CAN A VENGEFUL KILLER BE STOPPED BEFORE THE NEXT GIRL DIES?In this gripping third book in the Mercy Harbor Thriller series, a troubled young woman seeks refuge within an isolated Florida commune. After two of her friends go missing, she suspects the peaceful community hides a deadly secret, and soon realizes that she has become the target of a heartless killer.Retired detective Pete Barker vows … killer.
Retired detective Pete Barker vows to find his runaway daughter and bring her home. When his search leads him to Florida’s swampy backwoods, he uncovers an unsettling connection between a secretive commune and a series of grisly murders.
Desperate to save his daughter, and determined to catch the twisted killer, Barker turns to his ex-partner, Detective Nessa Ainsley, and enlists the help of Eden Winthrop, a woman dedicated to saving Willow Bay’s most vulnerable citizens.
But as the killer’s shocking motive is unveiled, and the body of yet another innocent victim is discovered, Barker’s last chance to save his daughter brings him face-to-face with pure evil.
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Retired Detective Barker still misses his loving wife after her death. His daughter ran off because she blames her father for her mother’s death. He decides it is time get proactive and really look for her. A young girl’s body is found with a derogatory name carved in her forehead. Meanwhile another young woman with no memory shows up at Mercy Harbor with a crumpled piece of paper with Eden’s name and address. All roads appear to lead back to a commune. Is evil in their midst? Buckle up for the ride! You will not be able to put it down!
I am torn. I thoroughly enjoyed reading Catch the Girl and therefore want to give it five stars. However, I also found the overall story to be more predictable than the earlier books in this series, which makes me think four stars may be a better choice. I am going to go with the five stars, with two warnings. First, if predictable storylines irritate you, maybe you don’t want this book. But please remember that this is a good police procedural with interesting characters. Secondly, this book can act as a spoiler, if you haven’t read the two earlier books in the series. Don’t read it yet, if you haven’t read the previous books.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily
Catch the Girl is the third book in the Mercy Harbor series. I am happy to be able to learn more about the characters of Pete, Nessa and Eden. Each book is written about all of the Harbor Bay friends but really focuses on one main character. Melinda Woodhall does a great job of creating the background of a character so we are kept wanting more.
I received an ARC from Book Sirens for an unbiased review.
Disclaimer: I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Get out your winter coat and join the good guys and gals as they solve the murder of two women and look for an adult child who left home years ago. Somehow both of these seemed to be linked and related to other illegal activities.
This book was pace pounding. I wanted so badly for the secrets of the commune to be revealed. Was the Domaine involved or was it something else entirely? Little did I know how twisted the truth would be. I was terrified for Eden and her friends. Would they catch the killer or become the next victims. Really enjoyed the book and I suggest checking out the series.
This review is also available on my blog: Wine Cellar Library
First, I would like to thank BookSirens and the author for providing me with a free Kindle ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.
Catch the Girl is the third book in the Mercy Harbor Thriller series. Although this book can be read as a standalone, I highly recommend reading the first two novels, The River Girls and Girl Eight: A Mercy Harbor Thriller: Book Two. Although the author provides brief explanations about the events in the first two novels, much of the character development occurred in The River Girls.
Catch the Girl maintains the same level of heart-pounding suspense that I have come to expect from a Woodhall novel. We have a fantastic team dedicated to saving the lives of women and girls in danger. Despite multiple crooked cops being exposed in the Willow Bay Police Department, Nessa, Jankowski, and retired detective Barker uphold justice and continuously put the safety of these women above all else. Our other heroes, including Eden, Reggie, Leo, and Frankie, also never hesitate to act when a woman’s life is on the line, frequently risking personal safety.
I was happy to see that this book contains more content about the characters’ personal relationships than the previous installment. Being able to see how these events affect their personal lives makes them more relatable, and as a reader, I am cheering for each character’s happily-ever-after. This is not meant to imply that this is a romantic series, because it really is not; for instance, my hope for Nessa is that her marriage will remain strong despite her long hours and limitless ambition.
On that note, I am happy that Barker is finally searching for his daughter. Taylor had walked out after her mother died, blaming her father for causing her mother’s cancer with his cigarette smoking. In his search, he discovers a strange commune with shady characters, and when two girls are murdered and traced back to the commune, his desperation to find his daughter intensifies.
There are just a couple scenes that were unrealistic, which is why I cannot give this book a perfect rating. For instance, the National Guard would never let a soldier use weapons for a civilian investigation. Not in a million years. Especially since this case has absolutely zero relation to national security. Being in the military myself, this irked me. Aside from this, I thoroughly enjoyed this book and I am excited to embark on the newly released fourth installment, Girls Who Lie.