Ellie Reeves is back and in very fine form! The Burning Girls is a roller coaster ride with so many fun twists and turns that it's hard to put down. Ellie's dogged pursuit to solve the murder of a young girl, leads to answers and more questions about her own past. This series keeps getting better with each book. My only regret is that I have to wait to find out what happens next!!!

Detective Ellie Reeves is back!!

This is the third book of the Detective Ellie Reeves series and seems to be taking place immediately after the end of the second book. It started with Ellie, who is on the quest of finding her biological mother wants to contact the social worker, Gillian who had handled her adoption, only to find that Gillian had gone missing and had left the office in a hurry, carrying the adoption files with her...including her own file. Meanwhile, a deranged killer is murdering women and then burning them in the forest, arranging the stones in a peculiar fashion. Ellie then sets out to find this mysterious killer and then enlists the help of FBI agent Derrick to solve the case.

As usual, this was such a roller coaster ride! From the beginning of the chapter to the end of the book, I was literally hooked into the story, with all the drama, crimes and the quest of finding the killer, what with you have know idea who the hell is killing all these girls or women.

Let's start with the plot--the plot was intriguing, engaging and really unique that I was hooked from the beginning. Though the book was about 400 pages long, I didn't even feel that long as this was such a fast paced thriller with twists and turns you didn't expect while reading! In fact I stayed up all night, finishing this book, and the story is so engaging that the author did a good job gripping the reader into the story! I must say, quiet an interesting plot and an unputownable thriller!!!

In all the three books I have read, it seems Ellie Reeves doesn't seem to have a rest as she faces one series of murders to another, followed by a couple of dramas on the way with her friends and loved ones being hurt in the process. Ellie is actually one of my favorite characters in the book and shows what a brave and courageous girl she really is!

Overall, a fast paced thriller that will take you on a roller coaster ride filled with twists and turns that you didn't expect! Guaranteed you will stay up all night to finish this book!!! An unputdownable thriller--worth five stars!

Many thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for the ARC. The review is based on my honest opinion only.

A gritty dark tale with twists and turns. This book had a great plot and awesome characters. The story moved at a good pace and kept me guessing. The main character was very relatable and well developed. This one kept me on the edge of my seat, a great summer read!

Firstly, I didn't know this was part of a series, and I think having some background would've enhanced my reading experience. That being said, it was pretty easy to fill in the blanks and inference a bit of what I missed.

In terms of the story, I enjoyed the mystery and how it unfolded. I found the different POVs a bit jarring because I couldn't quite keep up with all the names and the characters' significance. I did enjoy having some different perspectives, but there was a bit too much going on. In terms of the character development, because I haven't read the other books I can't quite say how Ellie has progressed. However, I did find her personal story and adoption journey interesting, as someone who's known she's been adopted her whole life.

Overall, this was a story that intrigued me and held me to the end.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for an advance copy and am leaving this review voluntarily.

Detective Elie Reeve #3

Ellie is called to a river where a body has been found. She spots a lone woman's shoe and a pearl necklace scattered by the water's edge. The remains are surrounded by a circle of stones, which Ellie is sure means something. Was the victim caught in the fire or is something more sinister at play?

Someone is murdering women, then they are laid out in a stone circle and then set on fire. There's a serial killer but all the clues seem to relate to Ellie's own past. More is revealed about Ellie's background.

The story is told from multiple points of view which can be confusing to begin with. Filled with twists, the tension builds throughout and the pace is fast. I like the author's style in writing this series although I have somehow missed out on the second book. Every character has their role to play. I did feel the story dipped for a bit in the middle.

I would like to thank #NetGalley #Bookouture and the author #RitaHerron for my ARC of #TheBurningGirls in exchange for an honest review.

The remote town of Crooked Creek has barely recovered from its most recent tragedy when wildfires tear through the mountains. Detective Ellie Reeves is grappling with her own heartbreak––she has just discovered she was adopted and that her childhood was a lie.

Under the scorching summer sun, Ellie is called to a river where a body has been found. She spots a lone woman’s shoe caught in a nearby tangle of vines, and a pearl necklace scattered by the water’s edge. The remains are surrounded by a circle of stones, which Ellie is certain means something. Was the victim––whoever she was––caught in the fire or is something more sinister at play?

The Fourth of July usually means festivals and fireworks, but when another body turns up the town is left in tatters. A young girl with dark hair lies dead, surrounded by stones, smoke drifting in the air. Thanks to an engraved silver necklace, Ellie identifies the body as eighteen-year-old Katie Lee Curtis, and the diary she finds hidden under the teenager’s mattress could get her close to the killer.

With two victims in less than twenty-four hours, it’s clear Ellie’s up against a serial killer, and she vows that no more innocent girls will be sacrificed. For her, every day is a battle to come to terms with her past, but when this case becomes personal, will she win?

An excellent suspense novel with so many pieces that come together beautifully.

My bad!
I didn't realise this was part of a series, so now that I've read this and loved it I'm heading over to kindle to buy the others.

Still reeling and somewhat recovering from her parents' deceptions and lies, Ellie Reeves is considering searching for her birth mother as someone is starting fires along the Trail. Initially with Cord, and then Derrick re-enters the scene, Ellie works to determine the nature of the fires and why seemingly unconnected women are found close by, murdered, and surrounded with a strange orientation of stones. The depth of Ellie's character is so incredible, and the lengths that Ms. Herron will push her are equal to Ellie's strength. This is part of a series, but you can jump into this novel, and then you'll want to catch up with the others to learn Ellie's back story. An adrenaline-fueled addition to this amazing series. Must read!

This is the third book in the series of Detective Ellie Reeves from Georgia PD.

A women’s body has been discovered surrounded by rocks. The body came to light after the fires breaking out in the Appalachians. This unsettled Ellie and she didn’t know what to make of this - until a second body was found. The body was that of a missing teenager and was in a better condition than the first.

Ellie is dealing with a lot in her personal life whilst trying to hunt a serial killer herself. Can she cope?

I really enjoyed this book, it kept me on the edge of my seat and wanting to read more. The book is centred mostly around Ellie’s point of view, however we do get to see some other characters POV too.

Detective Ellie Reeves has another serial killer to catch in author Rita Herron's latest book in the Detective Ellie Reeves series, The Burning Girls. Someone is murdering females, placing the bodies within a stone circle and setting the bodies on fire. What an exciting read following along on Ellie Reeves' case! There's plenty of action and suspense. The murders are chilling and solving the case is very dangerous for Ellie. I really enjoyed this book and am looking forward to see what Ms. Herron has in store for her readers in the next book in the series.

I received an ARC in exchange for a honest review.

This is book 3 in the Detective Ellie Reeves series and the action takes place a short time after the events of book 2. This time, wildfires threaten the peaceful environs of Crooked Creek, Georgia. But then the body of a woman is discovered, burnt, in the centre of a circle of stones. This doesn’t look accidental. Another day another body. The second death is a teenage girl from a strict religious family. The vibe in the home has got Ellie’s radar twitching. But she doesn’t have time to ponder this yet as the bodies keep piling up.

The first victim is finally identified as a social worker Ellie was trying to contact about her adoption as she is trying to locate her birth mother. This is an important puzzle piece and Ellie doesn’t yet know what to do with it but adoption is starting to become a bit of a theme in this case. Is someone trying to cover something up? But what?

Eventually the whole sordid story comes to light - scientific research hijacked to abuse people, secret and unethical experiments, cover ups and lies. But who is still running around killing people? And who is pulling their strings? This story races to a dramatic conclusion which answers many of Ellie’s questions about her past. If only she can live long enough and protect the people closest to her.

This was compelling reading and the book never lagged. The pace was crisp the whole way through and I was quickly turning those virtual pages to get the answers to those questions and more. Ellie is a lovely character with an indomitable spirit and lots of gutsy strength. She fights hard for the underdog and the people she cares about. Although it is book 3 it can be read as a stand alone as enough background is provided to give the current situation context. I will be keen to see what is next for Ellie. I’m hoping it’s something other than a deranged killer stalking and killing women as this trope is getting a teensy bit old. Still and all I did enjoy this book but now I’m off in the search for something different again. I received an advance review copy from Netgalleyfor free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

In this third book, Rita Herron continues the saga of Detective Ellie Reeves as she struggles to find justice for victims and truth for herself. A string of murders that are somehow connected to the rash of forest fires along the Appalachian Trail present a twisting mystery for Ellie and her team as they search for the perpetrator. The women are all found within circles of standing stones and either completely or partially burned. Who could be behind such brutal murders? Still reeling from the knowledge that she was adopted, Ellie begins a search for her birth mother. When the two searches intersect, Ellie feels she might actually find the answers she seeks. It's a nail-biting read with a surprise ending. I look forward to Ellie's next adventure.

The Burning Girls is book three in the Detective Ellie Reeves series and each book just keeps getting better. Along the Appalachian Trail, bodies are being found, murdered, ringed in stones, and set on fire. Ellie pursues a murderer that seems to be covering up some awful past history. As she closes in on a killer, the clues all seem to tie into Ellie's own past. Pulse pounding suspense and an unpredictable whodunit, keep the pages turning for a fast paced thriller that will cement Ellie Reeves into the must read section of the strictest mystery/thriller reader's library. This book could probably be read as a standalone but the story does contain a lot of references to Ellie's past in books one and two, so definitely better as part of the series. Overall, The Burning Girls conveys the right amount of thrills with memorable characters for a thrill ride of the best kind. My voluntary, unbiased review is based upon a review copy from Netgalley.

Thrilling, pulse pounding, and full of suspense this latest installment brings a lot to light. Ellie's beginnings are finally known. The answers come while she is investigating an especially gruesome crime wave.
The characters are fantastic. The mysteries are intense. The more in depth things become the more books I want. I really want to know where the relationships between characters are going to go. I'll be anxiously waiting for the next one!

So, first I’ll say I didn’t know this book was part of series when I requested it from Netgalley. There was a great deal of backstory that I needed to know for certain parts of the book to make sense – Ellie’s adoption, her father’s firing from the sheriff’s office to name two – and a few other things that were woven into this story to add to it and move it along.
Having said that, the story was pretty gruesome but well told and unfolded well.
I struggled a bit with the middle because it seemed to drag a bit but was able to move past it to the end.
Netgalley doesn’t allow half stars, but I’m rating it 3.5 stars anyway.

Another strong addition to the Ellie Reeves series. Can' t wait for the next one!!

Thank you #netgalley and #bookouture for the eARC.

This is an entertaining read with an improbable plot but it had plenty twists and interesting characters to keep me interested. The book is told from different viewpoints and it hooks you in as the plot unfolds. I like the character of Ellie and the unfolding story of her adoption. I would recommend this read as well as the previous two in the series. Thanks to Net Galley for my ARC.

Wow edge of your seat story kept thinking it was a different character in each chapter. Author pulls you in too dark scary thoughts as you read and you don’t want to put it down!

I love the Detective Ellie Reeves series! The Burning Girls by Rita Heron is another page-turner that features Detective Ellie Reeves in the town of Crooked Creek and the surrounding communities close to the Appalachian Trail. In the last book, Ellie was beginning to search for her biological mother and this theme is carefully interwoven into the suspense and murder cases Ellie is trying to solve in book three. Even though it is a series, you can read this book as a stand-alone with no problem.
There are two murder victims in less than twenty-four hours. The manner of death is different, but both the woman and teenage girl are left burned inside a circle of standing stones. Is there cult activity in Crooked Creek? The suspicions begin to fall upon the Old Glory church and how the men treat the women and children.
Soon there is another death, and an hourglass symbol is found to be carved underneath the ear of the victims.
Ellie is working night and day to find answers and solve the identity of the sadistic killer.
I was glad to read of Cord being active in the searches with Ellie. She also calls for Derrick with the FBI to come and assist. Sheriff Bryce is of almost no use to the police force, but at least he doesn't get in her way. I won't post spoilers, but the action is non-stop.
Publication Date: June 10, 2021
Thank you to NetGalley, Rita Heron, and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC The Burning Girls by Rita Herron that I read and reviewed.
This is the third book in the Ellie Reeves series. This book kept the story of Ellie trying to learn the story of her past going and her hunting for another serial killer. This killer is another one that hits close to home because he is killing women that were are connected to the social worker who knows who Ellie’s real mother is so now Ellie has to find out if her real birth is part of this killers sick game.
This book was filled of a lot of twist and unveils that turned Ellie’s life around again. I really enjoyed how Herron told this story and added more layers to Ellie’s life and answered some questions from other books.
The Burning Girls gets five out of five stars.