“I could not put it down! I rarely give a book 5 stars and can’t put it down but this one deserves it!… I read it in three days only because my iPad was running out of battery so I couldn’t read it sooner… A captivating story.” Goodreads reviewer, 5 starsShe didn’t notice the corn stalks shiver a few feet to her right. By the time she looked up, the man towered above her. In a single movement … above her. In a single movement he wrapped one thick hand around her waist, the other he clamped over her mouth, muffling her screams.
Detective Clara Jefferies has spent years running from her childhood in Alber, Utah. But when she hears that her baby sister Delilah has disappeared, she knows that the peaceful community will be shattered, her family vulnerable, and that that she must face up to her past and go home.
Clara returns to find that her mother, Ardeth, has isolated her family by moving to the edge of town, in the shadow of the mountains. Ardeth refuses to talk to the police and won’t let Clara through the front door, believing she and her sister-wives can protect their own. But Clara knows better than anyone that her mother isn’t always capable of protecting her children.
When Clara finds out that two more girls have disappeared, all last seen around the cornfields near her family’s home, she realizes it’s not just Delilah who’s in danger. And then she gets a call that a body has been found…
Clara will have to dig deep into the town’s secrets if she’s going to find Delilah. But that will mean confronting the reason she left. And as she gets closer to Delilah, she might be putting her more at risk…
Gripping and spine-chilling, readers will love Detective Clara Jefferies, reading The Fallen Girls deep into the night. Fans of Kendra Elliot, Lisa Regan and Melinda Leigh won’t stop turning the pages of this unforgettable new series from bestselling and award-winning author Kathryn Casey.
What readers are saying about The Fallen Girls:
‘Absolutely amazing… An outstanding crime thriller: heart-racing pace, superb plot, believable characters, tense and absorbing build-up to an absolutely brilliant climax… A stand out, stunning book.’ Renita D’Silva
“WOW, WOW, WOW, WOW!… Kathryn Casey has written an amazing book… I cannot wait to pick up where this novel left off! You will not be able to put this book down – fabulous!” NetGalley reviewer, 5 stars
“I absolutely LOVED this book… The book jumps right into the story and catches your attention from page one and holds it throughout.” Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars
“I loved this book!!… It’s absolutely brilliant… A compulsive read.” Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars
“I was absorbed in the story from page one until the explosive and exciting ending… Intense and heart-pounding… I’m excited to read more in this series, and I want more!” Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars
“I was sucked in from page one and couldn’t put it down… I am very much looking forward to the next book in the series!… A cracking read.” Bonnie’s Book Talk, 5 stars
“Wow… Kept me interested from page one. I didn’t want the book to finish. Brilliant mystery… Can’t wait to read more by this author.” NetGalley reviewer, 5 stars
“An addictive read, entirely enthralled with the book within the first twenty pages… Looking most forward to the next book in the series!” Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars
“The start of a new series and I can’t wait to read more… This book kept me reading late into the night I HAD TO KNOW THE TRUTH. Full of tension and suspense.” Goodreads reviewer
“First I’ve read by this author and it will not be the last. I thoroughly enjoyed this book from beginning to end. It had a great storyline that kept you guessing until the end. Could not put this one down.” Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars
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First, I want to thank Kathryn Casey, Bookouture and NetGalley for this book so I can bring you this review.
The Fallen Girls by Kathryn Casey was a very unique yet incredibly interesting read. This book is just the first book in the Detective Clara Jeffries Series.
What made this abduction very different from any others is that the author chose to write this book based around a poligmay family. A family who were strong in their beliefs and didn’t want help from the outside world.
I love when authors think outside of the box and come up with unique character names. Kathryn did just that in this book. Names like Delilah, Sariah, Sadie, etc.
They always tell you to write what you know about. Kathryn knew a lot about Clara’s story as she had experience in a polygamist community. She wrote as a magazine editor for a story she was working on adoption for a polygamist family.
Kathryn would like to thank her dear friend author Gregg Olsen, who has been so kind to me for so many years. I cherish our friendship. Side note he is an incredible author that I too review for.
Favorite Quotes:
Guns don’t mix well with stupid. Guns and stupid are even more dangerous when paired with crazy drunk.
For the most part, I was in good shape, and I was too young for aches and pains. I considered the fine wrinkles webbing my eyes. One of my fellow detectives described them as laugh lines, but then noted that he’d never actually seen me crack a smile.
Mother methodically inspected me, looking at my face and hair, my clothes, and my dust-covered shoes. She examined me as if I were a specimen on a glass slide.
What this trip has taught me is that you can leave home, but you can’t ever truly leave it behind. No matter where you end up, where you started haunts you.
In the margins she’d drawn playful caricatures of our family. My tension eased enough that I chuckled at one of my mother. It bore a striking resemblance to the wicked witch in The Wizard of Oz.
They looked as tense as I felt. Even my teeth were nervous.
My Review:
While perusing this craftily written tale, I was well aware that I over-identified with the protagonist of Clara. Although I did not grow up in a cult, my parents were weirdly and stridently religious. Even as a child I knew it was strange and deeply resented the vile coercion, bombastic oratory, and blatant hypocrisy. I rarely read books with a religious theme as I find most religious dogma and rhetoric deeply annoying and tiresome with the essence of most being that everything is a sin that will be severely punished and anyone who does not follow their faith is doomed to an eternity of teeth gnashing. I’d rather be an altruistic, kind, and nonjudgmental person; believe as I please, and be proactive by obtaining dental implants.
Ms. Casey’s writing was emotive and atmospheric yet easy to follow and her storylines were well-plotted, shrewdly paced, taut with tension, maddeningly intriguing, loathsomely realistic, and sneakily unpredictable. I remain deeply curious about the details of Clara’s personal escape eight years prior. The Mormon sect that Clara’s family adhered to is a prime example of the idiocy of the devout who blindly follow teachings that allow and condone child abuse. Deplorable cretins such as this cause me to grind my teeth in the here and now, making those planned dental implants a probable need.
I would like to thank Bookouture and Netgalley for allowing me to read this book.
We find Clara Jefferies who is a detective and she investigates the disappearance of her little sister Delilah. She will have to face her past and of course return home.
Once home she realizes that her mother Ardeth has moved out of town. She refuses to talk to anyone, even the police, and Calra knows that her mother is incapable of protecting her family.
Except that two other girls are missing. She realizes that her little sister isn’t the only one in danger and when she gets a call that a body has been found ….
Clara will have to search all over town and the surrounding area to find her sister no matter what.
A book read in one go so much I was hooked on the story so moving in some passages, gripping, captivating, addictive, filled with suspense and twists with very endearing characters. I can’t wait to read the rest of the series.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Mix law enforcement with a cult or alternative religion and the mix is beyond interesting!
Being from Utah and hearing about those communities most of my life,itwas kind of weird. It was good though, informative and somewhat tense!
Will probably read all the books in this series.
This was my first book by Kathryn Casey and I have to admit it took me a while to engage and that’s because Detective Clara Jefferies rubbed me the wrong way. While I found her hard to like, she does get the job done and I eventually found myself warming up to her.
There’s action, murder, kidnapping, evil characters, a different way of life (polygamy), lots of secrets and lies, and a few twists / turns.
A lot of reviewers are stating its unputdownable, but I have to admit for me, it wasn’t.
#Clara #Max #ManyWives #Polygamy #WealthAndPower
Great plot!
I’ve always found cornfields creepy. You can’t see if there is somebody hiding or how far the field stretches. The author really has captured this feeling, making me shiver and holding my breath. The setting in the polygamist society was fascinating and new to me. I haven’t read any books before this about polygamists, but now I’m curious to find out more. Really good start to a new series and I definitely will pick up the next book about Clara Jefferies.
The Fallen Girl by Kathryn Casey
Detective Clara Jeffries #1
Twisted tortured tale of crime in a closed community with polygamous families, lost boys and secrets hidden behind walls of the stalwart believers leads one outsider, once a member, to return in search of her missing sister. As an introduction to a new series the story was superb, well-crafted and filled with interesting characters that I can see in future books of the series. That said, where Clara will be in the second book of the series is left up in the air at the end of the book.
What I liked:
* Clara: forced to make a difficult choice when young then forging ahead alone after having left her close huge family behind. She has found her niche in serving the Dallas community as a police detective. I found her an intriguing person that I would like to learn more about.
* Max: a “lost boy” that was sent away from Alber, Utah. He had a tough time and found his way on the outside only to have it fall apart and then return to Alber. He is a man willing to do whatever is necessary to keep his daughter safe. I wonder what his part will be, if any, in the future.
* The glimpse into what it might be like to live in a fundamentalist polygamous sect – not one I believe I would be comfortable in but I do understand the indoctrination from childhood and how it would impact this story and the lives of the characters within it.
* The twists, turns and red herrings
* The plot and pace of the story
* That the community beliefs and behaviors were well explained for reader understanding
* That the mystery and the baddies finally were dealt with
* The ending…and wondering what will happen next
* That there will be more books to look forward to.
What I didn’t like:
* Being reminded of just how twisted and evil some people can be
* Knowing that though this is fiction there are innocents that suffer and die due to the twisted evil people they sometimes encounter
* Having to wait to read book two in the series
Did I enjoy this book? Yes
Would I read more books in this series? Definitely
Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the ARC – This is my honest review.
5 Stars
Detective Clara Jeffries was raised in a polygamist community with 3 mothers and multiple siblings of one sort or another. Being physically abused by her father led her to leaving the community and her family secretly. She never looked back.
Receiving a phone call from the deputy sheriff in her hometown asking for her to return, she at first says no .. until she’s told her younger sister has disappeared. Clara does return to the scorn of her family and other members of the community.
Worse.. her family denies that her sister is missing. Supposedly she’s on a mission with another family, although she’s only 12 years old. Other than the deputy who called her, law enforcement resent her presence and does little to help. They, too, believe the young girl is not actually missing.
But what Clara discovers is that other young girls have gone missing over the years. No one has been looking for them. Clara is absolutely positive that something evil is happening and she’s determined to find the answers.
And then a young woman’s body is found …….
This was like a peek through the curtains of a polygamy community …. the way they looked after each other .. the way they have nothing to do with outsiders …. the way men and women view each other and how they are a law unto themselves. Its also a look at how our roots and how we were raised affect every decision we make .. right or wrong.
It’s well written with skillfully drawn characters. Clara makes a terrific series character and I really look forward to seeing more of her. Lots of action leads to a terrifying, surprising ending.
Many thanks to the author / Bookouture / Netgalley for the digital copy of this crime fiction. Read and reviewed voluntarily, opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.
Well!! Let me tell you, The Fallen Girls by Kathryn Casey was a ride, and I think it was a great way to start a series!
A lot of the book had to do with Detective Jefferies facing her past, and there is a lot of clashing with her family and the other Mormon families that live in their fictional small town in Utah. I thought there was still enough detective work going on though that it had the feel of detective fiction mixed with some police procedural. It’s definitely heavy on Clara’s past though and it was nice to start out the series with a decent amount of backstory on her.
There are a few different viewpoints which I enjoyed, although I think one gave a little too much away and made it easier to figure out who the culprit was before the end of the book. Even though I managed to figure it out, there were definitely still some surprises I didn’t see coming and it didn’t take away from how much I liked the book. The pace was steady, and the different viewpoints kept things both interesting and suspenseful, and I ended up staying awake late into the night to see how it would end!
I really enjoyed Casey’s writing style and lucky for me she has a nice backlist which I plan on digging into as soon as I can. I liked the Mormon aspect of the book as well and found it very interesting to read about. The Fallen Girls is the perfect choice if you are looking for a suspenseful crime/detective fiction novel that does a great job introducing the main detective to the reader. I know I will be anxiously looking forward to more books about Clara and I can’t wait to get to know her even better!
Thank you to the publisher for providing me with an advance review copy of this book via NetGalley, all opinions are my own.
Hands down, one of the most unique settings for a crime thriller that I have ever read, this book had me enthralled from beginning to end. Clara Jefferies is a detective to root for, not only because she is an intelligent investigator, but because she escaped a life that would have sent her in a completely different direction. I found the perspective to be thought-provoking. the dialogue was crisp, and the interactions kept everything the investigation moving forward. I especially appreciated that the author kept me guessing until the very end. Definitely recommend this new series. For a full review, please visit Fireflies and Free Kicks. Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for a digital ARC of the book.
She didn’t notice the corn stalks shiver a few feet to her right. By the time she looked up, the man towered above her. In a single movement he wrapped one thick hand around her waist, the other he clamped over her mouth, muffling her screams. Detective Clara Jefferies has spent years running from her childhood in Alber, Utah. But when she hears that her baby sister Delilah has disappeared, she knows that the peaceful community will be shattered, her family vulnerable, and that that she must face up to her past and go home. When Clara finds out that two more girls have disappeared, all last seen around the cornfields near her family’s home, she realizes it’s not just Delilah who’s in danger. And then she gets a call that a body has been found…
This is the first book I’ve read by the author & found it a well written page turning read with plenty of twists & turns. This is also the first book I’ve read about the Mormons so found the insights into the community very interesting. I liked Clara who had to face her past & had to deal with a wall of silence. I look forward to more books in the series
My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read
Detective Clara Jefferies has been with the Dallas Police Department for the past ten years working homicide cases. Years ago, she left Alber, Utah and her polygamist family and has not returned until now. Her former childhood friend, Deputy Chief Max Anderson, has contacted her to inform her that her sister, Delilah, is missing. When she arrives, she is considered an outcast and her own family refuses to talk to her. Time is of the essence when Clara learns that two other young girls have gone missing, been classified as runaways and no one is searching for them. When she lists her sister in the NCIC database, the town officers remove her name. Met with a wall of silence, Clara won’t give up until she gets answers. When events quickly escalate, will she be able to find her sister before it is too late? I received an advance review copy at no cost and without obligation for an honest review. (by paytonpuppy)
This ARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This book is set in Utah, in a Mormon town filled with polygamy. A 12-year old girl, Delilah, is abducted from the cornfields behind her house. A letter is sent to the local police station alerting them to her disappearance but the mothers in the household plead ignorance when questioned. Max, a former member of “Elijah’s People”, the community the girl belongs to, calls Detective Clara Jefferies. She is Delilah’s half sister who fled her upbringing 9 years ago. The town of Alber seems like a cult. They keep to themselves and won’t talk to outsiders. They are leery of anyone asking questions. Clara’s mother, Ardeth is not happy when Clara comes back to town. Hannah, the woman that helped Clara escape all those years ago now runs a women’s shelter. She tells Clara that she believes other girls have disappeared too. As Clara races against time to find her sister, the town and local authorities are fighting against her.
I don’t know anything about the Mormon religion or polygamy, but I found the background of the characters and the setting interesting. I liked all the characters, and realized that this is how the women were raised and they didn’t really know any different. That turning a blind eye, believing what the men them, is their way of life and the belief they hold dear. I enjoyed this book so much. It is one of my favorites of the year to far. The ending leaves the reader wondering what Clara decides to do and perfectly segues into the next installment. Thank you NetGalley, Bookouture and Kathryn Casey.
First I’ve read by this author and it will not be the last. I thoroughly enjoyed this book from beginning to end. It had a great storyline that kept you guessing until the end. Could not put this one down. Well-written, with great characters and backstories. This is a series, and author, I will most definitely be adding to my tbr list.
Thank you #netgalley and #bookouture for this eARC.