Member Reviews
I have voluntarily read and reviewed a copy of this title given to me through NetGalley. This book was just absolutely wonderful. It was just so easy to get lost in and I just couldn’t put it down. This is the third book in the Angie Pallorino series and even though I hadn’t read the previous books I was just so lost within this story that I didn’t even care that I hadn’t read the previous books. I most definitely will read more by this author.
The discovery of skeletal remains during a quiet getaway throw the lives of ex-cop Angie Pallorino and many others into great turmoil. Old secrets threaten a small town's history and place a great strain on Angie's relationship with James Maddocks, the new star of the police force. Once more I enjoyed this chapter in Angie's series from the beginning with the descriptions of the intricacies of fly-fishing, a sport that always fascinated me, to the ripples of damage one senseless act can cause not only through people but communities as well. Angie's journey from the first book of the series to this one was compelling and poignant as she fought her way back from a very dark place where her toxic habits threatened her life. This series will draw you in quickly and keep you in its clutches till the very last page. I look forward to more books in this series!
The first half of this one was slow for me. A lot of that was due to Angie. Once again she was running scared. Scared of the question that Maddocks asked her and scared at who she was without being a police officer. I hated how that sabotaged her relationship with Maddocks, glad that Maddocks let her know he still wanted her but wasn't going to put up with her BS any more, he found his line in the sand and drew it. In an odd way that helped Angie, she was off on her own, yet she continued to think of Maddocks as she worked her case and realized just what she wanted.
The case was a bit crazy. There were parts of it I guessed early on, yet I was ok watching things unfold. I got worried towards the end when it blew up big time. I was good with how things ended, so many crimes solved, people saved and our favorites around to fight again, which made the last scene all the better!
This book has one of the most tightly constructed mysteries I've read in a long time! It wowed me, continuously! The violence and threat of violence that just permeates in the second half of the book is astounding, it vibrates right off the page. Maddocks has a far less dominant role here, but his presence in Angie's life is significant. Kjel Holgersen plays a big role too, and if I had to guess, It was satisfying too that so many figures from the earlier novels reappear here in important ways. The author has done a wonderful job of creating a believable world. This final book came alive for me. I fell asleep thinking about it and awoke turning things over, visualizing scenes, like a movie playing in my head.
<b>I received this book from Netgalley for my honest review.</b>
For now I'll just say: <b>WOW</b>!!!!
<b>Review on line NOW!</b>
Did I say that I love how Ms. White writes?!!! I love her style and her stories! Always nail-biting, interesting and intelligent!
I don't know if anyone here have watched the TV series Cold Case - I did and loved it, so I was overjoyed to have the same sensations here! Wonderful!!
In these 3 books Angie has grown in a spectacular way! She's still tough and determined, but also more aware and compassionate. I loved her when she was almost self-destructive, but I loved her even more here!!
Also her relashionship with Maddocks has evolved and I loved their time together here!
But the most appreciated thing was the magistral merging of criminal investigation and brilliant characters building.
The solving of an intricate cold case was front and center around which everything was turning around. And the case was intricate indeed!
The investigation brings Angie in real danger as the many suspects are really dangerous and she has a very difficult time finding out who's lying and who's not. But that's the beauty here!!!
If this is indeed the last book in the series, I really hope Ms. White writes a spin off featuring Kjel Holgersen. I'm really, really curious to know his story!
Anyhow, I would strongly recommend this whole series!
I loved Girl In The Moss. Great ending to Angie’s story. Sorry to see the trilogy end. I love British Columbia so for me the location was awesome. The character development was spot on for all the characters. I have loved all of Loreth’s books. This trilogy is one I really loved. Great conclusion.
What do you make of a retired supreme court justice eager to find out what happened to her grand daughter? The secrets and crimes hidden for years are unearthed as Angie Pallorino is hired as a PI to find out what happened so many years ago. In a desolate winter land full of small town thugs and criminals, a story lies untold to all but a few. When Jasmine Gulati went missing years upon years ago, no one knew the entire story of what happened to her on that fly fishing trip planned for a documentary on women. Pallorino sets out to close a case so that Justic Jilly Monahan can finally have some peace. In doing so Pallorino opens the flood gates of secrets to expose more than anyone expected. While this story felt long and a little predictable at points, the over all mystery was interesting. A good read when you've got some time on your hands.
Absolutely loved this sequel to The Drowned Girls. Ecstatic to see one of my favorite heroines Angie Pallorino again.
The story flows perfectly, and the reader is pulled along with Angie as she tries to find her way without her detective badge and create a new place for herself as a PI.
The mystery is complex and it’s not easily apparent who “done it”.
I hope this is not the last time we see Angie Pallorino!
"Maybe the truth should stay buried sometimes."
The third and, I suspect, final book in the Angie Pallorino series brings a very satisfying close for the fiercely intrepid detective. If the series does in fact end here, I think it does a very fine job of wrapping up Angie's journey of self-discovery, and I am surprisingly satisfied that it ends the way it does. The main themes of uncovering the truth and of being true to oneself come full circle, and I did find that reading all three books in the trilogy fairly close to each other helped me to see the big picture better. So much of this third book is about Angie coming to terms with her personal history and trying to forge the right path forward.
There is a larger philosophical question throughout this book concerning the morality of cold case detecting. If history allows those in grief to move forward with their lives, trying to breath new life into a cold case threatens to upend everything for survivors. On the other hand, those who have gotten away with murder are eluding justice. Angie clearly represents Justice in this book, even at times when nearly everyone is against her and when some of the opposition's arguments makes some sense. At the start of the book, Angie is officially an ex-cop, having been fired for blatant violations of police protocol, a verdict hard to denounce for those who have read the first two books. She is trying to become licensed as a private investigator, which seems a better fit given her struggle to be a team player. Her road to licensing doesn't come easy for her but that generally seems to be the way things go for Angie. Due to her notoriety at this point in her life, Angie comes to the attention of an eccentric and wealthy elderly woman who hires her to investigate the final days of her granddaughter's life after her skeleton is discovered in the woods twenty-four years after her disappearance. What follows is a riveting who-done-it that I found made this the best of the three books in the Pallorino series and a story that I had trouble putting down.
Angie sets out to discover what happened to skilled fly fisher, Jasmine, who disappeared on an expedition. Jasmine, we learn, was part of an all-female troupe of fly fishers for a provocative new reality TV series set in the Pacific Northwest wilderness. On the surface, Jasmine appears to have slipped on rocks while fishing, drowned, and gone over the treacherous falls of a river. Nothing is ever what it seems though and the cast of suspects grows as Angie delves more and more into the infamous event. Adding to the carefully crafted mystery is an unbelievable setting straight out of the movie <i>Deliverance</i>, complete with banjos and creepy hillbillies, and even Predator Lodge where Angie and Maddocks spend their first nights in the area. At first I found the rednecks of this very small town a bit amusing. Midway through, I realized that, no, these men were genuinely terrifying and Angie's life was in more danger than ever before. I would add too that this book works especially well in a Canadian setting because Angie was stripped of her gun when she was fired from the police force, and if this had been an American author/setting, Angie would have been loaded up with assault rifles as a civilian. Having only a wee little pocket knife for protection was terrifying, and I say this as an anti-gun advocate.
This book has one of the most tightly constructed mysteries I've read in a long time, and the violence and threat of violence permeates the second half of the book. Maddocks has a far less dominant role here, but his presence in Angie's life is significant. Kjel Holgersen plays a big role too, and if I had to guess, I would not be at all surprised if he gets his own series soon. It was satisfying too that so many figures from the earlier novels reappear here in important ways. The author has done a wonderful job of creating a believable world. This final book came alive for me. I fell asleep thinking about it and awoke turning things over in my head, visualizing scenes, like a movie playing in my head.
is it right or wrong to meddle and resurrect the past? Is it justice or meddling? Or both? Law enforcement doesn't stop investigating current cases out of concern that people's lives will potentially be upended. Cold cases have the weight of history though and they are a different animal. But as much as these questions are debated by others in the book, Angie is as myopically focused as ever on uncovering the truth, and what a truth it is in the end. Not a book to miss!
Romance is my absolute favourite genre and I adore books with lots of suspense, twists and turns so from the moment I began to read this series I was hooked, and my feelings only grew progressively stronger with each book, especially this one. The plot was intriguing, the characters bigger than life. There were many intense moments and smiles and sadness. I loved the interaction between Angie and Maddocks especially, Ginny too. Loreth certainly knows how to write a compelling story that I seriously didn't want to put the book down.
It was a thrilling and fantastic read. Romantic suspense at its very best and even though it ended perfectly for me, I'll miss this verse can can only hope that one day Loreth may return to it.
This book is excellent! It definitely sucks you in and keeps the pages turning. I gave up other activities to keep reading this story. Angie is a broken person who really makes you want to choke her at times, but she is tenacious and gets to the truth. The twists and turns in this book are great there are a lot secrets and just enough romantic sizzle. I loved how the author described the stages of a woman's life in the back story. It really resonated with me. This is a awesome mystery definitely worth reading.
It’s no secret that I’m a big fan of Loreth Anne White’s work-- especially her gritty, hard-hitting romantic thriller/police procedural Angie Pallorino trilogy, which comes to a close with THE GIRL IN THE MOSS. Given the darkness of Ms. White’s work and the first two Angie Pallorino novels, I was (pleasantly) surprised to discover that THE GIRL IN THE MOSS feels comparatively light. For the first time in the trilogy, the murder, mayhem, and depravity take a backseat to Angie as a person and woman (though, of course, there is still plenty of that!): where THE LULLABY GIRL was Angie’s dark origin story, THE GIRL IN THE MOSS is about her HEA. Yes, HEA, not HFN-- not something I would have expected when I first met Angie, but something that feels genuine, fitting, and right. Angie is one of my favourite literary characters because she’s always been the antithesis of a romance heroine with her messed-up rawness and penchant for self-sabotage… and yet the quest for stability, happiness, and forever after she embarks on in THE GIRL IN THE MOSS is completely real, believable, and heartwarming-- and will have you genuinely rooting for her and Maddocks. Ms. White closes out Angie’s story arc against a backdrop of another gripping mystery that will have you second-guessing everything you think you know and turning the pages to see what actually is, all wrapped in Ms.White’s trademark intelligent, effective prose.
Though reading THE GIRL IN THE MOSS is bittersweet-- a fabulous end to a fabulous series, but an end nonetheless-- Ms. White leaves the door open to possible spinoffs, and I look forward to her next novel irrespective of series!
**ARC provided by publisher via NetGalley
The Girl In the Moss is part of a series so if you haven't heard the first two book you will be lost with the different characters and their reason for their actions though out the book.
Loreth Anne White does create a wonderful and dangerous story that readers will not be able to put down. From the descriptions of the landscape to the interactions between the characters she is able to grab readers right away.
Thank you to netgalley and the publisher Montlake Romance for the advance copy of Loreth Anne White The Girl in the Moss.
Review goes live June 08 and will show up on Goodreads sometime later.
In a Flutter: Enjoyed returning to this series!
Fluttering Thoughts:
Worldbuilding: Lush natural setting at Plunge Falls, on the Nahamish river. The main setting of the series is Victoria, Canada, but this baby was mostly set in Plunge Falls.
Characters: Angie is dealing with all the changes in her life – not necessarily dealing well at all times, lol. Considering everything she went through and her tough past, I thought she was doing pretty decent. There’s and edgy sort of part of her which I really enjoy. I liked to see how she evolved and got her shot together along the way.
JAmes Maddocks was less of a presence in this one but cool nonetheless. I love them together, very charismatic and hot couple.
Plot: The case was an engaging mystery, exciting despite or because of how long ago most of the events happened. Kinna guessed who the culprit was about halfway through the story, thinking it was a cool story anyway – but then, plot twist! Nice one. The romance was sweet but still angsty, with a pretty maybe-HEA note at the end, though I hope the series will continue xD
Writing: Third person, past tense narrative, mostly his/her POV but technically multi. Awesome descriptions.
Curb Appeal: Spectacular cover, hooking blurb – impulsive buy material for my Romantic Mystery needs.
I recommend The Girl in the Moss to fans of romantic mysteries with charismatic detectives/private investigators and cold murder case mysteries.
This is my first Loreth Anne Novel. I did not read the previous two Angie Pallorino books in this series but felt that The Girl in the Moss outlines the back story very well. I loved this book. It was highly suspenseful, well thought out and contained many twist and turns. My favorite thing or Loreth annes Smith’s writing style is that she ties up loose ends very well. I kept thinking the book was over but then there was another chapter. I hope that what I am reading; that this may be the last of the series is not correct. I highly recommend this book.
The book gods were smiling on me when I was pointed toward the Angie Pallorino series and author Loreth Anne White. After receiving an arc of The Girl In The Moss, I picked up the first two books in the series and fell down the rabbit hole on a thrilling binge read - only finding my way out after finishing all three books. My only regret . . . there isn't a book four.
Ex-cop Angie Pallorino is struggling with her distressing new reality. Even her lover Det. Maddox has given her an ultimatum, drawing a line in the sand that leaves the future of their relationship in her hands. Angie's at loose ends, floundering to keep her head above water and desperately searching for anything that will give her life purpose again. Just when she thinks there's no hope, a phone call lures her into looking at a cold case in a small town harboring deadly secrets. In her search for the truth, Angie risks everything . . . her future, her relationship, even her life. What she eventually discovers kept me turning pages long into the night.
Readers should avoid all spoilers and prepare to be sucked into this complex thriller where lies, secrets, jealousy, and deceit abound and any one of several devious characters may be a killer. White's vibrant, descriptive writing style sets the stage with an ominous atmosphere, heavily layered with impending doom. With heart racing, I burned through the pages and, like Angie, just when I thought I had all the answers, I realized all the puzzle pieces didn't quite fit. The story and danger wasn't over yet.
Once in awhile, you read a book with just the right combination of plot, setting, characters, and edge-of-your-seat suspense. You know what I mean - a stunning, riveting thriller that grips you by the throat, makes your heart pound in your ears, and keeps you up all night reading . . . one that carries you on a killer roller coaster ride, refusing to let you off until you reach the final page. The Girl In The Moss is one of those books. It held me in its clutches through twists and turns and loops and just when I thought I had all the answers, it kicked into another gear and drove me even higher. What?!! Are you kidding me? Needless to say, I loved this book! It goes on my 2018 Favorites Shelf just as White shoots up my list of must-read authors. An intense, shocking thriller that is an absolute Must Read!
Twenty-five year-old Jasmine Gulati disappeared twenty-four years ago. Her grandmother, Jilly Monaghan, contracts Angie to find out what her granddaughter’s life was like in the months leading up to her disappearance. It turns out that Jasmine’s young life wasn’t a simple one and her final hours of life were in fact captured on film. Jasmine was one of nine women who spent seven days journeying in the beauty of the wilderness as part of a based-on-reality film of sorts. All of the women had different personalities and were of different ages and backgrounds, but the goal of the filmmaker was to capture their love for the great outdoors as well as any catty drama or fallout that arose. Or was there another agenda at play?
Women were more dangerous—because they were more devious. The aggression was usually quieter. And sometimes darkly passive, hidden like fly hooks in pretty feathers behind smiles and compliments and nice shoes.
This story begins nine months after The Lullaby Girl ends and features a more toned down Angie. She’s had some cognitive behavioral therapy, Maddocks’s career is flying higher than a kite, and the reader gets some precious peeks into Detective Kjel Holgersen’s thoughts. Angie is still headstrong and zealous, but with new interpersonal goals and with a clearer pathway in which she can watch her career blossom.
Loved
The author ticked almost all the boxes for the growing wish list in my head that was building since book 1:
▣ Reappearance of Father Simon
▣ Cemented commitment between Ang and Mads
▣ Ginny and Angie sharing that special moment
Also loved:
When Maddocks put a certain plan into place that involved recruiting Holgersen?
I marked my spot for the rejoicing session that I could see was just ahead!
But that moment never came . . .
▣ Favorite scene? It involved these lines:
Hold on hold on hold on to her . . .
At the 91% mark, I fought to hold back my tears . . .
The final chapter was sheer perfection!
Overall
I missed self-destructive Angie! Good girl Angie was entertaining and adventurous, yet I missed that emotionally tortured heroine! Either way, this story was a fantastic wrap-up to conclude this series with. Angie’s well-being vastly improved from The Drowned Girls (Angie Pallorino #1) and I hope the author finds a way to plant Pallorino in any of her upcoming series—even if it’s for a fraction of a moment!
The scenes in this book between Maddocks and Angie were brief but so intimate and at times tender. I craved more scenes featuring the two but loved the bits the author rationed out to the reader. The avenue of romance was kept to the outskirts and restricted to the periphery of the story, but that was okay because the metamorphosis of Angie Pallorino from The Drowned Girls (Angie Pallorino #1) to this installment was a beautiful adventure!
The story and writing of this book were very good but it's very difficult to like or root for the main character Angie. She seemed to change dramatically in the second book and i struggled to stay invested in her in this book. I didn't enjoy this story as much as i did the first.
It's going to hard to review this book because I can't put into words how much I loved this book and this series!!!! One of my favorite series because I absolutely love Angie and love the very different story lines in each book of this series. This book although was a bit slow to start it definitely started quickly becoming a fast paced page turner! The twist at the end was shocking! Was Jasmine murdered or did she take an accidental fall and drowned? What is with the close knit community of brothers and cousins ? Are they innocent or were they somehow involved in the drowning? So many questions for Angie to answer. This was a very suspenseful mystery and I highly recommend to anyone who is looking for a stay up all night and read book and series. LOVED IT!!! and so glad Angie got her happy ending.
"Life is like a river. Life is absurd. The only constant is the water of change."
So we've come to the end for Angie, Maddocks, and even Holgerson. I for one, am not ready to say goodbye. This has been a fantastic series with tragedy, adversity, redemption, and more importantly, love. I've become so invested in the lives of Angie Pallorino and James Maddocks and what's to become of them, that I can't imagine letting go... walking away and never looking back. That's when you know the author has done their job. Loreth Anne White is an AMAZING author. Her descriptive writing is by far the best I have ever seen, her character development and dialogue are genuine. Every time I read a Loreth Anne White novel I feel bad for all the authors I read directly following it because I can't help but compare. When Loreth Anne White writes a novel, she puts everything she has in it, and you can tell. I can't thank her enough for giving me something to look forward to, and something to get lost in with every novel.
With The Girl in the Moss, we find Angie picking up the pieces following her termination and still coming to terms with no longer being a cop. Being a cop was the one thing about Angie that was truly Angie. With Maddocks receiving a recent promotion, this only adds to Angie's feelings of inferiority, and she can't help but feel a bit of resentment. Maddocks decides to take Angie on a getaway to the Nahamish river for a four-day guided trip for some fly fishing and relaxation, where he eventually pops the question. Only the getaway doesn't go exactly as planned. The body of a young woman is discovered in a mossy loam having been washed up there during a flood in previous years.
Angie catches a big break and lands the case... her first P.I. case. Of course, it wasn't easy, as nothing is ever easy for Angie. The remains turn out to belong to Jasmine Gulati, the granddaughter of Judge Jilly Monaghan. Jasmine had been at the Nahamish river all those years ago for a documentary trip for fly fishing, it was titled Women in the Stream. To this day, no one knows exactly what happened to Jasmine during this trip, but it was suspected that she slipped, fell into the river, and went over the falls and drowned. Judge Monaghan wants answers, she wants to know about some of the events that lead up to Jasmine's last days. She asks Angie to find these answers for her. Angie heads back out to the Port Ferris area to find out what happened to Jasmine Gulati on the Nahamish River.
As Angie continues her investigation, she discovers that the people in the small town of Port Ferris are hiding more than just the answers to what happened to Jasmine Gulati, and that they'll stop at nothing to keep those secrets buried.
There were a few disappointing things with the conclusion to this series, one, we didn't get to see much of Maddocks in this one, two, I didn't get to know Holgerson as much as I had hoped. I had hoped that at some point in the series that we would get to understand a bit more about Holgerson's character. Then again, I now see that his character is to remain mysterious. Lastly, I would have liked to see Leo get what was coming to him. I feel that there was unfinished business with Leo. All that said, as with any series... there will always be a bit of disappointment and unfinished business.
I want to thank NetGalley, Montlake Romance, and Loreth Anne White for allowing me the opportunity to read this novel in exchange for my review. It was absolutely a delight as always.