Another great instalment from the Detective Ellie Reeves series! I’m fully invested in these characters, and am hoping the ‘will they, won’t they’ side storyline for two of the characters will progress positively in the next book!

What a fantastic read. Thus book will grab you at the start and wouldn't let you go to the end of this book.

It was an edge of the seat thriller. I enjoyed reading her boos immensely.

Great read Great author.

Ellie Reeves is excited for her friend, Mia Norman's wedding - dressed up with her FBI "boyfriend", Derrick. As they ready for the ceremony to begin, Mia and her best friend disappear, and Ellie finds Mia's daughter hiding in a closet. What starts as a missing person's case, turns into so much more... murder, mistaken identity, pasts that were long ago hidden, and a big statement on trust. As always, Ellie dives head first into this case with her supporting cast of Cord, Derrick, and more. As she investigates, she seems to learn more about herself and what she wants out of life as she goes along. Ellie is tough as nails, and when she shows some vulnerability, it's so well crafted. Ms. Herron's series is not one to be missed!

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC of The Girl in the River by Rita Herron that I read and reviewed.
This was the seventh book in the Ellie Reeves series and in this book Ellie was forced to find her friend who disappeared on her wedding day. While investigating the disappearance Ellie finds out her friend was hiding a second life that no one knew about and it was up to Ellie and her team to find out if that life had anything to do with her disappearance and the death of her maid of honor.
This book moved very fast and even though you had an idea of who the perpetrator is you have to read the entire book to get the entire story. I also love the bombshell that was dropped at the end and I really hope Herron runs with it because that is the way I want the love triangle to end up.
The Girl in the River gets five out of five stars from me.

This book is so unputdownable that I finished this book within two days! It was really good that will keep you up all night.

Ellie Reeves is invited to a wedding of her friend, Mia Norman. As Ellie and the other guests are waiting for Mia to walk the aisle, the bride doesn't appear. Everyone including the bridegroom Mark gets anxious and Ellie goes to check on Mia, she finds that both the bride and the bridesmaid, Tori are missing and Mia's daughter, Pixie is hiding in the corner. A few hours later, Tori's dead body was found floating in the river but Mia was not found. Realizing that this was foul play, Ellie knew that Mia would never leave behind her daughter. As she embark on the investigation with Derrick, she finds that Mia used to be Jesse and was from a small town where everything is controlled by a family named Moon and Jesse was married to Kevin Moon...

I was literally hooked into the book that I cannot actually put the book down! There were OMG moments with some twists and turns and will keep you hooked till the end. I felt like I was watching some kind of an interesting action packed movie on the TV. Overall, in my opinion, this was a fast paced thriller that will keep you up all night, filled with unexpected twists and turns! Worth five stars!

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

When Mia goes missing in her wedding day, detective Ellie immediately begins an investigation to find her.

I nearly gave up on this book several times within the first 20%. Ellie had only been friends with Mia for six weeks, so it seems odd that she should be invited to the wedding, along with several other members of the local police department. Mia had written a letter three months earlier saying if anything happened to her, naming the people Ellie should contact to look after her daughter - but she didn’t know Ellie at that point. I also found the use of titles such as Mr Mark and Miss Ellie really irritating. Maybe it’s an American thing but I find it odd that a child would call someone who is about to become their stepdad Mr anything.

Those are the things that irritated me, but once I got past those, I began to enjoy the story, until the end, which again went downhill. Hearing that the perpetrators had been under surveillance by the FBI for 5 years is somewhat unbelievable, when it was clearly obvious from the moment Ellie walked in, what was going on.

I have stressed the things I didn’t like about this book but it was otherwise quite a good story. Although it is one of a series and I haven’t read any of the others, it works as a stand alone too.

I received a free copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Interesting idea as a bride goes missing literally minutes before her wedding ceremony.
The more Detective Ellie Reeves digs, the more unexpected the plot of circumstances becomes. Well written, well paced and great ideas.
Obviously a work of fiction, slightly beyond belief at times is my only quibble.
Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for providing me with an Advance Reader's Copy in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.

The Girl in the River is the seventh book in the Detective Ellie Reeves series but the first one I have read. I have found more and more I am jumping into a series mid-way and I certainly had no problem following the action or getting involved with the characters that Rita Herron has created as they are believable and ones that you can quickly warm to. The opening chapter is quick and mysterious and sets the scene for the action that follows.

Ellie Reeves is attending the wedding of her friend Mia Norman when both Mia and her bridesmaid Tori disappear before the ceremony. Ellie knows that Mia did not leave of her own accord as she left behind her daughter Pixie, who is found locked in a bathroom. When Tori’s body is found in the river, the race is on to find Mia and determine what exactly happened.
I liked Ellie almost instantly. She is a fiercely determined person who is loyal to her friends and also manages to inspire loyalty from others. Sometimes her independence can get her into situations that can be dangerous but more often than not it is because she wants to do a good job and solve the case. She refuses to be bullied by others within law enforcement even when they think she is overstepping boundaries. When she is confronted by the influential family in a small town it just makes her double down on her investigations. There are times however that I did think that she could be a little blinkered in her personal life but I am already kind of hoping that eventually she will work it out without jeopardising her working relationships in the process.
Mia was clearly keeping secrets about her past and who she was but as the book progressed and the truth was revealed I can understand why and believe she was doing the best for her and her daughter, even though she felt she couldn’t trust those she loved.
This is quite a fast-paced action-packed book that is helped by it short chapters. The setting of the small town with its close-knit community, untrusting of outsiders helps to increase the tension and makes the suspect pool that litter harder to determine. The Girl in the River works well as either a stand alone or as part of the series and if like me this is the first one you pick up then I think discovering books 1 – 6 is a must

The Girl in the River by Rita Herron is book #7 in the Detective Ellie Reeves series. A wedding in chaos! The bride, Mia Norman, is missing. Is she a runaway bride or did something happen? Detective Ellie Reeves is sure her new friend would never leave her little girl behind so she suspects foul play. Ellie is determined to find her missing friend. Along the way she faces much danger. The suspense and tension in this storyline is just right for the page-turner this book is. I look forward to the next book in the series.

Rita Herron always delivers on a Detective Ellie Reeves mystery! Exhilarating secrets are uncovered as Ellie dives into the middle of a missing persons/murder case when attending a friend's wedding. Danger is lurking around every corner and lies are uncovered time and again in this action packed mystery. Fast paced, addictive and high octane!

I highly recommend this book as well as the entire series to anyone that enjoys a small town thriller with a cast of returning characters trying to solve crime after crime as life's drama wraps around them time and again and makes for a relatable story.

A wedding turns into a hunt for the bride. Ellie Reeves is all dressed up and not chasing bad guys. But that doesn't last long when her friend suddenly disappears right before walking down the aisle and in the search for her, Ellie finds the bridesmaid murdered.

Ellie is then on the hunt to figure out what happened as Mia has a young daughter who is devastated that her mom is missing.

Lots of twist and turns in the discovery. Always there to help is FBI Agent Derrick Fox who is still dealing with the fallout of his military's friends suicide and Ranger Cord McClain who is struggling to keep his romantic feelings of Ellie a tight secret. This triangle seems to be itching closer to a revelation..

The Girl in the River (Detective Ellie Reeves #7) by Rita Herron grabbed my attention. I like Detective Ellie Reeves's character and enjoyed this latest book. If you have not read the previous books, you still will be able to follow the characters and story.
Mia and her bridesmaid Tori go missing on Mia's wedding day! Little Pixie is hidden in the closet and will only tell Ellie that she heard a man's voice in the room. A frantic search begins on the property and Ellie sees a body floating on the edge of the river. I could not believe that a beautiful character in the book series died in The Girl in the River. Unexpected secrets are revealed as the story progresses!
Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and publisher for the opportunity to read this book. The publication date is December 13, 2023.

The wedding is only the beginning. This was a real rollercoaster of a read, it had me sat on the edge of my seat and constantly holding my breath. A real nail biting crime thriller which gave me chills. Packed to the rafters with tension and suspense. Heartbraking and gripping in equal measures. Another fantastic five star read from one of my favourite and very talented authors. Can I have the next book now PLEASE. Loved it!!!!
Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in return for giving an honest review.

The Girl in the River is the 7th installment of the Detective Ellie Reeves Series, and what a pulse pounding and great addition the series it was!

The book starts with Ellie attending the wedding of her sweet friend Mia, but things go sideways quickly when Mia disappears and her maid of honor is found dead. As Ellie and surrounding characters start to investigate, several secrets and shady characters start to reveal and unravel. I knew early on who the bad guys were, which is unusual for this series, but there were still several things I didn’t figure out, which had me flying through the book to discover the truth.

I’ve really enjoyed this series and Ellie has always been such a well developed and tough character, and I really hope we get some answers to her love triangle soon! Can’t wait for the next one!

Thank you Bookouture and NetGalley for my arc in exchange for my honest feedback!

This is the first book I have read in this series but it did not detract from the storyline. A definite four star read. Plenty of suspense to keep me guessing. Well rounded characters. Would definitely read the next novel . Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the chance to review it.

The Girl in the River is book 7 in the fantastic Detective Ellie Reeves series, and it is another excellent addition to the series!

Ellie is attending her friend Mia’s wedding when Mia suddenly goes missing, and the maid of honor is found dead. Ellie and her usual cast of characters begin to investigate, and a larger mystery is revealed along the way. Ellie travels to several small towns along the river while searching for Mia and encounters several suspicious characters.

Ellie is a strong and gutsy heroine, and her character has been so incredibly well developed over the course of the series. Her love triangle with Ranger Cord and FBI agent Derrick is still chugging along and I do hope that is resolved sometime soon. The secondary characters are like old friends at this point in the series. The book has very short chapters and moves quickly, which keeps you reading to find out what will happen next. You know who the baddie is somewhat early on, but you will still be captivated by the ending!

I do think this could act as a standalone if you haven’t read the series, but of course you will understand character motivations more by reading it all. The other books are on KU and all are great reads!

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the ARc in exchange for my honest opinion.

This is the first book that I have read in this series and it was just brilliant. I didn't want to stop reading it.. Ellie is a very detective with a great reputation for solving crimes which was good for her but those in the criminal element not so good.
When her friend Mia just disappears on her wedding day and the other person that was with her is found dead she makes it her goal to bring Mia back safe and sound to her little girl.
She soon learns that her friend has a secret past and lived another life far removed from the one she now leads. Who is she and can she save her in time.
This was so enjoyable, lots of action and twists to keep you wanting more.

A novel of twists and suprisng, but not unbelievable, runs and new information. The characters become well known to the reader and want this solved
Thank you netgalley and the publisher for this arc

Bonus star alert! I’d give this one an extra star if I could.
I adore these characters and the towns that are weaves into this story. This one had me in its grips from the first page. Crazy, jaw dropping twist and turns. Seriously depraved moments. My heart was racing and I stayed up way to late because I was so invested. The ending was mind blowing!
This combines wonderfully created characters with an atmosphere brought to life and a plot that will suck you in. All the elements of the perfect read. I hope more books in this series are coming, I can’t get enough! This was probably my favourite so far.

Thanks to NetGalley, Bookouture and Rita Herron for the opportunity to read an advance copy of THE GIRL IN THE RIVER (Detective Ellie Reeves, Book 7). Love, money, sex, drugs, and control describe this book! It was a hair raising experience to determine who was going to win out in the end. Despite not reading prior editions of the Ellie Reeves saga, it worked well as a standalone. The characters were real and believable and made me want to root for the good ones until the finale. I enjoyed this suspenseful and complex read and recommend it for those who like psychological thrillers as much as I do.