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Nowhere Girl
"The day Savannah was killed she was fifteen minutes late to meet me." So begins bookseller favorite Susan Strecker's second novel of twin sisters and the murder that left one twin behind.
Savannah was the popular bad girl skipping school and moving quickly from one boyfriend to the next, so when she didn't meet Cady as promised, Cady wasn't surprised and the truth was Cady was already a bit mad at her. When Cady suddenly becomes short of breath she realizes Savannah is in trouble, but within minutes Savannah is gone.
Years later Cady, now a bestselling author of suspense, spends her time interviewing killers, hoping each interview will help her understand what happened to her sister. Despite Savannah's death, the bond Savannah and Cady share has never been broken. Savannah still comes to Cady, but the clues her sister sends don't add up until a chance encounter while researching her latest novel provides a missing piece of the puzzle.
Savannah was the popular bad girl skipping school and moving quickly from one boyfriend to the next, so when she didn't meet Cady as promised, Cady wasn't surprised and the truth was Cady was already a bit mad at her. When Cady suddenly becomes short of breath she realizes Savannah is in trouble, but within minutes Savannah is gone.
Years later Cady, now a bestselling author of suspense, spends her time interviewing killers, hoping each interview will help her understand what happened to her sister. Despite Savannah's death, the bond Savannah and Cady share has never been broken. Savannah still comes to Cady, but the clues her sister sends don't add up until a chance encounter while researching her latest novel provides a missing piece of the puzzle.
295 pages, Hardcover
First published March 1, 2016
17 people are currently reading
2152 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 153 reviews
February 3, 2016
For the first 60% or so of this book, I legitimately wasn't sure what to think. It wasn't riveting that your normal murder mystery...and yet there was something about it that made me have to know more about the journeys of these characters.
Nowhere Girl tells of a notorious writer who finds herself writing simply as a means of getting over her sister's brutal murder. She feels a connection to her still, as an identical twin, and for some reason is under the impression that ultimately her writing will lead her to the killer. It's a fascinating story that constantly has you both guessing and feeling like you can never quite pinpoint what's going to happen. At some point in reading, I think I had personally accused each and every character of being the murderer.
But I have to say, I honestly did NOT see the ending. I've read where others thought it was a bit predictable, but it has a really interesting twist that really made the story worthwhile. If you're looking for a mystery that is unlike anything you've read before, this is one I highly recommend.
My Rating: 4 Stars
Would I recommend?: Yes, if only because it was so interesting of an ending.
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Nowhere Girl tells of a notorious writer who finds herself writing simply as a means of getting over her sister's brutal murder. She feels a connection to her still, as an identical twin, and for some reason is under the impression that ultimately her writing will lead her to the killer. It's a fascinating story that constantly has you both guessing and feeling like you can never quite pinpoint what's going to happen. At some point in reading, I think I had personally accused each and every character of being the murderer.
But I have to say, I honestly did NOT see the ending. I've read where others thought it was a bit predictable, but it has a really interesting twist that really made the story worthwhile. If you're looking for a mystery that is unlike anything you've read before, this is one I highly recommend.
My Rating: 4 Stars
Would I recommend?: Yes, if only because it was so interesting of an ending.
I was provided with a free copy of this book in order to conduct this review.
WEBSITE | TWITTER | FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM
March 7, 2016
Sometimes there are little dings in a plot that don't quite ring true, or seem unnatural or contrived and that will ruin a story for me. This book had a few of those but I still really liked it, found it intriguing. One of the reasons was Cady, who after losing her twin to a suspected murder that was never solved, grows up to write mystery novels about serial killers. Loved her close knot group of friend, that includes her brother as well. Cady seems so real, well except that her closeness to her twin has left her with dreams, dreams in which she feel Savannah is trying to guide her to understanding her death. a boy she had a crush on in school make an appearance, she dwells on her weight, her slight chubbiness, and is having problems in her marriage. A little Silence of the Lambs makes an appearance, when under the guise of research for a new novel, she interviews an incarcerated serial killer.
The ending was a bit tidy but all on all I found this a compelling and intriguing read.
ARC from Netgalley.
The ending was a bit tidy but all on all I found this a compelling and intriguing read.
ARC from Netgalley.
September 3, 2019
I’m delving into past books on my pile now and again and chose this one.
I liked it. I didn’t love it as it had some pretty niggling things in here that irritated me, but, after saying that it wasn’t enough to stop me liking it.
The plot was good but predictable.
I wish the publishers would market books accordingly as sometimes they stamp a book “thriller” when it’s more like a mystery suspense, which this was.
November 4, 2015
After the death of her twin sister, Savannah, Cady never really grew up. She wanted to know what happened and who killed her. The questions plagued her for years. Now, sixteen years later, Cady writes murder books and she's a married woman. She wants to investigate what happened to her sister so she decides to meet with criminals in a prison for an interview. There she meets an old crush, Brady, who is a corrections officer.
I had some difficulty with this book; I didn't like Cady's husband, I guessed who the killer was more than once, I guessed how Savannah died (and I was right!), and that ending was a major let down. This story is written so nicely that I was invested in it but then I flipped the last page and I was left feeling less than satisfied.
If you're a fan of crime and mystery, I highly recommend this book.
Complimentary copy provided by the author/publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review
I had some difficulty with this book; I didn't like Cady's husband, I guessed who the killer was more than once, I guessed how Savannah died (and I was right!), and that ending was a major let down. This story is written so nicely that I was invested in it but then I flipped the last page and I was left feeling less than satisfied.
If you're a fan of crime and mystery, I highly recommend this book.
Complimentary copy provided by the author/publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review
September 10, 2015
www.melissa413readsalot.blogspot.com
This sounded liked a really good book and I'm sure plenty of people will love it, but I just liked it. I didn't hate it and I didn't love it.
Cady's twin sister Savannah was killed when they were teenagers. They never found the person who did it. Now Cady is older, married to Greg, and a writer of murder books.
Cady had a really hard time growing up after Savannah's murder and tried some really bad things herself.
Now, she is trying to write another book and wants to interview a murderer in prison. She says this is for the book, but she has other reasons. Cady had a sort of sixth sense when it came to Savannah and she felt her when she was dying, she feels like she's still with her trying to give her messages.
There are certain parts of the book I just didn't care for, Cady's husband is a jerk and it goes on and on with him. In my opinion he needed to be kicked out of the scene way before he was.
Cady's parents and her brother David never got over the murder and other things either. They never really talked about it. The parents moved away but David stayed there with Cady.
Cady's search brings her back to an old high school crush named Brady that is actually working at the prison. They got pretty close in the book and he was going to help her get an interview inside the prison.
It did not end in no way I thought it would. It was a big let down to me, I already had different scenarios picked out, but it was just not anything like that. I kind of felt like someone else in the book when they found out about the murder. They felt like it was a whole waste of time.
You will just have to read the book for yourself and make your own decisions.
*I would like to thank NETGALLEY and ST. MARTIN'S PRESS for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for my honest review.*
This sounded liked a really good book and I'm sure plenty of people will love it, but I just liked it. I didn't hate it and I didn't love it.
Cady's twin sister Savannah was killed when they were teenagers. They never found the person who did it. Now Cady is older, married to Greg, and a writer of murder books.
Cady had a really hard time growing up after Savannah's murder and tried some really bad things herself.
Now, she is trying to write another book and wants to interview a murderer in prison. She says this is for the book, but she has other reasons. Cady had a sort of sixth sense when it came to Savannah and she felt her when she was dying, she feels like she's still with her trying to give her messages.
There are certain parts of the book I just didn't care for, Cady's husband is a jerk and it goes on and on with him. In my opinion he needed to be kicked out of the scene way before he was.
Cady's parents and her brother David never got over the murder and other things either. They never really talked about it. The parents moved away but David stayed there with Cady.
Cady's search brings her back to an old high school crush named Brady that is actually working at the prison. They got pretty close in the book and he was going to help her get an interview inside the prison.
It did not end in no way I thought it would. It was a big let down to me, I already had different scenarios picked out, but it was just not anything like that. I kind of felt like someone else in the book when they found out about the murder. They felt like it was a whole waste of time.
You will just have to read the book for yourself and make your own decisions.
*I would like to thank NETGALLEY and ST. MARTIN'S PRESS for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for my honest review.*
December 11, 2015
I won an advanced copy of this book from a Goodreads giveaway. I had no expectations but was pleasantly surprised.
I really enjoyed reading this book about a young girl whose twin sister is murdered. The characters in the book were really easy to like and I actually read this in one sitting since I was so engaged with the writing.
The author brings a great personality to the characters that I enjoyed.
The book didn't end like I thought it would but it was a nice little twist at the end.
All in all a pleasant read.
I really enjoyed reading this book about a young girl whose twin sister is murdered. The characters in the book were really easy to like and I actually read this in one sitting since I was so engaged with the writing.
The author brings a great personality to the characters that I enjoyed.
The book didn't end like I thought it would but it was a nice little twist at the end.
All in all a pleasant read.
March 15, 2016
I honestly feel terrible giving low reviews. This book had so much going for it, but didn't work out for me in the end.
I enjoyed the story, however the reveal was extremely predictable and the climax and ending fell flat for me. I think if this wasn't presented as a mystery, the journey of the story would have been more interesting.
I enjoyed the story, however the reveal was extremely predictable and the climax and ending fell flat for me. I think if this wasn't presented as a mystery, the journey of the story would have been more interesting.
March 1, 2016
Link to my blog: http://thecostaricanreader.blogspot.c...
A mystery that involves twin sisters where one of them is murdered and the other one finds writing as a way to cope, to get over her death, a way to try to find answers on what happened. Basically that is the premise of this book, not a complicated one at first sight but one that when you read the book you can see the complexity of the situation and how hard is it for Cady to deal with it. Nowhere Girl follows the story of Savannah and Cady Martino and how one day Savannah was supposed to meet Cady and she never made it. Savannah was murdered and years later after becoming a famous Author Cady still searchs for answers on what happened to her sister.
I like how the story is told. I like how the characters are not perfect by any means which make them human. I like how even thought it was a little predictable but it kept interested enough to continue reading and knowing the characters and their journey through the story. A very different mystery from all the other I have read and one I totally recommend.
Thank you St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for providing a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
A mystery that involves twin sisters where one of them is murdered and the other one finds writing as a way to cope, to get over her death, a way to try to find answers on what happened. Basically that is the premise of this book, not a complicated one at first sight but one that when you read the book you can see the complexity of the situation and how hard is it for Cady to deal with it. Nowhere Girl follows the story of Savannah and Cady Martino and how one day Savannah was supposed to meet Cady and she never made it. Savannah was murdered and years later after becoming a famous Author Cady still searchs for answers on what happened to her sister.
I like how the story is told. I like how the characters are not perfect by any means which make them human. I like how even thought it was a little predictable but it kept interested enough to continue reading and knowing the characters and their journey through the story. A very different mystery from all the other I have read and one I totally recommend.
Thank you St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for providing a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
December 5, 2016
A special thank you to St. Martin's Press/Thomas Dunne and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Cover Love.
Top 50 Books of 2016!
Susan Strecker returns following her dynamic debut, Night Blindness, with another family in crisis. NOWHERE GIRL, a riveting and distinctive mix of contemporary, young and new adult, wit, mystery, psychological, crime, sex, and domestic family suspense.
"Where nothing is ever as it seems."
Beyond the novel’s taut suspense and subtle characterization, Strecker’s vivid prose, unique structure, and unexpected twists, provides an additional pleasure. Fans of Jodi Picoult, Amy Hatvany, Diane Chamberlain, T. Greenwood, and Carla Buckley will enjoy the complexity and highly charged emotional topics.
“All my life I’d remember that moment. But it was only in my thirty-third year that Savannah decided to finally return to save my life by leading me to her killer.”
It had been 5,914 days since she had been gone.
Candace (Cady) was the twin sister of Savannah. Growing up in Kingswood, her sister was the beautiful, sexy, charismatic, and promiscuous one; always having her twin to cover for her. Sneaking out of the house, getting high, and having sex since age fourteen. She was the popular one with older, cooler friends; secret boy crushes. However, Cady was protective of her sister, she loved her. Did she tell her all her secrets?
As the book opens, we go back sixteen years, (1998) when Savannah does not show up to meet her twin, Cady. As twins often do, she knows the minute of her death--she knows her sister is in trouble, but afraid it is too late. She felt the tightness in her chest, as if she were choking and could not breathe—immediately calling 911 for help, even though she was unsure where her sister could be. Her sister died of affixation.
Flash forward, to 2015, after her sister’s murder; meet Cady, present day. She has never gotten over her sister’s death. The murder has not been solved. Their family has been ripped apart. Her brother David has all sort of issues, from his job, low self-confidence, depression to his failing marriage. Her parents sold their family home and moved to St. Augustine, FL (nice place) to escape their trauma. Their family does not communicate or discuss Savannah’s death. It was a topic they had all tried to put behind them. Each person has handled their grief in a different way.
Cady, still has dreams—nightmares and feels Savannah is trying to speak to her about her killer. Maybe she is leading her. She sees a prison. She never gives her clear clues—possibly she is trying to help her deal with her death. Cady has never forgiven herself; could she have done something to prevent this from happening?
There was an investigation, and nothing turned up, winding up in cold cases in a basement. No more city money. They tried to blame it on some serial killer; versus looking at people who may be in their own town, looking like a normal person. She had no one to blame—nowhere to direct her anger.
Cady Martino Bernard, a Princeton graduate, now a successful novelist, of dark mysteries and thrillers as a way to escape her grief—is married to Greg, a psychologist. Instead of letting the memory of her sister, drown her, she would write.
Their marriage has deteriorated to roommate status. After many unsuccessful attempts at trying to conceive, and miscarriages; they have grown further apart. They have nothing in common—he enjoys her money, their nice big home (she does not like), social status, golf, art, culture, imported cheeses, and expensive wines. He does not support her writing. He resents her money; however, enjoys the fruits of her labor. She suspects he is having an affair with his receptionist, and she really does not care. She has her writing and her friends. He stays with her because she is safe. She stays with him because she is fat and feels she cannot do any better.
She now is working on a new novel—with an approaching deadline, she wants to get an inside interview with an inmate at the prison--a killer's head--one of the evilest serial killers to help with her book--she needs a fresh approach.
In the meantime, she has her group of close friends. Each week her best friend Gabby (from high school), David, her brother, Chandler and his gay partner, and their little girl (occasionally)-- They cook, drink wine, play games and a great support network for one another. A weekly ritual. Greg never attends. None of her friends like him and the feeling is mutual.
Cady is struggling with her fifth book. Devils and Dust and wants to tell her editor to forget it. She does not have it in her. Since the death of her beautiful, sexy sister, she decided to remain fat. This way, the same thing would not happen to her. She has low self-esteem. The dark writing helps. as a means to express her grief.
Long ago--A year after her sister’s death, she no longer wanted to live. Some lunatic was out there who took away her sister. Through her rough years of cutting herself, and trying to commit suicide herself to dull the pain, she finally decided she could not put her parents though another lost child. Could her sister have saved her back then? She has to help her now, find the murderer.
She escapes in her writing. Between the characters in her book and her current life, she has craved being alone, as for why she turned down writing groups, and teaching workshops. After many denied requests for prison interviews, she decides to show up and maybe she can get in…possibly Savannah would make a way.
No luck, shut down, "inmates don't give interviews," the warden had told her. "They're convicts, not movie stars."
As she is leaving the prison, she is on her way back to the car when she meets Brady Irons. A high school hottie, Cady always crushed on back in high school. Sexy James Dean looks back then—good-looking and sexy as ever, he is now a corrections officer at the prison. She asks for his help. He seems to be genuine and involved in a lot of tutoring, volunteering, and community work. This may be her answer.
Cady believed if she wrote enough, did enough research, interviewed enough perps, and victims, got inside their minds of murderers, went back again and again to that day, she might actually find Savannah’s killer. She would never give up. Cady cannot believe she has laid eyes on Brady at South Jersey Pen! She cannot wait to tell her friends. He evidently left town years ago and moved back. He is dating someone; however, Cady is excited about a possible new friend, and a chance to get into the prison and interviewing one of the worst serial killers, Larry Cauchek.
She gets the interview and cannot believe the murderer, looks like a regular good-looking guy on Wall Street. He is manipulative, evil, and chilling. (great job with this character). Could someone like this have been behind the murder of her sister? A devil in disguise? He is getting in side her head.
She begins thinking more and more of Brady and invites him to her weekly dinners. They grow close; however, she feels Brady is hiding something and has a psycho-girlfriend.
In the meantime, between her weekly dinners, her friends, her new attraction to Brady, her novel, her husband (who never gives her quiet time to write), marriage counseling, and the serial killer at the prison haunting her, she is contacted by Patrick, the detective on the case when her sister died. There was some politics involved, and now some of the key players are forced into retirement. Patrick always felt there was more to the case; however, at the time he was told to back off.
Now with the case being re-opened, Cady is actively involved, and returns to storage to give review Savannah’s things, the list of attendees at the funeral, and her high school yearbook. Patrick Tunney thinks the way she was killed, it had to be someone close to her. The murder was in an old abandoned mansion, where a lot of the teens went to party, have sex, and get high. Numerous fingerprints. Why and Who?
Another odd factor, she and her sisters had matching necklaces they had never removed since birth, except to get longer chains as they had gotten older. The chain was missing at her sister’s murder. The killer had it.
Flashing back and forth from the past to present, Strecker slowly hands out emotional tidbits of each character, with Cady the center of focus. While thinking about Brady, and becoming close to Patrick, she begins suspecting everyone. Will she ever be free of the hold of her sister’s death? Will the dreams lead her to what really happened that night so long ago?
With many clues, just when you think you know the identity of the killer, the suspicions moves to another. This is one you do NOT see coming! A Twist - Wow…. Readers will enjoy the flawed characters, their complex, and intense relationships.
A well-written, engrossing, finding your way back from tragedy to second chances. Forgiveness and redemption. What it means to be a survivor, when the person you love has gone. Survivor guilt. The what ifs? The unknowns, which haunt love ones for years.
The structure is brilliant. Slow-burning. Not a fast paced thriller; however, it is more of an intriguing psychological tale, of the way one person’s decision can suddenly recast more than one person’s life. An excellent choice for young adults--Actions, Choices--can lead to deadly consequences carrying over to others, in so many ways.
On a fun note, for fans of FRIENDS and in honor of the upcoming reunion show--readers will enjoy the adult’s witty gathering for the weekly dinners with an array of eccentric characters. An excellent choice for book clubs and further discussions.
If you have not read Strecker’s previous book, Night Blindness - highly recommend, as well as Nowhere Girl. Both books have common themes- emotional choices we make, the sanctity of friendship, and the power of love and forgiveness.
JDCMustReadBooks
Top 50 Books of 2016!
Susan Strecker returns following her dynamic debut, Night Blindness, with another family in crisis. NOWHERE GIRL, a riveting and distinctive mix of contemporary, young and new adult, wit, mystery, psychological, crime, sex, and domestic family suspense.
"Where nothing is ever as it seems."
Beyond the novel’s taut suspense and subtle characterization, Strecker’s vivid prose, unique structure, and unexpected twists, provides an additional pleasure. Fans of Jodi Picoult, Amy Hatvany, Diane Chamberlain, T. Greenwood, and Carla Buckley will enjoy the complexity and highly charged emotional topics.
“All my life I’d remember that moment. But it was only in my thirty-third year that Savannah decided to finally return to save my life by leading me to her killer.”
It had been 5,914 days since she had been gone.
Candace (Cady) was the twin sister of Savannah. Growing up in Kingswood, her sister was the beautiful, sexy, charismatic, and promiscuous one; always having her twin to cover for her. Sneaking out of the house, getting high, and having sex since age fourteen. She was the popular one with older, cooler friends; secret boy crushes. However, Cady was protective of her sister, she loved her. Did she tell her all her secrets?
As the book opens, we go back sixteen years, (1998) when Savannah does not show up to meet her twin, Cady. As twins often do, she knows the minute of her death--she knows her sister is in trouble, but afraid it is too late. She felt the tightness in her chest, as if she were choking and could not breathe—immediately calling 911 for help, even though she was unsure where her sister could be. Her sister died of affixation.
Flash forward, to 2015, after her sister’s murder; meet Cady, present day. She has never gotten over her sister’s death. The murder has not been solved. Their family has been ripped apart. Her brother David has all sort of issues, from his job, low self-confidence, depression to his failing marriage. Her parents sold their family home and moved to St. Augustine, FL (nice place) to escape their trauma. Their family does not communicate or discuss Savannah’s death. It was a topic they had all tried to put behind them. Each person has handled their grief in a different way.
Cady, still has dreams—nightmares and feels Savannah is trying to speak to her about her killer. Maybe she is leading her. She sees a prison. She never gives her clear clues—possibly she is trying to help her deal with her death. Cady has never forgiven herself; could she have done something to prevent this from happening?
There was an investigation, and nothing turned up, winding up in cold cases in a basement. No more city money. They tried to blame it on some serial killer; versus looking at people who may be in their own town, looking like a normal person. She had no one to blame—nowhere to direct her anger.
Cady Martino Bernard, a Princeton graduate, now a successful novelist, of dark mysteries and thrillers as a way to escape her grief—is married to Greg, a psychologist. Instead of letting the memory of her sister, drown her, she would write.
Their marriage has deteriorated to roommate status. After many unsuccessful attempts at trying to conceive, and miscarriages; they have grown further apart. They have nothing in common—he enjoys her money, their nice big home (she does not like), social status, golf, art, culture, imported cheeses, and expensive wines. He does not support her writing. He resents her money; however, enjoys the fruits of her labor. She suspects he is having an affair with his receptionist, and she really does not care. She has her writing and her friends. He stays with her because she is safe. She stays with him because she is fat and feels she cannot do any better.
She now is working on a new novel—with an approaching deadline, she wants to get an inside interview with an inmate at the prison--a killer's head--one of the evilest serial killers to help with her book--she needs a fresh approach.
In the meantime, she has her group of close friends. Each week her best friend Gabby (from high school), David, her brother, Chandler and his gay partner, and their little girl (occasionally)-- They cook, drink wine, play games and a great support network for one another. A weekly ritual. Greg never attends. None of her friends like him and the feeling is mutual.
Cady is struggling with her fifth book. Devils and Dust and wants to tell her editor to forget it. She does not have it in her. Since the death of her beautiful, sexy sister, she decided to remain fat. This way, the same thing would not happen to her. She has low self-esteem. The dark writing helps. as a means to express her grief.
Long ago--A year after her sister’s death, she no longer wanted to live. Some lunatic was out there who took away her sister. Through her rough years of cutting herself, and trying to commit suicide herself to dull the pain, she finally decided she could not put her parents though another lost child. Could her sister have saved her back then? She has to help her now, find the murderer.
She escapes in her writing. Between the characters in her book and her current life, she has craved being alone, as for why she turned down writing groups, and teaching workshops. After many denied requests for prison interviews, she decides to show up and maybe she can get in…possibly Savannah would make a way.
No luck, shut down, "inmates don't give interviews," the warden had told her. "They're convicts, not movie stars."
As she is leaving the prison, she is on her way back to the car when she meets Brady Irons. A high school hottie, Cady always crushed on back in high school. Sexy James Dean looks back then—good-looking and sexy as ever, he is now a corrections officer at the prison. She asks for his help. He seems to be genuine and involved in a lot of tutoring, volunteering, and community work. This may be her answer.
Cady believed if she wrote enough, did enough research, interviewed enough perps, and victims, got inside their minds of murderers, went back again and again to that day, she might actually find Savannah’s killer. She would never give up. Cady cannot believe she has laid eyes on Brady at South Jersey Pen! She cannot wait to tell her friends. He evidently left town years ago and moved back. He is dating someone; however, Cady is excited about a possible new friend, and a chance to get into the prison and interviewing one of the worst serial killers, Larry Cauchek.
She gets the interview and cannot believe the murderer, looks like a regular good-looking guy on Wall Street. He is manipulative, evil, and chilling. (great job with this character). Could someone like this have been behind the murder of her sister? A devil in disguise? He is getting in side her head.
She begins thinking more and more of Brady and invites him to her weekly dinners. They grow close; however, she feels Brady is hiding something and has a psycho-girlfriend.
In the meantime, between her weekly dinners, her friends, her new attraction to Brady, her novel, her husband (who never gives her quiet time to write), marriage counseling, and the serial killer at the prison haunting her, she is contacted by Patrick, the detective on the case when her sister died. There was some politics involved, and now some of the key players are forced into retirement. Patrick always felt there was more to the case; however, at the time he was told to back off.
Now with the case being re-opened, Cady is actively involved, and returns to storage to give review Savannah’s things, the list of attendees at the funeral, and her high school yearbook. Patrick Tunney thinks the way she was killed, it had to be someone close to her. The murder was in an old abandoned mansion, where a lot of the teens went to party, have sex, and get high. Numerous fingerprints. Why and Who?
Another odd factor, she and her sisters had matching necklaces they had never removed since birth, except to get longer chains as they had gotten older. The chain was missing at her sister’s murder. The killer had it.
Flashing back and forth from the past to present, Strecker slowly hands out emotional tidbits of each character, with Cady the center of focus. While thinking about Brady, and becoming close to Patrick, she begins suspecting everyone. Will she ever be free of the hold of her sister’s death? Will the dreams lead her to what really happened that night so long ago?
With many clues, just when you think you know the identity of the killer, the suspicions moves to another. This is one you do NOT see coming! A Twist - Wow…. Readers will enjoy the flawed characters, their complex, and intense relationships.
A well-written, engrossing, finding your way back from tragedy to second chances. Forgiveness and redemption. What it means to be a survivor, when the person you love has gone. Survivor guilt. The what ifs? The unknowns, which haunt love ones for years.
The structure is brilliant. Slow-burning. Not a fast paced thriller; however, it is more of an intriguing psychological tale, of the way one person’s decision can suddenly recast more than one person’s life. An excellent choice for young adults--Actions, Choices--can lead to deadly consequences carrying over to others, in so many ways.
On a fun note, for fans of FRIENDS and in honor of the upcoming reunion show--readers will enjoy the adult’s witty gathering for the weekly dinners with an array of eccentric characters. An excellent choice for book clubs and further discussions.
If you have not read Strecker’s previous book, Night Blindness - highly recommend, as well as Nowhere Girl. Both books have common themes- emotional choices we make, the sanctity of friendship, and the power of love and forgiveness.
JDCMustReadBooks
April 27, 2016
Cady and Savannah are identical twins. Savannah dies when they are young teenagers. Everyone thinks she was murdered. Savannah’s murder was never solved. Fast forward several years, and Cady has become a writer of murder mysteries. When a local police office reopens the investigation on Savannah’s death, the end result is something no one ever expected. What really happened to Savannah?
I know I’m reading a good book when my nose is glued to the pages and I hang up my “do not disturb” sign. This was one of them! From the very first page, I was sucked into the story. I really liked the characters. The author did a great job of weaving the past with the present. There were several characters that I thought might have been responsible for Savannah’s death, so I was surprised by the ending.
I really like Ms. Strecker’s writing style, so I was pleased to see this was her second novel. I’m looking forward to checking out her first book. I’m fairly certain I’ve found a new author to add to my favorites list.
My thanks to Thomas Dunne Press/St. Martin’s Press, via Netgalley, for allowing e to read this in exchange for an unbiased review.
I know I’m reading a good book when my nose is glued to the pages and I hang up my “do not disturb” sign. This was one of them! From the very first page, I was sucked into the story. I really liked the characters. The author did a great job of weaving the past with the present. There were several characters that I thought might have been responsible for Savannah’s death, so I was surprised by the ending.
I really like Ms. Strecker’s writing style, so I was pleased to see this was her second novel. I’m looking forward to checking out her first book. I’m fairly certain I’ve found a new author to add to my favorites list.
My thanks to Thomas Dunne Press/St. Martin’s Press, via Netgalley, for allowing e to read this in exchange for an unbiased review.
February 13, 2016
At sixteen Cady felt connected to her twin sister Savannah so when Savannah was late meeting up one afternoon Cady just knew something was wrong. She called the police but soon felt as if she couldn't breathe and by the time help arrived she knew she had been too late. Somehow through her link to her twin she was able to direct the officers to where they found Savannah's body, she had been strangled.
As an adult Cady and her family still have not learned to live with the pain of losing Savannah. Cady became an author writing thrillers about innocent victims being murdered as a way of dealing with the loss of her sister. With working on her latest book she finds herself again dreaming of Savannah and thinks she is being given clues to finding her murderer which leads her to the local prison where she thinks she will finally find her answers she has been searching for.
What I enjoyed most with Nowhere Girl was it was easy to get caught up in Cady's story from the very beginning of the book and feel her pain from the loss of her sister. The writing was wonderful and had an easy flow to it as you learn about Cady in the present and also get glimpses into the past to learn about Savannah and what had happened to her. It was also interesting and unique having a bit of a psychic connection going on between the twins added into the story.
However, as much as I enjoyed reading this story there was a couple of things that kept me from giving it a five star rating. First, I found it easy for me to guess pretty much the entire outcome of the story fairly early on. I don't think it was too easy and most should be surprised but since I did have most figured out I took a bit off my rating.
Also, I would have preferred the author didn't continuously have Cady fat shaming herself the entire story. She wasn't even that overweight by her descriptions and everyone kept telling her as much but she was constantly calling herself the fat twin. Just a tad irritating to be repeated quite so much as we know she has low self esteem fairly early on so I just wish the author could've trusted the readers to remember it and not keep repeating that fact.
Overall, 3.5 stars for Nowhere Girl. A good read that I would recommend checking out and I'd definitely pick up another book by Susan Strecker in the future.
I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
For more reviews please visit https://carriesbookreviews.wordpress....
As an adult Cady and her family still have not learned to live with the pain of losing Savannah. Cady became an author writing thrillers about innocent victims being murdered as a way of dealing with the loss of her sister. With working on her latest book she finds herself again dreaming of Savannah and thinks she is being given clues to finding her murderer which leads her to the local prison where she thinks she will finally find her answers she has been searching for.
What I enjoyed most with Nowhere Girl was it was easy to get caught up in Cady's story from the very beginning of the book and feel her pain from the loss of her sister. The writing was wonderful and had an easy flow to it as you learn about Cady in the present and also get glimpses into the past to learn about Savannah and what had happened to her. It was also interesting and unique having a bit of a psychic connection going on between the twins added into the story.
However, as much as I enjoyed reading this story there was a couple of things that kept me from giving it a five star rating. First, I found it easy for me to guess pretty much the entire outcome of the story fairly early on. I don't think it was too easy and most should be surprised but since I did have most figured out I took a bit off my rating.
Also, I would have preferred the author didn't continuously have Cady fat shaming herself the entire story. She wasn't even that overweight by her descriptions and everyone kept telling her as much but she was constantly calling herself the fat twin. Just a tad irritating to be repeated quite so much as we know she has low self esteem fairly early on so I just wish the author could've trusted the readers to remember it and not keep repeating that fact.
Overall, 3.5 stars for Nowhere Girl. A good read that I would recommend checking out and I'd definitely pick up another book by Susan Strecker in the future.
I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
For more reviews please visit https://carriesbookreviews.wordpress....
February 2, 2016
Reading this book felt like having a conversation with a highly distracted individual. The author seemed to jump around without fully developing any of the characters. We had the protagonist family, friends, husband, high school crush, high school crush's girlfriend and several other assorted characters. None of the potential scenarios rang true to me and the narrative included a couple pronounced eye rolling sentences!
March 20, 2016
4*
This is not your typical murder mystery, but instead is a story of a twin, Cadence/Cady, whose other half was found dead under suspicious circumstances during their high school years. The case becomes cold, but Cady continues to hope for an answer to her twin's death, and ironically becomes a famous writer of murder mysteries, more specifically, of serial murder mysteries. There is quite a bit of character development, which I liked, and the story flowed well.
There were a couple hiccups, I felt that Cady's obsessiveness with her weight was a bit overdone, and the ending was wrapped up a little too tidily once the mystery was solved.
All in all, I enjoyed this mystery, I liked the characters, the ending was a surprise, and the writing was solid.
This is not your typical murder mystery, but instead is a story of a twin, Cadence/Cady, whose other half was found dead under suspicious circumstances during their high school years. The case becomes cold, but Cady continues to hope for an answer to her twin's death, and ironically becomes a famous writer of murder mysteries, more specifically, of serial murder mysteries. There is quite a bit of character development, which I liked, and the story flowed well.
There were a couple hiccups, I felt that Cady's obsessiveness with her weight was a bit overdone, and the ending was wrapped up a little too tidily once the mystery was solved.
All in all, I enjoyed this mystery, I liked the characters, the ending was a surprise, and the writing was solid.
March 28, 2016
DNF 31%
This book got so much love on Goodreads. I thought it was a shoe in. However, reading this book produced a lot of eye rolling for me. I just couldn’t get into Cady, I found her to be whiny and predictable. She’s a writer and/or a detective, but not smart. I didn’t like any of the supporting characters either. The “mystery” didn’t hook me at all.
This book got so much love on Goodreads. I thought it was a shoe in. However, reading this book produced a lot of eye rolling for me. I just couldn’t get into Cady, I found her to be whiny and predictable. She’s a writer and/or a detective, but not smart. I didn’t like any of the supporting characters either. The “mystery” didn’t hook me at all.
September 28, 2017
The writing was ok but I knew who the 'killer' was as soon as he was introduced so there wasn't much reason to continue. I skim read a couple of chapters and the ending just to validate that I knew where it was heading but DNF nonetheless.
February 4, 2022
Nowhere Girl revolves around a family murder mystery and simply put, this book is not my cup of tea. Not only do I find it hard to immerse myself in the story, the whole suspense that's supposed to draw me in from the beginning does NOT do the trick, unfortunately. If memory serves, I vaguely remember finishing reading this book way back in 2015 or so when I first joined NetGalley so I'm catching up with the long overdue review now.
January 4, 2016
Nowhere girl
This was an amazing book. I haven't read a book like this in a while but wow. It was up and down emotionally but every bit mystery and suspense.
Cadence is one of a pair of twins that lost her sister in her teens. Cady was the quiet nerdy one, where as her sister Savannah was the IT girl.
Cady was such an amazing character because through everything, you weren't sure if she was losing her marbles or everyone else was. She worked hard at having a life but couldn't move on without knowing what happened to her sister. Her and savannah were so close that they even had psychic abilities strictly between them only. Their psychic ability was so strong that Cady knew when her sister took her last breath.
This story was so well written and makes me anxious to read more of Susan's work. She put thought behind every character and situation. Bravo Susan this book was awesome!!!
This was an amazing book. I haven't read a book like this in a while but wow. It was up and down emotionally but every bit mystery and suspense.
Cadence is one of a pair of twins that lost her sister in her teens. Cady was the quiet nerdy one, where as her sister Savannah was the IT girl.
Cady was such an amazing character because through everything, you weren't sure if she was losing her marbles or everyone else was. She worked hard at having a life but couldn't move on without knowing what happened to her sister. Her and savannah were so close that they even had psychic abilities strictly between them only. Their psychic ability was so strong that Cady knew when her sister took her last breath.
This story was so well written and makes me anxious to read more of Susan's work. She put thought behind every character and situation. Bravo Susan this book was awesome!!!
did-not-finish
March 27, 2016I just can't finish this book. I hate the narrator so much and I'm pretty sure I'm not supposed to. I don't like the writing and actually don't care about anyone. Someone spoil it for me please, so I will never be tempted to try reading it again.
March 28, 2016
**I received a copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review**
I was really excited to read this book, knowing what I did from the description. Cady had half of herself ripped away when she was a teenager, when her twin sister, Savannah, was murdered. With the killer never being caught, the only way Cady could cope with the loss was to write suspense novels about murders. However, she could not escape her sister coming to visit her in her dreams, leaving her to wake with clues about the murder. Now Cady has an opportunity to put the pieces together and she tries to solve the murder once and for all, using her dreams of Savannah and first-hand accounts from a serial murderer that she is interviewing for her next book.
I will be honest, I was a little let down by this book. I was expecting an intense and emotional crime thriller and what I got was a combination of romance, relationship and personal drama, with a side of mystery and detective work. For the majority of the book I felt that Savannah’s murder took a backseat to everything else in Cady’s personal life, and the book ended up being more of a mystery and a self-discovery journey. This is not necessarily a bad thing and I am sure others would like this story structure, but it was not what I was expecting when I began reading the book.
One thing I did love about this book is the bond that is shown between twins, even when one is no longer around. The idea of having such a deep connection with another human being, where you can hear their thoughts and feel their emotions, it was just a beautiful phenomenon. In Nowhere Girl this was portrayed very well and it brought the idea of losing a family member to another level, because it is not just a relative but a part you. The author did a great job or writing this component of the story and it added an extra dose of emotion to everything. Knowing this powerful bond existed between two sisters made the loss of Savannah even more heartbreaking.
Okay, so for a while I felt like a jerk while reading Nowhere Girl because I felt like Cady was being overemotional and exceedingly self-deprecating, and I really did not feel much sympathy for her. Sure I felt awful that she lost her twin sister, but I just could not figure out why I was not feeling as much for her as I should. Then halfway through the book it clicked for me; it was lack of character development. Cady’s was not fully developed into a person I felt I knew. I like when I read something and have a connection with the character, and I feel their pain and joy. Unfortunately I did not get that with this book. While I knew a few things about Cady I did not know enough to build an emotional bond, so it was difficult for me to feel much compassion towards her. It is a shame too because she went through so much and had so many scars, but without a connection it was hard for me to be invested in her life.
I also felt like the main character flip-flopped a little with her emotions. Like something that would make her irate when one person said it, she would then completely accept from someone else. This inconsistency made the story a little unrealistic at times. It also seemed a little predictable. I was able to figure out several things, like who was the culprit for example, very early on. Also certain incidents in the book were red flags for me immediately, while the characters seemed oblivious to them for a long time. That level of predictability took a lot out of the book for me.
Overall, this was not a bad book and it did hold my interest enough where I wanted to keep reading it. Unfortunately it was not what I was expecting and many parts, including the ending, fell flat to me, which is why I ended up going with three stars. If you are looking for a mystery that explores family, relationships, and secrets you might enjoy this. Just do not go into it like I did, expecting an unpredictable and fast-paced crime novel.
“Trauma climbed along the corridors of my mind and wrapped itself around the present so I couldn’t really tell the two apart.”
Check out this review and others on Double Letters Book Club
I was really excited to read this book, knowing what I did from the description. Cady had half of herself ripped away when she was a teenager, when her twin sister, Savannah, was murdered. With the killer never being caught, the only way Cady could cope with the loss was to write suspense novels about murders. However, she could not escape her sister coming to visit her in her dreams, leaving her to wake with clues about the murder. Now Cady has an opportunity to put the pieces together and she tries to solve the murder once and for all, using her dreams of Savannah and first-hand accounts from a serial murderer that she is interviewing for her next book.
I will be honest, I was a little let down by this book. I was expecting an intense and emotional crime thriller and what I got was a combination of romance, relationship and personal drama, with a side of mystery and detective work. For the majority of the book I felt that Savannah’s murder took a backseat to everything else in Cady’s personal life, and the book ended up being more of a mystery and a self-discovery journey. This is not necessarily a bad thing and I am sure others would like this story structure, but it was not what I was expecting when I began reading the book.
One thing I did love about this book is the bond that is shown between twins, even when one is no longer around. The idea of having such a deep connection with another human being, where you can hear their thoughts and feel their emotions, it was just a beautiful phenomenon. In Nowhere Girl this was portrayed very well and it brought the idea of losing a family member to another level, because it is not just a relative but a part you. The author did a great job or writing this component of the story and it added an extra dose of emotion to everything. Knowing this powerful bond existed between two sisters made the loss of Savannah even more heartbreaking.
Okay, so for a while I felt like a jerk while reading Nowhere Girl because I felt like Cady was being overemotional and exceedingly self-deprecating, and I really did not feel much sympathy for her. Sure I felt awful that she lost her twin sister, but I just could not figure out why I was not feeling as much for her as I should. Then halfway through the book it clicked for me; it was lack of character development. Cady’s was not fully developed into a person I felt I knew. I like when I read something and have a connection with the character, and I feel their pain and joy. Unfortunately I did not get that with this book. While I knew a few things about Cady I did not know enough to build an emotional bond, so it was difficult for me to feel much compassion towards her. It is a shame too because she went through so much and had so many scars, but without a connection it was hard for me to be invested in her life.
I also felt like the main character flip-flopped a little with her emotions. Like something that would make her irate when one person said it, she would then completely accept from someone else. This inconsistency made the story a little unrealistic at times. It also seemed a little predictable. I was able to figure out several things, like who was the culprit for example, very early on. Also certain incidents in the book were red flags for me immediately, while the characters seemed oblivious to them for a long time. That level of predictability took a lot out of the book for me.
Overall, this was not a bad book and it did hold my interest enough where I wanted to keep reading it. Unfortunately it was not what I was expecting and many parts, including the ending, fell flat to me, which is why I ended up going with three stars. If you are looking for a mystery that explores family, relationships, and secrets you might enjoy this. Just do not go into it like I did, expecting an unpredictable and fast-paced crime novel.
“Trauma climbed along the corridors of my mind and wrapped itself around the present so I couldn’t really tell the two apart.”
Check out this review and others on Double Letters Book Club
February 29, 2016
4.5 stars.
Nowhere Girl by Susan Strecker is a riveting mystery about the unsolved murder of bestselling novelist Cady Bernard's twin sister, Savannah.
Sixteen years after Savannah's murder, Cady has been unable to move past her grief, pain or guilt. Having channeled some of her emotions into a successful career as a mystery writer, she is researching her fifth novel when a series of dreams leads her to the New Jersey Penitentiary where she hopes to find information for her book and hopefully, her sister's killer. A chance encounter with her teenage crush and former classmate Brady Irons, now a corrections officer at the prison, provides her with the connection she needs for gaining access to notorious serial killer Larry Cauchek. When local police detective Patrick Tunney contacts Cady to tell her Savannah's case is being re-opened, she uncovers new information about her sister that she hopes will finally lead to the arrest of her killer.
Despite being identical twins, Cady and Savannah were complete opposites. Cady was (and still is) a good girl who walks the straight and narrow whereas Savannah lived life on the edge. Cady is still rather quiet, unassuming and self-conscious of her weight and despite her success as an author, she lacks self-esteem. Married to a psychologist, her marriage is suffering from a lack of communication, infertility and her husband's extravagant spending habits. Fortunately she has a core group of friends and family to support her, but the deeper she looks into Savannah's murder, the more suspicious Cady becomes of those closest to her.
Cady still looks at Brady with stars in her eyes and her crush on him has not waned in the intervening years since she last saw him. She is a little tongue-tied and awestruck at their first few meetings but once she focuses on her professional questions, she becomes more comfortable with him. While Brady has no problem discussing his career as a Corrections Officer and the inner workings of the prison system, he is less than forthcoming about his personal life. With her marriage on rocky ground, Cady grows closer to Brady, but is there more to their relationship than just friendship?
The reopened investigation is a bit of a slow burner since Patrick has other cases to work on in addition to Savannah's murder. Cady is more than willing to help dig around in her sister's past but she is sometimes reluctant to reveal what she uncovers. On the other hand, Patrick is scrupulously honest about how badly the original investigation was handled and he is completely forthcoming with his theories about what might have happened to Savannah.
Part whodunit and part character study, Nowhere Girl is an engrossing police procedural that fans of the genre do not want to miss. The plot is well-developed and the characters are engaging and multi-faceted. While some fairly heavy foreshadowing early in the story makes it rather easy to predict the truth about Savannah's death, Susan Strecker still manages to bring the investigation to a rather surprising conclusion. All in all, a very clever mystery with a unique plot and a gutsy, likable heroine I greatly enjoyed and highly recommend.
Nowhere Girl by Susan Strecker is a riveting mystery about the unsolved murder of bestselling novelist Cady Bernard's twin sister, Savannah.
Sixteen years after Savannah's murder, Cady has been unable to move past her grief, pain or guilt. Having channeled some of her emotions into a successful career as a mystery writer, she is researching her fifth novel when a series of dreams leads her to the New Jersey Penitentiary where she hopes to find information for her book and hopefully, her sister's killer. A chance encounter with her teenage crush and former classmate Brady Irons, now a corrections officer at the prison, provides her with the connection she needs for gaining access to notorious serial killer Larry Cauchek. When local police detective Patrick Tunney contacts Cady to tell her Savannah's case is being re-opened, she uncovers new information about her sister that she hopes will finally lead to the arrest of her killer.
Despite being identical twins, Cady and Savannah were complete opposites. Cady was (and still is) a good girl who walks the straight and narrow whereas Savannah lived life on the edge. Cady is still rather quiet, unassuming and self-conscious of her weight and despite her success as an author, she lacks self-esteem. Married to a psychologist, her marriage is suffering from a lack of communication, infertility and her husband's extravagant spending habits. Fortunately she has a core group of friends and family to support her, but the deeper she looks into Savannah's murder, the more suspicious Cady becomes of those closest to her.
Cady still looks at Brady with stars in her eyes and her crush on him has not waned in the intervening years since she last saw him. She is a little tongue-tied and awestruck at their first few meetings but once she focuses on her professional questions, she becomes more comfortable with him. While Brady has no problem discussing his career as a Corrections Officer and the inner workings of the prison system, he is less than forthcoming about his personal life. With her marriage on rocky ground, Cady grows closer to Brady, but is there more to their relationship than just friendship?
The reopened investigation is a bit of a slow burner since Patrick has other cases to work on in addition to Savannah's murder. Cady is more than willing to help dig around in her sister's past but she is sometimes reluctant to reveal what she uncovers. On the other hand, Patrick is scrupulously honest about how badly the original investigation was handled and he is completely forthcoming with his theories about what might have happened to Savannah.
Part whodunit and part character study, Nowhere Girl is an engrossing police procedural that fans of the genre do not want to miss. The plot is well-developed and the characters are engaging and multi-faceted. While some fairly heavy foreshadowing early in the story makes it rather easy to predict the truth about Savannah's death, Susan Strecker still manages to bring the investigation to a rather surprising conclusion. All in all, a very clever mystery with a unique plot and a gutsy, likable heroine I greatly enjoyed and highly recommend.
February 21, 2016
Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I really enjoyed this one. I thought there was the right amount of mystery and intrigue while giving you the clues to solve it that it kept me reading along. I like when mystery novels give you some clues as to who did the crime, but also when you reread and find more subtle hints to it. I had it semi-figured out around 40% of the novel but the actual outcome was something I don't think anyone could have guessed. I'm not sure this one has that "rereadability" factor though, not for me at least.
Books and Ladders | Queen of the Bookshelves | Books Are My Fandom | Twitter | Instagram | Bloglovin'
I really enjoyed this one. I thought there was the right amount of mystery and intrigue while giving you the clues to solve it that it kept me reading along. I like when mystery novels give you some clues as to who did the crime, but also when you reread and find more subtle hints to it. I had it semi-figured out around 40% of the novel but the actual outcome was something I don't think anyone could have guessed. I'm not sure this one has that "rereadability" factor though, not for me at least.
Books and Ladders | Queen of the Bookshelves | Books Are My Fandom | Twitter | Instagram | Bloglovin'
February 17, 2016
This book kept you interested from the first page. Twins, Cady and Savannah are twins and they share a special bond. Cady has been covering for Savannah so she can hang with her older friends and now she know Savannah is in trouble but it is to late to help her. Now years later after Cady is grown and married she is an author who has been using her writing to help her deal with her twins death. Savannah's death is something the whole family has never recovered from. As she goes to the prison to interview a murderer she meets an old friend from high school. She rekindles her friendship with him and brings him into her circle. Then she is contacted by the detective from her sister's old case and they reopen the investigation. Will they finally find who murdered her sister and if they do can Cady finally move on. I would like to thank the Publishers and Net Galley for the chance to read this ARC.
August 21, 2023
For the second time this year, I've read the wrong book! I read Nowhere Girl by Susan Strecker when I meant to read Nowhere Girl: A Memoir of a Fugitive Childhood by Cheryl Diamond. Oh well. 3.5 stars.
The Setting
Page 1 starts with a murder. The victim is teenage Savannah Martino, whose killer is never found. Her twin sister Candace senses something horrible has happened, even before the murder is reported. Cady grows up, stays in New Jersey in her same home town, and becomes a murder/mystery writer. Cady intuits that Savannah is guiding her in her quest to solve the murder. It's all a little too pat, isn't it?
What I Liked
Cady is a colorful character. Her inner monologue is filled with self-deprecating humor, although her constantly critiquing her weight got a bit old.
The dialog between the characters was realistic and moved the story along.
I was kept guessing until the end as to who was the murderer. The ending had a twist.
What I Didn't Like
Spending almost 300 pages on the wrong book!
The Setting
Page 1 starts with a murder. The victim is teenage Savannah Martino, whose killer is never found. Her twin sister Candace senses something horrible has happened, even before the murder is reported. Cady grows up, stays in New Jersey in her same home town, and becomes a murder/mystery writer. Cady intuits that Savannah is guiding her in her quest to solve the murder. It's all a little too pat, isn't it?
What I Liked
Cady is a colorful character. Her inner monologue is filled with self-deprecating humor, although her constantly critiquing her weight got a bit old.
The dialog between the characters was realistic and moved the story along.
I was kept guessing until the end as to who was the murderer. The ending had a twist.
What I Didn't Like
Spending almost 300 pages on the wrong book!
February 19, 2016
Review originally posted on my book blog:https://enchantedreaders.wordpress.co...
eARC was provided by NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
This book follows Cady, a bestselling author of suspense, who spend her time interviewing killers in order to understand what happened to her twin sister, Savannah. They were inseparable, and even after Savannah's death, they're still connected somehow. Savannah comes into her dreams to give her clues about her death. When Cady starts to research for her upcoming book, she finds the last piece to the puzzle. She finds the truth about Savannah's death.
I have to say, this book was phenomenal. It had me on the edge of my bed all the time. I loved all of it. I love crimes (I'm studying Criminology) and reading something about crimes excites me. Needing to find the truth about stuff is something necessary for a lot of people. I really loved how Cady would do anything in order to find the truth behind Savannah's death. Having to experience a traumatic death would be horrible and I think I couldn't handle if something like that happens to someone I love.
Even though she was sad all the time, I think she was strong too. Not only she lost her sister, then she had a shitty marriage... and it was really frustrating. But she dealt with all that with help, obviously. I knew since the beginning there was something weird with Brady, and yeah... there was SOMETHING. You know, it made me sad reading that chapter when he was talking about Savannah's death. He was heartbroken, guys... ok, and it was sad. I have to be honest, I was really nervous when I was reading those last 6 chapters because it was almost the end and I didn't know what happened with Savannah, so yeah... I was biting my nails, haha.
I think the secondary characters were amazing and the whole mystery was fantastic. Such a well written story, fast paced, and easy to read.I really loved how Susan wrote about a girl liking some rough and weird sex stuff. I haven't read something like that in a book before. I've been saying this all week, but I really loved this book and how different it is. I really enjoyed it and I would love to read more books from this author. I recommend this to everyone who love to read some mystery books. I'm pretty sure this book won't disappoint you. Go and pre - order it on Amazon; or Book Depository; or Barnes & Noble. Also, add it in your tbr list on Goodreads.
eARC was provided by NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
This book follows Cady, a bestselling author of suspense, who spend her time interviewing killers in order to understand what happened to her twin sister, Savannah. They were inseparable, and even after Savannah's death, they're still connected somehow. Savannah comes into her dreams to give her clues about her death. When Cady starts to research for her upcoming book, she finds the last piece to the puzzle. She finds the truth about Savannah's death.
I have to say, this book was phenomenal. It had me on the edge of my bed all the time. I loved all of it. I love crimes (I'm studying Criminology) and reading something about crimes excites me. Needing to find the truth about stuff is something necessary for a lot of people. I really loved how Cady would do anything in order to find the truth behind Savannah's death. Having to experience a traumatic death would be horrible and I think I couldn't handle if something like that happens to someone I love.
Even though she was sad all the time, I think she was strong too. Not only she lost her sister, then she had a shitty marriage... and it was really frustrating. But she dealt with all that with help, obviously. I knew since the beginning there was something weird with Brady, and yeah... there was SOMETHING. You know, it made me sad reading that chapter when he was talking about Savannah's death. He was heartbroken, guys... ok, and it was sad. I have to be honest, I was really nervous when I was reading those last 6 chapters because it was almost the end and I didn't know what happened with Savannah, so yeah... I was biting my nails, haha.
I think the secondary characters were amazing and the whole mystery was fantastic. Such a well written story, fast paced, and easy to read.I really loved how Susan wrote about a girl liking some rough and weird sex stuff. I haven't read something like that in a book before. I've been saying this all week, but I really loved this book and how different it is. I really enjoyed it and I would love to read more books from this author. I recommend this to everyone who love to read some mystery books. I'm pretty sure this book won't disappoint you. Go and pre - order it on Amazon; or Book Depository; or Barnes & Noble. Also, add it in your tbr list on Goodreads.
October 10, 2015
Nowhere Girl feels a lot like a crime novel. There are serial killers and prisons, and a near-obsessive search for the truth. But while it would be easy to mistake it as purely a crime novel, it’s actually more of a mystery, and a journey of discovery for grieving twin Cady. Strecker takes some of the more standard crime and mystery tropes and subverts them beautifully, which makes for an engaging if not occasionally frustrating read. She is masterful in her misdirection and red herrings, and there’s a lot of fun to be had in trying to solve the mystery and messages.
Technically, Nowhere Girl falls into the realm of magical realism, depending on your views on the close bond of twins, but there’s something heartbreaking and mesmerising about the idea of Cady’s loss being not just her sister, but a part of herself she’d relied heavily upon. If you love edge of your seat thrills and chills, Nowhere Girl may move too slowly for your tastes, but if you like stories that explore families and their secrets along with your murder mysteries, there’s a good chance you’ll enjoy Nowhere Girl.
Please note: this is an excerpt from an upcoming review at Hush Hush Biz. I received a copy of this novel to review.
Technically, Nowhere Girl falls into the realm of magical realism, depending on your views on the close bond of twins, but there’s something heartbreaking and mesmerising about the idea of Cady’s loss being not just her sister, but a part of herself she’d relied heavily upon. If you love edge of your seat thrills and chills, Nowhere Girl may move too slowly for your tastes, but if you like stories that explore families and their secrets along with your murder mysteries, there’s a good chance you’ll enjoy Nowhere Girl.
Please note: this is an excerpt from an upcoming review at Hush Hush Biz. I received a copy of this novel to review.
March 1, 2016
St. Martin's Press and NetGalley provided me with an electronic copy of Nowhere Girl, in exchange for an honest review.
Cady's twin sister Savannah was late to meet her at school for the afternoon bus, having ditched out on a meeting on school grounds. Cady knew something was wrong and soon found out that her sister was killed. 16 years later, Cady has parlayed the tragic event of her life into a career as a successful suspense fiction novelist, hoping her connection with criminals might help her understand her sister's death. When the case is suddenly reopened, will Cady finally be able to put her sister to rest?
With a fast moving plot and a well developed main character, Nowhere Girl is a great suspense/mystery. Cady is an interesting main character, as her flaws are also her strengths. Her dogged pursuit of the truth, played out in part through her novels, helps Cady work out her feelings about Savannah. The chances she takes are somewhat reckless, but they also put her in the frame of mind to figure out what her mind has been trying to tell her all along. Ending with a good twist, Nowhere Girl is one I would recommend to readers who enjoy suspense/mysteries.
Cady's twin sister Savannah was late to meet her at school for the afternoon bus, having ditched out on a meeting on school grounds. Cady knew something was wrong and soon found out that her sister was killed. 16 years later, Cady has parlayed the tragic event of her life into a career as a successful suspense fiction novelist, hoping her connection with criminals might help her understand her sister's death. When the case is suddenly reopened, will Cady finally be able to put her sister to rest?
With a fast moving plot and a well developed main character, Nowhere Girl is a great suspense/mystery. Cady is an interesting main character, as her flaws are also her strengths. Her dogged pursuit of the truth, played out in part through her novels, helps Cady work out her feelings about Savannah. The chances she takes are somewhat reckless, but they also put her in the frame of mind to figure out what her mind has been trying to tell her all along. Ending with a good twist, Nowhere Girl is one I would recommend to readers who enjoy suspense/mysteries.
February 29, 2016
I looked. I knew 14% of the way through this book who "did it." I was right. And I was wrong. That is the best part of this story: the layers and levels of lies, secrets, and truths. Why didn't I give it 5 stars? Solely because of how the main character, Cady, continually degraded herself over her weight and her looks. Yes, I know, we were suppose to see it all as part of her survivor's guilt and her defense mechanism. However, it got to be too much for me. Flawed characters make a good story great but in this case it became overly distracting. If you can get over the self-esteem issue, this book fulfilled all the promise of twists and surprises. I could have easily imagined any of the characters having been the killer and constantly held my breath thinking this was the scene where Cady was going to confront the killer.
A preview copy of this book was provided by NetGalley and St. Martin's Press in exchange for an objective review.
A preview copy of this book was provided by NetGalley and St. Martin's Press in exchange for an objective review.
March 26, 2016
Cady's twin, Savannah, was murdered when they were 16 years old. Now, many years later, Cady is a successful writer but she hasn't managed to put her sister's death behind. Nor has her family...
Being a twin, she had a connection with her sister that few people have, and she feels Savannah is still trying to reach out to her in order to find her killer. So when the police reopen the case, she jumps at the opportunity and does some investigating of her own.
This book is part family drama and part murder mystery. The main characters are lovely, but I didn't feel much empathy-sympathy towards Cady. Maybe it's me, but I don't like successful women who put themselves down ("I'm fat" is all she says of herself) and are complete pushovers.
On the other part, the plot is well developed and the ending is not what I expected, which for me, is very good!
I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Being a twin, she had a connection with her sister that few people have, and she feels Savannah is still trying to reach out to her in order to find her killer. So when the police reopen the case, she jumps at the opportunity and does some investigating of her own.
This book is part family drama and part murder mystery. The main characters are lovely, but I didn't feel much empathy-sympathy towards Cady. Maybe it's me, but I don't like successful women who put themselves down ("I'm fat" is all she says of herself) and are complete pushovers.
On the other part, the plot is well developed and the ending is not what I expected, which for me, is very good!
I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
September 28, 2015
This story is about a pair of twin sisters. One gets murdered, Savannah, when they are teenagers leaving the other, Cady, behind. They never found out who did it. This deeply affects Cady still years later. She became a successful bestselling author of suspense novels and uses that knowledge to try to solve the murder she never got over.
I really enjoyed Cady's voice. She felt very plausible in how she was feeling throughout the novel. In fact, all of the characters were rather enjoyable to read about even though some were unlikable. The mystery aspect of the novel was excellent and unpredictable.
I highly recommend.
longer review to come later.
I won this book in the goodreads first reads giveaway. Thank you to the publisher for the opportunity to read it.
I really enjoyed Cady's voice. She felt very plausible in how she was feeling throughout the novel. In fact, all of the characters were rather enjoyable to read about even though some were unlikable. The mystery aspect of the novel was excellent and unpredictable.
I highly recommend.
longer review to come later.
I won this book in the goodreads first reads giveaway. Thank you to the publisher for the opportunity to read it.
April 17, 2023
This main character may be one of the most unlikeable I’ve had the displeasure of reading about. This book was not suspenseful, but rather a slow, tedious burn to the most predictable ending.
While the book was terrible, I could not overcome the authors pre-occupation with the main characters weight. She was described as “chubby” at least once per chapter, at one point even twice on the same page. While I can understand once or twice helping the reader visualize the character, these constant references to her weight did not compliment the story line and served no other purpose than to body shame a fictional character. It was weird and this almost became the first book ever that I did not finish.
Save the time - this is a do not read.
While the book was terrible, I could not overcome the authors pre-occupation with the main characters weight. She was described as “chubby” at least once per chapter, at one point even twice on the same page. While I can understand once or twice helping the reader visualize the character, these constant references to her weight did not compliment the story line and served no other purpose than to body shame a fictional character. It was weird and this almost became the first book ever that I did not finish.
Save the time - this is a do not read.
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