Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and the author, for an ARC of this book, in exchange for an honest review.
I found "Pray For The Girl" by Joseph Souza to be an addictive, interesting & well written story that pulled me in right away & didn't let me go until its final page.
I would love to read another book by this author.

Suspenseful and engrossing, Pray for the Girl is one of those books that keeps you wanting more.

Synopsis:
Lucy Abbott never pictured herself coming back to Fawn Grove, Maine. Yet after serving time in Afghanistan, then years spent as a sous chef in New York, she’s realized her only hope of moving on from the past involves facing it again. But Fawn Grove, like Lucy herself, has changed.

Lucy’s sister, Wendy, is eager to help her adapt, almost stifling her with concern. At the local diner, Lucy is an exotic curiosity—much like the refugees who’ve arrived in recent years. When a fifteen-year-old Muslim girl is found murdered along the banks of the river, difficult memories of Lucy’s time overseas come flooding back and she feels an automatic connection. At first glance, the tragedy looks like an honor killing. But the more Lucy learns about her old hometown, the less certain that seems.

I had to really pull through and finish this book. I just could not connect to the character and/or keep myself engaged in the story. I think what really took a toll on my interest was the fact that the story dragged in places. I expect my Thrillers/Suspense/Mysteries to keep me on my toes. Although this story had its share of twist and turns, it just wasn't enough for me to keep me guessing. In the end, I had figured it out which diminished any enjoyment of the story . This wasn't a bad story by any means, I just think it wasn't the story for me.

Pray for the Girl seems to have more twist than a reader might need. The story is intruding with a descent pace that readers can dive into and beg for more. The author has the ability to create a story that knows what it wants to be. The story pick up half way though the story keeping readers memorized.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher Kensington Publishing Corporation for the advance copy of Joseph Souza Pray for the Girl

Joesph Souza is one of my favorite authors and I just admire his writing and story telling skills and the power he has with words completely make you so immersed in a story that the world could stop and I wouldn't know until I stop reading.
With that said, I wasn't totally into the summary of this book but I just had to read it because its by Souza. Unfortunately, I just didn't connect with this one and that was a personal opinion and has nothing to do with the writing or the story telling. It just wasn't a topic that held my interest.
Thank you #NetGalley, the author and the publisher for my free ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Das Buch beginnt damit, dass Lucy Abbot von ihrer Schwester Wendy, bei der sie seit einer Woche lebt, von dem Fund einer grausam gesteinigten afghanischen Teenagerin erfährt. Lucy ist nach 15 Jahren nach einem Burnout im Kochberuf in ihren Heimatort Fawn Grove in Maine zurückgekehrt. Die afghanischen Flüchtlinge leben dort im Westen der Stadt. Lucy leidet nach ihrem früheren Kriegseinsatz nun wieder unter neu aufgeflammten Panikattacken, Ängsten und schweren Depressionen. Sie war als Sanitäterin in Afghanistan im Einsatz. Der Mord erinnert sie heftig an den Tod eines Mädchens dort. Lucy empfindet es als Fügung, dass sie ausgerechnet jetzt heimgekehrt ist und fühlt sich dazu verpflichtet das Verbrechen aufzuklären. Im örtlichen Diner verwickelt sie eine andere Teenagerin in ein Gespräch über die Tote und so beginnen ihre Ermittlungen.

Die Protagonistin ist spontan sympathisch. Die Geschichte ist durch die Beschreibungen der Autorin gleich von Beginn sehr atmosphärisch. Man kann sich sehr schnell und gut in die Personen und Lebensumstände hinein versetzen. Für deutsche Leser ist dieser Roman, der sich um das für uns alle wichtige Thema Migration dreht, nach der erlebten Flüchtlingswelle besonders interessant.

Lucy kommt durch viel Herumfragen und Gespräche mit den Einwohnern und speziell dem Kleinstadtcop Dalton in ihrem Recherchen voran. Im Vordergrund steht aber ihre Vergangenheit und der Kampf mit ihrer schwierigen Gegenwart. Die Erwähnung des jungen Jaxon sind geheimnisvoll und geben Rätsel auf. Sie meidet jegliches Gespräch über ihn.

Zu Teil 2 des Buches kommt es zu einem heftigen Twist und die Anmerkungen über Jaxon klären sich auf. Die Autorin traut sich was mit ihrer Hauptfigur Lucy.

Über lange Strecken geht es nicht wirklich voran mit den Ermittlungen. Der eigentliche Fall entwickelt sich nur langsam. Der Leser hat hier eher ein charaktergetriebenes Buch in der Hand. Wenn man keinen Zugang zu Lucys Figur findet, dann wird einem dieses Buch wohl eher nicht zusagen.

Am Ende klärt sich alles umfassend auf und man erhascht auch noch einen Blick in die mögliche Zukunft.

The title of Thomas Wolfe’s autobiographical novel You Can’t Go Home Again perfectly describes Lucy Abbott’s return to Fawn Grove, Maine. Should she have returned home, or would it have been better to stay in New York City?

Lucy overhears her sister Wendy talking to her husband about a shocking murder. The body of a young Afghani refugee was discovered by a passing kayaker: “rumor had it that she’d been buried up to her chest and then stoned.” Lucy is in a low place mentally.

To say that I was in a bad frame of mind during this conversation was an understatement. My current woes included PTSD, anxiety, and depression, and they were all acting in unison to cloud my thinking. I hadn’t experienced such helplessness in a long time. As much as I tried to disassociate myself from the conversation my sister was having with her husband, I ended up hearing every last word of it.

Lucy, a talented sous-chef, abruptly quit her job to come home, rattled by the “heinous crimes” that had become an everyday backdrop to her life: “the sound of police sirens became like elevator music to my ears.” Lucy isn’t just battling mental demons—during her tour of duty in Afghanistan, she was gravely injured, losing both of her lower legs in an explosion. A murder in her hometown is not helping her heal. Or might it serve as a catalyst to bring her out of a crushing mental and physical funk?

But back to the girl’s murder. I’d allowed a girl to die while serving as a combat medic in Afghanistan, and I vowed never to let that happen again. Not on my watch, anyway. It still weighs on my conscience. It’s part of the reason I left New York City and returned to Fawn Grove. The pain of that memory lingers long after I left the battlefield. Healing both body and mind takes time as well as effort. I thought if I could only confront my past and let it go, everything would be better. But I found that I couldn’t. It was too painful.

But “everything happens for a reason,” Lucy thinks. She has come home to “Fawn Grove: the veritable armpit of Maine,” to “find out who killed this girl.” Lucy will atone for the death of the local girl in Afghanistan by finding justice for the young refugee who was killed in Fawn Grove. That means coming to grips with the changes to Fawn Grove in the last fifteen years. The paper mill that once “employed half the town”—and paid its workers well—is in its death throes, shrunk to producing a single product. The biggest change is an influx of immigrants from Afghanistan. Some townsfolk refer to Blueberry Hill, the Afghani neighborhood, as Mecca. A bleak mill-town on its last legs doesn’t seem like much of a paradise to Lucy.

I can’t imagine escaping from some shitty war-torn parcel of dust only to be moved halfway across the world to Fawn Grove. To arrive upon our frigid Maine shores and realize that in many ways America is a more dangerous and depressing country than the one they left behind.

Prejudice and economic anxieties separate the native Mainers and the refugees who have landed in Fawn Grove. Lucy’s memories of her formative years growing up, her horrific journey to tenuous health after getting injured, plus her phenomenal skills at serving up delicious food, coalesce as she dons a private detective mantle. The Galaxy Greek diner, a shadow of its former self, is Lucy’s entry point back into the community. The food is abysmal, and Lucy doesn’t hold back the criticism. Yanni, the aging chef/owner gives her forty bucks, tells her to go out and buy food and show up in her chef’s whites: let’s see if she can do better.

Yanni expects instantaneous results on a pauper’s budget. It’s as if my sudden presence here is supposed to make customers magically appear. Wolfgang Puck and Thomas Keller working in unison couldn’t resurrect this shithole under his thumb. Returning this diner to its former glory will be an uphill battle. The Galaxy’s good name has been dragged through the mud for so long now that it may never fully recover.

A menu of “pillowy omelettes, fresh cheddar/bacon biscuits, and buckwheat pancakes made from scratch,” is so out-of-the-ordinary for the denizens of Fawn Grove that they fall back on their “circular brick patties of industrial beef topped with processed yellow cheese.”

Joseph Souza gives the reader two paths—one that spirals down into poverty and despair. Some, like Dalton, the town’s detective, say that’s inevitable. When Lucy says she might stick around Fawn Grove, he wishes her luck: “Because Fawn Grove will break you like it’s broken everyone else in town.” The other path is exemplified by the moral of Voltaire’s Candide—“cultivate one’s own garden.” In other words, “take care of your own, and the world will take care of itself.” The images that linger in Pray for the Girl are of Pam, Lucy’s high school classmate roasting coffee beans to make “an exceptional cup of coffee,” and of bountiful fruits and vegetables and exotic spices for sale in an Afghan grocery.

Lucy more than atones for the girl’s death years ago, halfway across the world. Her investigation rips a Band-Aid off the secrets and cruelty that fester below the surface of Fawn Grove but with the ugliness bared, the town can look inward, make amends, and ultimately, move on.

Having read The Neighbor by Joseph Souza last year and remembering all the twists and turns in that story I knew I needed to read Pray for the Girl. Pray for the Girl again showcased that Joseph Souza seems to have completely mastered shock and awe in his novels.

In Pray for the Girl Lucy Abbott has returned to her hometown of Fawn Grove, Maine which she really didn’t think she’d see again not having such fond memories of the town. After fifteen years away, some while serving in Afghanistan where she was injured and lost both legs and now has prosthetic legs and then becoming a sous chef in New York, it’s now time to go back.

Hiding from the hustle and bustle of her New York life Lucy tries to make a way for herself in Fawn Grove. When Lucy hears the story of a murdered 15 year old Afghani refugee she feels a pull to solve the case thinking she may be the only one who would try to get justice for the girl.

When reading The Neighbor I didn’t particularly like the characters but the plot drew me in and made me curious only to discover a very twisted tale. Pray for the Girl definitely reminded me of those same feelings starting off although I will say these characters were not as bad and grew on me but the surprises are most definitely still present. Just as I started to think the book was becoming a bit slow a wake up call picked it all up and carried it on out so yes, another solid thriller readers should enjoy.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

Really enjoyed this book and was surprised at how much!!! Lucy is an Army Vet who was wounded in Afghanistan and moves back to her hometown of Fawn Grove, Maine to stay with her sister because she suffers from PTSD and needs tome to rest and recover. While home, she hears of a 15 year old Muslim girl who was murdered and is immensely interested in bringing this girl's murderer to justice, feeling a connection to her through memories of another similar girl she knew back in the war. Unfortunately, the town is extremely racist and people are not as welcoming as they initially appear. Several interesting twists make this an intriguing and unique read! Thanks to NG for the ARC!!!

It took me a while to get through this one. I kept thinking that I t may end up being a book I couldn't finish. The story seemed to drag and I couldn't figure out where it was going. When I started Part 2, a few things fell into place and the story started to come together. There were a few twists and turns, but I figured out all the players and it ruined the suspense for me. Not a bad story, just not one I'm sure I could recommend.

I had to take my time with this one because it rocked me to the core. I've cried, felt outraged, and helplessness while reading. Definitely not for the faint of heart but a must-read for fans of suspense.

I could not imagine the life Lucy has experienced. This book made me look at her experiences in a whole new light. I don't want to say too much as I don't want to give the suspense and surprises away.

If you are sensitive regarding the LGBTQ community please be warned this book may be upsetting. Personally, I suggest you read it to get more understanding.

There are violence and curse words in the book but not unnecessarily.

I received a complimentary copy from Kensington through NetGalley. Any and all opinions expressed in the above review are entirely my own.

Joseph Souza is a compelling writer. When Lucy suffers a breakdown and heads back to her small hometown in Maine, she immediately immerses herself in the murder of a young woman from Afghanistan. As each layer is peeled away, we learn more and more of the secrets of Fern Grove. Filled with many of today’s issues, Souza is a compelling writer. With an EPIC twist, and a heroine you can’t help but root for, this one was hard to put down!

I appreciate what the author was trying to do in this book as it had a unique hook and portrayal of many sensitive issues. At the same time, it wasn’t preachy but the characters felt authentic. I am intrigued to read more from this author.
Thanks to NetGalley, Kensington Books, and the author Joseph Souza for a digital review copy. This book was first published April 30, 2019.

Lucy Abbott has returned home to Fawn Grove after being away for over fifteen years. First she served in Afghanistan, then she was a very successful sous chef in New York. When she hears of the murder if a fifteen-year-old Muslim girl, she is driven by memories and even voices to go back to Fawn Grove to get to the bottom of things.

Lucy does not have it easy, but her cousin gladly provides her a home in order to help her to adjust. This is a blessing, because things are more than awful. Not only is Lucy dealing with PTSD and other traumas due to the war, there are secrets and hatred in the town. Lucy is very pained by the racial inequality that is so prevalent.

This was a very sensitive story. This passage provides insight about the protagonist. “Was broken in more ways than one, What person in their right mind would want to be with a woman like me? A tortured mind to go along with a tortured body. Two prosthetics that hid my sorry past, although they were the least of my secrets. Then so close to a dishonorable discharge before the incident that cost me my legs. I spent two brutal years recovering at Walter Reed. Who in their right mind would want someone like me sleeping next to them at night?”

Lucy begins asking questions and befriends Dalton, the detective handling the case. Although she has very good reasons for keeping him at arm’s length, she is very drawn to him. Before long, another teen is found murdered. Eventually things get very dangerous for Lucy and she makes a very difficult decision.

What an effective read! I was completely drawn in by Lucy. In no way, however, was I expecting the massive twist that occurred during this story. There were some doubts about her as I read, especially as this story was delivered in first person. Despite my shock, I kept on reading with eager anticipation for the identification of the murderer of the girl, but also for Lucy to find peace in her life.

Pray for the Girl is a very well-rounded book. I have never read anything by Joseph Souza before, but I enjoyed this book so much that I am eager to place his backlist in my TBR. If he writes other stories that are equally as twisted as this book, then consider me a fan.

Many thanks to Kensington Books and to NetGalley for this ARC to review in exchange for my honest opinion.

This was a really intriguing, dark and twisted story. It was atmospheric and the characters were well developed and interesting. The story had many twists and turns and I never knew what was around the corner. It kept me guessing and the plot twist at the end was especially unexpected!

It’s time for one of those rare gushing reviews. (Sorry, but it’s got to be done.)

I loved this book. I got so lost in it that I burned something I had in the oven. The timer was set, but when it went off, it was ages before I heard it – I was just so into this.

In Pray For the Girl, author Joseph Souza brings us a town full of damaged people – a town that is slowly, but surely dying. When an influx of immigrants comes to the town, that slow death threatens to become a murderous inferno.

The characters are so well drawn, I could practically see them. And the tension in the town was so taut I could feel it. Lucy was especially vivid – no spoilers here, but I wanted to weep for her and cheer her successes.

I loved every moment of this. I was just sorry when it was over.

*ARC provided by Net Galley

Thank you so much to Kensington Books and NetGalley for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I have never read anything by Joseph Souza but this book immediately intrigued me. I loved the authors writing style and how you actually felt like you were in the town along with the characters. The plot had lots of secrets and twists and the characters were well developed. I also loved that this story revolved around a woman that was injured and came back from deployment with multiple mental ailments that were controlling her life. I've read a lot of books about men coming back from the war but it was nice to read one from a woman's character.

Lucy never thought she’d find herself going back to her hometown of Fawn Grove, Maine to live with her sister’s family. After serving in Afghanistan then as a chef in New York she realizes the only way she can move on from the past and forget what the war has done to her is face it again. When a Muslim girl is found murdered by stoning Lucy becomes immersed in the case and feels a connection to the girl from her time in the war. The more Lucy digs into the murder and her hometown, the more she realizes how much the town has changed since she’s been there.

This was definitely a page turner and I, like everyone else, was not prepared for the plot twist, I didn’t see it coming. This was one of the best thrillers I’ve read in awhile which is really saying something, the author’s writing style was amazing and kept me wanting to know what was going to happen next.

The beginning of the book was a little slow for me as Lucy is trying to overcome her PTSD and self-wallowing but the further you get into the book the better it gets. Lucy is such a strong amazing character that I felt an immediate connection with through all of her flaws and setbacks. I loved her personality and how brave she was in front of other people even when she was suffering so much inside.

Excellent novel and I’m very excited to read more by Joseph Souza!

Pray for the Girl by Joseph Souza

My, oh my, OH MY! What a book this ended up being! The title had me wondering and as I read I realized that more than one girl in this story needed a whole lot of prayers!

As I began to read I thought, “why is a man writing in first person about a woman who is a double amputee war veteran with so many issues? How can he relate?” but I kept reading. I then wondered why so many people in Fawn Grove, Maine seemed so strange or messed up. I next wondered who Jaxon was and why his death was so traumatic and so difficult to discuss for Lucy. I also wondered about narrator Lucy’s relationship to many of the people in the story from the relatives she was staying with to friends she once had in the town. I kept with it and wondered and thought and worried about the narrator and who was behind the murders and scratched my head a few times but when Lucy became a victim I really wondered what would happen next. And what happened was part two of the book and some of the questions I had were suddenly answered and I become even more embroiled in the book. As layers were peeled away and I got to know the characters better I kept hoping for a happy ending for someone in the story and though my main favorite does come through better off than I expected, more integrated and perhaps stronger – I did worry as I closed the book not knowing whether or not that would remain true forever.

Did I like this book? YES!
Would I read more by this author? Definitely!
Why did I like it? It was well written, made me think and care and kept me guessing to the end

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books for the ARC – This is my honest review.

5 Stars

Mystery and thrillers have always had an enormous appeal for me. I love reading a book that makes my heart race. I also love reading a book where I have to figure out who the bad guy is. Of course, I have read duds, but it comes with the territory when you read as much as I do.

Pray for the Girl takes place in the fictional city of Fawn Grove, Maine. Lucy, a disabled veteran, has gone back to confront and make peace with her past. Soon after her arrival, Lucy gets caught up in the murder of a young Muslim girl. Investigating on her own, Lucy finds out that her hometown is not what she remembered. Secrets are many in Fawn Grove, and Lucy has her own. Who killed that girl? Why? The truth will be stunning.

I got caught up in Pray for the Girl’s main plotline. It was well written. I will say that the book is slow to start. But, it was laying the groundwork for the rest of the book. After the first couple of chapters, the book is on fire and doesn’t stop. I couldn’t put it down.

There was a massive twist in the middle of the book. I was not prepared for it. Not. At. All. After I got over my initial shock, I loved it. So much made sense when I looked back in the first half of the book. I do wish that it had been revealed a tad bit sooner. But then certain scenes wouldn’t have played out the way they did.

Lucy was one of my favorite characters, ever. She had my sympathy because of what happened to her. I liked that the author didn’t hold back when it came to her PTSD. Instead of glossing it over, he chose to go into detail about what Lucy went through daily. Being back in such a toxic town such as Fawn’s Grove didn’t help her either. I was a little surprised when she took it upon herself to look into the death of the Muslim girl. I didn’t understand why she took such an interest in that girl’s death. But, everything was explained around the same time the twist in the plot was revealed. Then it made perfect sense.

The end of the book was fast paced. There was a point where I had to stop and reread paragraphs to digest the information that was given. The very end of the book threw me for a loop. I am wondering if the author is setting up for another book involving Lucy? I hope so. That would be a book that I would love to read.

A huge thank you to @tlcbooktours @kensingtonbooks for having me part of this book tour!! This book is sounds amazing here’s a little info! Lucy Abbott never pictured herself coming back to Fawn Grove, Maine. Yet after serving time in Afghanistan, then years spent as a sous chef in New York, she's realized her only hope of moving on from the past involves facing it again. But Fawn Grove, like Lucy herself, has changed.
Lucy's sister, Wendy, is eager to help her adapt, almost stifling her with concern. At the local diner, Lucy is an exotic curiosity--much like the refugees who've arrived in recent years. When a fifteen-year-old Muslim girl is found murdered along the banks of the river, difficult memories of Lucy's time overseas come flooding back and she feels an automatic connection. At first glance, the tragedy looks like an honor killing. But the more Lucy learns about her old hometown, the less certain that seems.
There is menace and hostility here, clothed in neighborly smiles and a veneer of comfort. And when another teen is found dead in a cornfield, his throat slit, Lucy--who knows something about hiding secrets--must confront a truth more brutal than she could have imagined, in the last place she expected it . . . This book is available now! You know me I love myself some thrillers/ mystery books