This was not one of my favorite books by her. It had way too much flipping back and forth in time. This really detracts from the story. I hear a lot of complaints from customers about author writing this way

I would like to thank Netgalley and St Martin's Press for an advance copy of The Other Girl, a stand alone romantic suspense novel set in Harmony, Louisiana.

The novel opens in 2002 with 15 year old Randi Rader, beating her curfew and heading out. Cut to the present day and detective Miranda Rader is called out to investigate the murder of college professor Richard Stark. When she finds links to the childhood Randi and that fateful night she doesn't know what to think.

The Other Girl is not a profound novel but it is well plotted and entertaining. It had me turning the pages furiously to see what was coming next. Some of it is fairly obvious but, equally, there are a few good twists and unexpected turns.

The intermingling of the events from 2002 and the present day are well done. Ms Spindler really conveys the fear and helplessness of the young Randi and it is a strong contrast to the calm, competent Miranda. As a character she is great, the way she has managed to turn her life around, despite her regrets, and become a strong woman.

I enjoyed The Other Girl and have no hesitation in recommending it as a good read.

Phew! What a roller coaster ride. I haven't read such an engaging, well written thriller in a while.

The Other Girl is authored by Erica Spindler best known for her ability to jump between genres, beginning with Mills & Boon style romances, fitting in some of her delicious crime thrillers featuring The Malones and Stacey Killian and even fitting in some cross genre crime/sci fi fiction with her Lightkeepers series.

This new novel features a brand new detective Miranda Rader and I really hope that we get to see some more of Miranda in the future. Miranda comes from a troubled background, after getting busted for possession of pot when she was 15 and spending some time in juvenile prison, Miranda turned her life around and became a police officer.



Miranda is brought in as lead detective to investigate the murder of a professor at the local university. Son of the prestigious President of the University, the pressure is on to find out who killed him in such a brutal way. As Miranda begins to put together the pieces which may link the dead man to a terrifying night from her past, suddenly she's gone from Apple of the Chief's eye to a suspect. The only people who seem to be on her side are her partner Jake and her best friend Summer who owns a bar (with a really cool name!) The Toasted Cat.



But who can Miranda trust, it's clear somebody is setting her up but who? Then she remembers there was another girl there that night, another girl who knows what happens and who exactly covered it up... but who is The Other Girl?



This was a well written and fast paced novel. Erica has a wonderful way of writing and throws in particularly good red herrings, I'm not ashamed to admit that I fell for one of them hook, line and sinker. But there's a sadness to this novel too as it shows how a woman must struggle in a man's world, how someone who grew up on the wrong side of the tracks can be manipulated and disbelieved and the corruption within law enforcement, where money can buy you anything.

Fourteen years ago Police Officer Miranda Rader was a 15-year-old girl with an attitude. She was known as a liar, shoplifter, all around hellion.

One night she makes some really bad choices and finds herself tied wrists and ankles in the woods somewhere. Close by is another girl, also tied. The man who took them is no where to be seen. Feisty Miranda chewed the tape around her wrists, but as she was trying to help the other girl, the man returns.

Miranda runs vowing to the girl that she would be back with help. But that was before she found that no one believed her. And when the police searched, the girl had disappeared. She wound up 6 months in juvie jail because she had some weed on her. Her own mother and brothers would not believe her or help her in any way.

That is when Miranda made some life altering changes. She is now known for her honesty and integrity. She turns her life around becoming the person she is and wants to be.

But when she's called to investigate the murder of a prominent college professor, her past comes roaring back with a vengeance. She discovers that the murdered man is the man who abducted her all those years ago. And someone has planted evidence that points to Miranda as the killer.

Then another man turns up dead... the cop that took her statement all those years ago. There are no ties between the men ... only Miranda is the common ground.

Once more, she's having to make people believe her .... and if she must, she will go it alone to prove she's innocent of these horrific killings.

I've been a big fan of this author for several years. I have always found her books to be well written, with memorable characters, usually lots of suspense and/or mystery. There is always twists and turns that sometimes leave the reader turning pages at a ridiulous pace.

This book is no different. The chapters flow seamlessly back and forth from today to Miranda's memories of the trauma she suffered when she was a young teenager. There are plenty of suspects....it's no easy task picking out the one who-dun-it. There's lot of action, especially as she crosses the lines to find evidence. Her partner, Jason, seems to believe her in the beginning, but then he slowly turns away .. leaving her totally alone. Her boss, who has been her mentor, father figure for so long, is not the man Miranda always thought he was.

This is a very engaging book, highly recommend for Spindler fans ... or for those who have never read her suspense stories. It's a fast easy read.

Many thanks to the author / St. Martin's Press / Netgalley for the advance digital copy of THE OTHER GIRL. Opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.

Miranda Rader grew up poor and rough in a small town in Louisiana. She might have had a very different future if it weren’t for one terrible night. Fifteen years on and Miranda is not the girl she used to be, she’s a tough, fair, by the books cop in a town not far away from where she grew up. She has a good reputation and she’s not about to let anything mar it. Then she catches the case of a murdered college professor in one of the most gruesome cases Miranda has ever seen. But it’s the little piece of newspaper at the scene that really scare the young cop – it’s all about that night 15 years ago. And when the cop that was on her case all those years ago ends up dead, Miranda knows the only think linking the two victims……is Miranda. When evidence at the first murder seems ti implicate her, Miranda will have to go back to that long ago night and the memories, and instincts, she’s kept buried for years to protect not only her innocence and her reputation, but her life. I have loved Spindler’s books for twenty years now. She keeps her characters fresh and her plot lines original. This is a doozy, and the perfect summer night read