This book is a gripping and intense read! The story starts with a shocking and dramatic scene that immediately grabs your attention. Detective Bec Pope’s return to a cold case involving a missing girl she thought was lost forever adds a compelling layer of suspense. The mystery of Alice Lowrie’s disappearance and reappearance after so many years, along with the dark history of the case, creates an atmosphere of tension and intrigue. The quest to uncover what happened to Alice and the truth behind the case is both captivating and thought-provoking. It’s a page-turner that keeps you hooked with its twists and revelations!

This gave me Cold Case vibes. I wasn’t attached to DCI Bec Pope at all. It had good mystery but no suspense for mw. The ending was good but very abrupt. You only got insight into what happened to the girls in the beginning with just a few flashbacks. I wish there were more insight into what happened.

This is the second publication by author Jez Pinfold (https://www.jezpinfold.com). The Stolen Girls was published in 2024 and it is the second novel in his Detective Bec Pope Mysteries series. It is the 40th book I completed reading in 2024.

Opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own! Due to scenes of violence, I categorize this novel as R.

It had been eight years since three young girls went missing. Only one body was ever found. Now, a young woman has walked into Charing Cross police station where Detective Bec Pope is stationed. She is covered in blood but claims to have no memory of what happened to her.

The original disappearance had been one of Pope’s first cases. It has never been solved, and Pope cannot forget it. All the memories of eight years earlier are stirred up when the bloody young woman is identified as Alice Lowrie, one of the missing girls.

Pope is not comfortable with Lowrie’s claim of total amnesia. It seems too convenient. As she and her team dig into the case, they uncover unusual loose ends. Another young girl is found missing. Can Pope find her before she, too, turns up dead?

I enjoyed the 6.5+ hours I spent reading this 299-page mystery. I like the chosen cover art. I give this novel a rating of 4 out of 5.

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"The Stolen Girls" by Jez Pinfold. I have to admit, I was a bit hesitant to dive into this book as a standalone, but I was pleasantly surprised to find that it can be read on its own without prior knowledge of the series. The author does an excellent job of catching the reader up to speed on the previous case, so you can jump right in.
The story is incredibly engaging, with a premise that had me hooked from the very beginning. The discovery of a young woman covered in blood outside the police station sets off a chain reaction of events that will keep you turning the pages until the very end. As DCI Bec Pope delves deeper into the mystery, she uncovers a web of secrets and lies that will keep you guessing until the end.
One of the things that really stood out to me was the author's ability to create believable characters. Pope is a complex and multi-dimensional character, with a rich backstory that adds depth to the story. Her partner, Brody, is also well-written, and their banter and interactions are witty and believable.
The plot is expertly crafted, with plenty of twists and turns to keep you on your toes. The cult aspect is particularly interesting, and it's clear that Pinfold has done her research. The writing is clear and concise, making it easy to follow along as Pope navigates the investigation.
Overall, "The Stolen Girls" is an excellent fast-paced crime thriller that will keep you engaged from start to finish. With its witty characters, intricate plot, and suspenseful twists, it's a must-read for fans of the genre.

Great story of missing girls embroiled in a cult like group for many years. One girl escapes and the story develops with excellent detective work by the lead.

This was fantastic! I wasn't able to predict how this was going to end which was nice. The pacing is good. I haven't read the first book in the series but I was still able to understand this story pretty well. I would recommend this if you enjoy thrillers! Special Thank You to Jez Pinfold, Joffe Books and NetGalley for allowing me to read a complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance copy to review. This book starts with a girl walking into the police station with blood all over her asking for help. That alone is intriguing-what happened, whose blood is it, is the girl the victim or the perpetrator?

All in all, I wasn’t completely immersed in this story. It wasn’t bad-it just wasn’t fabulous. I finished reading it and would recommend it to other readers, I just have read other books that caught my attention and left me more at the edge of my seat.

*3.5 Stars*
The Stolen Girls is the second book in the Detective Bec Pope mystery series and it was definitely an entertaining, quick read. The pacing was quite good, and there were enough twists and turns to keep you engaged and entertained.

Bec Pope is the main character in the series and is the detective in charge of the case. And while I enjoyed the characters, I didn't feel there was much depth to them nor did I feel like there was much character development. In fact, Bec drove me somewhat crazy with some of the decisions she made and I kept waiting for someone to overrule her and tell her it wasn't safe, but everyone just went along with her decisions. Oh, some of he characters argued with her, but everyone eventually gave way, placing people in serious danger, hence the drop in my overall rating. I just couldn't fathom the Chief of Police agreeing to some of the things she wanted. She is haunted by an episode at the beginning of her career, something that is actually relevant to what is occurring in this book, but it doesn't excuse her actions. I did like how the author incorporates the difficulties her job has on her relationships as well as on her mental wellness though.

The pacing is good in the story and I enjoyed the overall story, especially how the past can catch up to you and create problems in the present, a sort of karma, if you will. There were some twists and turns, and even though I found them kind of predictable, it was still fun to see the characters' reactions as they discovered what was really going on. Because I found the character development lacking, I didn't really empathize with them too much; in fact, I grew annoyed with some of Bec's decisions and how she spoke to some of her co-workers, resulting in consequences that were tragic. The whole thing left a bad taste in my mouth. Because this was the second book in the series, and events carried from the first book, there were quite a few things going on in this book, a lot of which were left hanging at the end of the book. I did feel there was some conclusion, but the author is definitely intending to continue some concepts in the future books.

The Stolen Girls was an entertaining and quick read, but I am not a fan of books where so many threads are going to continue in future books, especially in mystery books. I know it may just be a personal thing, but I feel like I should be able to pick up a book in a mystery series and be able to have some sense of what is happening, but in this one, while you could get away with it, having read the first book gives you a better understanding of what is happening here. The twists and turn were good, if predictable, and while I would like to see more character development, it was still a fun mystery. There were a lot of things that were left hanging however, things that will continue in future books, and I am not sure if I am crazy about that. However, I will definitely pick up the third book when it releases.

My first book by this author and I will definitely be reading more. I’m one who craves the burn through, edge of your seat page turners and from page one this was a gripping story. There are many references to the first in the series so I do feel that to understand the main character more that I will go back and read the first book, but even with the references to the first book this one is fine as a stand alone. It touches just enough on difficult situations without giving too much information to make it cringe worthy. I love how you are trying to guess right along with the detectives whether they are being told the truth or fed lies. The story keeps to the main plot without twists but keeps you fully invested until the end

Part of a series but works as a standalone. An interesting storyline with some good characters. A good read.

The premise of this was interesting but unfortunately it didn’t live up to my expectations. Mainly, I struggled with the pace and found it hard to get into. The characters also didn’t feel developed enough and I couldn’t get behind t them enough to care what happened to them. Not for me, but I’m sure this book will be enjoyed by others.

Thank you to Joffe Books and NetGalley for the eARC of this book, the second in the Detective Bec Hope series.

Bec Pope is a detective working out of the Charing Cross police station in London. Like so many women she's trying to balance her work and home life. The balance is upended one evening as she's leaving work. A young woman stumbles into her arms, covered in blood. The woman appears uninjured but has no idea where the blood has come from, or who she even is. Dogged detective work reveals she disappeared 8 years ago as a child with 3 other girls. This case will take up more and more of Bec's time as she becomes invested in searching for answers for this young woman.

It's an excellent book. I hadn't read the previous book and didn't feel I needed to in order to enjoy this book. Interesting premise, well written, likeable lead character. I did figure out fairly early on where this was going. It's a 3 out of 5 stars for me.

Thank you Netgalley, Jez Pinfold, and Joffee Books for the ebook! This was a fast paced detective thriller that I just couldn't put down! The cult vibes were crazy and I really enjoyed this!

A young woman shows up at the police station with blood on her and amnesia. It turns out she is one of three women who disappeared years ago. Her case as considered a cold one so her arrival brings up many questions that the police must now solve.

The book is fast paced and has just enough thrills to keep the pages turning.

I could have used a deeper character study - which is why it is only 4 stars.

That being said it is still a good read - engrossing and a fast read.

The story was entertaining enough. I did feel there was a lack of character development. The MFC was very repetitive with regards to her home life, she thought the same idea over and over and there was no resolution to that. Her feelings toward her boss was once again very repetitive. I feel like Instead of delving deeper into the characters, the same ideas were just repeated. I would have liked to see more fleshed out with regards to the oldest child. The family was gone for half of the book and then they just pop up out of nowhere. It seemed like an afterthought.

I would have loved if there were more views into the collective. Maybe the author was uncomfortable writing about graphic abuse but it didn’t feel detailed enough to have strong feelings for the victims. There were enough details on the bad parts of their lives at all to empathize with them.

Over all the plot was enjoyable if not a little predictable.

What a great book surrounding a difficult topic! A young lady shows up at the police department covered in blood, but doesn’t remember anything. Is she faking amnesia? Where did she come from? Whose blood is it? What happened?

There were twists and turns throughout the story, just enough to keep me engrossed. I really was invested and wanted to know what happened to the young lady that showed up at the police station covered in blood. I loved this story, and the plot, along with the characters, kept me flipping pages every chance I could. I do wish there was more character development. I would love more depth to Bec and her partner, Brody.

This is book two in a series, but it can be read as a standalone. I immediately went and started book one after enjoying this one so much.

Thank you NetGalley and Joffe Books for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

The Stolen Girls
Thriller
Jez Pinfold
⭐️⭐️⭐️

• ᴍᴜʀᴅᴇʀ • ᴋɪᴅɴᴀᴘᴘɪɴɢ • ᴄᴜʟᴛ •

I didn't realise that this book was the 2nd one in a series so I felt like I was missing some details about Detective Bec Pope and her history.

I wasn't keen on the writing style. The author often explained conversations and how they went rather than letting the characters actually have the conversations.

I struggled to become engrossed in the story. Routines and activities were described in too much detail, step by step and things seemed too repetitive.

The characters were ok but they didn't seem to have much depth to them.

The pacing itself was quite good and so I finished reading this book quite quickly.

I did enjoy some of the plot twists. One or two were predictable but I didn't mind that.

I didn't find the ending very satisfying at all. There seemed to be so much left unanswered and while I understand that the author did this to set up things for the next book, it just made me a little frustrated.

Unfortunately this book wasn't for me but I'm sire other readers would like it.

*Thank you to @Netgalley, the author, and the publishers for providing this ARC. This is my own opinion and an honest review, which I am leaving voluntarily*

Did this book live up to the blurb oh my yes

I loved it. Was hooked. From the start to the finish. What a read

4 stars from me thank you Netgalley and Joffe for the opportunity to review

The book is well-written and is really twisty and gripping. It is a quick and easy read. The characters are great, plot-line is good and the premise is captivating. I enjoyed it.

Overall, it was a nice book and I would recommend it to anyone looking for a quick read or as a palate cleanser.

Thank you NetGalley, Joffe Books, and Jez Pinfold for this arc copy!

Three missing girls have haunted the career of DCI Pope for years. Suddenly one appears. Will she finally solve the case? Jez Pinfold has crafted a skillfully written story that will keep you turning pages. Highly recommend this book.