The Other Girl

I've read almost everything that Erica Spindler has written and always found that she crafted a story sprinkled with characters that you can both love and hate...feel empathy for and want to strangle... sometimes at the same time. Miranda was a character that fell into a world that was against her seemingly from the very first. I became frustrated..(4.5 stars instead of 5) with the people in authority and the way they treated her as a 15 year old girl and later the way these same people treated her as a decorated police officer. I knew who the "other girl" was early in the book but the perpetrator was a well kept secret almost to the last page.

I received a copy of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I love a good thriller so I was excited to get a chance to read and review this one. Right off the bat, I was hooked. Randi seemed like a girl who was mad at life and wanted any escape from it by way of drinking and drugs. But at only 15 years old, her life quickly went south when something absolutely horrible happened to her and yet nobody believed her because of her past issues. The story goes back and forth between the present where Randi has grown up to be Miranda, a detective on the local police force, and that night where everything went wrong. In the present she is called to the scene of a murder where one small thing alerts her to that night long show more ago. I was so enthralled by the story that I read the entire book in one sitting. The only issue I had was that I came up with a prediction pretty early on in the book and I turned out to be right. However, a twist showed that there were other factors involved that I had no idea so when those were revealed I was both shocked and appalled which I believe is the mark of a good thriller. After reading and enjoying this book I will definitely be checking out the author's other books. show less

I received an ARC of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This did not affect my opinion of the book or my review itself.

Miranda Rader, a police officer in a small town, is called to a horrific crime scene. But when she gets there, she discovers a newspaper clipping from fifteen years ago, all about the crime in her past she's tried her hardest to forget. As Miranda attempts to discover how her past and the murder victim's present are connected, she will be forced to confront the truth about that terrible night so many years ago.

This book was extremely suspenseful. I love a story concerning secrets from the past coming into the present, and Spindler integrated the past and present really well. The flashbacks show more added to the suspense, and were a really important part of the plot.

I really liked the character of Miranda-she was strong, smart, and determined.

I was also really surprised by all the plot twists. I never had the story figured out, which is always a lot of fun, especially with all the mysteries I read.

While I really liked the romance, I felt the writing of it was a little cliched.

This is a quick, gripping read that will keep you in suspense and have you turning pages. show less

I’m new to Spindler though I’ve since found out she’s written a great many books which comes as no surprise considering how well-written this one was including some great character work.

Her novel was full of mystery, a bit of violence, the much needed twist, and page turning suspense that will leave you turning pages faster than normal. Her chapters’ flow one into another at such an easy pace when you do stop to look you’ll be surprised how far you’ve read.

Plenty of suspects, clues, motivations and actions abound as you try to piece together what is relevant evidence from the red herrings. I got fooled at one point which rarely happens so this was a good use of my time and plenty entertaining.

This is the first Erica Spindler book I've read but it won't be my last. Because this is truly a well-crafted, suspenseful murder mystery that is full of surprises and will keep you eagerly turning every page.

Miranda Rader is a 29 year old, well-respected police detective in the same small Louisiana town where she grew up as a troubled teen. The police chief is her mentor and her partner, Jake, is a hunk. So it looks like she's got it made, right? But Miranda is haunted by a traumatic experience from her past, by estranged family members who never seemed to be there for her, and by her own inability to trust even those closest to her.

When Miranda is assigned to investigate the brutal murder of a much admired college professor, the son show more of the college president -- she uncovers an increasing number of perplexing questions about the victim's past, about hidden family secrets, and even about her own recollections of the past.

I won't write more to avoid spoiling the read -- but this is a fast read, ideal for all mystery lovers everywhere. show less

This is a book that surprised me, a lot! The Other Girl's cover and blurb intrigued me, but I had never read anything by Erica Spindler before so I wasn't sure the book would suit me. I read a lot of thrillers, and it takes a lot nowadays to really charm me.

However, this book had everything I wanted in a thriller, a compelling story, well-developed characters and an ending that made me question my conviction on whom the killer is. Seriously, I was quite sure for a long time who the killer was, but at the end, did Spindler twist the story so much, and throw in a couple of red herrings that made me question my belief. I won't tell you if I was right or not, but I ended up quite pleased with the resolution.

I can say that this is the kind show more of book that, despite perhaps not being that surprising still engrossed me from the beginning until the end. I was captivated. I'm so delighted in this book that I need to find me some more Erica Spindler books to read.

So, in the end, I just want to say that The Other Girl is a superb thriller, a page-turner that kept me entertained all the way until the end!

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

After a life-changing incident when she was a troubled fifteen-year-old, half a lifetime ago, Miranda Rader has made something of herself. Now she is a police officer in small town Louisiana. Then the gruesome murder of a college professor dredges up the past, and it has Miranda questioning herself and her relationship with her friends and colleagues. When evidence found at the crime scene points to Miranda as the culprit, she fears for her safety. It seems like her partner Jake is the one person she can trust. Or can she?

This thriller is short enough to read in a single evening, and that’s a good thing, because most readers will want to keep reading until the truth is revealed. Seasoned readers of this genre will likely guess the show more murderer’s identity pretty easily, and they probably won’t be fooled by the halfhearted red herrings the author throws in at the last minute. The sense of place isn’t as strong as I would have liked. It could have been set in a small town just about anywhere in the U.S. However, the characters are interesting, and it’s satisfying to see Miranda’s growth through the course of the novel. show less