In The Girl Who Survived, FBI agent Leigh Brody is called in to look at a case in her hometown of Lebanon, New Hampshire, a place she had sworn to never visit again after the murder of her younger brother, the arrest of her father for the crime, and the suicide of her mother. When a murder too similar to that of her brother takes place, the BAU sends for Leigh to lend her expertise on the original crimes, which she has studied obsessively. She has limited time, and limited help, to figure out if the original killer is back in business, if her dad will finally be freed from what she is certain is his wrongful conviction, and if the real killer of her brother Troy will finally be held accountable.

I really enjoyed this book, until I didn’t. The writing is wonderful, the dialogue is detailed, the descriptions of people and places are descriptive enough that you can picture them in your head as you read. The twist near the end was surprising (in a good way), but the second twist at the very end almost ruined this book for me. Without giving anything away, the final surprise took everything about Leigh and her work to put her brother's killer behind bars and turned it on its head, but in a way that made most of the build up in the book make no sense. This would have been a 4.5 or 5 star read for me if not for the conclusion. I think the author has a lot of talent, but I hope future books in the series don’t try to pull off such a sensationalized twist that significantly detracts from the story rather than adding to it.

Thank you to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Agent Leigh Brody returns to her hometown 20 years after her father is convicted of killing 2 young boys, one being Leigh’s younger brother. She is brought in by the FBI’s BAU to investigate the murder of a woman who appears to have been killed in the same way the two young boys were.

This story pulled me in right off the bat with the first chapter being told from the POV of the killer. Throughout the book secrets are revealed leading to more secrets and some twists I didn’t see coming.

There were a few slow parts but overall this was a fast paced mystery/thriller.

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC.

This is a fast paced, twisty thriller, with really good characterisation and interesting plot line. All the way through I kept thinking that I knew where this was going and who would be the bad guy but when the final twist to the whole story came, I really was not expecting any of it. However,I couldn’t quite believe it, it felt as though everything was too rushed, such as how all the results of the investigations got sorted out so quickly. However, I really enjoyed Leigh as a character, and would definitely read whatever comes next in her complicated life.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Wow! I’m speechless, what a well written suspense. Leigh was one bad@ss FBI agent She takes a licking and keeps on ticking. My heart was pounding the last few chapters. No spoilers here but my mind was blown with the ending. I can’t wait to read the next in the series in which I hope a couple of the other characters are along for the ride. Thank you to NetGalley for the free advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

This book had me addicted from the start! It was so intense that I could not wait to see the twist. Authot knows how to deliver the breath taking, draw dropping twist that we all know and love and never expect the ending. I believe this book is her best one yet but I say that everytime I read one of her books. Thank you for allowing me to read your book in advance.

This book was so good! It had me guessing all the way through. I guessed who it was then changed my mind multiple times. This book had me shouting and gasping and the twists were AMAZING! I hope Leigh Brody gets more books because I would LOVE to follow her story! This was definitely worth the read!

I had to take a day to think on this before I could give it a fair review. The Girl Who Survived was such an amazing and suspenseful thriller. I couldn’t get over how well the author told this tale. I think at some point in the story, I suspected every character as the killer! Definitely was NOT predictable. Quick page turner I didn’t want to put down. I would actually go so far to say, one of the best murder mysteries I have ever read. But then… with like, less than 30 pages left, she dropped the most unrealistic, laughable how silly it was, twist. I really was stunned by how such an incredible book came down to this awful ending. It was a 5 ⭐️ read for me 90% of the book. That last 10% though…it has taken me awhile to decide how many stars to deduct and I think I’m going with 1 full star to make it 4⭐️. There really was absolutely no need whatsoever to throw this last monkey wrench into the story and if I’m being honest, it made me angry.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for providing me an Advanced Readers Copy in exchange for my honest review.

How do you go home again, when the people at "home" don't want you? This is a question Agent Brody has to answer when she returns home to work on a case that is emotional and very personal.

When asked to consult on a case in her hometown regarding missing boys, Agent Brody is constantly reminded of her own brother's disappearance, while dealing with opposition on the force, and by the community.

In terms of a police procedural, this one gave insight into profiling and steps that are followed in investigations. I was pleasantly surprised with the amount of "suspense," and opportunities for Brody to go toe to toe with suspects and with adversaries that are trying to impede her investigation. There were plenty of red herrings that were offered, as well as the perspective of how differently people deal with grief. One family chose to "move on," while another one was stuck with the ramifications of the acts and could not move forward. The feel of a small town and everyone knowing everyone felt very authentic.

I hope that there is another book as I felt that Brody, outside of what she was dealing with, was not very well fleshed out, along with other supporting characters. The end left a lot of questions and a little bit of disbelief, but hopefully those questions will be answered in future installments.

I would recommend this book to others and am looking forward to knowing more. The question would be how we move Brody to a different setting, or if this is a stand alone.

I was provided a copy for review and my honest thoughts by NetGalley and the publisher for which I am thankful.

Is returning to your hometown really the best thing you could do? Leigh Brody needs to make this decision when she is called in to consult on a case that takes place in her hometown, which she left and never wanted to return to. The author developed the characters in such a way that there were some that I loved and related to and others I couldn't stand! I love when this happens because I feel like I am in the story feeling what the main character is feeling. This is one of the best books I've read and will definitely be looking for more from this author!

Very tricky, Nichole Severn. Ending of this book has a huge twist that I never would have suspected. It was a pretty easy read and I liked it. The main character in the book, Leigh Brody, gets beat up an absurd amount of times, but she is still able to go out and try and solve the case. Fun read set in NH.

Thank you to NetGalley, Storm Publishing and Nichole Severn for an advanced copy of this book.

What a brilliant story this is!!! I found it a slow burner to begin with but oh my days when it grabbed me I was hooked. This is the first book I've read by this author and I look forward to reading more.

Wow! So many twists in this book that I did not expect!

Nichole Severn’s “The Girl Who Survived” started a little slow but after a few chapters, I could not put this book down.

I thought I knew who the killer was, but I was wrong. And the bomb dropped at the end – stellar!

This is Leigh Brody FBI Mystery #1 and I’ll be watching for the next one.

If you're into thrillers that keep you guessing, "The Girl Who Survived" should definitely be on your list.

The Girl Who Survived is expected to be published May 6, 2024.

My thanks to Storm Publishing and NetGalley for this eARC.
#TheGirlWhoSurvived #NetGalley #NicholeSevern

This book grabs your attention from the start.
There’s definitely some slower parts that made it harder for me to get through but the twist at the end made me so happy that I kept with the book.

Leigh Brody returns home when there are copycat murders happening that are way too similar to how her brother and his friend were killed. She’s attacked in her home twice and in the street once. She even sees the attacker at a police crime scene and no one puts it together. That part was so unrealistic to me. Also, that she’d still be working the case after the two attacks.

The ending is so good. I’m happy I kept reading the book

I truly enjoyed this mystery. The author wrote a riveting tale. The plot was excellent. I was unable to figure out the real serial killer until the very end. I enjoy being kept entertained with the twists and the characters. Very surprising ending. I would very much welcome the opportunity to read any future books by this author.

I love murder mystery books and this one did not disappoint. It was a very compelling read and kept me guessing. The characters were very likable and I felt a lot of empathy for them over the book. Great read, overall!

I absolutely couldn't put down The Girl Who Survived by Nichole Severn, staying up far into the wee hours of the morning to finish the book. The main character of FBI agent Leigh Brody was heartbreakingly compelling, and the harassment that she endured as a teenager and upon her return to her hometown was appalling. The murders in the book are gruesome and the hunt for the killer intriguing and page-turning.
However, once I hit the end twist, my wonder at this superbly written and suspenseful story soured considerably. The final twist cast every portrayal of the Leigh's struggle with her brother's death and her sometimes debilitating panic while trying to solve a case linked to the death of the two boys 20 years earlier in doubt. It's as though the author thought up the ending after writing the rest of the book, and forgot to go back and edit the actions, reactions and words of her main character to fit the new narrative. In short, they just didn't match.
Add to that, the title is misleading as well. While Leigh definitely endured plenty of hardship and pain, she is not the survivor of the novel.
Overall, I was thoroughly disappointed in how the book panned out, and where I was prepared to leave five stars, I have downgraded to two.
Perhaps the editors can fix the discrepancies between the final twist and what came before to something more ambiguous, leaving room to allow for the ending to ring true.
Thank you for the ARC of #TheGirlWhoSurvived to #NetGalley.

This story follows FBI Agent Leigh Brody. Glad to have received and ARC of this book!

As the story unfold it follows the story of two young boys that were murdered and Leigh father was convicted of the murders and sent away to prison for a life sentence. Leigh is sent back to the town where the murders occur and she does not have a welcome from the town because of her name. She is there to find out and research what happened and why.

This is a fast paced read and the main character is not a likable character but i hope that the series continues. I will be waiting to see what happens in the series.

Thanks NetGalley for letting me read and review.

I was excited to receive an ARC of this book courtesy of the publisher and NetGalley. The story line intrigued me and I was looking forward to reading. I wanted to like this book. I really struggled to get into the story. I personally struggled with the dialect and could not relate well to the main character. However, to be fair, the book just wasn't what I had expected. It was too much detective/police work for me and too little story and character development. I think it would make a better show than book.

Whew! What a wild ride. The Girl Who Survived is a spectacular mystery/thriller by Nichole Severn. This book had me on the edge of my seat for most of the book. Leigh is a FBI analyst and is called to her hometown to work a case the looks like a copycat of her brother's murder. This story has enough twists and turns you might want to leave a trail of bread crumbs. The last twist was my favorite and a read shocker. The Girl Who Survived is book 1 of the Leigh Brody FBI Mystery Series but can be read as a standalone. This is a complete book, not a cliffhanger.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book that I received from NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I definitely feel I may be the outlier in my rating of this book because… I was not impressed.. at all.
Here we go .. Leigh Brody who is now working for the FBI is called to help on murders that happen in her hometown. She is chosen because they seem to be linked, copycat or related to murders that happened there over 20 years ago in which her brother Troy and other boys were murdered and the person arrested and serving a life sentence for those murders… her Father, Joel. Leigh has always been convinced of her Father’s innocence however this is not an opinion shared by others in her old hometown. When she returns she is met with harassment, hatred, and all around dislike. She wants to solve these murders because could it finally clear her families name???

Ok where do I begin with my issues with this one .
1. Get ready to let go of all reality because the police and law procedures are so unrealistic it’s eye rolling . In no way would they have Leigh come help with this case with her connections and beliefs.
2. I could not connect with Leigh at all … frankly her character was allll over the place. There were so many times I just wanted to scream at her to spit it all out because she kept insinuating she knew what happened in the past and on the other hand she played completely clueless. This book was just went on and on for way too long.

NOW my biggest issue is the ending and big reveal. I was mind blown but not in a good way. In a way that I was I wanted to reach through the book and shake characters for their idiotic unbelievable actions. I was furious with many aspects related to this that I can’t say because of spoilers. But the ending was so far fetched I felt as is I left the book I had been reading and jumped to a completely different book . The beginning and how it ended did not connect well for me in anyway..

Thank you to the Author, Netgalley, and Storm Publishing for the ARC.