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thepagelady's review against another edition
3.0
Book Review…The Wild Girls by Phoebe Morgan
The "Wild Girls," as they were once called, are no longer so wild. Alice is a teacher. Hannah has a new baby. Grace is a homebody. Only Felicity seems to have her former spark. Then Felicity invites them all to a birthday bash. It's a chance to have fun and rekindle their friendship and finally put that one horrible night behind them for good.
But soon after arriving a feeling of unease settles over them. There's no sign of the party. No phone signal. They are on their own and things start to go very, very wrong.
This was a fantastic read! The twists and turns just kept on coming! I liked all of the characters! Each one had their own distinct personalities and with the story being told from all of their points of view you really get to know each of them! And the dynamics of their friendships both past and present is quite interesting! The setting is perfect and it adds to the creepiness! In the middle of nowhere, no phones, the feeling of someone watching and a few other things it all makes for a thrilling ride. The culprit was a little obvious but it didn't take away from the story. It was a fast-paced and intriguing story that has a unique and refreshing twist to a locked room mystery!
The "Wild Girls," as they were once called, are no longer so wild. Alice is a teacher. Hannah has a new baby. Grace is a homebody. Only Felicity seems to have her former spark. Then Felicity invites them all to a birthday bash. It's a chance to have fun and rekindle their friendship and finally put that one horrible night behind them for good.
But soon after arriving a feeling of unease settles over them. There's no sign of the party. No phone signal. They are on their own and things start to go very, very wrong.
This was a fantastic read! The twists and turns just kept on coming! I liked all of the characters! Each one had their own distinct personalities and with the story being told from all of their points of view you really get to know each of them! And the dynamics of their friendships both past and present is quite interesting! The setting is perfect and it adds to the creepiness! In the middle of nowhere, no phones, the feeling of someone watching and a few other things it all makes for a thrilling ride. The culprit was a little obvious but it didn't take away from the story. It was a fast-paced and intriguing story that has a unique and refreshing twist to a locked room mystery!
lynguy1's review against another edition
3.0
Setting and characterization are keys to the take on a locked room mystery. Phoebe Morgan’s novel, The Wild Girls, is set in Deception Valley, Botswana and London, England. It features four women who were close until two years ago when events unraveled years of friendship. When Grace, Alice, and Hannah get invitations from Phoebe to an all-expenses paid birthday bash at a luxury safari lodge in Botswana, they decide to accept the invitation. This will give them the opportunity to rekindle their friendship. Upon arrival, there’s no sign of the party and limited cell phone service. Then things go awry.
The author did a good job of showing the characters’ natures and backstories. Grace came through as the main character for me. She’s a homebody who finds strangers frightening and it’s hard for her to leave her flat. Alice is a teacher and living with Tom. They’ve recently purchased their flat, and that cleaned out her bank account. Hannah and her husband Chris have a new baby boy. She’s jealous of others’ opportunities to interact with adults. She’s always been the sensible one and the one to take care of everyone else. Felicity, the fun and popular one, kept them all together, until she stopped.
This story is mainly told from the points of view of Grace, Alice, and Hannah. However, there are a few chapters where Phoebe’s point of view is given. While this gave insights into the character’s pasts and present situations, it also adversely affected the flow due to the frequency of change. Points of view change within chapters, not just between chapters. Part two of the book also flashes back in time.
The book is set in a unique location and will thrill fans of locked-room style mysteries. The prologue is set after most of the events in the novel. After that, the story gradually builds momentum, with the unknowns continually moving the story forward until it reaches an action-filled and startling conclusion. When readers think about the ending of the book, they will likely wonder what will unfold in the next few months.
The premise and setting are fantastic. Trying to understand the fallout from the event two years ago is only part of the puzzle readers will need to understand. Themes include friendship, domestic violence, secrets, betrayal, relationships, lack of belief in other’s statements, assault, and much more.
Overall, this is novel was engaging, atmospheric, and thought-provoking. If you enjoy locked-room thrillers, then this may be the book for you.
All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own. Publication date was April 26, 2022. The premise and setting are fantastic. This review was previously posted at Mystery and Suspense Magazine.
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My 3.49 rounded to 3 stars review is coming soon.
The author did a good job of showing the characters’ natures and backstories. Grace came through as the main character for me. She’s a homebody who finds strangers frightening and it’s hard for her to leave her flat. Alice is a teacher and living with Tom. They’ve recently purchased their flat, and that cleaned out her bank account. Hannah and her husband Chris have a new baby boy. She’s jealous of others’ opportunities to interact with adults. She’s always been the sensible one and the one to take care of everyone else. Felicity, the fun and popular one, kept them all together, until she stopped.
This story is mainly told from the points of view of Grace, Alice, and Hannah. However, there are a few chapters where Phoebe’s point of view is given. While this gave insights into the character’s pasts and present situations, it also adversely affected the flow due to the frequency of change. Points of view change within chapters, not just between chapters. Part two of the book also flashes back in time.
The book is set in a unique location and will thrill fans of locked-room style mysteries. The prologue is set after most of the events in the novel. After that, the story gradually builds momentum, with the unknowns continually moving the story forward until it reaches an action-filled and startling conclusion. When readers think about the ending of the book, they will likely wonder what will unfold in the next few months.
The premise and setting are fantastic. Trying to understand the fallout from the event two years ago is only part of the puzzle readers will need to understand. Themes include friendship, domestic violence, secrets, betrayal, relationships, lack of belief in other’s statements, assault, and much more.
Overall, this is novel was engaging, atmospheric, and thought-provoking. If you enjoy locked-room thrillers, then this may be the book for you.
All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own. Publication date was April 26, 2022. The premise and setting are fantastic. This review was previously posted at Mystery and Suspense Magazine.
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My 3.49 rounded to 3 stars review is coming soon.
divroyalty's review against another edition
1.0
The girls seem quite petty and not wild at all. The back story and rationale is quite messy and seems quite underwhelming for a murder plot.
lostinthepages20's review
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
cjmes's review against another edition
4.0
Thanks so much to Scene of the Crime/William & Morrow for providing me with an e-arc to review!
This book was absolutely thrilling, I could not put it down. This one had me on the edge of my seat, it would make a fantastic beach read. This book had me guessing at every turn of the page. I highly recommend it to fellow suspense and whodunit lovers!
This book was absolutely thrilling, I could not put it down. This one had me on the edge of my seat, it would make a fantastic beach read. This book had me guessing at every turn of the page. I highly recommend it to fellow suspense and whodunit lovers!
camrynfaith's review
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
alongreader's review
4.0
I have no idea what to say about this book. Every time I thought I knew what was going on, something happened to change things. I never had any real idea who was behind everything.
I've been lucky enough to read several books with fabulous descriptions lately. This is another; Botswana sounds amazing, all blue skies and heavy heat. A fabulous read on a grey day in Ireland, I can tell you.
I didn't really like any of the characters apart from Grace...and I suppose Hannah was ok...but I think that's partly the point, to show that real friends are the ones who take you at your worst as well as at your best. I definitely felt pulled into the book, desperate to know what was going on and who was behind it all and who'd walk away at the end. And then that ending...I don't know whether I hope there's another one or if I'm happier making it up for myself!
A great read I really enjoyed. I'll be watching out for more by the author.
I've been lucky enough to read several books with fabulous descriptions lately. This is another; Botswana sounds amazing, all blue skies and heavy heat. A fabulous read on a grey day in Ireland, I can tell you.
I didn't really like any of the characters apart from Grace...and I suppose Hannah was ok...but I think that's partly the point, to show that real friends are the ones who take you at your worst as well as at your best. I definitely felt pulled into the book, desperate to know what was going on and who was behind it all and who'd walk away at the end. And then that ending...I don't know whether I hope there's another one or if I'm happier making it up for myself!
A great read I really enjoyed. I'll be watching out for more by the author.
hitbooksnotgirlz's review against another edition
2.0
The story is told in 3 parts. Part 1: Insufferable. Hannah, Grace and Alice are literally all so boring that I couldn’t even differentiate them. It was almost as if the story was told from one point of view, not three, as they all just blended together in an unremarkable sea of grey. Part 2 & 3 got a lot more interesting, but unfortunately part 1 left a bad taste in my mouth that I just couldn’t get rid of. I never recovered.