Category Archives: Megan Miranda

Review: Such a Quiet Place by Megan Miranda

Title: Such a Quiet Place by Megan Miranda
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Genre: Contemporary, Domestic Mystery, Suspense
Length: 352 pages
Book Rating: B+

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through Edelweiss

Summary:

From the New York Times bestselling author of The Last House Guest—a Reese Witherspoon Book Club selection—comes a new riveting suspense novel about a mysterious murder in an idyllic and close-knit neighborhood.

Welcome to Hollow’s Edge, where you can find secrets, scandal, and a suspected killer—all on one street.

Hollow’s Edge used to be a quiet place. A private and idyllic neighborhood where neighbors dropped in on neighbors, celebrated graduation and holiday parties together, and looked out for one another. But then came the murder of Brandon and Fiona Truett. A year and a half later, Hollow’s Edge is simmering. The residents are trapped, unable to sell their homes, confronted daily by the empty Truett house, and suffocated by their trial testimonies that implicated one of their own. Ruby Fletcher. And now, Ruby’s back.

With her conviction overturned, Ruby waltzes right back to Hollow’s Edge, and into the home she once shared with Harper Nash. Harper, five years older, has always treated Ruby like a wayward younger sister. But now she’s terrified. What possible good could come of Ruby returning to the scene of the crime? And how can she possibly turn her away, when she knows Ruby has nowhere to go?

Within days, suspicion spreads like a virus across Hollow’s Edge. It’s increasingly clear that not everyone told the truth about the night of the Truetts’ murders. And when Harper begins receiving threatening notes, she realizes she has to uncover the truth before someone else becomes the killer’s next victim.

Pulsating with suspense and with the shocking twists that are Megan Miranda’s trademark, Such a Quiet Place is Megan Miranda’s best novel yet—a twisty locked-box thriller that will keep you turning pages late into the night

Review:

Such a Quiet Place by Megan Miranda is a chilling domestic mystery.

Hollow’s Edge is a tranquil enclave whose residents are rocked by a shocking murder. In the months since Ruby Fletcher was convicted of murdering Brandon and Fiona Truett, the once close neighbors now keep to themselves. When Ruby’s conviction is overturned and moves back in with her former roommate Harper Nash, most everyone is in agreement that she has to leave. Harper halfheartedly tries to convince Ruby that she needs to go elsewhere but she does not protest much when Ruby shows no signs of going anywhere. Originally unable to believe Ruby could have murdered the Truett’s, she keeps a close watch on her unwelcome houseguest’s activities. No one hides their disdain toward Ruby and Harper is unnerved when she begins to doubt everyone around her. And Harper is even more unsettled as she starts to wonder exactly what Ruby is planning to do next…

Harper is a bit of a pushover who wants to believe the best in everyone. She did not exactly invite Ruby to live with her to begin with, but she did little to dissuade her after the fact. Harper’s once close relationships with her neighbors were already becoming more distant at the time of the Truett’s deaths. And after the trial, friendships fracture within the tight-knit community. But Harper’s friendships suffered the most since she allowed Ruby into their midst.

Ruby seems to revel in making everyone uneasy. She does not maintain a low profile and she delights in making Harper and her old neighbors uncomfortable. Ruby maintains she is only back in Hollow’s Edge because she has no other place to go. But is there more to her reappearance than meets the eye?

Narrated from Harper’s point of view, Such a Quiet Place is an enthralling domestic mystery. The storyline is well-plotted and moves at a steady pace.  The bucolic neighborhood is atmospheric with plenty of tension between the various households. Harper is a multi-dimensional character whose naivete is both endearing and frustrating. Ruby is an intriguing character with an unknown agenda. The secondary cast of characters is interesting but is there more to them than meets the eye? With unexpected twists and thrilling turns, Megan Miranda brings this suspenseful domestic mystery to a shocking conclusion.

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Filed under Contemporary, Domestic Mystery, Megan Miranda, Mystery, Rated B+, Review, Simon & Schuster Inc, Such a Quiet Place, Suspense

Review: The Girl from Widow Hills by Megan Miranda

Title: The Girl from Widow Hills by Megan Miranda
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery, Suspense
Length: 332 pages
Book Rating: B+

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through Edelweiss

Summary:

Everyone knows the story of “the girl from Widow Hills.”

Arden Maynor was just a child when she was swept away while sleepwalking during a terrifying rainstorm and went missing for days. Strangers and friends, neighbors and rescue workers, set up search parties and held vigils, praying for her safe return. Against all odds, she was found, alive, clinging to a storm drain. The girl from Widow Hills was a living miracle. Arden’s mother wrote a book. Fame followed. Fans and fan letters, creeps, and stalkers. And every year, the anniversary. It all became too much. As soon as she was old enough, Arden changed her name and disappeared from the public eye.

Now a young woman living hundreds of miles away, Arden goes by Olivia. She’s managed to stay off the radar for the last few years. But with the twentieth anniversary of her rescue approaching, the media will inevitably renew its interest in Arden. Where is she now? Soon Olivia feels like she’s being watched and begins sleepwalking again, like she did long ago, even waking outside her home. Until late one night she jolts awake in her yard. At her feet is the corpse of a man she knows—from her previous life, as Arden Maynor.

And now, the girl from Widow Hills is about to become the center of the story, once again, in this propulsive page-turner from suspense master Megan Miranda.

Review:

The Girl from Widow Hills by Megan Miranda is a chilling mystery.

Hospital administrator Olivia Meyer  has re-invented herself and distanced herself from her past.  But the recent discovery that her estranged mother has passed away stirs up unpleasant memories.   Olivia is a little shaken when she begins sleepwalking again but she plans to put measures in place to ensure she cannot leave her bedroom. At the same time, she begins noticing little things around her house that disturb her, but she dismisses them as inconsequential. However, the next night, Olivia discovers the body of a man from her long ago past and self-doubts begin to set in. She is certain she had nothing to do with his murder, but why are her memories of the night before so patchy? And why is Detective Nina Rigby warning her to be careful around her neighbor and friend Rick Aimes?

As a six year child, Oliva (aka Arden Maynor) and her mother Laurel are unexpectedly thrust into the national spotlight.  Swept away in a storm, the town of Widow Hills and many other volunteers frantically search for Olivia. After her rescue, Laurel does not hesitate to cash in on their popularity whereas Olivia wants nothing more than forget what happened to her. As a teenager, Olivia finally gets her wish but she cannot leave behind the aftereffects.

However, having changed her name and completed college, Olivia can finally breathe a sigh of relief that no one can find her. In exchange for keeping a tight lid on her secrets, her friendships tend to be a little superficial. Which does not really bother her until her closest friend Bennett Shaw learns about her past. Regretful at keeping him and her other friend Nina Ferano at arms’ length, Olivia tries to explain. Bennett seems to have forgiven her, but Nina has unexpectedly vanished. Although troubled about Nina’s sudden disappearance,  Olivia has her hands full trying to protect herself during Detective Rigby’s murder investigation.

The Girl from Widow Hills is a riveting mystery with an intriguing storyline that brings to mind the Jessica McClure story.  Olivia is a sympathetic character but her obsessive need to hide her past seems a bit over the top. However, it is very easy to cheer for her as she tries to uncover the truth about who killed the man in her yard and eventually, events from her childhood.  The story is fast-paced and it is easy to suspend disbelief for some of the more far-fetched aspects of the plot.  With one final stunning plot twist, Megan Miranda brings this unpredictable mystery to a shocking conclusion. Highly recommend to fans of the genre!

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Filed under Contemporary, Megan Miranda, Mystery, Rated B+, Review, Simon & Schuster Inc, Suspense, The Girl from Widow Hills

Review: The Last House Guest by Megan Miranda

Title: The Last House Guest by Megan Miranda
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery, Suspense
Length: 352 pages
Book Rating: B

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through Edelweiss

Summary:

From the acclaimed New York Times bestselling author of All the Missing Girls, a suspenseful new novel about an idyllic town in Maine dealing with the suspicious death of one of their own—and her best “summer” friend, who is trying to uncover the truth…before fingers point her way.

Littleport, Maine, has always felt like two separate towns: an ideal vacation enclave for the wealthy, whose summer homes line the coastline; and a simple harbor community for the year-round residents whose livelihoods rely on service to the visitors.

Typically, fierce friendships never develop between a local and a summer girl—but that’s just what happens with visitor Sadie Loman and Littleport resident Avery Greer. Each summer for almost a decade, the girls are inseparable—until Sadie is found dead. While the police rule the death a suicide, Avery can’t help but feel there are those in the community, including a local detective and Sadie’s brother, Parker, who blame her. Someone knows more than they’re saying, and Avery is intent on clearing her name, before the facts get twisted against her.

Another thrilling novel from the bestselling author of All the Missing Girls and The Perfect Stranger, Megan Miranda’s The Last House Guest is a smart, twisty read with a strong female protagonist determined to make her own way in the world.

Review:

The Last House Guest by Megan Miranda is an engrossing, suspenseful mystery.

Twenty-something Avery Greer is no stranger to heartache and loss but she continues to struggle with the suicide of her best friend Sadie Loman. With the one year anniversary quickly approaching, Avery can no longer quell her suspicions there might be more to Sadie’s death than meets the eye. She is still working for the Loman’s as the property manager for their numerous rentals but the family has not returned to Littleport, ME since Sadie’s death. Which is why Avery is so surprised when Parker Loman unexpectedly takes up residence in the family mansion.  He is on hand to finalize plans for the upcoming memorial service celebrating Sadie’s life.  She also crosses paths with Detective Ben Collins who was in charge of the investigation into her friend’s death.  With a series of unexplained occurrences around the Loman estate and their rental properties, Avery begins asking questions and searching for answers. Will she be able to uncover the truth about Sadie’s death?

Avery’s troubled past is never far from the local residents’ minds. Years earlier, her rebellious and self-destructive behavior lost her the friendships of Connor Harlow and Faith Sylva. Without any family or friends, Avery is surprised when her chance encounter with Sadie leads to a close friendship and eventually a career. Although Sadie is only in town over the summer, the young women keep in touch through texts and phone calls. When Sadie breezes into town each year, they quickly pick where they left off and become inseparable.

Interspersed with Avery’s investigation in the present are flashbacks to the prior summer. As Avery continues searching for evidence that might shed light on what really happened to Sadie, she reflects back on the events leading up to her friend’s death with a fresh eye.  A stunning discovery raises painful questions about much of the past decade. When she finally begins actively seeking answers, Avery is absolutely shocked by what she unearths. But can these revelations lead provide definitive proof about Sadie’s death?

The Last House Guest is a fascinating mystery which seamlessly weaves back and forth in time. Avery is an intriguing young woman who is a surprisingly reliable narrator despite her somewhat checkered past. The town of Littleport is an idyllic backdrop for the unfolding drama.  With startling twists and shocking turns, Megan Miranda brings this engrossing mystery to an absolutely jaw-dropping conclusion.  Fans of the genre do not want to miss this exciting, character-driven mystery.

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Filed under Contemporary, Megan Miranda, Mystery, Rated B, Review, Simon & Schuster Inc, Suspense, The Last House Guest

Review: The Perfect Stranger by Megan Miranda

Title: The Perfect Stranger by Megan Miranda
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery
Length: 352 pages
Book Rating: B

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through Edelweiss

Summary:

In the masterful follow-up to the New York Times bestseller All the Missing Girls—“think: Luckiest Girl Alive, The Girl on the Train, Gone Girl” (TheSkimm)—a journalist sets out to find a missing friend, a friend who may never have existed at all.

Confronted by a restraining order and the threat of a lawsuit, failed journalist Leah Stevens needs to get out of Boston when she runs into an old friend, Emmy Grey, who has just left a troubled relationship. Emmy proposes they move to rural Pennsylvania, where Leah can get a teaching position and both women can start again. But their new start is threatened when a woman with an eerie resemblance to Leah is assaulted by the lake, and Emmy disappears days later.

Determined to find Emmy, Leah cooperates with Kyle Donovan, a handsome young police officer on the case. As they investigate her friend’s life for clues, Leah begins to wonder: did she ever really know Emmy at all? With no friends, family, or a digital footprint, the police begin to suspect that there is no Emmy Grey. Soon Leah’s credibility is at stake, and she is forced to revisit her past: the article that ruined her career. To save herself, Leah must uncover the truth about Emmy Grey—and along the way, confront her old demons, find out who she can really trust, and clear her own name.

Everyone in this rural Pennsylvanian town has something to hide—including Leah herself. How do you uncover the truth when you are busy hiding your own?

Review:

The Perfect Stranger by Megan Miranda is a perplexing mystery about a woman who goes missing around the same time another woman is attacked.  Is there any connection between the two cases?

On the same day Bethany Jarvitz is bludgeoned, high school teacher Leah Stevens becomes increasingly concerned over the whereabouts of her roommate Emmy Grey.  Trying to pinpoint the last time she saw her friend is not easy since they work opposite schedules, but Leah decides to err on the side of caution and report the disappearance to the police. Having already been questioned by Detective Kyle Donovan, she turns to him for help in finding Emmy.  However, the more questions Kyle asks about her friend, Leah realizes how very little she knows about Emmy.  When the police are unable to uncover any information about her missing friend, Leah begins her own investigation but there are many surprises awaiting her as she begins digging into her roommate’s past.

Following a scandal surrounding a newspaper article about a series of college suicides, Leah has no choice but to quit her job as a newspaper reporter.  While she is trying to figure out what to do next, she unexpectedly runs into Emmy at a local bar. Although she has not seen nor heard from her friend in eight years, Leah has absolutely no qualms about agreeing to Emmy’s plan to move to Pennsylvania for a fresh start. Leah has secured a job as high school teacher and although she is a little troubled by the unwanted attention of the school’s basketball coach Davis Cobb, she has no regrets about her decision.

Trying to keep the information about her past under wraps, Leah is rather evasive during her interview with local police after Bethany is attacked.  She continues to be a little vague as she reports Emmy’s disappearance and after Kyle cannot find any solid details about her missing roommate, she soon realizes she does not know much about her friend.  Emmy does not have many possessions but after Leah makes a shocking discovery, she aggressively begins her search for information about her friend’s past. The deeper she digs, the more elusive her friend becomes and Leah has difficulty trying to make sense of the things she knows about Emmy.  She is quite introspective as she reflects on their friendship and Leah soon reaches an utterly shocking conclusion as she uncovers stunning clues that leave her reeling and desperate for answers.

The Perfect Stranger is a compelling mystery with a unique storyline. Leah is an incredibly loyal friend and despite her former profession, she is rather naive in the face of overwhelming evidence that Emmy possibly fabricated her entire history. The first half of the novel is a little slow paced but once Leah begins her investigation in earnest, the story then hurtles to a fairly shocking conclusion.  Fans of the genre will enjoy this complex and multi-layered mystery  by Megan Miranda.

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Filed under Contemporary, Megan Miranda, Mystery, Rated B, Review, Simon & Schuster Inc, The Perfect Stranger

Review: All the Missing Girls by Megan Miranda

Title: All the Missing Girls by Megan Miranda
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery, Suspense
Length: 384 pages
Book Rating: B

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through Edelweiss

Summary:

Like the spellbinding psychological suspense in The Girl on the Train and Luckiest Girl Alive, Megan Miranda’s novel is a nail-biting, breathtaking story about the disappearances of two young women—a decade apart—told in reverse.

It’s been ten years since Nicolette Farrell left her rural hometown after her best friend, Corinne, disappeared from Cooley Ridge without a trace. Back again to tie up loose ends and care for her ailing father, Nic is soon plunged into a shocking drama that reawakens Corinne’s case and breaks open old wounds long since stitched.

The decade-old investigation focused on Nic, her brother Daniel, boyfriend Tyler, and Corinne’s boyfriend Jackson. Since then, only Nic has left Cooley Ridge. Daniel and his wife, Laura, are expecting a baby; Jackson works at the town bar; and Tyler is dating Annaleise Carter, Nic’s younger neighbor and the group’s alibi the night Corinne disappeared. Then, within days of Nic’s return, Annaleise goes missing.

Told backwards—Day 15 to Day 1—from the time Annaleise goes missing, Nic works to unravel the truth about her younger neighbor’s disappearance, revealing shocking truths about her friends, her family, and what really happened to Corinne that night ten years ago.

Like nothing you’ve ever read before, All the Missing Girls delivers in all the right ways. With twists and turns that lead down dark alleys and dead ends, you may think you’re walking a familiar path, but then Megan Miranda turns it all upside down and inside out and leaves us wondering just how far we would be willing to go to protect those we love.

Review:

Told backward over a two week period, Megan Miranda’s All the Missing Girls is a perplexing mystery about the disappearance of two young women who vanished ten years apart.

Following the unsolved disappearance of her best friend Corrine Prescott, eighteen year old Nicolette “Nic” Farrell left the small town of Cooley Ridge, NC behind her. Ten years later, she reluctantly returns after receiving a troubling letter from her dementia stricken father and a phone call from her brother Daniel requesting her help getting their family home ready to sell.  Not long after her arrival, their closest neighbor Annaliese Carter vanishes. Her disappearance bears eerie similarities to Corrine’s still unsolved case and the whole town cannot help but hold their collective breath as the investigation into Annaliese’s disappearance quickly hits a dead end. Fearing Daniel or her ex-boyfriend Tyler Ellison might somehow be involved, Nic is quickly caught up in trying to understand what happened to both Corrine and Annaliese.

With a job she loves and a wealthy fiancé, Nic has come a long way from her small town roots and she is in no hurry to return to Cooley Ridge.  Her relationship with Daniel is fraught with tension and they are stuck in a pattern of ignoring the problems between them.  Her attraction to her high school boyfriend Tyler has not waned in the intervening years and the events from the night Corrine vanished continue to haunt their relationship.  Adding to her anxiety is the mysterious note from her father but she must delicately question him in an effort to avoid confusing him any further.  When her fiancé unexpectedly arrives in town, Nic is caught in a maelstrom of strong emotion while trying to explain why she kept her past a secret from him.

Annaliese’s disappearance brings back Nic’s long forgotten memories of Corrine and with the lens of maturity, she now views her friend much more clearly. Corrine was a force to be reckoned with and she bullied her friends until they agreed to do whatever she wanted them to do.  She reveled in picking and prodding them into revealing their secrets and she enjoyed exposing then exploiting their weaknesses.  Corrine carefully concealed her troubled home life from them and in order to keep her problems a secret, she easily manipulated them into helping her escape her family.  Initially believing Corrine left town by choice, Nic and the police came to the conclusion that she was most likely the victim of foul play but with little evidence to go on, her case grew cold.

With the narrative going back in time, the reader’s perspective about what is occurring in the story is constantly shifting once the preceding events are revealed. This manner of storytelling is a little hard to follow sometimes but it is fascinating learning what lead up to the events of the previous chapters. A large portion of the story concentrates on Corrine’s disappearance and the complicated relationships between her, Nic, Daniel and Tyler.  The events on the night she disappeared are, initially, quite confusing because very little information is known about the various characters’ backgrounds or their complex histories. Since Annaliese vanished at the beginning of Nic’s arrival in town, the events surrounding her disappearance do not become clear until the novel’s final chapters. The conclusion of All the Missing Girls is full of shocking revelations and while most of the loose ends are completely wrapped up, a couple of small, yet important, details remain unresolved. 

All in all, this adult debut by young adult author Megan Miranda is a riveting mystery that fans of the genre do not want to miss.

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Filed under All the Missing Girls, Contemporary, Megan Miranda, Mystery, Rated B, Review, Simon & Schuster Inc, Suspense