Thank you Stacy Green for taking me out of my comfort zone and reminding me that people we and the people we love have flaws, that life flows curve balls and we can still love and live. I want Nikki Hunt at my back. I want to meet Rory and his family. There would tid-bits dropped about Rorys past. The horrible truth of sex trafficking of minors was addressed, albeit in a more genteel way. PTSD for Nikki and her daughter and just a heart wrenching book that had me crossing fingers and toes as well as bowing down to the strength in Nikki's love and belief in Rory. I am constantly searching for the the next Nikki Hunt, watching her grow, seeing her flaws and in awe of her capacity to give in service and to her family and friends. Thank you Stacy Green, thank you Bookouture, thank you NetGalley, for the arc.

This is book #4 in the Nikki Hunt series. Whilst it’s part of a series, it can easily be read as a standalone book, although I would recommend reading them in order. FBI Special Agent Nikki Hunt is a great character and I’ve enjoyed following her storylines in the previous books. She’s thrown straight into a murder investigation when the bones of a girl are found on a construction site. The case is made more difficult for Nikki when it becomes clear that her boyfriend, Rory recognises whose body it is and she is forced to take a step back from the investigation.

This book follows on closely from the previous book in the series, and whilst I won’t spoil that book for anyone who hasn’t read it, it’s safe to say Nikki is still struggling to deal with what happened. I really like Nikki’s character and admire her as a single mother and FBI Agent! I have to admit though this was the first book where I haven’t warmed to Rory’s character as much, and I think it’s partly because he’s obviously hiding something throughout! The storyline is well paced and the mystery of what happened to the young girl all those years before is well thought out with the suspense building as the book moves on.

There are plenty of twists and turns throughout the story, and I enjoyed trying to work it all out. There aren’t a huge number of suspects so you think it would be easy to have it all sewn up by at least half way through, but I was left swapping and changing my mind as to who was responsible and why! This is a great series and Nikki’s character is so likeable! On the outside she’s tough, gutsy and smart, but you don’t have to scratch the surface too much to see the emotional side of her – and to be honest, with what she’s gone through, is that really surprising!! This was a thoroughly enjoyable read, which kept me turning the pages to the very end! Would recommend!

A keep you 'up all night' thriller!!
The Girl In The Ground is a keep you 'up all night' thriller. Once you start reading you won't be able to put it down until the last page has been turned.
The suspense builds layer by layer and the tension mounts to a gripping conclusion. The story flows well with great pacing and with unexpected twist and turns, it will keep you reading well into the night. A 5-star read from beginning to end.

BLOG TOUR REVIEW

Review for 'The Girl In The Ground' by Stacy Green.

Read and reviewed via NetGalley for Stacy Green, Bookouture publishers and Bookouture anonymous

Publication date 1st December 2021.

This is the third book I have read by this author. It is also the fourth book in the 'Nikki Hunt' series but can be read as a standalone. I have previously read 'The Girls In The Snow' which is the first book in the 'Nikki Hunt' series and 'Lost Angels' which is the third book in the series and which I highly recommend.


I was originally drawn to this book by its beautiful eye catching cover and its intriguing synopsis and title. The synopsis stated that 'The Girl in the Ground is an unputdownable new mystery for fans of Lisa Regan, Robert Dugoni and Willow Rose. ' I am a huge fan of Lisa Gardner so am looking forward to seeing if this lives up to this statement. I am also a huge fan of Stacy Green and if this is half as good as 'The Girls In The Snow' and 'Lost Angels' it is sure to be a page turning read. I must admit I was also biased due to the publisher being Bookouture. I have yet to read a book published by Bookouture that I haven't enjoyed. Hopefully this won't be the first... Watch this space! (Written before I started reading the book).

This novel consists of a prologue, 27 chapters and an epilogue. The chapters are short to medium in length so possible to read 'just one more chapter' before bed...OK, I know yeah right, but still just in case!

This book is set in Minnesota, USA 🇺🇸.

This book is written in first person perspective with the main protagonist is Special Agent Nikki Hunt. The benefits of third person perspective are that it let's you see the bigger picture of what's going on and you get to know more characters more, what they are thinking and what they are doing. It feels like you get to see the whole picture and not miss out in anything.

Wow!!! Yet another absolutely unputdownable addictive book in this gripping series!!! Very well written with fantastic descriptions this book had the perfect settings and a great storyline! The cover and blog suited the book perfectly.

The storyline started straight into the action and sucked me straight in where it kept me until the last page. Filled with murder, lies, suspense, action and many a red herring I didn't have a clue who did what which is a huge bonus when it comes to crime novels for me. There's nothing worse than working it all out and your not even half way through the book. This book is absolutely addictive and I read it in one sitting. It kept me on the edge of my seat, biting my nails with my heart absolutely pounding throughout especially at the end! I really am looking forward to the next episode in what is definitely A gripping, all consuming addictive series.

Although this is the fourth book in the series there would be absolutely no problems reading it without the others. Any details or events that have previously happened are mentioned in just the right amount of detail to let a new reader know what has happened and yet not too much to bore a previous reader.


I absolutely loved meeting Nikki, Liam, Rory and Courtney again. I love the fact that the females are such strong women who are not to be messed with and Ive become completely invested in each of them including the sweet Lacey. Although Nikki went through hell as a teenager and continued to do so in each book, especially the previous book to this (Lost Angels, book three in this fantastic series) she was definitely not being dragged down. She has a massive personality and her team worked well together, each having their own individuality which is always great to see. All the characters were believable and worked really well with the story. The team dynamics are perfect and they all work well together, they can laugh together and bring each other comfort and it's lovely to see a team of friends work together in a book. I am looking forward to meeting them all again in the next novel.

This is exactly why you are on my favourite author list Stacy and I would love to see made into a movie!!!

A MASSIVE CONGRATULATIONS ON YET ANOTHER FANTASTIC SUCCESS STACY AND HERE'S TO MANY MORE 🍻🥂 !!!!

Overall an absolute kick ass start to what promises to be a nail biting, action packed fantastic series!!


Genres covered in this novel include Mystery, Thriller, Suspense, Psychological Thriller, Romance Novel, Police Procedural and Crime Fiction amongst others.

I would recommend this book to the fans of the above as well as fans of Karin Slaughter, M. J. Arlidge, P. J. Tracy and anyone after an action packed crime book.


266 pages.

This book is just £1.99 to purchase on kindle via Amazon which I think is an absolute bargain for this book!!!

Rated 5 /5 (I LOVED it ) on Goodreads, Instagram, Amazon UK and Amazon US and on over 30 Facebook pages plus my blog on Facebook.

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EXCERPT: She was beautiful: shiny blond hair, crystal blue eyes and the widest smile Nikki had ever seen. She thought back to what she had seen in the ground, the dirt that caked the white bones. All that remained of her now was the silver locket that was still around her neck…

ABOUT 'THE GIRL IN THE GROUND': When construction workers unearth a girl’s skeleton in Stillwater, Minnesota, Special Agent Nikki Hunt is called to the scene by her boyfriend Rory. Nikki knows instantly that the girl was murdered, but she is shocked when Rory immediately recognizes her. The victim was his childhood sweetheart, Becky, and he was the last person to see her before she went missing twenty-four years ago.

With the love of her life now a potential suspect, Nikki is forced to take a step back from the case. But then her colleague Liam finds lies in Rory’s statement – it appears that Becky may have been carrying Rory’s child when she was killed. Despite this, Nikki still thinks he could be innocent, and knows she must find the real killer herself if Rory stands any chance of walking free.

When Nikki finds a potential link to two pregnant girls who were found murdered years before it’s clear that this is the most twisted killer that she has ever faced. And then another girl goes missing from Stillwater. Can Nikki unearth the truth and protect the man she loves? And will she find the missing girl in time to save her life?

MY THOUGHTS: Another one-sitting page turner that kept me up and reading through the night . . .

The name Nikki Hunt is enough to start me hyperventilating. How much can one woman take? How much drama? How much death? How much danger to her loved ones? And so much for easing back into the job - not a chance Nikki. It's straight in at the deep end.

There are three separate investigations that Nikki becomes involved in on her first day back at work, a day where she is meant to ease gently back into the work flow and take care of the paperwork that has accumulated in her absence.

#1. A surrogate mother close to giving birth has gone missing.

#2. An agent from Nikki's past wants her input into a trafficking case.

#3. The body of a woman and foetus is unearthed at a construction site.

And all before breakfast . . .

The Girl in the Ground is an intense read that progresses at breakneck speed, not allowing Nikki any time for sleep and the reader scarcely the time to breathe.

A relationship from Nikki's past puts in an appearance, her current partner becomes a prime suspect in a murder investigation, and loyalties are tested as the cases seem to become entwined.

My one criticism of this book is the amount of dialogue; the endless talking. But that is just a personal preference as I prefer more descriptive reads.

Any fan of action thrillers will love this series and, despite my dislike of dialogue driven reads, I will certainly be lining up for the next in the series.

Just a reminder that this is a series and, although this could be read as a stand-alone, I would recommend that you begin with the first book, The Girls in the Snow, in order to get all the background and development of the characters.

⭐⭐⭐.7

#TheGirlintheGround #Bookouture #NetGalley

I: @authorstacygreen @bookouture

T: @stacygreen26 @Bookouture

#contemporaryfiction #crime #detectivefiction #FBI #murdermystery #thriller

THE AUTHOR: Stacy has a love of thrillers and crime fiction, and she is always looking for the next dark and twisted novel to enjoy. She started her career in journalism before becoming a stay at home mother and rediscovering her love of writing. She lives in Iowa with her husband and daughter and their three spoiled fur babies.

DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Bookouture via Netgalley for providing a digital ARC of The Girl in the Ground by Stacy Green for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.

For an explanation of my rating system please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the about page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com

This review is also published on Twitter, Amazon, Instagram and my webpage

Nikki Hunt is an FBI agent working in the town she grew up, which means an enormous amount of personal history. She overcomes all of the whispers and does her job better than her superiors. A woman is missing, a surrogate, but there’s more to her story than anybody could guess. The puzzles and twists that connect different cases and people are amazing, the reason I never wanted to stop reading. The Hunt books could be 800 pages and it won’t take long to read, the suspense and the characters hold my interest easily. Although this is the fourth book in the series it could be picked up and read at any point in the story. Each book has different cases and crimes but there is an overarching personal story, Green gives enough details to job memories and help new readers. I’ve provided my review honestly after reading an early copy.

The Girl in the Ground is the fourth book in the police procedural series featuring Agent Nikki Hunt. Set in Stillwater, Minnesota, FBI Profiler/ Special Agent Nikki makes a very likeable agent. Nikki came back to Stillwater after twenty years of working away, and I first met her in book one, The Girls in the Snow.

In this instalment, Nikki Hunt pits her wits against a killer when a girl’s skeleton is unearthed and her body is that of her beau, Rory's childhood sweetheart, Becky. He was the last person to see her before she went missing twenty-four years ago. Then another woman goes missing, but are the cases related?

This compelling and engaging story hotted up with alacrity. The characters were very well portrayed and protagonist Nikki has been created and developed wonderfully. Nikki is resourceful, intelligent and complex and there is a lot going on in her personal life. The Girl in the Ground was extremely compulsive with plenty of action, reveals and plot twists. Stacy Green's writing is a good fit for me and I believe she excels when it comes to character development. I was glued to the pages and I didn't want to put this book down as I was desperate to know the outcome of the story. As the tension snowballed in this edge-of-your-seat read, the story bounded towards the resolution, the suspense culminating in a great finale. Going forward, I’m very keen to read more in this exciting series. A very highly recommended crime-thriller.

I received a complimentary copy of this novel at my request from Bookouture via NetGalley. This review is my own unbiased opinion.

A very good book with great characters

It’s the 4th in the series of Nikki Hunt books which was unfortunate as I hadn’t read previous ones and get the feeling this has spoilers for earlier books.

That’s not going to daunt me though it was good enough to whet my appetite enough and I will now go and start reading from book one.

Nikki Hunt is back again for the fourth instalment of the Nikki Hunt Series. When a woman’s bones are found in Rory’s construction site, Nikki is called. Rory knows the woman and questions are being asked. Did Rory do it? Nikki wants to prove his innocence but cannot get involved in the case.

Nikki’s case is a pregnant woman who has gone missing, she and her baby’s life is in danger due to pregnancy complications and it is a race against time to find her and the baby. It isn’t just another missing person case though, and when more pregnant women’s bones are unearthed at another site it seems they could be linked to the bones at Rory’s construction site.
I was wondering how the fourth book would pan out since Frost has been caught now, I was so glad that Stacy Green decided to continue with the series, there is so much more of Nikki Hunt to give.
I was hooked from the first few pages and read this book really quickly, I couldn’t get enough of it.
There were much-loved characters from the previous books and new ones too, which on the FBI side I got to know and like. I hope we see more of those in future books.
The investigation was brilliant; it was very true to life and brings up some important current crimes that people will have heard of.
I do think the Nikki Hunt books need to be made into a TV series, it would make for great viewing.

Stacy Green has become one of my favourite authors in the crime fiction genre. I love her Agent Nikki Hunt books. They are always really addictive and I really like Nikki. The latest case she is investigating in The Girl in the Ground, hits far too close to home when it’s her boyfriend, Rory who discovers the remains of a young woman at a building site. It might even be the case that Rory knew the victim.

I was really intrigued by the mystery in this book. It starts off with a chilling opening where we see two girls collecting river stones. And this scene ends on a very chilling note which made me want to read the rest of the book right away.

I’ve really liked seeing Nikki and Rory’s relationship develop over the course of the last few books and I was worried where this latest development would take them. You can see clearly how distressed Rory is at the finding the remains, but that doesn’t stop him from becoming a potential suspect in the eyes of Nikki’s colleagues. Rory’s emotion does come through very strongly in Stacy Green’s writing.

There is tension on every page as Nikki and her team race to find a killer. I wanted to know what the killer’s motive was and how this young woman had gone undiscovered in the ground for so long. I also wanted to know more about Rory’s connection to the victim. As in the previous books in the series, Stacy Green keeps the suspense and intrigue ticking up a notch with each new chapter. This is what I really love about her writing.

Things take an even more surprising turn when a pregnant woman, who is a surrogate, disappears. There are some very dark themes which Stacy Green explores in this book, including sex trafficking. It does make for tense reading when Stacy Green delves into the stories of the victims in her book. But she does this sensitively.

I really enjoyed The Girl in the Ground. I am a big fan of this series and this book is one of my favourites in the series. If you enjoy gripping detective novels, you won’t be disappointed.

The Girl in the Ground (Nikki Hunt Book 4) is an intensely gripping read by Stacy Green. FBI Special Agent Nikki Hunt has had a difficult time lately. Coming back to work after the death of her ex-husband she finds her current boyfriend to be in trouble now. No matter how much Nikki distances herself from this case it circles back to an over twenty year old murder recently discovered.

This powerhouse writer delivers an electrifying scary read every time. This one is one great read with nail-biting suspense but ending on a positive thought – appreciate and celebrate every day God gives you. This book reads well on its own but why not get to know Nikki Hunt as I have start with the very first book. You won’t be sorry.

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.

Thank you to Bookouture for letting me take part in this tour. I really enjoyed the first 3 books in this series and I have been eagerly awaiting this instalment. While this is the 4th book in the series this can be read as a standalone.

Nikki has returned from a leave of absence due to the circumstances of the end of the last book. Understandably Nikki feels a bit rusty but I think she returned stronger and more determined than ever.

I found Rory quite irritating in this book. I can see why he was distrustful but I don’t think he helped himself. I was sad not to see more of Courtney. I felt she didn't get enough air time in this book. I really liked seeing more of Rory’s parents. I think it was good to get a bit more background on them.
The book has a very fast-moving plot. I easily read this book in only a few days. It's so hard to put down as there’s always something happening that makes you want to keep reading.

Stacy does an excellent job of keeping up the suspense and the mystery. I was on edge for so much of this book. This was an excellent addition to an already brilliant series. I can’t wait to see what Stacy brings us next!

This is the fourth book in the Nikki Hunt series and its as engaging as the last three! It picks up from the tragedy of the last book and sees Nikki return to work.

Nikki is a fab character she's just genuine and very likeable and doesn't try to hide her flaws.

Another tension filled gripping suspenseful page turner a fab edition!

Wow. This series is amazing and this book is incredibly suspenseful and very addictive. A word of warning- don't start reading thus unless you have time to spare to finish it at a stretch. Believe me you won't be able to put it down. Loved loved loved.

The girl in the ground by Stacey Green.
Nikki Hunt book 4.
When construction workers unearth a girl’s skeleton in Stillwater, Minnesota, Special Agent Nikki Hunt is called to the scene by her boyfriend Rory. Nikki knows instantly that the girl was murdered, but she is shocked when Rory immediately recognizes her. The victim was his childhood sweetheart, Becky, and he was the last person to see her before she went missing twenty-four years ago.
A brilliant read. I loved the story. Nikki was my favourite character. Read in one sitting as I couldn't put it down. 5*.

Special agent Nikki Hunt deals with some of the sickest crimes ever and this one is at the very top. She is going back to work after losing her ex-husband and getting her daughter back from a crazy man. Her daughter had been kidnapped but Nikki didn't stop until she was safe in her arms again.

This one is the darkest book in this series yet. Dealing with sex trafficking is a hard one to read about but it's told in a way that you don't hear the gory details. The horrific things the young girls endured. Except at their end. The end of the lives of so many young girls. Once they become pregnant they are no longer needed. Then their lives are ended. Taken at such a young age and groomed to be the property of a sick man. A sick person who just takes a child and messes up her life forever. Maybe a few were possibly lucky to have died. Maybe not. I'll never understand the reason behind sick people wanting a young child for such horrific acts. They are monsters. Nothing less.

This story had me hooked from the very beginning. I wanted to know what happened to the sisters on the beach. Were they hurt or was the person watching just a friend or family member. It goes into the day Nikki hunt goes back to work after the murder of her ex-husband and rescue of her only child. The things she does to try to save the innocents in her line of work are nothing short of heroic on many levels. The strength she has for the job she loves.

This story makes you feel so many emotions. So many tears and such pain to know what happened to some of these children and young women. Knowing that Nikki is on the job gave me hope that all would end well. This series takes you to the deepest level of crimes and out the other side. Nothing hid. No loose ends. No cliffhangers. All is covered by the last page and you are rooting for good over evil once again.

Thank you #NetGalley, #StacyGreen, #Bookouture for this ARC. This is my own true thoughts about this book.

5/5 stars. I highly recommend this one if you have read the Nikki Hunt series. You won't be disappointed. It's a fast paced book from start to dramatic finish.

Intricately woven and tension filled read.
Nikki finds it hard to stand down when her boyfriend is a person of interest after a body is found on his construction site. Then, to her dismay, an old flame asks for her help profiling a suspected human trafficker and to find a missing pregnant girl.  There's a lot going on but it is easy to follow and it all ties together in the end.
I really like the characters and writing style. I can't wait for the next one.

💀Even skeletons tell a tale: tragic child abuse😟

FBI profiler Nikki Hunt is a great character and her investigations have lots of twists and surprises. I've followed this Stacy Green series from the beginning and plan to continue. That said, I think this was my least favorite of the books in the series so far.

I did not like the way the Prologue seemed totally unrelated to the rest of the story until the latter part of the book when Petunia reappears.

The story focuses on two different investigations. One touches all too close to Nikki when Rory, her current boyfriend, discovers a human skeleton on his worksite and learns that it's his one-time girlfriend. Rory has been a positive influence for Nikki and her young daughter but in this story he goes off the rails a bit and Nikki can't be as supportive to him as she would like for fear of corrupting the investigation.

Separately, a heavily pregnant young woman surrogate disappears and the search for her dovetails into a child trafficking investigation with victims going back many years.

The characters seemed realistic in that they all let their foibles and flaws surface. Green's a fine writer and it's a good though tragic story with victims, victims everywhere, many of them sadly without identity. It just did not grab me as intensely as other books in the series.

Thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for sharing a complimentary advance copy of the book; this is my voluntary and honest opinion.

The Girl in the Ground is the fourth book in the Nikki Hunt series by Stacy Green. I love this series and am never disappointed with each new book. After her ex-husband , a fellow FBI agent, is killed in the last case she was investigating, Nikki took some time off to be with her young daughter. On her first day back on the job, she is called to a site where her boyfriend Rory’s construction company is working. There were bones discovered and it is later found out it was Rory’s high school girlfriend who he says he hasn’t seen or heard from since they broke up. This book was a great read and I highly recommend it. Thanks to Netgalley and Bookoture for this Arc.

Thank you Netgalley and Bookouture for this arc. I don't mind reading a series out of order, an this was my first book in this series. My only issue was not knowing who was who sometimes because sometimes the first name was used and I couldn't connect it to the last name! But that soon passed and I really enjoyed the story after I got into it. It was a bit more complex than many books I read, so I found myself having to concentrate more.
Nikki is a great character, and I plan to go back and read the first three books in the series now.