective Freya Sinclair is desperate to get to the bottom of a case involving missing girls in her home town of Fawn Lake. Facing backlash from a previous investigation that went wrong, can she get the support she needs before anyone else gets murdered?

I loved Emily Shiner’s “The Wife in the Photo” and was looking forward to reading another of hers. Unfortunately, this one fell a bit short for me.
The pace was very slow and I felt disinterested at times.

There was a lot of build up surrounding what her parents did, which never really surmounted to anything and it was lacking in twists and turns.
I didn’t really warm to any of the characters and never really got behind Freya. I did like the camaraderie between her, Candy and Brad. Esther was sweet as well. I think I’d rather have read the story about Freya’s parents and how Esther came to take her in though.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for my advanced copy.

[Christine M in Texas (stamperlady50) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Three Drowned Girls
By: Emily Shiner

Detective Freya Sinclair’s parents were serial killers and she is determined to put monsters like her parents away.

When she returns home as an adult little girls are missing. Everyone is suspicious of her after all her parents were killers.

Freya is out to find who killed these girls. I had no idea how twisted this one would get! How do we evert really know our neighbors!

[Maddie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Three Drowned Girls starts with a really intense scene and it never loses its intensity. It's a crime thriller at its best. Really well written, clever plot, full of intrigue and constant tension, it never lets off.
The main character, detective Freya Sinclair, is such a great lead. She's somebody with traumatic, difficult past, trying to overcome people's prejudice and just get on with her job and create a stable, safe life for herself. She's strong yet vulnerable.
I really liked all the other characters too. Emily Shiner did a great job creating a cast of characters that complement the main lead really well whilst remaining fully pledged characters in their own right.
I really enjoyed the story. I loved the concept. I thought the story was executed really well. I couldn't put it down. The story is twisted and dark and complex yet very well-written and never confusing.
I loved it and can't wait to get my hands on second book featuring Freya Sinclair.





I want to thank NetGalley and Bookouture for my copy of the book.

[Kat (Katlovesbooks) Dietrich · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

Three Drowned Girls by Emily Shiner is the first in the Detective Freya Sinclair series.

First, let me thank NetGalley, the publisher Bookouture and of course the author, for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
 

Series Information: 
Captain Freya Sinclair became a detective in North Carolina, so that she could bring serial killers (like her parents) to justice. She has recently returned home to Fawn Lake to where it all began, and to Esther, who raised her as if she was her own.   It's been five years, but she's re-joining the town's police force. Freya's partner and old friend is Detective Candy Ettinger, and they get help from Officer Brad Williams.  The Coroner in town is Lance Jones.  Her boss is Chief Callahan.



My Synopsis:    (No major reveals, but if concerned, skip to My Opinions)
Freya has barely started her fist day back on the force in her home town, and she's thrust into a case.  The body of a young girl has been pulled from the river, but trying to identify her will prove to be difficult.  No one has been reported missing.

However, it isn't long before a different girl is reported missing by a distraught father.  Then another girl is found drowned.  But trying to find a connection between the girls, and even their identities continues to baffle Freya.  How could mothers not know their little girls are missing?

Meanwhile, the front window of Esther's bakery is smashed, and Freya is fairly certain that the town is targeting Esther because of Freya.



My Opinions:
First, I loved the characters, in particular Candy and Brad.  I am hoping their back-stories will be fleshed out a little more in future books.  Freya is a passionate and driven leader, and I think her team members will respond in kind.  However, I did not always like Freya.  I felt that as driven as she is, I also felt that some of her actions were bullying.  As well, she seems to be a rather angry driver, always speeding.  Her background was also a little sparse.

The actual plot was really good, and very different.  It was also a little dark. That was all fine, but sometimes I wondered about the police work, and evidence processing.  Bu that didn't detract from the actual storyline.

Overall, it was a fast and entertaining read.  This was a good start to the series, and I will be looking forward to the next in line.

 
For a more complete review of this book and others (including the reason I chose to read/review this book, as well as author information), please visit my blog: http://katlovesbooksblog.wordpress.com/

[Shauntelle (myglamorousreads) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have come to love Emily Shiner’s domestic thrillers, so I was excited to read this first crime thriller in her Detective Freya Sinclair series. This first book did not disappoint. Every chapter left me wanting more. I found myself really liking Freya, and enjoyed the small pieces dropped about her past. At some point in the series, I would love more details about her parents and their crimes.

The plot was fast paced, and the suspense building was intense. I was so invested in this story and what was going to happen. This was such a dark and twisted crime thriller. I devoured this in just a few hours. There were twists and surprises throughout, and some secrets that were revealed as time went on. There was a small, clique-like vibe in this book. So many secrets needed to be uncovered to prevent another death.

Even after the big reveal, I thought the book was over, but there was more drama and more secrets to be revealed. I am IMMEDIATELY jumping into book two.

Amelia Sciandra did a phenomenal job with the narration! A single narrarator that makes the audiobook seem like there was a full cast. She did a great job building suspense along with the plot, as well as effortlessly switching between characters.

Thank you NetGalley, Bookouture and Bookouture Audio for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

[Amber · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the first I’ve read by this author and will not be the last! This was insane and intense! I couldn’t put it down and finished it in one afternoon!! But it does have you wondering who is drinking the Kool-Aid!
Starting at the beginning of the book I was captivated by Freya's story. She made a mistake in a previous investigation resulting in her hurt in action and gained an unsavory attitude with the town. She then transferred to Texas and at the first chance she saw they were looking for a detective, she applied and got the job. On her first day back they found a deceased little girl in the water and then there were several other girls missing from the school as Freya and her partner are following all the leads she has a lot on her plate. She has to prove herself to the community, solve the cases of the missing girls, and find out what is happening in their community to all the girls while everyone gives her a hard time as she investigates. But once she finds out what's happening in her hometown, it is much more sinister than she ever imagined!
I was given the audiobook from Bookouture Audio and Netgalley to listen to and it was just an amazing treat! The narrarator fit the story and the characters, she was very engaging and kept my attention! Thank you for the opportunity and it is definitely a treat!

[Julie Rice · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't always like thrillers when told from the perspective of the police, but this one sure had me hooked. This was a dark ride. Detective Freya has moved back to her hometown after leaving five years prior due to a major screw up investigating a serial killer. We find out more details about as her new case unravels, day one on the job, when a little girl's body is pulled from the river. It soon transpires that several girls from town are missing. As Freya tries to find out what caused this and if the death and missing girls are linked, we learn more about why she left town, some of her traumatic past, a few minor side plots, and a lovely cast of supporting characters. It was obvious from the way the book was written there is going to be a sequel, and I can't wait to read it. The resolution of the book was seriously messed up, but I enjoyed how it all played out. The narration was also really good, and this was a great binge read.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

[Diary of a Reader · Rating 4 out of 5]

First in the series of Freya Sinclair novels. Captain Freya Sinclair has returned to her hometown and previous job just in time to notice a pattern of local little girls going missing. Her and her team are on the case to figure out what's happening to these missing girls and why.

This is my first Emily Shiner novel and I loved it. It's a great beginning to a series I will definitely continue. I enjoyed the character development of Freya and the little pieces of her past that were given throughout the book.

I look forward to reading the next in series.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Book.ishJulie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have been craving a "simple" type of thriller lately - one where it's just thrilling for entertainment value, with no ulterior motive or preaching (and honestly, no drugs). Emily Shiner answered my desires with The Drowned Girls, book one in the Detective Freya Sinclair series!

This story jumps right into the action with a disturbing prologue and doesn't let up for a minute! Detective Freya Sinclair is a strong female character, trying to overcome ghosts of her past as she relocates back to the town and police department she left a few years ago; her own secrets slowly unravel along side the mysterious drownings of the young girls, and it was addicting! I was hooked early on, and at 22% in, I simply had to know more about Freya's history, and I needed to know who was behind the killings!

Audiobook narrator Amelia Sciandra brought the book to life! The voice acting was superb, and each characters voice was very distinct! I found myself remembering which character was speaking more so on the voices used with narration than what my Kindle page told me!

I'll be starting One Liar Left, book two in the series, later this week, and I just can't wait to see what happens next in Fawn Lake!

Thank you NetGalley, Bookouture and Bookouture Audio for the complimentary copies to read and review.

[Kylie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Narrated by Amelia Sciandra ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Story by Emily Shiner ⭐⭐⭐
This is a solid start to hopefully a really good series. The author was definitely cleaver with giving the reader little pockets of information about Freya and her childhood. Please tell me that story is going to be happening because I'm all here for it.

As for the premise of this book, it was pretty good.

[Kiirstyannee.reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you so much Bookouture Audio & Emily Shiner for this gripping read.

I am totally obsessed with this series and after it finished I immediately requested the second.

From the very first chapter Shiner had a hold over me because of the way she wrote a protagonist I just cared so much about and a chilling case that I had to keep listening to until I found out who was responsible.

The case itself was just horrific and the author did an great job at approaching the topic without being too full on. There were so many secrets to be discovered and the author slowly unravels the mystery while creating suspense until the moment the truth comes out.

This is a brilliant mystery/police procedural that had all the culty vibes in a small town with secrets and so much history that it all felt so real.

The narrator was perfect for the role and I couldn't love her narration more. Holding out for the second book now because I need the next installation ASAP!

4.5/5

[readingismy_happy_place · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this, I’m a huge detective fan and I love when I just fall straight in love with the team I adored Freya and Candy. I loved getting to know them and can’t wait to find out more about them and the rest of the characters.
The crime was shocking and a little disturbing. I was hooked from the start. It was fasted paced gripping and intense.
This is a great start to a new detective/crime book and I’m excited for more the characters are well written and have interesting backgrounds especially Freya. It’s also a nice easy read it flowed lovely and kept me interested.

[Tini · Rating 2 out of 5]

Great characters, average mystery, frustrating police work.

The best thing about "Three Drowned Girls" is its characters, in particular its main protagonist, Detective Freya Sinclair, as well as her team and the woman who raised her. For that reason alone, I would consider picking up the second book in this series. I did, however, grow increasingly frustrated by the constant hints at Freya's traumatic past which was never fully explained; in fact, I feel like the book blurb told me more about it than the actual book itself. It would have worked better to have Freya's backstory fleshed out more, or left out altogether - it's perfectly okay to have a heroine who doesn't carry the weight of the world in the form of her own trauma on her shoulders.

The mystery itself, starting with the discovery of a drowned little girl on Freya's first day back to work in her hometown, is horrifying, but grows increasingly more implausible until it ends up in crazytown (and in such a small town, how many crazies can there be? And how many kids of the same age can go missing without anyone paying attention?). The story is also not quite what the blurb said it would be. For example, the white hair ribbon that is mentioned in the synopsis in particular is indeed found by Freya, but then never reappears in the story, and certainly not as an important clue or part of a soccer uniform, There are also, pretty much right from the start, more local girls missing than just Isa. I actually found myself wondering if I was reading an earlier version of the book at some point because of its deviation from what I had expected after reading the synopsis.

Finally, the police work / procedure in this book is just... questionable. Letting people touch photographs that were in evidence bags. Not carrying evidence bags when wandering through the woods looking for clues. Finding evidence (the white hair ribbon), yet never following up on it. Actually... never following up on a lot of things! There were so many loose ends in this, it made my head spin. Not processing a suspect, but letting them sit in an interrogation room *with their cell", before interviewing and processing them. And so on and so forth. On top of that, Freya went back and forth between frantically trying to do it all, not eating properly, and not sleeping - because, as numerous chapter endings remind the reader, she will not let these girls down- and then aimlessly wandering the woods for hours at a time looking for bright new ideas, or driving for more than an hour to another jurisdiction just to essentially turn around and head straight back, when local law enforcement could have done that job from the start.

All in all, I might give the series another shot because of the character development, but I was underwhelmed with the story as a whole.

TW for child abuse.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

"Three Drowned Girls" is slated to be published on April 22, 2024.

[Jo Lee · Rating 3 out of 5]

A brilliant start to a new detective series. Freya Sinclair is instantly likeable and relatable, back in her small town after fleeing the events that seen her family put behind bars. She’s barely back in her chair when the body of a child is discovered in the lake.
What unfolds is unthinkable and almost unbelievable, but small towns keep big secrets well don’t they?! The storyline was deeply disturbing and I’d have liked to have seen a trigger warning in the opening. However the title does pretty much speak for itself.

I enjoyed the side characters, Freya’s colleagues Candy and Brad, and can easily see enough of a back story for future books. As with Esther, a loveable light character who has been a mother figure to Freya.

There is much suggestion of what happened in Freya’s past to make her leave for Texas, I wouldn’t quite say too much, but enough that I double checked this was definitely the first in the series. Perhaps book 2 will give us the whole story?

I listened to the audiobook and really enjoyed the narration.

Thank you to Bookouture audio via NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to this audiobook in return for an honest review.

[Deanna Loves to Read!!:) · Rating 2 out of 5]

I received a free ARC and want to thank NetGalley and Bookouture. This is my honest review.

I really wanted to like this book. However, as I read it was not super engaging. The main character seems to drive frantically everywhere! She is kind and caring about the people around her, and has a traumatic past. The investigation is kind of sloppy, and Freya makes some silly decisions- for example, going investigating in the woods alone, The one thing that I really wanted to know was the story of her past and her parents. There were many nuggets dropped about what happened- but it was never truly revealed. This was frustrating because as we see Freya return to her hometown, the people there do not welcome her. If we knew the whole story about her parents, I might have connected to her more.

I am not sure if I will read the next installment. I would read a little, then put it down and remember much later that I still needed to finish it!

[Christina Faris (books_by_the_bottle) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to Emily Shiner, Bookouture and Netgalley for the ALC!

When Freya Sinclair was a young girl, she had no idea what her parents were hiding in their basement. Decades later, she returns to her hometown of Fawn Lake, now as a detective but some of the residents can’t separate her from her troubled family life. Shortly after Freya arrives, the body of a young girl is found in the river. Before Freya even can identify her, another girl goes missing. Then a third is found drowned. Two drowned girls, one missing…can Freya find her before it’s too late?

I love a good police procedural! It was cool getting to be in Freya’s head as she tried to get to the bottom of things and find the missing girls. The pacing was just right, and the story flowed easily from one event to the next. I do wish there was more background included on Freya’s childhood and parents, since it shaped so much of her life and the way she did things, but since this is the first in a series I’m hoping we can see a bit more in future books? Narrated by Amelia Scianra, “Three Drowned Girls” was fabulous on audio!

This review will be shared to my instagram blog (@books_by_the_bottle) shortly :)

[Kristin Capo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this thriller! Didn’t guess the killer even once. A lot of people to keep track of but all tie in. This book had me worked up but that’s what made it good! Excited to read the next one by her.

[Summer Bendle · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed the audio book. The narrator did a wonderful job using different voices to portray the different characters. The overall story was ok. I liked the main character, however, I have a hard time wrapping my head around an unbelievable plot. I just don’t understand how, in a small town, mothers would act the way they did.

[Megan · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5-
Young girls are being found, drowned in the water and other girls are missing. Once the investigation is underway, a common denominator is found. The parents of these girls are acting strangely and school officials are cagey too. What’s happening to these girls and where are the missing ones?

Positives:
1.) I really enjoyed the narrator.
2.) I really couldn’t guess what was going on before it unfolded.

Negatives:
1.) I had a hard time believing that the situation wouldn’t have garnered more press or hysteria by the public.
2.) The storyline got a bit crazy at the end there. It was a tad unrealistic.
3.) I had trouble keeping up with the different characters.

Overall, it’s an audiobook worth listening to and will keep you guessing throughout.

Thank you to the author, NetGalley, and Bookouture Audio for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Laurynn East · Rating 4 out of 5]

First, I would like to thank NetGalley and Bookouture for the ARC, in exchange for an honest review!

Let me start off by saying that I loveeeee a good detective thriller. The only thing I disliked was the amount of characters, as I felt it was a bit hard to keep up with. I loved the way it was written, and the characters were likable. Freya and Candy make an incredible team, and their chemistry when working together is unmatched. This book had me hooked pretty early on, and kept me on the edge of my seat, and turning pages. Along with the likable characters, and suspense, it had a great plot. Overall, a fantastic read and will definitely be reading the sequel.

[Melinda Jordan · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC, this review is of my own opinion.

I loved the premise of the book. Freya is a detective who parents were serial killers. You learn that she was the one to make their arrest. She left her hometown following their arrest, but is now back 5 years later. Little girls are going missing and a couple have been found dead in water.

While I was hooked by the concept, the writing left me wanting. On multiple occasions (twice on one page), the MC is driving and it’s described as “eating up the road”. Esther, Freya’s stand-in mom, is described as an “old woman” several times as if we needed to be reminded she’s aging. And what really got to me was the number of chapters that ended with just 3-5 word sentences trying to build suspense.

I did enjoy the characters and really want to learn more about them. I’m on the fence as to whether I’ll give the series, and author, another chance.