3.5 stars
A good start to a new series.
Clara escaped Alber many years ago, and is now a detective in Dallas, but when she receives a call telling her that her sister Delilah has gone missing she has to go back and find her.
She knows Max from her time in Alber but he’s the only one who is pleased to see her.
Other local law enforcement don’t want her help and her family are far from approachable, with her mother refusing to talk to her.
Clara knows she needs to find her missing sister but with her family denying that she’s missing, she’s really up against it.
I think Clara will end up staying in Alber and will be interested to know which direction the next book goes in.
Thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

Book one of a new series, this was a different police procedural where the protagonist had to deal with her past in order to save her sister.

Clara has left the polygamous Mormon community of Utah, but was compelled to come back when she heard that her sister had disappeared. In the course of her investigation, she found more girls had vanished. She began investigating.

My first book by author Kathryn Casey was a different read where the protagonist had to face a wall of silence from her own people which made locating her sister and other girls a huge problem. I liked Clara's determination and grit. She was focused in the entire book though sometimes her childhood did cause her ruminate.

The author writing was compelling and seamless. There were twists and red herrings as is the norm of a police procedural. The story soon caught me in its grip and getting to the truth was my only aim which caused me to forgo my sleep.

A entertaining midnight read.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC of The Fallen Girls by Kathryn Casey that I read and reviewed.
This is the first book in a new series that was ok was a new series but the subject matter did not grab me as much as I would have liked. I did not fall in love with the whole Mormon polygamy theme in the book. However, I did like Clara and Max a lot and I will look forward to see where they go as characters in future books.
As for the mystery in the book I thought that was well written and had som surprises that keeps the reader engaged throughout the book. Overall, it was a good start to a new series but I am still on the fence about the background.
The Fallen Girls gets four out of five stars from me.

The Fallen Girls is the first in a new series by Kathryn Casey. I have not read the author in a long time. I enjoyed her Sarah Armstrong, Texas Ranger series and was disappointed when that series ended. With this new series we are introduced to Detective Clara Jefferies with the Dallas Police Department.
Clara receives a call informing her that her little sister, Deliah is missing. Clara grew up in polygamous Mormon community in Alber, Utah. She left when she was a teenager and has not been back for 24 years. She returns to find not only her sister missing but two other girls. Clara is shunned by the community, including her family, due to the event that caused her to leave. They refuse to cooperate with the police in helping to find the girls. The author gives us insights into the Mormon community. A body is found and Clara digs into the community's past to find answers. There were some twists in the story that kept me engaged. Kathryn Casey is a solid author, who does an excellent job of developing her characters. I look forward to the next case for Clara. This is a satisfying read.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Detective Clara Jefferies grew up in a strict Mormon family when she chose to leave the whole community turns their backs and shun her. Called back to her community when her sister disappears she tries to help but no one will speak to her. Clara finds the community both changed and the same.
I really enjoyed this book and loved the characters. I think this will be a really good series and can see most of the characters reappearing. I guessed some of the ways the story was going to conclude but it still kept me intrigued.
Can’t wait for book two.
Thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
#TheFallenGirls #NetGalley

This ARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This book is set in Utah, in a Mormon town filled with polygamy. A 12-year old girl, Delilah, is abducted from the cornfields behind her house. A letter is sent to the local police station alerting them to her disappearance but the mothers in the household plead ignorance when questioned. Max, a former member of "Elijah's People", the community the girl belongs to, calls Detective Clara Jefferies. She is Delilah's half sister who fled her upbringing 9 years ago. The town of Alber seems like a cult. They keep to themselves and won't talk to outsiders. They are leery of anyone asking questions. Clara's mother, Ardeth is not happy when Clara comes back to town. Hannah, the woman that helped Clara escape all those years ago now runs a women's shelter. She tells Clara that she believes other girls have disappeared too. As Clara races against time to find her sister, the town and local authorities are fighting against her.
I don't know anything about the Mormon religion or polygamy, but I found the background of the characters and the setting interesting. I liked all the characters, and realized that this is how the women were raised and they didn't really know any different. That turning a blind eye, believing what the men them, is their way of life and the belief they hold dear. I enjoyed this book so much. It is one of my favorites of the year to far. The ending leaves the reader wondering what Clara decides to do and perfectly segues into the next installment. Thank you NetGalley, Bookouture and Kathryn Casey!

Clara Jeffries is one of the top detectives in the Dallas Police Department. She is young and ambitious, and she has a past that is is trying to keep hidden. When she gets a phone call from her hometown telling her that her sister is missing, she catches the next flight to Utah, and the fundamentalist Morman community that has deemed her an outcast. Her investigation reveals that not just Delilah, but at least two more girls are missing. The families are denying the disappearances. The police are ignoring leads. How can Clara find Delilah and the other girls before it's too late if no one seems to care that they are gone?

The Fallen Girls kept me hungry for each new page, but nervous for what I would find there. I am so excited for Clara's story to continue.

A huge thank you to NetGalley and, the publisher, Bookouture, for the ARC.

The writing style is very smooth and easy to read. I really enjoyed getting a deeper, more in-depth explanation of the mormon faith.

This steams like a great start to a new series!

A book with mystery and a little suspense, very well written, except the changing between first and third person POV. The plot is good, the characters are very good, and even though there are lots of them, it's no problem keeping them apart.

Detective Clara Jefferies has been with the Dallas Police Department for the past ten years working homicide cases. Years ago, she left Alber, Utah and her polygamist family and has not returned until now. Her former childhood friend, Deputy Chief Max Anderson, has contacted her to inform her that her sister, Delilah, is missing. When she arrives, she is considered an outcast and her own family refuses to talk to her. Time is of the essence when Clara learns that two other young girls have gone missing, been classified as runaways and no one is searching for them. When she lists her sister in the NCIC database, the town officers remove her name. Met with a wall of silence, Clara won’t give up until she gets answers. When events quickly escalate, will she be able to find her sister before it is too late? I received an advance review copy at no cost and without obligation for an honest review. (by paytonpuppy)

Promising new series with an interesting premise and intriguing protagonist. Bit slow moving and I feel it could benefit from a little more character development, but I have high hopes for future installments.

Thanks to NetGalley for providing an ARC copy for my review.

After learning that one of her half sisters is missing, detective Clara Jeffries returns to the small town where she grew up. Life in Alber, Utah has changed drastically. Clara's mother, Ardeth, and Ardeth's sister wives have moved with their children from the house where Clara grew up into a run down trailer outside of town. They insist that the missing twelve-year-old is on a mission with a family in Salt Lake City, that nothing is wrong. Beyond that, they refuse to speak to Clara at all. But there are other missing girls, from families who insist that they're not missing at all, and a decomposing body is discovered in the cornfield behind the trailer and Clara isn't leaving town without answers.



I absolutely loved this one. I don't usually pick up books where the main character is involved with law enforcement because, somewhere along the line, I got the idea that police procedurals aren't my thing. This book kept me turning pages. I can't wait for the next book in the series, but since this one was just published today I guess I'm going to have to be patient.

I couldn't get enough of this first book in a new series. The whole premise was intriguing. The community is interesting. Not what I expected at all. Clara is a complicated character. She has a missing sister and a past to contend with. I'm not sure how I feel about Max. I'm leaning toward dislike but I can see that easily changing. The entire book is gripping. There is plenty of tension and things move at a good pace. You will feel invested in the story and characters very quickly. I'm looking forward to seeing this series build.

Detective Clara Jefferies has a reputation for closing murder cases in Dallas. Her existence is solitary, as she is the job. As she is leaving her office on a Saturday evening, her phone rings. It is a voice from her past, asking her to return to the town she escaped because her sister, Delilah, is missing. Clara jumps on a plane, but knows that it will not be easy to get information. Clara is an apostate, having left behind her Mormon community ten years earlier. Outsiders and apostates are not trusted. Clara learns that more girls are missing, but the families are closing ranks, saying the girls ran away. When a body is found, the community can no longer believe the girls ran away. Will Clara and the local sheriff’s department find Delilah before it is too late?

I enjoyed The Fallen Girls. I will be looking for book 2 as soon as it is available. I liked the different perspectives of Clara, Delilah, and Max. The author developed Detective Clara Jefferies well. However,I would like more insight into her past and how she came to become a cop. Also, I would like to know more about Max.

Description

Detective Clara Jefferies has spent years running from her childhood in Alber, Utah. But when she hears that her baby sister Delilah has disappeared, she knows that the peaceful community will be shattered, her family vulnerable, and that that she must face up to her past and go home.

Clara returns to find that her mother, Ardeth, has isolated her family by moving to the edge of town, in the shadow of the mountains. Ardeth refuses to talk to the police and won’t let Clara through the front door, believing she and her sister-wives can protect their own. But Clara knows better than anyone that her mother isn’t always capable of protecting her children.

When Clara finds out that two more girls have disappeared, all last seen around the cornfields near her family’s home, she realizes it’s not just Delilah who’s in danger. And then she gets a call that a body has been found…

My thoughts

Admittedly, mystery and thriller aren’t necessarily genres I’m drawn to but there was something about the dramatic cover and the intriguing description of The Fallen Girls that pulled me in straight away.

Clara Jefferies has escaped her past and found her feet as a detective but – one day – her past finds its way back to her as Delilah – her sister – is missing. Whilst Clara wasn’t exactly the most exciting character I’ve ever read, it was interesting to read about the life she used to live – as Mormons aren’t a religious group I’m particularly familiar with and I’m equally not very familiar with polygamous relationships. My heart aches for her at times but, as I discovered more about the community, I realised her decision to escape was definitely the right one.

The book jumps from the point of view of Clara, to Delilah, then to Max (a former member of the community and also a detective). I liked the fact that the narrative changed, giving multiple view points and multiple ways to see how situations played out.

It was interesting to have the contrasting perspectives and settings, jumping from rural to urban and back again. I also liked the fact that Casey chose to alternate between the two “fallen girls” Clara and Delilah – each of whom’s narratives were thought provoking, sometimes brutal and full of emotion.

The one thing that I wasn’t keen on was the fact that it felt as if some things needed fleshing out and expanding on, but this didn’t happen. It may just be because, as I’m guessing the #1 indicates, this is part of a longer series and things will be discovered along the way. Either way, this was a heart-thumping, exciting read.

The Fallen Girls will be published on 3rd June 2020.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Bookouture for an advance copy of The Fallen Girls, the first novel to feature Detective Clara Jeffries, set in the fictional Utah town of Alber.

Clara escaped Alber many years ago, vowing never to return, and is now a detective in Dallas but when she receives a call telling her that her sister Delilah has gone missing she feels compelled to go back and find her. She is not welcomed by either local law enforcement or her family with her mother refusing to talk to her but is determined to keep pushing when she hears of two other disappearances and especially when a body is found.

I enjoyed The Fallen Girls which is an absorbing read set in an old fashioned, rural location. It is told from mostly from two points of view, Clara and her hunt for Delilah and Delilah and her experiences. Clara is the voice of urban woman while Delilah is the voice of rural child so it’s an interesting contrast. Clara, despite knowing the customs of the area, pushes her way through her investigation, upsetting just about everyone but not really caring and equally not getting very far. The body changes that and soon developments and revelations become plentiful. The tone of the novel changes as well, becoming more eventful and purposeful.

I wasn’t particularly sold on the premise of Clara barging about in a most unsubtle way as it doesn’t chime with the successful detective she is supposed to be. It does, however, suit the plot with the insular inhabitants closing ranks on the one who left them and is now, fairly obviously, an outsider. I liked the descriptions of these inhabitants but have no idea if they are realistic, if so it’s not my idea of life. Clara I’m not so sure about. She obviously has had serious trauma In her life but this is never explained and that may explain why she’s mistrustful and alone in life but it doesn’t explain her rash decision making and unprofessional focus on only one suspect.

The Fallen Girls is a good read that I can recommend.

I really enjoyed this story and I’m thrilled to have found a new series to read. Good character depth and plot.

Thank you to the Publisher and Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I always LOVE starting a new series with a new author and the synopsis for this book really interested me. It centers around Detective Clara Jefferies who travels back to her hometown in Utah to help with the disappearance of her sister. Here's what reeled me in.....Clara grew up in a polygamous family. Never before have I read anything that gives you a peek inside this lifestyle. It was super interesting reading the different dynamics and especially how Clara was treated as she had absconded from that life.
I did find myself getting frustrated with Clara a bit, I wasn't an overly big fan of her character at first. I can't put my finger on what exactly was bothering me so I will just chalk it up to it being the first in the series and there will be lots more character development in the subsequent books. The story upset me a bit at times but that has everything to do with a lack of understanding of that Polygamous lifestyle and just not being able to wrap my head around it at all. Still interesting none the less!

I look forward to reading the next book in the series and seeing what the future has in store for Clara Jefferies.

Firstly thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for this ARC!!

Detective Clara Jefferies has come a long way after leaving her polygamous family in Alber, Utah. But when she gets a call from an old acquaintance, Max Anderson, that her baby sister Delilah has disappeared, she knows that she needs to go back home and find her no matter how difficult it is.

When she reaches Alber, her mother refuses to cooperate with the investigation and claims that her sister Delilah isn't missing. When Clara finds out that two more girls have disappeared, all last seen around the cornfields near her family’s home, she realizes it’s not just Delilah who’s in danger. As she tries to investigate further she faces all kinds of opposition from both the families of missing girls as well as the local police.

But Detective Clara Jefferies is a determined woman and nothing will stop her from saving her sister even if it means risking her life.

It is a great mystery with a twist at the end. Even though the back story of why Detective Clara Jefferies left home is not revealed it a good start of a new series and I can't wait to read more !!

This is the first book I have read by Kathryn, but it won't be the last. This is a great story which had me gripped till the end. I couldn't put it down till i had finished.
I'm looking forward to reading more in this series.