Hannah has babysat for the Garza's a few times, but tonight is different. Just before the parents left, Hannah finds herself hiding in a closet as an intruder enters the home and kills both Ben and Nadine. After the killer leaves, Hannah is panic stricken and has no idea what to do. She grabs the baby and starts driving. Though Hannah can't exactly place it, the killer's voice is familiar enough to leave Hannah unsure of who to trust and where to go. As Hannah is on the run for her life, more secrets unfold leaving everyone scrambling for the truth.

I couldn't put this one down! This is one of the better books I've read in quite some time. The suspense was real and I couldn't read fast enough. Though I will say it felt a bit dragged out towards the end, this was an excellent read with a few twists and turns sprinkled on through.

One of the most creative police thrillers I have read in quite a while. I was hooked from the first page and found myself reading late into the night as I didn't want to put it down!

A single drop of blood, found at a double murder, will change Lily Baker's life forever. Just when she is starting to adjust to her new life, her old life comes creeping back in. Her reoccurring nightmares are really memories from when she was held captive by a sick man. When the blood is discovered, more memories come flooding back to shock her.
Detective Kylie Milliard is trying to solve the murders, and find a missing teen. Everything is connected to Lily, and she needs to find out how. Kylie is the key to giving Lily the closure she needs.

Far Gone is the sequel to Girard's book, White Out. You should definitely read the first book to really understand the second. If I hadn't, I would have wondered what I was missing. White Out was a great book, and Far Gone continues the story.
The book is about an abduction survivor named Lily, who in the last book, had memory loss. She is finding out more of her own story as the first book jumps to this one. This book reveals more horrible secrets, and brings more players into the fold. If there is a third book planned, I am truly interested in seeing what else pops up from Lily's abduction.
The story jumps around a lot between narratives. Lily and Kylie are familiar characters, but Hannah is new. I'm not the teens biggest fan, so I hope to see her change for the better in future books.
Overall the story was fast moving and full of twists. I will most definitely read the third book when it comes out.

Book Tour!

Far Gone, Badland Thriller series #2
Author, Danielle Girard

Publisher: Thomas & Mercer
Pub date: June 15, 2021 ~ Available now!

Thank you @suzyapprovedbooktours, author @daniellegirardbooks, publisher Thomas & Mercer, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review Far Gone during this exciting book tour!

White Out is the first novel in Girard's Badland series and although I have not yet read it, I had no problem jumping right into this second novel. I was up two nights in a row furiously reading through this intense thriller and absolutely intent on piecing the suspense together. Right from the start, I got the Truman Capote, In Cold Blood vibe and was hooked.

When a North Dakota couple of a newborn is murdered in their home in cold blood on their way out for date night, the killer had no idea that the fourteen- year- old babysitter, Hannah was hiding in the closet and was a witness to this violent murder. Although Hannah didn't see his face, she knows something is familiar about the killer.

Detective Kylie Milliard is the only Detective in small town Hagan, ND and is more than ready to investigate this gruesome case. Called to the crime scene by Hannah's scared 911 call, Kylie's team leaves no trace behind. Shockingly, a random blood sample from the infant's bassinet revealed a familial match to a crime involving Lily Baker from over a decade ago. It just doesn't make sense and now Kylie has to question Lily, which she knows will stir up traumatic memories that Lily hasn't even come to terms with yet.

In the meantime, Hannah, who has a drug addiction problem, is terrified and feels that she can't reveal what she witnessed just yet, and has no one with whom she can trust without disappointing them, so she flees.

"Haunted by their pasts and hunting the killer, Kylie and Lily uncover hellish secrets and impossible truths, finding answers that put both their lives in jeopardy."

The pace and multiple viewpoints of this tense thriller allowed for such a riveting ride with an unbelievable twist of an ending. I hope there will be another novel in this series!

Get started on Girard's Badlands series, you won't be disappointed!

Fascinating book with wonderful characterizations and scenes. Murders abound without motives, the town is haunted by the deaths and Detective Kylie Milliard must solve the cases. She hasn't worked a homicide for several years but she's ready to hit the road running to make Hagen a safe town again.

I received an ebook ARC from Netgalley and this is my voluntary, honest review.

Second in the series, I was worried I would be completely lost in this one – but it can 100% be read without having read the first one. That being said, I LOVED it, and plan to purchase the first one to read as well.

This book was suspenseful, tragic, and heartbreaking. There was so much going on and the puzzle that had to come together to make this work was truly incredible. I am excited to read more by Danielle Girard.

Remember when I said I had a love for Girard's tie-ins and twists? Well folks, I'm coming at you with book two in the Badlands Thriller series and I stand firm. Detective Kylie is in a race against the clock to locate the person who witnessed a brutal crime before the mysterious killer finds them first.

I loved the speed of this novel. It was straight to the nitty gritty in record time with continual speed and action. The plot unfolds like a roller coaster ride of bad decisions and haunting pasts. Lily is back too and man does this poor lady need a vacation from her life. As more of her memory loss clears, we get a deeper look into the trauma of her captivity. If I could hug a character, it would be her.

I could almost say this is a standalone but I feel readers should read White Out first. The background of these characters from book one just lends so much to the overall connections and atmosphere. And that reveal... Yea... Did not expect that at all.

Content mention for drug addiction and rape. Thank you Danielle Girard for the gifted copy in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts are my own.

Six degrees of separation in the worst way possible… Hagen is a small town where everyone knows everyone else, including their secrets and pasts. But some people are betting at hiding their secrets than others. When a young couple is murdered in cold blood in their own home, it’s a race to find the killer as well as the lone witness, the 14-year-old babysitter, Hannah. But Hannah is running scared. After leaving the couple’s baby girl with a nurse, Lily, at the hospital her father works at, Hannah is trying to get as far away from Hagen as she can in order to elude the killer. Because she recognized his voice -- it’s someone she knows. Detective Kylie Milliard helped Lily when Lily was abducted years ago, and now their paths cross again as Kylie races to solve this small town murder and find Hannah. But she just may need Lily’s help, because Lily’s dark past is starting to catch up with her, and somehow her abduction is tied into this latest tragedy. Hagen’s secrets are about to catch up to everyone in this small town...

Thoughts: This quick read will keep readers on edge. The transitions between Hannah, Kylie, and Lily’s POV is smooth, and each character’s voice is compelling in their own way. All three are going through distinctly different experiences throughout the story, so the emotional rollercoaster ebbs and flows throughout. Ultimately, the twists between the characters turns out to be the real drama of the story and makes this book worth the read. Some aspects of the plot are revealed to readers in one chapter and then realized by the detective in the next chapter, taking away a bit of the drama and suspense at times, and some plot points are tied up a bit too nicely while others are left on vague terms, but otherwise this is a fast-paced thriller that was interesting from start to finish.

**Thank you, NetGalley and publisher, for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.**

Ok... I think @daniellegirardbooks is a new auto-buy/favorite author for me. After reading both books in the Badlands Series, I am hooked! I read White Out last week, and just finished Far Gone and loved them both ! Girard knows how to draw you in from page one and keep you hooked throughout the entire book. I was never bored. The pace throughout is perfect, with short enough chapters from multiple characters perspectives, enough to keep you constantly wanting more.

Far Gone starts out with a bang. Hannah Visser goes to babysit Ben & Nadine's daughter, when someone comes in and shoots them both, leaving them dead. Hannah, who is on drugs (and 14 I will add), hides in the closet long enough to witness the murders, and hear the killers voice. One she recognizes. The killer leaves the baby, and Hannah doesn't know what to do. She decides she needs to take the baby and leave, because if she stays, everyone will know she's on drugs and may not believe her. The books brings you on the chase of following Hannah and seeing what happens to her as she tries to stay safe and out of the hands of the killer. Kylie Milliard is once again on the case, as the badass Detective in Hagen who pushes all the boundaries. When truths are discovered from Hannah's blood that was left at the scene of the crime, even more twists unfold.

Girard truly knows how to keep you guessing. Multiple times I thought I knew who was behind it all, and then she gets you again and you're confused. This was an ending I did not see coming.

This book can definitely be read as a standalone, but I would recommend reading White Out first for the character development. Knowing everything from Lily and Kylie's pasts in the 1st book truly made me connect more to them and understand the little details from Far Gone.

Trigger warning ⚠️ rape

Thanks again to @amazonpublishing @brilliancepublishing & Thomas&Mercer for my finished copy of this book ❤

If you’ve never picked up a Danielle Girard novel, here’s your wake-up call. 🔔 🔔 You can start with her Badlands Series (Far Gone is Book 2) or my other favorite, her Annabelle Schwartzman series, but, whatever you do, just start.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CQJBud-LRz-/

Far Gone (Badlands Thriller) by Danielle Girard is told from three perspectives that intersect into one riveting story. I wasn’t sure where the story was going to go with Hannah’s first appearance to baby sit. This teenage did not inspire confidence or trust at first. However, what happens next is jolting to say the least not only for the small North Dakota town but for the reader as well. I was almost annoyed that Lily was at the hospital in the next chapter. I wanted to know more about Hannah and the baby. So read on I did until I found out not just what I wanted to know. Each of the three became important voices. The more I read the more intrigued I became because the characters were linked in ways that I never thought would be possible.

Not a story to begin reading too late in the evening or you will be reading way too late in the night. Until I could see how this complicated story would end I could not put it down. One of the most creative police thrillers I have read in quite a while.

An ARC of the book was provided by the publisher through NetGalley which I voluntarily chose to read and reviewed. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Far Gone is the second instalment in the Badlands Thriller series set in Hagen, North Dakota. 14-year-old Hannah Visser arrives at the home of married couple Nadine and Ben Garza to babysit their young infant daughter, Tiffany, but little do they know, Hannah is high on drugs. Nadine is an accountant at Hannah's old brother's business, Chase Visser Interiors, so they trusted her with their precious baby and she had babysat for them before and never put a foot wrong. But before the Garzas can leave, an unexpected visitor bursts through the front door startling everyone. Issuing orders such as telling them to put their hands up, Hannah is sure she recognises the man's voice but can't quite put her finger on it. She manages to back into a closet unnoticed but the Garzas aren't so lucky and she watches in absolute horror as Nadine and Ben are gunned down in cold blood killing them both instantly. Terrified and with no idea what to do, Hannah grabs Tiffany and high tails it out of the door and into the Garza family car but instead of heading to report the crime to the police, due to her impaired condition, she takes Tiffany to the hospital where her father works as a doctor. Emergency room consultant Doctor Charles Visser is shocked when Hannah decides to thrust the baby into the arms of ER nurse Lily Baker and effectively run.

Well, that may be a far more pleasant idea than what actually happened - Hannah saw Lily in the parking lot and left the child on the ground before driving away. In search of a safe space where she can pull herself together, she ventures to the remote cabin her family used to holiday at when she was younger. But the killer has overheard a conversation at the hospital between staff and now knows of Hannah's presence in the Garza's home that fateful day and of her identity and he's on a mission to tie up loose ends knowing that she could identify him as the Garza's murderer. Can Hannah manage to stay one step ahead of him until he is identified and arrested? This is a compulsive, engrossing and thoroughly assured sequel to White Out, and I couldn't fathom that this was even more scintillating than its predecessor. There's never a dull moment and it's eminently clear that Girard knows exactly how to chill her readers and provide a propulsive, pacey thriller in which the belt of tension never slackens and the suspense is palpable throughout. Told from multiple seamlessly switching perspectives, we are treated to a thriller packed with action, danger, intensity, twists, red herrings and the anxiety felt by both those chasing, and being chased by, the killer. Highly recommended.

Far Gone is book #2 in the Badlands thriller series by Danielle Girard and NO this is not a book that can be read as stand-alone. The story moves forward thru Kylie and Lily and Lily’s story takes off from the past events that are interconnected to the reveals in book #1.

White Out, the first in the series, honestly didn’t impress me much, coz the central story had to have a huge suspension of disbelief from the reader for it to work. But I loved the author’s writing style keeping the readers engaged and thankfully in Far Gone, she has worked wonders in carving a knuckle-biting and intensely tense storyline. The twists and turns gave me a whiplash trying to keep up with Kylie as she untangles the puzzle surrounding the Visser family and their daughter 14 yr old Hannah.

Detective Kylie Millard, unlike book one, takes center stage here as she struggles to race against time to get to the witness before the killer strikes again. The small-town vibe conveyed in the book is brilliant, there’s a sense of claustrophobia that adds to a subtle threat just around the corner.

Trigger warning to readers who have problems with drug abuse. It is mentioned in every other chapter that is focused on Hannah. So, for those having concerns, I would advise you to read it with caution.

I simply loved how the author has clearly demarcated the diabolical manipulative love of a mother with the no holds barred love of a father in the story. It is again evidence of the fact that a tsunami could be brewing behind a closed door and none would be the wiser.

On-your toes read!

Many thanks to Net Galley, Thomas & Mercer, and the author for a chance to read and review this book. All opinions are expressed voluntarily.

This review is published in my blog https://rainnbooks.com/, Goodreads, Amazon India, Medium.com, Facebook, and Twitter.

This is by far my favourite novel by Girard. While I don’t think it’s completely necessary, I would still recommend reading the first book in the series, “White Out”, because the story would flow a lot better. What I liked most about this one was the super twisted and fast-paced story that held my attention until the very end. One of the main reasons why all of Girard’s other novels have been 3 stars for me is because of the unbelievability of the plot. While I would say this one was also a tad bit far-fetched, it was definitely more believable and I enjoyed it a lot more because of this. I predicted some things, but was shocked by others, and I’ll be on the lookout for the next in the series.

I requested this book not realizing it was the second in a series. I read the first installment, White Out, a few weeks ago and ended up enjoying it a lot. I was excited to read this one!

However, this one missed the mark for me! I see a lot of really great reviews, so maybe it’s a me thing? I didn’t love how the subject of rape was handled and the end of the book really put a sour taste in my mouth. This one wasn’t for me.

(4.5)
Last year I read 𝐖𝐡𝐢𝐭𝐞 𝐎𝐮𝐭 the first book in the Badlands Thriller series and became very attached to the characters. So I was thrilled to meet up with them once again in 𝐅𝐚𝐫 𝐆𝐨𝐧𝐞.

Fourteen-year-old Hannah has just arrived at the Garza’s. She’s babysitting their infant daughter tonight. Before the Garza’s have a chance to leave for the night, a gunman enters the house and kills them in cold blood. At the time, the killer is unaware that Hannah is in the house. Although she didn’t see his face, Hannah swears she knows that voice.

Detective Kylie Milliard is called to take the case. Blood and DNA samples are taken from the scene, and a shocking match comes back. The test reveals a familial match to a crime involving Lily Baker from over a decade ago. So now Kylie must involve Lily and stir up all those gruesome memories. And where is Hannah?

Girard opens the story with these brutal murders, and she doesn’t ease up on the tension! Kylie is a sharp detective, and as the case plays out, I had to know how the pieces fit together. I think you would benefit from reading 𝐖𝐡𝐢𝐭𝐞 𝐎𝐮𝐭 first as some of the characters’ past play out this storyline.

I’m looking forward to what comes next in this series!

*Trigger Warnings; they may be considered spoilers, so DM me if you have concerns.

Thank you to @suzyapprovedbooktours and @daniellegirardbooks for an invitation to the tour and a #gifted book.

Hannah is 14 years old and fronts up to babysit. She's actually half-wasted so can't quite believe her eyes when the parents of newborn Tiffany, Ben and Nadine Garza are gunned down in their lounge room while she hides in a closet. Baby Tiffany is left unharmed, but not before the offender says something - at the time Hannah can't place his voice. She knows she has to get out of there so takes baby Tiffany to a place of safety and gets the hell out of town.

What follows is the investigation by Hagen detective Kylie Milliard, who we met in the first Badlands thriller book White Out. Kylie is Hagen's only detective and relies on support from the local small police force, and outsources some services to some colleagues she met on other jobs. Kylie is surprised when DNA testing from the scene reveals a link to her previous case and one of the locals that will be life-changing for all concerned. There's family dysfunction, secrets and lies, drugs and violence. It's quite a fast moving book in that it reflects the movement of Hannah and being on the run.

Kylie is quite a dry character who I've taken some time to warm. In this book a few more layers are peeled back and the reader sees Kylie establishing herself more in the community and not holding people so much at arm's length.

Whilst this is book #2 it could be read as a standalone, but for a more robust understanding I think it would be best to start at book #1.

An important TW: this book discusses rape and a child who is the product of rape.

Thank you to Netgalley for my e-copy of this book to read and review.

If you think this might impact, please take care.

Author Danielle Girard follows up 2020's White Out with another harrowing mystery in which she brings back beloved characters Detective Kylie Milliard and Lily Baker. Kylie remains the only detective in the tiny fictional town of Hagen, North Dakota, population 864. Although in White Out, she was new to the police force and dreamed of being a detective with the police department in Fargo, the nearest thing to a big city, she has settled into Hagen.

Girard wastes no time creating suspense. The story opens with fourteen-year-old Hannah Visser arriving at the home of Ben and Nadine Garza to babysit their infant daughter, Tiffany. Hannah is the daughter of Charles Visser, an emergency medicine physician at the local hospital. Her much-older brother, Chase, operates Visser Interiors, a high-end building supplies business, where Nadine is employed as an accountant. The Garzas have no idea that Hannah is impaired, having taken pills she obtained from a local drug dealer. Just as the Garzas are putting on their coats, getting ready to depart, the front door bursts open, and instinct drives Hannah to hide in the coat closet. From that vantage point, she watches in horror as both Ben and Nadine are shot. When she determines it is finally safe to emerge, she fears that if she calls the police or her father, she will be unable to explain what she witnessed and the fact that she is high will be revealed. She worries that no one will believe her, and she might be accused of going on a drug-crazed murder spree. And what if the killer, whose voice is eerily familiar, is a police officer? Panicking, she grabs Nadine's purse, locates the car key fob, and, although she doesn't really know how to drive and should not be attempting to operate a vehicle in her compromised state, takes off with Tiffany.

Meanwhile, twenty-nine-year-old Lily Baker, who survived being kidnapped and held hostage by Derek Hudson, is on duty at the hospital, along with Charles Visser. Her memories from that time began returning to her as odd images and snippets of events. First, she recalled living with her aunt in Arizona and studying nursing. And then "over time the memories were just there." Three and a half years after being freed, the only thing she can't recall is the time she spent being held captive. The memories that return to her of that experience do so as nightmares that evolve into daytime terrors. Her mind has "walled off" those memories, Iver, her boyfriend, who was also featured prominently in White Out, theorizes, protecting her from the trauma she experienced. Iver is away, caring for his mother who has suffered a stroke, so Lily is alone at home when not working and feeling particularly defenseless.

And Kylie is spending time with her best friend, Amber, and her young son, William. Kylie loves to babysit William, for which Amber rewards her with banana cream pie from the Hagen Diner. Kylie has now settled into her own place, after staying with Amber and William when she first arrived in Hagen. Even though it's Sunday night, Kylie heads back to the station because, at thirty-four, she has no social or romantic life. After all, the only nightclub in Hagen consists of hanging out in the bar or at the movie theater.

When Marjorie, the dispatcher, steps away from her desk for a moment, Kylie takes the 911 call from someone who sounds like a small child and reports, "He just walked in the front door. I hid in the closet . . ." Kylie returns the receiver to Marjorie, gets in her cruiser and races to the Garza home. Far Gone proceeds at an unrelenting pace as Kylie and her fellow officers search for the killer and his motive.

Kylie leads the investigation, piecing together clues and navigating Lily's fragile emotional state when critical evidence leads back to her and the time she was held hostage. The first order of business is finding out what happened to Tiffany, whose bassinet is empty when Kylie and her fellow officers reach the Garza home. Soon Hannah's mother, Priscilla, arrives at the police station with Chase to report that her daughter, Hannah, is missing.

Girard tells the story from the alternating perspectives of Kylie, Lily, and Hannah. Kylie is single-mindedly determined to locate Tiffany and ensure her safety, and learn who killed the baby's parents. Lily has to process the stunning news that Kylie finds herself having to deliver, knowing how shocking it will be for vulnerable Lily to hear what irrefutable evidence has revealed about her past.

But the most compelling aspect of the story is Hannah's desperate journey to safety and determination to survive. She is convinced that if she can get to the family-owned cabin where she spent time with her father, she will be able to use the landline phone there to notify her father and enlist his help. Hannah strikes out in Nadine's vehicle. She has no idea how to navigate the world alone, but is savvy enough to stay off the main highways and keep her cell phone turned off. Still, she knows that a cold-blooded killer is looking for her in order to eliminate the only person who can testify to his heinous acts. Hannah has little money or food, only a small number of pills remaining, and eventually has to ditch Nadine's car. But she is clever and resilient, and Girard deftly ramps up the dramatic tension as Hannah nears the cabin . . . and the killer hones in on her location. Hannah is an endearing, believable character and Girard conveys her story with compassion and tenderness, endearing her to readers who will find themselves unable to tear themselves away from Far Gone unless and until she is out of harm's way.

Far Gone is replete with surprising plot developments that reveal family secrets, betrayals, and the nefarious motivation for the Garza killings. As noted, the action kicks into high gear at the outset and Girard never backs off, instead accelerating the story's pace as shocking discoveries and a race to save the lives of some key characters ensue. Unlike White Out, which focused largely on Kylie and her struggle to prove herself to her new colleagues, the story is revolves around Hannah and Lily, and the murders. One particularly moving subplot involves officer Carl Gilbert, who explains to Kylie that he dated Nadine for about a year. "She broke up with me for Ben." Through Gilbert, with whom Kylie has a contentious history, Girard compellingly explores the challenges of remaining professional and appropriately detached while serving in a small town where everyone is acquainted and the residents have significant histories with each other.

Far Gone is an intense and engrossing page-turner, an intriguing mystery that will keep readers guessing until the very end, full of emotional complications and, at the center of it all, a strong, but naive and very frightened young girl who has no idea when she shows up to babysit little Tiffany that her whole life is about to change in ways she could never imagine. It is a worthy follow-up to White Out, the smashing first volume in the series, and will leave readers clamoring for the next heart-pounding installment.

Thank you Netgalley for this book!

I requested this one because I had the first book, White Out, on my kindle to read. So, I read that one a few weeks ago and thought it was okay. The plot was a bit over-the-top for my liking. But I thought the characters were great and was excited to revisit them in this one. And again, this plot was a bit preposterous for my liking but seeing the characters was a lot of fun. Some time has passed since the previous one, so we got to see the characters mature a bit. But these books are solid and even though the plots are bit too much for me, I think most people will really enjoy these.

From Goodreads: When a North Dakota couple is shot down in their home in cold blood, the sleepy town of Hagen wakes with a jolt. After all, it’s usually such a peaceful place. But Detective Kylie Milliard knows better.

Despite not handling a homicide investigation in years, Kylie is on the case. A drop of blood found at the scene at first blush promises to be her best evidence. But it ultimately only proves that someone else witnessed the murder—and the results are shocking: the DNA reveals a familial match to a crime involving local nurse Lily Baker from over a decade ago. This unveiling stirs new nightmares for Lily as she’s forced to reckon with the most traumatic time in her life.

Haunted by their pasts and hunting the killer, Kylie and Lily uncover hellish secrets and impossible truths, finding answers that put both their lives in jeopardy.

Seeing Kylie and Lily again was a lot of fun. Both are strong, dynamic, real characters who you cheer for. And while Lily isn’t in danger this time around (unlike White Out), she is still very important to the plot. But it’s nice to see her doing better, happier, more stable. Because I like these two ladies so much, I will definitely be revisiting this series, assuming more are published at some point.

I went in to this one a bit hesitant. I didn't love book 1 for personal reasons so I was hoping I'd like this one more.

And I did!

I found myself compelled to keep reading. I was drawn to Hannah's plight - caught in the midst of a double murder as the only witness (and she doesn't know who to trust). I also really liked Lily. I had to check my first review to see who she was from book 1, but I quickly remembered and it was good to see her POV again.

Kylie was my struggle in the first book and I liked her much more in this one. I still feel like she made some obvious mistakes but I didn't fully blame her for many of them. I thought she was less gruff and more realistic person this time.

All in all, I liked the mystery if the conclusion felt a little. . . small town. I did like the draw to know what was going to happen next and I'm glad I made it to the end.

<i>A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.</i>