Title: The Quiet Girl by S.F. Kosa
Publisher: Sourcebooks Landmark
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery, Suspense
Length: 384 pages
Book Rating: B
Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through NetGalley
Summary:
Good girls keep quiet. But quiet girls can’t stay silent forever—and the consequences are sure to make some noise.
When Alex arrives in Provincetown to patch things up with his new wife, Mina, he finds an empty wine glass in the sink, her wedding ring on the desk, and a string of questions in her wake. The police believe that Mina, a successful romance author, simply left, their marriage crumbling before it truly began.
But what Alex finds in their empty cottage points him toward a different reality: Mina has always carried a secret. And now she’s disappeared.
In his hunt for the truth, Alex comes across Layla, a young woman with information to share, who may hold the key to everything his wife has kept hidden. A strange, quiet girl whose missing memories may break them all.
To find his missing wife, Alex must face what Layla has forgotten. And the consequences are anything but quiet.
In her debut thriller, S.F. Kosa presents a tightly-woven book sure to inspire questions about trauma, memory, and how well we ever know the people we love.
Review:
The Quiet Girl by S.F. Kosa is a perplexing mystery that is also quite affecting.
Alex Zarabian and popular romance author Mina Richards married after a whirlwind romance. Mina can be a bit moody so when she leaves for her cottage in Provincetown after a disagreement, Alex tries to give her space. But anxious to work things out between them, he decides to surprise her and heads to her Provincetown. But Mina is nowhere to be found and Alex fears the worst for their marriage when he discovers she left her wedding and engagement rings behind. Desperate to locate his missing wife, Alex is frustrated by the police department’s slow reaction so he takes matters into his own hands. While searching for more information about Mina, he soon learns there is a lot he does not know about his wife. Will Alex uncover the truth about what happened to Mina in the past and present?
Alex is juggling searching for his wife with a work issue that has a deadline. He is soon immersed in his search for Mina and he is dismayed that none of Mina’s neighbors are certain when they last saw her. Although she does not have much of a relationship with her parents, Alex decides to see if his in-laws know anything about her whereabouts. He is shocked to find out she visited them earlier in the week. By all appearances, this might be the last time she has been seen. Becoming more worried as time passes with no word, Alex hopes the police will locate her. Their response is initially discouraging, so Alex continues his own investigation. He gets a break when he is contacted by someone from her publisher and what he learns turns everything Alex knows about Mina completely upside down.
A secondary story arc involves a young woman named Layla who is a little vague and is hesitant to reveal anything about herself. She is working at a local restaurant where a bartender is helping her out. After an uncomfortable encounter with a customer, Layla’s reaction culminates in a shocking discovery.
The Quiet Girl is an intriguing mystery with a unique storyline. Until about the halfway point, the pacing is slow as Alex’s search for Mina does not gain much traction. And at first, the story arc with Layla is a bit confusing. With unpredictable twists and stunning turns, S.F. Kosa brings this suspenseful mystery to a chilling and bittersweet conclusion. Fans of the genre will enjoy this clever mystery.
