Member Reviews
Wow, wow, wow!!!😮
This was amazing!
I don’t believe I’ve read this author before, but this book was awesome!
Tori Hunter is now an FBI Agent in NYC.
Her specialty is children who’ve been abducted. But…she has a horrible thing that happened in her past…when she was just a HS kid. Her twin sister went missing one night…never to be seen again.
She went away to college…trying to leave the past behind her…but the losses just kept coming…
Now, 20 years later, a girl goes missing in her hometown in MN…and she gets a note in the mail asking “does this seem familiar?”
And she realizes that it’s a copycat of her sister’s disappearance… So of course, she goes home…
But things have significantly changed in her hometown…including the sheriffs office. As she tries to study what’s going on here…again…she gets embroiled in her old friends, and feelings of home…that she does NOT have in NYC..L
BUT, as girls keep disappearing, and it all starts to hit home again…she feels that she MUST get to the bottom of this….
But, it might just cost her her life…
All the while, she’s working alongside Braddock, in the sheriffs department. And..she’s getting on his nerves. He knows she thinks he’s a country bumpkin who doesn’t have a clue what he’s doing…but, she just might be wrong.
As time goes on they seem to START getting along and making some progress…but the twists and turns…just… keep… coming! 😮🫣
This is book #1, and apparently the book came out a while ago…but the audiobook is just being released on 11/1/24..so look 👀 for it then!
#SilencedGirls (Tori Hunter Book #1) by #RogerStelljes and narrated beautifully by #KateHandford.
Thanks so much to #NetGalley and #BookoutureAudio for an ARC of the audiobook (Release date 11/1/24!)
5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ for me!! Looking forward to reading more in the series!! 😄
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I listened to the audio version of this book and I absolutely loved it!
It’s a great murder mystery that kept me guessing throughout and has a breathtaking ending!
Can’t wait for the next instalment of Tori’s adventures!!
Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture Audio for letting me review this audiobook.
I absolutely love this book. I for sure thought I knew the ending several times but nope.. It keeps you hooked till the end! I loved how we had a strong yet vulnerable FMC! We need more of those ;)
I cannot wait to dive into the next part!
Thank you NetGalley for the ALC!
This. Was. SO. Good.
I highly suggest this book for those who enjoy a good mystery along with a "man, I thought I had that one all figured out!"- this is for you!
Truly, at the beginning of this book, I did a huge eyeroll. Like oh my gosh, if they turn out to be the killer, I am going to be so irritated. And I was wrong. It kept me on the edge of my seat, and I would definitely suggest this for those who are looking for something a little different.
This was an engaging listen by an author I wasn't familiar with, but who is apparently quite prolific - which is always a great discovery. I enjoyed the narration, which suited the story's tenor and tone perfectly. I found the storytelling to be well done and true to the genre, which meant it was easy to fall into without feeling overdone or like I'd read it/listened to it before. I did not see the big reveal coming, frankly, and that's unusual in this genre for me. It was dark and emotional without feeling melodramatic. I would definitely continue with the series.
Let me first start by saying I loved this narrator, I feel like the narrator of an audiobook is so important and this one just had such a nice voice. I was hooked on this story for the very first page, I couldn't wait to find out who done it. My only issue is that when we did find out who the killer was I had forgotten who they were so it took a bit of the ah ha moment away from it but that's a me problem.
I did feel like the last few chapters were a bit unnecessary like they could have been left out and I still would have enjoyed this story just as much. I was constantly back and forth with who I thought could be the killer in this story.
I definitely feel like I will be listening/reading more of tori hunters story!
I listened to the audiobook for this book & I think listening instead of reading it made me like this story more than I would have if I read it myself. Only because I’m not a huge fan of “crime, whodunnits,” but I think listening to the audiobooks of this genre might make me like them more!
I will say this should have been wayyyy shorter, there were a few dull, slow, boring & definitely not needed parts but other than that this was a pretty good story. I also did not guess the person who did it, so glad it wasn’t who I originally thought cause I would have been so upset about it!😂
I would recommend this, especially if you like audiobooks, definitely listen to this one instead of reading it yourself, or do “immersive reading!” I enjoyed this narrator also!
If you like mysteries/whodunnits then this is definitely the book for you! I look forward to reading more books by this author, this is my first book I’ve ever read, or listened to, by this author and they did not disappoint!
*3.5 stars
Agent Tori Hunter is back in her hometown after 20 years to investigate the disappearance of a young woman... the case is eerily familiar... 20 years ago Tori's twin sister went missing in similar circumstances and was never seen again. Can she catch the killer?
I listened to the audiobook version of this story - the narrator was great. her voice suited the story and she did a great job of reading.
I did find the story to be quite long, and while it was an interesting listen, it was a very long listen. The story line was good - it was a great crime thriller. I did feel some parts to be drawn out a little too much, but overall it was a great storyline.
Anyone who loves crime thrillers will enjoy this.
This high quality audio was so engrossing and well narrated the time just slipped away. It is the first in a series and my first outing with the author and I'm blown away. This is the first one released on audio but the others are published so I'm lookkng forward to reading more.
This first book is a mystery that brings the main character Tori back to her home town to help investigate the disapperance of girls and hopeful solve what happened to her twin sister 20 years ago. . The characters are multi layered and interesting. The mystery is engaging and complex. There is plenty of action and romance. Although I gueese the true perpetrator at 50% I throughly enjoyed this. .the narration gor tge characters was clear and engaging. A brilliant start to a series that nakes you want yo read more. This is a self contained mystery and the complexity of Tori and her relationships makes it compelling to find book 2. Thank uou do much netgallery and publisher and author and narrator fir thus cracking 5 star listen
I’d give Silenced Girls a solid 3 stars. It was a decent read—good, though nothing exceptional. At times, it felt longer than it needed to be, but I can’t say I’d cut anything from it; maybe it was more about the narrator’s style ( I did the audio version). I’d still be interested in picking up the second book when it’s out."
Thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for the ARC
Tori Hunter is haunted by her past and attempts to leave it all behind. But a mysterious letter brings her back and gives her hope that maybe all the questions from the past will be answered.
This was a pretty good read. I enjoyed the writing and how most of the story developed. It did feel a little long. I really liked the main characters and am excited to see that this is a series and I can read more of them! I am curious how the series will go with how the ending turned out. The ending wrapped everything up very nicely. There was one thing I was confused about that either I completely missed or it was a little of a plot hole. The narrator did a very good job with this book!
Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture Audio for a copy of this audiobook!
Riveting crime thriller.
First in a series, this introduces Agent Tori Hunter of the FBI returning to Minnesota where she grew up. Lured by a newspaper clipping sent to her via mail, Tori goes back home in hopes of finding out what happened to her identical twin sister 20 years ago. Although not on the job, she partners with a local detective, Will Braddock, as he investigates a missing person case involving a local woman who disappeared off a lonely backroad.
This was super good and I could barely put it down. Although quite a bit lengthier than is typical, I was intrigued and quickly invested in the characters and the plot. I liked Tori and many of the others in that small town. The red herrings tantalized and kept me guessing as I tried to figure out who the bad guy was. I'm excited because I really would like to read more books featuring Tori Hunter and I see many are available. I typically avoid series and prefer standalones, but I think I may need to make an exception with these. A solid and suspenseful mystery.
I was lucky and got to listen to the audiobook while also following along in the e-book ARC, both provided by the publishers. I liked the narrator who did a great job voicing the characters with the appropriate amount of dramatic flair. The experience definitely enhanced my enjoyment of the book.
A strong start to the series - we learn the history and driving motivation on our main character but also have a couple of opportunities to see them away from home and excelling in their job without history interfering. I didn't need the love interest but it wasn't overbearing or unrealistic. In fact my only complaint was the villain who seemed like an undeveloped afterthought.
I really liked this book. It was well written and well narrated. The characters were easy to relate to and the plot had lots of twists to keep my interest going throughout.
This took a while to get into but it really starts at 30% then it drops again. There were so many characters to keep up with and the book felt long. I liked Tori’s resilience and her character. I wasn’t sure about that mini smut scene, I don’t think it brought anything to the story. The twist was okay but I think by the time I got to that part the thrill had all ready faded.
Overall, if this was a shorter book it would’ve been a better experience because the audiobook was 17 hours and the actual book is nearly 500 pages.
Thank you @Netgalley for this ALC
Silenced Girls (Agent Tori Hunter Book 1)
By Roger Stelljes, narrated by Kate Handford
Thanks to getting book #1 of this series as an ARC, I'm off on a binge of this series because I also have book #7 as an ARC (and the other books as KU selections). Daunted by a tight timeline, at first I was not going to attempt this binge but I enjoyed the first book (this one) so much that I'm already almost finished with the second book. What makes this fun is that all seven of the books have already been previously published so no waiting for the next book to come out before I can start reading/hearing it.
Roger Stelljes is another new author to me. FBI Agent Tori Hunter's twin sister disappeared under very disturbing circumstances twenty years ago and that disappearance was probably responsible for their father's ill health and death two years later. Once Tori's father died, Tori left town and never looked back although the town, the tragedy, and the grief has haunted her days all these years. Tori's sister's death is why she became an FBI agent and why she devotes every bit of her existence to the job. She has no time and no desire for friends, an outside of work life, or meaningful relationships with anyone.
But when another girl disappears twenty years after Tori's sister disappeared and Tori receives a mysterious message taunting her back to her hometown she is ready to tackle whatever it takes to figure out what happened to her sister and other missing girls. That has Tori running smack dab (he he) into the local, formerly big time, sheriff's detective working the case and sparks fly in more ways than one. The crimes are disturbing, the clues are confusing and it's like a big high school reunion with all of Tori's long time childhood friends still on the local scene.
The story goes into detail, it is not a short story, and by the time it's over I'm all in to keep on with these characters. What a treat to have more books ahead of me. Kate Handford is really good as the narrator and I wish I could listen to the rest of the series although what I have on hand are the KU books and I'm happy with those, too.
Thank you to Bookouture Audio and NetGalley for this ARC.
I'm a FAN of Tori - this was exactly my kind of book - I'll be binging this series.
The book is a page-turning female-led mystery that follows Tori Hunter as she works to get to the bottom of her sister's murder and a large string of murders before the killer strikes again.
The book keeps the suspense building throughout as it hits the climax. I was really hooked following the trail of clues. I also LOVED the twists and turns in this book so many red herrings I couldn't keep track.
I really love it when the murderer is in regular contact with the investigators, in a sort of cat-and-mouse dance.
My only critique is that I felt Tori being pulled out of the main crime to investigate a side child disappearance distracted from the main suspense.
Appreciate that I guessed the murderer incorrectly.
I would recommend this book to fans of female mystery books who love suspense and twists. Easy very quick read.
4.2 ⭐️
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
Silenced Girls by Roger Stelljes
Narrated by Kate Handford
Provided by NetGalley
I had heard good things about this author and decided to try his books. The narration was quite well done. Kate Handford offered the telling of a story rather than a reading. However, the story itself left a lot to be desired. It was far longer than it needed to (or should) be and contained a LOT of filler. Once we’ve determined a character is into fashion, unless there is something relevant about the clothes, I just assume they are wearing some in keeping with their character. I don’t need to keep hearing about it.
Silenced Girls lacked focus. We were introduced to three unrelated crimes and a romance. As you can imagine, all the crimes involved a whole new set of characters. The number of characters in conjunction with the mind-numbing filler made this story difficult to stay engaged with. I’m not sure what relevance the two child abductions had to do with the main story other than prove how good the FBI agent was. But then we knew that through the other characters making a point of it…repeatedly. The female lead came off more like a moody teenager than a capable woman.
The audiobook was truly exciting, and the narrator did a brilliant job throughout the performance. Despite feeling that the story was a bit drawn out at times, I still found great enjoyment in it. The plot kept me engaged, particularly because I couldn’t easily figure out the mystery behind the killer.
This was 17 hours long and it flew by!! Story moves along at a good pace with zero slow spots. My first novel by this author and I'm excited that I have a new series to read.