Friday, May 6, 2022

Review - The Girl in the Ground

Title:   The Girl in the Grounds 
Author:  Stacy Green
Series:  Nikki Hunt #4
Publisher:  Bookouture
Genre:   Mystery & Thrillers
Format:  Kindle ARC
No. of Pages:   266
Date of Publication:   December 1, 2021
My Rating:   5 Stars

DESCRIPTION:

She was beautiful: shiny blond hair, crystal blue eyes and the widest smile Nikki had ever seen. She thought back to what she had seen in the ground, the dirt that caked the white bones. All that remained of her now was the silver locket that was still around her neck…

When construction workers unearth a girl’s skeleton in Stillwater, Minnesota, Special Agent Nikki Hunt is called to the scene by her boyfriend Rory. Nikki knows instantly that the girl was murdered, but she is shocked when Rory immediately recognizes her. The victim was his childhood sweetheart, Becky, and he was the last person to see her before she went missing twenty-four years ago.

With the love of her life now a potential suspect, Nikki is forced to take a step back from the case. But then her colleague Liam finds lies in Rory’s statement – it appears that Becky may have been carrying Rory’s child when she was killed. Despite this, Nikki still thinks he could be innocent, and knows she must find the real killer herself if Rory stands any chance of walking free.

When Nikki finds a potential link to two pregnant girls who were found murdered years before it’s clear that this is the most twisted killer that she has ever faced. And then another girl goes missing from Stillwater. Can Nikki unearth the truth and protect the man she loves? And will she find the missing girl in time to save her life?

A dark and twisty crime thriller that will make you hold your breath as you race towards the end. The Girl in the Ground is an unputdownable new mystery for fans of Lisa Regan, Robert Dugoni and Willow Rose.


MY THOUGHTS:
 
Special Agent Nikki Hunt just might have a conflict of interest with her latest case. When the body of a girl is found at a construction site owned by her boyfriend Rory, Nikki soon learns that Rory makes the perfect suspect. These weren't just any bones. In fact, the victim was a childhood sweetheart of Rory's. Is it a coincidence that the bones were found at the site he owned, or is there something deeper? Perhaps he knew about the bones and had hoped they never would be unearthed. Perhaps he was responsible for those bones being there. That is exactly what the police think and they ride Rory hard looking for answers.

Forced to remain uninvolved in the case due to her relationship with Rory, Nikki looks for any other ways possible to find answers. Is Rory capable of murder or could this just be an awful coincidence? One of the officers investigating the case is Nikki's partner Liam, and he quickly finds reason to doubt Rory's innocence. 

There are some sensitive details involving the body that was found. Meanwhile, Nikki has another case, a case she is forced to work on at a feverish pace. A pregnant woman has gone missing and it is known that she has complications with her pregnancy and needs medical attention. Can Nikki concentrate enough to find the missing woman, all while keeping an ear on the case that Rory is unfortunately involved in?

Strange circumstances soon prove that the cases just might be related. Nikki is an exceptional agent and has no choice but to focus on the case at hand, and letting others work on the case that Rory is involved with. There is no doubt concern whether or not their relationship will suffer due to what is happening.

What a thrilling book in a fabulous series by Stacy Green. I have read and thoroughly enjoyed all of the previous books in this series and even went on to read book #5, The Trapped Ones. With excellent drama, an intriguing mystery and engaging writing, The Girl in the Ground was impossible to put down.

Many thanks to Bookouture and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.

Please enjoy the YouTube video review as well -  


ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Stacy Green is a USA Today best-selling author of more than a dozen mysteries and thrillers. Her books include
 the award-winning Lucy Kendall series, the Cage Foster series, and the USA Today best-selling Nikki Hunt series. Stacy has bachelor’s degrees in Journalism/Mass Communication and Sociology from Drake University. She’s a member of Sisters in Crime, International Thriller Writers, and Mystery Writers of America.

Stacy lives in Iowa with her husband, daughter, and fur babies.

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