In The Lullaby Girl Loreth Anne White creates a haunting atmosphere filled with distorted nursery rhymes and an enchanted forest. This is not a fairy tale--this is the story of Angie Pallorino’s origins.

Do yourself a favor and read The Drowned Girls before picking this book up!

Weeks after the events of The Drowned Girls, Angie Pallorino is on administrative leave. James Maddocks, her former partner and current lover, has taken over her investigation on the barcode girls causing some tension in their relationship.

While Angie can push her feelings for Maddocks temporarily aside, what she can’t let go of is the mystery of her past. She is haunted by visions of a little girl in a pink dress. She keeps hearing snippets of a lullaby, and words from a strange language are playing on repeat in her head. What Angie wants to know the most is how did she become the Angel’s Cradle Child? She launches a full-fledged investigation into her past, which unknowingly puts her in serious danger.

Loreth Anne White brings Angie’s story to life with descriptive detail and vivid imagery. Angie’s voice is particularly strong. She is a likeable, kick-ass character that I am always rooting for. I want to shake her from time to time over some of the decisions she makes, but in the end she seems to come out ok.

This book has it all: action, suspense, a compelling mystery, a little bit of romance, a three-legged dog, and loveable characters!

What I love about this series are the characters, as well as the chemistry between Angie and Maddocks. I am so freakin excited for book 3!! I want more of Angie and Maddocks. I want more of Jack-O, and the enigmatic Holgersen. Most of all, I want another scene with Holgersen walking around with Jack-O in the baby sling =)

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Posted on Les Romantiques - Le forum du site
Reviewed by Rinou
Review Copy from the Publisher

The Lullaby Girl is the second volume in the Angie PAllorino series and the story begins directly where The Drowned Girls had stopped. I recommend to read the first before tucking in the second (my review is available here https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2056677998?book_show_action=false&from_review_page=1 ).

To sum up, in The Drowne Girls the investigation about a serial killer led to the discovery of a sex traffic, a story that goes on in The Lullaby Girl. What’s more the heroine discovered she had been adopted, and her investigation on her origins continues in this volume too. It’s worth noting that both investigations are solved in the end.

Angie, the heroine, still suffers from untimely hallucinations, but she begins to understand they are childhood memories resurfacing. She’s still highly strung with a tendency to self-destruction and her suspension after her disproportionate reaction at the end of the first volume doesn’t help. Each new discovery seems to unsettle her more in a big first part, before giving her the will to see it through to the end no matter the cost. However she stays aggressive and in-your-face even when she’s destabilized by her discoveries. As her search for her origins goes on we see an evolution in her thoughts process, with finally the understanding of what she really wants, but it’s slow and painful.

The plots about the sex traffic and Angie’s origins are led simultaneously, often with one chapter for each alternatively. We are sure they’ll end up crossing the other, and it’s done in a very well thought and complex way. Both investigations are interesting, detailed, and gripping, even if I thought it was less creepy than in the first volume (very personal feeling if I really think about it, it’s just differently creepy, the investigation about the sex traffic bringing its share of sordid and blood).

Among the secondary characters there’s the psychiatrist already met in the first story and who’s even more odious in this one. I’d have loved to slap him and I’m sad he didn’t pay for what he did. There’s also still Angie’s intriguing previous partner who proves to be so perceptive, and who’s used as a dogsitter for the hero’s dog, bringing a little touch of lightness in a so dark novel. I hope we’ll discover a bit more about him in the rest of the series.

However don’t expect to a good dose of romance, there’s even less than in the first volume. The couple is apart for most of the book, each absorbed by his/her own investigation. The few times they succeed in meeting or calling the other the conversation is quick and ends with one or the other or both thinking their couple wasn’t likely to go anywhere like this, Angie even wondering if she was deliberately trying to sabotage their story. Because of her professional punition then the intervention of a federal team, James Maddocks is forced to hide from her the investigation progress, which separates them even more, Angie being mad at him for his silence.

Even if everything ends well for the couple, you must not read The Lullaby Girl as a RS but as a crime novel, otherwise you’ll be disappointed. However of you like crime novels with complex plots, leap on this series. In all cases Loreth Anne White is an author I intend on reading again.

This book is a winner! This book is the second book in the Angie Pallorino series. This is such an excellent series. If you haven't put this series on your list yet, I suggest it. It is a great thriller series. I loved The Drowned Girls and this one is just as good. This book starts up where the first book left off. Since she killed the serial killer, The Baptist, Angie is now on disciplinary action and is demoted. She now has an office job for 12 months. She doesn't like her new job at all. She loves being a detective. She has a haunted past with a lot of memories. She takes her anger out on Maddox. A child's foot shows up on shore and it puts her into an investigation that she recognizes as personal. There is a sex trafficking ring and Maddox realizes he has more than Angie's emotional state to worry about. Angie is looking for answers and doesn't give up to solve her case, and almost risks her life.

I just love the author's writing style. It just flowed so well. I thought the first book was darker than this one. I just loved this book. It is so gripping and kept me turning the pages. I just love Angie's character. She just never gives up. She makes a lot of wrong decisions and she is flawed from her past. This book does have some twists and turns which I just loved. This is a fast paced story. There are so many secrets.

I can go on and on about how much I loved this book but I cannot come close to the justice that this book deserves. It's a little dark and a little gritty but a very entertaining read. This series is a must read for serial killer fans. It will keep you up late and it is so hard to put down. I highly recommend this book for Serial Killer fans.

I want to thank Netgalley, Montlake Romance, and the author for the copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The Lullaby Girl is the 2nd book in the Angie Pallorino series by Loreth Anne White. This is the first book I have read by this author and it certainly will not be the last. I managed just fine with this story even though I have not read the first. It gives enough back story that I picked up with what was happening pretty early on.

With that said however, the first half of the book really dragged a bit for me. It wasn't until the 2nd half that I really started to feel more of a connection with Angie and the plot started to pick up. The ending though, wow! Very intense and took me on a roller coaster ride of emotions.

I look forward to reading more by this author, especially within the Angie Pallorino series.

An ARC copy of the book was received via NetGalley.

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Veronica – ☆☆☆☆
Angie is on probation and has been demoted for failing to follow orders when taking down The Baptist. While Angie is confined to a 9 to 5 desk job, she investigates her past trying to find out what happed to her as a little girl. Meanwhile, Maddocks is following the investigation of the girls with the barcode tattoos who were found during the investigation into The Baptist and finds out they have stumbled across something much bigger than a serial killer.

The Lullaby Girl is a very satisfying read, but it takes patience. There are two parallel mysteries as well as a struggling romance and the author does not rush the story. The writing, like the police investigation we are following, is methodical and detailed. A few times reading the detail was laborious, but it all works to set the scene of the complex investigations and relationships we are following and the payoff for the reader is well worth it.

I've spent the last three days absorbed in Angie's life and even though it is very dark at times, I didn't want to leave. She is a strong, intelligent, determined heroine but she is also imperfect, which to me makes her that much easier to love. I am thrilled to see there will be more novels for Angie Pallorino and I look forward to seeing where life takes her next.


Avid Reader – ☆☆☆☆☆
4.5 stars
M/F Thriller
Triggers: Click HERE to see Avid Reader’s review on Goodreads for trigger warnings.

This is the second story in the series and I do recommend that you read the previous book so that you have a good grasp on who all of the characters are and what the back story between Angie and James is.

Angie got into some trouble at the end of the first book and she needs to decide whether or not she wants to continue being on the police force. However, she also learned a very important fact at the end of the first book (read book one) and she now hunts to track down answers.

James is still the gung-ho detective that he was in book one. However, I thought that he was much more patient with Angie in this book. He also didn't have as much going on in his own life and was able to focus more on the thriller aspect of this story.

While Angie searches for answers, other people from her past crop up and make things complicated, dangerous, and interesting. I really enjoyed her hunt.

This is a fast-paced story that just kept getting more interesting. I wanted to read faster and faster the more we learned. I really enjoyed it and can't wait to see what happens next.


Sarah – ☆☆☆☆
3.5 stars

I wanted to love this story. A detective story set in my hometown with a wonderfully flawed female protagonist should have been a perfect fit for me. But for me, this was a slow, hard read. And I’m still trying to process why. I didn’t completely warm to either Angie or Maddocks and I struggled with the slow pace of the slightly unruly plot.

Angie isn’t always a likeable main character, but I usually love the flawed detectives in British and Scandi Noir crime stories. Angie is a talented detective, but she is seriously damaged and she seems unable to make any decisions that actually help her career, her reputation, or her personal life. I preferred Maddocks, but he is a little bit bland in this book. He is neither a hero nor an antihero and as a romantic interest he’s a little bit insipid. These two are a frustrating partnership and their poor communication only seems to make things worse.

I enjoyed the way that Angie’s investigation into her personal history ties into Maddock’s active case, but there were times when the links all felt a little bit too convenient. And despite the ongoing detailed explanations of both Angie and Maddocks’ investigation, there was still too much left to be summed up for readers in the final pages. When I read a mystery, I want to figure out the story alongside a detective and it wasn’t possible with this one.

The narration skips from Angie to Maddocks to Holgersen throughout the story and I’m still not sure what Holgersen’s narration adds to the book. He might become a more important character as the series progresses, but his interludes were a little bit out of place in this book.

Again, I wanted to love this story but I felt like I had to fight my way through it. It is dark, the story is complicated, and it unravels slowly. Even though it is set in Canada, it feels like a bleak Scandinavian mystery. I’m sure there are readers who will enjoy this series and I did love the familiar BC setting.

Angie Pallorino is one tough cop but after taking down a serial killer with "excessive force" in the previous book, she has been assigned to a desk job in social relations for 12 months. A mismatch from hell if ever there was one. But at least a 9-5 job gives her time to investigate a cold case involving an abandoned child that may shed light on her own history. Recently she's been getting flashbacks - a little girl in pink, a woman singing lullabies in a foreign language - and knows these are important in unravelling who she was before she was adopted. Angie's partner, Maddocks is still watching her back but is involved in cracking the sex slave ring uncovered in the last book, which has now become an international investigation.
Ms White has meticulously piled on the layers to this suspenseful thriller resulting in an explosive finale. Angie and Maddocks are great characters with a real understanding of each other. By the end of the book Angie is finally able to lay some ghosts to rest and understand her origins, with a resultant softening in her nature already evident. She may not have a job to go back to after defying her boss one too many times, so it will be interesting to see what's next for her in the third book of this series.

4.25-4.5 STARS

In this second installment to author Loreth Anne White’s Angie Pallorino series, I read with earnest interest, as Angie struggled to keep control--emotionally, romantically AND professionally.

In the aftermath of having taken down a serial killer through undue force, every aspect of Angie’s life suddenly falls into turmoil. With her law-enforcement career side-lined and her relationship with Maddocks taking a back seat to his newest case, Angie sets out on a mission to piece together the fragments of her past. But when past and present collide unexpectedly, Angie could lose a whole lot more than just her career--or even the man she’s wanting by her side. Angie could lose her life, and it’s up to Maddocks to try and save her from herself.

As with the first book in this series, Angie Pallorino is a hard nut to crack—and she’s literally her own worst enemy! Her predilection towards self-sabotage, along with her penchant to go rogue, makes sympathizing with Angie a very difficult task. But, God help him, James Maddocks loves trying to reign her in. And while I truly adore Maddocks and the fact that (in him) Angie has met her match, he IS self-absorbed when it comes to work. On more than one occasion, Angie reached out to Maddocks to no avail. Thus, true to form, Angie pulled back, determined to "go it on her own." Still, when push came to shove, Maddocks straddled a very narrow line to put the woman he loves above all else--including his career.

Two stories, converging into one, “The Lullaby Girl” is a complex suspense thriller that culminates in Angie’s story coming full circle. The progression of each story was (at times) a bit slow, but the overall premise was engaging from start to finish. And despite my frequent irritation with these colleagues-turned-lovers that seemed a very unlikely pair, I wanted their relationship to have a fighting chance. Now that Angie has learned the truth and her ghosts have been addressed, maybe together, they can finally start looking towards the future.

"Sometimes we think we're keeping secrets"
"But really those secrets are keeping us."


Loreth Anne White has become one of my favorite suspense writers. Her stories are always interesting, emotional, dark and the suspense keeps me on my toes.

I was ecstatic when I learned The Drowned Girls was becoming a series. Angie Pallorino is an amazing flawed character that needed more page time.

As we know (if you read the first book) Angie is in trouble at work. Her career as a detective is on the line. When she killed the serial killer known as the Baptist, she used too much force. An overkill, they say. In my opinion, the guy deserved to die and sometimes one bullet is not enough. Anyway, Angie's job is on thin air and a demotion is in the works.

As a reader, I was upset with Angie's demotion and the investigation against her. She catches a killer who was not going to stop and instead of getting a promotion, the opposite happens. Furthermore, her love interest, James Maddox takes over the investigation into the sex slave trafficking ring (which should have been Angie's). Worse, he joins an international task force while Angie's life keeps on spiraling out of control.

Angie Pallorino is not someone who can stay at a desk job. She craves the adrenaline. To keep herself from going crazy, she starts her own investigation into the cold case of the baby left at a church in 1986. However, the closer she comes to the truth, the more dangerous it becomes. Her life is on the line.

I wasn't happy with some of the decisions Angie was taking. Angie's self-destructive behavior didn't seem to have an end. She jeopardized her career, her relationship, and most importantly her life. I wanted to shake her and scream at her more than once. She had a good thing going and she was messing everything up. Her craziness only made me turn the pages faster. I NEEDED TO KNOW!

There was only one situation that made me mad at Maddox but since it's a spoiler, I'll keep it to myself. (but if you want to know, just comment below).

The Lullaby Girl is an excellent suspense novel. It had me in a race to follow Angie's crusade.

I do believe it's important to read The Drowned Girls not only because it's great but because it makes Angie's train wreck behavior more meaningful.

Cliffhanger: No

4.5/5 Fangs

A complimentary copy was provided by Montlake via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I have been eagerly awaiting the next release in Loreth Anne White’s new Angie Pallorino series ever since I finished the first book, The Drowned Girls. Not only did that book contain an extremely compelling and densely plotted mystery surrounding a serial killer nicknamed ‘The Baptist’ and an international sex-trafficking ring, but it also introduced us to the eponymous heroine, a dedicated, hard-working cop in the Metro Victoria PD sex-crimes unit whose ball-busting, lone-wolf ways have never made her popular with her male colleagues and upon whom the six years she has spent delving into the minds and activities of some seriously sick individuals has started to take its toll. She’s been in something of a downward spiral for the last couple of years and in the grip of what seems to be an ever strengthening self-destructive streak; the death of her partner and of the child they were trying to save some months earlier has thrown her even more off balance, and on top of all that, a complicated family situation had spawned doubts about her origins and caused Angie to start to question everything she has ever known about herself.

The Drowned Girls ended with a mystery solved and a group of bad guys taken down, but with Angie uncertain about her future, both personally and professionally. The story of her search for the truth about her past really gains momentum in The Lullaby Girl, but if you haven’t read the previous book, a lot of what’s happening here is unlikely to make sense; these books need to be read in order, and because I’ll be referring to some plot points from the first book, there are spoilers for it in this review.

Angie is on suspension from duty following her take-down of The Baptist. He had kidnapped and intended to murder the teenaged daughter of Angie’s lover, Detective James Maddocks, and although Angie had saved both their lives by killing Spencer Addams – the man behind the nickname – she has been accused of using excessive force in order to do so, having shot the man eight times over. At the time, Angie had been gripped by a troubling vision of a little girl in a pink dress, a vision that had been haunting her for some time and which she now strongly suspects is related to long-suppressed memories.

While she waits to find out if she still has a career or not, Maddocks is heading up the investigation into the so-called “barcode girls”, six young women who were rescued from a luxury yacht that operated as a floating brothel. The women are all teenagers, of a similar age to Maddocks’ daughter, Ginny; they’re terrified, traumatised and are being cared for in hospital while Maddocks and his team – which includes Angie’s rather odd and enigmatic former partner, Kjel Holgersen – start to piece together the evidence and try to work out exactly where they came from and the route taken by the traffickers.

Angie is, understandably, frustrated and angry at being pulled from the case she had a big hand in blowing wide open and she also can’t help being jealous of the fact that Maddocks is heading up the investigation. She’s also scared at the fact that she just might be falling in love with him; she’s been emotionally closed off for so long that the thought of allowing herself to feel something for him terrifies her. And although she recognises all these things – fear, jealousy, frustration – for what they are, she is in danger of allowing them to get the upper hand and of pushing Maddocks away for good.

While she waits for a decision about her career, Angie starts in earnest on the search for information about her true identity. She believes herself to be the ‘Angel’s Cradle child’ who was left at a local hospital in 1986, aged around four. (An Angel’s Cradle is a way for desperate mothers to leave their unwanted children somewhere safe without fear of being tracked down and identified.) While it was more usual for newborns to be put in such places, this one saved Angie’s life; she was bundled in there by a woman she believes was her mother amid a gun battle in the street which killed a cop and injured a bystander. She meets with one of the nurses who was on duty that night – Christmas Eve 1986 – and then makes contact with the widow of the detective who worked the case of the shootings, who is, miraculously, able to supply Angie with some valuable information and evidence her husband had ‘appropriated’ from his office before, according to protocol back then, it was destroyed.

Unable to believe her luck, Angie engages the services of a high-end, top-quality forensics lab to see if they are able to obtain any DNA evidence using the more sophisticated methods now available, but unfortunately, her relief at having some potential leads is destined not to last long. Having been told she will be on probation for twelve months in a desk job, and that there is no guarantee she will be reinstated to her old position at the end of it, Angie is furious and seriously thinks of quitting. But she realises that if she can stick it out, she will retain access to police databases, labs and contacts that she might be able to make use of in order to help her to find out who she really is and where she came from. But when, on her first day, Angie receives a visit from two officers from the RCMP demanding she turn over everything to them, she faces having the rug pulled out from under her yet again. The officers are investigating the likely murder of a child following the discovery of a dismembered foot encased in a purple trainer which was washed up at the beach near the Tsawwassen Ferry Terminal. Forensic testing reveals the DNA to be identical to Angie’s – which stuns her. The only possible explanation is that she must have had a twin sister – could she be the little girl in pink of Angie’s memories and visions? Could hers have been the voice urging Angie to “Comeum playum dum grove”?

All this happens within the first few chapters, and Ms. White has set the stage for an enthralling story in which the two different threads – Angie’s search for clues as to her identity and Maddocks’ investigation into the Barcode Girls – are gradually and inexorably woven together to produce a truly gripping and un-putdownable read. Angie isn’t always the easiest character to like, but her need for answers is understandable and literally jumps off the page, so strongly articulated as it is by the author. Angie relentlessly goes her own way, even when warned that she could well be putting her life in danger; it’s not her finest moment, perhaps, but she has reached the stage where she feels so unmoored, so needful of regaining a sense of identity that she is prepared to look death in the face if she must in order to find her true self.

Angie’s romantic relationship with Maddocks takes a bit of a back seat here; their time together is fairly brief, and it’s clear that they’re both struggling to work out exactly what is going on between them. The complications added by their work situation – with Maddocks being on the inside and Angie pushed out – only make things more difficult, forcing Angie to admit that walking away would be the easier option. But is that what she really wants?

The Lullaby Girl is a terrific blend of complex, cleverly-plotted mystery and suspense with a nice dash of romance thrown in for good measure, and I’m sure that if you enjoyed the first book, then you’ll love this one. I can’t wait to see what Loreth Anne White has in store for Angie next.

Grade: A- (DIK) / 4.5 stars

This is a topical and well written thriller with a protagonist in Angie who just won't give up on her search for the truth. Yes this is the second book in a series but White gives you enough in the prologue to make it a fine standalone. There are secrets here- lots of them- about Angie's past. She's determined to find answers, even risking her own life. James, her partner, worries for her but never undermines her. There are twists and turns and all in all- it's a page turner. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.

Loreth Anne White has done it again! Each time I finish one of her books.. I become more and more impressed with her beautiful style of writing. I am not a huge fan of romance in my books but Loreth has just the right amount of mystery and romance to her stories!

Let me tell you... all bets off for Pallorino in this one. Let's get something straight she is NOT a victim... that's for damn sure!! ;) BAD ASS Pallorino you are my fav female detective!

The second installment in this series and it's a must that you to read book one. You will miss out on highly important characters/details if you do not! :).

Loreth once again has an exquisite knack for her imperfection of detail, research, and overall suspense to this story. So many twists and turns that connect beautifully with every single character.

Bottom line... you need to get on the Loreth bandwagon and read this series! I am counting down for book 3 and am stoked!

Pallorino and Maddocks..... "Keep thinking about it." <3 <3 <3.

4.5 stars!

Thank you to Netgalley and Montlake Romance for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
Publication date is 11/14/17.

This is Book #2 in Angie Pallorino Series and picks up shortly after the end of, The Drowned Girls.

After a Prologue that just grabs at you and pulls you right in you're witness to how Angie must deal with the repercussions of her actions from Book #1.

Right from the very beginning, The Lullaby Girl was so captivating to me because I already knew most of the characters from the first book and I just wanted to know more about them. Where they were at? How they coped with further investigations and each other? How they manage a new threat ... it was all very compelling to me.

I really love Loreth’s writing style. The descriptions and flow of her words just suck you right in and makes you care deeply about the characters. I absolutely loved this book, it was even better than the first. A real page turner and I seriously can't wait for the next book in the series to come.
4. 5 Stars

his was definitely the second book in a series that was as good if not better than the first for me! I feel like series have been hit and miss re: second books lately and I was so happy that this series continues to be wonderful! Angie Pallorino is kick-ass and such a complex character! I honestly think she's one of the most well written characters I've ever read. The Lullaby Girl picks up right where book one ended and is non-stop action, twists and turns. I love the setting of these books, I love the police procedure and I love the layers of story. This book throws you head first into Angie's search to find out more about her past and WHOA! you will not see it coming.

The Lullaby Girl comes out next week on November 14, 2017, and you can purchase HERE. This book just as good as the first and I can't wait for book three, The Girl in the Moss, which is scheduled to be released next year on June 12, 2018, and you can pre-order HERE. You can read my review of the first book, The Drowned Girls, HERE -- I cannot recommend this series enough!

She stalled dead in her tracks, then spun abruptly and took two fast strides toward the old detective. The steel toe of her boot caught against a piece of paving. She stumbled, flailing toward Leo as she tried to regain her balance. Her latte burst the lid off the takeout cup and gushed hot, creamy, brown liquid onto Leo's crotch and down the front of his thighs. He lurched back in shock, his butt hitting the wall. "What the fuck!"
"Oh my goodness, Angie said sweetly. "I am so sorry, Detective." She stabbed her hand into her pocket and grabbed the napkin she'd put there when she'd purchased her coffee. She started to dab the napkin at Leo's wet crotch. "Holgersen, you got another Kleenex for me there?"

Holgersen bent double with laughter, slapping his bony knees like a cartoon.

"Get your fucking hands off my groin." Leo slapped her arm away, unable to back out of her reach because Angie had cornered him up against the wet concrete wall.

Slowly, Angie came erect. Her mouth tightened. Standing toe to toe with Leo, her eyes level with his, she said quietly, "I can be so clumsy, especially with my sore arm. Gunshot and all. I do hope you have a spare pair of pants in your locker, Detective."

Wariness crept into his weathered face. He did not move a muscle, and there was little doubt in Angie's mind that he was suddenly recalling the last time he'd overstepped the line with her at the Flying Pig Bar and Grill and she'd grabbed his balls and squeezed. Hard. "You watch that mouth of yours around me, Leo," she whispered.

Once again, if the Prologue doesn't grab you in this 2nd book of the Angie Pallorino series, then I don't know what will.
Suspended from active duty, due to using excessive force in permanently taking down a serial killer, Detective Angie Pallorino must serve her suspension behind a desk for 12 months. That's not going to happen especially when she uncovers shocking secrets relating to her mysterious and painful past.
Angie's lover and partner, Detective James Maddocks is investigating the sex-trafficking ring discovered in the 1st book (The Drowned Girls) which they discover coincides with Angie's investigation.
A unique storyline, complex and captivating characters, dangerous and intense situations, and intriguing twists and turns result in The Lullaby Girl (as well as book one The Drowned Girls) being one of my favourite novels in this genre.
I highly recommend it and look forward to the next novel in this series.
Thank you to NetGalley and Montlake Romance for an arc of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34873257-the-lullaby-girl" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px"><img border="0" alt="The Lullaby Girl (Angie Pallorino, #2)" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1495724938m/34873257.jpg" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34873257-the-lullaby-girl">The Lullaby Girl</a> by <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/150272.Loreth_Anne_White">Loreth Anne White</a><br/>
My rating: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2169346713">4 of 5 stars</a><br /><br />
Let me start by saying that I haven't read Loreth Anne White's work before and that she is an amazing writer. I for one, am going to go back after reading The Lullaby Girl and read her other work, not because I couldn't read this independently as a stand along work, but because I definitely want more of these characters.<br /><br />Angie Pallorino stays with you long after you've finished the book and put it away. She is complex, caring, tenacious, challenging and vulnerable in a way. I loved The Lullaby Girl. This wasn't a story that you just glossed over and read quickly, it was writing that you savored as these seeming independent story lines are woven together to create the final conclusion. <br /><br />I received a copy of The Lullaby Girl from NetGalley in exchange for my thoughts about this book.
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4.75 stars

New game. New rules. This was going to be her new life.

Hands-down, Angie Pallorino is one of my favorite lead characters! She never played the victim card, even when she had every opportunity to wallow in pity and play that hand.

“I am not a victim.” She leaned forward, gaze drilling into his. “Let’s get that one thing straight, Officer Pietrikowski. I’m a survivor. That’s special victims one-oh-one.” She paused, waited for him to blink. “You don’t call them victims to their face. You don’t give them the burden of that label. Then again, you’ve probably never worked sex crimes or with special victims, have you?”

At the 23% mark, this book sent me on a rollercoaster ride of emotions when that judgement was finally declared against Angie! Yes, it was a kind declaration and beyond fair based on her actions, but my heart was shredded for her!

Okay, so Angie was hard-headed, ruthless when there was a puzzle to be solved, and she didn’t have that pack mentality. She was imperfect and flawed in every way, but I loved her resilience and hunger for truth, love of the hunt, and the way her entire identity was wrapped up in the detective lifestyle. She’s one of those characters in which I didn’t mind skipping around in her thoughts and watching her moods shift. She didn’t exactly play well with others, but she was a woman working within a male-dominated field and her fellow co-workers were chomping at the bit to see her fail! She was the antithesis of a female doormat and fully non-compliant from a management standpoint! Yes, she had some noticeable TSTL moments, but what’s that saying? Go big or go home? Well, Angie didn’t spend much time at home! Her anger issues and rebellious attitude trickled down to affect every part of her life and she did not disappoint in keeping me glued to this book!

Loved
I liked Maddocks in book one, but I loved him in this installment! He didn’t stonewall Angie, even when she let loose limitless strings of verbal hits. He didn’t lash out or become combative. He didn’t give her a dose of her own medicine. His temperament remained steady, stable, and fixed. I especially liked that he was humble and fair. He made errors in regards to his relationship with Ginny but he was unselfish after prior experiences showed him how important it was to make amends and move forward. Angie gave him plenty of chances to exit their relationship but he saw something so invaluable within her spirit that made him want to preserve their friendship and fight for her. It was more than him needing to save her from herself. Maddocks recognized that she was in denial about one too many things and overwhelmed with the massive roadblocks that life kept hurling her way, but I loved that he loved her fighting spirit instead of being intimated by her! His leadership style was beneficial not only at work, but within their relationship. He knew just when to put his dominance card on the top of the deck and when to shuffle it down to the bottom.

▣ I also loved that the side characters weren’t depthless nitwits with short-lived singular purposes. No, the side characters (like Dr. Jacob Anders) were colorful and intriguing with highly interesting specialties.

Honorable mention
The reader finally got more insight into the friendship between Angie and her former partner, Hash Hashowsky. The nature of their relationship helped shed more light on what added to Angie’s psychotic break which first manifested in The Drowned Girls.

One last thing...
Detective Kjel Holgersen on Master Jack duty?

Absolutely Priceless!

▣ Enjoyed!

This series is an addiction. Its raw, heart wrenching, gut wrenching, there is crime, mystery, suspense and romance. For me there was anguish, I was right there pulling on Angies sleeve, no, come on Ang, no, don't do it.
This is book two in the Angie Pallorino series. I highly recommend reading book 1 first.
Thank you Montlake for letting me receive this ARC.

Even better than the first.

The story takes off shortly after the end of The Drowned Girls. Angie must deal with the repercussions of her out-of-control overkill of the Baptist and Maddocks is continuing work on the human trafficking ring they uncovered. Most of all, though, Angie remains obsessed with discovering more of her past—and her true identity.

It’s a dark and emotional journey. Angie digs at the past, sometimes at the expense of the present. It’s tough to read at times, especially when she slips backed into self-destructive mode. But despite the painful journey, Angie does unearth her past and discovers some personal truths about herself that bode well for her future. Maddocks is wonderful, a worthy partner to a still broken but healing Angie. Kjel is his quirky and enigmatic self. Altogether a very satisfying read.

This series now is on my must-read list.

*4.5 stars*

Let me just say, Loreth Anne White’s level of storytelling is phenomenal. I don’t know how she does it, but each and every time I finish one of her books, I find myself in awe of her writing prowess. Not only does she put her skills to use here with a complex and intricate investigation—it’s plain to see, she's done a ton of research—but she also manages to inject just the right amount of romance. The suspense and the love story counterbalance each other perfectly.

If you haven’t read The Drowned Girls yet—which is a must, by the way—you should probably stop -->here. I wouldn't want to spoil anything.

Detective Angie Pallorino's second go round picks up about two weeks post-Baptist shooting. She’s been relieved of her duties, pending an investigation into her rage-induced misconduct. As she anxiously awaits her fate—potentially losing her identity that's wrapped up in solving cases for the special victims crime unit or even worse, facing criminal charges—she delves into who she is and why she was abandoned in a hospital cradle at the age of four. Recently, in times of stress, she’s been haunted by flashbacks of a little girl in a pink dress and a mysterious woman singing a lullaby; but what does it all mean? Now is her best chance to find out.

The yang to Angie’s impulsive and often reckless yin is James Maddocks—the man that made me swoon as he toted around his 3-legged sidekick, Jack-O. What I adored most though was his self-awareness and caring nature. The very fact that he could table his propensity to be the rescuer, for the sake of Angie's demanding need to take charge and handle things herself, said so much about his character. Maddocks’ patience and unwavering support was everything. If you can't tell, I'm completely smitten with the man.

The various storylines intersect in an interesting way—the level of detail Loreth Anne White pulls off is nothing short of remarkable. There was a part of me that hoped Angie would be rational and do the safe thing, for once—like avoid letting the resentment surrounding Maddocks' involvement in the Baptist follow-up from creeping in or not putting herself in a compromising position with her personal investigation—but come on, it’s Angie we’re talking about here. She’s smart and driven, but she can be a little reckless and rash. Good thing Maddocks has a knack for being there when she needs him most.

“Be there for me, okay? I’m here for you.”

Woo-hoo! Let the countdown begin for book 3! Not only am I dying to see where Maddocks and Angie end up, but I know there’s more to yous, Holgersen. *wink* I’ve gotta say, that baby sling you wore for Jack-O has me convinced yous is one of the good ones, despite being hella secretive.

“Keep thinking about it.” *squee*

4.5*

Reading a Loreth Anne White book is never easy, but it’s a worthwhile experience every time: Ms. White has an uncanny ability to deliver a gritty, gripping mystery featuring a cadre of flawed but incredibly compelling characters. Ms. White is in top form with THE LULLABY GIRL, the long-awaited second novel in the Angie Pallorino series that delves into Angie’s past and why she’s so messed up (but raw and real). THE LULLABY GIRL picks up a couple weeks after THE DROWNED GIRLS, and while it’s technically not necessary to read the two books in order (each can technically stand alone), it is definitely strongly recommended in order to understand Angie and Maddocks and the cast of secondary characters. I really like Angie as a character: she’s the furthest thing from the typical romance heroine, and it’s her issues/flaws, coping mechanisms, and tendency toward self-sabotage that make her so compelling and real to me, even as I disagree with her whole approach to life. THE LULLABY GIRL is Angie’s origin story, and what origins they are… dark and depraved, and everything readers have come to expect from Ms. White, softened only by the evolution of her relationship with Maddocks. THE LULLABY GIRL closes the loop on several pivotal plot points raised in THE DROWNED GIRLS but the series is set to continue, so I’m intrigued to see what direction Ms. White will take.

Another gripping page-turner by Ms. White. If you haven’t read her work but like dark police procedurals with a hint of romance, give the Angie Pallorino series (and the rest of Ms. White’s backlist) a try.

**ARC provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review