Kate Gable

Review of eBook

A family is dead in an exclusive Laurel Canyon neighborhood, their home set on fire. Los Angeles Police Department Detective Kaitlyn Carr, assigned to the case along with her colleague, Detective Thomas Abrams, begins the investigation with interviews of the neighbors even though this is supposed to be Kaitlyn’s day off. Who could have committed such a brutal, heinous crime? And does the culprit know there is a survivor?

The sole survivor of the Hendrel family massacre, show more fourteen-year-old Angie, doesn’t have much information to help the investigation; she's traumatized and, as she tries to explain what happened, she breaks down in tears. Kaitlyn would like to talk a bit longer, but Angie isn't up to it.

At the same time, Kaitlyn is dealing with her much younger sister, Violet, who had a falling-out with their mother and has come to stay with her for the week. The twelve-year-old girl wants to stay with Kaitlyn permanently and attend a pricy private art school in Santa Monica.

When the issue with Violet takes an unexpected turn, Kaitlyn finds herself caught between her sister and her mother; at the same time, her case is affected when a surprising development surfaces.

What will happen to Violet? And will Kaitlyn and Thomas find the murderer of the Hendrel family?

“Girl Hidden” is the prequel introduction to the author’s Detective Kaitlyn Carr series. Part mystery, part police procedural [albeit it brief due to the novella format], part family drama, there’s anguish and frustration along with a touch of romance in a story that takes a tragic turn. There’s sufficient backstory to provide context for the narrative while the juxtaposition between Kaitlyn’s case and her home situation gives the story both authenticity and depth.

Told from Kaitlyn’s point of view, this novella starts out running and never lets up. The twists and turns take the narrative in unexpected directions while keeping the suspense building. Believable, realistic characters, a captivating case, and a realistic investigation combine to pull the reader in from the beginning while they keep those pages turning.

Recommended. show less

This is the second in the series that I read. Like the first, there are discrepancies that make the characters lose their reality. These sloppy mistakes imply the characters are not real to the author and copy editor; there is no way they will be real to any reader who keeps track of the details. This is a pity as there is so much potential in this writing. This book ends with an unashamed cliffhanger.

Erin Lowry/Bryson, unemployed and depressed found the dead bodies of Derek (her ex), and his wife Susannah on their bed drenched in blood - brutally murdered!
But, why and what, at the first place, was she doing at their house at midnight? Hence, she’s the prime suspect in this double homicide.. but, was she really?
WHAT SHE DID is an intriguing and suspenseful thriller that I would recommend to any thrill-seeking readers!

I requested and received a free audiobook copy via Bookfunnel and am voluntarily leaving an unbiased review.

I thought this book looked good and might lead to an enjoyable series. The story was quite enjoyable though I didn’t like that the main investigation was not wrapped up and indeed doesn’t get resolved until book 5. The characters were mostly believable and the plot made sense and flowed quite well. I wasn’t thrilled with the constant “triples”, for example; “I hate that she show more blah, blah, blah. I hate that she Dum, Dum, Diddle. I hate that she Doo Dee Dah”. Three sentences all starting the same following each other, not just once or twice but numerous times throughout the book. Makes it sound like a list each time.

My biggest issue though was the narrator who, while she has a good voice, simply reads in a robotic manner for much of the time with constant incorrect emphasis & inflection on words. Questions often sounded like statements, odd pauses (I’m going out…..she said) and in places sounding like a school child having to read aloud in class, speaking the words as written with no nuance at all. It’s hard to feel the excitement when something like “‘I’m gonna kill you’ she screamed” is read in a flat tone the same as “she read the morning paper”.

I’d give the story 3 stars if I was being generous but the narration just 1 star, so I guess 2 stars overall.

Will I read or listen to the rest of the series? Nope, not interested. show less