A mystery thriller that is absolutely addictive. A crime thriller with lots of twists and turns. Definitely a 5 star read!

This was the 2nd book in a series and I had not read the first, but it pretty much reads as a standalone (though it took me a bit to figure out the full backstory with Casey's missing daughter). This is a decent mystery, centered on a string of murders happening at RV campsites in the Outer Banks vacation area of North Carolina. Each of the victims had a teenage daughter who seems to have a tie to a cult-like church and Casey and her team are trying to figure it out before more murders occur.

The mystery part of the story was pretty interesting, and there were some surprises there. I did feel like the story focused a little too heavily on Lisa, the daughter of the first victims, in the beginning, who wasn't really key to the rest of the story- this made it drag a little bit to me. There were also a few unanswered questions though for the most part the loose ends were tied up.

The part of the story that I really couldn't get into was the part about Casey's missing daughter- not sure if this is because I didn't get the full story from the first book, but the talk about that felt tedious to me and I wanted to get back to the mystery they were solving instead.

Overall, a pretty decent read, a bit draggy at parts, but held my interest overall. I'd recommend to those who read mysteries and police procedurals. Thanks to Netgalley for providing me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this book. After I finished this one, I went and read the previous book, and this one was so much better. I loved the characters and the story. I can't wait for the next book.

Thank you Netgalley, the author and publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is a fabulous follow up to book one in the Detective Casey White series and it’s a series that I am sure is going to go from strength to strength as I enjoyed this one even more than the first. The book starts with the grisly murder of Karl and Peggy Pearson whilst grey are holidaying in a rented RV, but although is obvious to Casey there is a young daughter also she is nowhere to be found and this starts us on a thrill a minute ride with more gruesome murders and some very confusing clues as to who is the perpetrator.
This is a real spine-chilling read that goes at fair old pace, lots happening, some great characters and a fabulous plot to boot, added to all that we have the back story of Casey’s continuing search for her missing daughter which for me just adds that bit extra to the book.
As I said I think this is even better than the first it feels much more intense and now I am really looking forward to the next book to come. Many thanks to BR Spangler it was a read I thoroughly enjoyed and can highly recommend.
My thanks also to NetGalley and Bookouture for giving me the chance to read the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

This was a good, solid mystery. I enjoyed the first book in the series so was Looking forward to reading this. I enjoyed the characters and found the storyline held my interest.

BLOG TOUR REVIEW

Review for 'The Innocent Girls' by B.R Spangler

Read and reviewed via NetGalley for Bookouture publishers and Bookouture anonymous

Publication date 3rd September 2020

This is the first book that I have read by this author. It is the second book in the 'Detective Casey White' series.

I was originally drawn to this book by its gorgeous cover, interesting title & intriguing blurb. It also said in the description that is is 'perfect for fans of Melinda Leigh'. I love Melinda Leigh's books so it will be interesting to see if it lives up to this!! I must admit I was also biased due to the publisher being Bookouture. I have yet to read a book published by Bookouture that I haven't enjoyed. Hopefully this won't be the first... Watch this space! (Written before I started reading the book).

This novel consists of a prologue and 50 chapters which are short to medium in length so ideal to read 'just one more chapter' before bed...OK, I know yeah right, but still just in case!

THE main protagonist in this book is Detective Casey White where she 'speaks' in first person dialogue . Ialways enjoy reading books written in first person more as it feels like I'm sitting across the table from them while they are telling their story or in the book next to them. We also read about others in different chapters in third person perspective. It is set in the U.S

The way it is written and the fantastic descriptions made me feel like I was right next Casey and going through the events with her.

The storyline is intriguing with the children being spared and invites being sent. There is also the side storyline of Casey trying to find her daughter throughout the book. I felt like I was on a roller-coaster when reading this with there being many ups, some slower parts and twists and turns throughout. Unfortunately I cannot say I was completely surprised by who the perp was and there was a part with Casey and Ronald which was quite cliché and obvious. However, I have read hundreds of crime books so for someone who hasn't read as many this may not be the case. Although I guessed what was going on it didn't spoil the book for me as it was quite a unique storyline with plenty of other unexpected events going on. I would never have guessed a certain someone becoming a victim so definitely bonus points there!!! I loved the history and why things were going on and that was very interesting.

I loved the broad range of characters and the fact that Casey is a strong female lead is definitely a bonus, being female myself I love crime novels with strong women. The characters were all realistic and their parts were 'played' well. I am looking forward to 'meeting' them again and reading more of what becomes of Casey and Jericho.

This book can be read as a standalone but for a better picture where Casey's daughter and Ronald is concerned I would recommend reading the first book prior to this one.

Without giving anything away I was relived about a certain part at the beginning and I'm glad it went that way as stories that involve a certain thing (sorry readers you may know what I'm on about but I don't want to spoil it and the author and people who have read it will understand) tend to put me off the books a bit.

The story was more of a slow burner although at times picking up, much of the action I found really kicked off at about 65% and got much more interesting. I also feel the cover complimented the story really well, this can be a downfall if it doesn't and the cover has no relevance with the book itself.

Overall a very good slow burner that really hits full throttle further in and becomes filled with suspense, action and tension. A unique storyline.

Genres covered include Suspense, Mystery, Romance, Thriller, , Hardboiled, Police procedural, Psychological thriller, Crime fiction and Noir fiction.

I would recommend this book to fans of the above and anyone who enjoys a unique storyline.

358 pages.

This book is £1.99 to purchase on kindle via Amazon which I think is a very good price for this book!!!

Rated 4/5 (I enjoyed it ) on Goodreads, Instagram, Amazon UK and Amazon US and on over 30 Facebook pages plus my blog on Facebook.

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The Outer Banks is a beautiful holiday destination with nice hotels, RV and camping parks, along with a marina and the ever popular boadwalk. Carl and Peggy Pearson hadn't been there long but would never again leave under their own steam; their mutilated bodies found in the devastation of the van they'd hired, their daughter Lisa nowhere to be seen.

Detective Casey White is feeling far more at home in her new town now, working homicide and enjoying her new relationship with Jericho Flynn. She is still waiting to speak with her missing daughter who she knows is in the area but not yet ready for contact of any kind. Hannah had been snatched from their Philadelphia home almost two decades earlier.

Having thoroughly enjoyed the first book in this series I held out great hope for the second one and wasn't disappointed. Casey and Jericho are great together and although the ex-sheriff isn't as integral a part of the story this time he is there enough to be a major part of Casey's life.

The crimes are dreadful and the determination of Casey and her team to solve them realistic and satisfying in their thoroughness. I did work out why the crimes were committed as well as the identity of the perpetrator of one of the various linked cases quite easily. Each time it was because of what someone said which although realistic was nevertheless a little disappointing. However, as there are various aspects of the crimes resolved or escalated throughout the book there is never a lack of things happening.

I really hope this series will continue and from clues along the way it would appear there will be at least one more Installment to come. It will definitely be on my TBR list as soon as it is released.

I was able to read an advanced copy of this book thanks to NetGalley and the publishers in exchange for an unbiased review and would recommend it to anyone who enjoyed the first offering or is looking for a high octane, multi layered crime novel to get lost in.

I know it's not the most clever thing to do reading book 2 in a series when I did not read the first one yet. Sometimes it might put you off and it's true that the tragedy that is going on in Detective Casey's life is not as easy to follow this way. But on the other hand it might make you more determined to read the previous part too because you want to find out what happened. In my case it's the latter. :)

The murders in this book were very brutal. You know the feeling perhaps when you are watching a movie that you want to close your eyes for a moment and not want to open them again before you are certain that a particular scene is over? Well, that's what I had here too, but even if you close your eyes you still have to read it afterwards LOL. So I decided to be brave and bite the bullet. ;)

Emotions are very powerful things. Some express their anger by shouting, crying or ranting, others well, they go for more drastic ways..

A good book that kept me entertained and hesitating who to pick as the culprit. 4 stars

Thank you, B.R. Spangler and Bookouture

Another great book in the series , once I started reading I couldn't stop. An exciting read with plenty of twists.
I am looking forward to the next book.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Bookouture for an advance copy of The Innocent Girls, the second novel to feature Detective Casey White of the Outer Banks Sheriff’s Office.

The murdered bodies of Karl and Peggy Pearson are found in their rented RV but there is no sign of their 13 year old daughter, Lisa. Unsure what to think when a symbol is found carved on Peggy’s skin Casey is worried about Lisa who doesn’t have her medication. When more bodies are found with carved symbols the race is on to find a motive and a killer. Casey would like to concentrate on the case but she’s still looking for her daughter, Hannah, who was kidnapped as a toddler.

I enjoyed The Innocent Girls to a point. The plot is interesting with some good twists but the whole Hannah thing is a bit of a drag as it keeps covering much of the same ground without going anywhere. I understand that because much of the novel is told from Casey’s first person point of view it is necessary to concentrate on her thoughts but a bit less of it would have made for a more compelling read as there is no doubt that the author can write an exciting and interesting plot.

I like the plot premise of parents murdered and daughters spared and it is made even more intriguing by their simple comment “he invited me”. I also like the way Casey and her team gradually build the picture to an understandable whole. I found it interesting, tense at times and sad in others.

I like Casey White who is a strong, smart, compassionate woman. She is taken aback by the appearance of her ex-husband, Ronald, just as she’s settling in to a new relationship. I thought her reactions to this very relatable and that includes the ice cream shop debacle where I was cheering her on. You’ll just have to read it yourself to find out the details.

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

So many twists and turns in this second book in the Detective Casey series. I haven't read the first book of this series and while this book does stand alone, I wish I would have read the first in the series.
Detective Casey is on the hunt for a serial killer who is carving symbols into his victims. When young girls go missing it really hits home as Detective Casey is searching for her own missing daughter.
This book has so many twist and turns until the last page. Thank you to the author, B.R Spangler and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and author for this ARC.

I wondered if the 2nd book in the series would be as good as the first one. If anything, I thought this was better than the first book. The main characters are developing nicely and are really growing on me, they are very likeable and believable. Casey and her team investigate a series of murders and one of the murders becomes very personal to her. The author has again wrote the characters feelings, thoughts and emotions very well. This is a fast paced thrilling book with lots of twists in and all loose ends were tied up nicely in the last quarter of the book which I couldn’t put down. I love the small glimpses into Casey’s personal life and her continuing search for her daughter. Overall, an enjoyable crime/police procedural that had me hooked from start to finish.

Please note I have not read book one of this series, but that being said I thoroughly enjoyed The Innocent Girls.

Pretty standard police procedural/thriller, but very well done. The plot and characters were engaging—I liked that Casey has her own vested interest in solving the case. There were a few plot holes for me, which I think has to do with me not reading the first book like I mentioned, but I was able to keep up without it.

Definitely worth reading

Thanks to NetGalley and publisher Bookouture for the ARC.

I have not read book #1 of this series.
This was a fast read for me.
I enjoyed the thriller part of this book. But I just couldn't really get into this book.
I tried, but it just didn't hold my attention like I thought it would!

Really enjoyed this domestic crime thriller! Great cast of characters woven perfectly together. It was so easy to really dislike a few characters but the story was so strong I still felt a great deal of empathy for them. I found myself really cheering on all of the ‘good’ characters. Loved the logistics of police procedures and the emotions that go with them.
Very well done! Highly recommend.
Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Police thriller with lots of twists. How and why are the victims targeted? Lots of good,diverse characters,well portayed.

The first book was so engrossing I was afraid this one might not live up to it. There was nothing to fear, this one is even better! Casey catches a disturbing case that is intense. She is balancing work, her relationship with Jericho, and some ghosts of the past.
The pacing is perfect and kept the tension and suspense high. I guessed the killer early on, but it didn't take away from the story.
The blasts from the past were an intriguing glimpse into the character of Casey. It helps the reader get a better feel and comprehension for her. I think we definitely see a lot of growth here.
That ending though! It left me on pins and needles wanting the next book.

i so enjoying this series. someone is killing parents but not the children and leaving a brandishing on them , detective Casey white and her team are trying to find the killer how the story unfolds is brilliant a must read

This was a quick read for me. While the story was good and there were quite a few twists at the end, I did not enjoy the book as much as I wanted to. There were times when my attention was distracted and I felt that at times the narration was repetitive.

Having said that, the book ends on an interesting note, and I shall be looking forward to the next book in the series.

Thank You to NetGalley and Bookouture for this ARC!!

My first B.R. Spangler! Firstly huge thanks to the publisher for my Advanced Copy. This book focuses on Detective Casey White who is a called out into a gruesome double murder "gasp* and they have to find the missing younger daughter of the deceased couple and they are tasked into finding the girl . What also hurts here is that her own daughter is missing and she has to find them all . What a book!