The Girls She Left Behind

Sarah Graves certainly knows how to write a story that grabs you by the throat and won't turn you loose until you've read the last page. Once again, she uses her Maine North Woods setting to its best advantage. That forest fire that experts and volunteers alike battle throughout the book adds real tension to the story, and little inclusions like the definition of "North Woods chrome" bring verisimilitude and smiles.

In The Girls She Left Behind, almost half the story is told from the viewpoint of a young girl who managed to escape Henry Gemerle's clutches. At first the girl has my complete sympathy, but the more she talks, the more I see... and the more I wonder. It's a very clever and very well-done plot device. In fact this book is show more filled with women whose motivations readers will wonder about. Jane, the girl who escaped; Jane's cousin Cam; Tara Wylie, a young girl who made the wrong decisions on the wrong day; and Tara's mother Peg. Once in a while I would find myself looking up from this book and asking the air, "Do any of these women know how to tell the truth?" Yes, all the lies and evasions could be frustrating, but it certainly kept me on my toes.

Of all the characters in the book, my opinion of Sheriff Cody Chevrier continues to rise. He may be sheriff in a huge yet sparsely populated county in Maine, but he stays on top of all the crime stories he can because "you'd be surprised how many fugitives think Maine's a good place to vanish." Chevrier may not have the sense of humor of Walt Longmire, but he still reminds me of my favorite Wyoming sheriff.

Like Winter at the Door, Graves' second Lizzie Snow book has almost too much going on. The fire. The missing teenage girl. The escaped psycho. All these lying females flitting around. Lizzie's search for her missing niece. I'm definitely looking forward to the third book in this series, and I'm hoping for three things: (1) that there's a little less for Lizzie to deal with, (2) that she either finds her niece or the search is dropped because it really doesn't add that much to the books, and (3) that Lizzie makes up her mind between Trey and Dylan. Romantic triangles stink when they hang on too long.

Not read Winter at the Door and wondering if you need to? You don't. The Girls She Left Behind reads quite well as a standalone. Head on up to the Great North Woods with Sarah Graves and Lizzie Snow! show less

THE GIRLS SHE LEFT BEHIND is Title #2 in Sarah Graves ‘Lizzie Snow’ series.
The story takes place in Bearkill, Maine. It is dry, dry, dry, and forest fires are breaking out everywhere. Lizzie Snow, Sheriff Cody Chevrier, Dylan Hudson (former Boston boyfriend; currently a Maine State Detective), are all searching for a missing young girl from Bearkill.
The story is a bit brutal - a showcase for the depression and lethargy of northern Maine (I know. I live here. It is painful to read about); the parallel stories of abduction, torture and confinement; the general sleaziness and hopelessness of many (most) of the characters.
An underlying subplot is that of Lizzie’s quest to find her missing niece.
Lizzie is sharp, gritty, driven and show more likeable. I don’t like her treatment of vet, Trey Washburn, though, and of former boyfriend, Dylan Hudson. Make up your mind, girl!
The plot was very inter-woven and I had to backtrack a few times to keep all the relationships straight.
I did really enjoy the book. The characters, plots, subplots, the sense of place, suspense - all came together for a ‘wicked good’ read. show less

Meh. I didn't realize this was second in a series and it neither hurt, nor helped me.

I liked Lizzie, mostly. She's just arch enough not to be tiring. I hated Jane and I didn't like Cam too much better. Or for that matter, any of the characters. As for the non-dynamic love triangle...I just didn't care enough to have a horse in the race.

The plot starts out promisingly, but ends up a hot mess, literally. The main character has to simultaneously contend with:

- an escaped serial killer and rapist who may or may not be up to his old tricks
- a victim and a survivor of his who may or may not be victimized further and/or victimizing each other
- a teenage girl who may or may not have been abducted and her mother who may or may not be both show more avenger and savior
- the protagonist's niece who has gone missing and may or may have met with foul play
- forest fires

I finished it and while it was by no means among the worst books I've read, it's not exactly a plot that sticks to your ribs and worms its way into your head. In fact, less than a week, I'll have almost entirely forgotten it.

If you see it at the library or a used book store and need a vacation read, you could do worse. Otherwise, life's short and the TBR pile is long. show less

Lizzie Snow has recently moved from Boston to the rural area of Bearkill and she is not sure that she is going to stay. She seems to be having difficulty in settling in.

The novel begins with a Prologue that describes how two girls are abducted after a local dance. One of the girls, Jane, eventually escapes, believing her friend Cam is dead. And then she does her very best to forget everything. The main action of the novel takes place 15 years later when three women who have been imprisoned by her abductor are released from a cellar. On television footage Jane recognises Cam among those released.

Meanwhile Lizzie Snow is investigating the disappearance of 14 year old Tara Wylie. Her mother says she has gone off like this before, but there show more are aspects that are making her think that Tara has come to harm.

This main story is told by several narrators with sometimes only bare clues about who is talking. It also often involves several time frames and more than once I was confused about the sequence of events. For the reader there are mysteries to be solved and in the background is the threat of summer wild fires. show less

Lizzie Snow is back in The Girls She Left Behind the sequel to Winter at the Door. This time, she has to find Tara Wylie a young girl that has gone missing. She has disappeared before so no one is worried at first, but then Tara's mother gets a Help Me text message from Tara and the timing couldn't be worse; kidnapper Henry Gemerle has escaped and he has previously held three girls captive for 15 years. Is he the one behind Tara's disappearance?

I read the first book in this series at the beginning of 2015 and loved and have been looking forward to reading the next book in series since then. Lizzie Snow is still searching for her missing niece, but she is thinking of moving from Bearkill back to Boston after everything that happened in show more Winter at the Door, but then Tara sends a help message to her mother and she has to put every thought about the future on hold to find the girl.

This is a page-turner from the start and I loved that, it's never a dull moment, though I did feel sometimes a bit frustrated by some people's inability, to tell the truth, but that's part of the story. I like that Lizzie's relationship with Dylan hasn't turned romantic and that Trey is still there a good friend and perhaps something more in the future. I especially like that this hasn't turned into a triangle drama. Lizzie's personal life is not the focus in this book, the missing girl is and that's something that I'm happy about. Of course, there are moments between Lizzie and Dylan and Lizzie and Trey. But they are not dominating the book. And, this is a series where I actually like both guys so it will be interesting to read future books to see what will happen. And, I'm very curious about Lizzie's niece that's missing, will she ever find her?

The case with the missing girl was was interesting and the story took turns that I didn't always expect and sometimes turns that I suspected. And, the ending is, well let's just say that like the first book is the ending packed with action.

You don't have to read the first book; Winter at the Door, to keep up with what is going on in this book. But the first book is really good so I recommend reading it if you get the chance.

I want to thank the publisher for providing me with a free copy for an honest review! show less

The Girls She Left Behind by Sarah Graves is the second book in A Lizzie Snow series. Elizabeth “Lizzie” Snow is a former Boston Homicide Detective who moved to Bearkill, Maine. Lizzie is now a deputy with the Aroostook County Sheriff’s Department (she is the liaison from the sheriff's department for the town). Lizzie gave up her dream job (as a detective) to look for her deceased sister’s (Cecily) daughter, Nicki who has been missing for eight years. There was a sighting of Nicki in the area (but it is a big wooded area in this part of Maine). The Girls She Left Behind starts fifteen years prior when a man kidnaps Jane Crimmins and her cousin, Cam. Jane manages to escape from the man, but she never tells anyone of what happened show more to her, her cousin, or the other girls in the basement.

Fifteen years later three girls are rescued from the basement of the man’s house. Cam is one of the girls rescued. Henry Gemerle is the kidnapper, but he is found incompetent to stand trial. He is sentenced to a mental hospital. In Bearkill, fourteen-year-old Tara Wylie has disappeared. At first her mother, Peg believes that Tara just took off for a day again. Tara usually shows back up. This time Tara does not return and actually misses school (something she has never done before). Then Lizzie finds out that Henry has escaped from the mental asylum and may be in the area. Did Henry take Tara? Lizzie will have to work quickly to find Tara but she has the added difficulty of forest fires breaking out in the area. The might have to evacuate the area at any moment. Lizzie works with Dylan Hudson of the Maine State Police (and Lizzie’s ex-lover) to find Tara. But Lizzie thinks Peg is hiding something from her. Is Peg Wylie’s secret more important than her daughter’s life?

The Girls She Left Behind is a good book, but not as wonderful as the first book in the series. I had a little trouble getting into The Girls She Left Behind. The mystery and suspense are excellent (and the book does pick up the pace and get much better as you get further into the book). I am, though, tired of the relationship between Lizzie and her two (maybe) beaus (Dylan Hudson and Trey Washburn). (Spoiler Alert) The relationships really do not advance or change in the book. There is also no further progress on Lizzie's search for her missing niece. (Spoiler complete) I found that part of the book to be frustrating (and really unnecessary). I give The Girls She Left Behind 4.25 out of 5 stars (which means I liked it).

I received a complimentary copy of The Girls She Left Behind from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. show less

A special thank you to Random House and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Sarah Graves returns with more mystery and suspense, following Winter At the Door (recommend reading prior to #2) to learn the background of Lizzie Snow. A homicide detective, who has left Boston for Bearkill, Maine-- with her second installment, THE GIRLS SHE LEFT BEHIND, she continues to look for her niece who went missing after her sister was found murdered.

New Haven, CT: As the book opens we meet two cousins, fifteen-years-old—often mistaken for sisters. Their mothers were sisters. One was the good girl (Janie), attending knitting classes, always agonizing over her sins, the other (Cam) wild one, very good at convincing her to do bad show more things.

Leaving the youth group, they are abducted by a sexual predator and imprisoned in a basement with two other girls. Jane manages to escape and tells no one—while believing Cam is dead. But is she? And what about the other girls?

Fifteen years later, nightmares. Terrified, traumatized, drugged. Three saved from basement prison. Someone left their cousin in the hands of a monster. Secrets. Now, what will she tell?

Lizzie Snow has a lot on her plate. She is dealing with a forest fire out of control and now a local teen has gone missing (plus her men). A fourteen-year-old along with her older boyfriend. Lizzie is working with Dylan, a murder cop—she knows all too well about missing girls: the found ones, and the ones; never found. However, in this town, if she were a teen--she probably would have run herself.

Tara had taken off several other times and always returns; however, this time, they are not so sure. To make matters worse, Henry, a kidnapper and rapist escaped from a locked hospital ward in Connecticut, who had held three girls’ prisoner for fifteen years --has escaped and may be in Bearkill.

Tara thought of calling home, but she would explain when she returned home. Someone traps, cages, preyed upon women, and brutalizes them.

Then there is Tara’s mother, a desperate text—the mother is hiding something—more lies. Lizzie is getting annoyed. What is Peg (Tara’s mom) the volunteer firefighter lying about?

"Secrets like Peg's were like acid. They ate through you. If you kept them, they ate right through your soul."

Someone else is looking for Tara and Henry. A victim of the monster, Jane (survivor) is also hiding a secret.

Who is the real monster?

From past to present. A box, a grave, a motel, a fire. The case fifteen years ago, combines with the present. Sexual crimes. How are the two events connected? Dark, complex, clever and twisted.

Revenge! As always, Sarah Graves keeps you in suspense with multi-level mystery, crossing into psycho-thriller, with many twists and turns.

We continue to learn more about Lizzie’s haunting past, and her present situation. From her ongoing search for her niece, her old partner, and of course always plenty of new crimes and drama in Bearkill. Graves definitely knows her way around the Great North Woods.

Hoping Lizzie finds her niece in the next installment and decides on her man. show less