Maegan Beaumont is back! I’d previously read her Sabrina Vaughn series and loved it and then I didn’t see any new books from her ages. Until now. This is to be the start of a new series. And what an impressive start it is.

Georgia Fell returns to Angel Bay Island after 10 years away. Ten years after she ran away from her foster home because Lincoln McNamara, the young man she adored, had gotten her younger foster sister, Jenna, pregnant. Now, after a stint in the army as an MP, she returns to the island because of a surprise inheritance. Elizabeth Fell has left her substantial estate to Georgia, even though she is not a real ‘Fell’, only in name and that was a mistake. But I digress. A text message one night, using a long established code among the foster children, summons Georgia to the Devil’s Den, a shady establishment where motorbike gang members hang out. She thinks the message is from Jenna but apparently not. Jenna is off her face and clearly ‘with’ the bikers. But as Georgia leaves she stumbles across the body of another former foster sister, Rachel. Rachel has been violated and strangled to death.

Georgia’s boyfriend is the town sheriff, Alex. But when she learns that the death is being officially filed as an overdose she gets angry with him. She knows what she saw. Also, why has young Julie Kates been arrested for stealing a boat and crashing it on Devil’s Island? Georgia pays the bail and takes Julie back to her place, the enormous mansion which she hasn’t even fully explored yet.

Georgia soon starts to realise there is some really shady stuff going down on the Island and she is concerned for the safety of young Julie and even Savanna, the daughter Lincoln had with Jenna. She vows to protect the girls and find out what the heck is going on. There is a sense of impending doom through the story, which only ramps up as the book progresses.

The pacing of this story is relentless and there are many secrets to be revealed and twists to be discovered. Georgia needs to work out, and soon, who she can really trust if she is to survive and protect the girls. The truth, when it is revealed is so ‘big’ as to be shocking and the sheer number of people involved and the betrayals and the lies are breathtaking. Georgia is a fabulous character - hard as nails and gritty yet with a soft heart and a sense of what is right! You will have no trouble rooting for her. I really enjoyed reading and I can’t wait for the next book! Many thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for the much appreciated arc which I reviewed voluntarily and honestly.

A big thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the ARC. I am voluntarily reviewing this book. This is my first book by this author. This is also book 1 in a new series. The main character is Georgia. There is much unknown about Georgia-her past is not clear, her inheritance is not clear. It is sort of frustrating that you get glimpses of her past and there were so so many secrets. Some places she is strong and other times she just allows people to railroad her. It was sort of confusing. Overall a good read, very convoluted and full of suspense. There were a few quirks and surprises for the reader as well. 3.5 stars

I’d like to thank Bookouture and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read ‘The Darkwater Girls’ written by Meagan Beaumont in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

Former US Army Military Police Officer Georgia Fell receives a message from Jenna asking for her help at Devil’s Den where dangerous biker gangs The Disciples and Reapers and their vicious leader King congregate. Georgia doesn’t delay as Jenna is one of the ‘sisters’ she left behind on Angel Bay Island. When she gets there she argues with Jenna who says she didn’t send her a message. Georgina leaves and heads outside where she discovers the body of another ‘sister’ Rachel lying in tall grass. Georgina can see that she’s been strangled and violently attacked and despite being told that she’s dead from a drug overdose, Georgina knows what she saw!

When I started reading Meagan Beaumont’s ‘The Darkwater Girls’ I wasn’t sure I was going to like it, but how wrong I was! By the time I’d read 10% I was hooked, and I continued reading solidly till I got to the end. This is an addictive, fast-paced and thoroughly exciting thriller that has a strong plot and sensational content. I loved the character of Georgina Fell who’s smart, feisty and so sassy, who has a kind heart to those she befriends and a desire to destroy those she doesn’t. The book contains suspense, intrigue, bloodshed, twists and turns, a whole collection of unsavoury characters, and with the red herrings thrown in for good measure it’s difficult to decide who can be trusted or even believed. As this is book one in the Georgia Fell series I’m really looking forward to reading the next one and seeing how Georgia’s character develops as well as catching up with Lincoln, Savannah, Julie and Evie. This has been a thoroughly enjoyable read and one I can wholeheartedly recommend.

A dark and gritty suspenseful mystery. Jaw dropping and explosive, this one takes you into a pet of town far from perfect. It takes you into the darkest corners of humanity. What’s right in front of us isn’t always what it seems to be. A horrifying story with twists and turns. Great characters that make this book so realistic. So suspenseful. This is one hell of a hang on tight it’s going to get crazy kind of ride.

Summary:
When Georgia's foster sister texts her, saying she needs help, she reluctantly agrees to return to her home town. Because why would Jenna even want her help? Their falling-out was one of the reasons for Georgia's disappearance, after all. But when she gets there, Jenna insists she didn't write that message - and another one of their foster sisters is found dead - but no one believes Georgia that it was murder, though she must know, she worked for the military police. Soon, Georgia finds herself entangled in a net of secrets and lies.

My opinion:
First of all, I loved the setting on a Michigan island, it was so atmospheric and described beautifully. Also, the community and internal rivalries gave me huge Megan Miranda vibes. Unfortunately, I didn't like Georgia as a main character. She was too gullible for an ex-military cop, and her toughness seemed staged, I just didn't buy it. Sometimes, I wanted to scream at the characters to just get over themselves. I also figured out most of the major twists, but there were some that did surprise me, which I really liked. This book definitely holds potential for the second book in the series!

This was my first book by Maegan Beaumont.

🦄 Parts of this book reminded me of:
-Into The Water by Paula Hawkins
- The Last House Guest by Megan Miranda
- Night Falls Still Missing by Helen Callaghan

Wow. This is the launch of an exciting new series. While I read it I had so many questions swirling in my mind. I wanted to find out what it was that Georgia did on the island. It wasn’t until the end that I received my answer. I figured out a key part of the plot early on and was satisfied to learn I was correct. I know who Georgia needs to be with but the author put me threw the wringer for most of the book. Georgia does need to be a better judge of character, however. I kept yelling at her throughout the book to wake up! It’s off to a good start and I’m eager to read the next one.

This is the first in a new series from Maegan Beaumont and what an entrance!

A suspenseful face paced read that had me hooked from the first page to the last so many questions with a list of possible answers.

Amazing character development and writing can't wait to see how this series develops I eagerly await book two.

This was a solid page turner and I enjoyed it. I'm interested in seeing how the author develops Georgia's character and life story in future books. The conclusion certainly gets the heart racing and it's not all over in a flash.

Thank you to Bookouture, NetGalley, and the author for an advanced copy of this book.

Thank you NetGalley for the ACR of The Darkwater Girls by Maegan Beaumont that I read and reviewed.
This is the first book in a new series and I had mixed feeling about it. I really enjoyed the mystery and whole concept of trying to figure out who where the bad people in the book and who where the people Georgia could really trust but it was told by too many perspectives. I am not one of those readers that like to be in the head of every character. I like one or two at the most. As they say there were too many chefs in the kitchen in this book. I think the same thing would have been accomplished without having so much going on.
I am going to hold off and wait and see how the next book if before I give my final judgment on what I feel about where this series will go. But this book was had a really good story and I would recommend it for that.
I am giving The Darkwater Girls four out of five stars.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Bookouture for an advance copy of The Darkwater Girls, the first novel to feature former military police investigator Georgia Fell, set on the fictional Michigan island of Angel Bay.

Georgia returns to Angel Bay after an unexpected inheritance and settles in to restoring her new home until she gets a text one night from a former fellow foster child, a woman she regards as a sister, asking for help. What she finds is another “sister”, Rachel, strangled to death, but whose death is labelled an overdose, she starts to investigate. All roads seem to lead to Lincoln, the man she left the island to escape.

I enjoyed The Darkwater Girls to a point as it is full of action and twists and turns, but I feel it occasionally loses its way and gets bogged down in circular thinking.

The novel is told mainly from Georgia and Lincoln’s first person points of view with the occasional switch to other characters. Each chapter is helpfully titled with the character’s name but when I forgot to check it got confusing. Georgia’s narrative is fairly straightforward as she’s reacting to events, although that reaction isn’t always logical or clear headed. Annoyingly so at times. Lincoln, on the other hand, is keeping secrets, both past and present. It is these secrets and Georgia’s reactions that form the basis of the novel. There is a strong feeling of unfinished business about their dealings and that may be colouring her reactions.

The novel has all the prerequisites for a crime novel, secrets, tension, misdirection and a strong action scene as a denouement. It loses its way at times, playing up the romantic tension and losing the logic and the middle is circular. There is plenty of action in this middle bit, but Georgia makes no effort to question what she’s being told and follows the misdirection blindly. It’s incredibly frustrating for the reader. Some of the twists are easier to guess than others and to give her her due the author saves the most blinding one till last.

The Darkwater Girls is a promising start to a new series. 3.5*

The Darkwater Girls is an utterly compelling, addictive, fast-paced, and suspenseful story full of great characters, twists and lies and honestly I couldn't put it down. Furthermore, I had no idea who was responsible, which characters were telling the truth and which weren't, but I new Georgia wouldn't stop until she got to the truth.

Would definitely recommend.

**I was kindly provided with an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review**

Thos was a good Crime Fiction story. All far fetched at some points but a good quick read. I am excited to see where this series goes from here.

Some books you start and you want to know where they have been! Great first book in a new series. I was hooked from page one.
Meet Georgia Fell, left as a baby, grew up in foster care, and due to a little slip on her birth certificate got the last name the prestige Fell family (one of the richest families on the island), ran as far as she could, joined the army as a Military Police, and now the heir of the Fell family fortune.
She always looked out for “brothers” and “sisters” – a coded text for help gets her to least the desirable place on the island, and she stumbles over one of her sisters dead body – never to let things rest, Georgia sets out to solve the murder and steps into a much larger plot.
Can’t wait to read book 2!
Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture for an advanced copy in exchange of my opinion.

So I was going to not finish this book as the beginning did not grab me, I took a break and continued and then it got really really good. I really got into the story - I did guess who but not how it would be resolved and I can't wait for what happens next.

I really do recommend this book and will be investigating more.

I was given an advance copy by netgalley and the publishers but the review is entirely my own.

The Darkwater Girls – Maegan Beaumont

Wow! This book took me on a ride and a half! Fantastic!

Georgia Fell is a young woman who grew up in the foster system after being abandoned as an infant on Angel Bay Island, MI. Known as the ‘Angel Bay Baby’, Georgia was the islands’ golden girl before she left without warning, after an unexpected betrayal by Lincoln McNamara, the boy she thought she loved.

Ten years and a military stint as an MP later, she has returned, after the unexpected inheritance of an island estate belonging to an elderly matriarch. Now an adult, and military trained, Georgia learns that much has changed on the island, including the appearance of biker gangs, Lincoln’s felon status after a murder attempt and incarceration, and a new Sheriff who hails from Detroit, quickly becoming Georgia’s boyfriend.

Out of the blue, she receives a text that spurs her to action – one of her many foster sisters from years past is calling for help, using a code they had as kids. She tells Georgia she’s at Devil’s Den, a dangerous establishment well off the beaten track and overrun with bikers. As Georgia arrives and finds Jenna, she denies having called her. Confused, Georgia heads back out to her truck, only to trip on the body of another foster sister, Rachel, who appears to have been strangled.

From this point on, the novel takes off like a rocket as Georgia starts asking her own questions and investigating the events leading up to Rachel’s death. But things just don’t add up – she and the Sheriff disagree on the cause of death, and Rachel’s body mysteriously disappears from the hospital morgue, reportedly cremated per family request. Georgia visits Rachel’s family, then loses her brakes and rolls her truck – an accident that appears to be no accident – but who wants her dead and why? Then, another death, and a disappearance, leaving Georgia wondering who she can trust…yet determined to leave no stone unturned…

Oh my goodness, this book was soooo GOOD! You’ll be sucked in quickly and find yourself frantically flipping pages to see what happens next. I started this book at bedtime and stayed up half the night just to finish – I couldn’t have put it down in I wanted to! I love Georgia’s character and am eager to see how she’ll develop and how the series will progress! Add this book to your ‘must read’ list immediately - I promise you won’t be disappointed!

I received this book as an Advance Reader Copy from #Netgalley & Bookouture, in exchange for an objective review.

This looks like the start of a promising new series! It started off a bit slow but picked up pace quickly and just kept going. I like the island setting and the lead character of Georgia. She is feisty and tough, knows exactly what she wants. and won't suffer fools gladly. The mix of good and bad characters worked really well and I look forward to the follow up. Thanks to Net Galley for my ARC.

The Darkwater Girls is a riveting thriller that takes place on lakeshores of Upper Michigan.
Georgia Fell returns home after years away to find her sister has been murdered. Or has she? All the evidence points to accidental death, but Georgia swears she saw strangulatiaon marks when she happened upon the body.
The Darkwater Girls hooked me from the first chapter. A thoroughly engaging story, by Chapter 5 there was a list of questions that NEEDED answers. This is an immersive read, keeping the reader fully engaged in the story. It's like the ultimate game of Clue. There are so many possible scenarios, each one having merit. The story flows so smoothly, leading you right up to the shocking conclusion. With a myriad of shady side charachters Georgia will be extremely busy from here on out!
Maegan Beaumont has made an explosive return with her new Georgia Fell series!

The Dark Water Girls by Megan Beaumont

Georgia Fell returns to the island she grew up on only to become emerged in the islands dark underbelly. When people she’s close with are coming up murdered, who can she trust?

Holy sh*t! I have to admit at first I wasn’t feeling this book. It was alright but just not that exciting, and I couldn’t figure out how I felt about Georgia Fell. BUT THEN!! I got hooked! The twists and turns that would come out of nowhere had me yelling at my tablet and speed reading my way to the end and had my head spinning. This is the first book in a series. I can’t wait for more!

4.5/5 stars

This was a very good, very readable book, Georgia Fell was found abandoned as a newborn ad was raised in a series of foster homes on a Michigan island. The last one was in the home of a prominent attorney who had a biological son, Lincoln, that Georgia fell in love with. But when one of the foster sisters became pregnant, Lincoln married her and Georgia left the island and went into military law enforcement. When Elizabeth Fell, another rich stalwart of the island died and left all of her money and a sprawling mansion to Georgia, she came back. But her best friend was killed, her boyfriend, the local sheriff seemed to be covering it up, and Lincoln seemed to be caught in the middle of it.

I was surprised that I liked it as much as I did given the huge plot holes. For example, why would a healthy baby, especially a healthy white baby, grow up in foster care when there are so many people looking to adopt? Why did the mansion come with a mechanic and boat mechanic on the payroll, but there was nobody cleaning the house? 30 bedrooms take an awfully lot of dusting even if my low standards are used.

The big twist toward the end should be no surprise to anyone who has read a mystery/police procedural before. But I am very much looking forward to the rest of the series, if only to find out in which installment the truth that Elizabeth is really Georgia's mother is revealed.

suspenseful from the very start and fast paces as well , couldn't stop reading if i wanted to. The characters, the story , it was everything i was hoping and much more. The perfect read , to just set and do that which was read. Plus I was was constantly trying to figure out who to trust and who was lying , and every time i thought i had it I was wrong , what a great start to a new series .