The Next Girl is a decent police procedural with some interesting characters and a good plot, but I’m afraid it did not blow me away. This may not solely be a reflection of the book – it may be because I’ve read a number of similar books recently: many police procedurals, with lots of lead detectives with secrets and several missing persons.

I think the main issue for me was the pacing: the first 25% of the book covers the police finding out what we the readers already know from the half a dozen lines of book blurb, so for a quarter of the book it felt like there was no mystery or tension; we were just waiting for the police to catch up. For me, it took until about the halfway point before the pace really picked up; things got moving then and I enjoyed the second half much more.

I liked the characters of Gina and Jacob and their colleagues – particularly Wyre and O’Connor – and it was perhaps a refreshing change to see such a pressured team with no (negative) inter-personal tensions. The subplot of seeing things developing from Debbie’s husband and mother, Luke and Cathy’s, points of view gave it an original slant and those parts of the book really pulled on the heartstrings. Although the tension ratchets up in the final third, and there is a satisfying and rational reveal, I do not feel that it was fair to have promised a “heart-stopping twist”.

I would be interested to see more from Gina and to see how her relationship with her daughter pans out, as well as her new-ish romantic relationship. (And to see what O’Connor’s wife might bake next!)

As always, I am grateful to NetGalley and Bookouture for the ARC of The Next Girl.

What an awesome read! I finished this toward evening and I’m so wound up I can’t sleep. The Next Girl is book #1 of The DI Gina Harte series and my first Carla Kovach read. The story takes place in Worcestershire England. Deborah Jenkins, a married mother of two, went missing four years ago with only one of her shoes left on the street. Her husband is struggling to survive without her and thinks he should just move on with his life. But one night an abandoned baby is found and a mysterious call comes into the police department saying to check the baby’s DNA. The test is done and the baby belongs to Deborah, the missing woman. So the case is picking back up with DI Gina Harte being in charge of the investigation.

Gina is a 46 year old bad-ass who is DI experienced in child protection and domestic violence. The author did a good job developing this character. I won’t go into the details of her backstory but WOW does she have a past. The author reveals just bits and pieces of her life at a time…making for an interesting read. Gina is pretty tough but she has some baggage that causes her some problems still. One thing that irritated me about Gina is her not telling her grown daughter about her past. It seemed that decision caused many problems with their relationship. I also felt empathy for Gina. During the investigation of Deborah’s disappearance memories of the hell she herself went through came rushing back.

Another well-developed character is Luke, the missing woman’s husband. MAN…the emotions this guy goes through are almost overwhelming. To think your wife is probably dead and feel the guilt of possibly moving on with your life. As soon as he decides that he might do just that…BOOM! A baby is found and things get real crazy.

The antagonist is a really sick freak. I spent the entire book thinking of ways to bring about his slow painful death. If anyone deserves it this one does! I thought the pacing of book was perfect. The dialogue between the characters was realistic. The story brought about many emotions from me…sadness, anger, elation, frustration. Carla Kovach is just flat-out a great storyteller. Up and down, twisting and turning and slowly building up to an edge-of-your-seat conclusion. Lots of excitement…totally loved the ending!

I highly recommend this book and can’t wait for the next installment of the series coming out in August 2018. Definitely a 5 out of 5 stars for me. Thank you Carla Kovach, Bookouture and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book to read.

"The world wasn't a good place. It wasn't all roses, cake, parties and nice things. It was a dark place, a place that she'd yet to fathom."

DI Gina Harte is looking for a missing woman, Deborah Jenkins, who vanished on the way home from work 4 years ago. Deborah's husband, Luke, and their two children were moving on with the help of Deborah's mother, Cathy, until an abandoned baby shows up -- and is purported to be the daughter of Deborah. She's still alive! The squad goes all out to look over past witness statements, interview those who knew Deborah, and to try -- again -- to find out who has her or where she might be.

This was a fast-paced police procedural with a likeable new protagonist in Gina Harte. She is beset with the past demons of her own life while trying to find Deborah. Fellow team members are also interesting and the reader can see that there is a lot of room for character development in this series. I enjoyed it and look forward to reading the next one!

WoW......I am lost for words....and thats a first for me. What a Brilliant Book The Next Girl - Detective Gina Harte Book 1
by Carla Kovach. This is the first book in the Detective Gina Harte series and it was Gripping, fast pace and just excellent. I was hooked from Page 1. I love Detective Gina Harte and looking forward reading more about her.

The book is about Deborah Jenkins who is happily married with 2 small children. Deborah pulls her coat around her and starts to walk a short walk home in the pouring rain. However Deborah never makes it home. Her shoe is found and its Deborah's.
Is she going to be found alive? What's happened to her?

Fours years later, with no sign of Deborah, an abandoned new born baby girl is found wrapped in a red dirty rag smelling of Red diesel in the door way of a library. An anonymous phone call to the police telling them to run DNA test on the baby.
Shocking results came in and the baby girl is Deborah's.......
Yes she is alive!!!! But where is she? Is she ok?
Can Detective Gina Harte and her brilliant team find Deborah in time?

Just Brilliant..........Roll on the next book in the Detective Gina Harte series. I am looking forward to the next book already you have a fan already!.

Well Done Carla Kovach for your first book.

Big Thank you so much too Bookouture and Net Galley for a copy of this book
5 BIG FAT Stars form me. x





…

A Woman's Worst Nightmare!! No woman would ever imagine that walking home from work one evening would be the last time she ever did! Debbie, loving wife and mother of 2, worked some extra hours that night.  It was a rainy evening and she had to walk home.  After being offered a ride home from someone she has seen before, she quickly says thank you but no thank you...but "he" doesn't take no for an answer.
Debbie has been missing for four years.  Told from alternating perspectives, this story was so gripping.  Reading Debbie's POV was enough to make any person's stomach turn. Kovach did such a great job painting the picture of the squalid conditions that Debbie was forced to live under that I really felt like I was there.  I think I caught myself a couple of times holding my nose and feeling the heebie jeebies up and down my neck when this disgusting man came into the room.  Most disturbingly, this very thing has happened to woman in our world and it is the most frightening thing to imagine.
As the story progresses, Luke (Debbie's husband), has reluctantly given up hope that Debbie will ever be found alive again.  He feels outrageous guilt for wanting to move forward with a nice girl that he met.  JUST when he begins having feelings for Brooke, he gets word of an abandoned baby being found outside the local library. But what does this baby have to do with Luke? How is this baby girl connected to Debbie? Luke's life will never be the same!
I absolutely loved this story and how it was written.  The story flowed in a fast paced manner and kept me guessing what the outcome would be until the very end.  It was so hard not to feel utter disgust for this sicko man, pure heartache for Luke and his family, and crushing fear for Debbie.  Carla Kovach definitely gained a new fan and I definitely look forward to reading more of her work!

This is the introduction of a new female lead detective series. It has all the required qualities which lays the foundation of a good team of people who would work together in order to get to the bottom of the case.

Gina Harte is on the verge of getting a cold when a baby is found near a library. The baby is tied to another of Gina's cases, her first in the current official position she has. Once the connection is made, things get moving. We are also given a glimpse into the harrowing life of Debbie as well as her husband Luke. Both people are struggling to make sense of their life and doing the best to maintain sanity. Gina has her own heartache in the form of her daughter and the secrets she holds close to herself.

I was a little put off by the strength of the hold that these secrets have on Gina considering the time elapsed since the related events.The only reason I am giving it three stars is because of the fact that I guessed the outcome, and that dampened the ending. Otherwise the people involved and the story by itself was well presented.

A very satisfying start to a promising new series! This book focuses on a lot of different people. Not only the detectives working a missing person case, but the missing woman and the family that's been left without her for the past four years. There's lots of names to remember, especially the detectives... but our main focus is Detective Inspector Gina Harte, who is a very well-developed character and incredibly easy to root for. Recent books have no shortage of flawed female detectives, but enough is different here to make it feel fresh.

Deborah Jenkins has been missing for over four years, leaving behind a husband and two young children. Though it's been so long without any news, they still have a hard time accepting that she may be gone forever. Just when it looks like husband Luke is nearly ready to move on with a new woman, they receive startling news. A DNA test on an abandoned baby has revealed that she belongs to Deborah... she is not only still alive, she gave birth recently. Deborah was always devoted to her children, and abandoning her third is nothing she would have done. It only makes sense that she's being held somewhere against her will... suffering things no one wants to even imagine.

DI Gina Harte has always been bothered by her failure to find Deborah. When it becomes clear that she's likely been held somewhere against her will for years, it renews her determination to solve the case and bring her home not only to her husband and two children, but the new baby she gave birth to. Though it was a long time ago, Gina experienced violence of her own at the hands of a man who claimed to love her. She keeps this a secret from everyone, including her grown up daughter. It keeps her at a distance from people she cares for, and makes this case affect her more than it would the average detective. With no new clues but the encouragement that Deborah is still alive somewhere, can she find her before it's too late?

This is an emotional and engaging book that actually had tears in my eyes at a couple of points. It really invites you inside of the heads of the characters, which can be chilling or heartbreaking. One of my only niggles is that occasionally the dialogue seemed a bit unnatural and stilted, which distracted me a couple of times. That might just be me. It wasn't enough to curtail my enjoyment of the story much. The next book should be out in August of this year (just in time for my birthday!) and I'm already looking forward to it. What will be next for Gina Harte?

I received an advanced copy of this book from Net Galley and Bookouture, thank you! My opinion is honest and unbiased.

Well I never thought the day would come that I would be stuck for words, its took a bit of time for me today to come up with what I think would be a review everyone would be happy with. I’m a stickler for getting my reviews just right, so its only right that I start with the cover…

Look at that stunning cover for Carla Kovach new Detective Series surrounding DI Gina Harte, the rippling blue water a perception of safety and warmth but the blood splattered flower portrays a criminal darkness. WoW the sense of degradation of what’s behind that cover, oh the anticipation.
Given that the synopsis is short, I couldn’t believe how much the description nailed the plot, it was more than enough to leave me on tenderhooks, I grabbed a copy and I flew through the pages wanting to know the answers to all my questions.

Okay so Carla Kovach has written a fantastic new police procedural with the main character being DI Gina Harte, opening the book its evident that its going to be a tough nut to crack. Yes we have the perpetrator, the victim and the inevitable family who’s life is in ruins, but what we don’t have is the why and how, ultimately we pray that DI Gina and her team can solve this heinous crime and save Deborah Jenkins.

Carla has certainly fed my curiosity about DI Gina Harte, little snippets are given of her past life, just enough for me to truly like Gina, I hope when the next book in the series comes out we find out a little more about Gina. Gina is a strong woman but damaged with a slight fragility to her persona, I think this due mainly to her daughter but I certainly relate in some way to this, as I think we are all damaged in some way. DI Gina works well with her team, no griping but I do sense there is more to come with Gina and her superior.

The Next Girl is a thoroughly well thought out book, plenty of good descriptive scenarios, where its easy to settle into the book and get carried away believing your actually in the dark depths of some scenes, but you can also be detached and look beyond some of the dilemma’s DI Gina becomes embroiled in. I know I didn’t dissect The Next Girl but there is absolutely know need, the plot tells its own story and how you interpret it will bring the book to life.

A strong, perpetually changing criminal darkness which makes The Next Girl a first rate police procedural, with a fantastic new DI. My thanks to Carla Kovach, Bookouture and Noelle Holten for the opportunity to read and review an advanced readers copy of The Next Girl and to be part of Blog Blitz.

My Review: 5/5

This is the first book in the new DI Gina Harte series, and what a great one it is!

At the beginning an abandoned baby is found next to the library. After an anonymous caller leaves a tip, the DNA test reveals the mother is Deborah Jenkins, a mother who has been missing for a couple of years. The cold case file is reopened and emotions are heightened as DI Gina Harte devotes her life to search for the missing woman.

I could not put down this book. The writing is phenomenal, with emotions so rare at times I felt I was suffering right along with Deborah, or with Luke (her husband). The DI has skeletons of her own she is dealing with. There is just enough revealed to keep you guessing and wanting more.

I enjoyed this book tremendously, and cannot wait for the next DI Gina Harte book!

ou thought he’d come to save you. You were wrong. How can someone vanish without a single trace?
Deborah Jenkins pulls her coat around her for the short walk home in the pouring rain. But she never makes it home that night. And she is never seen again…

Four years later, an abandoned baby girl is found wrapped in dirty rags on a doorstep. An anonymous phone call urges the police to run a DNA test on the baby. But nobody is prepared for the results.

The newborn belongs to Deborah. She’s still alive…



A Woman’s Worst Nightmare!! No woman would ever imagine that walking home from work one evening would be the last time she ever did! Debbie, loving wife and mother of 2, worked some extra hours that night. It was a rainy evening and she had to walk home. After being offered a ride home from someone she has seen before, she quickly says thank you but no thank you…but “he” doesn’t take no for an answer.
Debbie has been missing for four years. Told from alternating perspectives, this story was so gripping. Reading Debbie’s POV was enough to make any person’s stomach turn. Kovach did such a great job painting the picture of the squalid conditions that Debbie was forced to live under that I really felt like I was there. I think I caught myself a couple of times holding my nose and feeling the heebie jeebies up and down my neck when this disgusting man came into the room. Most disturbingly, this very thing has happened to woman in our world and it is the most frightening thing to imagine.
As the story progresses, Luke (Debbie’s husband), has reluctantly given up hope that Debbie will ever be found alive again. He feels outrageous guilt for wanting to move forward with a nice girl that he met. JUST when he begins having feelings for Brooke, he gets word of an abandoned baby being found outside the local library. But what does this baby have to do with Luke? How is this baby girl connected to Debbie? Luke’s life will never be the same!
I absolutely loved this story and how it was written. The story flowed in a fast paced manner and kept me guessing what the outcome would be until the very end. It was so hard not to feel utter disgust for this sicko man, pure heartache for Luke and his family, and crushing fear for Debbie. Carla Kovach definitely gained a new fan and I definitely look forward to reading more of her work!

What are you trying to do to me! I began 'The Next Girl' whilst my nerves were still frayed from a previous novel, so it didn't take long for my nerves to be completely kaput thanks to Carla Kovach's latest! Not that I'm complaining, obviously! 

What would you do if your partner went missing and isn't seen for years? You'd be devastated, right? Maybe even trying to resign yourself to the fact that they may not be found and if they are, well, the chances of a pulse would be slim.

But, what would you do if there was a possibility of said partner being alive after all this time? Deborah Jenkins life hasn't been the same for many years, and, due to the horrific behaviour of the person behind her disappearance, her life is never going to be the same again. Will Gina Harte be able to find her in time? Will Deborah's husband be able to take her new found 'extra baggage' under his wing? So many questions, so little time to get the answers. DI Gina Harte, it's down to you!

Right - there were a couple of things which I couldn't quite understand the how's and why's for, BUT, seeing as the majority of the book was able to engulf me and take my breath with it, I was willing to let some of those technicalities slide. Don't get me wrong, I would have loved more information to come to light surrounding Deborah's disappearance, especially as the motive had a humongous red question mark looming over its head.

I couldn't help but see some similarities between DI Gina Harte and other DI's I have read about in the past in other books, yet I warmed to Gina pretty much straight away and found her to be a lot more 'human' for a DI. I think that there is a lot more to Gina's personality, with us only touching the tip of the iceberg in this book. I am so looking forward to getting to know her character, as well as Briggs' and Jacobs', a lot more as the series progresses.

'The Next Girl' really gave me the heebie jeebies! The more the story progressed, the more I wanted Gina and her team to hurry up as, due to the split viewpoints of the story, I was of course reading about things that Gina and her team had no clue about. I actually think I may have shouted 'move your asses!!' as well, but let's keep that between ourselves. Ahem!!

I love that this book is only the beginning of a series because I cannot wait to sink my teeth into another gritty read! I thoroughly enjoyed how fast paced this storyline was, as well as how complex a lot of the characters were. Even though I do wish that we had a little more of a back story regarding Debbie, 'The Next Girl' definitely kept the adrenaline pumping, with me crossing my fingers for a conclusion that Debbie deserved.

Roll on book two - what a fantastic way to start a new series! Carla Kovach has exceeded my expectations with 'The Next Girl', that's for sure!

A newborn baby is found abandoned on the steps of the local library. An anonymous tip leads investigators to run a DNA test on the baby but the results are shocking. The baby’s mother is Deborah Jenkins, who disappeared on her way home from work four years ago. She’s still alive but where is she? Is she in danger? And who made that anonymous phone call? Time is running out!

The Next Girl is the first instalment in a new series featuring Detective Gina Harte. Gina’s had a troublesome but intriguing past and I do so hope that background story will be explored further. Gina has picked herself up, changed her life and is now trying to find a balance between a demanding job and spending enough time with her daughter and granddaughter. But the relationship between Gina and her daughter isn’t an easy one.

This well-paced thriller held my attention from start to finish. Not only do we follow Gina and her team as they investigate Deborah’s disappearance and try to find out where she is. But we also get the point of view from Deborah’s husband Luke. Four years after his wife’s disappearance, he’s met someone he feels a connection to and is raising his children with the help from his mother-in-law. Just when he thinks he can finally take that step into moving on, he gets the news that his wife may still be alive after all this time and that she’s given birth. It’s quite easy to imagine the emotional turmoil that affects him.

I admit I had a few issues with Deborah’s kidnapper. Other than the fact he’s obviously crazy (duh), I couldn’t quite figure out the motivations behind his actions. On top of that, I didn’t feel like he came across as the brightest crayon in the box and I couldn’t help but wonder how he managed to get away with things for as long as he did. I didn’t have a clue as to his identity though so I was left guessing until the reveal, which is always a bonus.

All in all, I really enjoyed this one. Gina is a shining new star in the detective genre and I loved the interactions between her and the rest of the team. As the first book in a new series, this suspenseful read sets the tone for things to come and I look forward to getting to know Gina a lot better in future.

The Next Girl. Carla Kovach

When I read the synopsis for this book I was expecting another Police Procedural with a twist of Psychological Thriller. There would have been nothing wrong with that, in fact that is my favourite genre of book. But I got much more than that, I got a book that made me think about the affects investigating crimes can have on people, because not all Police Officers are as tough as they make out.

DI Gina Harte is the head of a small team of officers. At work she is a strong woman, at home she is having problems in her relationship with her grown up daughter. Harte, a widow, had been the victim of domestic abuse but how does she tell her daughter that. Especially as her daughter is arranging a memorial service for her dad, who she thinks the world of.

Harte is also in need of a confidence building bit of TLC, but she is also concerned about starting a relationship, especially one that could interfere with her job.

When a baby is discovered abandoned in a small village it is Harte’s team that is tasked with investigating where the baby came from.

At the same time a young father is struggling to get over the disappearance of his wife 4 years ago. He too is struggling with his feelings as he starts to slide into a new relationship. Guilty that he has feelings for the new woman in his life, and guilty about being unfaithful to his missing wife, Luke is struggling enough. When DI Harte knocks at his door his confusion is about to get much worse.

As Harte and team look at the case of the abandoned baby, and re-open the 4 year old missing persons case, it soon becomes evident that they are linked.

Harte continues to have run-ins with her daughter who has always blamed her for putting her job first. She finds her TLC in an unusual place, and with both these things playing on her mind she tries to lead the investigation.

This book takes the reader into the troubled worlds of a Police Officer who has been a victim and is struggling both professionally and personally, and a victim who has never had closure and is struggling to find direction in his life.

Those that read my blogs will know I love characters to have a good back story and an element of an ongoing personal life. Well this story has given me that and wrapped around it is a great crime story.

I like it when a book I like appears to open up the possibility of a series.

Well it says on the Amazon page Detective Gina Harte Book 1.

Bring on Book 2. I really enjoyed Book 1

Pages: 300
Publishers: Bookouture

Carla Kovach's The Next Girl is a nail-biting thriller that is the first in Kovach's new female-led detective series.

Deborah Jenkins works late nights at the local pub to make ends meet for her children and husband. Not a fan of driving, Deborah takes the local bus home every evening after her night shift ends.

Someone is taking note of her behavior, observing her every move.

One particularly miserable, blustery night, a man approaches her and offers her a ride home. Though her feet are numb from standing in rain-soaked shoes, she leans into his car window and declines the offer. The man grabs her, knocks her unconsciousness, and takes her back to his family homestead where she is imprisoned.

Detective Gina Harte is on the case, but it goes cold.

Four years after Deborah's disappearance, a baby appears abandoned on the doorstep of a library. DNA testing links the baby to Deborah. Deborah's cold case is reopened by Detective Harte, who relates to the abuse Deborah may be experiencing. Her dark past compels her to throw herself into the case, sometimes at the expense of her family.

I like the pacing of this book and how it tacked back and forth between Gina, Deborah, and Deborah's family's perspectives. Sometimes multiple points of views are hard to follow, but this was certainly not the case for this book. I especially liked the character of Gina, who struggles to manage her many obligations at work and to her sometimes estranged daughter and granddaughter.

Thank you to the author, Carla Kovach, the publisher, Bookouture, and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy of The Next Girl.

I've zipped through this book because oh-my-god it is so fast-paced and addictive. I initially requested it from Netgalley to review because I was intrigued by the DNA element in the blurb. It felt reminiscent of the horrific news stories (of which there have been too many) where women have been held captive for years and you immediately feel such abject shock and wonder how this could happen.

Carla Kovach writes a convincing, atmospheric drama. Apart from the perspectives of Debbie's husband Luke, this book centres predominantly on the main female lead characters of DI Gina Hart and Deborah (Debbie), the contrast of their positions during the story and yet the haunting experiences shared by both women was a clever hook that lead the plot along and had you rooting for both of them. Will DI Hart be able to solve the case that has haunted her career at Cleevesford, and will Debbie survive in such life-threatening circumstances?

The cover suggests a possible thriller/psychological drama with there being a domestic element and I admit I was waiting for some huge twist, suspecting every character, which I think was part of the author's plan because there are definitely several red herrings deliberately placed along the way, coupled with page-busting tension and a foreboding atmosphere built up by well-written scene setting. I would say in my opinion it is a police procedural/crime novel; the short chapters reminiscent of the fast-paced "race against time" classics from Lee Child and James Patterson, and with a bold, likeable lead character in DI Gina Hart similar to other brilliant contemporary crime series' such as Angela Marsons and Robert Bryndza.

I'm not a police officer so I can't comment on the realism of the police procedure but to me the story flowed very well and certainly the nods to current policing budgets and strains on the service seemed to be very accurate. DI Hart has a likeable team around her and seems to need her colleagues perhaps more than she realises; I feel this lends well to future books in the series and I would love to read more on how things develop.

Kovach is definitely one to watch for compulsive reads.

I received this book and expected high things as I have read 1 previous novel from Carla. It certainly did not disappoint!
From the very first page I was with Gina all the way, From finding the baby to having to tell Luke and his mother in law...then to puzzle it all out....I will not post any spoilers, I will let you find out the rest yourself! I would recommend Carla Kovach s books to everyone and anyone. roll on Gina Harte number 2! Well done Carla!!

The Next Girl is the stunning debut and first book in the Gina Harte series, what a brilliant start to this upcoming series! The prologue has me interested and wanting to know more… Hooked!

This really is a thrilling story and brilliant! It also highlights how people keep quiet about domestic violence within relationships… I really felt quiet sorry for Luke and his children and hope that noone finds themselves in their situation. Its funny and scary how quickly life can turn and change.

Detective Gina Harte is refusing to give up on this case and manages to keep a positive outlook at all times and is another main, strong female character within the literacy world. But she also has her own personal issues and life to deal with alongside work! I look forward to reading more in this series and see what lies ahead for the team. I awarded four stars and would highly recommend to you all!

The Next Girl is thrilling, addictive and brilliant! It is fast paced, easy to read and contains short chapters.

Debbie Jenkins disappeared four years ago while on her way home from work. She was never seen or heard from again. She left behind a husband and children who never forgot her. Everyone thought she was more than likely dead. Imagine everyone’s surprise when a newborn is found by the library steps and a DNA match proves that Debbie is the mother. What happened to Debbie and why would she abandon her own baby?

THE NEXT GIRL is the first book in the Detective Gina Harte series. Right from the start I loved Gina. She is a great detective and knows how to get things done. Although, she is a great detective, she is also flawed as well. She has a past that she is reluctant to reveal especially to her own daughter. Gina is hot on the case though, while dealing with her own issues, looking for clues along with her colleagues in their search to find Debbie.

I love that we get inside the heads of all the characters. Debbie’s husband Luke in all intents and purposes is still in love with his wife. He is reluctant to move on, but after four years he finally starts to let himself go of the past when he feels a connection to a new woman. I often times find in similar types of stories where the wife disappears and comes back years later, we never get the chance to find out what the husband is feeling. So, this was quite refreshing to see and feel all the hurt and the confusion Luke is now feeling as he moves on to a new relationship. We also learn more about Debbie through Debbie’s view. We learn what has happened to her and how she has managed to survive despite all of the horrors she has been through.

This story is one that could have been ripped through the headlines. How many women disappear never to be heard from again? Too many to even begin to count. The realism is paramount and takes center stage and really makes you wonder what you would do if you were kidnapped or taken against your will. Would you fight, would you make your kidnapper believe anything in order to stay alive? Debbie lives through this and we get to see what she goes through through her eyes and thoughts. It is creepy….very very creepy.

THE NEXT GIRL by Carla Kovach is a gripping and phenomenal story that is all so real. You can’t help but to be sucked right in following along through all the twists and turns. The story started off strong and never wavers. The story moves along at a fast pace and I found myself unable to put it down. I can’t express how much I highly rate this book and story line itself, I can now say, it will probably be on my top ten for the year. Please do yourself a favor and grab a copy of this book right from the beginning.

So I give this 3 1/2 stars. I really didn't find this to be the gripping thriller that the book claims. I figured out who the kidnapper was as soon as you meet them. I did find this book very heartbreaking for everyone in this story. I personally think that Gail should have faced her demons after 20 plus years and not have it still control her life like it does. I would have liked more at the end with Luke and Debbie.

From my blog: Always With a Book:

As you know, I am a big fan of series, especially crime fiction series, so I love when I stumble upon a new series at it's onset! Don't get me wrong - there's nothing wrong with coming across a series mid-way through, and I have learned to not be as high-strung, if you will, when it comes to reading series in order - though I do find that character development is best when you start at the beginning! But, here we are, a brand new series and I think it's off to a rocking start!!!

I love when our main protagonist, here a female lead detective, has baggage! It makes for a much more relatable, realistic character, don't you think? And that's exactly what we have with Detective Gina Harte. She's got issues and she's got flaws, and yet she's one tough, strong female lead and I think I'm going to really enjoy getting to the heart of what makes her her. We get hints about it, but I think we have really only scratched the surface of it in this first book.

The case in this first book really kept me guessing as to who was behind it. I loved that I really ended up suspecting just about everyone involved. And I loved that Carla gives voice to the guilty party - I always find this so fascinating - creepy, but utterly fascinating. It really adds such an extra layer to the case, allowing us to be in that person's mind.

I am really looking forward to seeing where this series goes next. It certainly is off to a great start and is perfect for fans of fast-paced, twisted police procedurals. And I cannot wait to continue to get to know all the core characters that we have just started to get to know in this first installment. This is why I love and continue to read series...I love the continuity of characters!