The Other Girl
From the New York Times bestselling author of Justice for Sara and The First Wife Erica Spindler comes The Other Girl, a chilling new thriller about a ritualistic murder of a college professor that sends a small town cop back into the trauma she thought she'd put behind her.
"Explosive." —Publishers Weekly (starred review)
"A fantastic thriller from one of the best in the genre!" —RT Reviews
A horrific crime. One witness—a fifteen year old girl from the wrong side of the tracks, one known for lying and her own brushes with the law.
Is it any surprise no one believed her?
Officer Miranda Rader of the Harmony, Louisiana PD is known for her honesty, integrity, and steady hand in a crisis—but that wasn't always so. Miranda comes from the town of Jasper, a place about the size of a good spit on a hot day, and her side of the tracks was the wrong one. She's worked hard to earn the respect of her coworkers and the community.
When Miranda and her partner are called to investigate the murder of one of the town's most beloved college professors, they're unprepared for the brutality of the scene. This murder is unlike any they've ever investigated, and just when Miranda thinks she's seen the worst of it, she finds a piece of evidence that chills her to the core: a faded newspaper clipping about that terrible night fifteen years ago. The night she'd buried, along with her past and the girl she'd been back then. Until now that grave had stayed sealed…except for those times, in the deepest part of the night, when the nightmares came: of a crime no one believed happened and the screams of the girl they believed didn't exist.
Then another man turns up dead, this one a retired cop. Not just any cop—the one who took her statement that night. Two murders, two very different men, two killings that on the surface had nothing in common—except Miranda.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY JUN 26, 2017
Miranda Rader, the heroine of this superlative romantic thriller from Spindler (The First Wife), has never forgotten the hot July night in 2002 when she was almost raped by a friend of her older brother's who gave her a ride in his truck. Now a police officer in rural Harmony, La., Miranda is called to a grim crime scene. English professor Richard Stark, the local university president's son, has been found naked in bed, his hands and feet tied to the bed rails, with multiple stab wounds in his chest. When Miranda begins interviewing possible suspects, she discovers that there was a darker side to the handsome professor, who may have been a sexual predator. While searching for Richard's killer, Miranda is also intent on proving that he abused women. The stakes rise when the cop who interviewed Miranda 14 years earlier about the attempted assault on her is murdered. Multidimensional characters with a plethora of hidden agendas help drive the riveting plot to its explosive conclusion.)\n
St. Martin's Publishing Group
Peritheperipower , 03/15/2021
Solid book choice
Solid story line. Well written. I gave 4-stars because the ending was too predictable/cliche. Not terrible; it's a suspense/mystery so make the ending suspenseful and mysterious.
pegg12 , 09/02/2017
The Other Girl is a riveting and fast-paced crime-thriller. I loved every page of this engrossing novel. The book came alive for me with its well-developed characters, natural dialogue, and realistic crime scenes. Every sentence moved the story along; there were no boring pages in this superbly crafted novel.
Detective Miranda Rader was a small town Louisiana girl. Although she had once been a wild and rebellious teenager, after spending six months in the court system, Miranda's attitude changed dramatically. She didn't want to end up like her loser father, spending more time in jail, than out. As a result, Miranda spent several years studying and perfecting her career in law enforcement. She thought that her past was dead and buried. Miranda, however, was mistaken. After investigating a local college professor's gruesome murder, Miranda's past sprang up from the grave in a flash. As more deaths, were discovered, fingers started to point at her; and the investigation got real personal, fast. Either someone was setting her up to take the fall, or she was losing her mind. She no longer knew who she could trust and who she couldn't. But Miranda had worked too hard to become a respected officer, to go down without a fight. And fight, she would.
Erica Spindler is an outstanding writer. Once I started this book, everything was put on hold for the day, until I finished it. I absolutely loved it! Highly recommended.
Thank you, St. Martin's Press and NetGalley, for my advanced review copy.
BBQ griller , 08/22/2017
The Other Girl is a Real Page Turner
I received an ARC for an honest review. Erica Spindler has done it again and has delivered another amazing book. The Other Girl was a great book, I could not put it down and was so sad when it ended. I loved Erica Spinder's characters, from the main characters Miranda and Jake to the supporting characters Robby, her mother, Summer, Chief Buddy Cadwell and the Starks. The were so believable. The story is about Detective Miranda Rader, a girl who grew up on the wrong side of the tracks in Harmony, Louisiana. The books bounces between events that happened to Miranda (Randi) fourteen years ago and the current day. Considered "trash" by the local police, no one believed Randi's story of her alleged kidnapping when it happened fourteen years ago. Randi was found with an ounce of marijuana is her pocket and spent six months in a juvenile detention center.
Fast forward to current day, Randi Raher has changed her name and image to Miranda Rader, Harmony police detective. Miranda is called into investigate the horrific murder of a local university professor, Richard Stark, in his home. Richard, happened to be the university president's only son. Somehow Miranda's fingerprints are discovered at the gruesome murder scene, and she lies to give a reason why her fingerprints would have been at the scene. Miranda's partner, Jake Billings, covers for Miranda's lie, because he is in love with her. Jake announces his feelings for Miranda, and they begin a relationship. The more Miranda and Jake investigate his murder, the more they discover that Richard Stark was not a very nice man. As they are searching his home, Miranda discovers a yellowed newspaper clipping about her arrest fourteen years ago. That gets Miranda thinking that perhaps, Richard Stark was her abductor. She never got a good look at him., he had an Alabama ball cap on his head. Miranda has always wondered what happened to the other girl in the front seat. As the investigation continues, Chief Cadwell removes Miranda from the case and eventually he suspends her from the police force. Miranda drowns her sorrows at the local bar, the Toasted Cat talking to her friend the owner/bartender Summer about that night fourteen years ago and getting removed from the investigation. Even though she was removed from the case and the force, Miranda keeps investigating both the murder and her abduction and how they might be connected. The book kept me wanting more and kept me guessing who murdered Richard Stark. In the end, everyone is held accountable for the injustices that they allowed to happen all those years ago and enabling Richard to continue those actions. The book has a bittersweet ending, but it left me hopeful that this would not be the last adventure between Miranda and Jake. Hoping that Erica will continue the series between Miranda and Jake. I loved the book. One of my favorite books that I have read recently.
More Books by Erica Spindler
Blood Vines
Watch Me Die
Bone Cold
Storm Season