I absolutely couldn’t wait to read this fast pace thriller that immediately was engrossing. Perfect setting and relatable characters are the ideal foundation for a stellar book.

This was a really strong, well paced thriller/mystery that kept me interested and guessing from the beginning. Definitely recommend picking this one up!

This is absolutely a big winner! Ultra tense, extremely dark, uniquely heart breaking, depressing! If you suffer from anxiety attacks like me, just visualize your happy place and choose your best poisons during your read to consume! This is so much effective, shaking you to the core, leaving scars at your soul, squeezing your heart tight!

After I finished my reading and making breathing exercises to lower my heart rate , I wanted to scream so loud to reflect my confusing feelings ! I got tensed, my palms are snow white from clenching my fists so tight. I have never felt so sorry for a main character for so long.

But Marti! Oh Marti! When do you stop to punish yourself? I got mad to see the way how she treats herself. She slowly kills herself with the worst choices she’s made, alienating the people who care her, drinking to death, trying so hard to destroy herself to become somebody else! Somebody is deserved to be loved, garish in her desire to be wanted, to be noticed. But now she’s waterlogged, sad, divorced, turning herself into a goth chic bartender. And she still hasn’t found her sister.

Her heartbreaking story starts two decades ago. Her sixteen years old sister Maggie has been lost from her hometown Sutcliffe Heights, Illinois. She got in a car with a man perhaps she has known, perhaps he spotted her walking home alone. Even the car she rode was mystery: a Sedan but what color? Blue, grey or silver. It was twilight so it’s difficult to differentiate the real color for only eight years old Marti. Her sister let go off her hand and she told her to run. Scared Marti did she’s told.

Her true crime podcast she produces with her best and only friend Andrea becomes an overnight sensation. She gets a call from coroner tells her Jane Doe #4568 has arrived at Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office. The girl had left on the street outside of Illinois Masonic Medical Center during thunderstorm. Her age scale and her tattoo choice ( lizard on her thigh which was Maggie’s favorite animal) fits with Maggie’s description.

Marti and Andrea document everything and Marti kept prying to have second chance for finding her sister and DNA test answers her prayers. The girl is not her!

But her nightmares never end! After the podcast turns into an unexpected hit, she thinks she can move on, ignoring silent calls, false leads. Her family already paid too much: her father’s heart failed because of extreme pressure. Her mother reflected her anger and resentment to her. And her life is into pieces. She’s a human waste cannot deal with her grief properly.

But a call from Ava Vreeland, a respectful doctor who is doing everything to bring out justice for falsely accused brother changes everything.

A woman named Sarah Ketchum was strangled to death seven years ago and buried in LaBagh Woods. The girl has spitting image of Maggie, spending her summers at their hometown. She was at the same age with Maggie when she has disappeared.

Could those cases be connected? Could Ava’s brother Colin be convicted from a crime he didn’t commit? Could a killer still be out there lurking around to take the lost girls?

Marti already suffers from self destruction so getting herself into more dangerous situations will be obvious choice for her. She cannot stop till she finds Maggie!

This book is more powerful, effective, extremely intense and depressing from the other crime thrillers with true crime podcast premise. First person narration, the realistic definition of grief, amazing character portraits, realistic definition of self destruction were impeccably developed.

I highly recommend this book to the genre lovers who can appreciate real taste of impactful thrillers and perfectly written stories!
It’s freaking good! I honestly love to put it on your radar!!!

Special thanks to NetGalley and PENGUIN PUTNAM GROUP/ G. P. Putnam’s Sons for sharing this digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest opinions.

Books about podcasts are really hot right now. This is my 4th this year. Hooked from page one, this book will blow your mind! Brilliant writing full of twists and turns, going to buy all of Jessica Chiarella’s books now!

This story is so good and it’s one I feel you should go in knowing nothing.... go in without any details and you are in for one wild ride! Amazing and brilliant!!

Thank you to Penguin Group Putnam and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

The Lost Girls by Jessica Chiarella is an explosive tour de force that blows all of the other thrillers I've read this year out of the water. Marti is a regular woman, unaffiliated with the police, who has been investigating her sister's disappearance for many years and creating a true-crime podcast about it. The podcast becomes a hit, and suddenly, she's hit with clues that may lead her to find out what happened to her sister. Even if the cover and plot sound like something you've read before, I highly recommend that you check out this book. I was completely blindsided by how much I enjoyed this thriller and how much better it was than other thrillers I've read this year. It's so refreshing to see a protagonist who is investigating a case that she has a personal stake in, and even though she's not a police detective, she's actually a competent investigator. This book is also so realistic, from the characters to the plot, and I was literally on the edge of my seat the whole time.

Here is an excerpt from the podcast that Marti creates:

"The world is full of lost girls. Scores of them. Girls who disappear into the night, who inject heroin and fall off the map, who love other girls and come home to find their parents have changed the locks. Girls who run away, girls who are taken. Girls full of sin, ones who like boys more than they love Jesus. Girls who are locked in basements and held until they give birth to more girls. The weight of them could drag a fleet of ships to the ocean floor. I know all about them. I’ve made it my business to know.
...
People look for some of them. Sometimes there are police investigations, sometimes candlelight vigils, volunteer phone banks, pleading parents on local news. No one bothers to look for others. If they were rotten or ruined, or from the wrong place, or from the wrong sort of family, they are allowed to slip away. For others still, no one even knows they are gone. Because no one cared for them to begin with. My sister was lucky in that way, at least—she was loved. We looked for her. I don’t think I will ever stop looking."

Overall, The Lost Girls is an absolutely amazing, unputdownable thriller that everyone reading this should put on their to-be-read list. It's also one of those rare books where I could tell from the first chapter that I was going to end up loving it. Looking at the creepy but insightful quotes above, I knew that the author had done her research and knew what she was doing. Then, during the first chapter, Marti ruins a man's drink after he insults her podcast and missing sister without knowing that she was the creator of the podcast. After that, she goes on stage to collect an award for her podcast. I bonded with Marti immediately, and I was rooting for her throughout the book. It's hard to find strong, independent heroines in the thriller genre, and I was thrilled to read this book. If you enjoy reading thrillers, suspense, or mystery novels, you won't regret checking out this book when it comes out in July!

Holy heck!! The Lost Girls had me on the hook from the first page!! Jessica Chiarella crafted an addictive, fast- paced thriller that will keep you guessing until the very end!! I have to say when I was pretty far into this book, I truly thought I had it all figured out, but I was waaaaaay wrong!! I LOVE when an author can surprise me with a clever storyline (and this one was beyond)!! After reading this 5 star novel there are two things I plan on doing—1st, I am definitely 1-clicking Jessica Chiarella’s first novel and 2nd, I need to find myself a good true crime podcast!!

Short and sweet review time…

This is an excellent mystery thriller, and I think it’s one people will be talking about in July when it’s published.

What I Liked 🌿

✨The twists and turns. So much that I was not expecting and did not see coming.

✨The characters. Some of them were deliciously unlikeable and some were woefully sympathetic. All were well-written and convincing.

✨The podcast within the story. I love a good true crime podcast, and the behind the scenes element here was engrossing.

✨The epilogue. It’s brilliant.

What I Struggled With🌿

✨Some of the elements required suspended belief in my opinion.

This was such a suspenseful read, and I could not put it down. I rate it four stars.

My thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. This will be in stores on July 6, and you’re going to want to grab your own copy.

A riveting mystery revolving around a true-crime podcast, a woman’s missing sister, and the possible trail of a murderer.

Marti’s sister, Maggie, disappeared over 20 years ago from their suburb right outside of Chicago. Marti was eight at the time, and saw a man pick her sister up in a car that might have been silver or beige or blue. Memory is a funny thing. Over the years, despite some initial sightings, Marti has never stopped trying to track her sister down to find out what happened to her.

Years later, Marti gets word of a Jane Doe left outside of a hospital. It could be Maggie. Marti and her friend, Andrea, document everything for a podcast. The Jane Doe is eventually identified as someone else, but the podcast turns into a huge hit!

Now that the story of Maggie is back in the headlines, Marti gets a call from a woman named Ava Vreeland, a doctor who thinks there’s a link between Maggie’s disappearance 20+ years ago...and a murder that occurred in an area near their childhood home years later. Marti is skeptical until she hears the story...and believes the connection might exist. She decides to look into it...in hopes of finally finding out what happened to her older sister.

This is an excellent and unputdownable mystery that is near perfect. I couldn’t get enough, and I can see many other readers loving it too. First of all, a story involving a podcast always intrigues me. While the story isn’t told so much through the actual podcast transcript, there are tidbits that progress the plot from one point to the next.

The characters in this are excellent! Fully fleshed out human beings...with Marti being the obvious standout. She is a broken woman who has never recovered from the loss of her sister at such a young age, and has found plenty of ways to ruin any chance of happiness in her life by turning to alcohol, drugs, and promiscuity. She can be reckless, but she has a fire burning deep within her to never give up finding out what happened to Maggie. I also love her interactions with her friend and podcast co-producer Andrea, Dr. Ava Vreeland, and her coworker Marco at the Goth bar she works at to supplement her income.

The mystery flows effortlessly as Marti and Andrea decide to track Ava’s theories about the murder linked to the disappearance and use it for season 2 of the podcast. I had a feeling where everything was going, but I was left absolutely BAMBOOZLED at least twice! It’s clever and compelling and dark, with moments of subtle dark humor.

4.5 stars rounded up. Although there is a component to the ending that I didn’t fully enjoy, I highly recommend this one to mystery lovers, and I look forward to reading more from author Jessica Chiarella, who is a major talent in my book.

Thank you to G.P. Putnam’s Sons and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. This book will be published on: 7/6/21.

Review also posted at: https://bonkersforthebooks.wordpress.com

I loved this one and would definately read a sequel! I had no idea where the story was headed and the ending shocked me! I plan on buying this for my library, I think my patrons would love it!
Thanks to Netgalley for a digital copy in exchange for an honest review.

The struggles Marti lives with daily after seeing her sister taken made this a riveting story. The characters were a well developed, the podcast theme was written very well, and the suspense figuring out who was the murderer will have you rapidly turning the pages of this book. However I give this a 3.5 as the ending was a letdown. Would recommend to others to see if they feel the same on the ending.

I am a HUGE podcast fan so I was looking forward to this read. It did not disappoint!!

This was a well written story with good characters. The ending was a little unbelievable but still thoroughly enjoyed it.

What I surmised to be the usual podcast mystery became something else entirely! The twist was unexpected and I was surprised by the conclusion. There was a lot of build up to that point and it kept me riveted. However, I found they conclusion to be overdone and unbelievable. My thanks to the publisher for the advance reader in exchange for my honest review.

Maggie was lost on Oct. 16, 1998. She got into a car, with a man, as she let go of her eight year old sister’s hand, and told her to RUN!

It was the last thing she would ever tell her sister, Marti to do.

Marti is now twenty eight but she has never stopped chasing the ghosts of girls who NEVER grew up-
LOST GIRLS-those never seen again by choice or by circumstance.

When she receives a phone call from police needing a DNA sample for a girl just found, dead, Jane Doe #4568, her true crime Podcast “Jane Doe” is born. It becomes an overnight sensation and is nominated for an award.

But, it also starts a downward spiral of drinking, drugs, and sex...with men who are not her husband,

So, what will Marti, and Andrea, her best friend, and editor do for an encore?

As they sort through the phone calls and tips that come in following the last episode of “Jane Doe” the one made by Ava Vreeland is most intriguing. She is trying to overturn her brother’s murder conviction and she is convinced that his case could be linked to Maggie’s.

Will season two lead Marti to the answer she has been searching for?

I am always drawn to books including Podcasts, and immediately requested this one, despite having never read anything by Jessica Chiarella before.

And, it was a good one!

It moves along at a FAST pace and doesn’t glamorize the idea of searching for answers of a true crime on your own, after the case has become cold for police.

It shows both the physical and emotional toll, this search has on families, and serves as a cautionary tale of what happens when amateur sleuths turn to those obsessed with solving crimes on the web, to help them do what police have been unable to accomplish.

I was IMPRESSED, and look forward to reading more from this author in the future!
Available July 6, 2021

I would like to thank G.P. Putnam’s Sons for providing an ARC through NetGalley. It was my pleasure to provide a candid review!

When visited by a traumatic experience as a child, is it possible to get past it? Ask Marti, the sister of 16-year-old Maggie, who disappeared when Marti was 8. In an effort to find out what happened to her sister, Marti and her friend Andrea create a podcast to tell the story of another lost girl. Marti is contacted by the sister of a man in prison for the murder of his girlfriend, who bears some resemblance to Maggie. Ava wants Marti’s help in getting her brother released from prison. From there, the twists and turns lead us to many red herrings. Will any of this help Marti end her self-destructive ways? Or give her any closure?

The Lost Girls by Jessica Chiaralla is an interesting story but I felt the ending was very sad. The main character Marti, only sister was taken from their home when she was very young. This experience and loss has haunted Marti for the rest of hr life. The story revolves aroud Marti and how she is alwaays tryinng to find her lost sister. Eerything she does as an adultis really a result of her early loss.. The story is intriguing but so sad since Marti can never separate herself fro this early experience and form satisfying relationships with her peers.

The book was good. I didn't think it was great because there was an issue that I didn't think got resolved. I liked the way that some people are not who you think they are. It is sad that you put your trust in someone and it backfires.

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

A ripped from the headlines story about a podcaster that gets pulled into a web of intrigue and suspense. Highly recommended. Very well written and developed characters

I don't listen to podcasts but still found myself tightly wrapped up in this story. I saw one of the twists coming pretty early on but it didn't detract from the story. Without giving anything away, I have to say that I didn't like a certain aspect of the ending though.

Kindly received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Once upon a time there were two sisters, Marti and Maggie, who lived in a nice privileged well to do family in Chicago’s suburb and loved each other very much. And then one day when Marti was eight and Maggie, sixteen at the time, disappeared. Got in a car with someone and was never heard from again. The event devastated her family, drove her father into an early grave, and left Marti with a lifelong obsession to find her sister.
Now, two decades later, Marti is still at it, the time she took away from her obsession to get married and have something of a normal life self sabotaged into oblivion. Doing the hip modern thing, Marti together with her best friend creates a podcast about her quest. The podcast blows up, getting her all kinds of attention, Some of it is from a woman who believes her brother has been wrongly convicted of a crime all too similar to Maggie’s disappearance. Marti’s obsessive brain notices the parallels and she’s off on another quest…perfect material for season two of her podcast. But things aren’t what they appear (are they ever?) and soon Marti is courting danger at every turn as truth becomes more and more difficult to discern.
So that’s the basic plot. Yes, it is yet another one of those female authored female driven thrillers that are overpopulating the market right now, but this one has the distinction of being genuinely well done. I’ve not read the author’s debut, but going by her sophomore effort, it might be worth checking out. Which is to say she can definitely write.
The novel smartly avoids some or the genre cliches, like the split timelines, multiple perspectives, etc. opting instead for a streamlined narrative, first person, single principal character, so the result is very dynamic and engaging…despite what you might think of Marti, who let’s be honest, isn’t the most innately likeable of protagonists. I mean, she’s interesting and compelling, but a complete mess, self destructive, her psyche thoroughly done in by her sister’s disappearance, her life completely defined by it. Then again, when done right and it is done right here, compelling and interesting is usually enough.
And the genre cliches the novel does utilize are very good indeed. I kind of had the killer figured out from fairly early on, so the grand reveal at 75% was disappointing…initially…but then the author turned that around with a whiplash speed and took it further and darker and way more twisted. Which was excellent. Because who wants a thriller one can predict, no matter how flattering it might be to one’s ego.
So overall, this was very good. A thoroughly enjoyable, properly done literary suspense thriller that should please most genre fans. Very entertaining read. Recommended. Thanks Netgalley.