Due to a sudden, unexpected passing in the family a few years ago and another more recently and my subsequent (mental) health issues stemming from that, I was unable to download this book in time to review it before it was archived as I did not visit this site for several years after the bereavements. This meant I didn't read or venture onto netgalley for years as not only did it remind me of that person as they shared my passion for reading, but I also struggled to maintain interest in anything due to overwhelming depression. I was therefore unable to download this title in time and so I couldn't give a review as it wasn't successfully acquired before it was archived. The second issue that has happened with some of my other books is that I had them downloaded to one particular device and said device is now defunct, so I have no access to those books anymore, sadly.

This means I can't leave an accurate reflection of my feelings towards the book as I am unable to read it now and so I am leaving a message of explanation instead. I am now back to reading and reviewing full time as once considerable time had passed I have found that books have been helping me significantly in terms of my mindset and mental health - this was after having no interest in anything for quite a number of years after the passings. Anything requested and approved will be read and a review written and posted to Amazon (where I am a Hall of Famer & Top Reviewer), Goodreads (where I have several thousand friends and the same amount who follow my reviews) and Waterstones (or Barnes & Noble if the publisher is American based). Thank you for the opportunity and apologies for the inconvenience.

This is a brillInt story of a serial killer that kills every year on July 7th! I loved this book, with a twisty plot and likeable characters. The ending was great - I didn’t see it coming and very satisfying.

A chilling, thriller debut novel by Phoebe Locke. The July Girls is narrated by 10 year old Addie who is protecting her father and family by keeping dark and dangerous secrets.

A great read! Couldn't stop reading. It was interesting to see the narrative largely from Addie's perspective and seeing her thoughts and doubts about the perpetrator. It was a clever variation on the usual take on a psychological crime thriller. Looking forward to reading more from the author.

This book certainly takes the reader on a rollercoaster ride of emotions and the story begins to unfold.
The story takes place over several years, and as the story progresses we follow Addie as she grows from a 10 year old to a strong young woman.
An absolute page turner.

This one had me confused at the very beginning but things quickly began to make sense. The perspective of the book is from that of the younger sister but the reader soon begins to realise that this isn't the only perspective on events. It kept me gripped from start to finish and I was intrigued to see where the story went. I'll be hunting out more by this author.

This is a rollercoaster ride of a story that takes place over a number of years and we get to watch Addie grow from a naïve young ten-year old to a brave young woman, who is not afraid of stepping up and taking back control of her life. A gripping page-turner.

A gripping, well-written thriller following the likeable and well-developed character of Addie. This one had great twists and kept me captivated throughout. My first read from Locke but it certainly won't be my last.

Phoebe Lock has written a captivating book which could lead you to devour it in one sitting!
The story starts with a missing wife, Olivia. Was she involved in a terrorist attacking or has she been taken?
Addie is the central character and a great character. She knows something is not quiet right with her dad and gets the help of her older sister Jessie to find out why. Jessie way of helping I found unsettling which shows how well the book is written.
The story focuses on trying to discover who is behind the women who have been taken on the same night in July.
Why are pieces of jewellery being posted and who by?
Family secrets, chilling twists and turns will keep you guessing until the end.

A really good read with a lot of suspense and twists and some great characters.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy.

Every now and again I come across a book that it so extraordinary that it stays with me for years. It’s as if the writer has written the book for you alone and you feel so privileged to be reading it. This is one of those books.

Addie and her sister Jessie live with their Dad in Brixton but their home life leaves a lot to be desired. Addie’s Dad works long hours as a taxi driver whilst Jessie works in her friends’ hairdressers but there still isn’t a lot of money coming in. Jessie makes sure that ten year old Addie gets fed, makes sure that her towel is warm for after her bath and walks her to school. In short, Jessie is the one who looks after and loves Addie as her Dad isn’t always around to be a parent. This is no different when it comes to every July 7th. Addie’s birthday.

July 7th is a date that London dreads. On that date every year, a young woman is taken from London’s streets and no trace of her is ever found. No forensic evidence, no witnesses, no bodies. One year on July 7th, Addie’s Dad returns home very late and covered in blood. The following day both sisters discover things in their flat belonging to a woman who went missing the previous night. The girls are beyond scared and Jessie decides that they will not to go to the police as they don’t know for definite what their Dad has done. But what has he done? And can the girls live with their decision?

I found Phoebe Locke’s writing to be exquisite throughout this book and I genuinely felt that I was not just reading the story but that I was witnessing it unfold. The character of Addie is sublimely portrayed and it was interesting to see what became of her as she grew up and whether the shocking event of her childhood still haunted her. The other players in the story are portrayed as brilliantly as Addie is and I think the writer has a real flair for writing about people, their thoughts and feelings. In short, this is a very brilliant novel.

Huge thanks to Headline and NetGalley for allowing me to read The July Girls in exchange for my thoughts.

Really enjoyed this one.
For me, its was unputdownable, its was tense, it was gripping, it kept me guessing until the end.
This was a great book with a tense build up, definitely worth a read.

July seventh every year a young woman goes missing never to be seen again. Addie begins to wonder if maybe her dad could be involved after all on the night of the July bombings he came home covered in blood. Surely her own dad couldn't be the killer known as the Magpie?

This was an interesting story with some clever twists towards the end. I had figured out a few of them or were close to working them out. The story is a steady one with some big time jumps to progress the plot onwards. The plot is well done and does have you guessing along the way like Addie. The ending was simple but it worked for the book and was the best outcome given the circumstances. I just would have liked a little more on what Addie had gone on to do. Shes an interesting lead and we watch her grow through the pages of the story. We really experience her emotions through the various revelations. A great thriller.

The Magpie is a serial killer who murders a young woman every 7th July, leaving a piece of her jewellery behind. Addison's birthday is coming soon on 7th July, and she is worried about the secret she keeps from everyone -her father may or may not be the Magpie killer... but are her suspicious founded on anything more than coincidence?

What a roller coaster of emotions.

The story follows Addie's life since she is a child, and is told from her point of view -her voice changing as she grows up to the woman she is today. Her life story is hard . She has been raised by her sister Jessie and their father is rather shifty to say the least. Her only friend also happens to be Jessie's boyfriend, so immediately you can see how this could lead to no good.

The mystery revolving the identify of the magpie is genuinely scary. The serial killer is seemingly a genius and the police have resigned themselves to do nothing except for waiting for the murderer to make a mistake one day. When the identity was revealed I couldn't believe my eyes, just wow!

A word of advice... make sure you check your door is locked before reading this book because you will be wondering as you turn the pages!

Disclosure: I would like to thank the publisher for my advanced reader copy of the book. This is my honest review.

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The July Girls is a really interesting read from Phoebe Locke and tells the story of a murderer through those closest to him. The main account in The July Girls is from Addie, a young girl who grows up fearing her father and is ultimately raised by her older sister Jessie after their mother walked out on them when they were younger. When Addie witnesses her father returning home late one evening covered in scratches, his clothes soaked in blood and desperately cleaning his car, she is terrified of what this means her father is and what it will mean for her and her sister Jessie. Over the years, women go missing on the 7th July (Addie's birthday) and the killer starts sending trinkets to the police as a calling card to the murders; and so, the "Magpie" murderer becomes a news headline. Terrified of what her father is and what he may have done, Addie begins to investigate the July girls and looks for any potential clues and links between them and her father.

At the same time, a local author begins writing a book on the "Magpie Murderer"; a book which exposes Addie and Jessie as the daughters of a murderer and ultimately makes their lives a living hell; having to hide from strangers, press, bullies all to try and disassociate themselves from their father.

The July Girls is very cleverly written and gives an account different to what we're used to reading in this type of book. Instead of an account written by the murderer or the victims, we see the account of the suspect's family and see their role in exposing their father whilst trying to move on with their lives.

There is obviously a twist that I didn't see coming; the book cleverly sows a certain level of doubt in the reader's mind so I guessed there was something coming, just not what.

I found The July Girls to be an absorbing, enjoyable read that was just that little bit different and thus more interesting than the typical serial killer type books. I'd definitely recommend The July Girls for fans of this genre.

Thank you to NetGalley, Phoebe Locke and Headline for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and Headline for the arc of The July Girls by Phoebe Locke.

Thank you to Phoebe Locke for writing this gripping and mesmerising book!

This is set within London, UK with 2 sisters named Jessie and Addie. They become intertwined with a serial killer.... 7th July every single year a girl is snatched from the streets of London by the serial killer... with no forensic evidence of any kind and no clues. At the beginning of the story the devestating events of the terrorist attacks of the 7th of July (07/07), so many peoples lives are completely turned upside down and this is where the nightmares for the two girls begin.... on the same night their dad comes home covered in blood and when they find things in their house which is belonging to a missing woman believed to one of the victims of the ‘Magpie’ killer. The Magpie killer takes the girls then leaves 1 piece of jewelry at the scene but nothing else.

This is told from the Perspective (POV) Of the sister Addie, and follows a timeline from when she was a child right up till she is a teenager. I loved how it started towards true events of the 7/7 terrorist attacks then the story progresses into what happens right up to teenage years of Addie and her sister so you get a deeper understanding from her teenage years too. This was such a compelling, thrilling, chilling thriller which had me gripped from page 1. Will Review on retail sites once published

Definitely Recommend
5 Stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Please note that this book is not for me - I have read the book, However I had to DNF and because i do not like to give negative reviews I will not review this book fully - there is no specific reason for not liking this book. I found it a struggle to read and did not enjoy trying to force myself to read this book.

Apologies for any inconvenience caused and thank you for the opportunity to read this book

Thoroughly enjoyed this book, particularly the narration. Addie's point-of-view, first as a 10-year-old, and slowly getting older, finally 18 or 19, was really well done. Her voice came across as so very authentic, particularly when her OCD started to take hold. Even though I initially struggled with the timeline, particularly as the story moved between Addie's viewpoint and Laurie's book, but it all came together eventually. The ending wasn't a huge surprise, but this is one of those books you read for the sheer joy of reading.

(Review copy from NetGalley)

I received a copy of this ebook from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I was drawn to this book because of the premise on the cover: Every year, on the same night in July, a woman is taken from the streets of London. I was immediately intrigued to know why this happened, why the date was significant and how many missing girls it would take before the perpetrator was caught.

The story starts off gently, about the lives of siblings Addie and Jessie who live with their Dad, and you don’t even realise how it’s pulling you in. As events started to unfold, I found it really difficult to put this book down for any length of time. The story is told from Addie’s perspective, she is nine at the start. I really liked how the whole story is given from her POV and told over a straight linear timeline, it was really fresh and original compared with the format of multiple POVs and timepoints which many thrillers follow. The story covers a long time-period so towards the end, Addie’s point of view is that of a teenager, with the greater understanding that a teenager has.

What I liked best was the way the story progressed (never dull despite spanning many years), that true London events occurred (making the story feel more real), the character development (especially the sweet friendship between Addie and Jessie’s boyfriend). What I liked less was the solely positive interaction between the sisters (not one argument, not one time that Jessie lost patience) and the fact that new information was introduced late in the story (made the ending feel slightly rushed after 'years' of build up, and the reader slightly cheated as it wasn’t a revelation which could be anticipated). Overall though, a good thrilling read with an original plotline and some really chilling moments.

This is my first read by Phoebe Locke and what a first! This book is a sort of coming of age story but it’s also a psychological serial killer thriller all rolled into one, and it’s excellent.

The story follows a young girl, Addison, through childhood and into early adulthood, as she lives and contends with the idea her Dad might be a killer.

The story is told over a number of years, when a serial killer is active and killing a girl every July 7th. It follows Addison trials and tribulations.

Interspersed with excerpts from a book written in the future about the serial killer, these little excerpts add depth and twists to the cracking story,

I found the pacing almost perfect, never really racing but never slow, constantly keeping my interest as I just wanted to get to the bottom of the mystery.

Addison is a wonderful character, and this book was beautiful but also Harrowing and upsetting at times, but still there was always hopeful Addison.

Highly Recommended

5🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥