The Girls on Chalk Hill was my first chance to enjoy Alison Belsham and in this instance it was an an audiobook advance copy from NetGalley. I’m very happy to have been able to get the opportunity to start out with book one of this series and am looking forward to the upcoming books that are due later this year. The lead detective is very engaging and when she gets swept up in a murder and missing persons case on her first day that resembles the kidnapping case of her and sisters years before I was not able to stop listening. I honestly had a hard time figuring out who the villain was and so I definitely loved how this book kept me on my toes guessing. I would recommend this if you love British mysteries but I also think you will love this if you love books by Melinda Leigh, Kendra Elliott, or Helen Durant.

Detective Lexi Bennet recently returned to Kent from a stint with the FBI, only to have a horrific double murder fall right in her path…literally. On a morning jog, she encounters two murdered teens dressed as princesses and holding roses. She soon discovers that they are 2 of 3 sisters that are triplets, and the third is still missing. As she races against time with her new team to find the missing girl, she can’t help but be transported back almost 20 years to when she, a triplet herself, and her sisters were kidnapped. Only two of them survived. As she gets deeper into the case, she begins to question whether this is a coincidence or if the cases are connected.

Belsham writes a fast-paced, edge-of-your-seat thriller with a tough but warm central character in Lexi Bennet. In addition to a well-crafted central case, the cast of characters surrounding Lexi (co-workers and family) feel genuine and leave you wanting to dive deeper into their connection to Lexi - particularly her American mentor and the case they worked together. The audiobook narrator, Sofia Zervudachi, is excellent. Her narration adds emotion and intensity.

This was my first Belsham novel, but I am looking forward to my next. If you are looking for a well-crafted, fast-paced thriller, this is it! Many thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to review this audiobook in advance of publication for my honest review.

Two identical girls are found dead, next to each, both of their throat cuts. They are part of a set of triplets, raising the question - where is the missing sister, Paige? Is she also dead, or could she still be alive?

The detective assigned to the case, Lexi, is actually part of a set of triplets herself. Years ago she and her sisters were abducted, and so she is personally invested in finding Paige and bringing the killer to justice.

This was a really good police procedural and thriller. I really enjoyed the killer's POV, and he was very creepy (but the writing was well done). This was great to listen to.

Thank you Bookouture Audio and netgalley for giving me an advanced review copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

Having loved previous books written by Alison Belsham I couldn’t wait to get my hands on her new series. The Girls on Chalk Hill introduces us to Detective Lexi Bennett who has recently returned to her hometown to head up a new unit. Before she has even officially started she finds two girls on a hillside with their throats cut. As the investigation progresses Lexi is forced to confront her own past in the hope that this time the killer will be caught.
Lexi is a feisty character but that is partly down to her past that is revealed over the course of the book. She tries to use her skills as a profiler to solve the case, but it is clear that at times her personal life colours her investigations. That is not to say that she may not be on the right track, but it does lead to her boss questioning her actions at times. It is clear that she is being taunted by the killer and this is adding to the pressure she is under.
I have loved getting to know Lexi Bennett although I do think we have still only scratched the surface with her and there is more to come. She manages to use all her experiences to their best advantage and is also determined to bring out the best in her new team, taking time to mentor and encourage even the most inexperienced members to ensure that they give their best and that the case gets solved. You can really feel her frustration as she tries to remember the past in the hope that it will help but in order for her to heal she also needs to forgive herself and repair her relationship with her sister.
With chapters told in the voice of the killer adding to the tension throughout the book, the reader knows what their ultimate end game is before Lexi does but what we don’t know until she does is who the killer is. The pacing is fast, and I found that this had me turning page after page waiting for the next clue or snippet of Lexi’s past. This is definitely a series I am going to be following as much to see what case Lexi gets caught up in next as I am to see how her relationships with her team develop as I would like to get to know more about them too and see how their personalities affect investigations. If you have not experienced any of Alison Belsham’s previous books then you have missed a treat but this series will get you hooked.

Before Lexi Bennett can even start her first day at her new job, she comes across murdered twin teenaged girls while out for a run. She jumps into her new role as a detective in charge of a special unit. They soon find out that the murdered girls were not twins, but two of a set of triplets. This hits very close to home for Lexi, a triplet herself. Not only a triplet, but she and her sisters were also abducted as teenagers. As she works to solve the case, she struggles keeping lines straight. Part of her thinks it is the same person, part of her does not. She scrambles to figure it all out, since she hopes the remaining triplet is still alive.

I liked this and am interested in where the series will go. I do feel like the secondary characters need some developing.

I am not sure I'd have used this storyline as the first of a series- while intriguing, Lexi was sort of all over the place. Which is understandable for the storyline, but it made it hard for me to always believe what an experienced cop she was. I think it may have been better if a baseline had been established before tackling this.

But it held my interest and I am curious to see where it goes.

Sofia Zervudachi narrates the audiobook. I believe this is the first time I've listened to one her her narrations. No complaints from me. Though I admittedly find it harder to 'judge' when the narrator is British. I get distracted by the accent ;)

I received an audio copy in exchange for an honest review.

I listened to the audio book version of "The Girls on Chalk Hill" by Alison Belsham and wow! This is a thrilling ride from the get go and narrated beautifully by Sofia Zervudachi. I thoroughly enjoyed the main character Detective Lexi Bennett. She is the usual tough female detective but she also has a softer, emotional side that was nice to see. The story does have some trigger warnings (violence against women/children) so be aware. Overall, it was unputdownable like they said and truly engaging and thrilling.

Thank you to Bookouture and Netgalley for an advanced copy of this audio book for my honest review.

I am obsessed with this book! I loved everything about it and I have recommended it to so many people! I’m still thinking about this book days after reading it. The writing was brilliant. Engaging and I can’t wait to read more about lexi!

I listened to the audio of this book and for a book that goes in and out of timelines the writing and the narration was great and I never felt lost as to where I was in the book. The pacing was good and I was engaged in the book the whole time. There were surprises and the book did a good job introducing Detective Lexi Bennett. I am looking forward to more books in this series.

This was absolutely THE BEST thriller of 2023! This is the first murder mystery I have read in recent memory during which I had NO IDEA who the killer actually was and, to be honest, for a lot of this book I wasn’t even remembering to try and sus it out. I was simply captivated by the story and enjoying it so much that my mind seldom had to opportunity to disengage with the drama unfolding to begin wondering how it would all play out.

I highly recommend this book and am thankful to NetGalley and Bookouture for a free copy of the audiobook arc in exchange for my honest review.

Fast-paced, gripping, and kept my attention throughout. When a set of triplets go missing, and two bodies are found dead at the top of a hill, Detective Lexie is forced to confront the similarities of this case to her past and face painful memories that have been hidden.

Well-written and I enjoyed following Lexie and her team. I also liked how the POV of our antagonist was set up, added to a creepy foreboding. I look forward to the next in the series.

Goodreads review can be found at Kaitlyn_Demps at Goodreads.

This was a really great crime thriller and had me hooked right from the very beginning. So dark, so tense. I absolutely flew through it, resenting every time I had to stop listening.
Detective Lexi Bennett is such a fabulous character and I’m so pleased this is the start of a series so I can meet her again and learn more of her story.
Definitely a book I’d recommend and a series I can’t wait to read more of!

A good first book of a detective series, it’s full of suspense and clues for you to try and figure out, it’s fast moving with good characters

Triplet madness

With different points of view, we get a good understanding of what happened in the past and what's happening now. The killer's perspective is arrogant and adds a lot to the story.

It's a great setup, where triplets are targeted and there's a hidden clue for our detective, Lexie Bennett. Lexie is new to the job, and the team comes together in an unusual way. She gets along well with the team, except for Colin who has issues with authority. In the first part of the book, Lexie doesn't seem deeply affected emotionally, but maybe that's because the writing style doesn't show it enough. She's disturbed but not extremely upset.

The narrator, Sofia Zervudachi, did a great job bringing the story to life. The flow was good, and her style was engaging. This is a good first book in a new series. It's exciting and keeps you interested. Definitely a series worth following!

I want to thank Netgalley and Bookouture Audio for giving me the opportunity to listen to and review this Audiobook ARC.

4 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I think I’ve found a new favourite detective in Lexi Bennett. She’s a strong likeable intelligent interesting detective who’s even trained with the FBI. Her background is different a little sad but so interesting. It helps her be a empathetic detective who’s good at her job. I really enjoyed the first book in this new series. I can’t wait to get to know more of her team and see them become great characters I already love Maggie. I absolutely love a good crime thriller and this is one. The narrator really brought this story to life I felt so connected to the story and Lexi. I had my air pods in at any opportunity to listen. I would definitely recommend if like me you like crime, mystery, detectives a book with a great story and well written characters. I couldn’t put it down! And now I have to wait patiently for the next one.

Detective Lexi Bennett finds two bodies on the hill, but another girl is still missing. To help with finding the missing girl, Lexi must relive her painful past.

This audiobook was absolutely amazing, I was gripped from the start! This story had me on the edge of my seat on numerous occasions, I just couldn't wait to find out more. I enjoyed the different POVs and the chilling case itself.

I loved Lexi's character and I am so excited to read more of the detective Lexi Bennett saga. I can't wait to see how Lexi and her new team get on during the next case.

I enjoyed this introduction to Lexi Bennett. She had an interesting history and relationships and these informed some of her decisions throughout the book. I feel like there is still more to learn about her.

There were a couple spots where I felt a slight slip in the narrative (something is not there, then it is or someone is in one position, then another without adjusting), but overall I thought it was very good and it kept me wondering what was going to happen.

I thought the ending was good, but not great. There were a few bits that just didn't feel quite right and the confrontation was a little anti-climactic. It seemed to build up really well, then ended too quickly. I do like how the surrounding story was left and I think the outside relationships will make good background for the following books.

I listened to the audio book narrated by Sofia Zervudachi. I think she did a wonderful job. It was easy to listen to and engaging.

I'll be interested to read the next book in the series to see where the story takes us.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookoutro Audio for giving me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I am quite new to the thriller/mystery genre and this book felt absolutely perfect for me. I was hooked from the beginning.

It was quite a rollercoaster of a book and in the best way possible. The narrator did such a great job of really captivating the listener!

The Girls on Chalk Hill is the debut novel in Alison Belsham's new series featuring Detective Lexi Bennett.

Its so good to get in on the ground level of a new series where characters and their back stories are being introduced for the first time. Add this to fact that this is my first Alison Belsham novel and it's win, win for me!

I loved Lexi's tenacity and her ability in 'reading' her team and I'm sure there's many more times in the future where this will feature heavily.

I thought the connection that Lexi had with this, her first case as the boss, was equal parts inspired and creepy. I certainly shivered on more than one occasion.

All in all, Alison Belsham has introduced me to a new Detective, team and hopefully, many more cases that will be subject to Lexi's scrutiny and I can't wait to get my teeth into her next case!

I was totalky gripped throughout this story. The Natrator did really well I was able to feel the emotion of the characters and really care about qhere tge story went. The story is told through different characters poinst of view and different timelines. The real skill was now the story were craftly linked together to explain my main character . 2 different events leading fo a fab receal that had me hooked. Cant wait fir tge next one.
Thank you netgallery and book culture audio fir my arc

audiobook
Excellent opening to a series. I will look forward to the next book.
This story established Lexi's backstory and her character. Both were well done. The secondary characters were also well-developed. Dialogue was believable and interactions between characters well-written. Overall, I enjoyed this author's style.
The crime was creepy, mystery interesting with false leads and plot twists. I did not predict the outcome, but was fully engaged from the beginning. This is the type of audiobook that makes you want to take a road trip just to keep listening.
Recommended to readers who enjoy thriller mysteries.
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.