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The Quiet Girl
Good girls keep quiet. Quiet girls won't stay silent forever.
When Alex arrives in Provincetown to patch things up with his new wife, he finds an empty wine glass in the sink, her wedding ring on the desk, and a string of questions in her wake. The police believe that Alex's wife simply left, his marriage crumbling before it truly began. But what Alex finds in their empty cottage points him toward a different reality:
His wife has always carried a secret. And now she's disappeared.
In his hunt for the truth, Alex comes across Layla, a young woman with information to share, who may hold the key to everything his wife has kept hidden. A girl without a clear recollection of her own past. A strange, quiet girl whose memories may break them all.
To find his wife, Alex must face what Layla has forgotten. And the consequences are anything but quiet.
When Alex arrives in Provincetown to patch things up with his new wife, he finds an empty wine glass in the sink, her wedding ring on the desk, and a string of questions in her wake. The police believe that Alex's wife simply left, his marriage crumbling before it truly began. But what Alex finds in their empty cottage points him toward a different reality:
His wife has always carried a secret. And now she's disappeared.
In his hunt for the truth, Alex comes across Layla, a young woman with information to share, who may hold the key to everything his wife has kept hidden. A girl without a clear recollection of her own past. A strange, quiet girl whose memories may break them all.
To find his wife, Alex must face what Layla has forgotten. And the consequences are anything but quiet.
386 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 11, 2020
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,273 reviews
October 15, 2020
Cleverly-structured psychological suspense with plenty of twists for domestic thriller fans, while also providing a character-driven study of trauma and its after effects. Throw in revenge and you have a story that is disquieting and chilling.
Dual narratives blur the lines between reality and invention: one of a husband searching for his missing wife, the other of a troubled young woman. This is both its crowing glory, but also one of its missteps. It takes a while to understand how these narratives fit together which made for a bit of a disconnected experience, but once they do, the rest is a propulsive, dark-hearted read.
Kosa is a clinical psychologist and this is evident in her storytelling. None of it feels forced or researched, she writes fluidly and with compassion about the secrets that threaten to destroy our carefully constructed psyches. And the damage that is done for the sake of appearances.
Even with a frustrating beginning, once the story finds its footing it was a page-turning mystery that did not let go long after its conclusion.
Dual narratives blur the lines between reality and invention: one of a husband searching for his missing wife, the other of a troubled young woman. This is both its crowing glory, but also one of its missteps. It takes a while to understand how these narratives fit together which made for a bit of a disconnected experience, but once they do, the rest is a propulsive, dark-hearted read.
Kosa is a clinical psychologist and this is evident in her storytelling. None of it feels forced or researched, she writes fluidly and with compassion about the secrets that threaten to destroy our carefully constructed psyches. And the damage that is done for the sake of appearances.
Even with a frustrating beginning, once the story finds its footing it was a page-turning mystery that did not let go long after its conclusion.
November 25, 2020
Psychological thriller in the domestic vein that really hits home. It went straight for the jugular and didn't let go. A missing wife, a desperate husband, and a young girl who is very confused. But she's fine. Just fine. Except she's not fine. Not by the very longest shot. But she's a good girl, nice and quiet. For now.
August 15, 2021
Chalk this one up as another book that could have been great, but ended up just mediocre.
The story starts off kind of rough. All through the first chapter, all I could think was "someone must have got a thesaurus for their birthday." Fortunately, the author stopped the vocabulary quiz fairly quick. That still didn't stop everything from being a confusing mess. After about 30 pages, I had to go back and start from the beginning because I felt like I missed something.
The story alternates between the view point of Alex, husband to a missing wife, and Layla, a girl who doesn't remember her past. The Alex chapters are pretty straight forward, but the Layla ones are kind of off. It's clear early on that Layla is supposed to be the missing wife, but at the same time it's clear that she can't be. It takes waaaaaaaay too long for the explanation, and when it comes, it feels like a cheat from the author. There's no reason for it not to have been revealed a lot sooner. Factor in that the book greatly improves after the reveal, and the decision to postpone so long doesn't make sense.
After that, the book is full speed ahead and you can't help but mourn the novel that could have been if only the author got to the point sooner. Inevitably, it nose dives into an unsatisfying ending that makes you want to throw the book across the room.
A good editor could have done wonders for this book. Cutting about 50 pages of dragging things out and the unnecessary subplot of Alex's work drama and you'd be off to a good start. Then fix the ending and you'd probably have a 5 star read.
The story starts off kind of rough. All through the first chapter, all I could think was "someone must have got a thesaurus for their birthday." Fortunately, the author stopped the vocabulary quiz fairly quick. That still didn't stop everything from being a confusing mess. After about 30 pages, I had to go back and start from the beginning because I felt like I missed something.
The story alternates between the view point of Alex, husband to a missing wife, and Layla, a girl who doesn't remember her past. The Alex chapters are pretty straight forward, but the Layla ones are kind of off. It's clear early on that Layla is supposed to be the missing wife, but at the same time it's clear that she can't be. It takes waaaaaaaay too long for the explanation, and when it comes, it feels like a cheat from the author. There's no reason for it not to have been revealed a lot sooner. Factor in that the book greatly improves after the reveal, and the decision to postpone so long doesn't make sense.
After that, the book is full speed ahead and you can't help but mourn the novel that could have been if only the author got to the point sooner. Inevitably, it nose dives into an unsatisfying ending that makes you want to throw the book across the room.
A good editor could have done wonders for this book. Cutting about 50 pages of dragging things out and the unnecessary subplot of Alex's work drama and you'd be off to a good start. Then fix the ending and you'd probably have a 5 star read.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 29, 2024
4.5 Stars — THE QUIET GIRL was a unique domestic suspense novel that quickly pulled me in. Alex and Mina were recently married after having known each other for just a brief time. Mina, a successful author, retreated to her cottage in Provincetown after an argument with Alex. When he shows up a few days later to make amends, he finds Mina missing, and her wedding ring left behind on the counter. While searching for clues, Alex encounters a young woman named Layla who makes him realize there was much about his new wife that he didn't know.
I love books with juicy twists that make you stop and say, "What?!?" — and this one did just that. The story is told from dual points of view, one of whom is Alex. It was intriguing to hear things from the husband's side this time. I could really feel his desperation and frustration over the circumstances. As the plot progressed, I changed my mind numerous times about what was really going on. Though a slow-burn, this was a well-plotted mystery that kept me racing through the pages. For me, I think this was a "quiet" thriller that flew under the radar, and I would definitely recommend it to fans of the genre.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for a copy of this book. Thoughts are my own.
I love books with juicy twists that make you stop and say, "What?!?" — and this one did just that. The story is told from dual points of view, one of whom is Alex. It was intriguing to hear things from the husband's side this time. I could really feel his desperation and frustration over the circumstances. As the plot progressed, I changed my mind numerous times about what was really going on. Though a slow-burn, this was a well-plotted mystery that kept me racing through the pages. For me, I think this was a "quiet" thriller that flew under the radar, and I would definitely recommend it to fans of the genre.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for a copy of this book. Thoughts are my own.
July 23, 2021
It starts slow and even a bit confusing. You are thinking, WTF? ( I almost DNFed it.) Then the first ah ha moment and you think you have it all figured out..... but do you? Lots of twists and turns with a heart pounding ending. It was definitely worth the struggling in the beginning.
April 13, 2020
Prepare to be enthralled - The Quiet Girl will grab your emotions and then hang on with a death grip. Atmospheric and twisty enough to deliver whiplash, S.F Kosa writes with a keen eye for detail and surprise endings. A compelling narrative that hums with momentum long after the reader is done.
July 4, 2021
Good debut, but...
Possible Spoiler | Triggers
As have mentioned before, just really don't want to read about abuse.
Triggers: Verbal/Physical Abuse, Parental Abuse, Sexual Abuse, Rape, Pedophilia
Although much of it is not in great detail, it's still a big part of the plot.
Possible Spoiler | Triggers
As have mentioned before, just really don't want to read about abuse.
Triggers: Verbal/Physical Abuse, Parental Abuse, Sexual Abuse, Rape, Pedophilia
Although much of it is not in great detail, it's still a big part of the plot.
July 2, 2021
So utterly confusing. Started off Fairly good, but got muddy quickly with too many characters and storylines. Personally not sure how there are so many four-star reviews for this book. 🧐
March 20, 2023
I sometimes find it difficult to follow an audiobook with an "unreliable narrator." This was no exception. In fact the unreliable narrator component was on steroids in my humble opinion. But I muddled through and I found this mystery/thriller quite enjoyable. The audio production, split between two readers, was pretty good.
July 9, 2021
suspenseful Winner
Fantastic book. It was full of action from the very start.
The pace was fast and exploded in the last half. Amazing!
Highly recommend
Fantastic book. It was full of action from the very start.
The pace was fast and exploded in the last half. Amazing!
Highly recommend
August 4, 2022
Boring amateur writing with no depth or emotion, unlikeable character who got on my nerves, extremely confusing plot with too many characters for no good reason (Mina Layla Maggie Rose Ivy Esteban Stefan Scott Lawrence Amy Sharon Hannah Kyle at some point I lost track). The ending was so dull, it was not even worth it.
The author seems to almost mock people who are going through trauma by making the lead hateful and using trauma as an explanation for it. I did not even feel sorry for what she went through due to the poor writing and character development.
God I hated the husband. And I couldn't car less about his cancer research company, it added nothing of value to the book except make it longer.
Not sure why I did not DNF, nothing even remotely good about this book, 70% into the book, the mystery was exactly where it started, zero progress. Would not recommend. Unable to see why this has so many 4/5 star ratings. Yet another disappointing popular book.
The author seems to almost mock people who are going through trauma by making the lead hateful and using trauma as an explanation for it. I did not even feel sorry for what she went through due to the poor writing and character development.
God I hated the husband. And I couldn't car less about his cancer research company, it added nothing of value to the book except make it longer.
Not sure why I did not DNF, nothing even remotely good about this book, 70% into the book, the mystery was exactly where it started, zero progress. Would not recommend. Unable to see why this has so many 4/5 star ratings. Yet another disappointing popular book.
August 11, 2020
Excellent, fast-paced psychological thriller. The storyline jumps between two different scenarios--author Mina is missing, and her husband Alex is frantic to find her and knows that something bad must have happened, despite some signs that point otherwise. It is clear that she is hiding some secrets. In the other chapters, Layla is confused and ends up working in a seaside town, but is scared and doesn't know why. It all comes to a head when someone comes into the restaurant where she's working and recognizes her and calls her by a different name. How are these two women related to each other and what happened to them?
I connected with the characters and the author is skilled to keep the reader invested by revealing different parts of the story deliberately. The reader basically finds things out as Alex does, so that keeps the plot moving briskly. The only thing I didn't really care for were the parts about Alex's business and business meetings, they were pretty boring to me and didn't do anything to further the narrative.
Overall, this is a great choice for a summer suspenseful read, especially if you like books about disappearances.
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book, all opinions are my own.
I connected with the characters and the author is skilled to keep the reader invested by revealing different parts of the story deliberately. The reader basically finds things out as Alex does, so that keeps the plot moving briskly. The only thing I didn't really care for were the parts about Alex's business and business meetings, they were pretty boring to me and didn't do anything to further the narrative.
Overall, this is a great choice for a summer suspenseful read, especially if you like books about disappearances.
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book, all opinions are my own.
August 14, 2023
Don’t.
Just don’t.
Just don’t.
July 24, 2021
The Quiet Girl by S.F. Kosa is a gripping and enthralling psychological thriller that grabbed me from the very first page to the very end. I loved this book!
The Quiet Girl follows newlyweds Alex - a business venturist living in Boston, hoping to find the cure for cancer, and Mina - a well-known romance writer who lives in Cape Cod, Provincetown. A little row brings Alex to visit his wife only to find Mina missing with her wedding bands left in the house and an empty glass of wine.
Told in alternating point of views between Alex's search for his wife of only 6 months in a whirlwind romance and whom he is only getting know, and Layla - a local woman whose memory is unclear and has suffered some trauma.
The writing was so suspenseful, with Kosa revealing only the slightest bit at the right time while unraveling shocking secrets and plot twists. I found that the way Kosa wrote Alex's character was brilliant. You could really feel the desperation of a husband in search of a loved one while also dealing with a very stressful situation managing his business. I found it to be completely immersive and so satisfying to read as you discover more.
This was really an amazing and entertaining book I thoroughly enjoyed. I recommend it!
The Quiet Girl follows newlyweds Alex - a business venturist living in Boston, hoping to find the cure for cancer, and Mina - a well-known romance writer who lives in Cape Cod, Provincetown. A little row brings Alex to visit his wife only to find Mina missing with her wedding bands left in the house and an empty glass of wine.
Told in alternating point of views between Alex's search for his wife of only 6 months in a whirlwind romance and whom he is only getting know, and Layla - a local woman whose memory is unclear and has suffered some trauma.
The writing was so suspenseful, with Kosa revealing only the slightest bit at the right time while unraveling shocking secrets and plot twists. I found that the way Kosa wrote Alex's character was brilliant. You could really feel the desperation of a husband in search of a loved one while also dealing with a very stressful situation managing his business. I found it to be completely immersive and so satisfying to read as you discover more.
This was really an amazing and entertaining book I thoroughly enjoyed. I recommend it!
November 9, 2023
This book should be titled “The Woman Who Projects Onto and Speaks for a Deranged Dead Quiet Girl Who Never Gets a Voice.” Not only is this novel shallow, and poorly written (the author should read and write significantly more, perhaps consider getting formal education in writing), it is offensive to the core of my soul that a pathetic author cum therapist without a history of abuse and DID, or similar, would appropriate writing a dissociative, abused girl narrative. Perhaps even worse, the abused never gets healthy and never gains an authentic voice; she becomes a would-be murderer, and then is murdered. Plus, ugh, multiple instances in the book make clear that the author has internalised a male gaze. It is a horrendous crime against women seeking to find their voice to have this writer use childhood sexual abuse to write poorly written plotty shock value fiction. This author’s writing this type of story despite her good enough self-object parents privilege (in the Heinz Kohut sense, given that she is not an incest or childhood sexual abuse survivor) is purely offensive. Not only does this woman get extreme dissociation wrong, in so many ways, this “helping professional” has the gall to appropriate and miswrite this kind of narrative based on scant work-based knowledge and research. I feel sorry for her sexually abused clients, who in addition to getting a narrative predatory counsellor, likely did not get the depth psyche excavation support and transformation that they needed and were paying to receive. Her shallow plot-driven, underdeveloped text is sensationalist and frequently offensive drivel, long before the prose refers to Gone Girl or includes other senseless, amateur plot or prose missteps. It is quite horrific to read the tiresome prose revealing the author neither knows her shiz as a novelist or therapist. The following passage shows a complete misunderstanding of the sexually abused client’s healing process:
“What, are you in some kind of twelve-step program or something?”
“Lots of therapy. Like, loads of it.” After the hospital and the three-week partial program, it had been twice a week, every week, even the week of Thanksgiving.
His shoulders lost their rigid, hostile shape, as if he’d decided she wasn’t about to leap over the bar and attack him. “Did it help?”
“Talking about stuff that’s happened to me turns out to be only slightly less awful than when it actually happened.”
“So, no?”
“Actually, yeah. It was helpful. But painful, too, you know? Like a really intense workout, except for my head instead of my body.”
Comparing inner work to heal childhood sexual abuse trauma to a gym workout is ludicrous and offensive. It can take decades to heal sexual trauma. Also, working through traumatic material of this nature can seem worse than the original trauma given that the person isn’t remembering something that happened in the past; they are for the first time associating to and experiencing/living through events formerly too painful and terrifying to experience (the reason they dissociated from the trauma(s) in the first place).
This woman and therapist should be ashamed of deigning to write this type of story. Another terrible, and very telling, element of this appropriated narrative is that the author wrote the protagonist as a victim. The writer clearly has no understanding of the heroism, the raw, unadulterated strength and courage, of a young woman on a journey from terrible trauma to truth. Shame on the author and the agents, editors, and publishers, suckered by her self-congratulatory #childhoodsexualabuse #fakemetooincest capitalising story. Purely disgusting. The author uses potential incest as a plot point. This person should pick one career and learn to do it well instead of bouncing between two careers and doing both poorly, and, perhaps most importantly, this author should only write stories snd narratives from her actual experience (and stop appropriating the stories of others).
“What, are you in some kind of twelve-step program or something?”
“Lots of therapy. Like, loads of it.” After the hospital and the three-week partial program, it had been twice a week, every week, even the week of Thanksgiving.
His shoulders lost their rigid, hostile shape, as if he’d decided she wasn’t about to leap over the bar and attack him. “Did it help?”
“Talking about stuff that’s happened to me turns out to be only slightly less awful than when it actually happened.”
“So, no?”
“Actually, yeah. It was helpful. But painful, too, you know? Like a really intense workout, except for my head instead of my body.”
Comparing inner work to heal childhood sexual abuse trauma to a gym workout is ludicrous and offensive. It can take decades to heal sexual trauma. Also, working through traumatic material of this nature can seem worse than the original trauma given that the person isn’t remembering something that happened in the past; they are for the first time associating to and experiencing/living through events formerly too painful and terrifying to experience (the reason they dissociated from the trauma(s) in the first place).
This woman and therapist should be ashamed of deigning to write this type of story. Another terrible, and very telling, element of this appropriated narrative is that the author wrote the protagonist as a victim. The writer clearly has no understanding of the heroism, the raw, unadulterated strength and courage, of a young woman on a journey from terrible trauma to truth. Shame on the author and the agents, editors, and publishers, suckered by her self-congratulatory #childhoodsexualabuse #fakemetooincest capitalising story. Purely disgusting. The author uses potential incest as a plot point. This person should pick one career and learn to do it well instead of bouncing between two careers and doing both poorly, and, perhaps most importantly, this author should only write stories snd narratives from her actual experience (and stop appropriating the stories of others).
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 20, 2021
This book was a hidden gem! I had never heard of this author before, nor had I seen any reviews of this book, but I ended up loving it! Told by two separate storylines, The Quiet Girl is a tale of desperation, trauma, and revenge that is twisty, suspenseful and addictive. Clues are revealed slowly as the two plots come together in an explosive ending. Highly recommended for fans of psychological suspense!
April 18, 2021
The author tries desperately to contrive interesting imagery with her words but often falls short. Inane word smithing such as “the batter flowed in undulating ribbons,” “ trying to shed the sight of the ocean until finally it let her go like an egg white slipping free from its yolk.”
As the book moves on, the writing improves but still frequently feels like the author is trying too hard to be descriptive. Like when I took a high school creative writing class. “She watched his veins, blue under light brown, carrying oxygen-starved blood back to his beating heart.” Way too melodramatic.
As the book moves on, the writing improves but still frequently feels like the author is trying too hard to be descriptive. Like when I took a high school creative writing class. “She watched his veins, blue under light brown, carrying oxygen-starved blood back to his beating heart.” Way too melodramatic.
July 7, 2021
For all of the awful things in this book, the ending needed to be better. I just feel gross and annoyed. And I liked it until then.
July 11, 2021
Layla, Maggie, Mina - I enjoy a twisty plot but this was too much. Confusing plot, unlikable characters, mediocre writing … and that ending! Don’t bother.
August 11, 2020
Thanks so much to NetGalley, Sourcebooks Landmark, and S.F. Kosa for the opportunity to read this fantastic thriller - it will truly have your head spinning! 5 stars!
Alex had a fight with his wife, Mina. She headed to her writing cabin in Provincetown while he stayed in Boston. But now she's not answering her phone and he can't get in touch with her at all. Worried, he heads out to look for her even though it's a pivotal time for his company. When he gets there, he finds more questions than answers. Meanwhile, Layla finds herself in Provincetown without a clear memory of her past. When Alex finds out about Layla, he wonders what she has to do with his wife's disappearance.
I really don't want to give anything else away. This book is written in such a unique fashion, alternating between Alex's hunt for Mina and Layla's story. It may seem confusing but do not give up - you will soon learn how these two alternating storylines come together and you will be in for a totally gripping story.
Highly recommended!
Alex had a fight with his wife, Mina. She headed to her writing cabin in Provincetown while he stayed in Boston. But now she's not answering her phone and he can't get in touch with her at all. Worried, he heads out to look for her even though it's a pivotal time for his company. When he gets there, he finds more questions than answers. Meanwhile, Layla finds herself in Provincetown without a clear memory of her past. When Alex finds out about Layla, he wonders what she has to do with his wife's disappearance.
I really don't want to give anything else away. This book is written in such a unique fashion, alternating between Alex's hunt for Mina and Layla's story. It may seem confusing but do not give up - you will soon learn how these two alternating storylines come together and you will be in for a totally gripping story.
Highly recommended!
Read
August 30, 2020Ack! This one is hard to review.
One part of me thinks those who love psychological thrillers will also love The Quiet Girl. It's twisty and dark as Alex tries to find out what happened to his missing wife.
The other part of me must admit that twisty was often confusing. There are two story lines and for a long time it is unclear if the second story is present or past or even real. Fans may tout twisty, but I think it was unnecessarily confusing. Also most of the characters have multiple names, except for Alex. Not sure if saying why is a spoiler or not. Anyway, as you can imagine, I didn't enjoy trying to figure out who was who as we jumped from one narrative to the other.
Could be just me. I was a little tired when I read it.
Oh - The Cover is amazing. I didn't even see the woman at first.
One part of me thinks those who love psychological thrillers will also love The Quiet Girl. It's twisty and dark as Alex tries to find out what happened to his missing wife.
The other part of me must admit that twisty was often confusing. There are two story lines and for a long time it is unclear if the second story is present or past or even real. Fans may tout twisty, but I think it was unnecessarily confusing. Also most of the characters have multiple names, except for Alex. Not sure if saying why is a spoiler or not. Anyway, as you can imagine, I didn't enjoy trying to figure out who was who as we jumped from one narrative to the other.
Could be just me. I was a little tired when I read it.
Oh - The Cover is amazing. I didn't even see the woman at first.
March 11, 2020
This is the debut psychological thriller book by this author, but she has 2 dozen other books ranging from urban fantasy to romance books. I have been wanting to read this since I read the synopsis and I was not disappointed!
When Alex arrives in Provincetown to patch things up with his new wife, he finds an empty wine glass in the sink, her wedding ring on the desk, and a string of questions in her wake. The police believe that Alex's wife simply left, his marriage crumbling before it truly began. But what Alex finds in their empty cottage points him toward a different reality: His wife has always carried a secret. And now she's disappeared.
In his search for his wife and the truth, Alex comes across Layla, a young woman who may hold the key to everything his wife has kept hidden. A girl without a clear recollection of her own past. A strange, quiet girl whose memories may break them all. To find his wife, Alex must face what Layla has forgotten. And the consequences are anything but quiet.
The writing was fantastic, the characters were very well written and I felt like I knew them.
When Alex arrives in Provincetown to patch things up with his new wife, he finds an empty wine glass in the sink, her wedding ring on the desk, and a string of questions in her wake. The police believe that Alex's wife simply left, his marriage crumbling before it truly began. But what Alex finds in their empty cottage points him toward a different reality: His wife has always carried a secret. And now she's disappeared.
In his search for his wife and the truth, Alex comes across Layla, a young woman who may hold the key to everything his wife has kept hidden. A girl without a clear recollection of her own past. A strange, quiet girl whose memories may break them all. To find his wife, Alex must face what Layla has forgotten. And the consequences are anything but quiet.
The writing was fantastic, the characters were very well written and I felt like I knew them.
January 11, 2021
This is definitely a fast, twisty read but a bit of a stretch for me. The book alternates between 2 storylines which was a bit confusing at first. Alex arrives at his Provincetown cottage to patch things up with his wife, Mina, but he finds a wineglass in the sink, her wedding rings on her desk & she’s not answering her phone. Alex begins to question everything he thought he knew about his wife. He reports her missing & begins trying to solve the mystery. Meanwhile, the other story is about Maggie/Layla & may just hold the key for Alex. The key to figuring this out is how the chapters are titled. Everything really comes together in the last 50 pages or so with more twists but I just didn’t find it very believable. And adding Alex’s work crisis was not necessary. It didn’t add anything to the story.
July 12, 2021
Read because it was chosen for our library's the Big Read. Actually I only read a third of it. The characters were highly unlikable and the story was so unbelievable. The Layla character was ridiculous and especially annoying. I thought it was a horrible choice and I would not recommend it.
July 13, 2021
Public Library’s Big Read - I wish authors would portray those who believe in Jesus as they truly are - regular, everyday people, and not crazy or evil characters. Story was excruciatingly slow until about 3/4 way in.
July 30, 2021
This is a book that grabbed me by the guts and wouldn't let go until...
... halfway through the story.
Which was about 100 pages too early to let my poor quivering entrails drop.
The moment I got an inkling of whodunnit, the thrill was gone.
And it made me feel like a kid accidentally stumbling on David Copperfield's tech crew as they slowly rotate the stage away from the Statue of Liberty. The rest of the crowd oooohs-and-ahhhs as Lady 'Lib magically disappears - but the kid just sits there, deflated, wishing she could unsee the trick that ruined all the drama.
And speaking of drama, that's what I seem to be slinging at present.
So, I'll get back to reality and admit this was a decent and fast read. A thriller with potential. Something to take to the beach, or to read on a long flight.
But it could have been so much better.
... halfway through the story.
Which was about 100 pages too early to let my poor quivering entrails drop.
The moment I got an inkling of whodunnit, the thrill was gone.
And it made me feel like a kid accidentally stumbling on David Copperfield's tech crew as they slowly rotate the stage away from the Statue of Liberty. The rest of the crowd oooohs-and-ahhhs as Lady 'Lib magically disappears - but the kid just sits there, deflated, wishing she could unsee the trick that ruined all the drama.
And speaking of drama, that's what I seem to be slinging at present.
So, I'll get back to reality and admit this was a decent and fast read. A thriller with potential. Something to take to the beach, or to read on a long flight.
But it could have been so much better.
July 2, 2021
I read this book earlier this week. It wasn't the best ever but it wasn't bad. It's the first time I heard the word "fugue", fancy word for amnesia. The plot was ok. I spent more time wondering how many miles the husband put on his car driving back and forth between his home and his wife's house where she did her writing than I did on the plot or wondering "who dun it?" Once done reading it, I started reading Lisa Jewell's book called I Found You: A Novel (2017) and guess what! Identical plot but spousal role reverse. Whirlwind romance and quick marriage idea repeated. Spouse disappears one day out of the blue idea repeated. That fancy new word for me "fugue" appeared again. The location is different and I Found You has true suspense to the story. I don't often say this but I Found You left me on the edge of my seat in suspense whereas The Quiet Girl (2020) didn't even make me worry. It was pretty obvious to me who it was narrowed down to (or the couple it was narrowed down to). I worry sometimes about where authors get their ideas. This one disappoints me because it seems very clear to me that the original idea came from another author, switched around the "fugue" roles, then plugged in some fluff. As for the hype that Hitchcock fans will like it, Nope. I grew up on Hitchcock. He was a master of suspense. The Quiet Girl, my friends, is no master of suspense.
July 7, 2021
3.5 stars? This book is part of the Big Library Read and isn’t a book I would have generally picked up. It’s a thriller about an author who disappears. Her husband searches for her and finds out about her past in the process - he finds out by reading a semi autobiographical draft of a book she was writing. I’m generally not a fan of books written about writers - it’s not a big stretch.
November 18, 2020
Excellent! A mysterious masterpiece!
August 30, 2020
WOW! What a WILD RIDE!!! To be honest, when I first started reading this book, I was a bit confused. I wasn't hooked from the beginning like some thrillers. But by a few chapters in....I COULD NOT PUT THIS BOOK DOWN!!! In the first few chapters, it jumped around a bit and I was a bit confused (which was the point, of course) and once I got just a couple clues and started to see the direction the book was going I knew it would be a five star read for me. As a psychology nerd, psychological thrillers are one of my favorite genres and this one was a winner!
I don't want to give too much away here but the book definitely kept me guessing right down to the last couple chapters! You know there are soooo many secrets and suspect everyone is hiding something..but...what? And what happened to Mina? There were so many surprising twists and turns you don't see coming and this book will definitely keep you turning the pages--you will probably read the entire thing in a single weekend, just like I did! The book is fast paced, exciting, and full of suspense. If you love psychological thrillers, this book is one you DO NOT want to miss!
Thanks to the publisher via NetGalley and TLC Book Tours for my copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
I don't want to give too much away here but the book definitely kept me guessing right down to the last couple chapters! You know there are soooo many secrets and suspect everyone is hiding something..but...what? And what happened to Mina? There were so many surprising twists and turns you don't see coming and this book will definitely keep you turning the pages--you will probably read the entire thing in a single weekend, just like I did! The book is fast paced, exciting, and full of suspense. If you love psychological thrillers, this book is one you DO NOT want to miss!
Thanks to the publisher via NetGalley and TLC Book Tours for my copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
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