This is a story of a young girl who went missing. A teenager was convicted and sent to prison. Years later, a deathbed confession opens the door to a possible different story.

I thought this book was enjoyable, and had an interesting story line. It almost followed the way of the podcast Serial, in the "did he, didn't he?" tale. One character is a hateful racist and I despised him immediately. Though, I think I was supposed to.

Overall, I thought this was a good, easy read. There is a bit of a trigger warning for racism. The story line was easy to follow. Most of the characters aren't repellent. And there is the small townishness to enjoy.

I received an advanced readers copy in exchange for an honest review

The first half of this book was so good, but that twist ending really went off the rails. I would give the first 2/3 of the book four stars and the last third two stars. So that average is down to 3.3 and I’m rounding down

I like murder mysteries even if they occurred 15 years ago. Blair came back home to be with her sister Celeste in her final days. She hated her home town for 2 reasons her racist uncle and murder of her best friend Molly 15 years ago. Just before her death, Celeste revealed a secret, which had caused an innocent man to be incarcerated. Shocked at the injustice done, Blair went about trying to get the wrong corrected and in the process, find Molly's murderer.

My first book by Patricia MacDonald saw me cruising through my kindle at jet speed. The author's writing caused me to be immensely curious about the circumstances and what people remembered even after 15 years. Blair was a good amateur sleuth along with an ex-cop turned PI Tom who tried to get to the truth.

A few niggles caught my eye, minor discrepancies in the subplots were present. But they didn't really hamper the main investigation. Much better character development would have helped me connect to Blair more. I hope this series would continue so that I get to know more about them.

Overall, it was a gentle, fast read, just perfect for today when I am not well, and I needed something to distract my mind. It worked. On to my next book.

Patricia MacDonald's "The Girl in the Woods" takes place in Yorkville, a small town in the Poconos. In the prologue, we meet thirteen-year-old Blair Butler, whose close friend, Molly Sinclair, is a good-hearted girl who frequently invites the lonely Blair to her home. Unfortunately, Blair and her sister, Celeste, are orphans who live with their uncle, Ellis Dietz, an irascible and verbally abusive racist. Ellis's house is a wreck (it "looked as if it was going to implode on itself"). This elderly and cantankerous man is a hostile and irresponsible guardian who is even nastier to the kids after he downs a few beers.

One evening, when Molly is at Blair's house, an argument erupts between Blair and her uncle. Molly decides to walk home but, tragically, never makes it. A jury convicts an African-American man, Adrian Jones (who converted to Islam and has a new name, Yusef Muhammed), of bludgeoning Molly to death. Muhammed has already spent fifteen years in jail. Blair, who is now in her mid-twenties, has a graduate degree in computer science and runs a successful business in Philadelphia. When she discovers new information that may exonerate Muhammed, she puts aside her own concerns and boldly fights for the prisoner's release. Blair even hires a private investigator, Tom Olson, to help track down the perpetrator who took Molly's life.

This engrossing and suspenseful thriller is a multi-faceted page-turner. The novel's descriptive writing and dialogue are lively and fast-paced, and the characters are believable and well-defined. Blair is bright, intuitive, and strong-willed. Ellis is obnoxious, but shows a softer side when a do-gooder named Darlene Reed takes an interest in him. Tom is brusque and ill-mannered, but relentless when it comes to chasing down information. The story is surprising, developed with subtlety and skill, and culminates with a chilling and intense finale. The author demonstrates that justice can be elusive; villains lurk in the most unexpected places; and one should never underestimate a resolute woman who sets out to right a terrible wrong.

The Girl in the Woods is a great book with a interesting storyline. Well written and well developed characters. I would read more by this author.

Well written and intriguing storyline that kept me hooked. I will look out for more from this author and recommend this to others.

Great book will be reading other books by this author.
Will also recommend this book to others.
Great read! 5***** was hooked

A slow burning tale that finally flickered into life towards the end. With a possible romances emerging, could lead to a sequel?

I would like to thank the author, the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advance copy of this book. I really enjoyed this book, it had great characters and kept me guessing.