The Girls Last Cry is the second installment in the Lexi Bennett series, and it was another gripping story!

After a series of deaths of young teenagers that appear to be suicide, Lexi feels something is amiss and investigates deeper. There are minimal clues, no concrete suspects, really only a dark web suicide chat to go on, and a race against time before more kids die.

I really enjoy this series, but was also so frustrated with Lexi and some of the decisions she made throughout the book. Can’t wait to see where the story leads in the next book!

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

Something I find interesting about the books in this crimes series versus other series I read, Lexie is more of a lone wolf, even when working with her team. She’s much more likely to investigate on her own then to wait for back up. If you read my review of the last book, then you know Lexie is a Brit in England, yeah I know, not original, but she spent years training at Quantico. That gives her a fresh perspective compared to the others in the department.

So far I’ve read the two books out and both books were personal to Lexie. She is a profiler and solves crimes, but in this one she is the first detective on scene of a presumed teenage suicide, and she is protective of the case until she can rule out foul play. Much to the chagrin of her boss. Lexie is incredibly methodical as she works to solve the case. More so than in other series I’ve read. While the detective has to play a part in solving things, Lexie doesn’t have a work life balance so the case is always the focus.

There is a little bit of the dark web in this one and I take offense at them making fun that us “older” people can’t possibly know how to use it (as I struggle to keep the font the same size in my blog post). The reader is privy very early on that the cases aren’t truly suicides as there are dark web chats between the victims and a not so nice person pushing suicide. There are quite a few red herrings that kept me guessing and I did not figure out how did it.

It’s a slightly different twist on the crime procedural.

This book had me on the edge of my seat from the first page to the last!
While this is the second book in the series, you don't need to read the first one, but I definitely think you'll want to after finishing this installment. Its action-packed, and definitely an emotional case for everyone involved. It was full of twists and turns and I had no idea who the killer was going to be until it was revealed!
I love how when Lexi has any feelings about or at the scene of a death she doesn't let others try to talk her out of it, she keeps investigating until she figures out why she has the feelings she does. And in this one she has her work cut out for her when she arrives at the scene of an apparent suicide, everyone thinks the case is cut and dried, but Lexi isn't 100% convinced, and when more teenagers end up dead, all looking like suicides, and Lexi won't rest until she figures out what is going on.

I can't wait to see what going to happen in this series next!

A great read with a unique plot. More twists and turns thank a maze. A dark gritty read about a usually taboo subject. This moves along at a good pace and keeps you guessing till the very end. Characters that are likeable help bring this story to life. Suspense galore keeps this one moving along at a good pace.
A great read

I liked the first book in this series but this one was better even if it hit near home as I am a former guide leader and met some girls that made me think of those in this book.
A book which is an excellent thriller but also a story about trouble teens, their solitude and how their solitude can bring them to dangerous places.
It’s a disturbing story, twisty, and dark. I found it both gripping and heart-breaking at the same time and it could be hard to read if you had to deal with troubled children.
The author does a good job in keeping the story far from any easy piety or gore. Lexi’s investigation is well done and bring her to some unexpected and new places.
Her personal story plays a role, but the teams play a relevant role making this a good police procedural.
I’m curious about the future and where the investigation will bring us.
This is strongly recommended
Many thanks to Bookouture for this ARC, all opinions are mine

Detective Lexi Bennett Book 2.

3 days. 3 deaths. 3 apparent suicides. Is it a tragic coincidence or is something far more sinister going on?

I had no sooner started reading this book and I was hooked. Even though it was quite obvious what was going to happen I still had a few OMG moments!

This is a cracking page turner that will keep you reading late into the night. I loved it and can't wait to see what Lexi and the team get up to next.

4.5 stars

The second installment of the Detective Lexi Bennet series was even better than the first, and I'm already looking forward to book 3. I can say with complete confidence that had my life not been quite so chaotic, I could have easily finished this book in a day. As it stood, I stayed up until 3 a.m. to finish the last 1/3 or so.

The story, the twists, and the writing worked together perfectly to suck me in and compel me to keep reading. Elements were revealed with just enough information for me to think I could figure out which direction things were going in and then all of a sudden I was proved wrong and drawn right back in.

We see more of who Lexi is in this book, but also the rest of the team as well, which I always appreciate. I know books/ series have main characters, but no one wants to see a one person show with no credit or knowledge of the other people working hard to help out (at least I don't anyway).

I can't wait to see what's in store for Lexi and the others next.
Thank you to #netgalley , #bookoutre , and of course Alison Belsham for a copy of this book to review

This is the second book in the DI Lexie Bennet series and it did not disappoint. The story opens with Lexie walking the streets of Canterbury when she hears a scream. As she runs to the scene, she finds the broken body of a young woman who appears to have jumped to her death. But something about this doesn’t sit right with Lexie. When another suicide of a young person happens locally and very soon after the first, Lexie begins to see a connection. Both victims had been depressed but to the point of suicide? As she begins investigating, Lexie soon finds that something sinister is indeed going on and she races to find the answers before another young person dies. With the help of Tom and her crew, she begins to navigate the dark web and hopefully find the evil that lies behind these deaths. This was such a great novel! Love the series and looking forward to the third novel.

The Girl’s Last Cry is the second book in the gripping new series by Alison Belsham! Detective Lexi Bennett is a determined investigator who will not let anything get in her way as she investigates her cases.


Detective Lexi Bennett was enjoying a quiet walk on the Canterbury streets when she heard screams and she rushed to the scene to see the body of a female teen lying on the ground. Her parents say she had everything to live for and would not take her own life. Lexi's own nephew knew the teen and was also adamant that she would not take her own life. But there was a suicide note....

Then another teen is found dead, leaving behind a suicide note. This young man was also a talented musician. Both teens have very similar suicide notes. Lexi is not willing to let the connections go and is determined that she is dealing with a killer who is preying on teens. When her nephew Sam goes missing, she will stop at nothing to find him!

What do the teens have in common? Who would want to harm them?

This was a thought-provoking and gripping book that had me turning the pages! There is an underlying feeling of tension throughout the book as Lexi's investigation leads her down a dark path. This book touches on the dangers of the internet, teens, their mental health, and family dynamics. Readers experience Lexi on both a professional and personal level.

Another solid installment in this new series and I look forward to reading more books in this series in the future.

Compellingly poignant reading, this second book in the Lexi Bennett series is addictive. A series of young people die in suspicious circumstances with connections to the darker side of the internet. Lexi is sure someone is manipulating the victims but has to convince her team that this is the case. Lexi is a determined, empathetic woman who is always on the victim's side. I like her single-minded attitude, the investigation team dynamics and the contemporary relevance of this story.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher.

The tragic death of a teen girl hits Detective Lexi Blake hard. While at the beginning it looks as if the girl took her own life, it seems something sinister has occurred. Sadly, Lexi’s nephew Sam knew the young girl and it is only after the death of another teen that Lexi pays closer attention to Sami’s distraught nature.

Meanwhile, something very sinister is afoot and the reader knows knows what is going on. It is up to Lexi and her team to discover what is happening before another young life is lost.

Just as in the first book of this series, The Girls on Chalk Hill, Lexi proves to be a hardworking and sensitive detective who calls upon her own disturbing past to put everything she has into each case. In this second book, the fact that this case involves teenagers really hits home to Lexi. I couldn’t put this book down and am more than eager to continue this series.

Many thanks to Bookouture and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.

Well, I had some misgivings after reading the first book but I am so glad I stuck with the series as it managed to redeem itself very well in this, the follow up. Again, Lexi is first on scene when she hears screams which direct her to the foot of a tower where the body of a teenage girl lays. Three obvious scenarios jump into her head, fall - accident or deliberate, or pushed...? Her parents are convinced that she didn't take her own life as she was a talented musician and had everything to live for... But then a note is found suggesting otherwise which really puts this to bed. But something still niggles with Lexi... And then there's another body found. Another teenager, another apparent suicide, the note similar to the first. And Lexi's interest is rekindled...
Well, this one hit the sweet spot and, although there are a few things that made my eyes roll, they are of a personal preference more than anything the author did wrong, so I am happy to take one for the team and suck them up. And anyway, outwith them, I really did enjoy the book as it kept me guessing for the majority.
Characters were good, Lexi is coming on nicely after her introduction last time, and they all did their jobs very well indeed. Pacing was also good, matching the narrative all the way through and ramping up nicely towards the end. Assisted, I hasten to add, by the absence of any superfluous waffle or padding to interfere. Meaning that the story got on with itself nicely.
All in all, a cracking follow up which left me satisfied and excited for book three. As it should! My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

Lexi Bennett returns in this fast-paced follow-up to The Girls on Chalk Hill. Lexi finds herself as the unplanned first-on-scene detective at the suicide of a young teen. Suicides usually are not within her caseload, but she feels obligated to see it through. However, with another teen suicide and oddities about the scenes, Lexi begins questioning whether these are suicides or murders.

As with the first book in this series, this story is full of tension and action. There is something about Belsham’s writing style that makes action-infused, complex plots easy to follow and smooth to read. You get sucked into the story and forget you are reading at all.

I did a buddy read of this book, and we all finished it days ahead of schedule because we were so caught up in the story.

Many thanks to NetGalley, Alison Belsham, and Bookouture for the opportunity to read this book in advance of its publication on July 11, 2023, in exchange for my honest review.

The Girl’s Last Cry
(Detective Lexi Bennett Book 2)
Chilling
Thriller
Murder
Mystery
I was very excited after book one of the series to see where it would lead! This book got very real very fast. It was a race against time with the turn of each page! I thought It had a great pace throughout! It had a major twist near the end! I liked the different viewpoint chapters! I can’t wait to see where book number three will take us!

When thirteen year old talented musician, Olivia James falls from one of the ancient towers in Canterbury city everything points towards the young girl taking her own life, especially when they find a note left by her and Detective Lexi Bennett prepares to close the case, even though Sam, Olivia's friend and Lexi's nephew, is adamant she wouldn't do something like that. When another teenager is found dead, Lexi thinks they are linked as he's a musician too and with a second persons footprint also at the scene, she's certain there's more to these deaths. Then she receives a call to say her nephew Sam, also a musician, is missing and she knows its a race against time to find him before this ruthless monster takes one of her own...

The Girls Last Cry is the second in the Detective Lexi Bennett police procedural series by Belsham and, as with the first book, I was hooked right from the off. This story covers the rather delicate subject of teenage suicide but Belsham tells it with compassion and integrity. She also delves into the dangers of the Dark Web and the catastrophic consequences that can arise from the influencers you meet on there. I really enjoyed the first book and getting to know more of Lexi and the team in this one. I love how Lexi has continued to gel with her team and her empathetic nature with everyone around her. This is a fast paced, action packed read which kept me gripped throughout and I'm looking forward to the next one in the series.

I'd like to thank Bookouture and Netgalley for the auto approval, I will post my review on Goodreads now and Amazon on publication day.

After really enjoying the first book in the Detective Lexi Bennett series I was happy to find that I would not have to wait long for book 2. This time Lexi becomes involved in several cases of apparent suicide after coming across the body of a young girl at the bottom of a tower after she had fallen. There is something that does not sit quite right with Lexi and after finding out that the girl was a friend of her nephew Sam she is determined to dig further until she is satisfied she knows exactly what happened. When two more young teenagers also die in apparent suicides she is convinced there is something going on, but she struggles to work out what connects them all if anything does and why they would want to end their lives in such a way.
Lexi Bennett is definitely growing on me. She has a determination to see a case through no matter what that you can’t help but admire. Even when her boss is doubting her motives she doesn’t let go and wants to do right by the victims and their families once again putting her own life on the line. You can feel her frustration as she reaches one dead end after another as suspects are crossed off and evidence leads nowhere. Her own impulsiveness even puts the investigation behind and potentially more children at risk and as she is beating herself up over it there are times Lexi oversteps the line with her colleagues.
Speaking of her colleagues, we are getting to know more about them and the dynamics within the team as they have been working together for some time. Whilst we knew that Lexi and Tom worked well together I have really enjoyed watching the working relationship between Colin and Ridhi develop. They are like chalk and cheese yet somehow they work as a partnership and Ridhi may actually be rubbing off on the brash DC. It is their interactions that bring some of the lighter moments in the book.
The book does have dark themes as it delves into the world of the dark web and the suicide groups that lurk on there and you are left wondering what was so bad in the victims lives that would lead them to such a place where they felt they had no options left and ultimately what kind of person would actively encourage them to end their lives whilst seemingly offering them understanding. Alison Belsham manages to highlight these issues sensitively whilst still ensuring that the plot engages the reader. I am certainly looking forward to book 3 to see what Lexi and the team become involved in next and if this time she can manage to solve the case without putting her own life on the line

Grade: A

Alison Belsham knows how to steal time. Once again, I sat down to read for "a bit," before I knew it, it was late at night, and I was finished with this book.

As with the first book in this series, Lexi Bennett wanders upon a crime scene. As laid out in the first chapter, a teen girl is contemplating suicide, and it becomes clear that she is being groomed to make this decision. When Lexi discovers the girl's body at the body of a tower, it doesn't seem quite like a suicide to her detective's eye.

The Lexi Bennett series is perfect for those who like the procedural part of police procedurals. Belsham dives deep into what it takes for detectives to solve a case. In this second novel, the scope widens from just Lexi to the rest of her team. I enjoyed seeing the individual personalities come out and interact with each other.

Still, Lexi is at the center. As her colleague says, Lexi's superpower is her empathy. That special something makes Lexi successful both as a detective and a character. While the first book focused on a case very personal to Lexi, she is more removed from this case. That lets her shine as a detective. She still makes some incredibly stupid spur-of-the-moment decisions, which I find frustrating with her as a character, but I don't find fault with the writing. Lexi is called out for these brash actions by her co-workers, and Lexi does face consequences.

I do want to give a warning for this book. Generally, there is a trigger warning for suicidal ideation. More personally, this deals with teen suicide. As a parent of a teen and pre-teen, I found parts of this book very hard to read. I don't mean that as a knock against Belsham, but rather a warning for others who might be sensitive to it.

I am so glad that I happened upon this series, and I will definitely be continuing with the series. I would press it into the hands of anyone who is a fan of crime fiction.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I really like Lexi Bennett as a character and the people on her team are wonderful as well. I look forward to more books for her. The mystery in this book was gripping and was well done. This book sucked me in and held my attention throughout. I may have read a majority of it in a day because it was so exciting. I am definitely looking forward to more mysteries with Lexi.

Thank you Bookoutre and Netgalley for Lexi Bennett book 2 which was absolutely brilliant.
A really different storyline with good characters and I didn’t guess who the murderer was.
I love this series and really hope there are going to be more.
A definite 5 ⭐️ and highly recommended.

Detective Lexi Bennett #2

Detective Lexi Bennett is walking through the quiet Canterbury streets when she hears screaming. Rushing towards the sound, she finds the body of a teenage girl lying beneath one of the city's ancient towers. Lexi looks up at the cold grey stone, and vows that she will find answers. Did the girl jump or fall.... or was she pushed? Olivia's distraught parents say their daughter was a talented musician with everything to live for. Lexi's nephew, Sam, who knew Olivia, tearfully insists that she would never have taken her own life. But when a note is found, Lexi reluctantly wraps up the case.

After reading The Girls On Chalk Hill, the first book in this series, I was looking forward to reading the second Detective Lexi Bennett book. I'm happy to say that I was not disappointed. I was pulled in from the first chapter. This time Lexi is trying to find out why multiple teenagers are committing suicide. They all seem to have left similar notes for their loved ones. This book also highlights the power an online influencer can have. This is a fast-paced thriller. Lexi is a strong female character, and I can't wait to get a copy of the third book in this series, The Innocent Angels.

I would like to thank #NetGalley #Bookouture and the author #AlisonBelsham for mu ARC of #TheGirlsLastCry in exchange for an honest review.