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Ben Forrester
Lost Girls: The Maine Murders
A serial killer is terrorizing a coastal town…
When renowned FBI agent Benjamin Forrester suffers a devastating loss while trying to catch an elusive serial killer, he quits the bureau. Years later, after a similar series of gruesome murders trigger an investigation in the coastal town of Eden Falls, Maine, Ben is called upon to assist the rookie police detective, Dakota Woods.
He soon learns he's being lured into a deadly game of cat and mouse where the only way to stop the murders is to confront his past and face his worst fear.
When renowned FBI agent Benjamin Forrester suffers a devastating loss while trying to catch an elusive serial killer, he quits the bureau. Years later, after a similar series of gruesome murders trigger an investigation in the coastal town of Eden Falls, Maine, Ben is called upon to assist the rookie police detective, Dakota Woods.
He soon learns he's being lured into a deadly game of cat and mouse where the only way to stop the murders is to confront his past and face his worst fear.
391 pages, ebook
First published January 1, 2018
1345 people are currently reading
919 people want to read
About the author
Jon Mills
22 books157 followersInternational Bestselling Author Jon Mills is from the UK but resides in Canada. He's had multiple titles hit #1 in Police Procedural, Mystery and Thrillers, Pulp Thrillers, Kidnapping, and Heist Thrillers. His work includes the Jack Winchester thrillers, 50 States of Murder thrillers, I'm Still Here, the Undisclosed trilogy and The Promise. In addition to this he has numerous books published under different pen names that cater to different genres. His latest is called Lost Girls: The Maine Murders (50 States of Murder)
Join Jon's spam-free readers list to stay alert to future releases, special offers, and reader only bonus content. The readers group are usually the first to hear about giveaways. http://jonmills.com
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Website: http://jonmills.com
Join Jon's spam-free readers list to stay alert to future releases, special offers, and reader only bonus content. The readers group are usually the first to hear about giveaways. http://jonmills.com
Jon is best reached at the following places:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authorjonmills/
Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/groups/JonMi...
Website: http://jonmills.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 237 reviews
December 1, 2019
******** AUDIOBOOK REVIEW ********
It isn't very often that a book surprises me but that is just what happened here. Lost Girls was way more developed than I expected. The characters are deep and well layered. I found that I liked most of the characters. Ben and Chloe should be the last people left to have problems... they should have already paid their dues, if you will. It's a shame life never works like that, isn't it? The storyline was great. I felt thoroughly engaged and played a wonderful game of who dun it with some of the characters. I got some of it correct and the areas where I was wrong, well, I wasn't exactly wrong but off. I love me a good twisted thriller that disturbs me while keeping me utterly fascinated. That is just what the author did here.
Have you ever read James Patterson's Kiss the Girls? No, the movie doesn't count because there was so much more to that book than the movie even touched on. Lost Girls gave me those same feelings, that same vibe. The plot was even somewhat similar.
The narrator, Peter Kenyon, did a fabulous job. The POV swapped between several viewpoint and Mr. Kenyon kept to the same narration, the same feel. I really appreciate the simplicity in it. He didn't take away from the story by a simple narration but really added to it. His creepy chuckles or deep breaths were just the perfect amount of sinister added to the creepy.
It isn't very often that a book surprises me but that is just what happened here. Lost Girls was way more developed than I expected. The characters are deep and well layered. I found that I liked most of the characters. Ben and Chloe should be the last people left to have problems... they should have already paid their dues, if you will. It's a shame life never works like that, isn't it? The storyline was great. I felt thoroughly engaged and played a wonderful game of who dun it with some of the characters. I got some of it correct and the areas where I was wrong, well, I wasn't exactly wrong but off. I love me a good twisted thriller that disturbs me while keeping me utterly fascinated. That is just what the author did here.
Have you ever read James Patterson's Kiss the Girls? No, the movie doesn't count because there was so much more to that book than the movie even touched on. Lost Girls gave me those same feelings, that same vibe. The plot was even somewhat similar.
The narrator, Peter Kenyon, did a fabulous job. The POV swapped between several viewpoint and Mr. Kenyon kept to the same narration, the same feel. I really appreciate the simplicity in it. He didn't take away from the story by a simple narration but really added to it. His creepy chuckles or deep breaths were just the perfect amount of sinister added to the creepy.
January 27, 2020
Lost Girls: Ben Forrester FBI Thrillers, Book One was a great read by Jon Mills. FBI Agent Bejamin Forrester suffered a devestating loss at the hands of the serial killer he is trying to catch. He decides to quit the bureau and move with his daughter. Years later there is a series of grusome murders where Ben is asked to assist the detectives find the murderer. He doesn't realize until it is too late that he is being drawn into his worst fear when his past comes back to smack him in the face. This was a great read by Jon Mills and I can't wait to read more by the author.
November 9, 2020
3.5 rounded up. Not too bad! I wish there was another installment. This was published like 2 years ago and it’s supposed to be a series. I mostly liked that it’s on the shorter side and moves along at a nice pace.
March 28, 2020
Okay, so once again, I'm wondering what I'm missing here. This book was okay at best. A 4.39 rating by Goodreads readers? When I see a rating like that, I am so pumped to settle in to a great and riveting story. I felt like I was watching a movie with the cliched dialogue, caricatured characters and predictable storyline and ending. I think Mr. Mills would benefit from reading a few more books and watching fewer movies. I know I sound like the curmudgeon that I am, but I cannot recommend this book nor will I read any more books by this author.
April 24, 2020
I only paid 5.99 but feel like I should return this on principle. International bestseller. Guess I'm in the minority. It read like a a continuous story told by frat boys in a drinking game with a checklist of cliches, horror movie plot twist, and gross-outs. "Okay, I got the next one, 'And then...'" Hahahahahaha. "Now me...." "No way!" "Yeah, it's on the list." "Well here's a line of dialogue." "Yeah they always say that!" I'll leave the torture there.
April 15, 2020
I fair flew through this in a day......so it certainly grabs hold of you and retains your interest !! Not an author I'd happened across before but I'm looking forward to reading more by him for sure. My only big gripe is he needs to get his apostrophe usage, or lack thereof, sorted out !! Though he isn't alone in not getting them right, it still irritates the hell out of me !! And just once he altered Jinx's sex from female to male in referring to her as he.......not good. Commas were also left out in a few places where they were needed
I was heartened to see he made a "good" mistake in writing enquiries and not inquiries in a book set in the States and then I read he's a Brit !! It made a nice change to have it happen this way round for a change. Though he did let himself down writing slinked and not slunk !! I'd never heard of the word eavestrough before, either, but it's so much nicer than gutter.
I liked his main character Ben and also Dakota......there's bound to be sparks flying there in the near future. However, after one victim was snatched I found it hard to believe they didn't look into where her mobile phone was !! Surely, these days that's the first line of any investigation ? So Ben was a bit slapdash there, I thought.
I'm not sure why he altered his cover, either, from the girl in the yellow jacket, as that one was much nicer and definitely more eye-catching than the one I ended up downloading !
I was heartened to see he made a "good" mistake in writing enquiries and not inquiries in a book set in the States and then I read he's a Brit !! It made a nice change to have it happen this way round for a change. Though he did let himself down writing slinked and not slunk !! I'd never heard of the word eavestrough before, either, but it's so much nicer than gutter.
I liked his main character Ben and also Dakota......there's bound to be sparks flying there in the near future. However, after one victim was snatched I found it hard to believe they didn't look into where her mobile phone was !! Surely, these days that's the first line of any investigation ? So Ben was a bit slapdash there, I thought.
I'm not sure why he altered his cover, either, from the girl in the yellow jacket, as that one was much nicer and definitely more eye-catching than the one I ended up downloading !
May 13, 2020
Meh. Not bad. A bit clichéd. Felt flippant in places. Drinking scotch with a buddy when your child is missing? Contemplating sex with the hot local cop while your child is missing? Doesn’t seem realistic and makes the main character less sympathetic. At other points in the story he is more expected obsessed worried/grieving father.
May 9, 2020
I was engrossed. The story did remind me some of Kiss The Girls. I was caught up in it though from the first page. There was a twist that was a surprise for me. I don’t want to go into that so I don’t give anything away. It’s fiction so I am not bothered by things that would bother me in non-fiction. For instance the short amount of time to rise up in law enforcement ranks. I’m being told a story that I know is untrue. How well I enjoy it depends on if the teller sucks me in to the world he has made. The author sucked me in with the first chapter. I am eager to continue on with the next book in this series.
November 30, 2020
this was so fun and well done!! audible did a great job with this one and it is definitely one of the audiobooks i enjoyed the most this year :)
April 7, 2020
I enjoyed the story. I liked Ben and his daughter. Looking forward to the next book in the series.
April 15, 2020
I really enjoyed this story, the characters are immediately engaging and really drive the story. The only reason I'm not giving it 5 is that it doesn't really do anything that deviates from genre tropes. That is not necessarily a bad thing as it is well done. The title is presented as 50 states of Murder so i'll be on the look out for more books in this series.
March 22, 2020
I enjoyed this book. I thought the author did a great job with the storyline, pace and character background and development. Even though I had most of the story figured out about halfway through, it didn't take away from the enjoyment of it. This was the first book I've read by this author but now I plan on reading more.
April 11, 2019
Fast paced with a mulitude of twists and turns
Looking for a fast pace thriller with all the bells and whistles? Thank this book is for you. Excellent story with realistic characters and full of twists and turns. Will keep you guessing until the end.
Looking for a fast pace thriller with all the bells and whistles? Thank this book is for you. Excellent story with realistic characters and full of twists and turns. Will keep you guessing until the end.
April 14, 2020
The murder mystery itself was good but I won’t be reading anything else in this series. I just can’t read a book where the main character drinks scotch before noon, and when he's not drinking he’s popping pills. That’s not much of a hero to me. AND when authors think that’s alright then that author has a problem with that particular character. I have read 5 or 6 other books by Jon Mills but he doesn't usually write about alcoholics.
I was surprised at the bad guys. It was unbelievable. All those girls taken and murdered and then 'that' done to them? Totally disgusting.
No romance at all and the F-bomb was used 7 times.
As to the narration: Peter Kenyon did a good job with the men’s voices and the emotions but his women’s voices need some work.
I was surprised at the bad guys. It was unbelievable. All those girls taken and murdered and then 'that' done to them? Totally disgusting.
No romance at all and the F-bomb was used 7 times.
As to the narration: Peter Kenyon did a good job with the men’s voices and the emotions but his women’s voices need some work.
May 22, 2020
Solid and enjoyable mystery and thriller. It breaks no new ground. If you’re an experience reader of mysteries and thrillers, you pretty much know how all of this is going to go down from about half way through. But it’s not bad and it’s an enjoyable way to pass the time.
October 5, 2020
Well, well, well. This was surprisingly REALLY good! It's super fast-paced. The case itself is very interesting. The web of suspects was well played. Heck yes, I would read the next one in the series if there is one!
April 26, 2020
Will be interesting to see where this series goes...thought I had it figured out early on, but the end was a little surprising.
April 14, 2020
"Competent thriller"
It does exactly what it says on the tin. Isn't that what we like? A decent story, well told with settings, dialogue and characters that match the darker aspects of this suspenseful thriller. Not the easiest read I've had this year, but this author delivers the goods every time.
It does exactly what it says on the tin. Isn't that what we like? A decent story, well told with settings, dialogue and characters that match the darker aspects of this suspenseful thriller. Not the easiest read I've had this year, but this author delivers the goods every time.
March 20, 2020
Hold on to your seat
Mills writes a fast paced novel that keeps one wondering “what’s next?” As a parent, one can only pray that “it” will never to your child.
Mills writes a fast paced novel that keeps one wondering “what’s next?” As a parent, one can only pray that “it” will never to your child.
October 3, 2020
Good book. Strong backstory for the main character, great location, interesting concept for the plot. Some of the writing is a bit sloppy: a few dialogue tags are incorrect, one statement that is factually incorrect (referring to other local national parks - there aren't any), a few editing things. I enjoyed the book more than those little irksome things bothered me, so there's that. I plan to read more from this author.
April 2, 2020
A good easy read
Maybe even 5 stars. I read so many thrillers that I was thinking 4.5. I originally decided to read for two reasons. The ratings, and, it was based in Maine. I grew up in that area and I like to read novels that I can more easily picture. The ending was good.
Maybe even 5 stars. I read so many thrillers that I was thinking 4.5. I originally decided to read for two reasons. The ratings, and, it was based in Maine. I grew up in that area and I like to read novels that I can more easily picture. The ending was good.
April 2, 2020
A formulaic, by the numbers, mystery thriller
There is hardly an ounce of originality in this book. That's not to say you can't have an unoriginal story be good, but this is so derivative in writing, characters and actual plot that it's hard to give 2 cents about anything.
The story is for the most part predictable and the way that it is written, it sounds more like a direct to video copy of Silence of the lambs or Mind hunter. Every single cliche in this genre is pretty much used.
There's a few interesting things like at one point you get a POV chapter from the killer but it is never explored again and doesn't ultimately lead to anything.
I listened to the audiobook and honestly I could have watched 3 mediocre equally entertained "serial killer hunter" movies with the same time frame.
With all that said the book was just glaringly "OKAY". Nothing was offensively bad and would only recommend to the utmost hardcore fans of these types of books.
There's also a huge sequel bait at the end and no signs of book 2 yet
There is hardly an ounce of originality in this book. That's not to say you can't have an unoriginal story be good, but this is so derivative in writing, characters and actual plot that it's hard to give 2 cents about anything.
The story is for the most part predictable and the way that it is written, it sounds more like a direct to video copy of Silence of the lambs or Mind hunter. Every single cliche in this genre is pretty much used.
There's a few interesting things like at one point you get a POV chapter from the killer but it is never explored again and doesn't ultimately lead to anything.
I listened to the audiobook and honestly I could have watched 3 mediocre equally entertained "serial killer hunter" movies with the same time frame.
With all that said the book was just glaringly "OKAY". Nothing was offensively bad and would only recommend to the utmost hardcore fans of these types of books.
There's also a huge sequel bait at the end and no signs of book 2 yet
October 22, 2019
FBI agent, and profiler, Dr. Ben Forrest, was pursuing a serial killer when that killer sets his sight on Ben's family. Now years later, Ben and his teenage daughter are living in the quiet town of Eden Falls, Maine, where life is slowly returning to normal. Then there is a sudden appearance of girls that have been missing for years, and local rookie police detective, Dakota Woods, asks for Ben's help...defying her police chief. When Ben's daughter is kidnapped, he has a vested interest in bringing the killer to justice and finding her alive! Lots of action, maybe corrupt politicians (no spoilers here)...and a very determined rookie detective. Exciting story and you really won't guess the ending! Great start to this series.
I accepted a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I accepted a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
April 11, 2018
A great read. Good for you John Mills
John Mills has created a very plausible story. His character development is quite good and his weaving of the story line is superb. He has crafted a very suspenseful fast moving story. All in all John Mills is a very good story teller and I look forward to his next offering. Thanks for such a good read!
John Mills has created a very plausible story. His character development is quite good and his weaving of the story line is superb. He has crafted a very suspenseful fast moving story. All in all John Mills is a very good story teller and I look forward to his next offering. Thanks for such a good read!
July 21, 2019
The macabre killer
A pretty good start to a new series. Is was a little different in that the clues pointed the reader in multiple directions. Trying to figure out just who the murderer was, but it would have been nice to get a glimpse into the reasons why. The final outcome was a little surprising but in a small sense expected.
A pretty good start to a new series. Is was a little different in that the clues pointed the reader in multiple directions. Trying to figure out just who the murderer was, but it would have been nice to get a glimpse into the reasons why. The final outcome was a little surprising but in a small sense expected.
February 27, 2020
Gripping
Another first by this Author. It kept my interest. I couldn’t put it down. Ben was on leave from the FBI after losing his wife and son killed by a serial killer that had never been found. Moving to a smaller town with his daughter he was soon approached by an officer for help in a case.
Another first by this Author. It kept my interest. I couldn’t put it down. Ben was on leave from the FBI after losing his wife and son killed by a serial killer that had never been found. Moving to a smaller town with his daughter he was soon approached by an officer for help in a case.
August 2, 2020
Writer From England
If anyone has ever read one of my reviews you will know I don't like books or writers from"across the pond". Jon Mills fooled me. It is a good book written by a good writer and I never suspected he was English. I think anyone who enjoys a good thriller will want to read Lost Girls.👍
If anyone has ever read one of my reviews you will know I don't like books or writers from"across the pond". Jon Mills fooled me. It is a good book written by a good writer and I never suspected he was English. I think anyone who enjoys a good thriller will want to read Lost Girls.👍
April 1, 2018
New Series from Gifted Author: Great Action.
This story has some great action. The plot twist were not easy to deduce. The characters showed interesting human back stories. I waiting to see what next happens to the Woods and Forest
This story has some great action. The plot twist were not easy to deduce. The characters showed interesting human back stories. I waiting to see what next happens to the Woods and Forest
April 7, 2018
WOW!!!
From the moment I started to read this book I could not put it down. What a thriller. The main character Ben was fascinating and I loved him. The fast pace from chapter to chapter kept me sad when it was over.I’m hoping for more . Great job
From the moment I started to read this book I could not put it down. What a thriller. The main character Ben was fascinating and I loved him. The fast pace from chapter to chapter kept me sad when it was over.I’m hoping for more . Great job
September 30, 2020
Sigh. High creep factor. Sadly, I guessed the serial killer very early on. Eventually I jumped to final 10 chapters to confirm my theory — sparing me more of the killer’s creepy monologue. So technically this is a DNF.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 237 reviews