Reviews

The Shadow Girl by Shannon Hollinger

nursemelissa19's review

challenging dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

tracymcd's review

dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

lola99999's review

4.0

I have now read all 3 books in this series and am excited to see where this goes! Always lots of twists and turns, and always keeps you guessing until the end! I do love a strong female lead, and Maggie definitely fits the bill!!

lagadema's review

4.0

This is the third installment in a police procedural series where the characters show great growth, and I was engrossed in the story that had a nice flow, enough tension, twists and turns, secrets and everything beautifully written by the author that is new to me. I’m just sorry that I didn’t start from the first book, but I'm on my way to correct that. Excellent for readers of Angela Marsons and Lisa Regan.

runningsarah86's review

4.0

Round 3 had its hooks in me from the jump! I am in it with Chief Riley. Coyote Cove and all its secrets are drawing me in and I need to know them all! This series is great and I can't wait for the next ones to get more details on all the secrets lurking and know more about everyone!

bookclubwithakindle's review

4.0

4.5⭐️ This is an ARC from NetGalley and Bookouture, these are my own thoughts and opinions.

I’m obsessed with this series. The Chief Maggie Riley books are so captivating, and this one was probably my favorite! I love how Shannon writes her POV’s! Definitely looking forward to the next one!

thesustainablebookshelf's review

4.0

A story about a police chief of a small, rural town with a past, a missing girl found dead, and a close-knit town with secrets. Except that's it's happened again, and someone has left a Polaroid of another kidnapped girl. There's limited time to find her and unravel the connection between investigations, which is closer than she knows.

This was a fun crime thriller. It is more character driven in the first 80%, with the last 20% being packed with action. The chapters rotate between characters, and we get a well-rounded view of everything that's going on. Solid 4 stars.

abercrombie1986's review

medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

 

This is book three in the series and usually in police procedural series, the cases being personal are over.  But that is not the case for this series.  Chief Maggie and her fiancé Steve still have a lot of secrets.  Quite a few things they are keeping from each other and even some of the details are not clear for the reader.  Each case stands alone, but a bit of the book also focuses on how these secrets are impacting the case and their lives.  And Maggie has a new detective that seems to have a lot of secrets of his own in addition to fitting in in the community he is trying to protect.  I think his character fits into the flow well.

I flip flop on how well I like the main characters, but they are deeply developed and no matter if I am in a moment of like or dislike, I still want to know more about them.  There is still a bit of mystery to their backstories.  And I can’t say Maggie isn’t determined to serve and protect.  She is dogged in protecting the town and solving whatever case comes her way.

The case in this one is complex and for it being a somewhat small town, the bad guy isn’t obvious.  I really like the mix of the case and personal lives and since Maggie’s story isn’t over, I feel there is a next installment coming.

I think this one is best read as a series in order, but if you are one to focus more on the case and less on the characters, then it can definitely be a stand alone.  I’ve grown to really like this series and recommend it to anyone that loves a good crime series. 

nadenetotallyaddictedtoreading's review against another edition

dark mysterious fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.75

 The Shadow Girl, book three in Shannon Hollinger's Detective Maggie Riley series, transports readers back to Coyote Cove, a small rural town in Maine. A town where persons with secrets seek solace. Hollinger weaved a tale filled with suspense and mystery to keep readers guessing from start to finish.

Firstly, I recommend reading the books in order of release. Although each book features a different mystery, there is an overarching series thread which needs to be followed sequentially. In this instalment, Maggie faces her biggest challenge since taking up the post as police chief in Coyote Cove. The discovery of the body of a teenage girl who went missing two years ago hook her to the core. Solving murders was out of her jurisdiction, leaving her to rely on the State police to solve the murder. However, the discovery of a Polaroid photo indicating that another teenage girl is missing led Maggie on a desperate search to find the teen before it's too late.

This was another intense and riveting tale. It featured a large suspect pool and wading through the lot proved a challenge. Fortunately for Maggie, she had help in the form of her new lieutenant, Kal. Although new to the series, he proved to be a great addition to the cast of characters. Like his boss and her fiancée, Steve, he too had his secrets. Secrets which fuelled his decision to accept the position as the new lieutenant in Coyote Cove. It would seem that Steve's secrets were about ready to explode in his face. The major questions on the mind of the reader were:

1. What impact will the revelation have on his relationship with Maggie?
2. What steps will he take for those secrets to remain hidden?                                                                                                                       

 Hopefully it works out for him because secrets aside, I believe he is perfect for Maggie.

As Maggie steps up the search to find the girl in the Polaroid photo, she discovers a connection to the murdered teen. This case hit rather close to home for Maggi. This led to her engaging every possible method to find the missing teen. Unlike the first instalment, The Girl Who Lied, the mystery in The Shadow Girl was twisty and a challenge to solve. The story highlighted the impact of adults' failure to protect the children in their care. 

The Shadow Girl was an addictive and fast-paced crime thriller. The unresolved issues from the secrets shrouding Maggie, Steve and Kal leaves no doubts in the reader's mind that there is more to come. As such, one will be waiting eagerly for the next book in the series. Fans of police procedurals will find this series intriguing. 

herthrillingreads's review

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I have read all 5 novels published by @thiswritersays and have absolutely loved every single one! Shannon’s latest novel is the third book in the Chief Maggie Riley series: The Shadow Girl. This book picks up where Their Angel’s Cry left off, but with a new case. Maggie is now investigating a missing teenage girl. She finds a Polaroid of the girl bound and beaten, on her Jeep. However, no one else in the small town of Coyote Cove seems concerned. What secrets will Maggie’s investigation uncover?!

I highly recommend reading this series, as well as Shannon’s other two standalone thrillers. All of her books have been 5 star reads for me. She is one of my auto-buy/auto-read authors.

Thank you @bookouture and @netgalley for allowing me to read this book ahead of publication in exchange for my honest review.