A fierce survivor and a fearless FBI agent battle a copycat serial killer in a gripping thriller from New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Katee Robert.Twelve years ago, Lei Zhang and her friend Emma Nilsson miraculously lived through the notorious Sorority Row Murders that left twenty-one of their sisters dead. Still wrestling with the trauma but finally out of the limelight, Lei and … out of the limelight, Lei and Emma are now devoted to helping other victims find closure. But most disturbing for Lei—beyond the gut-wrenching survivor guilt—is that the killer was her boyfriend. He’s behind bars, but she’ll never lower her guard again.
When a copycat killer targets Lei and Emma, FBI Agent Dante Young is put in charge of anticipating the sociopath’s every move. But what he doesn’t expect is his immediate and overpowering attraction to Lei. The closer they get to each other, the more desperate and terrifying the questions become: Who wants to finish what the killer started—and why?
Now Agent Young vows to protect Lei at all costs. If they have any chance of a future together, first they have to stay alive…
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Lei Zhang and Emma Nilsson were the only survivors of a brutal attack that took the lives of twenty one of their sorority sisters. It’s been twelve years since the Sorority Row Murders and both women still feel the after effects of the trauma. Lei feels extra guilty as she was dating Travis Berkley, the man sent to prison for the murders. Emma never leaves the home she shares with Lei in Stillwater, Washington. She works at home in the tech industry working with grids and hacking. Emma and her cadaver dog, Saul search and find victims, bringing closure to families who have lost a loved one.
When a new set of murders pops up that is eerily similar to the Sorority Row Murders, FBI Agents Dante Young and Clarke Rowan are assigned the case which leads them to seek out the help of Lei and Emma who seem to have caught the eye of a copycat killer. Travis is still in prison, so it could not be him. Will they be able to catch a killer before he makes Lei and Emma his next victims?
The Surviving Girls is just one of those stories that can easily make your skin crawl. The creepiness factor had me pretty shaken and scared, probably due to the fact that I read this book in the wee hours of the morning. I kept thinking someone was looking in my window or at my back door. For a while, I didn’t even want to leave my room! There is one scene in particular that freaked me out the most and it was the tap, tap, tap on the door scene. OMG! I kept looking over my shoulder afraid someone was going to jump out behind me! Katee Robert sure knows how to take it up a notch in the “scare me senseless” category. Well done, I have not been this freaked out from a book in a long long time.
The plot moves at a relatively fast pace with a lot of action. Things get going right from the start and I didn’t find any place that ever lagged. The suspense surrounding the serial killer really kept me guessing and going back and forth between a few characters and to be honest, I really couldn’t figure out who was behind the new killings.
Character development really shined in this story. Lei and Emma have been through so much pain and suffering, but they did not let their past rule them. Were they still fearful? Yes, but they also became kind of badass as well. They learned how to take care of themselves and one another and to not rely on anyone for protection. They were by far my favorite characters in the story
The romance takes second fiddle to the suspense. The main story is the serial murders taking place and trying to catch the unsub. I did feel a connection between Lei and Dante and although it was not explored deeper, I felt it worked well given the storyline.
If you like hair-raising suspense, strong female characters, and a serial killer you never want to hear knocking on your door, then pick up a copy of The Surviving Girls, you will be in for one hell of a ride. It is well worth five stars.
A thoroughly enjoyable and gripping suspense story!!!
This was another extremely well-written novel by Katee Robert. The story managed to hold an air of mystery right until the very end and despite trying to second-guess the path the story was taking I was completely shocked by the turn of events.
Lei and Emma were intriguing characters. Once sorority sisters, they now share another title and that is survivors. Having both escaped death when 21 of their sorority sisters were brutally murdered, Lei and Emma now live a quiet life although it’s a life still lived in fear. With Travis Berkley behind bars, and hopefully staying there for a very long time, Lei and Emma are stunned when they find themselves in the middle of what appears to be a copycat case. Despite the slight differences to their story, it is clear that the recent killings are linked to their case but with Travis behind bars, just who is committing these latest atrocious acts?
Before long, what appears to be just a similar case changes tack and Lei and Emma find themselves the focal point of the current killer. Emma is practically housebound due to anxiety and Lei, although prepared to face her demons head-on, is spooked by how she is once again a target. Now a handler for a cadaver dog, Lei works to give the families of missing, presumed dead, people closure but even with her knowledge and experience, she couldn’t foresee the danger living right underneath her nose. Supported by the FBI and in particular, Agent Dante Young, who forms an immediate attachment with Lei, the girls work with Dante to try to piece together the pieces of the jigsaw and to stop the killer before any more innocent girls are murdered.
The story held my attention throughout and there is even a developing love affair to lift you from the darkness of the killings. Although there is an inference to the killings, the acts are not brutally portrayed and the violence, as a result, is kept to a minimum, which I appreciated. The story portrays a darkness but manages not to unnecessarily exploit it. Lei and Emma’s story was certainly memorable and overall the book was a thoroughly rewarding read.
Bone-chillingly diabolical! The third book in Katee Robert’s Hidden Sins series brings us an electrifying mystery from start to finish! We’re kept guessing time and time again about who could be working with this criminal mastermind to torment the victims he already scarred for life. It’s definitely an unputdownable read! Loved it!
Lei Zhang and her friend Emma Nilsson survived the unthinkable a dozen years ago when they were the only two to walk away from a sorority house massacre. They leaned on each other in order to be able to pick themselves up and put themselves back together in whatever hobbled fashion they could. They will never be the innocent young ladies they were before this nightmare happened, but the strength they found deep within themselves allowed them to become the superstars they are today!
FBI agent Dante Young is handed a case that mimics the Sorority Row Murders in a scary way. He has no choice but to hunt Lei and Emma down and pay them a visit to see what type of light they might be able to shed on the case. He admires the women he finds and the good work they put themselves into doing for victims and their families. Will his visit bring trouble to their doorstep, or will it turn out it was already there?
If this book focused exclusively on the mystery aspect of the story, this would be a four star book. As it is, the implausibility of the relationship between Dante, the FBI agent, and the key witness in an investigation, Lei, almost distracting. It is a shame because the suspense parts has lots of great twists and turns. I would say, just ignore the romance, but the author spends a considerable amount of time trying to justify the warp speed insta-love. Now, I’m not a huge fan of insta-love, but it’s often unavoidable in many stories, however, when the hero and heroine barely spend any time together and the attraction takes place in a compacted space…it’s almost unbelievable.
The Surviving Girls is definitely going to keep you on your toes. It’s one of those mysteries that will leave you so enthralled that you won’t have time to hypothesize. You will just be along for a ride hoping and praying that all goes well.
I’m not sure that I would ever classify it as a romance unless one sided serial killer stalker romance is where the classifying came from. There are romantic elements not involving a psychotic sociopath but the focus is definitely on the crime and the unraveling of its master plan.
I was completely enthralled by the story and am now going to have to go back and read others in the series.
Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team
Sarah –
This is not a book to read while home alone! Twelve years after surviving a serial killer’s rampage that took the lives of twenty-one sorority sisters, Lei and Emma live in a self-made fortress in the Washington woods. The women’s world is shaken for a second time when the original murders are recreated and the killer starts playing twisted games with their minds.
The investigation is led by FBI BAU agents Dante and Clarke. I liked that I initially suspected everyone except for Emma and Lei and I liked that this is a story where I was able to piece together clues alongside the characters – though it did annoy me that I guessed the murderer’s identity too early. I also liked the three strong women at the heart of this book. Lei and Emma use their skills to stay ahead of the murderer and Dante’s partner, Clarke, is wonderfully fierce and unpredictable.
A romance runs alongside the investigation as Dante and Lei fight their attraction to each other. For me, the romance is the only part of this book that doesn’t work. Lei is too much of a professional and too much of a badass for me to believe that she’d ever allow a romance to compromise her safety.
This is a scary story. It moves fast, and I enjoyed the twists and turns that kept me guessing. There are elements of horror here – Emma and Lei are stalked, teased, and taunted in a way that had me jumpy and properly terrified at times. I really enjoyed this book, but it would be best read in bright sunshine in a heavily populated space.
Reviewers on the Wicked Reads Review Team were provided a free copy of The Surviving Girls (Hidden Sins #3) by Katee Robert to read and review.
5 How Safe Are They Really Stars!!!
I’ve been consumed by this series from the minute I started this series. In this final book of the series, Ms. Robert has completely and totally upped her game as a romantic suspense author. I literally had heart palpitations and a fluttering stomach with each horrifying detail we experienced both in Lei and Emma’s memories of the Sorority Row Murders in which they were the only survivors, but with the new murders taking place that are seemingly almost identical to that horrifying night….or are they.
Soon the BAU sends agents Dante and Clark to their tiny town to investigate what’s really going on. There are some twist and turns that our story takes that had me gasping with the intensity of the situation these girls live in. To make things just that much more interesting, Lei and her cadaver dog Saul help the police find victims that have gone missing while Emma searches the dark-net to ensure that each missing person isn’t left behind.
There’s a draw between Dante and Lei but given the case and the fear that Lei has lived with for the last twelve years, there’s obstacles in their way that could prevent them from exploring their attraction. The least of which is the reliance both Emma and Lei have on each other. While to some this might be considered suffocating, given what’s happened to them, it’s completely understandable.
As the story progresses, things become incredibly intense and there’s new evidence that is shocking and had me wide-eyed and gasping because it puts an entirely new light on what’s happened in the past.
Here’s what I know, this book is on the same level as some of the best suspense writers out there and with Ms. Robert’s ability to draw the reader in with her attention to the minutest details of each scene we NEVER see the “who did it” coming….at least I didn’t! This is a book that makes you want to double and triple check your doors and windows because you just never know who’s watching you!!!
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Oh my… what a sick, twisted, amazing, wonderful story. 21… yes 21 sorority girls killed in one night by the boyfriend of one of the girls. From there we learn more about the two girls who survived that night, more about the killer, and the reader feels it all come together in one thrilling book.
The killer is convicted, spending the rest of his life in prison. The survivors are living together in a house with safe rooms, security beyond the norm, and fear every day. I was scared for Emma and Lei. They survived an event that they have not been able to get past, they live in constant fear of the outside world, and they only have each other. I cannot imagine their lives but I could picture how they were living. Their story was described in such detail that I could see their house, feel the fear, and picture how hard they were working to live a life of value. The hope I had for them was to find happiness, find peace, and be able to step outside of their house being unafraid of the rest of the world.
The Surviving Girls is a fast pace, thriller full of twists and turns. I was turning page after page, hoping that the end would come so I could find out what would happen while at the same time hoping the book would never end because I was so into what was going on. There was a small romance going on and it was the perfect complement to the rest of the book.
Lei and Emma are the sole survivors of a horrific and brutal serial killer, but Lei also bears the guilt of the fact that the killer was her boyfriend and she let him into the house that night. After the trial, she and Emma realized that no one would be able to truly understand the impact that night had on their lives as their families reacted in different but equally offensive ways. They found themselves a home that is slightly off the beaten path but still close enough to a town that they will be able to access help if they need it, created a defensible fortress to help them see any attack coming with sufficient time to arm themselves, and built a business around being the voice for those who are lost. Lei trains cadaver dogs and contracts out as needed to help find victims, and Emma has created a computer program that allows her to significantly narrow the search area for missing persons while never leaving the safety of their home. But they are about to find out that the safe haven they created has been nothing but an illusion when a copycat killer makes a statement in Seattle and sends a message to Lei and Emma that they are in the crosshairs.
Agent Dante Young is usually the epitome of professionalism with his calm and steady demeanor, but he is completely unprepared for Lei Zhang. From the moment they meet, there is an undeniable zing in the air between them, but if he has any hope of keeping her and her best friend safe, he absolutely cannot act on it. The 2 women fascinate him for their ability to survive and thrive after the ordeal they lived through, but he completely loses his ability to be smooth around Lei and ends up putting his foot in his mouth more often than not much to his partner Clarke’s unending amusement.
I really liked all the characters in this story which is something of a rarity for me. Lei is the strong one but she has never forgiven herself for the part she played in bringing her sorority sisters’ nightmares to life so she has closed herself off from everyone except Emma, the only person she trusts. Her attraction to Dante scares the hell out of her but she finds herself uncharacteristically willing to take a chance on him when so many of her prior attempts at a relationship went so very wrong. Emma is agoraphobic now and hides behind their defenses and a computer screen. She and Lei are definitely a bit co-dependent but there is no doubt Emma needs Lei more. She has a brilliant mind but they were both left broken in different ways from their experiences. As it becomes more and more obvious that their nightmare has only been on “pause” for the last decade and they are the true target of this latest killer, the suspense ramps up in a hurry as they all search for the identity of the person targeting them. And the answer is one they never suspected!
The Surviving Girls is a fast paced, suspenseful thrill ride that keeps you on your toes with a little bit of fierce attraction thrown in as well. The UST is set to high in this story but the romance is secondary to the action which leaves the heat level at a low setting overall. The author created a wonderfully twisty story arc that keeps you guessing, and I definitely recommend this story for anyone who loves a good suspenseful thriller!
Rated 4.5 Stars
The Surviving Girls was an edge of the seat, nail biting type of read. I enjoyed it very much especially the way it all unfolded. Although the romance took a back seat to the suspense I still enjoyed that aspect of the story. I think the author did a great job crafting this story. I definitely recommend it suspense and thriller fans.
ARC provided by publisher through Net Galley in exchange for a honest review
***5 Stars***
Can we say that my anxiety level was raised a few notches while reading this one?
I mean, I’m good at being aware of my surroundings and all that, but the need to ensure that everything was on lockdown in my home and considering taking some self defense classes and possibly buying a taser were all things that were on a loop in my head with this one because the creeped out feelings were oh so real.
Lei was a pretty kickass woman. I had to admire her determination to live, even as she set her own parameters for what her definition of living was. But what I found that I really liked about her was her honesty, not only with others but also herself. Yes, there were somethings that she chose to push to the side, and for good reason, but in the end she came clean in one way or another.
And then there is Dante. He’s all kinds of gentlemanly goodness, which I kind of swooned over, and though his protective alpha instincts push at him, he is able to set them aside and recognize a person’s strengths and weaknesses.
While this book falls under the romantic suspense category, it really is more mystery/suspense with a dash of romance. What Dante and Lei have is more of a simmer. They are attracted to each other, they have that pull towards each other and through this crazy situation find that they like each other, but there isn’t much hot and heavy and I actually love that things didn’t progress beyond that. The situation they are in and the speed at which things happen would have made it…weird, well, weird than they were. But they do connect and I loved them together and where they ended up when everything was said and done was perfect.
Now for the whole mystery/suspense crazyness. This one definitely got to me on a lot of levels, one of which was the setting ~ I live in Western Washington and quite a few places mentioned are ones that I am frequently in, so, Hello to being a little more aware than normal. But that uneasy feeling only goes to show how well written this book was. I did try to figure things out on my own and I hit at least one on the head, but there were some great twists tossed in that made it a lot of fun to watch as all the pieces fell into place. Clarke, Emma and Tucker were great characters and I’m crossing my toes that we’ll see a couple of them in the future, but Britton is still my fav character. He’s an enigma that I want to know more about, but I don’t want to actually crack into just yet. One day. But until then, I can’t wait for the next book in the series!
~ Copy provided by the publisher via NetGalley & voluntarily reviewed ~
This book! I finished reading The Surviving Girls last night, and my heart is still racing.
Lei and Emma’s story is one that will have you looking over your shoulder, wondering at every bump in the night and give you hyper-alert senses.
Their story is not a fun one – the past decade has been a world of horrors, but as a reader you can’t help but cheer that they are finally starting to move on in life – as much as they can.
But boy, Ms Robert really has ratcheted up the evil that is the killer in The Surviving Girls. He is a sick f^*k , a complete psychopath.
Every turn of the page I had my heart in my throat. Who is this killer? Who can you trust? Is everyone who they say they are.
I won’t lie, I had a couple of people I thought were the killer as I read, however nothing was revealed until Ms Robert really had me worked up.
Even writing this review I am getting all anxious for the characters again – well played Ms Robert!
I don’t want to give anything away, but boy this one had me on the edge of my seat.
Can’t wait t see what Ms Robert brings us next.
3.75 stars–THE SURVIVING GIRLS is the third instalment in Katee Robert’s contemporary, adult HIDDEN SINs romantic, suspense series. This is FBI agent Dante Young, and Lei Zhang’s story line. THE SURVIVING GIRLS can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. There are no apparent connections to the previous instalments.
NOTE: Due to the story line content, there may be some triggers for more sensitive readers.
Told from several third person perspectives including Dante and Lei THE SURVIVING GIRLS follows the hunt for a serial killer. Twelve years earlier Lei Zhang, and Emma Nilsson were the lone survivors of the Sorority Row Murders but survivors who continue to struggle with PTSD and panic attacks. Living together, off the grid, Lei and Emma hoped to remain out of the public eye but a copycat killer pulls our heroine back into the game as he pointedly targets Lei and Emma with every kill, and threatening call. Enter FBI agent Dante Young, a man whose job it is to take down a killer but a killer who is supposedly serving a life-sentence in prison. What ensues is the search for the killer, and the emotional fall-out as a psychopathic mind continues to taunt Emma and Lei.
FBI agent Dante Young takes an immediate liking to our story line heroine. Lei Zhang is a feisty woman who has suffered at the hands of her former boyfriend, a man who turned serial killer in the blink of an eye. As Dante battles his attraction to Lei, Lei knows it is only a matter of time before her past catches up, and destroys her life, once again. Lei and Emma’s co-dependency upon one another is a psychiatrist’s nightmare, and yet with all of their precautions against an inevitable attack, someone, someway, the evil gets through.
THE SURVIVING GIRLS is not a story of romantic suspense; in fact there is limited romance as our couple keep one another at arm’s length, considering the circumstances of which they are now involved. Katee Robert pulls the reader into a thrilling and suspenseful tale of abduction and murder; a copycat killer who has been stalking our heroine for close to twelve years.
The world building looks at Emma and Lei twelve years after Lei’s boyfriend mutilated and murdered twenty-one of their sorority sisters. As a copycat killer begins to reimagine the murders, the FBI opens a different line of thinking as they consider the possibility of the how and why.
I had a couple of issues with believability. There were some revelations that came out of left field, but such is the nature of a fictional story line.
A excellent thriller that kept me on the edge. My review is based on what little I know about the thriller genre. I’ve read some but not a lot.
I found the plot interesting and the storyline is good because it had a pace that was easy enough to follow but with a twist. That twist made it a 5 star read for me.
Characters building was good and they all felt familiar in the end.
There’s no unnecessary descriptions of surroundings and the dialogues is making the story move forward without rushing it.
This was a book I had trouble putting down. Katee Robert shows that she’s not only capable of writing romances, she can also master the thriller genre.
Lei and Emma were the only survivors of the Sorority Girl Massacre. Lei’s boyfriend killed twenty one women and was sentenced to life in jail. Twelve years later Lei and Emma run a search and rescue company. Lei’s dog is trained to find dead bodies. When three sorority girls are found murdered and Lei and Emma start getting messages from the killer, they think they’re safe because their house is like a fortress. The FBI is called in and Dante and Clarke are on the hunt for a serial killer. The killer is killing his victims just like Travis, Lei’s ex, did. But he’s still in prison, so it’s either a copycat or he had a partner.
Lei is strong and tries to keep Emma grounded. Emma is a mess and has t left the house since they moved in. They have safe rooms and panic rooms, security cameras up everywhere, and Emma has become a excellent hacker. Dante is handsome, strong, and feels an instant connection to Lei.
Plenty of suspense, edge of your seat action, a killer who seems to know their every move, and an ending that will leave you speechless. No sex but some kissing. Would highly recommend this book if you want one that’ll give you chills.
* Voluntarily read and reviewed this for Netgalley *