3.5 stars for The Girl from Widow Hills! This is my first Megan Miranda book and it did not disappoint.

Arden had a sleepwalking incident when she was younger and was found in a drain 3 days after she went missing. Almost 20 years later, she has officially changed her name to Olivia, moved out of her hometown and is trying to leave all of the craziness behind her. Then, she begins to have sleepwalking incidents again and a man mysteriously turns up dead on her property. What happened when she was younger and what happened now? This book unravels these mysteries in beautiful slow burn fashion.

I really enjoyed how there were side by side mysteries to solve and subtle clues were dropped throughout the book to keep you guessing until the big reveal. The only thing I didn’t love about it was that it was kind of slow at times, but boy, did it pay off.

Fans of true crime and those who love to solve mysteries with a few red herrings along the way will enjoy this one!

The Girl from Widow Hills is the first book that I have read by Megan Miranda. It's about a woman named Olivia who went missing as a child and spent 3 days in an underground tunnel holding on for her life until she was rescued. Now she is grown up, moved away and changed her name to avoid the fame and attention brought to her after this traumatic event and miraculous rescue. In her new town, she stumbles upon a body of a dead man in her yard which leads Olivia on a mysterious investigation that brings up all the secrets of her past.

This book started off a little on the slow side, but I did get pulled into the story and the mystery! I ended up staying up super late to finish this book, as I just had to know what was going on with these characters. Some elements of this novel feel a bit formulaic. I have read quite a few stories with similar plot lines--a woman who seems a little unreliable, who is involved in a murder investigation and might be a suspect, who has a mysterious past, etc. But if the formula works, why change it? Obviously I still enjoying reading these stories as evidenced by my late night reading binge to finish this book!

I'm still thinking through the end of this book. It did surprise me. But is it plausible or believable? I'm not quite sold yet, but I did appreciate the twist. I think another chapter or a little bit more of an explanation would make the ending work better.

A decent thriller that picks up speed as the story moves along! Thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for sending me an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

Almost 20 years prior- Arden Maynor was considered a miracle in Widow Hills. A small girl who while sleepwalking was swept away by a rainstorm and found three days later clinging to a storm drain. A media sensation, Arden because famous and with that came unwanted attention from fans and stalkers alike. Unable to cope, Arden changed her name to Olivia and moved away.

Now- Oliva has managed to keep her identity hidden. She works at a local hospital in a remote town and she keeps people at a distance. As the 20 year anniversary of her rescue approaches, Olivia receives a box containing memories from her past and begins to sleepwalk once again. Late one night she jolts awake to find herself standing over the body of a dead man, someone she knows from her past. With no memory of what happened, she finds herself back in the media spotlight and everything she tried to escape.

The Girl from Widow Hills is a fantastic new thriller by one of my favorite authors. This was definitely one of the best thrillers I have read in a long time, a real page-turner, and I didn't want to put down. Olivia is trying to flee from her past only to be thrown back into it when a man is found murdered at her house with her as a prime suspect. Olivia suffers from sleepwalking, a condition that leaves her with no memory of what she has done. Uncertain if she killed the man or if someone is out to get her, she has to dig into her past to discover the truth about what really happened to her as a child. This novel has a lot of good twists and turns that will leave you guessing until the very end. A must read for 2020!

The Girl from Widow Hills by Megan Miranda is Arden Maynor, the subject of one of those rescue stories about a child caught in a storm drain. For years on the anniversary of the event, Arden had to deal with reporters, fans, and stalkers. Fed up with all the fame, she changed her name to Olivia Meyer and moved away from Widow Hills, Kentucky.

Olivia has not been sleepwalking for years but as the 20th anniversary of her rescue looms, she begins sleepwalking again, and she feels like she is being watched. One night when she is asleep, she hears noises and goes out to investigate only to find a corpse. When she learns the corpse belongs to a man who was at the scene of the rescue when she was six years old, she is afraid she will be swept back into the limelight.

A twist readers will not see coming explains all the things they cannot figure out.

Megan Miranda crafts suspenseful novels like The Last House Guest, which was a pick for Reese Witherspoon’s book club. A New Jersey native, Miranda lives in North Carolina with her family.

My review will be posted on Goodreads starting June 23, 2020.

I would like to thank Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in return for an objective review.

I enjoyed this book. A very particular and different plot from other thrillers I have read before.

The author's writing style helps a lot to make you feel invested and immersed in Arden/ Olivia's story.

Also liked how the story alternates between the past and the present, however, it started a little slow for me, but then it picked up and was more enjoyable.

Overall, a well written story, with a very unique premise.

Thank you Simon & Schuster and Netgalley for the free advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

https://wendyreadsandwrites.blogspot.com/2020/06/book-review-girl-from-widow-hills-novel.html

The Girl from Widow Hills is another page turner from Miranda. With this genre being bombarded daily with new works this one stands apart in the best way. The reader is kept guessing all along and still with a surprise ending. Another great one from this author although I would love to see a novel from her set in a different area of the country since the recent ones all center in North Carolina. Definitely a must read for this one!

This is a good story for readers that like suspense and domestic thrillers. I liked how the main character, Olivia, was established with hints at her past while she’s living a new life in a new town. There was an underlying tension from beginning to end where almost everyone seemed suspicious and could be the answer to the mystery.

The mystery itself felt a little torn between the current death close to Olivia and Olivia’s past. I did like how the two stories intersected but I was expecting a bit more of a twist and reveal. I did like the slow building nature but there could have been more suspense to amp up the atmosphere.

Overall, I would recommend this book to fans of the author, those that like domestic thrillers, or fans of the mystery genre. There’s a good balance between character and plot, and it does have a good payoff in the end.

The Girl from Widow Hills is flawless. Miranda is among a precious few that manage to ensnare me from beginning to end. I was tangled in a web of mystery, deception and half-truths questioning everything and everyone. I was on high alert much like Olivia.

This story has all the feels! The swell of anxiety, disaster moving in, covering the details like a deep fog. The inescapable thickness of the mood tangible. You think you understand survival, instinct, what you’re capable of, then you’re reminded there is still much to discover.

Megan Miranda’s writing is a treasure. The Girl from Widow Hills is a standout. A thrilling suspense that will keep you guessing.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my digital copy in exchange for an honest review.

Megan Miranda's latest psychological thriller revolves around Arden Maynor, a child from Widow Hills who turned up missing from her home one night while sleepwalking during a terrifying rainstorm and went missing for days. After she was found, she was looked upon as a miracle and made famous. Now a young woman, Arden goes by the name Olivia and still has trouble sleepwalking. One night, she wakes up and finds herself in her yard with a dead man at her feet. The book was OK and sometimes felt a bit flat, and the storyline unconvincing. I prefer Miranda's previous books, All the Missing Girls andThe Perfect Stranger, which I loved.

You’re looking for a book with twists and turns along way, this book is for you as is the author’s other books. This is a fast paced page turner that will keep you guessing. You think you have it figured out and then, nope!

We always remember the children that got stuck in wells or went missing. If they survive, people want to know where they are or who they are now. It’s got to be terrifying. Just like Arden/Olivia people never left her alone. Twenty years later she finds herself in an awkward position and not sure who to trust. I found this story gripping with plenty of twists and turns. The end of every chapter has a piece of history with a media release or 911 transcripts, very unique. My copy came through Netgalley and I wrote my review voluntarily.

This is my 3rd read of Megan Miranda. Once again I loved her debut adult novel All the Missings Girls, as it was one of my favorite books I've read in a long time. I haven't finished The Last House Guest and I received this egalley advanced reader copy from Netgalley and Simon & Schuster before it comes out to the public.

I wouldn't give it more than a 3. If it wasn't Megan Miranda I honestly don't think I would have read it. It wasn't as interesting as I had hoped and I really didn't care for any of the characters and what happens to them. It was a bit suspenseful, but I didn't feel invested in the outcome. Therefore, the twist at the end I didn't guess nor did I really care. It kept me interested enough to keep going and I do like Megan Miranda's style of writing. But if you are looking for a great psychological thriller, look elsewhere.

Thank you so much Netgalley and Simon & Schuster for the ARC as I was seriously looking forward to reading this!

💡ARC REVIEW: I need to start off by saying I am a huge fan of Megan Miranda and I absolutely love her writing style. It’s unique, engaging and her stories are spun in a way that makes you truly care about her characters and feel “in it” with them in regards to a mysterious plot. That being said, The Girl from Widow Hills was a bit of a miss for me. The story picks up about 60% through the book and I was fully invested and devouring the plot, but for the almost first half of the book, I was left pretty confused and the plot wasn’t moving enough for me to get a grasp on it. Once it did pick up, I enjoyed the twists and turns but even towards the end there was so much left unanswered about some of the characters and plot and I felt like I just needed something else from it. If you’re a mystery/thriller fan and especially a Megan Miranda fan, definitely pick this up TOMORROW when it’s published. The writing is good and I’ve seen many other incredible reviews, so this just may be a matter of personal preference. I look forward to reading more of Megan Miranda’s books in the future!
💡Thank you to @netgalley for an e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
💡Pub Date: June 23, 2020
💡⭐️⭐️
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What I enjoyed most about this thriller was the fast paced development. Also, the story started off very intriguing and grabbed my attention immediately. The suspenseful atmospheric scenes through out the story held my attention but something happened in the middle and the story quickly turned dull. There were some eerie elements that I appreciated, specifically when the scenes occurred at night. As a reader, you can vividly experience them and Megan did a wonderful job at that. Unfortunately, this was not enough for me.

Although I enjoyed the storyline, sleepwalking content, the 9-11 call transcriptions, and procedural thriller vibes; It was all somewhat predictable and something felt flat for me. If you are looking for a light thriller fast paced thriller, this book may be just what you need.

Please always remember, this is my personal opinion and I like being transparent. Just because I did not enjoy this book means you will have the same experience.


Still, enjoyable and suspenseful.

Rating ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ /5

It seems strange that the last two book I have read have been about a little girl whose life was changed when one of her parents wrote a book about something that happened to them that they cannot remember. Based on just that, I would say maybe there is a sudden new trend. Not so. These were two completely different takes on this basic outline. If they can be done as well as these last two, I DO hope it becomes a new trend.

Olivia was not always Olivia. She had once been Arden. Arden was a sleep walker who somehow made it out of her house only to get swept away by a flash flood. She was missing for three days before , pretty much by accident, she was found clinging to life in a storm drain. her story became national news. 20 years later, tired of the attention (some surprisingly negative and hostile) Arden has been living as Olivia. No one in her new life knows who she is. She hasn't even had a problem with sleep walking since childhood. Until one night she does.

When a man from her past life shows up dead near her house, Olivia decides it is time she finds out what it is that she cannot remember about those three days. Once the police realize who she is, it is only a matter of time before word gets out and the hostility starts again. Friends don't think they can trust her and strangers feel entitled to comment on her life and her past. What could a six year old have done?

The twists and turns are what I come to expect from current thrillers. They are only really good if they can't be seen coming but still make sense. That is the case with most of the twists in this book. I was confused by how angry people can get about something a 6 year old may or may not have done. If it weren't for multiple experiences with keyboard warriors in my own life I might have found it completely unbelievable. But, sadly, that is who we are right now.

I absolutely enjoyed this Megan Miranda book even more than the previous. Thanks for the opportunity to read in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to Net Galley and Simon and Schuster for an advanced copy of this novel. All in all, this psychological thriller hits all the right boxes and am now adding Megan Miranda to my "must read" author list.

I was able to read this book from start to finish in 24 hours because I just couldn't put it down!

4-4.5 stars! This is my 3rd book by Megan Miranda. I wasn’t a huge fan of The Perfect Stranger but I loved All The Missing Girls and I loved this one too!! It was just the right amount of suspense. I kept thinking I knew who was behind all the problems being caused for Arden/Olivia but then something new would happen and a different person would become suspicious to me! Wow, the ending!!!! I was wrong on all guesses! Highly recommend this one!

Thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

To read other reviews I’ve left, look me up on Goodreads and Instagram.
*Goodreads - Cherihy808
*Instagram - bookworm_traveler808

This book can be summed up in two words: slow, dark.
Okay, maybe a third word: twisty.
The main character, Olivia, has struggled to separate herself from a tragedy that befell her when she was six. But, despite her best efforts, it continues to define her and her relationships. I felt like there were a few things that didn't get quite fleshed out. Motivations and relationships that weren't completely addressed, but they were tangential to the storyline. Again, life isn't neat and tidy and ready to be summed up in 352 pages. But don't expect a continual speedy rollercoaster of a read. This book takes its time to let the reader fully appreciate the fear and trepidation that Olivia feels trying to navigate her world while keeping her former life a secret. But there are surprises that make the journey worth it!

I thoroughly enjoyed Miranda's latest thriller! It hooks you in right from the start with narrator Olivia still plagued by the traumatic event that so defined her entire life. As a child, only six years old, she was missing for three days - only to be recovered from a storm drain. The narrative is interspersed with accounts, articles and transcripts from that time while it seems that in her present, all is still not well. She has begun sleepwalking again as the twenty year anniversary approaches.

The media sort of reminds me a bit of the story of Jessica in the well - a news story that even hit the radar in my own non-interested in news childhood. With a twisting plot and plenty of genuine surprises, this is a hard book to put down! I really enjoyed it! I have read several of Miranda's books in the past and this one just be my very favorite of hers yet! The characters all come to life -and I really didn't anticipate the final twist at all - it's well-plotted and well-executed - I can see this being a super popular summer thriller!

I picked up this book because I LOVED Megan Miranda’s previous book “The Last House Guest.” I enjoyed “The Girl from Widow Hills”. I thought it had a lot of good plot points and no holes that I saw. I do recommend it, I just didn’t find it as compelling as the previous book I read by the author. It takes a little longer to pick up and it is more of a slow-burn than compulsive page turner. It picks up a lot in the last third or fourth of the book and turns out really well. I’m definitely pleased with it and will recommend it to others who enjoy the genre!

(Amazon does not have this title open for reviews yet so I’m saving this to add on the 23rd!)