The Quiet Girls

Detective Carrie Flynn #2

by J.M. Hewitt

‘Hattie!’ Carrie called, an edge to her voice. ‘Hattie, this isn’t funny, come out now.’ Carrie moved forward through the woods on shaking legs. She tried calling, shouting, screaming, but everything was quiet. Her little sister was gone.

Detective Carrie Flynn’s sister Hattie was kidnapped when they were both just little girls, but the face of the man who took her is a blank in Carrie’s memory. After the police never found the culprit, Carrie swore she would become a detective.

Twenty years later, when eleven-year-old Melanie Wilson, a quiet girl who loves books, is reported missing, Carrie drowns in memories of her lost sister. Searching for Melanie, Carrie finds grainy black-and-white footage of the young girl with her parents at a harbour, boarding a boat and disappearing. Carrie realises they have headed for a deserted wasteland, the river island Pomona. What could make a family so desperate to escape their home?

Then the police receive a mysterious message from another young woman, calling from the same docks where Melanie vanished: I gave you his name, where to find him, but you did nothing. My blood is on your hands.

Carrie is sure Melanie and her family are in terrible danger. She knows what it’s like to have the authorities give up on you, and something in the voice sounds horribly familiar. It may have nothing to do with her lost little sister, but she will never ignore a plea for help.

To find Melanie, Carrie must unlock the memories she has buried for years – but will it be too late? Can Carrie use her own demons to bring Melanie home safely and finally get justice for her beloved sister?

Genres: Fiction

296 pages, Paperback

First published November 10, 2019

About the author

Silver Prize in the author v author competition 2008 (supported by the National Literary Trust)

Shortlisted for the Inspire and Mentor Campaign – selected by Jojo Moyes 2012

Two books independently published in 2010 and 2013

Longlisted for the Retreat West First Chapter Competition 2015

Winner of the BritCrime Pitch Competition 2015

Winner in the Twisted 50 Short Story Competition 2016. Short story 'Fingers' to be published in the Twisted 50 Anthology.

Appearing at the Felixstowe Book Festival in 2015 and 2016 and the East Anglia Author Festival 2016.

Member of the CWA, ITW and East Anglian Authors.

Exclusion Zone and The Hunger Within published 2016 / 2017 by Endeavour Media.

The Night Caller published by Bookouture 2019.

www.jmhewitt.com Twitter: @jmhewitt FB: www.facebook.com/j.mhewittauthor

Reviews

[Louise Wilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

DI Carrie Flynn #2

Eleven year old Melanie goes missing. DI Carrie Flynn is in charge of the investigation ut it rings back memories of when her sister went missing twenty years ago. The book starts with three young girls entering a house and narrowly escaping the clutches of a paedophile. This worries one of the girls family so much that they decide to up sticks and move to a remote island along with another family. Carrie has been I formed that three children have went missing by their school.

There is a lot happening in this story but it's still easy to follow. Carrie is in a relationship with her partner DC Paul Harper. The plotline is complex. Its not an easy story to talk about as I would give too much away. We learn some more of Carrie's background, we learned a little of it in the first book. This is another well written book. My only criticism is the ending felt a it rushed.

I would like to thank NetGalley, Bookouture and the author J.M. Hewitt for my ARC in exchange for an honest review

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

3.5 stars

The Quiet Girls by J.M. Hewitt is a psychological thriller, the second in the Detective Carrie Flynn series.

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

 

Series Background:    (Warning – May contain spoilers from previous books)
DS Carrie Flynn lost her sister Hattie, when she was a child.  Hattie was abducted, and never found.  Their mother has spent the last two decades in a nursing home, not speaking, not really there.  Carrie spent years in foster care.  She has become a very independent woman, who doesn't really let people in.  She needs to be in control at all times, so stays away from booze and drugs.  She is partnered with DC Paul Harper.


My Synopsis:   (No major reveals, but if concerned, skip to My Opinions)

The police have received a message from a distraught caller stating that they had provided information in the past, and nothing was done.  It looks like the caller is now going to take matters into their own hands.  Carrie wants to follow up, insisting that the caller is a victim, while Paul looks at the caller as a perpetrator.

Three girls enter a house and one of them is attacked by a pedophile.  One of the girls, 11-year old Melanie Wilson, gets the other two girls out.  Later, she ends up missing, along with her parents.

Another family, mother, father, and twin 15-year olds also go missing.

There is something about these cases that are stirring up Carrie's memories of her missing sister.  After 20 years, Carrie still aches for Hattie.
 

My Opinions:  

I enjoyed this second book in the series much more than the first.  We got to know a lot more about Carrie, as we explored what happened to her sister.  This really helps to involve the reader.  I think I may have let this series go by the wayside if the author had not done this.  I like how Hewitt told both Carrie's story and the active case in alternate chapters.  I do, however, believe that the tie-in between the two was a little far-fetched.

The plot was good, and it moved quickly.  It is a very fast read.  The characters were interesting, and as they book moved along, the strength of some increased, while others fell off.   The author created survivors!

The book explores the idea of living off-the-grid, and the reasons it would or not appeal.  To me....no...I have to have somewhere to charge my e-reader!

Overall, I enjoyed the book.


For a more complete review of this book and others (including author information and quotations), please visit my blog: http://katlovesbooksblog.wordpress.com/

[Nicki · Rating 5 out of 5]

What starts off for Ds Carrie Fisher and Dc Paul Harper as a investigation into the alleged assault or attempted abduction of a young girl eventually becomes a complex investigation into the disappearance of two families. One of which just happens to be the family of a girl who witnessed the assault.

In Harry's mind giving up everything and moving his family to deserted Pomono Island was the best way of protecting his beloved daughter Melanie from harm especially after her narrow escape and near abduction. But little does Harry realise that all his good intentions have only propelled her into more intense danger.

During the course of their investigation, Carrie and Paul are shocked to discover that a young girl who has been calling the station and accusing the police of ignoring her requests for help seems also to have disappeared at the same time as Melanie. Now they find themselves caught up in a desperate search for two missing girls. Meanwhile a sinister,twisted predator is hiding in plain sight,plotting, scheming and waiting for the perfect opportunity to act out their sickening desires.

The chapters of this totally mesmerizing, gripping thriller alternate between Carrie,Melanie and Melanie's mum and Dad, Alice and Harry. The three woman were likeable,feisty characters who each had their own individual traits and personalities. I loved Melanie's devotion to her father and her willingness to accept and adapt to her new life on the island and also her ability to read people's moods by the colours of their auras. I loved how Alice's character evolved as the story unfolded and how she started to stand up to her domineering husband. I could fully understand Harry's reasons for moving his family over onto the island, all caring parents want to be able to keep their children safe from harm but I thought that the way he went about it was underhanded and just a little bit selfish. Although I did like Carrie and I loved the working relationship she had with Paul,she did come across as having a bit of an attitude problem at times and could be quite snappy during her interactions with people especially Paul. I suppose her reluctance to get close to people was understandable considering the tragic events from her past. Interspersed throughout the story was chapters that took the reader back into the past and chronicled events during and after the day that Carrie's sister Hattie was abducted. One of the reasons that I enjoyed this book so much was that is not one of your average police procedural,there was no forensics,no team meetings and no annoying bosses hovering in the background and breathing down Carrie and Paul's necks. It was just Carrie and Paul working together to solve the case and find the missing people.

The Quiet Girls is an expertly plotted,well written thriller that had me hooked in from the first page and frantically turning the pages. On one hand I really wanted to know how the story was going to end whilst on the other hand I didn't want to finish the book. There was a prevailing sense of foreboding permeating the chapters set on Pomono Island. Whilst reading these chapters the reader had ever increasing feelings of unease and sensed that something bad was going to happen. The intensity increasing as the story unfolded. Although this is the second book in the series,it can be read and enjoyed as a stand alone. I really really enjoyed this enthralling thriller and look forward to reading more books in this series including the first book The Night Caller which I haven't had the pleasure of reading yet. The Quiet Girls is a amazing book and very very highly recommended.

Many thanks to J.M.Hewitt and Bookouture for a arc of this book via netgalley and Noelle Holten for the opportunity to take part in the Blog tour

[Robin Loves Reading · Rating 4 out of 5]

Detective Carrie Flynn has a case involving a missing eleven-year-old named Melanie Wilson, and she is reminded of a tragic time in her childhood when her little sister was missing when they were children.

It is not a cut-and-dried case for Carrie, however. The story focuses first on Melanie and her two friends when something terrible happened to them. Melanie's home life is seen, and her father makes a life-changing decision for their entire family. Another layer to this situation is that at the police station Carrie has received several phone calls from a distraught young woman. Could all three situations be connected?

This multi-layered story touches on a very sensitive subject as danger does indeed draw very close to Melanie. The story is beyond twisted and has more than one storyline. Not only is Melanie's father experiencing as close to a mental break as one could, and this changes everything about the family. Despite the chaos the family ensues, Carrie and her partner do whatever it is they can to locate Melanie and her family.

The Quiet Girls is the first story in the Detective Carrie Flynn series. Carrie's past was explored and we learn what makes her so good at her job now. She was the only character I really liked, although I admired Melanie Alice, Melanie's mother, was rather difficult to accept. The story itself was very intriguing and had a thrilling ending. I do look forward to seeing Carrie work on and solve other cases.

Many thanks to Bookouture and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.

[Bridget · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a perfect and brilliant continuation to what is proving to be a great series!

In this second instalment, following on from the first book - The Night Caller, Detective Carrie Flynn has a case involving a missing eleven-year-old named Melanie Wilson, and she is reminded of a tragic time in her childhood when her little sister, Hattie went missing when they were children. The face of the man who took Hattie is a blank in Carrie’s memory. The culprit was never found and as a result, Carrie swore she would become a detective.

Twenty years later, Carrie is awash with memories of her lost sister. Searching for Melanie, Carrie finds footage of the young girl with her parents at a harbour, boarding a boat. Carrie realises they have headed for a deserted wasteland, the river island Pomona. Then the police receive a mysterious message from another woman, calling from the same docks where Melanie vanished. Carrie is sure Melanie and her family are in terrible danger and something in the voice of the messenger sounds horrifyingly familiar. It may be unconnected with her lost little sister, but she would never ignore a plea for help.

This type of novel is right up my street - a tense psychological thriller about relationships and hidden feelings, as well as overcoming frustrations and those dark and negative thoughts. It also touches on the issue of paedophilia but without any graphic detail. With a chunk of police procedural to savour, the complex, multi-layered plot was well thought-out and I very much appreciated JM Hewitt's superb and varied characterisation, even though some of the realistic and believable characters weren't particularly personable.

Although this is the second book in the series, The Quiet Girls can be read as a stand-alone, but you would be missing out if you didn’t read The Night Caller first. I absolutely relished reading The Quiet Girls, which I can highly recommend without any hesitation.

Gripping until the very end, I can't wait to read more of Detective Carrie Flynn!

I received a complimentary digital copy of this novel, at my own request, from Bookouture via NetGalley. This review is my own unbiased opinion.

[StinaStaffymum · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having enjoyed DS Carrie Flynn's introduction in "The Night Caller" I was looking forward to her second outing in THE QUIET GIRLS, hoping some of the loose ends left in the first book would be on the way to being tied up in the second. One thing I really hate in books, even those in a series, are loose ends. It's like television shows that end the season on a cliffhanger...it's not like you're not coming back so why leave fans hanging? It's a pet peeve of mine and yet so many authors are guilty of it.

THE QUIET GIRLS begins with a taster for fans where the previous one left off regarding DS Carrie Flynn's past of her missing sister, Hattie. When I read the opening chapter I found myself hoping that there would be more of an element regarding this 20 year old mystery, instead of just being a backstory as it was previously.

But we would have to wait and see for the story then takes a turn as we see Carrie and her DC Paul Harper receive and replay a telephone message over and over from a distraught caller stating they had provided information and nothing was done and that now they were going to take matters into their own hands. The voice was disguised but the closer Carrie listened the more she felt the voice was female. Carrie insists the caller is a victim but Paul isn't so sure, given their intention to possibly commit a crime.

11 year old Melanie Wilson is meeting her two friends, Kelly and Tanisha, in the hope the girls will accept her as "one of them". The three girls decide to embark on an adventure, entering what they thought to be an abandoned house. But when one of them is attacked by a man wearing a grotesque mask who is naked from the waist down, Melanie gets her two friends out as they run for their lives, without looking back.

Melanie's mother Alice arrives home at 7pm to find her husband Harry sitting in the dark, no Melanie, and oblivious to the fact their daughter has not returned home. Alice panics and goes in search of Melanie, relieved to find her disembarking a bus at the end of the street. They return home to find a dishevelled Harry, silently cursing himself for not noticing their daughter was missing.

Later that evening, Melanie discloses to her parents what happened at the house. Harry wants to report it, Alice does not. As a lawyer, she points out that the girls entered a house without permission and probably frightened the occupant with everything else nothing more than Melanie's overactive imagination. Unbeknownst to them, Kelly's mother has taken her daughter off to the police station to report what had taken place inside the house without disclosing Melanie's presence. As Kelly refuses to co-operate, the police can do nothing so the matter is shelved. But Kelly's mother refuses to let it go and organises a group of concerned parents to storm the house protesting the presence of paedophiles preying on their children.

When Carrie and Paul receive a complaint from a resident that they have been targeted by a group naming them as paedophiles, Carrie realises the girls' mother took the matter further. But as the man reveals, it couldn't have been him, or his brother, as they were out of the country at the time and with flight details to prove it. So Carrie must now inform the group of his innocence and move them on. But the resident discloses that while they were away, his brother had organised for a decorator to come in and work on their house however his details have been misplaced. So who was the decorator? Was he the man who assaulted young Kelly Prout?

Meanwhile, Harry Wilson decides that he must keep his family safe and after the incident with the suspected paedophile, particularly Melanie. So without consulting his wife, Harry sells up their house and packs up their belongings and moves them to Pomona island, a remote and abandoned island off Manchester. Also making the move with them are the Hadleys, the father whose carpentry skills Harry would find useful for their new life on Pomona. No one is particularly thrilled with the move but go along with it anyway. But once they get there and the boat that brought them across leaves, they are faced with the reality of their isolation as Harry excitedly organises them into groups to explore the island and where to find food, water and wood.

But as days turn into weeks, things are not going the way Harry had planned. Liz Hadley hasn't even set foot outside their cottage let alone made it a home for herself and her family. Their twins, Willow and Lenon, speak only to each other and spend days in the woods away from everyone else. Not only that, Melanie had seen the brother and sister sleeping in the same bed together, huddled together like lovers. And then there is Alice. Admittedly, she has made their cottage into a little home but aside from that she is not engaging with him or even their neighbours. In fact, she seems to disappear for hours at a time on her own. Only Gabe Hadley and Melanie seem to be on board with this new life. Gabe has built sheds from bits of tin and timber to store their wood for the next winter, while he has been showing Melanie how to make snares to capture rabbits for their meals. Harry feels sure that the others will come round to this new and pure way of life. Or will they?

Back on the mainland, Carrie and Paul have received reports of the Hadley twins going missing and that of Melanie Wilson from their respective schools. When they arrive at the Hadley home to investigate, they find it locked up and abandoned, with the entire family leaving early one morning some weeks ago. Where were they going and why leave under the shroud of the pre-dawn? Were they running from something? Carrie tasks Paul with looking into the Hadley's lives in the hope of uncovering any answers.

Before they have a chance to investigate Melanie's disappearance, they receive information that Melanie had been present when Kelly Prout was attacked and endeavour to question the girl's mother as to why she didn't tell them about it at the time? Whether it made a difference or not at the time, who knows, but what they do know NOW is that Melanie is missing. Did it have something to do with the assault on Kelly? And how was it linked to the Hadley twins disappearance?

Interwoven throughout the story, in alternate chapters, are flashbacks of Carrie and her 6 year old sister Hattie on the day of Hattie's disappearance for which Carrie has always blamed herself. Their mother insisting Carrie take her sister, her promises to see the horses, the long walk to the park as well as Hattie constantly asking for ice cream. We see the lead-up to Hattie's disappearance to when suddenly she is gone.

Whilst investigating the case of these missing children and the possibility of a paedophile in the area, Carrie finds herself haunted by the flashbacks and the nightmare of her sister going missing. But it's her darkest secret she must draw on to help her find these children, as they try to locate the Hadley twins and Melanie and her family.

I thoroughly enjoyed THE QUIET GIRLS far more than the first book, probably because we are given more insight into the 20 year mystery of Carrie's little sister's disappearance. In it we have a little bit more closure, though not completely, which again is frustrating though I hope Jeanette ties those loose ends up for us with the next installment.

What I especially love about this series is that the entire focus is not on the police investigation. In fact in some cases, the investigation takes a backseat to the bigger picture but without overshadowing Carrie and her partner Paul. I find a glimpse into each aspect gives the story more depth.

There is one aspect that didn't sit right with me and that was the ages of each of the "potential" victims of the paedophile. The despicable nature of such crimes notwithstanding, there is an age preference to these people, and yet the ages in this book ranged from young child to pre-teen to adolescent which is not how they work and isn't completely accurate. I felt lumping all ages together was like saying all Muslims are terrorists and all dog attacks are by staffies. It's like I like milk chocolate yet my husband likes white chocolate. It's not a technicality, it's a fact.

Although this is the second book in the series, THE QUIET GIRLS can be read as a stand-a-lone quite easily, but I think you'd be missing out if you didn't read "The Night Caller" first.

I look forward to Carrie Flynn's third outing with her DC, and maybe a loose end or two tied up a little neater to give the rest of us a kind of closure. Definitely recommend!

I would like to thank #JMHewitt, #NetGalley and #Bookouture for an ARC of #TheQuietGirls in exchange for an honest review.

This review appears on my blog at https://stinathebookaholic.blogspot.com/.

[Denise · Rating 3 out of 5]

This second book featuring DS Carrie Flynn takes her back into the nightmare she experienced when her 6-year-old sister, Hattie, disappeared over 20 years ago. The girls had walked to a park and when Carrie left Hattie behind for a moment in a pique of annoyance, Hattie...well, Carrie can't remember exactly what happened -- she's blocked it out. But she does remember the bloody shorts and how their mother, Mary, was never the same. Carrie ended up in care and then went on to become a police officer with her main goal to save other children from whatever happened to Hattie.

Now, Carrie is getting anonymous phone calls from a girl who claims that she has reported a man to them but the police won't do anything so she must take matters into her own hands. Frustrated because neither she nor her partner, DC Paul Harper, can get the caller's name, they are left without anything or anyone to question or arrest. There is a case in the works, however, as a 12-year-old girl named Kelly claims she was drug into a house and assaulted but there are some holes in the story and the detectives aren't quite sure if they are hearing the truth. They can't locate the person who was allegedly in the house, have no description or even a name but they plug on doggedly.

In another thread, Harry and Alice Wilson hear from their daughter, Melanie, that the story told by Kelly isn't exactly complete but there was a man inside this house and he was naked from the waist down and had a deformed face. Harry, who is obviously mentally ill, decides that he will move his family away from Manchester and that they will live off the land on the deserted Pomona Island. Alice, who apparently is very weak-willed quits her job and agrees to sell their house and go with her family. Harry entices another family to come along with them and so the Hadleys -- Gabe, Liz and their twins, Willow and Lenon (age 15) show up to take the boat to Pomona.

And that's where the real story starts. What happens on this island when these two families are completely cut off from the rest of the world. No amenities, no Internet or cell service, and no way to contact the mainland if they get into trouble. And they will need help soon. NO SPOILERS.

What a story! You must be able to suspend disbelief in order for this drama to work but it did completely draw me in and I couldn't put it down as I had to know what happened to these people. My feelings about the characters were all over the place and I didn't know much of the time if any of them were completely sane. Often I felt like screaming, "OH COME ON!" when something seemed way too conveniently coincidental or completely unlikely. But I went with it. We definitely learned a lot more about Carrie Flynn and I think she could grow on me. I've read both books now and am interested to see where this character will go next. The details about the island were fascinating, especially the author's note at the end. A most unusual setting.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for this e-book ARC to read and review. I'll be on the lookout for #3 in the series.

[S · Rating 2 out of 5]

The Quiet Girls is going to get quite the mixed review from me. I loved some parts but found myself getting really frustrated at other sections. You need to suspend belief completely.

After their daughter is attacked Harry and Alice decide to leave their lives behind and move to the deserted island of Pomona. (Which is actually a real place that I had no idea about. Check out the Wikipedia page it’s so interesting!) Now this section of the story I found the most exciting, I mean it’s never going to happen in the real world but that’s part of why I love diving into a book! They’re joined by another family with teenage twins.

All three of the children are reported missing by the school and the police begin to investigate. Carrie is the main officer on the case and not holding anything back....she sucks. She’s also got a backstory of her sister going missing when she was a child, she was present but can’t remember what happened. How predictable.

Up to this point the story still held a great chunk of my interest, it’s extremely well written and the plot wasn’t anything that I’d read before. (Well apart from Carries backstory...)

The ending is the most frustrating part. Everything comes together, the mystery is completely solved and tied neatly with a giant sparkly bow on top. I didn’t like it. I didn’t buy it. Unfortunately that’s not how real life works.

With a better ending this review would have a lot more praise. I’d give The Quiet Girls 2.5/5.

[Tracy Wood · Rating 4 out of 5]

Missing children send shivers down the spine of every police officer so when eleven year old Melanie is reported missing by her school Detective Sergeant Flynn is determined to do everything in her power to find her.  Melanie doesn't realise how lucky she is to have Carrie on her case; the detective knows first hand what it's like to lose someone, her sister disappeared twenty years earlier and not a trace of her whereabouts was ever discovered.

This is the second book in the Carrie Flynn series which is becoming a very good set of novels to look out for. There is a lot happening in this story, covering a lot of different issues, but it was easy to follow and in fact I could see where more could have been added rather than taking anything away.

Carrie is very sympathetically written and the relationship with her partner Detective Constable Paul Harper is evolving well.  The gradual thawing of her frosty, overly private, nature was nicely done and they are becoming an effective partnership. The only problem I had was very close to the end, no spoilers, when some events seemed to be glossed over. Apart from that this was a great read and I hope there will be a third book in due course which I have no doubt will be at least as good as this one.

I was able to read an advanced copy of this book thanks to NetGalley and the publishers in exchange for an unbiased review and would recommend it to anyone who enjoyed the first book or likes a character driven mystery to dive into.

[Nila (digitalcreativepages) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was quite a twisted tale, a thriller mixed with a police investigation. D.I. Carrie was back with her colleague Paul, and they were thrown into quite a conundrum with the cases which came to them head-on.

It all started with 3 young girls going into an empty house and seeing something or someone which haunted them. A family rushing out to an island in order to escape evil. And one phone call by a young girl asking for help were the three pieces which started this story. And Detective Carrie had to traverse the way through this minefield. Carrie's past too came to the surface.

My second book by author J. M. Hewitt, and I was quite thrown aback at the way the story twisted and turned. From a phone call for help to an island of escape, I was quite amazed at the way the author planned out the different parts of the story. It read so fast that I never knew when it got done, I found myself quite eager to know how it would all come together.

The ending led to a massive reveal which had everyone shocked. This was one of my most different reads. I should have expected the unexpected when I knew I was reading a book by J. M. Hewitt.

Some parts might have appeared a bit unbelievable, but desperate people do take decisions in a panic. That didn't bother me much as I was too curious to know the secrets. A different but fun read. I would be on guard in book 3.

[Monica Mac · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a solid police procedural and one I really enjoyed. I have read the first book in the series, but it is absolutely possible to read this one as a standalone.

Carrie and her work partner Paul (who seems like a really lovely bloke, btw), investigate a couple of missing girls as well as an incident where a girl was in the process of being assaulted and was helped out by her friend. This friend, Melanie, is one of the missing girls. I loved the character of Melanie, she was a very real person to me as I was reading this book. Her father, Harry, I didn't like at all - but it speaks to the skill of the author that I felt this way!

Twenty years after her sister went missing, Carrie is still haunted by what happened. This is the reason she became a police officer in the first place and she is very hard on herself when it comes to solving the cases under her care.

The story has many twists and turns and I was holding my breath several times.

4.5 stars from me.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture.

[Claire · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am seriously angry with myself!!!! Why have I never read anything by this author before?!? Despite having three of her previous novels sat on my kindle, I am kicking myself for not delving into any of them!!! Bad Knight!!!!!

I loved the dual timelines between Carrie’s past and the present and how the present splits between different people. This simple but fully intertwined concept kept me looking every which way trying to see what was going on from all angles. But when I was looking left, I probably should have been looking straight ahead as the author threw clues at me. The build was tense, topped off with a seriously delicious cherry of a climax!

This dark police procedural had me glued to my kindle for hours. The author’s writing totally gasped my imagination and emotions as Carrie dealt with buried feelings desperately trying to find missing Melanie. I’ll definitely be rectifying my omission of the author’s previous work!!

[Hanlie · Rating 3 out of 5]

⭐⭐⭐1/2
A gripping suspense thriller and a very fast read.

Eleven-year-old Melanie Wilson has finally been invited by the cool girls in the school to hang out with them but this very quickly turns into a nightmare for the 3 of them. Who was the man in the house that tried to attack Kelly.

Detective Carrie Flynn is trying to find out who the mysterious caller is who keeps phoning and accusing the police of doing nothing to the man she reported. She is also fighting her own demons. She took her sister out with her 20 years before and Hattie disappeared without a trace. She is still blaming herself for this.

Melanie's father is a stay at home dad and her mother a lawyer. Her father is suffering with depression. After what happened to the girls he decides;without asking anyone; to move the family to an deserted island nearby and invites another family with. There's no electricity or cellphone reception. What do they really know about this family. The father seems charming enough but the mother hardly speaks and the twins are weird. How will they deal with this primitive life and are they really escaping the big bad wolf?

Carrie tries to figure out who the mysterious caller is and is also looking for kids that were reported missing. How will these all come together?

I enjoyed the book but I found the mother's character a bit wishy washy. She is an intelligent woman but cannot stand up to her husband and his insane ideas. The ending also left me a bit disappointed.

Thank you to #netgalley and #bookouture for the ARC in exchange for my honest review

[Judy Odom · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was going to rate The Quiet Girls 4.5 but after thinking about the book and its ending I give The Quiet Girls a solid 5. This book will stay with me for a long time.

The Quiet Girls is several stories within the one, each with their own twists and turns.

You learn more about Carrie and what happened to her when her sister was kidnapped and murdered. Carrie has blocked out what happened that day.

Two families move to a deserted island ; each for different reasons. Harry just wants to keep his daughter safe but its too late for that as Melanie knows too much about the predator in town.

I don't want to give anything away but the stories merge, the pages fly by.

Twists and turns you won't see coming.

I can't wait for book 3 in the series. I will be first in line to buy it.

Please take time to read the author's notes at the end of the book.

Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for letting me spend time in Carrie's world.

[Kat · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow!! This one hell of a cleverly written book with different storylines all happening and seemingly unconnected or are they ? Well watch out because this a book that is full of surprises and twists galore with a cast of characters that are so damn odd and dysfunctional it makes for one hell of a good read.
The plot is complex and not easy to describe without giving things away I would say that at first for me it seemed a bit disjointed at first but stick with it because it’s well worth it and a very well crafted read
I read the first book in this series and I really enjoyed it but I would say this one is even better and totally addictive.
Well recommended for lovers of a good mystery and looking forward to the next in the series.
My thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for giving me the chance to read the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

[Amanda Richardson · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Quiet Girls by J.M. Hewitt is a book that you won't want to put down. The second in the series about detective Carrie Flynn, The Quiet Girls starts with a bang and is just as good as the first book The Night Caller.

Carrie's sister disappeared over twenty years ago, she has always searched for the man who hurt her sister. A new case involving a pedophile and young girls hits too close to home for Carrie. 12-year-old Melanie sneaks into a seemingly empty house on a dare from her cool friends. While in the house, Melanie's friend was assaulted by a man. Thankfully, the girls made it out with little damage, but when Melanie and her family disappear from town, Carrie is on the case to find them.

Where are Melanie and her family? The mother is a successful lawyer, the dad is a stay at home dad who loves his daughter. Where are these people? When another entire family is reported missing, the cops are even more curious. Three teenagers missing from the same school? What is happening in this town?

The Quiet Girls is very will written and will certainly keep a reader on the edge of their seat. The writer does a remarkable job of making Carrie a lifelike character and tying her stories together to bring her closer to the truth of what happened to her little sister all of those years ago. I highly recommend this book!

[Wendy Del Toro · Rating 2 out of 5]

I know that in a lot of books, specially this genre, you have to suspend your disbelief; but I found this plot beyond ridiculous. The whole island plot ruined the entire story for me. The past chapters I found pretty dull- I didn't get a sense of foreboding for Carrie or Hattie. The part where Hat gets taken could have been more frightening IMO. And it's pretty obvious who the man behind the mask is, pretty much from his first introduction. Near the end, when Carrie's "memory" returns was so stale and schlocky and of course predictable from the start. Overall a dud.

[Ada's · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was hard to put down once I had started it, a really good insight Into how a tragedy affects everyone involved in different ways I like how the story unwinds as you go through the book would love to read other things by this author

[Pam Devine · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. The title worked on so many levels and there were a lot of twists and turns that I didn't see coming. Characters were well drawn and believable. I will be looking out for more by this author.

[Donna Kaczynski · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing

This is an amazing book, with all of the twists and turns it will keep you on the edge of your seat until the very end.

[Justine Alcock · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book but super cheesy ending.

[Mrs Claire · Rating 5 out of 5]

love the twists

I love the different twists in this book, it had me hooked and not wanting to stop. Look forward to reading more

[Misty’s Corner Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

Full of twists and turns, get ready for a ride! This is a story riddled with several seemingly unrelated narratives mostly centered around the idea of escaping a pedophile. How well do you really know those closest to you? What if in trying to escape the danger you only succeed in bringing it that much closer?

Eleven-year-old Melanie narrowly survives a close encounter with a pedophile, scaring her depressed father into relocating their entire family off-grid alongside another family with fifteen-year-old twins. The husbands are determined to start their own community, living off the land, whether their wives and children like it or not.

Along comes Detective Carrie Flynn, investigating the missing person's reports filed by the schools that both Melanie and the twins previously attended, along with reports from a desperate young woman pleading for help. Throughout Carrie's chapters, we're provided with insight into the moments leading up to and following her little sister Hattie's abduction some twenty-years ago. Her sister was taken right in front of her eyes, but she can't seem to recall the face of the man who took her. As the story progresses Carrie is constantly reminded of the loss of her sister, still craving justice.. and answers.

As a mother and wife, I found myself repeatedly irritated with Alice's character for the first 3/4 of the book. Alice is Melanie's mother, wife to Harry. For someone so confident in the courtroom it's a wonder why she was so complaisant in her home life. I do believe, however, that she was perfectly written for the role she plays within The Quiet Girls; likely meant to drive the reader insane! I kept wanting to yell through the pages at her, "Say something! Do something!" Luckily Alice gets it together towards the end of the story, earning herself an "atta girl" from me.

Please note, don't accidentally overlook the final pieces of the puzzle! I was quite thankful for the epilogue and the author's note. In the epilogue, we get those last bits of character development that we were left wishing for in the final chapter. Hewitt manages to tie everything together while still leaving room for Detective Carrie Flynn's story to progress in a hopeful book three. As for the author's note, don't skip this part! This is where we learn the origins of the story's setting, giving even more credence to the mystery shrouding Pomona.

The Quiet Girls is book two in the Detective Carrie Flynn thriller series. Rating a solid 5/5 stars! I enjoyed the many different storylines, trying to solve the case myself but not quite figuring out the connection until the final moments. You know that if a story can keep you guessing, intrigued enough to stay up well past any decent hour of night just to figure out the twist, then it's well worth the read!

I'd recommend this book to anyone looking to get lost in a dark and twisty thriller! Also, to anyone who's already read book one, The Night Crawler, which I fully plan to catch up on as I await book three! Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher Bookouture, and the author J.M. Hewitt for providing me with an advanced reader copy of this title in exchange for an honest review.

I just reviewed The Quiet Girls by J.M. Hewitt. #TheQuietGirls #jmhewitt #NetGalley #Bookouture #MistysCornerReviews #Bookstagram

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have been a fan of J. M. Hewitt's work for a little while now. I have read and enjoyed each and every book that she has released. The synopsis for 'The Quiet Girls' certainly sounded interesting and I couldn't wait to get my hands on a copy. As soon as I managed to get my fingers on a copy, I settled down and began to read. Blimey, 'The Quiet Girls' is certainly a read and a half, which I did enjoy reading but more about that in a bit.
I have to be honest and say that it took me a little while to get into this book, which is because my mind was elsewhere and worrying about somebody and cannot be taken as a reflection on the author. I did eventually get into the story. I can't say that 'The Quiet Girls' was a book that I could binge read over the course of a day, but I did manage to read it over the course of a couple of days. I read it in chunks which worked for me because it meant that I could read some and then go away to reflect on what I had just read. The further into the book I got, the quicker the pages seemed to turn. I raced through the latter half of the book as I had to know just what happened to Carrie's sister and if that was connected to Melanie's disappearance. The pages turned so quickly that it was almost as if they were turning themselves and then I reached the end far sooner than I had anticipated or wanted. I don't mean that to sound bad but I was enjoying the author's writing style, the characters and the storylines that much that I just wanted the book to continue.
'The Quiet Girls' is well written but then I find that to be the case with all of the books that this author has written. She certainly knows how to grab your attention from the start and without your realising it, she tightens her grip on your attention making escape impossible- not that I wanted to escape I hasten to add. The author writes so realistically and uses such vivid descriptions that I really did feel as though I was part of the story myself. In actual fact I felt as though I was another detective on Carrie's team. I enjoyed learning more about Carrie's past and the relationship she shares with her close friend and colleague.
Reading this book was much like being on a scary and unpredictable rollercoaster ride with more twists and turns than you know what to do with. Just when you thought that you could take a breather then off the action would go again.
In short, 'The Quiet Girls' was an interesting and enjoyable read, which I would definitely recommend to other readers. I will definitely be reading more from J. M. Hewitt in the future. The score on the Ginger Book Geek board is a very well deserved 4* out of 5*.

[Kristen Johnson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book started off a little slow, but the pace of it picked up after all of the characters and their stories were introduced. I did not read the first book, but this is the second book in a series about detective Carrie Flynn. After reading this one, I believe I will go back and read the first one to see what I missed.

The main part of this story - the island part is all I can say without giving away spoilers - was where the story finally got interesting and made me want to keep reading. The story of Carrie's missing little sister and the story of recently missing girl, Melanie, come together and end up being related. The way the story builds was what kept it interesting, but I must say I guessed the "bad guy" pretty early on. That was a little disappointing because I usually don't guess the ending, but it still kept me wanting to finish the story to see how the author wrapped it up.

I would recommend this book to anyone who likes to read mysteries. I wouldn't classify it as a thriller, but instead a good mystery to read on a gray, rainy day to give it more atmosphere.

[Heidi Lynn’s BookReviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

First, I want to thank J.M. Hewitt, Bookouture and NetGalley for providing me with this book so I may bring you this review.

J.M. Hewitt’s The Quiet Girls is an absolutely addictive mystery thriller the kind of story that gets more intense the deeper into you read. It is one of those books that I found you really had to pay attention to or you might miss a detail.

This book is dedicated to Lou and Lisa. Two of the strongest woman J.M. Hewitt knows.

This story may not be for everyone as it does deal with some adult issues that may be triggers to some readers. This story involves abduction, pedophile, rape, controlling spouses, alcoholism, mental illness, infidelity, etc.

J.M. wrote a incredibly unique mystery thriller unlike I had ever read before. She told the story of Carrie as a young girl, the bond with her younger sister Hattie, and the tragedy that had happened to her. Fast forward to modern day as Carrie is now a Detective working on a very interesting case. A case that had a shocking twist.

I loved this and how this all tied together when it was revealed in the book. Melanie in the book was named after Melanie Hamilton from the book Gone with the Wind. She was kind, loyal and very determined in the film. Carrie’s (who was named after the actress Carrie Fisher) sister Hattie was named after the woman who played Mammy in Gone with the Wind. She was the first person to win an Oscar. Hattie like the actress was black.

In every book there seems to be a character I don’t care for. In this book hands down it was Harry. Harry was extremely controlling! If he said It was going to happen it was going to happen. There was no saying no to this man! Some of the things he did totally shocked me! I wondered how Alice put up with him!

Throughout this book my heart ached for everything Carrie was put through and what all she lost along the way.

Some of the names of the characters were so unique, different and pretty! I just loved the name Willow, Gabe, Hattie, Scarlett, and Lennon.

[Mandie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Detective Carrie Flynn is haunted by her past and this has shaped her future. When she was a child, her younger sister went missing, something she blames herself for, so she has spent her career in the police trying to make up for it.
Carrie finds herself involved in what appears to be two separate cases, both involving young girls, however as her investigations progress, she is disturbed to find that they might actually be linked together.
The book goes between the current cases and the disappearance of Carrie’s sister giving us an insight into what drives her to work as hard as she does. This also gives her character more depth. The other characters in the book didn’t seem quite as well developed with the exception of Melanie and her mother but it didn’t spoil my enjoyment of the book. Dealing with child abduction is not easy but the reaction of Melanie’s father seemed a little odd at times, and this fact may divide readers. I get that he wanted to protect her from harm but moving to an island with a family who up until that time they had very little interaction with and going completely off grid was a touch extreme. That being said I found myself really drawn into the story as you try to work out how all the different storylines link together or if they even do. What I found fascinating was the fact that the island they relocated to in Manchester actually exists and has quite a bit of history to it (yes, I googled it)
This is the second book in the Carrie Flynn series and although I have not read the first book there was never a time where I felt I was missing something, so it works perfectly well as a standalone. With the pace of the book and my natural curiosity on how it would end I found that I raced through it in a couple of days. This is certainly an interesting read and I will keep an eye out for book 3 as I am intrigued to see if Carrie ever gets to the bottom of what happened to her sister.

[Billie · Rating 5 out of 5]

‘Hattie!’ Carrie called, an edge to her voice. ‘Hattie, this isn’t funny, come out now.’ Carrie tried calling, shouting, screaming, but everything in the dark woods was quiet. Her little sister was gone.

Detective Carrie Flynn’s sister Hattie was kidnapped when they were both little girls. After the police failed to find the culprit, Carrie swore she would become a detective and solve the case herself. But the face of the man who snatched Hattie is a blank in her memory…
Twenty years later, eleven-year-old Melanie Wilson is reported missing. Carrie fights off memories of her lost sister to concentrate on the case, but she soon finds footage of Melanie boarding a boat and vanishing. Who took little Melanie, and why?
Then the police receive a desperate cry for help from another young girl: I gave you his name, but you did nothing. My blood is on your hands. Carrie traces the call to the same docks where Melanie was last seen.
Carrie is sure the lost girls are in terrible danger – and that there’s a link between her sister’s disappearance and this case. To find Melanie, Carrie must unleash the memories she’s buried for years. And if she uses her own demons to bring Melanie home, can she finally find out what happened to her sister?

This is a wonderful thrilling new read from this author!
Wonderful well written plot and story line that had me engaged from the start.
Love the well fleshed out characters and found them believeable.
Great suspense and action with that adds so much to the story.
Such a thrilling read that I couldn't put it down.
Can't wait to read more from this author.
Recommend reading.

I was provided an ARC from NetGalley and the publisher. This is my own honest voluntary review.

[Tracy Wood · Rating 4 out of 5]

Missing children send shivers down the spine of every police officer so when eleven year old Melanie is reported missing by her school Detective Sergeant Flynn is determined to do everything in her power to find her.  Melanie doesn't realise how lucky she is to have Carrie on her case; the detective knows first hand what it's like to lose someone, her sister disappeared twenty years earlier and not a trace of her whereabouts was ever discovered.

This is the second book in the Carrie Flynn series which is becoming a very good set of novels to look out for. There is a lot happening in this story, covering a lot of different issues, but it was easy to follow and in fact I could see where more could have been added rather than taking anything away.

Carrie is very sympathetically written and the relationship with her partner Detective Constable Paul Harper is evolving well.  The gradual thawing of her frosty, overly private, nature was nicely done and they are becoming an effective partnership. The only problem I had was very close to the end, no spoilers, when some events seemed to be glossed over. Apart from that this was a great read and I hope there will be a third book in due course which I have no doubt will be at least as good as this one.

I was able to read an advanced copy of this book thanks to NetGalley and the publishers in exchange for an unbiased review and would recommend it to anyone who enjoyed the first book or likes a character driven mystery to dive into.

[Jackiesreadingcorner · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is book two in the DI Carrie Flynn series. I read the first one a few months ago when it first came out and remembered there had been a back story that was briefly mentioned. In this book we learn more about the kidnap and murder of Carrie’s sister Hattie, twenty years earlier, Carrie had seen the face of the kidnapper, but she had blocked everything out from what happened back then.

Two families move to the island Pomona, both for different reasons, you would think your children would be safe on an island, wouldn’t you? So when eleven year old Melanie goes missing, DI Carrie Flynn is in charge, but it brings back memories for her, whenever a child goes missing she thinks of her sister.

There are quite a few threads in this story which all come together, although at times they are a little unbelievable, but then this is fiction, at times it’s quite complex. I wasn’t keen how the book seemed to rush to a quick ending, that sort of spoilt the whole thing for me. I know you want to tie up all loose ends. But that’s not always how life works.

The story is pretty well plotted and written, I like that the characters are starting to bond a bit more as we gradually get to know them. So look forward to book number three.

Thank you to #netgalley and #bookouture for an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest, fair and unbiased review.