The Mother at Number 5, I think is not what I would have picked for the title of this book. However the story line was good and the narration went along well with it.
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While Adam and Ros are on vacation with their daughters Ros meets Lotte a single mom looking for a new friend. What Ros doesn't know is that her new friend has an agenda. A friendly invitation to have cocktails has turned into a night that Ros cannot remember. Thank goodness her vacation is almost over and she will not need to see Lotte again.
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Returning home and settling back to everyday life Ros drops her girls off at school to find Lotte there with her daughter Katelyn. Shocked to see her and even more shocked to find out she lives just a block away, but how? why? Ros thought her wild night would come back to haunt her, but that is not the only thing that will turn her life upside down. Lotte is out for revenge but on who?
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I was gifted the ALC from Netgalley and Jill Childs for my honest review. I have to say I am not sure I would call it a Thriller but more a suspense book waiting to see what is happening in the story and trying to figure out what is going to happen. In my opinion I am going with a 3.5 star rating. The story line does have a few triggers for those who are sensitive to sexual assault.

I really wanted to love this one, I really tried. The whole concept of the book is honestly great and I've not seen many books that want to make us see that we are glamorizing the serial killers and forgetting the victims. That's what kept me going, but it was so slow for me that it didn't hold my interest.

I loved the way the story was unfolded, with the multiple POV's and the victim Abby's POV that is actually made to feel as if it was you. I felt it gave a more personal touch to the book and made you feel like you were in it. Although I can understand it can get confusing for some readers to follow the switches and the third and second person written POV's.

I could not love the characters as they were portrayed actually pretty horribly. They were annoying and hard to empathize with. It was a very character focused book, which is not what I expected when I read the blurb, that disappointed me. As I mentioned the idea of it was great, to make people realize that the true crime podcasts are really focusing on the serial killers and making them "stars".

Also, there was a lot to unpack in this book, it brushed on a lot of topics, which I wished the author would've focused more on one. It felt too heavy and confusing in my opinion

I can see why so many did enjoy it !! It might also be something you would enjoy. Not because it isn't for me that it's not for you.

I am glad I listened to this one, as I am not sure I would've stuck through it by reading. The narrator did a good job, but I felt her voices for each character very similar so it was a bit confusing.

✨️Thank you to @netgalley & @rbmedia for my free ARC & ALC in exchange for an honest review.

A fast-paced thriller with alternating timelines between the past and the present. The book features three friends, all with their own secrets, guilt, and trauma. Abby is murdered during their freshman year of college, and twelve years later, her body is found, and the man who is suspected of killing is on death row for other murders. We follow Chelsea and Bree as they struggle to cope with their friend's death and the guilt they've carried for over a decade. The story shines a light on the romanticization and glitz given to true crime podcasts and TV and tries to bring the focus back to the victim. I appreciate that the victim nor her friends are squeaky clean either because it makes the aftermath feel real. The ripples that a crime has on not just the victim but friends, family, and the community are definitely felt in this story.

This book takes aim very deliberately at a society that has made true crime a profitable market; it doesn’t pretend that it’s a recent phenomenon–the Victorians loved to read about Jack, didn’t they?–or that most people barely feel any qualms about indulging in it–unless and until it touches them.

It is narrated in rigidly alternating chapters by three longtime friends, Bree, the college professor who is sinking into alcoholism and depression; Chelsea, the married minister with the Instagramable life who has lost her faith; and Abby, the missing girl whose remains have never been found.

Both Bree and Chelsea are dealing with huge amounts of unprocessed guilt; they have been both more or less coping, being functional adults and productive members of society, until finally, the serial killer they all knew all those years ago is about to be executed.

No more delays, no more legal wrangling: in a few weeks, he’ll finally die–and they still won’t know for sure what happened to Abby.

They still won’t be able to move on from her disappearance.

It is the immediacy and finality of the upcoming execution that tips both their lives from the pretense of more or less functional adulthood into the chaos of two young women who were never allowed to process their feelings over the events that led to the night their friend literally disappeared.

I am not going to lie, it took me a couple of chapters to get into the story; I am not sure what I expected, but Bree’s almost palpable self-hatred and Chelsea’s self-flagellation feel disproportionate at first, too much for survivors’ guilt.

Also, the narrative choices felt uncomfortable at first: Bree’s and Chelsea’s sections are set in 2015, and narrated in third person present tense, while Abby’s sections are set in 2003, and narrated in second person present tense.

Too often, present tense third person feels like reading a script for a play, but here the author manages to pull the reader into the characters’ inner lives as both Bree and Chelsea struggle to reconcile their present with the past; Abby’s sections fill in the things they don’t know.

The blurb calls this novel a thriller, and it is one, in the sense that we start with many unanswered questions, and that by the end we readers know what happened.

There is no magical epiphany for Bree and Chelsea as they start the painful process of getting past losing Abby the way they did, but there is a bit of catharsis as they reconnect and, finally, face the feelings and secrets they have kept from each other and themselves, and we leave them in a hopeful place in their lives.

I said above that they were never allowed to process what happened; the novel shows how people connected to victims of crime, especially this kind of crime, have no protection from either the criminal system or the prurient public interest that has made the fame and fortune of many a true crime podcaster.

The inserted excerpts from fictional true crime media–podcast transcripts, twitter threads, opinion pieces, investigative journalists reports, books, docuseries–are virtually indistinguishable from their real life counterparts; and they all show how everyone connected to the victims (and the killers, should they ever be identified), are subject to direct exploitation as either victim themselves or handy targets.

But the most insidious harm of society’s obsession with true crime is that those directly affected don’t get to have a respite; they don’t get to put any distance between themselves and the tragedy in their lives. And at the same time, the victims are rarely, if ever, centered. (Without looking it up, can you name one of Ted Bundy’s or Dahmer’s, or even Jack the Ripper’s, victims? If you can, do you know anything about them beyond who killed them?)

I read this book in two sittings, and I’m going to be thinking about it, and my own participation in the exploitation machinery, for a long time.

Don’t Forget the Girl gets 9.00 out of 10

What a great debut! The different POVs and timelines worked so well together. While not exactly a thriller, I couldn’t put down this exploration of friendships, love, and grief.

I really wanted to love this book. The synopsis reminded me of one I had read and enjoyed and I thought I would love this. It just fell flat for me. It didn’t keep my interest and I found it hard to want to pick it up.

This book was beautiful. There is some mystery, but also a beautiful story of the aftermath. This story touched on so many important themes. A big theme of what the true crime genre has turned into and what effects that has on those who actually experienced it. A story of friendship through childhood to adulthood, through tragedy and happiness. Sexuality and the many many ways it can be complicated. Grief. I loved the various points of view with various timelines. I enjoyed the pacing. And the writing was really pulled me into the lives of these characters.

I have a lot to say about this absolutely phenomenal book. This is one of the best books I have read this year. I will be thinking about it for a long time to come.

This story centers around three friends: Bree, Chelsea, and Abby. They are childhood friends who end up at the same college. During their freshman year, Abby goes missing. She is presumed to be the victim of Jon Allan Blue. He is a convicted serial killer awaiting execution in Kentucky. He was never convicted in Abby's disappearance. She was never found.

I am not going to give anything away here. This story focuses on the survivors, Chelsea and Abby, and their trauma and the fact that they never got the answers they were looking for. This story is told from all three perspectives - Chelsea and Bree in 2015, and Abby in 2003. The story is also told through interviews, social media posts, and podcast episodes. A central focus of the story is a popular podcaster who wants to tell Abby's story.

While this book has all the hallmarks of a great mystery/thriller, this is really a story about the three women at the heart of the novel. There is a scene towards the end where Chelsea and Bree are trying to find the closure they so desperately need and Bree says something to Chelsea that managed to break my heart and put it back together at the same time. I would love to quote it here, but you need to read if for yourself. Also, the last page of the book - just perfect.

I would also like to mention the true crime aspect of this novel. I have read, watched, and listened to true crime for about 30 years. The author really focuses on what good true crime should: the victims. We need to remember their names. We should celebrate their lives. They should be the focus - not the sensationalized parts of the story. I absolutely loved this aspect of the book!
This book is an emotional roller coaster that I will never forget. I tagged quite a few quotes and passages to go back to and revisit. This book is a debut, and I cannot wait to see what this author writes next. I will be first in line to read it.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Sourcebooks for the opportunity to read this novel. I will be letting everyone know just how much I loved it. I am really into books right now with the true crime theme. Pick this one up - I highly recommend it!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy of this book!
This was an incredibly modern and moving thriller. There were twists, but they were earned! And I’m so happy with the way the ending validated the entire premise of the book. Another ending would have been cheap. The characters were flawed but realistic, and incredibly, I wanted them all to end up happy because of all we knew of them. Such an incredible work!

Don't Forget the Girl is a gritty multi-perspective mystery about Bree and Chelsea, who are haunted by the disappearance and murder of their best friend, Abby when they were in college. It takes place in 2016 when they're 30; and 2004, when they're 18, flashing back to the time Abby disappeared. Though it's assumed that she was the victim of a serial killer in the Midwest, Abby has never received justice by the resolution of her case. Abby's murder has long-effected Bree and Chelsea and their life choices. When the novel starts in 2016, the murderer is facing state execution in 30 days, which doesn't leave Abby's friends and family much time to get a final confession, especially as there is a lot of public interest in the case with a series and podcast about him coming out. I was drawn into this story immediately. The setting and pace are perfect. Jennifer O'Donnell deftly narrates the audiobook. Her voice is rich and smoky, giving the story depth and intrigue. I highly recommend this atmospheric mystery!

Thank you NetGalley and the publishers for providing this ebook/audiobook ARC. All thoughts are my own.

This one is really a character driven novel about three best friends.  One of the girls disappeared in college, and the other girls believe she was a victim of a serial killer on campus, though her body was never found. The story takes place during two timelines: when the girls are in college before the disappearance, and years later as the serial killer is about to be put to death. The girls never really recovered after the disappearance of their friend and are still fighting to keep her story alive.

I really liked the characters in this book and the relationships between the three girls. I felt like the characters were all really well developed and had their own voices. I wouldn't say this was necessarily a very thrilling book, more of a mystery, and there weren't too many twists, but I still found the story to be really enjoyable and I wanted to find out how it would all wrap up.

Overall, I thought this was a super solid debut from McKanna, and I look forward to reading more from her in the future.

Read this if you like:
▪️Serial killer stories
▪️True crime podcasts
▪️Dual timelines
▪️LGBTQIA+ representation
▪️Character driven novels

Thank you NetGalley, Sourcebooks Landmark, and Rebecca McKanna for the advanced copy of Don't Forget the Girl in exchange for my honest review.

I enjoyed the point of view chapters from Bree and Chelsea, but I admittedly really struggled with Abby's flashback chapters because of the second person POV. I found myself pretty consistently confused with her chapters.

I also wanted more from the night Abby disappeared and while the reader does get answers, they felt somewhat rushed and I would've liked that to be fleshed out a little more.

Regardless, I won't hesitate to read this author again in the future.

Thank you @bookmarked @netgalley for a copy of this book. This was a very deep thriller and I love that it explores the friendship between Abby, Chelsea and Bree. The story is told in present time line in Chelsea and Bree's POV and Abby's POV in the past. The book really delves in how the death of a friend can impact the living. It makes you ache for both of them and how they both suffer differently. I love this story explores first love, acceptance and LGTB.

You don’t think about it when tragedy like murder strikes. Everyone is fascinated with the perpetrator. Who were they, why did this happen, how did the system fail these people, and so on. Sure the victims are mentioned and honored but how soon are they out of the spotlight while their killer is continuously talked about and examined. Why do we so often forget?
When reading Don’t Forget the Girl, I thought further on this matter. The story centers around two friends years after their mutual friend disappears. The body was never found which leaves very little closure for those left behind. The book alternates between the two friends, Chelsea and Bree’s, perspectives in present day, as well as the missing girl, Abby’s, days leading up to her disappearance. I believe this helped me connect with these characters to get an inside look at how they were all feeling. It truly helps see the strengths and flaws in each circumstance. I found myself both rooting for and getting frustrated with each girl.
This book is listed as a thriller. While it does have thriller aspects, I personally cried through much of it. The crazy part is that my emotions were not solely in regards to a young woman disappearing but also because I saw the struggles these women were going through, not only in the past but also the present. We see these women question who they are and what direction their lives are going. We see societal pressures and exploitation. The exploration of trauma with tragedy and its foothold so deep that the women are bound to it for many years.
The writing I felt was well done. Alternating timelines and perspectives can be a daunting task and can go wrong very easily. The author handled this aspect very well and I would have been much less invested without the alternating povs.
I truly enjoyed this book and have already verbally recommended it to several people. If you enjoy true crime, I think you will enjoy this fiction. Don’t Forget the Girl is not to be missed this summer. It’s on sale now so grab some tissues and pick it up from your favorite retailer.

Love the Iowa setting - I’m a Midwest girl and we rarely have books set here. Was a great summer read!

Thank you Rebecca McKanna, SOURCEBOOKS Landmark, and NetGalley for allowing me to read this ARC e-book. It seems in so many high profile cases the killers voice and story foreshadows the victims. Everyone wants to know what happened and why and the dead are quickly forgotten. This book shows how this happens in a complex thriller told through the perspective of friends of the victim who have not spoken since the incident and are reunited when a podcast about the high profile other cases are stirred up again.

Happy publication date 6/20/2023.
Thanks Netgalley , Sourcebook Landmark publications & author for sharing ARC .
How often do we discuss the victims of murder or violence in depth ? It’s all about the serial killers/ murderers that are analyzed, overly discussed , their lives, history , psychology , motive behind whatever they do. But what about the victims? The people in their lives who have lost them ?
This story narrates the aftermath and the lives of such victims and their families, Abby Hartman disappeared 18years ago from her college and was believed to be one of the victims of serial killer Jon Allen Blue now awaiting his execution. Abby’s friends Bree, Chelsea who are forever impacted from this event , have a rush down the memory lane as her body is unearthed. Stories of the past , present are narrated in chapters from all 3 friends that give the readers the whole picture.
The story moves in depth of the characters , backgrounds, giving us details as to what transpired in the past and how it impacted all their lives in the present with a few revelations. It’s definitely a slow burn and stays true to the topic and tittle - Don’t forget the girl .

It’s a 3.5 / 5 star ⭐️ read for me .

12 years ago Abby Hartman, college freshman disappears. She is thought to be the victim of serial Killer Jon Allan Blue, but was not confirmed, also her body was not found. Now in the present Blue is facing execution, a podcast reaches out to Abby's best friends at the time to participate, both desperate for answers, they agree. Secrets are revealed about both and their friendship along the way.

Chapters are dated with past and current timeline, told from all three girls perspectives.

Both girls in current timeline have some issues going on in their lives and have not really gotten over Abby's disappearance but for different reasons.

So this book was marketed as a thriller.......not truly accurate for me--more of a womans drama, or general fiction---there is not big twists, no thrills to speak of and does not have much in the line of events. Story focuses overwhelmingly much on the sexual relationships and content is disturbing and overkill at times. Identity of killer is not shocking. The secret that was kept for 12 years, not really a big reveal either. Just really was not captivating and struggled to finish and skipped paragraphs due to sexual descriptions.

Thanks to Netgalley for my electronic advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review.

“We never remember the dead girls…we never forget the killers”.

A decade ago, Abby Hartmann disappeared. Now, her serial killer, Jon Allan Blue, is about to be executed. Abby’s best friends Bree and Chelsea watch as Abby’s memory is overshadowed by the monster who took her life. To add insult to injury, a high-profile podcast is dedicating its next season to Blue’s killings so the friends must reunite.

I loved the concept of this story; it reminded me a tiny bit of Megan Goldin’s “Night Swim”, but it just missed the mark for me. I felt the story was drawn out and some parts I found myself skimming ahead to see if something interesting was going to happen. I hate attaching stars to my ratings, because not everyone loves the same type of story, but unfortunately I am just not the intended audience for this one. I would love to check out more from this debut author in the future.

Thank you to Sourcebooks for the ARC! “Don’t Forget the Girl” releases June 20th!

Abby Hartmann disappeared twelve years ago and Jon Allan Blue, the serial killer suspected of her murder, is about to be executed, Abby's best friends, Bree and Chelsea, have to watch as the media circus ensues and Abby's disappearance is overshadowed by Jon Allan Blue's flashier crimes. After years of resentment and estrangement between the two friends, they decide to band together to talk about Abby on a podcast dedicated to Blue's murders.

I really enjoyed this book, told from multiple timelines and POVs. Bouncing back and forth from before Abby's disappearance to the now, we get to watch the intricate story of Abby, Bree and Chelsea's lives - the secrets between them and how grief alters us. The formatting used to tell this story was particularly attractive and kept the reader engaged. It was a quick and captivating read that I think all thriller lovers, especially those that love an emotional roller-coaster, will thoroughly enjoy.

If you are looking for a plot twisting and turning psychological thriller, then this might not be the book for you. It is more mysterious and emotional, which I enjoyed but may be off-putting to some. There is some homophobia and predation, so if these are triggers to you then I wouldn't suggest this book.

Overall, I really enjoyed this slow-burn "thriller". I loved the way I felt like I knew each and every character on a close and personal level. It was a beauty of a book, especially for a debut. I will for sure be on the lookout for other books by Rebecca McKanna.