This is the second book in a series
The mystery is very gripping and the writing is good
I preferred this to the first book
I am curious for the next instalment

I tried reading this book several times but could not get into it. I wasn’t interested in the main character.

The Innocent Girls is a novel written by B.R. Spangler, and is the second book in the Detective Casey White series. It was originally published on September 3rd, 2020 by Bookouture. I was able to obtain this book as an Advance Review Copy (ARC) on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
The novel is focused on Detective White and her investigation of girls who go missing after their families are murdered. Both families are found to be outsiders that are visiting the area for vacation, but the reason for the vacations are shrouded in mystery. White is desperate to find any connection to the families and victims, but it finds to be more difficult than she realized.
Along with finding the perpetrators, White is also struggling with dealing with her own daughter’s disappearance. Her daughter is around the same age as the girls that are currently missing, so she cannot help but draw comparisons and try to connect them. It also becomes even more tempting while out investigating the case, White suddenly gets a glimpse of her daughter, who runs when she calls after her. But while trying to find her, she also has to deal with her ex-husband who seems to be trying to use his daughter’s case for his own gain.
While the book was an enjoyable read, it was very simple and easy to follow. I do feel however like the plot is sometimes overdone, in terms of the reason as to why the vacations happened in the first place. There is a feeling at the end of the novel of still wanting to continue the story, and sees what happens with White and her family moving forward.
Overall, I give the book 4/5 stars. I recommend it for fans of the mystery genre, especially those who are looking to delve into the genre and try to build interest into it.

Another great read in the series and I'm really enjoying working through them. Great characters and plot, and I can't wait for the next case.

A brilliant read! I really enjoyed this second book in the Casey White series.
It starts with a couple being brutally murdered whilst on holiday, their daughter surviving and managing to escape.
When further murders happen, it’s clear there is a serial killer on the loose, but can Casey and her team find the link before it’s too late.
A real mix of drama and emotion, all the time with the story of Casey’s daughter Hannah running in the background.
On to book 3, hope it’s as good!

this book was so addictive. It was fast paced , great plot characters you could really connect to . Lots of twists and turns. the plot had me guessing and pushing my boundaries.

A detective looking for a killer! This is a great book already. This book is part of a series but I have not read any of the other books in the series yet. This is another new author for me, as well. I love finding new authors and I love trying their books to see the style of writing they choose and if it appeals to me. The plot of this book caught my eye and the symbols in the victim's skin was something unique to track. This book had me following along to see what would happen next. Did Detective Casey catch a killer? Another good book for me! I will look into the other books in the series. I did not have any trouble with this book's plot even though it was book 2 and it could be read as a stand alone. *This book was given to me for free at my request from NetGalley and I provided this voluntary review.*

A really good read yet again in this series. Even though I didn’t find it as gripping as the first one it still had you gripped and lots of twists and turns along the way. A great ending which I can’t wait to see how it develops in the next book.

This is the second book to feature Detective Casey White who works in the Outer Banks town of Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. I'm still trying to figure out how the title relates to the book's plot and characters, so maybe someone can help me with that!

A series of gruesome murders rocks the Outer Banks and all of the victims seem to have childhood ties to the area. Some of those killed even have peculiar marks carved into their bodies and Casey tries to get her team to figure out what those mean -- is it some sort of ritualistic inscription related to the solstice? After a dogged investigation, Casey feels that these deaths have something to do with a nearby traveling church that has exploded in popularity though she can't quite figure out the connection. And do the children of the murdered have anything to do with these crimes? As always, Casey is constantly searching for her own missing daughter, Hannah, who was kidnapped before her eyes many years ago but would be 17 years old soon. Casey and her team are going to be very busy until those responsible are behind bars. NO SPOILERS.

This was fast-paced although it seemed overly long to me. The case was complicated and not particularly riveting although the grisly factor was quite high. Casey's character is rounded out and she makes some important discoveries as she moves into a more permanent relationship with her boyfriend, Jericho Flynn. I enjoyed it and will likely want to continue the series.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for this e-book ARC to read and review.

This is the second book in the Detective Casey White series and what a gruesome start with a couple being viciously attacked and murdered in their R.V. and their 13 year old daughter, Lisa surviving having locked herself in the bathroom and managing to escape through a window. The race is on to find Lisa as they realise she needs daily medication and without it, she could possibly die.

The investigation leads them to a “church”, not what they were expecting but is it all innocent, with no time to try piece the clues together just yet as Casey and her team are called to a second murder site and reality sets when they realise they have a serial killer on their hands but why choose these people?

I loved the plot line of this, it was a gripping and compulsive read with plenty of twists/red herrings along the way, I enjoyed the development of the relationship between Casey & Jericho, however, will Casey ever find peace when it comes to her daughter who had been kidnapped 14 years previously, she has both a lot going on personally, emotionally and professionally. I look forward to Book 3 to see how this develops. Highly recommend this series, this can be read as a standalone but to get the full feel for the series at an early stage, I recommend reading the first book “Where Lost Girls Go”.

This book has so much suspense!!! I absolutely loved it! Detective Casey White is back and this time shows up to a scene of a murdered husband and wife with a daughter who has gone missing and this was just the first couple chapters. SO much suspense and mystery! This book has so many layers to it that every time you think you have everything figured out the author throws you in another direction and until the end you don't know who it is doing the killings. Great read !!! Highly recommend for suspense lovers!

I hadn’t read the first in this series and don’t know if that was a hindrance as there are frequent references to it within this one! I like Casey and world read the next one - but wasn’t the best I have read this while.

I think that this book is well written and the characters are interesting but unfortunately the plot didn't keep my attention and the story fell flat.
I will try the next instalment as I think there's a lot of potential in this story but this is one isn't my cup of tea.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

The Innocent Girls is the second Detective Casey White book and I have not read the first in the series yet. There are links to the previous book and the case involving Casey's kidnapped daughter, however this works as a stand alone novel.
Brutal murders and runaway teens face Casey and her team. Violent murders and some bodies also have symbols carved in them while others don't. The runaway girls have connections with a preacher who has a huge online presence: could there be a link?
A mix of narratives are used: some chapters are seen thtrough Casey's first person whilst others are third person viewpoints of the killer, victims and other characters. This gives us different perspectives and help to develop our empathy with Casey as she struggles to assemble the case.
Casey has a complicated home life with a kidnapped daughter and an ex who turns up in this book trying to convince her to give an interview. She is keeping her new love Jericho at a distance but both want more from the relationship. The personal element of the book is an important thread as Casey's daughter drives her to search for the runaway girls.
The violence of the murders is quite grisly so readers should beware! The writing is so vivid and realistic that is is easy to imagine the scenarios. The investigation uses the latest technology to help gather clues and solve the case so this made it up to date and relevant.
I found myself almost shouting at the book with frustration as I was convinced I had correctly guessed the murderer. However, the actual resolution of the case was more complex than I had imagined and I enjoyed the twists. Casey still has issues with her daughter and the very end gives hope for future books.

I really struggled to get into this one. I found the writing style overly descriptive and I ended up scan reading a lot of it

Casey has progressed since moving to the Outer Banks: she’s in a relationship with Jericho, she’s firmly rooted in her job, and she seems to be coming to grips (at least a little bit) with her missing daughter, Hannah, being so close, yet still so far away.

However, with the gruesome opening scene, the author lets us know right away that not all is peaceful in the Outer Banks, and things are going to get a lot more complicated and violent. From there, a new investigation is launched…one that hits closer to home than Casey expects.

I like Casey because she is natural. She has failings and personal demons, but she knows that she still has a job to do and she does it well. Her instincts are strong, and she puts clues together in a smart fashion.

The plot itself was interesting. Somehow the author managed to tie together cults, brainwashing, environmentalism, wrongful accusations, loyalty, love, and revenge to create a thoughtful and well-plotted case. A late twist (very late) kept me guessing up until the very end. Extremely well-done.

I did think that one lead in the case (a tie to the summer solstice) hat appeared early on was misguided and a little inaccurate. It seemed like a red herring, and not a well-informed one. Fortunately, it went by the wayside sort of quickly, so I was able to forgive it. Had it remained I would have had an issue with it.

I mentioned Casey’s demons. She has to face one head one with the reappearance of a person from her past. I loved the way she ultimately handled it (no spoiler, but you’ll know it when you read it.

With the way everything wrapped up, I’m very excited to see what’s up next for Casey and Jericho and am looking forward to the next book.

This book opens with a murder...two murders. As Karl and Peggy Pearson are being killed, we see the crime through the eyes of their daughter. The daughter escapes. The scene is set.

Detective Casey White has worked hard to improve her investigation skills, handling cases no one else wanted. But this case...a daughter missing...brings the crime too close to her heart. We learned in the first book of the series that Casey's daughter was stolen when just a toddler and has never been found. As the detective and her team uncover leads, another family is killed and the young daughter taken. When the first girl is found, her clue adds more questions to an already puzzling case. When Casey discovers the killer's gruesome taunt, her team will be in a race to solve this crime and stumble into evidence that could help Casey find her daughter.

As the second book in BR Spangler's Detective Casey White series, THE INNOCENT GIRLS could easily be read as a stand alone. The story is unique, at least to me, the characters solidly developed and the back story interesting enough to keep a reader's interest. The first book, TAKEN FROM HOME, was an excellent launch story, introducing us to Casey White and many of her supporting characters that return in book 2. The series is well worth your reading time and should be added to your TBR pile.

The Innocent Girls by B.R Spangler is the second book in the Detective Casey White series. I have only read this one and it is fine as a standalone, but seeing as I want to read the first one now it can be guaranteed most people will.
The bodies of Carl and Peggy Pearson are found mutilitated and murdered in their RV. They have had strange symbols carved in their skin.Casey get called in to investigate and discovers that their 13 year old daughter should be with them on holiday, at the Outer Banks, but she isn't, and there is no body.To make it even worse she requires regular medication and it seems she has not got it, wherever she is.
The police realise they have a serial killer on their hands as bodies are piling up with the same unusual carvings on their bodies. To make this case even harder Casey is having trouble keeping herself on the level as her daughter was kidnapped as a toddler and this case is really bringing it all back for her.

I liked Casey she is a great detective and although she seems to be carrying an awful lot of emotional baggage, she is determined and compassionate as well as being smart enough to realise the case is affecting her.I found all the characters well developed especially, Jericho Flynn he comes across as a very trustworthy character in this story.

This is a fabulous crime thriller that kept me on my toes with plenty of action and mystery with red herrings thrown in for good measure.With a great twist at the end which means I cannot wait to read number three now. Thank you to Bookouture and NetGalley for the copy of the book for my review today.

3.5 stars

These days, fictional police detectives seem to be loaded down with a lot of baggage and that’s certainly the case here. Casey’s daughter vanished when she was a small child, a very difficult thing to live with, and now she has to deal with a double murder and missing teen.

This story doesn’t have quite the high-octane tension of most thrillers but there’s a good deal of suspense, particularly because of the problems any resort area police force would have when faced with serious crimes involving vacationers. The usual tactics of interviewing people the victims know back home aren’t as helpful and it’s unlikely that they have had enough time in town to create serious troubles with other people so Casey knows soon enough that the killer(s) are probably strangers. When the teen, Lisa, is found some of the initial pressure is relieved but then another parent is murdered and the daughter goes missing. As leads develop, it seems that a cultish church might have something to do with these crimes but Casey can’t be sure.

There are a few side issues involving Casey’s relationships with the former sheriff, the mayor and her colleagues on the force but she naturally dwells on what happened to her own daughter paralleling, in a way, with the current crimes. A questionable confession takes Casey down ever more twisty paths resulting finally in a diabolical solution.

Reviewed by Lelia Taylor, September 2020.

My second book by author B. R. Spangler, featuring Detective Casey White, was an engrossing read. A solid police procedural, I liked it more than book 1.

A murdered set of parents with the disappearance of their daughter brought Casey into the investigation. The premise was close to her reality as she too had lost her daughter and spent her free time searching for her. The story took on vibes of serial killing when a second set of parents were found dead. It was race against time with pressure from all sides to solve the murder.

Casey was interesting; she worked hard to solve the cases even when her personal devils gave her nightmares. Like all police procedurals, she got some good help with the forensics. A tinge of romance uplifted her character. I would hope that the author would make good progress into finding her daughter in the next book.

The story was complex and had good some twists. The plot pushed the boundaries of my intrigue with the murdered parents and an invite. I liked how Casey had complete support of her team to bring the case to a close. The writing had a friendly way about it where I got an opportunity to try to get into their heads to solve the murder.

One spiraling breakfast read was this where I was compelled to finish the story before getting up from my couch.