Born wicked........or did you just become that way?

The town of Burning Lake, New York is cursed. Ask anyone who lives there. They know. With pointed, crooked finger, Abigail Stuart condemned the villagers and their descendants. That was during the witch trials in 1712. It's been a long time in comin'.

Detective Natalie Lockhart receives the call. A body has been found on the floor of Murray's Halloween Costume Warehouse. It doesn't matter that it's March. It's Halloween every day in Burning Lake.

Turns out that the body belongs to one of their own. A long-time employee, Randy was found dressed in a clown costume complete with a big red nose. Matched the blood pooling around his head. No one could figure out why anyone would want sixty-four year old Randy dead. That is until Natalie starts poking around in Randy's past life.

Natalie's superior officer, Lieutenant Luke Pittman, is still in the hospital in a coma after being found in a deep ditch off the highway. Somebody had it in for Luke. We'll find Natalie keeping vigil by his bedside. An officer on duty or is there still some well hidden emotions here?

But at the same time, Natalie has moved in with Hunter Rose, successful CEO of a tech company. Hunter is dedicated to Natalie, but she sometimes feels his love overpowering. His security guys are keeping watch over her after dead animals and Wiccan objects have been found on the property.

Add to this the unsolved murder of fifty-eight year old Veronica Manes, a local Wiccan priestess in Burning Lake. No one seems to know any details that would lead to the murderer.

The Shadow Girls reads as a standalone even though it is the fourth book in the series. You may want to grab the first one to get a sense of this place. There's a lot happening in this one with multiple new characters. I have a feeling as I was reading this one that Alice Blanchard may be closing shop in Burning Lake......or is this the beginning of a new set of adventures for Detective Natalie Lockhart? We'll just have to find out.

I received a copy of this book through NetGalley for an honest review. My thanks to Minotaur Books and to Alice Blanchard for the opportunity.

When Randolph Holmes is found, murdered at Murray’s Halloween Costumes, no one could imagine what searching his house would unearth. Since this is a Natalie Lockhart book( the 4th), you just know that this will not be the only thing on her plate.Her good friend Bella, who hasn’t been seen since high school might play a part in Natalie’s case. Also, Natalie‘s relationship with Hunter will be tested and her feelings for Luke might make her have to make some life altering choices.
There is so much going on in this town as always, and the pages just turned themselves. What can I say about Natalie? She has been through so much, and I was happy to see some of the mysteries that weighed her down were resolved. Burning Lake is one heck of a Cray Cray town and I can’t even imagine what the author has in store for Natalie next.
A part of me felt like this might be the last we see of Natalie, but unless I see something from the author, saying, farewell, I’ll cross my fingers that I will see her again.

Missing girls, unsolved murders and a devoted officer in a small town in NYS. This suspenseful, edge of your seat mystery thriller had me from the beginning. I truly enjoyed this ! Thank you Netgalley , the author and publisher for allowing me to read this arc in exchange for my honest review.

Wow this book had me on the edge of my seat waiting to see where it went.
So many twists and turns taking up to places we don’t want to go. Heartbreaking what happened to these girls but thank goodness for the smart investigators who are able to put the puzzle pieces in order.

This book took me a minute to get into it but when I did, I couldn't put it down.

If you are looking for a dark, creepy and full of twists read, this is for you!

Apparently this is the fourth book in the series but I didn't feel lost. I will go back and read the previous books.

This is my first read by Alice Blanchard.

There is something special about uncovering a new author. It's like slowly opening a Christmas present!

Someone find me a protection spell!

The Shadow Girls drops us right smack in the middle of curses, witchcraft, and murder.

Natalie Lockhart is a detective in a small town called Burning Lake, where evil seems to seep from the soil. The vibe is dark and the atmosphere is intense.

Pacing carries us along on a fast-moving current. This is a quick read with lots of activity and no time to look away.

The Shadow Girls is the fourth book in this series, and I suggest reading them in order. All the threads from the previous three books are pulled and connected here. Everything wraps up nicely, with a solid ending.

This book is the fourth in a series, there were several sections referring back to prior books that were a little confusing if you aren’t caught up. Burning Lake has a deep history in the occult. Deceptive Natalie Lockhart is being targeted by someone leaving trinkets that resemble spells on her front pouch and dead animals in the yard. Meanwhile a dead body is discovered lying in a department store and Natalie is assigned to investigate. Who is this man and why does he have profiles of seven women spaced out three years apart. Natalie’s best friend disappeared right out of high school never to be seen again except for several photos allegedly sent by her in different places around the world, but always with the same exact background. Was her best friend also one of these victims? A dead body leads to more mysterious adventures.

Tension and suspense are high in this next installment of the Natalie Lockhart series. The Shadow Girls picks right up from the previous book as we wait to find out Luke's outcome. Some threads are resolved, and new ones begin as you are submersed in the town of Burning Lake.

The Shadow Girls is the latest in the Natalie Lockhart mysteries and while it references past events the author will eventually catch the reader up on the most important events. A dead body is found in a Halloween store and the investigation leads Natalie to a twisted case of missing girls that connects to her past serial killer cases. The case is dark and unexpected enough to keep your attention. My real issue with this book is that the writing leaves me feeling disconnected from the heroine. I feel no attachment to Natalie or the things that are happening in her personal life to the point that I struggled to make it through whole sections of the book. The plot involving the actual case seems well thought out and deep but the ending seemed a little jumbled up and rushed. My voluntary, unbiased review is based upon a review copy from NetGalley.

The Shadow Girls is Alice Blanchard's fourth book in the Natalie Lockhart detective series. Readers should know that while books 1 & 2 are more stand alone, The Shadow Girls is very much a continuation of book 3, so it would help if you read the novels in order to fully understand the back story.

This novel is a little darker in mood than the previous novels and I really feel Blanchard is now writing with fully formed characters, both the main characters and the secondary ones as well. Detective Natalie Lockhart finds herself right back in the middle of yet another murder case in the sleepy town of Burning Lake, NY. When a older and somewhat quiet store employee is brutally strangled the police force quickly learns that all is not as it seems. The victim has a dangerous secret that unfolds into many more problems for the town and its residents.

Overall I really enjoy this series. It features a strong willed female detective who is constantly fighting her own demons while trying to keep others safe. Thank you to Net Galley and Minotaur Books for the chance to review this novel. The Shadow Girls comes out on July 23, 2023.

This was a solid addition to the series. I like the occult elements and felt the mystery was fast paced and kept you engaged to the end . It’s is part of a series but can be read as a stand alone .
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for letting me review the book

This is a great thriller. It is book 4 in the series and even though I haven't read the others, I followed along wonderfully. I enjoyed the story and the characters. I received an advanced readers copy and all opinions are my own.

The Shadow Girls by Alice Blanchard is a Solid mystery thriller following an established investigator within a series by the author.

I really enjoyed some of the occult elements within the book and loved how the author seeds clues within the writing for the reader to be able to solve the mystery alongside the character.

I do think I will go back and read the other installments in the series but this title stands fairly well on its own.

The Shadow Girls is a book that kept me enthralled throughout the entire book. There was a lot of mystery to be solved, and I love a good plot twist! The author did an excellent job of weaving together the story, the mystery and wrapping it up in a bow at the end. Thank you so much for the advanced copy!

Make sure you’re familiar with the other book in the series because I wasn’t and was very confused. I didn’t know this wasn’t the first in the series, so it took me some time to figure out precisely what was happening. Overall, it was creepy and atmospheric, and I enjoyed it.

What a twisty, dark, creepy, but totally engaging read! Natalie Lockhart is a detective in Burning Lakes, she has become a bit of a local celebrity after solving a couple of serial killer cases. However, when a practicing wiccan witch is killed and Natalie’s partner Luke Pittman is put in a coma after an attack, things in Burning Lake are becoming increasingly violent. Another murder begins to unravel secrets, long buried, powerful people who want to keep their power and dealings with the occult lead Natalie both solving present day cases and past unsolved cases. What does the killing of the local witch have to do with her sister’s death or best friends disappearance and does anyone ever really know a person?

I could not put down this read, the relationship between characters Natalie and Luke has that element of tension just below the surface, the way the author was able to intertwine the past and the present events was seamless and believable, the creepy factor was perfect just enough to make you a tad nervous. Overall, this was an enjoyable murder mystery, I’m looking forward to reading more from Alice Blanchard.

I hadn't realized this was part of a series, which might be why I struggled with it. I think I may have enjoyed it more if I'd read the prior books. Very little backstory is given on any of the characters, which isn't always the case with books in a series. I didn't really relate to Natalie. She was a bit hard to like. There's some overdetailing that could've benefited from a tighter edit.

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC of this book. I really struggled with this read. I wasn't aware it was part of a series before I started. I feel like I would need to read previous books to be fully involved and follow this story and all the characters.

This book was absolutely phenomenal. PHE. NOMENAL. You must read the first three books in order to understand the full scope of what happens in The Shadow Girls. It’s this fourth book that somehow, outrageously, ties storylines together. Natalie has regularly been dealt crappy hands in life, but she finally allows herself to really trust her instincts, and it pays off handsomely.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley.

I received this ARC from Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This is the 4th in the Natalie Lockhart Series. This series needs to be read from book 1 to really understand what is going on with the characters and the plot. have really enjoyed this series and couldn't wait to read this latest addition. Blanchard has a great way of pulling you into her stories. Great suspense, love Natalie and Luke plus the stories themselves. Lieutenant Luke Pittman is in a coma after being attacked by another officer, Veronica Manes a witch has been murdered and Natalie who was going to quit her job becomes embroiled into the investigation and decides to stay on until she can solve it. Natalie is struggling with Veronica's murder, Luke in a coma, her sister's suicide and her best friend's disappearance plus whether or not to leave with her boyfriend, Hunter. Pick up this book and find out what happens to Natalie and can she solve this mystery and does she have her happy Ever after!