Dark story about human trafficking that runs fairly quickly with multiple perspectives and most characters are untrustworthy. The idea was decent, I just thought it was unreasonable to believe all the connections and decisions made by relatively intelligent adults. I have so many questions, which is OK, but it felt incomplete instead of realistic. Fans of dark thrillers will like this as long as they don't require total closure at the end of the story.

Told from four distinct points of view, The Girls in the Basement was a quick listen that kept me engaged—even if I left with more questions than answers.

There’s Jillian, living what looks like a quiet life in Montana with her husband and son... until bodies are found on their property and her husband’s behavior starts raising red flags. Then there’s Agent Meri Amber, on the hunt for a sex trafficker and still searching for her sister who vanished years ago. (Apparently, Meri appears in a previous Holmes novel, The Sister Under the Stairs, which I haven’t read—but this one stands on its own.)

Then we meet Lola, clearly a captive in a nightmarish world of sex trafficking, and Becky, stuck in a dangerously abusive relationship. These women’s stories intersect in a chilling conclusion that seems a little farfetched in how they are connected.

Christina Traister’s narration was strong and helped differentiate the voices well. And while I definitely enjoyed the listen, I can’t deny I had a lot of questions—most of which I can’t get into without diving into spoiler territory.

Still, if you're looking for a fast-paced, multi-POV thriller with a dark edge and a hint of hope, The Girls in the Basement is worth the download. Freida McFadden fans will enjoy.

A big thank you to NetGalley and Brilliance Audio for an advanced copy for review.

What a wild ride!!! I really enjoyed this Psychological Thriller thoroughly. There was so many layers, the different pov’s, and how all the characters connect yo the bigger story. I had no idea where this book was and in the beginning I was a little confused but once I caught on, man!! I don’t wanna give anything away but… You don’t know him like you think you do!! Great book, great writing, great storytelling. I’ll definitely be checking out more of this author’s books.

Enjoyed this quick thriller!
This was written in a way that made me feel like Lucinda Berry and Freida McFadden had a baby book.
I don't think it is quite the caliber of their writing yet, but so close!
The plot had me hooked for most of the book. There were a few places where the pace slowed a bit too much for me, but it quickly recovered.
Characters were well-developed. I did finish the book with several unanswered questions, much like some of my favorite thrillers, especially regarding Tucker, the MMC.
I also wanted to know more about the sheriff; something wasn't right with that part of the story, and I need to know! lol..
Jillian was a good FMC - I did want her to stand up and start taking care of business a little sooner, but she still rocked it out in several aspects of the story.
The subplot with Jillian's best friend and the detective's sister was well done. The writer did a great job giving those subplots the attention they needed without taking over the main plot line.
I highly recommend reading this book.
Trigger warnings: this book deals with sex trafficking, so be warned and read with caution. There were some areas I struggled with reading due to the content, but the writer does a great job with the way she respects writing about such a hard topic.
Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC!

The Girls in the Basement by Steena Holmes is a fully loaded, artfully crafted suspense thriller filled with twists and turns.
It begins with an intriguing chapter, making it clear that this will be a heavy book. The premise behind this story is heartbreaking!

The audiobook is narrated by Christina Traister, and her voice is a perfect match! She adapts the characters so skillfully that it often feels as if there are multiple narrators. You can sense how deeply she connects with this book!

Jillian and Tucker have been married for twenty years, but does she know him? They recently moved to a small town with their little boy, who is settling in at the local school. While one might assume they relocated for a fresh start, we quickly learn that they are fleeing from past secrets. After discovering two trailers full of bodies on their property, Jillian realises their past has caught up with them, but she's done with running! She is ready to confront the dark secrets of Tucker's past, although she isn't prepared for how they will unfold. Nothing could prepare her for the truth...

Even though I loved it, I felt something was missing. It didn't seem like I received all the answers, and unless I misunderstood, some stories felt abrupt. I prefer when all the dots are dotted on the i.

Wow! So many questions! Just finished this title and am still reeling

Gillian Harper has recently moved to her perfect home settling in with her husband and young son she hopes for a bright future.

Until the bodies are found.

Bodies have been buried for years surely her husband can have nothing to do with what’s been going on? But what secrets is he hiding? Why have they been running? Why are they in hiding?

Throughout this book, we followed Gillian as she discovers the secrets. Her husband has been hiding for all these years.

We also follow agent Meri, as she and the local sheriff investigate the bodies and the story behind them. Meri, has been searching for 20 years for her sister who vanished as a teenager has she finally found the answers?

I thoroughly enjoyed this story. The twist that turns I struggled with Gillian‘s naivety but despite that did feel the characters were well written and well developed. The ending has left me with so many questions I feel like there needs to be more and I’m hoping that there will be answers to come in the future.

Thanks to Nick Galley for the opportunity to listen to this title

ARC audiobook provided in exchange for an honest review.

The narration on this book flowed perfectly throughout and she did a wonderful job covering all the characters! The story was a bit dull for me at times and predictable, but there were some twists and turns that caught me off guard. I enjoyed all the background information that came to light and how detailed and descriptive the story was. I would recommend to anyone who likes psychological thrillers dealing with family and lots of death!

this was a very dark thriller, but absolutely worth the read. There were multiple POVs and a dual timeline that connected at the end and gave good backstory for the characters. the moral dilemmas that were faced were very tough: how do you do the right thing when it's the people you love who want you to do the wrong things? I hope to read more my the author!

thank you to NetGalley, the author Steena Holmes, and Brilliance Publishing for my ARC of this audiobook.

The Girls in the Basement by Steena Holmes is a captivating suspense audiobook. This book had me cleaning, organizing, walking more than I typically do because I did not want to stop listening. It was a very productive 2 day read for me. I also found myself talking to the main character. Saying things like "OMG, you can't seriously be this stupid", "Sis, you need a new husband", "Dude leave" and occasionally I'd be yelling at her "stupid, stupid, stupid". I'm pretty sure, my husband thought I was losing my mind.

I think Christina Traister did an amazing job narrating this book. Her voice brought you into the story, the feeling and emphasis that she added made added so much to this book.

I do believe the ending was rushed, especially compared to the buildup of the story. I do wish the author would have taken a little more time to wrap it up for us.

I will suggest this audiobook to my community and recommend it, I think anyone who likes suspense, thrillers and real-life horror will enjoy this book.

It took me way too long to realize it was about more than one family lol. I was too confused and didn’t get what was going on in 90% of the book. Everyone had the same voice.

This was such a good book the only reason it got 4⭐️ and not 5 is that I guessed a major twist before it happened but the other one caught me off guard and I thoroughly enjoyed this thriller

This is my second experience with Steena Holmes and she is growing on me. I love the multi-POV format and all the twists and turns throughout the book to keep the reader engaged and intrigued.

My criticism falls with the ending which I was left with so many questions of things that weren’t tied up or addressed. You would have thought this was a set up to have a sequel but I don’t think that’s the case.

I consumed the audiobook and the narrator Christina Traister did a great job with the material and spoke at a swift pace for the 1x speed. I listened to the majority at 1.25x to make sure I could grasp everything.

This title comes out April 22nd so thriller lovers get it on your TBR.

I am thankful to have gotten a complimentary audio ALC from Brilliance Audio through NetGalley to read which gave me the opportunity to voluntarily leave a review.

My rating system since GoodReads doesn’t have partial stars

⭐️ Hated it
⭐️⭐️ Had a lot of trouble, prose issues, really not my cup of tea (potentially DNF’d or thought about it)
⭐️⭐️⭐️ Meh, it was an ok read but nothing special
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Really enjoyed it! Would recommend to others
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Outstanding! Will circle back and read again

Thank you NetGalley and Brilliance Audio for this audiobook ARC.

Now, let me set the stage:

There are 4 POVs (if I’m remembering correctly) but only 2 characters matter, and they are Jillian and Meri. At the beginning of the story, we find out Jill and her husband, Tucker, have a shaky relationship. They moved to a small town in Montana in hopes of rekindling their flame (and to also escape some dangerous people that’s never really explained). Jillian and Tucker have a son who seems to notice his parents are drifting apart from each other.

Meri is an agent/detective who stumbles on a human trafficking operation. 20 years ago, her sister went missing, and she never stopped looking for her. Certain clues lead her to believe the human trafficking operation might reveal her sister’s location (or remains), which lands her in the town Jillian is in.

Stage set. Let’s get into it.

The premise was strong, but certain people’s behavior, especially after the inciting incident, made little sense to me. For example, the police discover trailers filled with old dead bodies on Jillian’s property. Her husband seems to know something about the bodies because Jillian notices he’s lying to the police…but she never pesters him about it. He says don’t worry about it, and she shrugs it off. Not only that, but she wants to stay at the house where the dead bodies were found. WHAT?! I understand she’s tired of moving from state to state to avoid some dangerous people, but THIS IS WHEN YOU PUT YOUR FOOT DOWN?! When there are dead bodies on your property? Nah.

There’s a smaller arc going on with Jillian. In high school, Jillian’s best friend went missing. 20 years later (yes, 20 is a popular number) and Jillian runs into a lady in the store that looks just like her missing friend. SPOILER ALERT: It is her friend! When they finally get a moment alone to speak to each other, there’s no emotion. I mean, this was her very best friend who disappeared after walking home from a party! Jillian blamed herself because if she would have walked her friend home, she would have been safe (survivor’s guilt). And when they finally reconnect, there’s nothing? No burst of tears? No tight hugs and apologies?

There were a bunch of times when I thought the emotions and behaviors were off, but my biggest issue with this story was how easily vital information came to the main characters. Too often, they’d be somewhere and overhear conversations important to the plot. They rarely had to work for anything. Part of the allure of a murder mystery is how the pieces of the plot come together, and how the mystery is solved. The way everything came together in The Girls in the Basement was very anticlimactic and ended with a lot of questions unanswered. But, as much as I wanted to fight this audiobook, the story was easy to follow, the writing was decent, and the narrator was great.

The audiobook is amazing! The plot will have your heart racing. The narrator has an "American" accent, she did a fabulous job of narrating. If you like twisty story lines, this is for you.

Read the trigger warning, if you like Criminal Minds or shows like that, then you will love this book.

I found this to be very similar to say- criminal minds. I didn’t mind the plot but it got to be alittle confusing with all the characters.

This was a great thriller/mystery. I didn't suspect the "bad guys" right away so that is always a plus. This book definitely covers sensitive topics and will not be for everyone but if you can stomach reading a story involving human trafficking then this book is an engaging read. This book is told from several POV's that all are seemingly different but the storylines all come together at the end and it has a gratifying ending.

I enjoyed the audio narration done by Christina Traister.

Thank you NetGalley and Brilliance Publishing | Brilliance Audio for access to the ALC in exchange for an honest review.