Creepy. Weird. Solid. Those are the three words I’d use to describe this book. The end was both expected and unexpected in a truly maniacal way

WATCH THE GIRLS is Jennifer Wolfe's first novel (the author has written for non-adult markets as Jennifer Bosworth). The premise caught my attention, and I'm glad to say that the novel delivered on my expectations.

Liv Hendricks, is an interesting and engaging protagonist. She also offers a nice spin on the "damaged private investigator" template - for Hendricks, she's still coming to terms with and surviving the traumas she suffered as a child/young actor. True, Hendricks is *posing* as a PI, in a nod to the show she starred in 15 years ago.

It's a really interesting, well-executed novel. Wolfe's writing and characters - especially Hendricks - are engaging and will hook the reader from early on. Really looking forward to reading more by the author.

Fifteen years ago, a 17-years old Olivia Hill received a phone call from her younger sister and a co-star Gemma. Although Olivia and Gemma are more of co-stars and less of sisters, Olivia decides to help Gemma who was at the time partying and drinking excessively. In this rescue mission Olivia is joined by her youngest sister Miranda. Something happened during the rescue mission, but Olivia does not remember what. She woke up in a hospital whit a huge head trauma, and her sister Miranda has disappeared, never to be found.

Fast forward fifteen years. Olivia Hill no longer exists; after this traumatic event and disappearance of her sister Miranda she changed the name to Liv Hendricks. Once upon a time a teen star is now a reality TV struggling actress, calories counting drinker, and a mindless sex practitioner. Liv is on a path of a destruction. After one very drunk - honest interview, Liv loses her job and is left with a short amount of time to get her life back on track. So, when on the internet she gets the idea about crowd-funding campaign of the project, she jumps right in. A mysterious donor then challenges her to start an investigation of the Dark Road Disappearance -the four young girls’ disappearance outside of the town that came to be famous by the horror movies filmed there. Because of her situation Liv decides to accept it, although she has only three days to solve few decades-old mystery. After arriving to Stone Throw, things start to happen so fast and Liv’s life will take another shocking turn.

I enjoyed reading WATCH THE GIRLS. It is dark and twisted tale of obsession, jealousy and the life of celebrities. The story is told from the Olivia/Liv point of view so the reader has an insight into a mind of a former teen star. Regardless of the money and the fame in her youth, Olivia’s/Liv’s life was not an easy one, and I felt sorry for her. She was bullied by her mother, who was also her manager. For her mother, Liv was just a project; no mother-daughter love between them.
Besides the insight into Liv’s life, the author gives a subtle critique of the social media and the influence they can have in one person’s life.

Alongside with being dark and twisted, WATCH THE GIRLS is highly atmospheric novel. The story is set in a small town that became a famous because of the brutal horror movies; there is a big dark forest surrounding it and it is raining a lot.
The novel contains a lot of graphic scenes of rape, sex and violence that some readers might find not just disturbing, but for some readers it also can be a trigger. Writing is great, the plot is very tense, and it is crafted so well. There are so many different twists and turns that after a while I started to wonder if Liv would be able to get to the truth. The answer is yes, but still in the end not all secrets are revealed.
If you are looking for a dark, twisted, atmospheric novel featuring a lot of secrets, lies and deceptions and a very strong heroine - read WATCH THE GIRLS.

I am sorry for not reviewing fully but I don’t have the time to read this at the moment. I believe that it wouldn't benefit you as a publisher or your book if I only skimmed it and wrote a rushed review. Again, I am sorry for not fully reviewing!

A behind the scenes look at Hollywood with a thriller wrapped in one cover. Liv Hendricks and Olivia Hill are one in the same. Olivia Hill was a child actress who left the business after a family tragedy but has reentered as Liv Hendricks, but would prefer to leave the past in the past. As work has dried up she has a new assignment that may bring the past back to life and she may have to confront it all head on.

As this is a thriller, I don't want to divulge too much because the joy in reading a thriller is learning all the clues as you go. There are parts in the book that are in the present and in the past and each time it bounces back and forth, it is clearly marked. The reader knows exactly the moment in time and I was so thankful for the transparency. There were a few times where I may have predicted the next move, but there was enough surprises that threw me for a loop!

This was definitely a creepy book. I have a pretty thick skin and I had to switch at night to a cute Christmas romance! This one definitely gave me some nightmares so be warned this was more than your typical thriller.

The words “noir” and “reality TV” aren’t terms that usually describe the same project, but they are accurate adjectives for Watch the Girls, a thriller credited to Jennifer Wolfe, which is an appropriate pen name for a writer who has YA projects under the name Jennifer Bosworth. Watch the Girls will appeal to readers who like their Karin Slaughter combined with David Lynch, with a dash of Ghost Hunters to shake things up. Click on the link below to read my complete review.

This book needs to be made into a movie (or preferable a miniseries). I read A LOT of thrillers, but honestly, few really catches my attention in a way that makes me totally absorbed. WATCH THE GIRLS is one of them. Seriously, I just absolutely loved this book. It got everything I like, dysfunctional families, missing people, creepy little town, people with wolf masks, orgies ... yeah, I bet you're interested now? ;)

Seriously, I always hope to be entertained when I read a thriller, and often at least the books will keep me engrossed and interested. But, to truly capture my interest like this book did. It was like watching a movie. It was so well written that I could picture the story in my head. The characters came to life, the creepy forest, the little town, etc.

Now, I will not give away the story, no spoilers from me. I will just say this. I love the twist and turns this story took. I love the ambiguous ending (well I hated it too, the part of me that wanted closure). I love the dynamic relationship between Liv and Gemma. It's just such a wonderful thriller. And, they need to make it into a miniseries (with good actors)!

The first 1/3 of this book started off so creepy and had so much potential but that is about the only good things I have to say. This book went completely off the rails for me.

For the amount of violence and sex scenes this book had it actually read very much as young adult.

The ending sucked.

2 stars because I managed to finish it.

Thank you to NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for providing me with a digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.

A version of this review previously appeared in Shelf Awareness and is reprinted here with permission.

One can't help but become ensnared by Watch the Girls even before the first chapter opens. Starting with Jennifer Wolfe's dedication to her agent, "for liking it weird," followed by a John Updike quote, "Celebrity is a mask that eats into the face," Wolfe's nods to the odd are spot on, and the creepiness of the thriller is utterly engrossing.

Fifteen years after her youngest sister's disappearance, former teen star Olivia Hill (now Liv Hendricks) has distanced herself from her family, been fired from the Scooby-Doo-esque reality mystery show Bullsh?t Hunters and crowdfunded her own web series to explore unsolved mysteries. This lands her in the small central California town of Stone's Throw, secretly hired by local horror film auteur Jonas Kron to investigate the disappearance of several young blonde women from aptly named Dark Road just outside of town. The secluded mountain village is as quaint as it is bizarre; home to apple orchards, a film festival, a wolf sanctuary and the lore of the Ulv Konge ("Wolf King"), a nightmarish creature created by Kron.

Wolfe, who also writes YA as Jennifer Bosworth (Struck), twists together a wide spectrum of themes on an action-packed track through Crazy Town. With dark woods, missing women, eccentric locals, unsettling wolf masks, secret messages and nighttime stalkers, Watch the Girls has all the nightmare fuel of great horror movie camp mixed with an absorbing mystery. Although it strays into implausibility as Liv's past timeline converges with her present, there is no denying Girls is "nervously-eat-an-entire-box-of-cookies-without-realizing-it" good.

STREET SENSE: Wolfe handles the mixed genres in an impressive manner and there is no doubt this is a compulsive read. Those factors help with the stretching of credibility that goes on, but if it's realism you're looking for, horror/camp-ish titles aren't your bag anyway. This one is just straight creepy fun, with some scenes that might be skip-worthy for the squeamish.

COVER NERD SAYS: I definitely appreciate the simplicity of this cover. The camera eye, along with the title, surely evoke the creepiness within. I wasn't altogether sure what girls were being watched by whom, but this cover really made me want to find out.

Watch The Girls by Jennifer Wolfe is a generic dark suspense thriller about a former childhood television star, Liv, who uses crowdfunding to investigate the disappearance of several girls and returns to the small town where it all happened. Liv’s own sister went missing as well, and the novel switches between what happened to her and the current mystery unfolding.

Overall there wasn’t anything horribly wrong with Watch The Girls, although Liv did behave pretty stupidly at times and made some frustrating comments, but it was pretty meh. I hadn’t realized that this was the same author (an alias for Jennifer Bosworth) who wrote a YA book, Struck, that I’d also found pretty meh a few years ago, or I may not have picked it up. To me, the book almost felt like a caricature of a mystery novel, any generic element you might think of (beautiful young girls going missing, creepy boy injured in a fire, mysterious messages from an anonymous source) probably is included. I was also really disappointed by the very ending, which felt outlandish and rushed. There were some good creepy moments and some fun twists and turns that kept me reading, but it wasn’t enough to make Watch The Girls anything particularly memorable.

This book was everything I didn't know I needed!

To be honest, I didn't know what I expected when I began reading this novel. I had a general idea from the synopsis, but at the same time I've had a run of bad luck where "thriller" novels are concerned having them not live up to my expectations. This one not only lived up to them, it surpassed them.

Watch the Girls was one of those books that you can't seem to put down. The author has a strong writing style, and weaves together a tale (that yes can get pretty dark and disturbing at times) that just draws you in and keeps you guessing. There were several times I thought I had it figured out, only to find out I was so off base it was laughable! I do wish that ALL the loose ends had been tied up as this book does leave the reader with some questions, but on the whole I would read more from this author!

I believe this book will appeal to those who love a good psychological thriller novel.

DISCLAIMER: I received a complimentary copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review. This has not affected my review in any way. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are 100% my own.

I was hooked from the very beginning and stayed up past my bedtime reading this. I didn’t want to put it down and want to spend the rest of the day reading it. This suspenseful book has a bit of a horror element to it. Watch The Girls by Jennifer Wolfe will be finding its way on to everyone’s bookshelves because its a stand out story. I’m really liking it though I am a little scared.

Here’s the premise:

SOMEONE IS WATCHING
Washed up teen star Liv Hendricks quit acting after her beloved younger sister inexplicably disappeared following a Hollywood party gone wrong. Liv barely escaped with her life, and her sister was never heard from again. But all this time, someone’s been waiting patiently to finish what was started…

FOUR MISSING GIRLS
Now fifteen years later, broke and desperate, Liv is forced to return to the spotlight. She crowdfunds a webseries in which she’ll pose as a real-life private detective–a nod to the show she starred on as a teen. When a mysterious donor challenges her to investigate a series of disappearances outside a town made famous by the horror movies filmed there, Liv has no choice but to accept.

FOLLOW THE WHITE WOLF
Liv is given a cryptic first clue: Follow the white wolf. And now a darker game is about to begin. Through social media, someone is leaving breadcrumbs to follow. As Liv makes increasingly disturbing discoveries, her show explodes in popularity. A rapt internet audience is eager to watch it all–perhaps even at the cost of Liv’s own life…

I think I have it figured out… and I will be very happy if I am wrong!

Looking for a fast-paced thriller with major horror vibes throughout? Look no further. Watch the Girls is an original among the many mystery/thrillers out today. Similar to Night Film where horror movies play a real part in the plot, this is definitely a book that goes there. Washed up child tv star tries getting funding a la kickstarter for a web series when she is challenged to investigate a series of disappearances outside of a town made famous by the horror movies filmed there.

Jennifer Wolfe is certainly one to watch out for because this debut is awesome! Fast-paced and twisty with just enough creepiness to keep readers up at night. Highly recommended to those who enjoy dark thrillers.

Liv Hendricks use to be famous but she quit acting when her sister disappeared. It's been 15 years and Liv is a washed up teen star and broke. She is forced to return to the spotlight and while trying to get funding for a web series in which she will be a real private detective she is challenged to investigate the disappearances of women in a town made famous by horror movies that have been filmed there.

The first clue is followed by a series of other clues and information via social media. The more exposure the web series gets, the darker the game becomes especially when Liv's sister becomes a part of this dangerous game. Liv, is desperate to find the connection involving all the missing girls but what will it cost her as she's caught up in her own real horror film.

This is a fast paced thrilled with twists and turns. There is a level of predictability. The graphic scenes and sexual violence could make it difficult for some readers.

Watch the Girl is a breath of fresh air in a sea of suspense/thrillers that can follow an almost formulaic approach. Though there’s alternating timelines, it is necessary and makes the story clear as you explore Stone’s Throw and solve crimes along with Liv, who was a reality tv star that ended up having to crowdsource to make ends meet. She had a “detective” character in this show she did for a long time, and was now to be a pair of fresh eyes in a string of disappearances. I won’t go I to any more than that.

This book grabbed me from the first page. It’s easy to connect to real life, and I enjoyed seeing the main character be brave and smart, even though she’s very flawed. It’s a pretty character-driven book, which makes it much more complete.

Excellent read, I couldn't put it down. It was exciting throughout the entire book and kept me guessing the ending. I am anxiously awaiting more titles from Jennifer Wolfe. This is a "must" hand sell title for me at my store. On a technical side, I normally don't like books that jump timelines back and forth, but I feel it was necessary in this book. Well written and superbly thought out. Loved it.

Watch the Girls is the debut novel by author Jennifer Wolfe. Very entertaining book....I am looking forward to more from Wolfe.

This is a really fun read....well there are the murders...but it is fun. There is reality tv and all the craziness that goes with it. What is really going on in creepy little town Stone's Throw? Liv, a former tv reality star, needs money after being fired from her latest show. She crowdfunds a webseries and is hired by a mysterious movie director (think David Lynch) to solve the mystery of the Dark Road in Stone's Throw. Add a film festival and interesting townspeople and you have twists and turns galore. Fun read that was hard to put down!

Highly recommend Watch the Girls.

I loved this book and the whole concept of the story is right up my alley. Watch The Girls is the dark thriller that I have been craving. I had such a hard time putting this book down and I read the whole thing in 2 days. I love how real and flawed the main character, Liv, is. She is so broken and messed up and realistic. The setting of the story perfectly captured what the world we live in now is like and I loved the use of social media in this book. A tiny portion of the story is told through gossip sites and Youtube and Twitter are a huge part of the story. Part of the reason that this book was so engrossing was because it felt like something that was currently happening.

Another reason that this book was so engrossing is that I love books where I get to play detective along with the main character. The reader and Liv find out things at the same time so I was trying to formulate theories and ideas of what could have happened to the girls. Most of the twists in the story I could see coming but there were some that really shocked me. I was also shocked by how violent this book could get but in a good way. I remember thinking that I can’t believe this book actually went there. But it didn’t feel exploitive. Everything that happened fit very organically with the story and the writing.

One of my favorite things about the book is that most of the story is based in a town close to LA that a famous horror director lives in and filmed his movies in. The movies the director, Jonas Kron, make are extremely dark and graphic horror movies that have a large cult following. Being a huge horror movie fan I loved this aspect of it and what a huge part of the plot he and his movies have.

For me there were only two downsides to this story. The biggest one being that at times it felt preachy and that is one of my biggest turn offs in a story. That reason alone is why I knocked half a star off my rating. I do agree with what the book was saying about women and how men view them and a woman’s sexuality but it just kept being brought up. The other thing that rubbed me the wrong way was that I don’t know if the book handled the Olivia Hill/Liv Hendricks thing the right way. Olivia Hill changed her name after her sister went missing to Liv Hendricks and the ending gives a different reason for why she changed her name. I feel like it was a good reason but at the same time I don’t know if it was a good representation of what was happening. Sorry to be vague but I definitely don’t want to spoil the ending. If you read this book (and you should!) please let me know what you think.

As you can tell, I really enjoyed this book. If you are in the market for a dark horror triller novel than this is for you. This book can get pretty graphic so just keep that in mind. Another interesting part of this book is the behind the scenes look into how Hollywood works. I feel like this book has so much going on but it all works so well together to tell the story. I feel like this book would make an excellent movie and I hope that it happens one day.

I've never read this author before but something in the description made me want to read it. From the minute I picked the book up to the minute I finished it, it kept me intrigued all the way through.

Watch the Girls by Jennifer Wolfe is a highly recommended debut mystery/thriller.

Liv Hendricks used to be Olivia Hill, a child star. She left the TV show she was on after the night her sister Miranda disappeared. That night their other sister, Gemma, also a child actor, called to be rescued from a party and the two sisters went out to pick her up. Something awful happened and only two sisters remained. Gemma continued on with her career, but Olivia changed her name to Liv and dropped out for over ten years. Now she was on a farcical, derivative show based on Scooby-Doo, but has just been let go. She hears about Shot in the Dark, a crowdfunding site, and offers to investigate a mystery for the highest bidder and share her findings in a webseries.

When she receives an anonymous offer of $20,000 from Red_Stranger to investigate the disappearance of four girls along Dag Road, now called the Dark Road. The donor identifies himself as filmmaker Jonas Kron, a man known for his dark, gory horror films. He lives in a California town called Stone's Throw, near the Dark Road, and filmed his movies in the area. His niece was one of the girls who disappeared. The disappearances have negatively impacted the town and its economy. Liv accepts the offer. She receives a clue when she arrives, to follow the white wolf, and her investigation begins, but then her sister Gemma shows up, and subsequently disappears, which adds a different urgency to her investigation.

The writing is good. Wolfe will hold your attention and entertain you while telling the story. The narrative mostly follows Liv in the present day, but there are flashbacks to the fateful night her sister Miranda disappeared and the events that lead up to this. Not everything in the plot is completely believable. Parts of the novel are a little over-the-top, just like many Hollywood productions, and the mood can jump from humorous to disturbing quite quickly.

Liv is a complicated character and well-developed. There is a reason for her excesses and her issues that comes to light at the end. Liv is really the only well-developed character, as the others are more archetypes of certain caricatures. Admittedly, I had most of the mystery figured out early on in the novel, but Wolfe also had a few surprises that I didn't see coming.

Watch the Girls is enjoyable and full of twists and action, but there were two drawbacks for me. First was Liv's promiscuity. It was bothersome enough to drop my rating down a star. I just wanted to see some mature, thoughtful behavior and better judgement from a character that I liked. In this day and age that is such a destructive choice. The second was the disturbing descriptions of sexual violence. (There could be some triggers for people in this one.)

Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of Grand Central Publishing via Netgalley.
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