Police detective (Miranda) investigates the death of beloved local college professor (Richard Stark). Who killed him and why? Could his murder be linked to events from her own past 14 years ago?

The short chapters in this book made it way too easy to read another, and then another, and then another. I found myself racing through this book trying to figure out who killed the professor and why. The way the story alternated between the past and present kept my hooked until the very last page.

Recently, I have been annoyed by the sexist use of "girl" instead of "woman" in book titles. In this instance, however, the other girl really does refer to a girl, so I felt the need to point that since I've complained about it in the past ;) Thank you to the author and the publisher for using the word correctly this time!

Thank you to the author and publisher for a free ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review! I have been an Erica Spindler fan for at least 15-20 years and was very excited to receive an ARC.

I have no idea why—maybe it’s because Erica Spindler is such an established writer in this genre or that the majority of the reviews I’ve seen have been overwhelming positive—but I expected way more from this story. I certainly wasn’t prepared for the ‘been there, done that’ storyline, an investigation that rested almost entirely on convenience or the one-note cast that inhabited this quasi-thriller.

Every reader is different—what works for me, might not work for you and vice versa. The analytical side of my brain craves a plot that requires the reader to scrutinize everything and everyone in an attempt to uncover the truth. Best case scenario—finding myself in a situation where I can admit I was completely wrong. Let’s be honest though, it’s a tough task coming up with an entirely original storyline that hasn’t been done in some shape or form before or a twist that has the power to knock a reader on their ass. So, in my mind, the caveat is, if the storyline isn’t heavy on the mind games, originality or even unpredictability, a character driven plot with well-developed emotional beings works as an acceptable substitute, in most cases. With this book, I didn’t get either scenario and it definitely marred my enjoyment quite a bit.

There’s no doubt, the story starts off strong. A popular English professor is found bound and bloody with a crucial part of his anatomy hacked off, leaving the detectives to uncover why someone would murder such a well-liked guy and in such a heinous manner. Not to mention, his father is a prominent man in the community, so what gives? Miranda, the lead detective assigned to the case, is touted as smart, but that notion failed to hold weight when I found myself one step ahead of her for the entirety of the story. I mean, who's the experienced investigator here? Mix in a connection to the past, planted evidence and a bland romance and you’ve got the gist of this storyline.

I think it’s a bit of a hard sell, at least it was for this reader, to say these were characters I should care about. There wasn’t much emotionality to the storyline, mostly due to the fact that the author didn’t give the reader any downtime to explore who these people were at their core or even provide much of a backstory for anyone. Instead, the author chose to jump from one dramatic situation or ‘revelation’ to the next, with much of the story being driven by pure convenience. The silliest situation by far being the stoner that just happened to walk by—say what?

Even with my hefty list of dislikes, this is in no way the worst thriller I’ve read this year. In fact, it falls somewhere in the middle; hence my middle-of-the-road 3-star rating. Just to reiterate what I said earlier, everyone has different tastes. So, if you’re looking for an uncomplicated, easy to solve thriller that's light on the character development and just so happens to be a quick read, this is probably the book for you.

I've read quite a few books by Erica Spindler over the years and have really enjoyed them. I thought that "The Other Girl" sounded like it would be another entertaining read. I was right.

Officer Miranda (Randi) Rader is a good cop. She is honest and reliable and she is able to keep her cool in extremely tense situations. This wasn't always the case for Miranda. She was once the girl from the wrong side of the tracks, running wild. After an extremely traumatic experience when she was a teenager, things changed. Miranda was able to put it all behind her, get her life on track. She's now thriving, working for the Hammond Police Department in Louisiana. But sometimes the past has a way of creeping up on you when you least expect it.

A college professor, Richard Stark has been brutally murdered. The professor's father happens to be the president of the same college, and he's putting a lot pressure on the police force to find out who killed his son. Right from the initial investigation, Miranda feels like something is amiss. The attack on the professor was particularly vicious, creating quite a gruesome scene. At first they assume it to be a crime of passion, but Miranda isn't entirely sure.

Miranda and her partner, Jake continue investigating. She's still feeling a bit uneasy, but that's nothing compared to the feeling she gets when she comes across a newspaper clipping directly related to the things that happened to her when she was a teenager. With that things start to unravel very quickly.

On top of the scene and the newspaper clipping sending her back in time emotionally, there is also other evidence that points to Miranda, making her a prime suspect. She is taken off the case. But just when she thinks things can't possibly get any worse....they do.

Is someone setting her up? But who? and why? Could this be connected to what happened all those years before? Everything is not as it seems and not everyone is who they claim to be. Miranda's not sure who she can trust. Will she be able to pick herself up again and prove her innocence? Even if it means she might have to do it on her own?

Erica Spindler does a great job of developing her characters. I loved Miranda. She's a fantastic well-developed character that you can't help but root for. Additionally, there are many great supporting characters. Love them or hate them, I found them all intriguing. The story flows easily between the present and flashbacks that show what exactly happened to Miranda all those years ago. There were some good twists and even though I figured out a few things, it didn't detract from my enjoyment of the story. I was still intrigued and invested in this story and had to see what was going to happen next.

Suspenseful and entertaining, "The Other Girl" had me flipping pages quickly. I was anxious to see how things were going to play out and I really liked how it all came together in the end. If you're looking for a fast-paced and engrossing read, I highly recommend this novel.


Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for an advanced readers copy of this book for me to read in exchange for my honest review.

I love Erica Spindler's books. I always know that I am getting a good read and a good bang for my buck. As usual, this one did not fail.

I was a little disappointed that I knew like in Chapter Two who the suspect was, but really did I know who it was? I really only knew what part she had played in the main character's, Miranda Radar, life. So the suspense was on. Lots of suspects but which was "the other girl" in Miranda's life?

I sped through this book and it seemed like the shortest 352 pages I have ever read. That's how involved I was in the story. Another excellent read by a great author. Filled with suspense, action, and a strange murder, I thoroughly enjoyed this book.

Thanks to St. Martin's Press and Net Galley for providing me with a free e-galley in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.

The Other Girl is a standalone suspense/thriller. It is my first book by this author.

The narrator is 29 year old Detective Miranda Rader of Harmony, Louisiana (3rd person POV).

Miranda and her partner Jake are tasked with finding out who murdered a local professor.

This book was really good. The book goes back and forth between the present and 2002 (when Miranda was 15). Normally I am not a big fan of going back and forth in time. But in this case it worked perfectly.

The mystery was very interesting. It kept me glued to my seat because I was dying to find out the guilty party/parties.

The book also features some romance, which I was not expecting. I really enjoyed this additional aspect of the story.

The end of a book is everything to me. And while the end did not let me down exactly ... I would have liked more. The reveal was fine. But there were definitely a couple of things that didn't really make sense to me. (view spoiler-goodreads spoiler tag) The epilogue was good, but it was also missing something for me.

Overall, the story was very strong. If you like a good mystery this one will keep you on the edge of your seat.

The Other Girl by Erica Spindler is the first book by Spindler that I have read.

Officer Miranda Rader works for the police department in Hammond, Louisiana. Rader was a wild teenager from the wrong side of tracks in nearby Jasper. Scared straight after a six month term in juvenile detention, she has become a respected member of the community.

The murder of a resident college professor who happens to be the son of the town's college's president is somehow connected to Rader. Rader is stunned how the cascading events seem to be connected to her. And someone seems to be planting incriminating evidence that is pointing at her. Until she starts to ask herself...why is this happening to me...does she start to unravel the truth.

The Other Girl is filled with twists and turns that had me suspecting everyone. I really enjoyed The Other Girl. I am looking forward to reading more of Spindler's books.

Highly recommend The Other Girl.

The Other Girl was my first book by Erica Spindler, and its premise really intrigued me – I am always eager to discover a new appealing detective protagonist. Miranda Rader of the Hammond PD in Louisiana is certainly a character with an interesting back-story. When she and her partner Jake are sent to investigate the brutal murder of a local college professor, she is convinced that the crime is connected to an incident in her teens which has haunted her for years. The problem with having been a wild teenager who was generally known in town for running off the rails and telling lies is that at the time nobody believed her, and her claims were dismissed as just another story she told to get herself out of trouble. Miranda had not expected, however, that she would still have difficulties convincing people of her suspicions – even her boss, who she has always had the utmost respect for, is hesitant to take her seriously. When the body count mounts, Miranda knows that she has to take matters into her own hands...

Told alternately from the perspective of Miranda’s life today and offering flash-backs from the past, the reader slowly discovers the full extent of Miranda’s trauma. I really felt for this young woman, who has worked so hard to leave her past and reputation behind, only to find that it has suddenly caught up with her again. Worse still, nobody is willing to believe her, and she feels as if her hands are tied. Spindler is achieving a good balance in offering just the right amount of flashbacks to reveal the background story without slowing down the main storyline, and I found both the teenage as well as the adult character of Miranda sympathetic and engaging. Small town politics are well depicted, highlighting the difficulty of ever being able to escape your past, no matter how many years may have passed by.

I liked Spindler’s writing style, and the book grabbed me instantly, holding my interest. My only gripe is that whilst it held a few unexpected surprises, I felt that some events towards the end were a bit predictable and Miranda veered a bit too much into the “misunderstood detective” territory, her actions questionable at times. However, even though I may have hoped for a twist to prove me wrong, the book turned out to be an enjoyable, quick read – perfect entertainment for a cold and wet day. I look forward to reading more books from this author.

Miranda Rader is an officer in the Hammond PD in Louisiana and is known for her honesty, integrity and steady hand in a crisis. Miranda comes from Jasper, just south of Hammond, and she came from the wrong side of the tracks. She had worked hard to put the girl she used to be behind her. Miranda and her partner are called to investigate the murder of the well loved college professor. The crime scene is gruesome. Miranda finds a piece of evidence that chills her to the core.

The story jumps between the present day and when Miranda was 15, and we find what happened way back then as the story unfolds. It's fast paced with a few twists along the way. It's well written with a good plot line and characters. I was a little disappointed in the ending of this book but maybe that's just me, just wanting a little bit more. Over all, a satisfying read.

I would like to thank NetGalley, St Martin's Press and the author Erica Spindler for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this book. Great character development and well written. Really enjoyed the story line, highly recommend.
Would definitely read more books from this author.

I enjoyed this suspenseful thriller from Erica Spindler. Miranda Radar, a small town police officer, was the focus of this book. She was a great character, and I enjoyed her story. The suspenseful storyline kept me interested, and I was on edge trying to figure out where the story would go next. I also really enjoyed the Louisiana setting for the book. A good one!

This is my first Erica Spindler novel and as it is a police procedural/thriller novel it seemed right up my alley. I have to say that the writing was pretty good but there were some instances in this story that bugged me.
The story of Miranda Rader started out well and sucked me right in but as I kept reading things started falling apart for me. Great premise and good characters and setting but there were things that were done by Miranda and some of the other police officers that were beyond believable for me. Without spoiling anything I'll just say that while I can suspend belief a bit and I totally believe that there is corruption in some police forces, especially small towns, no one would be able to get away with some of the things pulled off in this book!
I really liked the Miranda character and her partner, Jake, but found that occasionally their interactions went from hot and cold for unexplainable (to me) reasons. I see potential in Miranda and the setting for a series but feel that things need to play out a bit better. I kept reading to see how the storyline would play out but feel it was totally predictable and at times the personal storyline was immature. 2.5/5 stars

3.25-3.5 STARS

For years, officer Miranda Rader has been running from her troubled teenage past. But when a much-loved college professor is found gruesomely murdered, past and present suddenly collide, when she uncovers a clue as to the deceased man’s true identity.

Taking her investigation one step further, Miranda uncovers more evidence to support her theory that the murdered man is not the paragon of virtue that the community perceives. But when her fingerprints unknowingly turn up at the crime scene, Miranda’s every action suddenly becomes suspect. And when the murdered body of a law enforcement officer with ties to Miranda’s past is discovered shortly thereafter, she suddenly finds herself the prime suspect in both investigations.

Struggling to make sense of this messy and complicated turn of events, Miranda wages a battle against the first victim’s powerful and influential father, a potentially corrupt law enforcement system, and a partner she’s become personally involved with who if being forced to choose between his career and taking her side.

Upon reading the premise of "The Other Girl," I was immediately intrigued. Excited to start reading what promised to be a thrilling suspense story, I dove into this story with eager anticipation. And while it was an enjoyable story overall, it failed to live up to my lofty expectations. With characters who act impulsive and unprofessional at every turn, it lacked the integrity and depth I crave in this type of suspense thriller. The story itself is a bit farfetched and held no true surprises, as I was able to piece things together almost from the get go.

Flaws aside, it was a pretty fast read that I found marginally interesting.

For my first book by Ms. Spindler, I found it to be a so so read.

The Other Girl was quick paced, and held my attention enough for me to finish it in one sitting. The characters within were likable, well some of them. And it had an intriguing premises and backstory.

The reason I rated with only three stars was due to a few things that I just needed more of. First and foremost, I wanted to actually feel the attraction and chemistry between Jake and Randi. Not be told. I get it isn't a romance novel; however, when someone says I love you, I want to see why they love a person. Otherwise, it's just words. When Jake confessed his love, it just came out of the blue. There was no scene between them leading up to it, and what we do see of them together is very limited. And for someone in love, Jake was extremely wishy washy.

That probably won't bother most, as this is classified as a thriller. But for the romantic in me, I need to be able to connect with each character to truly connect with them and their story. No matter the genre.

Second, when reading a book like this, I don't want the plot, twists, and suspense drawn out for me. I go into these books because of the thrill of them. The Other Girl totally lacked any thrill. Maybe that's why I focused on the romance part of it so much. It lacked that edge of your seat feeling, leaving me wanting. Spindler pretty much hand delivered us all the answers due to soooo many unneeded details. Anyone with a mind will know who the rapist was and who was in on it. And it won't take much to figure out the killer, either.

Third, there were parts that felt very rushed and not so well executed. Here we have a seasoned detective, on the job for ten+ years, and she makes more mistakes than a rookie, it isn't even funny. Not to mention, for someone who is supposed to be top notch, she definitely pretty thick. How it took her 300+ pages to figure things out I'll never know. Then we have a POLICE CHIEF who gives his detective hell over her mishaps and violations with protocol, when HE himself violates pretty much every protocol he comes in contact with, and makes it so damn obvious his detectives see it and call him on it.

The suspension of belief throughout this book pretty much pushed itself past the limits. Making some thing hard to swallow.

This was light on the angst. Light on the chemistry. Light on the suspense. Light on the affect and animation. Nothing to much to make it memorable, or to make me want to shout about it from the rooftops. A mindless read, if you may.

The Other Girl by Erica Spindler is a mystery novel.

First, let me thank NetGalley, the publisher St. Martin’s Press, and of course the author, for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Small-town police officer Miranda Rader is called in to investigate the gruesome murder of one of the town’s most beloved professors, and the son of that school’s president. But something isn’t right. In his papers Miranda finds an old newspaper clipping, about herself. Something that she thought she had left behind. Her boss starts questioning her motives, and the victim’s father seems to be running the show. Miranda is starting to think that the victim may not be the saint that people thought. But no one is listening.

As more clues surface, and another body is found, it is obvious that Miranda is now at the center of the investigation. No one believed her 14 years ago, and it looks like no one believes her now. Even her partner questions her judgement.

Sometimes you can’t escape the past. Miranda is going to have to figure out what happened 14 years ago if she has any hope of solving these recent crimes, and of staying out of jail.

Miranda’s background is told through flashbacks, and it worked really well to tell the story. This was a really fast read. The action kept it going, and although I could predict the ending, it was very entertaining. Erica Spindler created characters with enough depth to be real, and the dialogue was spot on. I will definitely be reading more of her books.

Highly recommended.

This was a very good book. I liked the characters, and it was easy to follow their story lines. Recommended!

The title of the latest from Erica Spindler is perfect. Read The Other Girl so you too can understand its meaning as the story brings it all together.

A horrific crime with one witness―a fifteen-year-old girl from the wrong side of the tracks. Is it any surprise no one believed her? Fast forward a few years and that girl is now Officer Miranda Rader of the Harmony, Louisiana police department. She’s worked hard to earn the respect of her coworkers and the community. When Miranda and her partner are called to investigate the murder of one of the town’s most beloved college professors, they’re unprepared for the brutality of the scene and its possible connection to that night fifteen years ago.

While some of this novel is predictable, it did not stop me from turning the pages to see how it all played out. Perhaps I’m getting picker the more I read, but it seems I’m left wanting more at the end of the books I’ve finished lately. It’s a good thing because it leaves me thinking about the book for awhile after I’ve finished it. It’s a bad thing because I’m one of those readers who wants the author to spell it out for me. Tell me exactly what the characters are doing in the end, don’t allude to it. This is nothing more than a personal preference, but it’s something I long for especially when the characters are well-written and developed. I don’t say all that to tell you that I feel this book wasn’t finished. It was brought to a satisfying finish with no lose chords left dangling! I just wanted a bit more, an epilogue a year or two down the road.

Haven’t read a Spindler novel before? This was my first Spindler novel and it won’t be my last. Start here like I did, then add all her books to your TBR like I did.

The Other Girl by Erica Spindler is a suspense thriller novel, with a bad girl turned good cop that finds out someone wants revenge on her, for something that happened almost fifteen years ago.

Miranda Rader wasn’t always the good girl, when she was fifteen years old, she got into some trouble, which ended up with her being abducted by a stranger, though she got away, there was also another girl that she left behind. She never knew what happened to that girl, but she was always on Miranda’s mind. When a college professor ends up murdered, Miranda can’t shake the feeling that she’s seen him before, and when her prints end up in the victims home, she knows that something fishy is going on.

Every which way she looks, Miranda can’t get on the other side of the law, even her boss thinks that she is somehow involved in the professor’s murder. People that Miranda thought she could trust might be against her all along.

From the very beginning of this book, I had it pegged. I knew exactly what was going to happen, and it irks me that I was right. I feel like I wasted my time on this book, because it just didn’t have any qualities that made me gasp, or get excited over. I knew the twist from the very first couple of chapters, and I just didn’t enjoy this book that much.

This book could have gone in so many awesome directions, but it just felt like Miranda was getting beaten down on every possible action that she took, and then all of a sudden there is an awakening within her, and she figures out what is actually going on in her life. The plot was strangely put together, and some of the characters were just out of place. Not that great of a book, and I’m sad I spent my time reading it. I give this book 2 out of 5 stars.

This new stand-alone thriller starts out strong and stays that way until the very end. The storyline switches between flashbacks of what happened to the main character and now officer Miranda about fourteen years ago and you slowly learn how these events are or aren't connected to the present. I personally wasn't a fan of Miranda, but her character development is interesting and it was intriguing how she was trying to put the past behind her and change her life. The writing style draws you right in and had me hooked almost instantly. A little warning for the more sensitive readers, because some of the scenes can be called pretty disturbing and graphic. Because boy, they have one heck of a case on their hands! There are a lot of twists and intrigue included in The Other Girl, although I did start to suspect the who and why quite early on. This put only a tiny damper on my reading experience though, since this thriller is so well written and action-packed that the journey alone makes it a worthy read. If you like a good crime thriller with a twist, The Other Girl is a great choice!

I got a copy of this book through NetGalley in exchange for my review. I'd like to thank NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, and Erica Spindler for this opportunity. The book comes out August 22nd of 2017.

Once I started this book I couldn't put it down! There were so many twists and turns and it constantly kept me guessing. I love when I can't guess the ending to a book. It had a bit of back and forth, but not enough to make it confusing.

The only thing I thought was weird was the relationship with Jake. It didn't feel organic to me. Once I got used to it though, it was okay. It just came out of left field for me.

Overall, I definitely enjoyed the book and I will be picking up some more titles from Erica Spindler soon.

Erica Spindler is one of my favorite authors, one whose works I preorder and eagerly await setting aside a big block of time to devour those words. The Other Girl does not disappoint! I remember thinking about 75% through I still couldn't nail down the whodunnit; but when I was sure, I didn't know why! There were plenty of twists and turns to keep me interested in the plot. I enjoyed meeting the characters but might have appreciated either a little more backstory or some more mundane day to day interaction to make Summer and Miranda's friendship or Jake and Miranda's partnership. The ending made me happy, and I'll look forward to rereading a little more slowly and carefully to see if I can pick up the clues along the way.

Thanks to Erica Spindler, the publisher and Net Galley for allowing me the privilege to preview The Other Girl!! I loved it!