Wow! I wasn't sure what to expect from this author as it was my first by her, I was not disappointed! I couldn't get enough. It was really faced paced and kept me guessing. Highly recommend

The dynamic between Kelly, Midge, Talia, and Caroline was incredibly real and relatable. The author captured the essence of their friendship so well that it felt like I was part of their group. I particularly enjoyed the back-and-forth narrative from the late '90s and early 2000s, a time when decisions seemed straightforward and life was simpler, to the present day, where the three friends left with the secrets have grown into strong, resilient women.
Wendy Corsi Staub masterfully wove together a story filled with drama and intrigue, keeping me hooked from start to finish. The characters felt like real people with their own unique struggles and secrets, making their journey all the more compelling. The suspense of Caroline’s disappearance and the subsequent reunion added layers of mystery that kept me guessing until the very end.
The setting of Haven Cliff, both as an abandoned mansion and a restored architectural jewel, provided a hauntingly beautiful backdrop to the unfolding drama.
Overall, The Fourth Girl is a well-crafted tale that explores the complexities of friendship, the weight of secrets, and the impact of the past on the present. It’s a must-read for anyone who enjoys a good mystery with strong, relatable characters and a plot that keeps you on the edge of your seat. I highly recommend it! Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

Four best friends grow up in a small town full of secrets. With big changes coming at the end of high school, they make a pact to be friends forever - no matter what. When one goes missing, the remaining three vow to never tell the truth surrounding the mystery. But on the 25 year anniversary of her disappearance, the secrets will finally come out, shattering the residents of the quiet town.

I found this novel to be a bit slow at first but once you get used to the writing style of jumping back and forth through the timeline, the story picks up. It's evenly paced and fairly easy to guess the ending. Not quite a cozy mystery. The author teases the reader quite a bit to up the suspense but it starts getting a bit formulaic (I was mentally hearing. Dun dun dunnnn! at the end of every chapter.) There are a lot of 90s references to sort of add some atmosphere to the time jumps but I felt like they pulled me out of the story sometimes with the specifics instead of adding color.

This book is apparently the first in a new series and while the story wasn't a nail biter, I did appreciate how rounded out the character descriptions were and I am interested in reading more about them.

This whole book was an exercise in futility. I finished it irritated and stressed. The entire book focuses on a fourh girl who disappeared years before. And all three girls know what happened to her... then they find a body. Is it a coincidence or not. Were we wrong or no.

The book switches between multiple perspectives and timelines. I am not of fan of that generally and this book is a far example of why.

The author uses all this to enlighten the reader (as well as the MC's) slowly. Working towards the final goal of the big "twist." Only it wasn't, okay. If the characters had any sense at all and just told the truth the book would have been much shorter. They had no reason not to tell each other, they were all in on the secret anyway. I dislike a mystery/thriller that gives such weak explanation/motivation for withholding valuable information. It's lazy writing and a cheap trick to drag out the book and try to up the tension. Also, once given the clues to work with, this was easily solvable. Easily.

This is not a quick read but is a layered multiple view point book. The author keeps you very involved from the first couple chapters. What happened to Caroline and also her sister Mary Beth? Reading from past to present you find out what exactly happened to Caroline from her three friends points of view. Great mystery and loved the writing !

In "The Fourth Girl," the author masterfully weaves a tale of friendship, betrayal, and the haunting weight of secrets. The story begins on a fateful prom night, where Caroline Winterfield mysteriously disappears from an abandoned mansion, leaving her three best friends—Midge, Kelly, and Talia—bound by a promise that could shatter their lifelong ties.

Fast forward twenty-five years, and the friends reunite at Haven Cliff, which has transformed from a dilapidated ruin into a stunning architectural marvel. However, the air is thick with tension as they find themselves not only revisiting their shared past but also confronting a chilling present.

The narrative excels in its atmospheric setting, creating an eerie sense of place that complements the unfolding mystery. The author's deft character development allows readers to connect deeply with Midge, the police detective determined to uncover the truth, as well as Kelly and Talia, whose complex emotions add layers to the story. The tension escalates as it becomes clear that someone is watching their every move, hinting at deeper connections to the past.

What truly stands out in this novel is its exploration of the themes of loyalty and the burdens of secrets. As Midge races against time to solve the murder, the reader is drawn into the moral dilemmas faced by the friends, questioning how far they would go to protect one another—and themselves. The shocking revelations and unexpected twists keep the pages turning, making it hard to put the book down.

In summary, "The Fourth Girl" is a captivating mystery that balances emotional depth with a thrilling narrative. It grips the reader from the start and doesn't let go until the very last page. This is a must-read for fans of psychological thrillers and stories about the complexities of friendship.

This was a pretty good book. It was a bit too YA for my liking, as a center to round prom and teenagers. Other than the writing, being a bit juvenile, I thought it was very entertaining. The mystery was predictable from very early on, unfortunately, which took away from the book for me.


Thank you to NetGalley, to the author, and to the publisher for this complementary ARC in exchange for my honest review!!!

I have such mixed feelings about The Fourth Girl.

I loved the relationship between the friends, even if Caroline didn't quite make sense in their group. (The others always called out her long absences, but never seemed to miss her otherwise.) In similar mysteries like these, where a friend goes missing or dies, it seems that friend tends to fall into a golden girl or manic pixie trope. I liked that Caroline was written very different from these stereotypes.

On the other hand, I feel very let down by the plot. The main storyline was intended to be the one in present time, but barely anything happened in it. (This is especially odd given the description of the book, which makes it sound like the plot starts when the friends reunite. Instead, that serves as the third act.) The vast majority of the book took place in flashback scenes. I also struggled to keep the characters and their backgrounds straight, as both timelines were told from multiple characters' perspectives, and the flashback scenes jumped around in time.

Most disappointing for me, however, was the ending. I left feeling confused about the reason behind the death of one character, and surprised by the numerous gaping plot holes. (And, no, having one character remark that sometimes mysteries aren't tied up neatly does not excuse that.) The author had dropped so many clues and built up so many mysteries ... only to wave away clear explanations.

Wendy Corsi Staub does a fantastic job in writing this, it had that element that I was looking for from previous books and enjoyed the overall feel going on. The concept worked well overall and enjoyed the twists overall. The characters were everything that I wanted and enjoyed getting to read this with them.

Caroline disappeared on prom night. Now her boyfriend from the prom is murdered on the same date twenty five years later. Her three best friends are left to figure out what happened. This book went back and forth constantly between now and then. I found that very confusing and hard to keep track of. I don’t mind occasionally going back in time but this was a lot.

There was nothing awful here but I just couldn't get into this story. The plot was reasonable but I didn't find the storytelling to be compelling. The characters were described well enough but I didn't feel drawn to them. The author seems to have written a LOT of novels and has had a good deal of success, so maybe it's just me.

I enjoyed this thriller which also was about strong female friendship. There was a lot of secrets of course. I enjoyed the different times lines and getting to know the characters. There a couple of good twists. The writing was really good and so were all the main characters. I really enjoyed this book and it had me hooked.

A mystery thriller about four friends their lives and a secret kept for decades that has been eating them from the inside.

I tried so hard to like this book, but for me I had a really hard time getting into it. The beginning of the book starts out slow and is incredibly hard to follow with all the switching between timelines and point of views.

It started to pick up pace halfway through the story which made it a little easier to read but I found everything to be highly predictable in what was going to happen, easily figuring out the ending before even getting close to the end of the book.

The end of the book was lackluster and left much to be desired which is all I can say without giving away spoilers .

All in all this book wasn’t for me but I can say I can see a lot of people enjoying this book, so I recommend at the very least giving it a chance and seeing if it’s something you would enjoy .

"The Fourth Girl" by Staub had a promising premise, but I found it took a while to really get into the story. The slow start made it tough to stay engaged, and I was itching for the action to kick in. While there are some intriguing twists later on, I wished for more lively characters to keep me hooked. If you're up for a slow burn, it might be worth the wait, but I found myself wishing for a bit more excitement from the start! Give it a try if you're feeling patient!

It’s a very sad book. It’s got twists and turns. Caroline is believed to be dead, but her three friends think she is still alive after she’s been missing over 20 years. The three women are all living with the guilt of keeping Caroline’s secret. Friendship and family is a recurring theme. The writing is great. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced free copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. I received a copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

**Review of *The Fourth Girl* by Wendy Corsi Staub**

Wendy Corsi Staub’s *The Fourth Girl* is a gripping suspense novel that weaves a chilling tale of friendship, secrets, and long-buried truths. On the 25th anniversary of Caroline Winterfield's mysterious disappearance, her three best friends—Midge, Kelly, and Talia—reunite at the site where it all began: the now-revamped Haven Cliff mansion. The past resurfaces as they confront the implications of a promise made long ago, complicating their reunion with the revelation of a new murder.

Staub expertly builds tension and suspense, keeping readers guessing as they delve into the complexities of the characters' relationships and the haunting echoes of their shared history. The novel explores themes of loyalty, guilt, and the ramifications of unspoken truths, culminating in a thrilling climax that challenges everything the characters believed about their past.

With its atmospheric setting and well-crafted plot, *The Fourth Girl* promises to engage fans of psychological thrillers and mysteries, showcasing Staub’s signature style that blends emotional depth with edge-of-your-seat suspense

Midge, Kelly, Talia y Caroline eran mejores amigas hasta que, en la noche de graduación, Caroline desapareció. Solo las otras tres saben lo que sucedió esa fatídica noche, pero juraron guardar el secreto, y así lo hicieron durante 15 años.

Me gustó el balance entre el misterio y las pistas que permiten resolver lo que le ocurrió. La narración se desarrolla en dos tiempos: pasado y presente. En el pasado, podemos ver cómo era la relación entre las chicas, sus vidas familiares y sus preocupaciones. En el presente, las tres se reúnen después de años sin contacto, ya que un asesinato puede revelar su gran secreto.

Me hubiera gustado que Caroline tuviera un pov en donde ella narrara lo sucedido en la graduación y lo que le ocurrió posteriormente.


Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Wendy Corsi Staub's latest book, "The Fourth Girl" is her new stand-alone novel and it was so worth the read. She's been a favorite author of mine for years and years!

A favorite author has written a cannot out down novel of mystery and suspense. I like this author and I liked this book. Red herrings kept me guessing and the realistic characters kept the intrigue alive. Just when I thought I knew what was happening, another surprise. The story moved quickly to an astounding ending. Thanks Netgalley

I was hooked to this book until the very end. I really was not sure where this one was going. I am excited for the rest of the series.