The Girls Who Disappeared by Claire Douglas (Review by Jessica Heatherly)

5 stars

Claire Douglas is truly a queen of surprising twists! She builds tension from the very first page and doesn’t ever let up, sprinkling in small details to keep you guessing what is actually going on near the Devil’s Corridor. To add even more suspense, a second story line is sporadically dispersed, making you wonder what, if anything, it has to do with the three missing girls. Once the two stories intertwine, everything you thought you knew…you didn’t.

I love this book and admire how quickly I was able to attach myself to some of the characters. Olivia and three of her friends were involved in a car wreck but only Olivia was found. She was badly wounded and went through grueling surgeries and therapy to save her crushed leg. Despite her physical limitations, Olivia is a strong character and independent in many aspects of her day-to-day life. She has her boyfriend, Wesley, and her mother to help her when necessary and they all seem to have a loving relationship. Recording a podcast about the disappearances, Jenna arrives in the small town the week of the twentieth anniversary of the accident. She knows her presence won’t be well-received but continues her quest for information regardless. Jenna is strong-willed but also empathetic and kind. These aren’t qualities you’ll usually find together, especially for a reporter! She is very easy to like from the beginning and I found myself rooting for her quite often.

I don’t want you to think everything is a bed of roses just because Olivia and Jenna happen to be wonderful examples of strong female leads. There are some shady, two-faced characters and believe me when I say…everybody lies. Watch out for the flock of red herrings but even with your sleuth goggles on, I think you’ll be hard-pressed to figure this one out! You will love this book if you are a fan of multiple points of view and timelines, police procedurals, twisty whodunnits, and jaw-dropping endings!