When a little girl goes missing along the Appalachian Trail,  Detective Ellie Reeves is called in to lead the investigation.  But what she’s not aware of, is that many girls have been going missing over the past twenty-five years along the trail but no-one has made the link ~ other than Special Agent Derrick Fox.  His sister went missing twenty-five years ago and has never been found, and he’s sure there’s more to it.

Turning up to convince Ellie, Derrick not only brings a new angle to the case but also some disturbing facts that need investigating.  Facts that could have an impact on Ellie…..

Together they embark on their intense investigation and discover the grave of a little girl.  But it’s just the beginning.  Can they find the killer before he takes another? Will they find the remains of the other missing girls? And is the killer closer than they thought?

This was so fantastic and utterly gripping.  The storyline is brilliant, and I felt like I was watching an episode of Criminal Minds!  There are some absolutely shocking and amazing twists in this; twists that I couldn’t have even made up! I tried to guess throughout the whole story who the killer might be and got it wrong so many times, it was ridiculous!

The characters are brilliant.  Our protagonist Ellie, is a strong independent woman, with the typical prejudices against her.  She’s determined and resilient and will get to the bottom of the case no matter how dangerous.  She has her owns fears and troubles, and battles with these throughout.  Her need to do the right thing and bring justice shines through, but we also get to see her more vulnerable side that no-one else sees.  Derrick is brilliant.  Strong and capable, he’s unwavering need to find his sister and solve the case is clear.  He’s emotions come through and the guilt that he feels is apparent and heart-breaking.  There are some questionable characters in here, and the one’s I ended up not liking were completely unexpected!

The setting is fantastic.  The Appalachian Trail sounds amazing, but precarious.  Herron provides a brilliant atmospheric narrative, which makes the mountains and trail not only seem beautiful, but terrifying and spooky at the same time.  I would absolutely love to visit somewhere like this (although perhaps without a serial killer on the loose!)

I really really enjoyed this.  Sucked in from the first chapter, I hurriedly turned the pages to find out what would come next.  I was completely invested in Ellie and Derrick and the investigation and felt on the edge of my seat many times.  The shockers in this was just so brilliant, and I can’t wait to read the next book in the series to find out more……

If you’re looking for your next intense, exciting, gripping mystery/crime thriller, with a new strong and independent female Detective, then you should check this out.  You won’t be disappointed!  Highly recommended by me.

I’m struggling with what to say as I write this review. I really enjoyed this book until the final 20% or so. And it’s not that I didn’t enjoy it then, it’s that I could no longer suspend my disbelief regarding Ellie’s ability to go on or the likelihood that even a seasoned and trained SAR professional would proceed with a search on the Appalachian Trail during a blizzard with whiteout conditions. The mystery aspect of the book is really quite good, with little hints being dropped that make you consider different people as the culprit. I in no way saw the ending coming and really like it when there’s that twist at the end.

That being said, I have to admit that I don’t find Ellie a realistic member of law enforcement. She consistently goes off on her own, in dangerous conditions, with no backup and without letting anyone know where she’s heading. She frequently lets calls from her commanding officer go to voicemail and then doesn’t check in. Even in a small town police force, I can’t see that kind of behavior being found acceptable. I likewise found it unrealistic that she’d be able to physically go on after w.hat she endures towards the end of the book. By that point, she’d already shown a careless disregard for her own physical well-being, refusing to so much as get checked out at the hospital after she’d been knocked completely unconscious with a blunt object early in her investigation. I lost count of the number of times she lost consciousness after blows to the end of one type or another, including having her head pounded into stone repeatedly. Yet even after all of that physical trauma (and more I don’t want to talk about because of spoilers), she manages to RUN through the woods and brush in blizzard conditions. She’s so determined that she has to be the one to find the missing girls that she just keeps making irrational decisions.

The resolution to the case of the missing girls definitely provided an interesting twist. Once again, however, I didn’t find all the information we were presented with at the end to be entirely believable. There were a few too many puzzle pieces that didn’t fit comfortably together for me, almost as if the author was intent on connecting all of the dots together even if there were a few too many to make a realistic picture.

But I enjoyed the story enough that, in spite of my feelings about Ellie as an investigator and a character, I’m willing to give it three stars. Will I read the next entry into this series? Most likely. In spite of my reservations, I want to know what comes next for Ellie and how she resolves the issues she was faced with at the end of this book.

This was the first book that I have read by this author.

Ellie Reeves is a Detective in Crooked Creek, Georgia, near the Appalachian mountains trail. Her father is the Sheriff and, as he’s retiring soon, Ellie Reeves intends to succeed him. Those plans gets derailed in the very first pages, but Detective Reeves won’t have time to dwell much on it, as news of the disappearance of a little girl on the trail scramble a coordinated response team. With a winter storm approaching, fears are high that the lost kid could die of hypothermia. Soon, however, foul play is suspected. And, when FBI Special Agent Derrick Fox, from Decatur, links the disappearance with multiple others over a course of twenty years, including the one of his very own sister, there is no doubt left.

The characters were believable and pretty well developed. At times it was hard to read but the twists and turns kept me enthralled. The author has a writing style that makes it easy to fly through the pages. I will definitively pick up another book by this author.

Wow. Brilliant start to a series. I loved the characters and the plot and the suspense the whole way through. All the twists make this a compelling read. I will definitely be looking out for the next in the series.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy.

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Detective Ellis Reeves is called to investigate a missing person ... 6-year-old Penny Matthews. The Appalachian Mountains can hide many things ... especially a lost child ... if they are lost. There are many 'shadow people' living off the grid in this area ... the forest is dark and the river is deep.

FBI Special Agent Derrick Fox wants to join the hunt, even though he hasn't been asked to help. His sister disappeared in the same area 20 years ago and has never been found. He's done a lot of research over the years and has come up with a list of other missing girls. He is certain that a serial killer has been hunting along the trails for at least 25 years.

Ellie refuses to believe that their tight-knit mountain community could be home to a deadly criminal, but even she can’t deny the similarities in the cases. And when they discover the remains of a small body buried with a carved wooden doll, it’s clear they’re up against a deadly serial killer preying on innocent little girls.

With a major snowstorm moving in, it's imperative that the child is found ...and soon.

The plot is intricately woven around substantial characters. It's action packed from start to finish. The characters are all wounded in some way. Ellie, as a child, got lost in the forest which has left her fearful of the dark. She doesn't remember much, but she did have her imaginary friend for company. Her parents sent her to therapists for years. Cole is a ranger, a good friend to Ellie. But he has secrets. Where do all his scars come from? He never talks about his past ... he has no family that he talks about. And then there's Derrick ...still carrying the guilt of not watching his sister when she disappeared.

Who is the "Watcher" ... a man who spends his time looking for human bones? And what are Ellie's parents keeping from her. As the Sheriff, he should have known about the missing girls. Is he a suspect? Is Cole .. he fits the FBI profile of the killer. The conclusion is totally unexpected. What is it that Ellie can't remember?

There is a slight cliff hangar which will merge into book 2 .... I hope it becomes available soon.

Many thanks to the author / Bookouture / Netgalley for the digital copy of this crime fiction. Read and reviewed voluntarily, opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.

From the depths of Nicole’s Book Cellar (Instagram.com/nicoles_bookcellar):

Book: The Silent Dolls: Detective Ellie Reeves Book 1
AVAILABLE NOW (Release Date: July 17, 2020)

Author: Rita Herron

Genre: Thriller, Suspense, Mystery

Rating: 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Positives: The story takes place in the Appalachian Mountains which gives this thriller/mystery a different setting than most recent thrillers. Also, the chapters were short.

Negatives: I didn’t have any. But triggers: child abduction and abuse.

Recommend? Yes, definitely.

Plot: Ellie Reeves is called in on a child abduction of a little girl named Penny. Ellie realizes that time is not on their side while fighting the weather and terrain of the Appalachian Mountains. Derrick Fox, and FBI agent, comes in to assist in the investigation. His sister was abducted years prior and he has a score to settle. As they race against time, they find out that there may be more to this abduction than meets the eye.

Thoughts: It is always hard to read any books that include children getting hurt. With that said, I really enjoyed this story line. I figured out the main twist way early on but I really like how Herron revealed it to the reader. This book includes just enough mystery and suspense to have a reader want to keep going through the wee hours of the morning.
Final drinking thoughts: Ellie was one tough cookie. I like how she had some issues she was fighting through from her childhood. This did not stop her from pressing through and doing all she could to solve the case. This is my first book by Rita Herron and I cannot wait to see what is next in store for Ellie Reeves.

Thank you to @NetGalley @Bookouture @RitaHerron for the advanced copy of #TheSilentDolls

#RitaHerron #Bookouture #NetGalley #Books #Wine #LitFiction #BookReviews #thrillers #ILikeBigBooksAndICannotLie #Bookstigator #GoodReads #WinerRead #Kindle #AmazonReads #Booksofinstagram #readersofinstagram #bookstagram #Mystery #nicoles_bookcellar

Recommended for those new to the genre as veteran readers may feel a bit underwhelmed. Rita Herron writes smoothly and with skill but the narrative includes a moderate amount of foreshadowing and spends a bit too much time restating and summarizing clues. An okay read.
Thank you to #NetGalley for the ARC of #TheSilentDolls which was read and reviewed voluntarily by #wayward_readers

Thank you Net Galley for sending ARC of this book .
Just enough amount of creep mixed with dangerous weather in wilderness and quest of rescuing a little girl.The chills,anxiety and adrenalin rush was at the peek when I was reading the book.My breath was caught and heart was pounding.Excellent writing.
My first from the writer but definitely looking for more from her.

Join Ellie, Detective Reeves in her quest to find missing girl Penny who disappeared while on a trip with her parents. FBI Agent Derrick also accompanies Ellie on her search, but things are personal for him, his sister went missing on the same Mountain and he wants to find out what happened. As the book moves on things start to get personal for Ellie and her family, will Ellie work out who the abducter is before it's too late? Lots of surprises when the story takes a turn that you do not see coming! Fast paced, well written, absorbing, engaging. I really hope the author writes more in the same style.

I’ll start with the positives for this book. Such a promising premise. I loved the idea of a child kidnapper who has been preying on small children in the woods for years. I love that the cops are finally able to piece these disappearances together as a part of a serial predator. The fast paced writing, the fast chapters, and the overall fast paced of the book was so enjoyable.

However, I felt like I was reading a script for a movie. Too much was going on in such a short time hat it was overwhelming. I felt like Ellie would not of been able to do many of the things she did if she was being a proper and true detective. She would of gotten in trouble. Also, how many time can she be hit in he head before she dies or is even injured? It was just so far fetched, like the author was adding so much action to make the story better.

I don't read many crime novels set in the US - it isn't by choice, I suppose it's more that the UK has its fill of UK crime authors and it's very rare for them to be cross-published, unless you're a James Patterson, etc. So it was a nice surprise that this was set in the US. I clearly didn't read the blurb correctly before requesting or reading (although on my Kindle, I never remember the blurbs so it's always a nice surprise).

I loved the setting of this novel, it was very gothic, very haunting. Very eerie. I'm excited that this is the first in a series, which means we'll be getting more from Rita and - more importantly - Ellie Reeves really soon!

Thank you to Bookouture for letting me take part in this tour and my copy of this book via Netgalley. I LOVED the cover and was intrigued by the blurb.

This is the first book in a new series following Detective Ellie Reeves. Ellie is a strong character despite her past and others trying to hold her back. I liked Ellie she has that independent streak and the passion to not give up! I'm looking forward to seeing more of Ellie as the series progresses.

This book is a real page-turner. It's full of twists and turns. With the Appalachian Trail (AT) full of dark scary places. I'm not familiar with it but Rita does an excellent job of describing it. It's definitely not somewhere you want to be late at night! Rita manages to do an excellent job of keeping you right on the edge throughout the whole book. I was so nervous for Penny throughout the whole book. The flashbacks to Ellie's time in the woods were also extremely nerve-racking!

I liked the way the story unfolded. The pace was just right, keeping me interested and wanting to come back to read chapter after chapter.

I got to the end of the book and all I could think was I need the next one!

It's always a joy to start a brand new detective series from the beginning and this one from author Rita Herron certainly did not disappoint!

The Silent Dolls kicks off with an intriguing prologue that lured me in straightaway. Ellie Reeves investigates when young Penny Matthews, a seven-year-old girl, vanishes from the Appalachian mountains, while picnicking by the creek with her family. Ellie is aided by Special Agent Derrick Fox, whose own younger sister, Kim, disappeared in the same area twenty-five years ago, whilst on his watch.

The Silent Dolls was without doubt totally captivating, and it held my attention from the very beginning. Wonderfully executed by Rita Herron, the story is told primarily from Ellie’s viewpoint, though the reflections and feelings of both Penny and the unknown and undivulged killer are dotted here and there. Almost impossible to put down, I read this in a single sitting. The main plot was chock-a block with twists and reveals and Ellie’s personal life was very eventful, to put it mildly. There was never a dull moment in this well-paced story, and the suspense and tension kept on escalating until reaching a powerful and explosive conclusion. I am already anticipating reading book two! Very highly recommended.

I received a complimentary copy of this novel at my request from Bookouture via NetGalley. This review is my own unbiased opinion.

This was a very good beginning to what I hope is a very long series. Ellie is a strong woman with lots of heart and a VERY HARD head! She gets slammed many times but continues on despite being dizzy etc. Some of this story is a little unrealistic but you also never know what people can endure and accomplish when trying to save someone's life. That said, the story was pretty much non-stop action and very exciting. Lots of twists and turns and red herrings to keep you on the edge. Looking forward to reading more about Ellie and the AT.
I received a free copy of this book from Netgalley and the publisher and voluntarily chose to review it.

Detective Ellie Reeves arrives to her parents house expecting to hear some good news o ly to have her dreams shattered by her father Sheriff Randell Reeves. Flooring the accelerator on her jeep Ellie speeds away from the house tears in her eyes and needing a drink.

Ellie's phone rings it's her boss. 7 year old Penny Matthew's has gone missing while on a family picnic with her parents in the Appalachian mountains. With a dangerous storm coming in they need to find this little girl and fast, but something about this case is haunting Ellie bringing back childhood memories is she seeing things again?

FBI agent Derrick Fox was watching the news on the disappearance of Penny, battling his own memories of his sister Kim who went missing 25 year previous while he was supposed to be watching her on the same trail. Kim was never found. Derrick has a theory and needs to speak with Ellie but will he be able to get passed Randell Reeves the sheriff who investigated his sister disappearance. Then just like that Sheriff Reeves closes Kim's case way to soon.

High on the Appalachian trail lies a grave with fresh wild flowers, beneath the mound the remains of a child and a little doll carved from wood.

This is the first in the Ellie Reeves Dective series.

I really enjoyed this book although some of it was very unrealistic it was enjoyable with short chapters that I flew through.
With Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for this ARC with an honest

This is my first book from Rita Herron and she did not disappoint.

Ellie Reeves is following her father's path to become Sheriff of her small home town where everyone knows everyone. Ellie is furious when she finds that her father, Randall, is supporting Bryce Waters for sheriff due to the belief that Ellie could not handle to pressure brought on by politics and police work itself. Ellie knows her abilities and is determined to prove herself. Just as she is ready to stalk in her feelings, a little girl named Penny is abducted during a family picnic without a trace and all eyes are on Ellie to bring her home. Ellie starts to struggle with her own nightmares about being abducted. Just as Ellie is starting to gain momentum of profiling Penny's abductor, another little girl is taken and the town has lost faith in Ellie.

Along the Appalachian Trail sit small communities that have a connection no one has been able to see, except Special Agent Derrick Fox. Derrick Fox's sister ,Kim, was abducted in the same small town where Detective Ellie Reeves is located, although Derrick is not a fan of Randall who was the lead detective on his sister's disappearance. The case went cold after Randall made the accusation that Derrick's father had something to do with the disappearance. Derrick is able to see that over the last 10 years a little girls fitting Penny's description are taken along the Appalachian Trail and never found. He finds his was to Georgia to help with the case.
Ellie and Derrick work together to piece the disappearance of the girls together and they brave the Appalachian Trail together to find Penny and answers that Derrick wants for his own family about Kim's abduction. They start finding graves and are lead to more by wooden dolls and crosses. . Can they find the murderer and is it too late to save the girls?

I was glued to this story from the prologue to the end and read it in one sitting. I loved the plot and twists that Rita was able to weave and the likeable characters she created. I cannot wait to read the other books that will follow in the Ellie Reeves series.

Thank you to Net Galley, Rita Herron, and Bookouture for allowing me to read this ARC.

A great thriller that kept me hooked since the first pages with it's great plot and characters.
Rita Heron delivered and excellent and gripping story and I will surely read other books by this author.
I strongly recommend it.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

Disturbing, Gritty and Powerful start to a new series. Action packed edged of your seat page turner.
Detective Ellie Reeves is called to the scene to investigate a missing girl. What she finds is so much more than one missing child. A serial killer has been praying on little girls for years. When the truth comes out it changes everything.
Ms. Herron grabs you from the first page and leaves you wanting more at the shocking ending.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for this arc in exchange for my honest review.

Well what a fabulous book this is.

The plot was chilling, fast paced, totally addictive and had me hooked from the very first page. I could barely tear myself away!

Ellie is a fantastic character who is full of grit, determination and a real kick ass attitude.

I was looking forward to the next book before I'd even finished this one. And now I have read it my opinion hasn't changed.

A cracking start to a brand new series that has jumped to the top of my Must Read pile.

Easy 5 stars.