Girl Without a Chance

Tara Strong #1

by Rylie Dark

A woman escapes from the clutches of a serial killer in a small, mountain town, and Deputy Sheriff Tara Strong must race to decode the incoherent victim’s report and save the next one before it’s too late. But in a shocking twist, Tara realizes she is up against a killer more diabolical than she could imagine—and that, with her own life at stake, some of a town’s secrets are best left buried.

GIRL WITHOUT A CHANCE is book #1 in a new series by #1 bestselling and critically acclaimed mystery and suspense author Rylie Dark, whose books have received over 2,000 five-star reviews and ratings.

Tara Strong has risen to become her county’s Deputy Sheriff through her bravery and her brilliant capacity to enter killer’s minds. Small-town life in the mountains, centered around their picturesque lake, should be idyllic. But Tara has already seen enough to know that there is a dark side to everything, that small towns hide secrets, that everyone has something in their past—and that a killer may just be lurking right next door.

Tara remains haunted by her own past, by her missing sister, by her guilt over the unsolved case. She must battle the demons of her own past, while trying to get ahead in a male-dominated police force.

Can Tara keep it together long enough to catch a killer?

Genres: Mystery, Thriller, Ebooks, Audiobook, Fiction, Suspense, Mystery Thriller

208 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 23, 2023

About the author

Rylie Dark is author of the SADIE PRICE FBI SUSPENSE THRILLER series, comprising six books (and counting); of the CARLY SEE FBI SUSPENSE THRILLER series, comprising six books (and counting); of the MIA NORTH FBI SUSPENSE THRILLER series, comprising six books (and counting); of the MORGAN STARK FBI SUSPENSE THRILLER series, comprising five books (and counting); of the HAILEY ROCK FBI SUSPENSE THRILLER series, comprising five books (and counting),of the TARA STRONG MYSTERY series, comprising five books (and counting); and of the ALEX QUINN SUSPENSE THRILLER series, comprising five books (and counting).

Rylie loves to hear from you, so please feel free to visit www.ryliedark.com to receive free ebooks, hear the latest news, and stay in touch.

BOOKS BY RYLIE DARK

ALEX QUINN SUSPENSE THRILLER

FIRST, MURDER (Book #1)

SECOND, DEATH (Book #2)

THIRD, ENVY (Book #3)

FOURTH, LUST (Book #4)

FIFTH, WRATH (Book #5)

HAILEY ROCK FBI SUSPENSE THRILLER

BEHIND YOU (Book #1)

BESIDE YOU (Book #2)

AFTER YOU (Book #3)

WATCHING YOU (Book #4)

JUDGING YOU (Book #5)

TARA STRONG MYSTERY

GIRL WITHOUT A CHANCE (Book #1)

GIRL WITHOUT A HOME (Book #2)

GIRL WITHOUT A TRACE (Book #3)

GIRL WITHOUT A NAME (Book #4)

GIRL WITHOUT A PRAYER (Book #5)

SADIE PRICE FBI SUSPENSE THRILLER

ONLY MURDER (Book #1)

ONLY RAGE (Book #2)

ONLY HIS (Book #3)

ONLY ONCE (Book #4)

ONLY SPITE (Book #5)

ONLY MADNESS (Book #6)

MIA NORTH FBI SUSPENSE THRILLER

SEE HER RUN (Book #1)

SEE HER HIDE (Book #2)

SEE HER SCREAM (Book #3)

SEE HER VANISH (Book #4)

SEE HER GONE (Book #5)

SEE HER DEAD (Book #6)

CARLY SEE FBI SUSPENSE THRILLER

NO WAY OUT (Book #1)

NO WAY BACK (Book #2)

NO WAY HOME (Book #3)

NO WAY LEFT (Book #4)

NO WAY UP (Book #5)

NO WAY TO DIE (Book #6)

MORGAN STARK FBI SUSPENSE THRILLER

TOO LATE (Book #1)

TOO CLOSE (Book #2)

TOO FAR GONE (Book #3)

TOO LOST (Book #4)

TOO BROKEN (Book #5)

Reviews

[Thibault Busschots · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tara Strong is a deputy sheriff in a small American town. She visits a girl in the hospital who claims to have been kidnapped and almost killed. The girl says that she was tied up, but the killer released her from her bonds so she could eat her final meal before he killed her. The moment she was freed, she started running. The killer - like any stone cold killer would - raced into the shadows, scared that she might be able to see his face, letting his victim run away without even trying to stop her. Tara Strong hears this and thinks to herself: this guy clearly knows what he’s doing, he must be a serial killer! So Tara has a serial killer to catch.


To be fair, we do learn that Tara Strong’s sister disappeared a long time ago and has been missing ever since. When Tara talks to the girl in the hospital, she thinks her sister could have suffered the same fate. So there is some structure and logic to be found in the absolute chaos that is the mystery plot of this story. The plot is actually pretty good when you look at it from a distance. But once you take a closer look, the execution of the plot is just a bit of a mess at times. The twist at the end is pretty good though.


The level of gun violence is also a bit too uncomfortably casual for my taste. For example, the protagonist is about to bring in a suspect and she’s super excited. She’s already got her hand on her gun, hopeful that she’ll get to pull the trigger. That’s before she’s even knocked on the front door and met or talked to the guy. Or before she even knows whether he actually has something to do with her case or not. And sure enough, bullets start flying all over the place. An innocent person gets shot. And everyone pretty much goes about their day like it’s business as usual.


Overall, not the greatest mystery read around. But it’s got a pretty decent premise and plot, and it’s free.

[Thomas Calhoun · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is maybe the worst book I've read in ages. at the end I could only shake my head at the Sheriff...how can he keep this woman employed, let alone be training her to be his successor? Tara, the deputy sheriff, was an immature dolt. She keeps promising her boss she'll not do something again, then goes right out and does it. The plot twist at the end was ok, but once again just another opportunity for Tara to blunder her way through the situation. The law enforcement details were at times totally unrealistic. I could probably write a review detailing those alone.. The interviews with various suspects were just plain silly. I realize this is the first book in a series and as such Tara's character is undeveloped, but I don't have the strength to wade through another book of her mistakes. I love mysteries/thrillers with strong female characters, but Tara sure isn't one.

[Sarah B · Rating 3 out of 5]

Slow and with plot problems

So I couldn't get into this story...although I certainly tried. For one I thought that Tara just seemed kind of stupid? Which is kind of strange for someone in her job capacity but I guess it could be just inexperience. Still it certainly affects the story... And if the reader enjoys the story or not. I often do enjoy stories with very innocent characters but they should not work in law enforcement as Tara does.

I admit there was one scene in here where Tara made me chuckle. She was being very creative to come up with reasons - very ridiculous reasons - to arrest someone. It was so out there it was funny!

But I think there is a bigger flaw with this story. I realize the author wants it to be a plot twist but if you think about it logically then the whole thing falls apart. And that is bad. Because I see no reason why the (unnamed character - I won't say who so it won't ruin the story) would do what they did as their actions only draws the unwanted attention of law enforcement. Which would mean they are a total idiot. And they certainly are not a total idiot. So the twist doesn't work in my opinion.

There was no suspense or thrills in here. It basically is a cop story about a deputy, one who is trying hard to do a job in a tiny town but she's not too smart really. She has lots of drive though.

[Jo Harms · Rating 1 out of 5]

Oh. My. God. I usually avoid leaving harsh reviews, especially as an aspiring writer who dreads the thought of reading criticism about my own work. But to put it simply: this book is buns.

The writing drags. It takes three sentences to express what could be said in one, making every thought and image feel unnecessarily drawn out.

Character relationships are handled with the same lack of subtlety. Instead of allowing us to experience their dynamics organically, the author just tells us how the characters relate to each other. Take Tara and Glen, for example. I wanted to see them interact naturally, maybe in the rhythm of their day-to-day lives. There’s an attempt at this, but it falls flat.

By chapter four, the writing style had officially worn on my nerves. We don’t need a play-by-play explanation for every single thing a character does. Just let their actions speak. What happened to show, don’t tell?

And while we’re on that: why does the narrator feel so hell-bent on convincing us that Tara is competent? It’s not even written in the first person, but the way the narrator constantly reassures us that she’s “doing a good job” feels like the literary equivalent of meat-riding. Meanwhile, she’s the most unqualified deputy sheriff in all the Wild West.

And let me be crystal clear when I say that I HATE Tara.

She’s insecure, snappy, and doesn’t have the skills to justify her attitude. Her incompetence at her job isn’t just frustrating - it’s exhausting. And her so-called “sense of justice”? Pretentious as fuck. It doesn’t feel like she’s solving the case out of any genuine desire to help people or find closure for her dead sister. No, she’s obsessed with proving to herself and everyone else that she “gets the job done,” as Chappell Roan would say. And surprise! She only succeeds because she’s the main character.

But Miley being Kordell’s accomplice? The twist gagged me a bit for sure (in a good way). Easily one of the only decently written moments in the entire book. I think the writing picks up a little toward the end, but by that point, my body of expectations was lying cold dead in the ground.

And even though Miley was a total pickmeisha and clearly not all there, I was kinda rooting for her to kill Tara sorry😭

Honestly, I only finished this book because I’m trying to hit my reading challenge quota. That said, the story itself was *just* compelling enough to keep me going, so I guess it wasn’t complete torture.

[Sonia · Rating 2 out of 5]

Banale e superficiale come lo sono i suoi personaggi. Unico pregio, benché sia scritto maluccio, è il ritmo. Senza pretese scorre bene. Dal momento che l'ho scaricato gratuitamente non mi lamento. Non leggeró i libri successivi.

[Anna May · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good book. Hard to put down

[Alicia Huxtable · Rating 4 out of 5]

Suspenseful

Suspenseful with twists and turns that you don't see coming. Great writing with characters that mesh well with the story

[Krystal · Rating 3 out of 5]

Im not sure about this series. I dislike how they make thr main character irresponsible and how her action dont have any real consequences. Now shes going to fly under the radar and find her sisters killer when she was duped from the getgo on this case???

[Ronnie · Rating 1 out of 5]

🥲 First book that I started in 2026 (I've got a few ongoing reads right now that I started in 2025, they don't count haha) and also my first DNF of the year.  DNF'd @ 86%. 

Lots of things not great about this. Lots of bumbling around making a bunch of stupid decisions. The mountain lakes have tides for some unfathomable reason. The prose isn't that great (and I don't know if this is a print issue or an audiobook issue, but a ton of repetition of lines like "She opened the door. She opened the door and stepped inside" which sounded like he read it two different times. Maybe he'd read up to a certain point and then took a break and when he started again he'd read the same line and no one fixed that in post? Idk).  

I spent most of the book thinking the serial killer was the sheriff. But no, the real serial killer was introduced for the first time around 76% of the way in. It turns out the sheriff is just even worse at this job than Tara Strong, and his bumbling around were genuine attempts to solve the case instead of trying to sabotage the investigation.

A lot of the reviews mentioned a plot twist and when I found it it wasn't "the sheriff is the killer" I went looking and it turns out that the victim at the beginning of the book who escaped from him was an accomplise, actually, and she was sent there to throw the police off their trail.  Except... The police didn't even know there was a trail? Literally no one was investigating any of these missing persons reports.  No body even suspected there was a killer at all.  So by trying to throw them off a trail that didn't even exist at all, they really just guided the police over and pointed their feet in the right direction and went "here you go officer!"


Also the MC's name being Tara Strong did not help. I spent most of the book picturing Twilight Sparkle trying to solve the case.

[(Grace) Kentucky Bohemian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Inconsistent Read
I expected to love this book. I wanted to love this book. I've read others by the author that I greatly enjoyed. But I found this one just a little bit too inconsistent as far as characters and dialogue.

Tara Strong has trouble living up to her last name. She also has trouble living in her sister's shadow. Tara is the Deputy Sheriff of a small department. Her older sister is the Sheriff of a neighboring county and never gives Tara an inch of respect. In fact, her entire family has issues. But isn't that the norm these days, anyway? Regardless, Tara struggles with self-worth/confidence issues even though she's a respected member of the department and a good officer. But she's still young and shows her immaturity in cringe-worthy ways throughout the story. She acts boldly, but brashly with a reactionary tendency that would get officers killed in the real world. At one face-palming moment, she acted more like the ditsy girl in a grade-B horror flick who thinks the creepy basement is the best place to hide. Yeesh.

Honestly, her immaturity and lack of forethought really annoyed me. But I get the impression the author tends to show extreme growth in Tara throughout the series as the current sheriff grooms her to fill his position in the future. I hope that's the case, and I'll read at least the next book in the series to see if she begins to display such growth.

As for the plot itself, it's good. Creepy, intense, mind-numbing, and diabolical just as I would expect from this author. If I hadn't had such issues with the main character, this would have been a 5-star read for me.

[Clauee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Title: Girl Without a Chance
Author: Rylie Dark
Year Published: 2023

Scenario 1: The story begins when two best friends, Adriana and Krystin decided to set up the tent quickly. They have found a secluded camping area just out of the lake, back in the trees. There was only one other camper in this part of the park, far enough away that their lights were just a dim glow.
Problem 1: They ran out of light.
Problem 2: There’s no signal out here.
Problem 3: A woman was saying the same phrase over and over again “HEEZOWINTAKULMEEE”
Problem 4: The woman was sobbing into the dirt.
Problem 5: The woman, desperate, looked up and screamed right at them “He’s going to kill me!”

Scenario 2: Tara checked that her radio was on, and pulled it away from her Deputy Sheriff uniform to see the switch on the side.
Main Problem: They need to look for drunkard Billy Westfoot and inform his whereabouts to his wife.

Could it be that the woman is the wife of Billy?
I love the story! It is straight to the point and is very easy to read. This could be my next book placed in my bag to be read at a busy street. Just enough amount of entertainment to satisfy my soul.

[Rebecca Lewis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Girl Without a Chance by Rylie Dark feels like one of those thrillers you stumble into and end up staying up way too late with. It kicks off with a bang — a woman escapes from a serial killer in a quiet mountain town, and Deputy Sheriff Tara Strong gets pulled into the kind of case that makes your stomach twist in the best way. It’s got that gritty, small-town tension and a main character who feels like she’s been through something. The pacing is fast, but it doesn’t feel rushed — more like someone tugging you by the sleeve saying, “Come on, you’ve got to see what happens next.” I didn’t guess the killer (and I always try to), which I count as a win. There are twists that hit hard, but not in a flashy way — more like something quiet and chilling sneaking up behind you. If you like strong women with scars, messy justice, and mysteries that unravel like old secrets in the dark, this one might be worth your time. It’s the kind of book that doesn’t just tell a story — it dares you to keep going.

[Ken Finlay · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Girl Without A Chance" starts dramatically with a young woman racing through the trees as night falls - she either escapes or she dies.
Luckily she stumbles across a campsite beside a lake and is saved. But, in hospital, she doesn't recall much of the events that started with her kidnapping.
The case falls to Deputy Sheriff Tara Strong of Wyatt, Colorado, but initial enquiries lead nowhere. There are just two clues, a metal dog-tag with the number 5 engraved on it, and a broken window (but they'll need to find the building!)
Then, close to the scene, the skeleton of a woman, aged 18-25, is found. For Tara it brings back memories of her own sister, Cassie, 15, missing for 10 years. But it is not her.
Part of the problem for Tara is that a lot of people go missing in Colorado. "People went hiking, or had camping accidents, or went into the lake in the dead of night. ... But most of the time, you didn’t assume a serial killer. You assumed an accident."
But Tara is dogged and determined and, little by little, inches closer to the killer.
The finale, followed by a second trick ending, was nicely handled.
I'll be reading on in the series.
3 Stars.

[Eleth Roberts · Rating 4 out of 5]

Girl Without a Chase is a refreshing and empowering read that challenges traditional narratives around validation, romance, and self-worth. Instead of centering its story on pursuit or approval, the book places independence, emotional growth, and self-awareness at the forefront.
What stands out most is the book’s message: fulfillment doesn’t come from being chased, chosen, or constantly sought after—it comes from knowing who you are and standing firmly in that truth. The tone is confident and unapologetic, making it especially resonant for readers who are tired of stories that equate happiness with external attention.
The writing is accessible and engaging, striking a balance between introspection and relatability. Whether through personal reflection, storytelling, or strong inner dialogue, the book encourages readers to rethink their own patterns and expectations in relationships and life. It doesn’t shame vulnerability, but it does emphasize boundaries, self-respect, and growth.

[L ☆ · Rating 3 out of 5]

At first glance, the story seems pretty predictable and is easy to follow. But the final plot twist… it’s everything, actually.

Tara Strong is stubborn, and I’m not completely sure she should be allowed to continue working after a couple of reckless choices she made, but I stand for women’s wrongs.

On another note, the writing could’ve been better. It feels like it should’ve gone through another editor or more beta readers before actually publishing it, but it’s not horrible or full of mistakes, so I’d say it’s okay.

I really liked Girl Without a Chance ad I think I’ll continue the Tara Strong series. I want to see how Tara’s character develops and how her relationships with others also change; I feel like this could be found in this book too, but not as much as I would’ve liked, probably because it’s a series.

[Carissa Lusk · Rating 2 out of 5]

Almost DNF.

Within the first few pages, I was annoyed. They have the victim's ID but only her name is revealed. No age or if she's actually a local. Deputy Sheriff Strong is looking at the victim in the hospital and the victim looks "young". Y'ALL SHOULD HAVE HER ID IN YOUR HANDS TO HAVE HER INFO AND RUN A BACKGROUND CHECK BUT NOOOOO. We're going to play guessing games.

Police procedure is pretty much out the window. It's more so stupid characters running off doing stupid things. Having childish arguments with her fellow LEO sister at the family dinner table. Grow tf up.

The twist at the end almost seems clever but it wasn't. Killer wasn't on the police radar up until the killer just served themself up on a silver platter.

I just.... can't. Silver lining is that it's a short book.

[Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tara worked as a cop in a small boring univentful town. She was soon to be elected to be the next towns sheriff. Her sidekick was Glenn. Usual events were picking up the town drunk and driving him home to his wife who reported him missing. It was a weekly occurance.Soon it got exciting for Tara and Glenn. Some one found bones under the dirt and a guy dug at it and found more bones .Girls murdered , same looks, same type of murder and each had a dog tag with a number on it.Tara was determined to break this case. As her own sister had disappeared years ago and it turned into a cold case. So maybe they will be lucky maybe and also find her sister.

[Lillian Cummings · Rating 4 out of 5]

A gripping read

Tara knows that unless something changes she will always live in this small town. She enjoys her job at the sheriff's department but she wonders if she will ever be involved in a serious crime. That is all about to change as a young woman has escaped from a killer. But can Tara and the team find the killer before someone goes missing? The case has gotten bigger as more victims have been found and Tara is grateful that none of them are her missing younger sister. But will they be able to find the killer before it is too late? A good read.
Tara is a strong woman that cares deeply and I hope that she does find out what happened to her sister.

[Kim Hansen · Rating 2 out of 5]

While this book started out with some promise, it rapidly deteriorated as the story went along. Totally unbelievable actions by law enforcement. No one in a legal setting would handle the investigation of a serial killer like this book lays out. I also found the characters to be “flat“ without a lot of character development. It was an interesting plot, but I found the writing to be choppy and much of the narration just head thinking for Tara, the deputy sheriff investigating (if you could call her actions as investigative rather than sloppy knee jerks) the case, rather than allowing them to act or speak their minds. I would not recommend this book to anybody.

[Maryann Hornbaker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Easy fun Read

Tara find a girl running for her life. She just escaped from an abductor and is terrified. Sympathetic Tara takes her under her wing attempts to help er. This is beginning to look like a serial killer is on the loose in their quiet little town.
Tara and her partner Glenn begin the search for more victims.

I think you’ll find this book interesting and fun to read. But watch out for the ending.

[Amber · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm giving it 3 stars because it did have a twist that I didn't see coming, and I wanted to finish it.

The main character is, in my opinion, the worst. I get she is from a quiet town, but she is a horrible cop.

She jumps on every tiny lead like it's 100% proof they're the Murderer and blatantly dismisses all training because she knows she is right - and she never really is.

She reminds me of Inspector Gadget. Taking credit for solving everything, but really everyone else does.

[Heather · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tara not very good

Reading this book after reading so many crime and true crime books the author really did nothing to make Tara character good at her job all I keep saying was if this is her job all she did was make mistakes and without giving away story in my opinion she didn’t make Tara a hero or even a good cop actually made her pretty dumb with a little luck that’s all Seriously I would not want her investigating my nurder

[Cali Galla · Rating 2 out of 5]

Premise Is Good

The story had potential. There were just too many plot holes for me to give this anymore than two stars. I have so many notes just saying “When was this said?” “That didn’t happen though.” Though the Kindle version is only 208 pages, this took me a few days to finish because I couldn’t get into it as much as I wanted to. As I stated before, the story had potential but the writing left so much to be desired.

[arianna · Rating 2 out of 5]

Trama poco originale e il plot twist non è stato per niente inaspettato, anzi, e la traduzione non è delle migliori (o magari è un problema di scrittura non lo so)

I personaggi sono tutti dal primo all’ultimo di una stupidità allucinante, non riesco a credere che siamo dei detective di qualche tipo perché veramente non sanno fare 2+2.

Sicuramente mi ha intrattenuta, l’ho letto in tre giorni quindi va bene, ma non si può definire un buon thriller

[Carol · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first in a new series but is also a spin off another Rylie Dark series. Tara Strong is now deputy sheriff in the small town she grew up in. A woman comes running out of the forest both naked and incoherent and so starts the search for a serial killer who they realize has been operating for years and no one has ever put it all together. And the people in the story may not be who they seem.

[Jeanna Armstrong · Rating 1 out of 5]

Almost added this one to my DNF. The story was great, but the writing was awful. Author has zero idea on how police investigations and was running around arresting people with only the tiniest amount of reasoning behind it. Also, was super annoying reading “Deputy Sheriff Strong” what felt like every 20 sentences. We get it. She’s the deputy sheriff. Chances are though, most civilians would just still call her “officer”.

[Stephanie Coniff · Rating 4 out of 5]

Listened as an audiobook- I loved the case that Dep. Sheriff Tara Strong had to solve. Very fast-paced and quick one! Already downloaded the next two books since there is an overarching story here that I HAVE to see to completion.

As a side note to all audiobook listeners of this one, there were several places where a couple phrases repeated themselves, which was kind of weird. Could have been just the Chirp Audio app, but it didn't seem like it.

[Ashley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty good murder mystery. I wasn’t expecting the ending and my mind kept thinking other scenarios that never happened (I really thought the mountain man would come in and save her, he didn’t). I wasn’t expecting the whole thing with the victim.
I didn’t like the whole feminist officer parts. It’s not a wild idea to believe that men are stronger than women and her being upset is lame. She had a chip on her shoulder and a bias that showed. Wasn’t a fan of it.

[Akshatha Kulkarni · Rating 5 out of 5]

What truly sets this book apart is its unpredictable twists. Just when I thought I had figured things out, the plot would throw a curveball, leaving me stunned. The pacing is relentless, with every chapter ending on a note that demands you keep reading. The atmosphere is so vivid that I could almost feel the tension, the danger lurking in every corner. Finished it in one go! Complete adrenaline booster!

[Charity Hlatshwayo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Even by cop standards, she's incompetent. She's gunning to become the next sheriff. I guess the only blessing is that she's in a small town where barely anything ever happens. The current Sheriff keeps saying, she's fit for the job and is in fact better at it than him and I don't see it. Those words that Jessy shouted at supper might really be accurate. Perhaps this Sheriff was in fact incompetent in investigating that missing persons case.