A shy outcast girl from the rural outskirts of a small town is invited to a girls’ sleepover with two other girls. In the middle of the night a horrific fire erupted. By the time emergency services arrived, it was too late. Investigators assumed the parents, their daughter, and her 2 friends died in the home. But only one body was uncovered, the mother’s…
For years FBI Agent Emma Griffin was largely a lone wolf. She insulated herself from the rest of the world. With very few exceptions. Now, that has all changed. Opening herself has given her a chosen family she loves.
Working with her cousin Dean has always made her happy, and now she can help someone find a piece of their family that disappeared years ago. An FBI agent who went undercover and never surfaced. As they dig deeper into his disappearance, they find a potential connection of that case with the mystery of the 3 girls. But as bodies connected to the case turn up in odd locations. Emma struggles to make sense of what happened the night of their last sleepover.
Book 18, just like the last book, did not match up to the first books in the series. A.J. Rivers is a much better writer than these last few books. Too much dialogue and little action and to much repeating of the main storyline. I love Emma, Sam, Dean, Xavier, and the others. Better stories are out there for them.
If I had not read the series, I would not have understood some of the characters brought into the story. Enough detail was not given to bring the reader up to speed. Plus towards the end of one chapter, Emma has Sam and Dean with her and introduces them, then in the very next chapter they "join" her and she introduces them again. Need a proof reader. Need to complete the other stories. This dragging them on endlessly is getting old.
I have enjoyed this series since I found it. Female FBI agent lead, wonderfully quirky characters like Xavier, Solid characters like Sam, Dean, and Bellamy. I also like that the story in each book is creatively different - had recently looked at a series where there was a similar fire in every book!
As much as I like this series, this episode seems all over the place, physically and emotionally. But, perhaps, that is the point in Emma’s growing connections to a home life vs. her job. The use of the phrase “law enforcement” is getting on my nerves though. The story takes a very long time to catch fire for me but once Emma is on the scene, things start to happen.
This was not one of the best books in this series. I really had a hard time trying to keep up with the story. I really can't wait for the next one to know how the story ends. I could not give this book five stars.
Although I enjoy these books , for the most part, I am getting a little tired of a story being stretched over so many books, with almost no progress, and no resolution. This particular story started out catching my interest, but seemed to get a little convoluted as it went on. Part of the resolution seemed to come out of absolutely nowhere. I was a little confused and disappointed.
The first half of this book is quite confusing. The entire blurb doesn’t happen until past the first half of the book. The first half is almost entirely the build up to and day of Xavier going undercover. The usual side chapters to give background information and give the backstory for the actual mystery to be solved were more confusing than usual. This is the first book where I have noticed both several typos as well as getting facts from the previous book wrong. This also the first book where I had solved nearly the entire mystery long before the end. That was a bit disappointing. I think one of the reasons this book was so disjointed was because instead of having the mystery of this book and one over arcing mystery this one continued the how Jonah got out of jail plus how Marie actually died and what she was doing plus still working on the Emperor/Dean’s abduction/ who else involved/ how did The guy who thought he was Caesar actually die/ what is hidden in the ornament and what does it mean. She’s still a bit reckless but she no longer is too stupid to live. She sees herself as being a maverick but forgets following your instincts instead of procedure can help you solve the unsolvable but when your instincts are wrong you have placed yourself in a life threatening position with little to no backup. The character who calls her a vigilante is completely wrong. She may be reckless but she follows the facts to find her guy and she collects the evidence to ensure they get what they deserve but she doesn’t manipulate the fact to either put someone in jail or get them off. She also doesn’t kill those she finds proof are guilty.
Book Review: The Girl and the Last Sleepover by A.J. Rivers
Rating: 🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾 Genre: Thriller Published: 2/25/22
Review: I really really liked this book in the series! The first chapter started with a bang and had me wanting to know how Emma was involved in that story. The case was crazy and I did not see the ending coming. I am really enjoying this series and so glad that I started it and can't wait for the next installment and see where that takes Emma!
Summary: A shy outcast gurl from the rural outskirts of a small town is invited to a girls' sleepover with two other girls. In the middle of the night a horrific fire erupted. By the time emergency services arrived, it was too late. Investigators assumed the parents, their daughter, and her 2 friends died in the home. But only one body was uncovered, the mother's...For years FBI agent Emma Griffin was largely a lone wolf. She insulated herself from the rest of the world. With very few exceptions. Now, that has all changed. Opening herself has given her a chosen family she loves. Working with her cousin Dean has always made her happy, and now she can help someone find a piece of their family that disappeared years ago. An FBI agent who went undercover and never surfaced. As they dig deeper into his disappearance, they find a potential connection of that case with he mystery of the 3 girls. But as bodies connected to the case turn up in odd locations. Emma struggles to make sense of what happened the night of their last sleepover.
I came to this series late so this is a bit unfair, I think, though my rating is based on the book beginning with a good prologue but then really wandering all over the place, with so many side characters I don't know anything about, aren't very interesting (to me), and so many trips back into her past (none of which are clearly defined but serve to establish why everywhere she goes people recognize her - she's apparently recently changed from a lone wolf type to someone with a new husband, a large extended "family" of characters I also don't know, an uncle who is a sociopath (the prologue to the previous book sort of established that)) without any clear indication of why, or what relevance to the current story her past has. The actual meat of this story is told in the last 50 pages or so, the rest is pretty much filler I didn't see the point of. I can say reading three of this books has persuaded me that I will not go back to the beginning because I don't like what I've read of her past in 16-18 in this series. Which is too bad because she really is a talented writer, I just wish she'd stick to A story without so many sidelines, because the meat of this story was outstanding, it's a 2.5 for me because of everything else that had nothing to do with this actual story.
I am really struggling rating this book even a three. The whole storyline of Jacob going on and on and on for several books is getting a little redundant. It seems like she’s always going over the same information over and over. It doesn’t seem like she’s a very good FBI agent if it’s taking her this long to crack the case. And what’s with always putting the phone between her ear and her shoulder. Can’t she put it on speaker? And is Sam really a sheriff? He takes a lot of time away from work. I am thankful there’s only one more book left in the series, and I am really hoping that the author gives it up after this one and puts us out of our misery. I feel like after reading 18 books I have to read the next one. But honestly every book I read a question my smartness on why I keep reading the series. I definitely like the characters of Emma, Dean, Xavier, and Sam, but that’s about the only thing that keeps me reading is that I am invested in the characters. Please find something new to write about and actually finish the story in one book. I love series, don’t get me wrong, however this is the story that never ends.
This is a wonderful series and the latest addition to it is no exception. Emma is an extremely gifted FBI agent but her and her cousin Dean together are an unstoppable team. Emma's perspective and attention to detail is a winning combination of skills in solving everything, even the ongoing mysteries tied to Jonah and the Emperor. I love how her and Sam just work too. These books as well as the other series that have connections are well written and all pull you right into the case at hand and other ongoing cases. I love the writer's style. The characters and scenery are very descriptive and give readers a clear picture. This would make a great series or series of movies. I especially like how Emma saw herself in Maya. This book makes me want to go back and read any books that I may have missed as well as look forward to new books to come.
This was the worst book in the series so far. The whole dragging out storylines over multiple books and not answering questions is getting old. The bulk of the book is Emma and Dean investigating a disappearance of an undercover FBI agent while leaving you questioning how Sam’s case is going, where Jonah is and how is Xavier doing in prison.
I wish A.J. Rivers would just finish the original stories she started instead of cranking out book after book and only sprinkling in little insights into the major story. The books are already filled with so many characters from past books, it’s getting hard to keep them all straight while adding more from the new investigations that seem to have nothing to do with Emma’s major storyline.
I’m really getting frustrated here but like so many, I keep reading because I’ve invested so much already.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
I loved this episode of “The Girl” series. In this one Emma is sent to the little town of Cold Valley to research the disappearance of another FBI agent. She uses the sheriff, the library and many townspeople to get a handle on the missing man who was there undercover. In the midst of her investigation she meets a girl who saw something when she was 5, but can’t put the memory together in her mind. More terrible things happen including a fire and the death of three of the people she has interviewed Meanwhile she is in communication with Xavier, who has been put in prison under cover to try to figure out how her uncle escaped. This is the theme story that goes through all the books, which makes it important to read this series in order. Another 5 star book by A. J. Rivers!
Such a major error, it kind of ruined everything. Emma is at a house fire with Dean & Sam when the sheriff walks over & introduces himself. Emma then introduces Dean & Sam to the sheriff. Just a few sentences later Emma is calling Sam, who is at the boarding house because she wouldn't let him go to the fire. And, then just seconds later, Dean walks up to her & the sheriff & she introduces Dean to the sheriff again. The sheriff says "glad go meet you", as if this was the first time they'd met. Seriously needs someone to proofread her manuscripts. She can't keep her story lines accurate.
A.J. Rivers sure writes a tangled web of a tale and has you all over the place, especially if you're not paying attention 100% of the time. The team is spread out with Xavier trying to solve one mystery, Sam trying to solve another alongside his Sheriff's duties. Emma with her personal drama, 30 cases plus the one she's in the middle of with Dean. So much going on...things start wrapping up and then another zinger to reel you back in for the next one. These are going on forever, right? Emma can never end and rest in peace, grow old, have babies, nothing. She has to continue into the next book.
I like the book when it finally gets down to the nitty gritty of the actual crime that has been committed and Emma actually starts trying to solve it.
I must admit that I find the story around the actual case a bit tiresome. The Emperor and all the other characters surrounding him, her uncle etc. It’s time to bring this never ending story to an end. Let Emma solve crimes, that’s what she does best. The never ending philosophizing isn’t necessary for the Emma Griffin series to be riveting reading.
I really enjoy this series. Emma and the family she has gathered are all realistic people with individual quirks and flaws which are endearing and entertaining. Her "never give up" style of investigation is fascinating. I look forward to reading more in the series. This particular book focuses on Emma and her cousin, Dean, finding out what happened to an FBI agent who disappeared while investigating undercover in a small town in Tennessee. A tangle of clues involving three teenage girls leads Emma to a surprising conclusion.
I enjoy the Emma Griffin FBI Series from A. J. Rivers. They are always good, I have, yet, to read one in this series that is bad. This was started off slow for me, but by the end it had picked up and I had trouble putting it down. There are things mentioned from past books in the series, that I think if you don't read them in order you may be lost. If you like mysteries, I think you might enjoy this series.
I received this novel as an ARC, for an honest review. Emma Griffin, FBI agent extraordinaire, is working two cases, one a missing agent, cold case. The second is the horrific house fire that killed an entire family with two little girls spending the night. The book starts out slow and gains a little headway about halfway through. An interesting concept, characters that are somewhat like extras and not well described. Must say, this wasn't a favorite read, the theme seems to be wearing out.
I’m used to all the typos and weird sentences by now in this series. But this time, at the scene of the fire, Sam is introduced to Sheriff Boyd and they even have a conversation. Then Emma is apparently calling Sam to update on the situation because she wouldn’t let him come to the fire scene with her and Dean. WTH?
The world of hurt we put people through thinking we know them better than they know themselves. These three girls that have known of each other since childhood. Each one trying to be the better friend and coming up with ways to hurt the world instead or their little slice of it. Best friends are a great thing family is even better. Letting others in can have devastating effects.
Investigating the missing persons case of an FBI agent who disappeared a decade earlier at the behest of his former fiancée, Dean ends up uncovering odd clues which intrigue Emma and result in the official re-opening of the FBI file.
Layers of deception, duplicity, infidelities and outright fraud and suspicious deaths are all uncovered after the fate of the missing agent is revealed.
This is the last book in the series, but there has to be more coming…..there’s still so much that needs to be revealed. Great book, I did t figure it out till the last chapter. AJ Rivers has a way of developing characters and stories full of suspense that you just can’t put the book down. Then you can’t wait to start the next one. A must read series.
This is more of a question, than a review. Why did the carnival house jog Mayas memories? I cannot see a correlation to that & the scene we find out she's witnessed? It was also a very long & boring prologue, which did not seem to add anything to the book. Otherwise, once I got past the prologue, & into the book, I did enjoy it.
I never came close to figuring it out. This one has more twists and turns than a motorcycle trail. While Xavier goes undercover in prison, Emma and Dean try to solve a ten-year old missing persons case involving an undercover FBI agent. An arson, pretty lingerie and a hit and run all figure into this confusing case. As usual, Emma is up to it!
This book was interesting and intense but very confusing in a few places. It wasn't as connected to the context in a few places and often left me confused about what I had already read. I love this series and all the characters but it just left me so confused about everything going on and the conversations that were had.
There were plenty of twists in this story and some of them I never saw coming! Ms. Rivers weaves excellent stories and I love Emma’s cases. She and Sam are a matched set and so glad that Dean and Xavier fill in her family. Can’t wait to see how Xavier’s tale ends, he is my favorite.
Again we have a story that doesn't move with the main one. It's a case that involves a conspiracy and a cold case that goes back a few years. I like that the double points of view kind of throw us a little and makes us get the wrong idea of what is going on, but at the same time it gives us something to focus and play with.
Emma has a lot on her plate, but she still accepts to help her cousin with a case, and ends ups taking over after finding a few important clues. As usual Emma is the best for the job, and manages to discover everything, where others already failed. She is getting more and more cocky, but she has enough to backup her attitude. She is still very daring and puts herself in difficult situations.
We still get a few clues about the main case she is following, that of her uncle and Leviatan, with Xavier going undercover and investigating for Emma, but mostly it's about the case at hand, and I really enjoy those. There was a big conspiracy, but it was something local and unconnected to Emma which was refreshing.
I used to read Stuart Woods, but they started being the same story over and over again and I don't read his books anymore as a result.. I really see this happening in this series as well.
I think it is time to retire the Joshua story line and get on with letting Emma, Sam Eric and the others solve a whole new line of crimes.
The Girl and the Last Sleepover(EmmaGriffin FBzi Mystery Book 18)
OMG!!!!!!!!! This one was amazing, so full of twists and turns. I realize I am almost to the end of this series and am getting sad, I have spent so much time with Emma and her ragtag bunch of "family " that I am going to miss them all.