Miranda Rader is a woman who wasn’t always the respected police officer she is now. In fact, she was seen by the small Louisiana town as being from the wrong side of the tracks. A girl that basically got into trouble, and the only thing she was good at was lying. At the beginning of this tale, Miranda lives up to that description. Unfortunately, she is also part of a brutal attack that leaves her running off to get help while another girl is left behind to face even more violence. Miranda tries her best to convince local law enforcement that a crime is occurring in the middle of the woods. Only one chooses to believe her statement, but when they go to the location, no one is there.
Miranda is now viewed as a good woman. She works hard, keeps her nose clean, and has the skills to be a great cop. Her boss, a man who definitely gave her a chance and stood by her when others said she wasn’t worth it, respects Miranda and the changes she’s made.
A crime is committed. One of the town’s most beloved college professors is murdered. What shakes Miranda to her very core is discovering an old newspaper clipping in the professor’s possessions about the night long ago that changed her life forever. When another body is found, that of a retired cop who was also a central figure in Miranda’s life on that horrible night, she suddenly finds herself in the negative spotlight yet again.
As Miranda uncovers information that leads her to believe that these new crimes have something to do with her, the “new life” she’s created quickly begins to fall apart.
It’s not a shock, of course, to say that Spindler’s books are always “must-reads.” And once again, she’s put together a knock-down drag-out full-on suspense that will have readers hooked from beginning to end.

Reviewed by Amy Lignor, author of “The Charlatan’s Crown,” published by Suspense Publishing, an imprint of Suspense Magazine

I've not read an Erica Spindler for years and I had loved all that I read. I was hoping she is still as good as I remember and she is better. I loved this book and I could not put it down.

I received a copy of this book courtesy of NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was a Five Star book. I enjoyed the song female characters. You're rooting for the underdog and hoping for justice throughout the book. This book held my interest from start to finish. Lots of twists and turns throughout the book. I thought I had it figured out from the begging but I was only right about part of it. The ending is a perfect fit.

My only complaint is the self-talk of the main character, Miranda. She continually reminded herself to “let it go” through out the book. It was unnecessary but did not detract from my enjoyment.

I highly recommend this book. If you like Gone Girl or Lies She Told you will like this book.

Miranda or Randi previously, is a bad girl turned good according to the small town where she lives. Now a cop, she is called to investigate a particularly gruesome murder of a well respected college Professor. But it seems she might have had something to do with it. This was a speedy paced book, things going on all the time but it was all a bit too predictable and I expect most people will work it all out long before the end! Never mind it didn't detract from reading it. Great writing style which is easy to read plus an interesting cover with an enticing storyline. Always enjoy this author's books, but some more than others!

I must say that even if I guessed correctly who the killer was, it was a fun read! I really liked this book, and my heart was pounding in my chest more than once!

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the e-copy!

These 3-star reviews are always the most difficult to write. I was going into this with high expectations because of the large number of very positive reviews and the plot did indeed pull me in straightaway. However, the further I got the more deflated I became. All in all, this turned into a fairly standard, middle-of-the-road suspense novel.
I'm a huge fan of romantic suspense novels but the relationship between the protagonist, Miranda, and her partner, Jake, left me totally disconnected. Most cringe worthy "love" scenes I've read in a while and I just didn't feel any emotions or depth as far as these characters' personalities are concerned.
The storyline itself was entertaining and although it soon became obvious who the perpetrator was, I was still interested enough to keep reading. The pacing was good. This was my first book by Erica Spindler and as a light, undemanding read it was engaging enough that I would consider trying more of her work. Good choice if you're looking for a quick, simple story without any heavy and emotional character development.
I received an ARC via NetGalley.

Really, really like Erica Spindler's books and this one is no exception. Very much enjoyed the story, the twist and the ending. Just sad that now I have to wait a long time for her next book.

Miranda Rader is a respected police officer, a far cry from the troubled teen she had been in her hometown of Jasper, Louisiana. She thought she put the past behind her, but it has come back with a vengeance during her investigation of the gruesome murder of a respected college professor. Her fingerprints are found at the scene, as well as a newspaper clipping of the night she escaped a potential attack. Her coworkers and supervisor doubt her integrity, and soon blame her for the murder.

This was an excellently plotted mystery.

The relationships that Miranda had with all of the other people in her life are well done, and none of them ring false. She can be stubborn and hurt, especially by those she thought she could trust, and we feel the disillusionment along with her. I really enjoyed how well this novel was put together, as well as its resolution. I don't want to spoil too many features of the plot or the ending, but I stayed up late to finish this book. As tired as I was the next morning, I didn't regret it one bit.

The book started off strong and interesting. It continued to be entertaining throughout and was a quick read, but it lacked originality and character development. It was also pretty easy to figure some important factors out.

I am a huge fan of Erica Spindler and this book which is a stand-alone read is fantastic. The book centres on Detective Miranda Rader and her partner Jake. A local college professor is brutally murdered and Miranda’s prints are found at the scene. A terrifying time from her past comes back to haunt her when she realises she knew the man that was murdered. When a second body turns up and the only thing that links them is Miranda she has to fight to find out the truth.

I was nearly sea sick with the amount of twists and turns in this book. A fantastically gripping read that had me guessing right up until the penny finally dropped!

A spectacular read!

Now that is a great mystery book!

Officer Miranda Rader of the Hammond PD in Louisiana is known for her honesty, integrity, and steady hand in a crisis—but that wasn’t always so. Miranda was a young girl once, that made a lot of mistakes. Those mistakes cost her a lot in the past and she never wants to be that girl again. The past however will come back to haunt her.

When Miranda and her partner are assigned to investigate a homicide case, nothing is like following standard procedure. Chief is first in the scene. The victim’s family is informed without the presence of the lead investigator. Even Miranda’s own fingerprints are found in the scene while show wore gloves throughout scene investigation. Someone is trying to set her up.

The story comes clear from the very beginning. The reader gets to know Miranda and how she operates as an investigator. In the meantime, the reader gets to know of her past, her family and the girl she used to be. There is also the traumatic incident that sent the heroine to juvie, which is also the key to what is to follow.

The author intertwines the past story into the present one like a virtuose. All cards are open as to what happened, what didn’t happen, how did what in the past. The only unknown is, who is today’s killer, who is the person that is trying to frame Miranda for the murder?

The story evolves mainly around the facts and evidences found. The revelation of who is responsible for the horrosity that happened in the past. Until the time that Miranda becomes main suspect for two murders and her lawyer suggests she finds out why this is happening to her. This is the critical point when the main character realizes what happens and the reader has two suspects in mind, or basically one. The second was not such a strong suspect, but would indicate a major twist. Even so, it is a suspenseful story.

It’s all about revenge. It’s all about justice.

When I was reading this novel, I kept getting the feeling that I was missing out on something. It felt like there might have been a prequel to this story, as the author kept hinting at close connections between the different characters in a way that made me feel as if there was more than what was being said in this book. However, it turns out that this is actually a standalone novel. This threw me off a tad bit because I kept feeling as if some of the relationships between Miranda and other characters was not explained as well as it could have been. The story itself was quite obvious; I had figured out the plot and the suspect very early on in the game. In spite of that, I kept reading because the author writes in a very engaging way and I found it appealing. Was this my favorite thriller in the world? No. But it was definitely not a terrible one. It had a good pace, a very good main character, and a few twists and turns to keep readers happy. There is a high chance that I will check out more books by this author in the future!

I was happy as a clam when NetGalley finally approved me for this ARC!

The reviews were fantastic and the blurb was exciting! The beginning pages instantly sucked me in and I thought I was in for a wild ride!

But then this story lost its intensity and sort of deflated in all areas as I read on.

By the end, I felt like this...

◎ Overall, this was an okay read but nothing about this story really stood out for me. I wasn't blown away by the characters, really. (view spoiler) Thrilling? Meh. More like underwhelming. My expectations were too high.

Spindler's latest, The Other Girl reads like this past season of Criminal Minds; just like Spencer Reid, someone wants to make police officer Miranda PAY. Having abandoned all of her trouble-making tendencies from her teenager years, she re-made herself, but that's not a secret to anyone on the force. They knew her then and didn't believe her when she said she'd been kidnapped, held against her will, and was with another girl who had been raped by their kidnapper. While she escaped, she never found "the other girl". But is this girl the one trying to frame her? While I figured out most of Spindler's plot twist with a hundred pages left of the book, I did appreciate the way she depicts Miranda, and does so in a way that you sympathize with her and get angry for her when her co-workers actually believe she could have something to do with these deaths.

I haven't read an Erica Spindler book in ages...why??? I have been missing out on some great reads, but I fully intend to fix that!!

OMG, several times I thought I had it all figured out, but NO!!! I thought I knew who it was, I was sure of it, than a few pages later I changed my mind, but was I right the first time??? You need to take this journey yourself to find the answer.

I will say if you love awesome characters, characters you love to hate, a story with little sex, but great thrills and twists and turns, a little murder and mayhem, than you will love this book.

I'm really weird in that, I do not need an HEA, I don't need a book full of sex, I prefer it not be a cliffhanger, but if it is, that's ok too. I will not give any of the story away and I will not rewrite the blurb as you can read that yourself. I will, however, say that this book has a little of everything.

I hope you enjoy the journey as much as I did.

THREE POINT FIVE STARS

The Other Girl is a story told in a fashion where the reader knows the what and the why but they need to figure out the who.

The story starts out with a horrific event that happens 14 years prior. The event was covered up and never resolved. Now, in current time, Officer Miranda is being framed for a murder that has ties to the event that occurred 14 years ago.

"You need to figure out why this is happening to you."

Miranda knew her connection to the past event was the why but she couldn't figure out who was doing this to her. The other girl who was also part of the past event was never heard from or seen again. Miranda often thought about "Cathy", the other girl, and wondered what happened to her.

The Other Girl is a standalone set in Louisiana. This thriller will have you trying to help Miranda solve who the murderer is and why they are trying to tie Miranda into the crime.

STANDALONE

**Complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.**

I was provided a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest and fair review. This book tells the story of Miranda Roder, a cop in harmony, Louisiana. She's called into work late at night on a murder case, the son of the President for the local college was murdered in a brutal way. While searching his house though, she discovers a news article about her arrest from twenty years ago when she was 15. And then her fingerprints are found at the crime scene even though she wore her gloves the whole time. And the Police Chief, her boss, suspects her of killing the guy. Miranda gets taken off the case but she can't let it go and so decides to do some investigating of her own. Along the way, her new relationship with her partner Jake and her friendship with local bartender Summer lend Miranda the resources she needs to look into who might be framing her. And as more bodies start to pile up, she needs all the help she can get to solve this case. 

Overall I liked this book a lot. The story line was interesting and original and kept me on my toes. The plot twists were really good but I thought Miranda could've put the pieces together a little quicker. The conversations between characters at a couple points were stilted or lacked depth but it wasn't so bad. And I felt like the plot was inventive enough that it was easier to look past some of the smaller downfalls. This was a pretty quick read and I didn't want to put it down. I liked that the author tried to throw off the reader a little but at the same time they felt a tiny bit off within the story line at a couple points. Like with Jake's sister towards the end and Jake's cryptic message it made me start to think things but it never explained really why it ended up being included in the story. Overall though it was good, ending was a little sad but I really liked it.

I couldn't wait to read this book. After reading the synopsis, I wanted to dig right in to it. I was hoping for a mind-bending, twisting and turning story.

Unfortunately, I didn't get quite what I was looking for. The book started out perfect. Eventually, it slowly dwindled as the book went on.

The story itself is a good story. However, the suspense and thriller aspect of the story wasn't what the hype lead it to be. It was slow moving and not so suspenseful.

The big ending wasn't so climatic as I had hoped. While I didn't see all of it coming, I wasn't overly wowed by it. The story was building up to it and then it just ended. I felt a little cheated and disappointed.

3.5 stars

Quick read that was predictable in many ways but still held my interest.

Everything about this was familiar, from the characters down to the big reveal, which I figured out early on. If you are looking for a book that will challenge you, this isn't it. But the writing is good and the short chapters help move the story along, making for the perfect beach read.

It's been a long time since I've read something by this author and this makes me wonder what I might have missed over the years...

ARC provided by NetGalley