The Lost Girls: Get it Started / After Hours / Last Call

The Party Room #1-3

by Morgan Burke, Peter Lerangis

The beautiful and privileged girls of Manhattan’s Upper East Side are being hunted one by one in this thrilling trilogy.

They were beautiful girls. Popular. Rich…Lost.

The first girl to go missing was found dead years ago. But they caught the killer—the killer from Talcott Prep. The same school Kristen and her friends attend when they’re not busy partying at the local hot spot.

There, the past is forgotten. But after Kristin’s best friend, Sam, leaves with a mysterious stranger, she’s found days later…dead.

A copycat killing of the murder from years before, Sam’s death is only the beginning when a number of girls begin to go missing.

And as the death toll rises, Kristen wonders if the killer will ever be caught. Or will she be next?

The three works in this edition were previously published with the author pseudonym Morgan Burke.

Genres: Young Adult, Fiction, Mystery

624 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 2015

Reviews

[J. Taylor · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5
I called the killer from way back but it was a enjoyable ride even knowing and I didn't guess the reasons so. But so, so obvious. And my, was the lead stupid.

[gabby jocelyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would’ve loved to give this book a 5, except the first 300 pages felt like it was moving very slow. After that it became very easy and became a very good read!!

[Stephanie ((Strazzybooks)) · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5? 3? I don't know. This was a quick and fun read, though predictable. Someone begins killing off Kristin's group of friends in the Upper East Side and Kristin is next to be hunted. It was like a lesser Gossip Girl with a murderous twist, but I definitely would have enjoyed it more if the main character weren't so damn stupid. I did like the little bits of New York and that the teenagers/young adults in this book seemed older than some other YA thrillers I've read. Maybe check it out if you enjoy YA thrillers or need a beach read.

[Kaia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm the beginning this book was really good! I didn't want to put this book down but when I got the middle of the book I was thinking about giving it up. I'm so glad I didn't though! This book was really good. I believed the author each time a different murder was brought into the picture and was shocked by the outcome of this story.

[Mariah Goode · Rating 1 out of 5]

This "trilogy" (it's really just one long story broken into three parts) is absolutely awful, although I did read all of it just to see how the story ended. Mercifully quick reads - one evening each. The writing is bad, the female characters are ridiculous, the story is ridiculous, and I guessed the murderer early on in the first part of the story.

[Samantha Jolicoeur · Rating 1 out of 5]

How is this averaging at 4 stars?????

[cassidy · Rating 1 out of 5]

i read this a long long time ago and I don't even remember the story but I DO know I hated it terribly, I read this when I was a kid and it feels like it's been my lifelong enemy 🩷

[Willow · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's the type of book that you can spend reading into the night (and sometimes into the early morning). the author captures the reader from the very beginning and throws so many plot twists that leave you speechless. it's one of the first mystery/thrillers I've read and wow has it changed my perspective on them.

[Whitney Lowe · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was so amazing!

[Evelyn Mulry · Rating 2 out of 5]

Gonna flag this as possibly containing spoilers:

I picked this book up thinking it would be an interesting mystery, but honestly it was pretty terrible. It was boring at best and infuriating at worst. I think this book would probably do better with younger readers than me, which is why I'm not giving it one star. But it still was pretty boring IMO.

1. The protagonist is almost unbelievably stupid. I mean, stupid beyond reason. Even after the brutal murder of her best friend, she continues to go out in the dead of night by herself to party and to get as intoxicated as possible, AND meet up with the prime murder suspect. It's almost the same feeling as watching stupid characters in horror films. Being a little dumb or naive is a decent way to drive conflict, but being too dumb just makes me want to throw the book away.

2. I called the killer SO early. The misdirection is so ham-fisted and poorly handled that it was very easy to tell who it was. The book constantly tries to shove violent, asshole characters in your face to get you to believe it might be them, but it really doesn't succeed.

3. None of these characters were likeable at all to me. I get that it's a story about rich brats from NYC but... aren't we supposed to root for the protagonist/her peers even a little? I genuinely couldn't care about them because they felt so fake.

4. Dialogue was so annoying to read. These characters just feel like exaggerated caricatures. Also, the protagonist screaming out loud basically every thought she has started to really annoy me.

Overall if you arent looking for something very deep/engaging, this is for you. I could totally see someone casually reading this when theres nothing else around and being mildly entertained. I just feel like a mystery needs to be a lot more compelling and thrilling than what this book is.

[Alyssa · Rating 4 out of 5]

✨3.5 stars rounded up✨
Definitely a 3-star book starting out. I had figured out who the murderer was about halfway into “Get It Started” and the overuse of the word “said” as well as the occasional misspelling of character names bothered me throughout, but it was always a decent enough book that I finished it within 5 days. The New York high society aspect was cool, even if I do feel that the lives of Kirsten and her friends are a little unrealistic even in the context of their social circle, and the exploration of how the ultra-wealthy handle social issues such as drug addiction and security are interesting. What ultimately redeemed it for me was that it was somewhat of an exploration of class struggle, where the wealthy could commit horrible crimes that would send lesser mortals to prison or down a path of certain destruction with less than a slap on the wrist while the working class characters, while few and far between, ultimately all perished-either as collateral damage (Lauren), through devolution and suicide as a result of pain following prolonged, intense contact with the ultra wealthy (Chloe Pepper, Scott), or as a result of normal (in the context of the novel), risk-taking teenage behavior for which other, ultra-wealthy characters suffer little to no consequence (Gina). Scott’s murders, while wrong and morally reprehensible, had an added layer in that they flipped the script by bringing ultra-wealthy characters whose consistent actions were similar to Gina’s on the night of her murder to similar ends as Gina, and his Anna-Karenina-esque death was an interesting symbol of the loss of oneself following the pain of lost love.

[Autumn · Rating 3 out of 5]

actual rating 2.5 stars

I honestly hate rating books less than 4 stars but this was extremely disappointing. I guessed who the killer was about 300-400 pages in, and the book is about 620 pages long. I have never guessed who the murderer is in any of the murder books i have read.... it was way too obvious in the middle of the book who the killer was.. The general plot of the book is pretty good, and I never got bored of it, hense the ok rating..

I would recommend this book if you don't try to guess who the killer is because it was honestly a good book I just really wish it was more plot-twist orientated and had a little more action in it. The ending of the book was very "had me on the edge of my seat" and there were a few other parts that did as well but I wish there was more than just those few times.

[Trinity Rutledge · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a reread for me because I remember loving it when I read it in the eighth grade... I honestly should have kept it in my memory since reading it now made me not like it as much. This is definitely geared towards a YA audience.

Although I knew who the killer was now, the whole storytelling was not great. I do appreciate, however, that this is probably similar to how a teenager would think in these situations. Kirsten is not the smartest bulb in the box and is way too trustworthy of people, but again, she's a teenager. The ending did feel a bit rushed, and at times it felt as if the story was going all over the place. This book also feels very Gossip Girl core, which I kind of liked because I loved the show.

The rating I gave was a 3, but I'd probably give it a 2.5.

[Catherine · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is a gossip girl wannabe.....I’ll never be so happy to not read or hear the phrase “upper east side again” we get it you’re a privileged ass child with adult access to all the worst things for you. BYE. I don’t understand the Brandon guy outright attacking sams friend either. He grabs her twice and it’s just ridiculous on top of the girls already. Come on a fucking bar??? And you let her leave with some guy? And some girl wants to be her? It’s all creepy af and not remotely interesting enough for me to sift through in order to find out what happens to Sam. DNF.

[Trinity · Rating 5 out of 5]

I gotta say, I was super surprised! I mean I didn't even once think it would be Scott! The hot bartender who was like a big brother turned liver to Kirsten! I just kept thinking, "okay well obviously it's not Kyle", because the author kept turning in that direction and then when Richard Stone,(Jan), came into the picture I just jumped to him being the murderer because he was so weird and too suspicious with all his photography and etc. But then at the end when he said it was someone Kirsten knew I was like,"Oh shoot it's gonna be Julie." And PLOT TWIST ITS SCOTT! I loved this book, it kept me on my toes! I hope to find more like this cause I can't get it out of my head.:)

[Mush · Rating 4 out of 5]

Only took me a day and half to read it(only like 8 hours or so together). I couldn't put it down. I knew who the killer was but the more I read the more I second guessed myself. I did enjoy it for sure. But I did guess right on the killer. haha, i just had to finish it to prove to myself i was right about it.

[Megan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was kind of an addiction for me. I could not call who the murderer was, granted I read this several years ago and cannot remember all the details, but I remember being obsessed with this book. I was confused at first, but I will definitely be rereading this book soon.

[Felichia Pemberton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Everyone is saying that they suspected the killer from the beginning… however, I did not! Great read. Very long but kept me pulled in from the start. The author actually mentioned my home town “Great Neck” in the book! 5 stars!

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book makes you keep reading it. There are twists and turns in almost every chapter. I would HIGHLY recommend!

[Alysha · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was very good one of my favorite books.

[Megan Andrews · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was a very good read, some of it was a bit long and unnecessary for my taste but overall I enjoyed it and would recommend

[Yasmin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Je te jure je suis trop intelligente, je le savais depuis le début que c’était lui, mais même si je savais que c’était lui la fin était quand même choquante.😎

[Avriana Lewis · Rating 3 out of 5]

The switching chapters between the killer and main character perspectives adds something to the book that was severely needed.

[Lexi Fugate · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. I never expected the murder to be who it is. I was so shocked. But it was amazing. It all made since when they told us who it was. It all led out.

[Naomi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun and easy read. Mindless, predictable entertainment. Perfect for a quick escape.

[Tanisha Belohlavek · Rating 5 out of 5]

I kind of had a few theories on who the killer was, but I was constantly surprised by the new information & the twists that the author had! Soooo good.

[Haleigh Reese · Rating 5 out of 5]

I normally don’t like thrillers or mystery books, but I could not put this book down. So many twists that I didn’t see coming

[Maddie · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5!

[Maddie Cognasso]

This was a great book. I enjoyed the unique chapters and loved the suspense. The book had me intrigued until the end.

[Jpwesley · Rating 4 out of 5]

I won a copy of The Lost Girls from Goodreads, and I was excited to begin reading this book. It took me longer than normal to read it than most books. Mainly because it isn’t a genre I lean towards. However, during my reading I found that once I picked it back up and started again… each time was harder to put down.

The characters were interesting and I loved some, hated some, and cheered a few on. I had my suspicions about who it was throughout the reading process, my mind was changed a bit here and there allowing me to have suspense for the duration of the read. Yet, in the end I was able to have that... I knew it satisfaction!! It was a lot of fun to read, and a great casual book to get into if you have the time or looking to go outside your genre! It is quite long, but it was very entertaining! I would definitely recommend this book for others!