The Lost Girls by Jessica Chiarella was a good mystery. I really liked both Ava and Marti, and thought both were well written characters with complex emotions and desires. The mystery aspect was very well plotted and not too predictable, which I appreciated. The pacing was good, and the writing style was good as well. I am tired of true crime podcasts constantly appearing in mystery novels, however, which definitely impacted my enjoyment of this book.

Her whole life has been focused on finding her sister or at least making some headway into what happened to her. For 20 years, this has been Marti's life. Not knowing has affected her family life and mental health to a dangerous point. Now she has started a podcast, looking at cold cases similar to her sister's and asking for clues from her listeners. When a plausible clue is received, Marti will again start digging. This time may be the one. The one time when she is able to finally either find her sister or lay her to rest. But readers, it's not that easy and the hunt will stir up some very bad people who do not want to be found.

I love anything with a true crime podcast attached, and this book was no exception. Marti's sister Maggie disappeared when she was 8 years old. This was a real look I feel like at what grief can do to a person. Marti can't move on, her marriage is over, and she's struggling everyday. When she gets contacted about a new lead, no matter how odd, she can't turn it down. Thanks to Netgalley for the free copy in exchange for an unbiased review.

I thoroughly enjoyed this crime thriller! Well crafted plot and detailed character development. Highly recommend.

Merged review:

I thoroughly enjoyed this high paced crime thriller! Well crafted plot and great character development. Highly recommend.

What started with an interesting premise just fell short for me. I think the podcaster-turned-murder-hunter trope is fairly tricky to do, especially with shows like Only Murders In The Building monopolizing the field. While the plot and characters were pretty good, I just didn't vibe with the writing style and that made it hard for me to get through the book. Maybe if I had an audio version of the book I would've been more invested, but it just felt like page turn fatigue by the end for me.

“The Lost Girls” by Jessica Chiarella. New York: G.P. Putnam’s Sons, 2021. 336 pages, $17 (paperback).

More than 20 years ago, Marti Reese’s sister, Maggie, disappeared. Marti was only 8 years old when it happened, and she can’t remember it – just that her sister got in a car and never came back. Through years of grief and trying to find out what happened on her own, Maggie lost herself in trying to cope. After a recent turn of events, she abandoned her marriage, started drinking to forget and documented her search through a true crime podcast with her best friend. Unexpectedly, the podcast becomes an award-winning hit, and they start getting all kinds of crazy calls with supposed tips on where Marti’s sister might be. But one mysterious woman, Ava Vreeland, seems to have information that could help. Ava has been fighting to free her brother’s murder conviction for years, and there are strange similarities between the two cases. So Ava is certain that there is a connection between the murder and Maggie’s disappearance – one that could help free her brother. Marti decides to work with Ava to find the truth. But as Marti digs, the answers begin to shake her.

True crime is not my go-to genre, but every once in a while I really do love to read it. This book delivered on all fronts and is one of the best I have read in a long time. Jessica Chiarella keeps you second-guessing where the story will end and just who the real culprit might have been. Although it does occasionally slow down, the plot is fast-paced and has you turning page after page to figure out what’s next. And I may or may not have decided to peek at the ending halfway through because I just couldn’t take it ...

There are so many things that this book does well. First, Chiarella captures Marti’s emotional state at every stage in vivid clarity for the reader; from her downward spiral after the discovery, her mental health in general, and over the years to anxiety to depression to denial – and her problems with her family. There is no room to escape that part of Marti’s existence. To understand her character it is necessary to see where her head was at and how her brain was (or wasn’t) functioning at the time. It is portrayed as a key part of the story, to how she wound up in the situations we find her in and the decisions she makes, and it is refreshing. We often find main characters who are perfect or just really great at what they do with almost no faults – Marti is not that. Marti is real and someone we can relate to, from bad decisions, to desires, to everything in between. In doing this, Chiarella is also able to capture the worry from friends around her, not just about Marti, but about the consequences she brings with her.

I appreciated this real look at what grief can do to a person, especially when it is for so long undealt with, buried under a rug and shoved away deep down. For that is what Marti has somewhat done, for years in one capacity or another and is still doing. She buries her grief and how she feels. That, and more, becomes such an integral part of who she is, and who she isn’t. Finding that out for herself is part of the journey of this story. For those around her who can see the pain she is in, it is a matter of being unsure of what is the best course of action to help.

This book deals with societal issues as well. Marti comes from a well-to-do family but is not getting any of their money. She lives in a small apartment and is trying to decide what she wants to do with her life when she really feels like she should know at her age already. In looking at her sister’s case, and that of Ava’s brother, it brings up issues with the police force, the question of money and which side of town you are from influencing how your case gets handled – and race gets brought into the question as well. All of this is handled well throughout the book. It addresses other issues that we see in our daily life but does not make it seem as a simple after-thought, or as a way to bring up political topics or the hot take – it is simply a part of the life that Marti has lived and what she sees around her.

The story unfolds in bits and pieces. We learn about Marti’s past, and the bits and pieces of her sister’s story as flashbacks and remembrances throughout the novel. Though sometimes there were things I wanted to know sooner – it worked well throughout. Marti’s best friend is a mom of a little girl (and a lesbian, so LGBTQ+ rep), and there were places where I really connected with where she was at. I loved their friendship.

There are two plot twists at the end that will leave you flipping back through the pages for details and clues you may have missed in your initial reading. I always love it when an author can surprise me, and this one certainly did. It is clear there will be a second book to come, and I look forward to reading it.

SPOILER ALERT: For trigger warnings/potential spoilers here – there is drug abuse, illegal drug use, murder, child kidnapping, murders, mental health issues of many different types, robbery, etc. Generally, in a true crime novel you get everything wrapped up in a bow, right? Well, not in this one. One of the plot twists is that the sister is never found, which just threw me for a complete loop. That isn’t solved at all. So yeah – I need the second. And answers. END OF SPOILERS!

Chiarella is also the author of “And Again,” which was the Target Book Club Pick in August 2016. “The Lost Girls” is her second novel. Chiarella currently resides in Chicago with her dog, Leia.

This book is great! Would definitely recommend. Thanks so much to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Intensely suspenful thriller. An interesting take into the popularity of true crime media and how easily it can slip into unethical and troubling territories. Some interesting examination of how trauma and PTSD affects characters. The ending wasn't what I wanted, but it's what the book deserved.

The Lost Girls is a dark, tension-filled, fast-paced thriller with a true crime podcast at the center of the story. Marti Reese was 8 years old when her sister Maggie got into a car and never returned. Marti is now 28 and has a podcast with her best friend looking for answers. They're about to give up when a woman, Ava, reaches out whose brother is in prison for murder. The cases have odd similarities, so they work together in an effort to get Ava's brother released and find out who took Maggie. The plot is filled with twists and well-fleshed out characters you enjoy reading about. The epilogue is just outstanding! I cannot recommend The Lost Girls Enough. Just stop what you're doing and check it out now!

This outstanding mystery thriller with a touch of dark humor is an incredible fast-paced read! The author Jessica Chiarella reached all levels of a great detective job. The "detective" is only through Marti's own premises which is a True Crime Podcasts. She is really an "over served" alcoholic, and promiscuous host. Spiraling out of control, she tries to overcome and deal with her sister's disappearance nearly twenty years ago. It has haunted her since she watched Maggie get into a vehicle and told her to run to safety. Never forgetting what her sister encountered and always on the hunt to find her.

The story picks up when a Jane Doe is found and quickly her hopes are diminished when it is not Maggie, but opens up a whole new level of her podcast to find her sister. When a mysterious woman, Ava, approaches her with a possible lead, connecting her brother who was falsely convicted of murder. She presents it as if it may lead them to the real killer, if she will help get her brother's conviction overturned....so the hunt is on.

Who is playing who? I felt skeptical of the encounter and soon the book ties more people in, leaving loose ends everywhere. You will not want to miss this gem of a thriller. For all the "Lost Girls", Marti's presentation may throw you off, but her determination is contagious.

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review!

I’m a huge fan of podcasts, usually book-related or true crime, so when I see it mentioned in a book’s blurb my interest is piqued. Unfortunately, the plot device is starting to wear thin.

This starts out with an interesting premise. Marti's sister, Maggie, disappeared when she was eight years old after getting into a car with a stranger. Now an adult, Marti won’t rest until her sister is found, and leaves no stone unturned. She isn’t coping well and infidelity, along with drinking to excess, leaves her personal life in a mess. Despite all of that, she is able to start a true-crime podcast after the latest of sightings and clues to her sister's disappearance led to yet another dead end.

While she truly wants to help all the "lost girls" and their families through her podcast, her ultimate mission is finding her sister. One day she gets a call from Ava, who believes her brother, Colin, is imprisoned for a murder he didn’t commit. She claims to have evidence related to her sister’s disappearance, and they team up to try and solve both cases.

Marti’s self-destruction and angsty melodramatic musings were difficult for me to stomach, and ultimately the story fell short for me as one I didn’t much enjoy. I can't always pinpoint why. I didn’t connect to the MC or the story, and I’m tiring of narrators who drink to excess and are angsty messes. Sometimes those elements work well for me but this wasn't one of those times. There are plenty of reviews from readers who enjoyed this book more than I did so do check them out. This is likely a case of it's me, not the book.

Whoa what a trip! All the twists and turns combine to one insane ending. I love a good true crime podcast mystery and this was an excellent addition to that group. Marti was a very difficult character to like. She was so self-destructive and just kind of awful all the time. It was hard to sympathize with her. I only wish that there would have been more closure at the end.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC of this title. This is one of the better true crime podcast as premise books I've read. There were a lot of twists and turns in the story, and it was beautifully written. That said, one does NOT need to be a podcast fan to appreciate this. It's a great thriller/murder mystery.

This was riveting and superbly written. The mystery and characters are well-drawn and complex. I felt heartache and compassion to the main character who lost her sister at a young age and I could personally relate to her pain and difficulty in letting go. Chiarella’s writing skills are phenomenal. The only drawback for me was the loose ending that offered no resolution to one of the main mysteries. I’m sure that the author had it end this way very intentionally but I always find it to be a letdown when things are not wrapped up in these types of books.

What a wonderful debut book from this author. I thought we developed the characters so wonderfully, I felt as if I knew them.

I love how it brings both the suspense and anxiety of a thriller with the mystery of the sisters disappearance.

I did not see all the twists and turns that took place and really couldn’t figure out the end. I really enjoyed it.

I included this title as part what's new in suspense, mystery, and thrillers in the month of July. I promoted on Twitter, Facebook, & Instagram. https://www.bethfishreads.com/2021/07/22-mysteries-thrillers-suspense-novels.html

This was mind blowing good in my opinion, but I love dark, disturbing books, which this definitely qualifies as! It was written with perfection, characters developed flawlessly! Very tense, thrilling, riveting, and intriguing! Completely twisty thorny, chilling, and shocking! Fast paced, unputdownable, but prepare for a hangover! Highly, highly recommend this deliciously dark, wowza read!

Will buzz around platforms and use Amazon top reviewer number!

I cannot wait for this book to come out so I can tell everyone to read it. First off, I've read a lot of books that focus on podcasters and following a new season and I am so grateful that Jessica Chiarella does not have chapters with the podcast episodes in it. That is a huge pet peeve of mine in those books and to just follow the story of this one was refreshing.

The description in this book is delightful. Each character is expanded on and you get to drive into all the details you need to paint them in your mind.

Marti is a tortured soul; she's fresh out of a divorce from her college sweetheart, she's moonlighting as a bartender in a goth club, and she's attempting to manage a podcast focused on the disappearance of her sister from over a decade before. While becoming an overnight sensation in the podcast world, she and her business partner/best friend Andrea drum up ideas for season 2. That's when Ava calls with a proposition and a personal one at that. Her brother was convicted of killing his girlfriend years before and Ava is convinced he is not innocent and there may be a tie between the murder and the disappearance of Marti's sister.

This book moves fast in all the right places and slows down when you need more information in others. I cannot rave enough about this writing. Thank you Jessica Chiarella, Penguin Group Putton, and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Blog link: https://www.instagram.com/p/CRWoXVYLsDd/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

Engaging suspenseful read and interesting characters. Marti, who feels her older sister, Maggie, sacrificed herself and was never seen again in order to save her, is struggling in her life and marriage, making poor choices, when she decides to do a podcast about another woman who disappeared years later. The podcast is the impetus for the series of events which follow. Marti is a believable character that your heart goes out to. She was so broken…I so wanted her to find love with someone. Hopefully, Jennifer will write another book so we may find out what happened to Maggie and some resolution for Marti.

The Lost Girls by Jessica Chiarella is a recommended psychological thriller.

Twenty years ago when Marti Reese was eight-years-old, her teenage sister Maggie got into a car and disappeared. Since that time Marti has been searching for her sister. When the true crime podcast about the case and her search wins her an award, it also propels her Maggie's case back into the news, which results in people contacting her. A woman, Dr. Ava Vreeland , contacts her with information that might have a tie to Maggie's case. It involves a young woman, Sarah Ketchum, who disappeared in the same area as the Reese family home and the similarities between the two cases. The only problem is that Ava's brother, Colin McCarty, was convicted for Sarah's murder, but Ava knows he is innocent. Marti sets off to tell Ava's story on her podcast in a search for the truth about Sarah's murder, which seems to have ties to Maggie's case.

Marti, as a character, is highly driven in her search for her sister but she also has self-destructive tendencies which are clearly displayed in the plot. You will have sympathy for her and her obsession with finding her sister while drinking too much, sabotaging her marriage, and making poor choices. She really is a tortured soul who needs some counseling. This makes her ripe for jumping on the information Ava provides her and using the case for the next season of their podcast. Personally, I actually didn't trust any of these characters because they all seemed self-serving.

This twisty case is compelling, however, you need to get through the opening pages which set up the story. After that the novel is fast-paced and will keep you reading to reach the shocking conclusion. I did successfully predict a major part of the plot, but there were still several surprises. This is a novel almost written for true crime podcast enthusiasts. Alas, I'm not one, but it is a very good psychological thriller. I was unsure about the slam near the beginning over other online talks shows. It's always best to keep the focus about your book.
Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of the Penguin Publishing Group via NetGalley.
The review will be published on Barnes & Noble, Google Books, and submitted to Amazon.