jmatkinson1's review
3.0
Deanna Barker was killed by mistake and four teenagers are awaiting trial. One is accused of murder by association, a 'good' girl in the wrong place at the wrong time. The weekend before the trial four girls are attacked, three of them are released relatively unharmed, one has disappeared. Is there a connection?
I have enjoyed Sherratt's books before and so approached this one expecting much of the same, a not-too-demanding police procedural set in a 'normal' town populated by normal people. So far so good. However I did find this book quite hard to get into, the premise is interesting - a girl is accused of murder by joint enterprise, however that almost seemed incidental to the main events of the book. There were some interesting ideas about teenage girls and peer pressure but I never felt that the book really took off.
I have enjoyed Sherratt's books before and so approached this one expecting much of the same, a not-too-demanding police procedural set in a 'normal' town populated by normal people. So far so good. However I did find this book quite hard to get into, the premise is interesting - a girl is accused of murder by joint enterprise, however that almost seemed incidental to the main events of the book. There were some interesting ideas about teenage girls and peer pressure but I never felt that the book really took off.
katieeliza's review
5.0
I really enjoyed this and am looking forward to reading more of this series. The plot was good and well executed, the characters well created. Enjoyable.
jodyladuemcgrath's review
4.0
I throughly enjoyed this book. It isn't a mystery, but it is a great character driven thriller with multiple layers. There are different stories going on at the same time but they are connected. My only complaint was that there was too many characters. I got confused at times and couldn't remember who some of them were. I had the main characters down though. Maybe a few less background characters next time. And I do mean next time because there is a sequel that I am definitely reading!
*I requested a copy of this book from Netgalley and have given an honest and unbiased review *
*I requested a copy of this book from Netgalley and have given an honest and unbiased review *
michbella17's review
4.0
Opening line of the book preview, "one warm spring evening, five teenagers meet in a local park. Only four will come out alive", trapped my attention right away. This first book in the series introduces the reader to Detective Eden Berrisford. Six months later the other four teenagers are attacked with one of them, Jess, being kidnapped and Jess is Detective Eden Berrisford's niece.
This book is tagged as a police procedural novel so going in I knew to expect this and see less suspense/thriller. Huge pros to this novel was our kick-ass, hard-working protagonist and the snappy dialogue. Only con is that this novel lacked some twisty plot turns compared to other books in this genre.
Many thanks to Mel Sherratt, Bookouture, and Netgalley for the chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
This book is tagged as a police procedural novel so going in I knew to expect this and see less suspense/thriller. Huge pros to this novel was our kick-ass, hard-working protagonist and the snappy dialogue. Only con is that this novel lacked some twisty plot turns compared to other books in this genre.
Many thanks to Mel Sherratt, Bookouture, and Netgalley for the chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
yvo_about_books's review
3.0
Finished reading: November 17th 2016
“No one in the shop came to her aid. She had been condemned the same as her daughter. Guilty until proven innocent.”
*** A copy of this book was kindly provided to me by Netgalley and Bookouture in exchange for an honest review. Thank you! ***
Spoiler
I am always a sucker for a good crime thriller, so it was easy to say yes to another new detective series. The blurb of The Girls Next Door had me intrigued right away, and the story had without doubt quite a powerful start. The beginning of this story was just as gripping and edge-of-your-seat as the cover has promised, but unfortunately I don't think the story was actually able to maintain that level of intensity. I think the main problem was the sheer amount of characters that is introduced throughout the story, which can get quite confusing at times. I personally had a hard time identifying where each character stood in the story, and that made it a little more difficult to enjoy the story. The amount of characters also made their individual stories seem a bit rushed at points. What I did like was the fast pace and the new main character of this series. Eden Berrisford is one of the exceptions to the detective cliche and she doesn't have a messed up private life distracting from the case. In fact, she doesn't really play that big of a role in the story... Which makes The Girls Next Door into the first book of a refreshing new detective series I will definitely be keeping in mind despite the few things that bothered me.
Six months after that terrible night where sixteen-year-old Deanna Barker was stabbed, someone is coming after the teenagers of Stockleigh. A wave of vicious assaults troubles the community, and everyone is left wondering why those teenagers were attacked. Was it because of what happened to Deanna? Or is something more going on? Detective Eden Berrisford has to race against the clock to catch the person behind the attacks, but the case gets personal when her own niece goes missing...
This story is without doubt a fast-paced and easy-to-read thriller, although it did lose its intensity later on in the story. There were too many different characters involved to my taste, or at least they managed to confuse me at times as it was hard to figure out where each of them stood in the story. I also wasn't sure about the credibility of part of the plot, although the case itself is quite interesting. Eden Berrisford has won points for originality as a detective character! In short, while The Girls Next Door has its flaws, I have the feeling it's still the start of a refreshing new detective series. Make sure to give it a go if you like the genre.
P.S. Find more of my reviews here.
thebooktrail88's review
4.0
Remind me never to go near a park with Mel Sherratt. Goodness gracious woman, I have to say though that I'd rather like that detective to be there as, well, she doesn't take any prisoners! (Well she does for obvious reasons but you know what I mean.)
This is a new series for Mel with a new detective and a whole new set of crime scenes and mysteries to come. There is a sense of foreboding throughout this novel and I hope it continues in the next ones in the series.
On another note - that cover and the tagline are attention grabbing!
This is a new series for Mel with a new detective and a whole new set of crime scenes and mysteries to come. There is a sense of foreboding throughout this novel and I hope it continues in the next ones in the series.
On another note - that cover and the tagline are attention grabbing!
syren1532's review
5.0
Great read. A young girl is murdered in a park and four teenagers are charged. A couple of days before the trial three teenage girls are set upon and humiliated,, a teenage boy is viciously assaulted and his girlfriend is kidnapped. The girl taken is thenie e of the main character DS Eden Berrisford and the best friend o e of those charged with the murder. Are the attacks and kidnapping linked to the murder? Eden has to keep her emotions towards her family in check while investigating. Great story and a main character - will be interesting to find out more about her as the series continues.
leona_omahony's review against another edition
5.0
The Girls Next Door is the first book in a series about Detective Erin Berrisford. Never have I been disappointed with any of Mel Sherratts books and this one was no exception. I absolutely loved it. It is a crime thriller that you will just want to keep reading. I love the way Mel brings her characters to life and the descriptions of the places. A super start to this new series.