4.5 stars for this wonderful read!! I don't know how I have missed Erica Spindler's previous works, but I plan to correct that soon!

A fascinating, suspenseful police procedural that hooked me right away, and kept the pages flying. Action-packed with well-drawn full characters that I felt as if I knew personally, even a bit of romance - what's not to like about this book?

I LOVED the main character Miranda (Randi) Rader - raised on the wrong side of the tracks, when she was kidnapped at fifteen and managed to escape, no one, police, family, or townspeople believed her story and thus, failed to look for the other girl who had been with her and who had been raped. Instead, Randi was sent to juvie for 6 months, and came out determined to turn her life around. Now she's a police officer in Hammond, Louisiana, and a darn good one.

When a popular professor at the local college is found brutally murdered, Miranda is named as lead investigator. She soon finds that she has more to be concerned about than investigating the murder. The victim turns out to be someone with ties to her past, and she is being set up as the killer!! Who is framing her, and why? Who can she trust? Can she uncover the true killer in time to save herself from arrest and restore her reputation? I’ll leave it for you to find out for yourself.

Many, many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for allowing me to read an e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

THE OTHER GIRL Written by Erica Spindler
AUGUST 22, 2017; 352 Pages (St. Martin's Press)
Genre: suspense, mystery, southern, police, murder, standalone

(I received an ARC from the PUBLISHER via NETGALLEY)

Rating: ★★★1/2

Officer Miranda Rader of the Hammond PD in Louisiana is trying hard to run away from her past. Everyone, including her own mother and brothers, saw her as heading for trouble and washed their hands of her fourteen years ago. Growing up she had everything to prove to the world - that she is one of the best detectives on the force and has honour. Everything is going well for Miranda until she is named the lead on the brutal murder of a beloved professor, Richard Stark. Stark'sr father is the president of the college and wants the murder solved soon, without any scandal. Then Miranda finds a clue at the crime scene that is a tie to her own past and the worst time in her life. As she tries to uncover the truth of the victim, Miranda stirs up things that might be turned against her. The "beloved professor" might in fact be a dark predator. And, when another body turns up, of a police officer, Miranda is suspected. She has to find the killer before she is arrested.

I have been a fan of Erica Spindler's writing since I picked up her first book, as I love the suspense she creates. I enjoyed this book, but it was not the suspense thriller I was expecting. I expecting a grittier novel. This one was more of a simple mystery - meaning that you are interested in knowing what is going to happen, but you aren't enthralled at the edge of your seat. I liked Miranda as a character and the lead, but at times the secondary characters were a bit one sided. I think this was because the author was trying to create more than one suspect in readers' mind. The killer (and ending) is a bit predictable but I still enjoyed this novel. Miranda is interesting and I am hoping we will see more of her and the town.

This thriller by Erica Spindler was a good one! Miranda Rader a smart, proficient cop has worked hard to overcome the ‘shame and blame’ of a traumatic event that occurred when she was a reckless teenager. When Miranda is called on to investigate a murder, her past is dredged up when her fingerprints and an old news article are found in the victim’s home. In a blink of an eye, the investigator becomes a suspect, the victim a potential perpetrator. I followed along, riveted by the story, searching for clues, wondering if characters were helping or hurting the investigation and hoping Miranda was the person I wanted her to be.

I admired Miranda’s drive and independence. Her quest to clear her name and reconcile the past is a great story. Jake and Buddy were significant to the story and made the book even better. I couldn’t decide if they were good guys or a bad guys. I so wanted Jake to be a good guy so he and Miranda could ride off happily into the sunset (and into the next book). This is my first Erica Spindler book and it won’t be my last. Highly recommend.

This is a smartly written detective/crime novel, even unpredictable at the right times. I could not put it down and got completely immersed in Randi's story and troubles. I am so honored to have gotten to know Erica Spindler's writing style and so thrilled that she has more books I can read.

The characters went through big development's throughout this book, one could actually say you got to literally know them better with each chapter. Fantastic building of the plot and clues. I really enjoyed the search for the true culprit.

Thanks so much to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this arc.

Officer Miranda Rader thought she had put her troubled youth behind her. That is, until the murder of a local college professor brings her past into the present. As she investigates, more and more questions arise, and the mistakes she made in the past put her own credibility into question. What really happened fifteen years ago? Will she ever be able to let go of her past?

There was a lot of potential in this story. The plot was decent, but not particularly well-executed. A different title should have been used. The relationship between Miranda and her partner wasn’t fleshed out enough, and the cadence of the story became awkward and stilted whenever their fledgling relationship was the focus. Towards the end there is a misdirect that was entirely too brief to be effective. And the explanation for Miranda’s being pulled in didn’t really work for me.

But. The reflections on her past were well done and really helped me buy into Miranda and empathize with her situation. While her budding romance with her partner felt contrived, her connection to everyone else in the story felt much more real and natural. And I liked her, identified with her, and empathized with her. Connecting with the main character is essential for me, so that aspect of the story made up for some of the shortcomings.

Ultimately, it was ok. As I said, there was a lot of potential in the story, and I did like it. But there were several areas of the book that were off-key and threw off my overall reading experience. I’d definitely give the author a second chance in the future.

Lately I enjoy reading thrillers and I have found really good books This is one of them, It was entertaining story with suspense and some twists to keep your interest.I like the story and the characters were also great, I felt like I was a part of the story.

A cop with a past that is catching up to her, that pretty much sums up the story. Fortunately there is more to the tale.

An important man, with important parents, is found dead. Miranda is called in to the scene to be the lead on the case. What she finds is a man that she thought was in her past and someone trying to frame her for his murder. There were twists and turns, many characters that could have done it, yet there is only one murderer. Erica Spindler gave enough clues that I had an idea who is.

The Other Girl has police procedural that was realistic and easy to follow. I liked that Miranda didn’t take anything, even her bosses word, at face value. She had feelings that things were off and she followed those feelings as she needed to solve the crime.

I recommend picking up your own copy of The Other Girl and devouring it just like I did.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

What a great fast paced thriller this was , I really enjoyed it , I really liked the character of Miranda and hope that this isn't the last that we see of her ?? Her relationship with her partner was great and worked really well , the story raced along nicely as we were given flash backs to Mirandas shady past , she realizes that she is implicated in the crimes that she is investigating . Brilliant twists and turns that I didn't always see coming . Really excellent , thanks you to netgalley and St Martins press for the ARC in return for a review .

Fourteen years ago Miranda Rader was a troubled teen who grew up on the wrong side of the tracks.
Now a respected officer with the Hammond PD Miranda, known for her honesty and integrity, has worked hard to leave the past behind her. When her fingerprints are found at a gruesome crime scene, the carefully constructed walls she's built begin to crumble and she's forced to revisit the one night she's tried so hard to forget.
With her reputation and career on the line, Miranda has to race to solve the murder breaking quite a few rules in the process.
The Other Girl is a fast-paced, compelling read with enough twists and turns that I nearly devoured it in one sitting. I loved the character development and how easily the flashbacks flowed with the rest of the story.
This may have been my first Erica Spindler book, but it certainly won't be my last!

My first Erica Spindler and it did not disappoint! It's everything you expect from a thriller - a sordid past, a murder mystery that brings the past the protagonist so desperately wants to leave behind, back to light, a twist or two and a conspiracy. What wouldn't you like about it?

Miranda Rader, or Randi as she was known as a child, didn't have the best childhood. One night, at the age of 15, leaves her feeling like she can't count on anyone. Sent to juvie, she vows to move forward, leave her past behind and go into law where she inevitably earns respect for her integrity. A murder of a prestigious professor who is a part of one of the richest and most respected families in town propels Miranda right back to her past when a newspaper clipping regarding that one fateful night is found at the scene. When a cop is found murdered shortly after, evidence starts pointing to Miranda as the killer. As truths come to light, she has to find a way around the law to prove her innocence as revelations start shattering her new found trust.

A very easy and fast read. Spindler draws you right into the story and the fast pace from the first chapter to the end puts this as a one-sit read. I found myself very involved with Miranda's character. I was mad when she was mad, frustrated when she was frustrated and over all just wanted things to go well for her for once. I think the twists were fairly easy to figure out but didn't think it took away from the pace of the story line. There were a couple of moments kind of thrown in that didn't quite make sense to me and if you've read this book, let's discuss! I won't go into here to spoil anything. Overall, a fantastic read and I'll definitely be looking forward to more of this author's work.

Erica Spindler takes you on a thrilling ride through the mind of a dedicated, yet obsessed detective hell bent on solving the crime of a former classmate. Though beloved by all, this murder victim has secrets galore, and the Detective shares in them in more ways than the town can imagine. A psychological thriller that grabs you and makes you feel as though you need to help solve this crime, to put past heartache, obsession and betrayal to rest. Spindler's well developed characters give you the sense that you are grieving as a townsperson, but also as a friend to the Detective, wanting her to come to peace with her deceased love, her new forbidden affair, her father, son and boyfriend. A page turner from the start.

3,5 stars
This was my first book from Erica Spindler. It was an easy read which I finished in one sitting. I liked the writing style. It is smoothly written and the pages just flew by. But there is nothing really new in this story. I’ve read a lot of thrillers over the last couple of years and I must admit I almost immediately figured out what was going on in this book. There are no twists or unreliable narrators. Which is a bit refreshing after the inflationary use of them in books recently. But it is also predictable and gave me the feeling I read this book before already. It was an easy read for a sunny afternoon sitting in the sun but nothing really new or spectacular.

Wow a nail biting read. I did correctly guess the killer before the end, but this didn't stop my enjoyment of the book.i found this book unputdownable. The only thing I'm sorry about is that I've not read this author before, but that will be easily remedied. I shall be telling my book loving friends about this great book.

Biggest question after reading this excellent book? Why haven’t I ever read a book by Erica Spindler before now? I definitely did miss out on a great author and her work. That said, I loved this book. The suspense build up from the very first chapter and held ‘til the very end. I was pulled in from the start and couldn’t put the book down. I was with Miranda Ranger every step of the way. Felt her fear, anger, helplessness and growing shock in realizing that the people, she thought of as friends, might be her worst enemies. And then, when I thought I had it figured out, there was a twist and a sneaky turn and I was thrown for a loop again. Highly recommended! I chose to read this book and all opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased. Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press!

A really good read. It had my attention from the beginning and held it to the last page. Solid and well written.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book really well written and a good story line. I am a fan of Erica Spindler and this one didn't disappoint. It was gritty and full of twists and turns that kept me turning the pages and wanting more. A solid 5 star read.

I really enjoyed this novel. It’s a really strong thriller that kept me on the edge of my seat throughout. I did figure out the ‘who done it’ long before the end but I enjoyed the journey so much that it didn’t color my overall enjoyment of the book. I enjoyed how the author told the story by weaving in the present and the past, offering up connections here and there. The flow of the novel was really good and kept me completely engaged throughout. I think the characters were excellent which is one of the things that I most loved about this one. Randi, the main character, is a really compelling character – multi-faceted, honest and reliable yet quirky and flawed. The relationship between her and her partner was solid. I really enjoyed watching that relationship grow and change throughout the book. All in all, this is a great thriller that I recommend if you’re a fan of the genre and enjoy twisty turny thrillers!

Thank you NetGallley for the copy of The Other Girl by Erica Spindler that I read and reviewed.
This book was one heck of a read. At first I thought it was going to be a boring book that I was going to know everything halfway through. Man was I wrong. Spindler was full of surprises with this book and by the time I finished The Other Girl I was left speechless. Just the way I love to be left after I read a great suspense book.
This is a must read for suspense fans and for Spindler fans as well. As I said before it is full of surprises and twists and turns that will keep that reader on their toes throughout the entire book. The characters are all excellent and likeable and you can't help but want everyone to get their acts together to right answer in the case.
I am giving The Other Girl five out of five stars.

How have I never read anything by Erica Spindler before?!?! Well after devouring THE OTHER GIRL I am definitely going on a shopping spree for Erica Spindler's backlist.

Officer Miranda Rader's life changed forever on a single night when she was just fifteen. Back then she was a girl from the wrong side of the tracks, getting into trouble, and developing a reputation as a liar along the way. But that night everything changes when that terrified young girl's pleas for help fall on deaf ears.

Fast-forward to the present day and Miranda has worked very hard to leave the past behind. Now she is a well-respected and hardworking cop who is known to be upfront and honest at all times. When she is called to a horrific murder scene, Miranda prepares to do what she must to find the killer. But as Miranda suddenly finds herself linked to the crime itself, she will be forced to face her past head on if she is ever to unravel the truth.

Perfectly paced, with engaging and dynamic characters, I could not get enough of this story. The crime is so gruesome but as the tale unfolds, we begin to see why it was the way it was. I loved the relationship Miranda had with her partner Jake and their ups and downs really added so much to the narrative, and Miranda is such a wonderful character - a strong woman who fought back against a system that wanted to see her fail, a woman that was determined not to allow that night from her past to destroy every part of her although it would never leave her. Even though she is a hardened police officer, Miranda is still compassionate and caring, and I love the way that she follows her gut instincts even though they may seem obscure and unreliable.

Tense, dramatic, and atmospheric, I could not put this book down and THE OTHER GIRL by Erica Spindler is a must-read for crime fiction and thriller fans worldwide.

Officer Miranda "Randi" Rader of the Harmony, Louisiana PD and her partner are called to a brutal case. This alone would make a great story but when a newspaper clipping at the scene links back to something Randi thought was long buried in her past, the story takes a haunting turn. Having a relatable and likable character who is also smart is as intriguing as the story itself. I enjoy the characters in this story as much as the plot itself. I look forward to more from this author.