BLOG TOUR - The Girl in the River

DESCRIPTION:

The body lay in the river, arms outstretched. Long brown hair swirled in all directions, flowing with the current of the water. Her eyes were wide open in death, pale pink lips parted in a scream.

Detective Ellie Reeves should be enjoying the wedding of her dear friend Mia Norman. But instead of celebrating, she is frantically searching for the missing bride. Something is terribly wrong—just hours ago, Mia was blissfully happy. Why would she suddenly vanish?

Bursting through the dressing room, Ellie finds it in disarray—chairs overturned, a perfume bottle shattered. Hiding in the bathroom is Mia’s six-year-old daughter Pixie, curled in a ball and sobbing her heart out. The little girl says she was locked inside when she heard a man’s voice, and her mother crying. “I just want my mommy back,” she pleads. Ellie vows to make that happen.

Turning the venue upside down, Ellie’s blood turns to ice when she reaches the riverbank. Someone is dead in the rippling water, floating beside a white veil. Ellie holds her breath as she turns the body over. It belongs to Tori, Mia’s bridesmaid, a gunshot wound in her back. Near the murder scene, Ellie discovers a button from a man’s shirt, and her friend’s engagement ring. The race is on to find Mia—before it’s too late.

When forensics come back, the investigation takes a dark turn. DNA proves that Mia was actually Jesse Habersham, a woman who went missing five years ago. Ellie is certain that Mia was running from someone. Did her past finally catch up with her?

Facing the most complex case of her career, Ellie is in a race against time. Can she uncover the truth before her friend is brutally killed? And when the murderer comes after innocent little Pixie, will Ellie save her from the clutches of death?

This pulse-pounding and utterly addictive crime thriller will have you staying up way past your bedtime, and scared to turn the lights off! Perfect for fans of Melinda Leigh, Lisa Regan and Kendra Elliot.

BUY LINK: 

https://geni.us/B0B8ZTGJMQsocial 

MY THOUGHTS:

Title:   The Girl in the River

Author:  Rita Herron

Series:  Detective Ellie Reeves #7
Publisher:  Bookouture

Genre:   Mystery & Thrillers

Format:  Kindle ARC

No. of Pages:  446

Date of Publication:   December 6, 2022

My Rating:   5 Stars

Detective Ellie Reeves is about to watch her friend Mia get married. Ellie is really happy for Mia and also Mia’s young daughter Pixie. Shockingly, Mia suddenly disappears, as does one of her bridesmaids, Tori. Everyone is in a panic, and Ellie is determined to discover what happened. When a body is soon discovered near the river, Ellie’s blood runs cold. It is Tori. But then, where is Mia? 

Ellie is on the case with a bunch of immediate questions. What happened, why was Tori killed, and where is Mia? Furthermore, as Ellie starts to investigate, she learns that Pixie heard the voice of a man just before her mother went missing. As the case begins to unfold, Ellie discovers somethings shocking. Mia was actually an assumed name because she was Jesse, who has been missing for five years. Why did Mia change her name? What happened five years ago and how does it tie into Mia’s disappearance now?

This story quickly turns into one of secrets and conspiracies. In order to discover what happened to Mia, Ellie must uncover the past and as she is doing this, the reader of this compelling story is given privy to what was going on with Mia before she disappeared back then and why she actually changed her name. Time might be running out for Mia, and Ellie must connect the past with the present if she has any hopes of finding Mia alive.

While this mystery slowly unravels, there is a side story that ties into Ellie, Ranger Cord and FBI agent Derrick. While this is a very intriguing crime thriller, that side story about Ellie‘s relationships with both men and her future remained a curiosity for me. Could this apparent love triangle be coming to its end? Then we cannot forget about little Pixie and how she is faring with her mother being missing especially when the past begins to clash with the present.

What another compelling read by Rita Herron! This story hit the ground running and never once lost traction. Although there was more than one story being told, everything continued to tie together but still left me in great suspense as to what was going on with Mia, her past and why she disappeared previously. For a truly remarkable book, you can’t go wrong The Girl in the River as well as the previous titles in the series. 

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

Please enjoy my YouTube video review - 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

USA Today Bestselling and award-winning author Rita Herron fell in love with books at the ripe age of eight when she read her first Trixie Belden mystery. But she didn't think real people grew up to be writers, so she became a teacher instead. Now she writes so she doesn't have to get a real job.

With over ninety books to her credit, she's penned romantic suspense, romantic comedy, and YA novels, but she especially likes writing dark romantic suspense and crime fiction set in small southern towns.

For more on Rita and her titles, visit her at www.ritaherron.com. You can also find her on Facebook/ritaherron.com and Twitter @ritaherron.

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