The Other Girl by Erica Spindler Book Review

The lowdown from Goodreads

Publish date August 22, 2017

From the NYT bestselling author comes 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.

Officer Miranda Rader of the Hammond PD in Louisiana is known for her honesty, integrity, and steady hand in a crisis—but that wasn’t always so. Miranda comes from Jasper, just south of Hammond, 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 leave the girl she used to be behind and earn respect in her position as an officer.

However, 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 gruesomeness 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 a terrible night from her long-buried past. Then another man turns up dead, this one a retired cop, and not just any cop—Clint Wheeler, the cop who took her statement that night. Two murders, two very different men, two killings that on the surface had nothing in common—except Miranda. 14 years ago.

And when her fingerprints turn up at the scene of the first murder, Miranda once again finds herself under the microscope, her honesty and integrity doubted, her motivations questioned. Alone again, the trust of her colleagues shattered, Miranda must try to trust the instincts she’s pushed down for so long, and decide what’s right—before it’s too late.

The Other Girl by Erica Spindler Book Review

This book is fast-paced. Lately, it seems like I’ve been reading slower, procedural thrillers, but The Other Girl by Erica Spindler moves quickly. And you know what, I’m Into it.

Beer, Trucks & Bad Decisions

Right away, readers learn of a horrible night that altered Miranda Rader’s life. Erica takes us to a truck on a country road with young teens making bad decisions. No spoilers here, but this night haunts Miranda & changes the course of her life.

Let me just say that Miranda ‘Randi’ Rader is such a great character. First, she beats the odds when she lifts herself out of a dire home & family life. Second, she’s risen through the ranks of her local police department. She’s tough & well respected. Third, she’s got her partner chasing after her & it seems as though he’s legitimately in love with her. He’s got a six-pack to boot, but make no mistake, this is not a romance novel.

Working a Case in a Small Town

Miranda is working the murder case of a beloved & handsome college professor. The crime scene is horrific. Memories start to flood & she is immediately thrust back into the life she left behind. It seems like someone is leaving clues for her to find. These are clues only Miranda can understand. Miranda quickly travels down rabbit holes of long-buried town secrets. Her chief & partner begin to question her ethics. They also question her ability to maintain neutrality in this case. She’s leading witnesses & meeting old school acquaintances at bars. She is driving to the victim’s house & digging around; the list goes on.

Miranda is spiraling. But once you know her backstory, you can’t really blame her. She’s got a long history with her police chief, but it seems like he’s trying to put politics above police work. Miranda’s estranged family attempts to contact her, but why now? Can she really trust her partner? Can she trust herself?

THE VERDICT

I am Really Into This book & I am also Really Into Erica Spindler’s writing style. She describes her characters with such clarity they each feel like old friends or enemies, depending on the person. The Other Girl is a tasty, fast-paced summer thriller. Erica & my girl, J.T. Ellison should write a book together. I would be Really Into That thriller.

Special thanks to Erica Spindler, St. Martin’s Press & NetGalley for providing our copy in exchange for an honest & fair review.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR: ERICA SPINDLER

The Other Girl by Erica Spindler Book Review Really Into This — Erica Spindler

A New York Times and International bestselling author, Erica Spindler’s skill for crafting engrossing plots and compelling characters has earned both critical praise and legions of fans. Published in 25 countries, her stories have been lauded as “thrill-packed page turners, white- knuckle rides and edge-of-your-seat whodunits.”

SUSPENSE – ERICA’S TRUE CALLING

Raised in Rockford, Illinois, Erica had planned on being an artist, earning a BFA from Delta State University and an MFA from the University of New Orleans in the visual arts. In June of 1982, in bed with a cold, she picked up a romance novel for relief from daytime television. She was immediately hooked, and soon decided to try to write one herself. She leaped from romance to suspense in 1996 with her novel Forbidden Fruit, and found her true calling.

Her novel Bone Cold won the prestigious Daphne du Maurier Award for excellence. A Romance Writers of America Honor Roll member, she received a Kiss of Death Award for her novels Forbidden Fruit and Dead Run and was a three-time RITA® Award finalist. Publishers Weekly awarded the audio version of her novel Shocking Pink a Listen Up Award, naming it one of the best audio mystery books of 1998.

Erica lives just outside New Orleans, Louisiana, with her husband and two sons and is busy at work on her next thriller.