I enjoyed this first story in the Tori Hunter series. I did find it a bit long, but liked the story and the characters. I'll definitely read another one

After having read and thoroughly enjoyed the rest of the series it was finally time to back in time and find out how it all started. 

This book is the perfect start to a new series and I can assure you it is an amazing one. 

Tori is now an FBI agent who left her hometown after having gone through a very devastating incident in her life. But now, 20 years later, someone wants her back home and it's something she has to do because this maybe can help her to get closure.b

Will she finally find out who is responsible for what happened to her twin? She joins forces with Will Braddock, a local detective and together they go all the way to find a vicious killer. 

A great book I already knew I was going to love, because I am a big fan of this author's writing style and stories. 5 stars

Thank you

Roger Stelljes https://www.rogerstelljes.com is the author of more than a dozen novels. Silenced Girls was published in 2020 and is the first book in his Agent Tori Hunter series. It is the 64th book I completed reading in 2023.

Opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own! Due to scenes of violence, mature language, and mature situations, I categorize this novel as R. The primary character is FBI Profiler Tori Hunter.

Tori’s twin sister Jessica had disappeared twenty years earlier when they were in High School. Now, another teenage girl, Genevieve, has gone missing under similar circumstances. When Tori receives newspaper clipping from an anonymous source about the girl’s disappearance, she decides it is time to return home.

The similarities between the disappearances of Jessica and Genevieve raise concerns about a serial killer. The pool of suspects is small, and all were friends with Tori and Jessica in High School. Tensions ratchet up when the body of another young girl is found. Tori has theories, but the local police already have a suspect. The closer Tori gets to discovering the truth about her sister, the more danger she is in.

I enjoyed the 11 hours I spent reading this 456-page mystery. This is a good mystery, with a touch of romance for the main character. I like the chosen cover art. I give this novel a rating of 4.8 (rounded to 5) out of 5.

You can access more of my book reviews on my Blog ( https://johnpurvis.wordpress.com/blog/).

My book reviews are also published on Goodreads (https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/31181778-john-purvis).

Agent Tori Hunter left her home in Manchester Bay, Minnesota 20 years ago after the disappearance of her twin sister. Guilt has overcome Tori because she feels that if they had been together, like they should have been, she would still be here. She receives a newspaper clipping from an anonymous source that details a missing girl that went missing 20 yrs to the date of her sister. Genevieve vanished with no trace except for her abandoned car found on a lakeside road. Tori returns home hoping to help and as she arrives she meets Genevieve’s parents who insist they get answers. As the case moves further the police feel they already have a suspect but Tori believe’s there is more to it. She knows there are certain clues that are like puzzle pieces that she must put together. Especially after the police suspect is found dead by an apparent suicide that solidifies the police’s theory. As Tori begins her investigation another woman is found strangled and she now knows that there is a killer on the loose. Can she stop him? Did he kill her sister? This heart pounding thriller keeps you on th edge of your seat and will not stop. Just as I thought I knew the ending, I was “dead” wrong.


5++++ out of 5 stars


Thank you to NetGalley as well as the author/publisher for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest review.

This was a great start to this series and I found the characters very well written and plausible, the plot was engaging and well thought out, and I will look out for more of this series.

Tori Hunter is a great heroine and her own back story is fascinating. She brings so much baggage to everything she does but she still presents as a strong, credible investigator. I found the mystery really gripping although was able to work it out as the clues emerged.

This was a great first book in the series.
FBI agent Tori Hunter returns to her hometown following the disappearance of a young woman - 20 years to the day and in the same circumstances as her own twin sister.
Loads of twists and turns and I hadn’t worked out the ending at all!
Can’t wait to read the next book.

It was a great book. Following Agent Hunter's story was insane. Many ups and downs. I could not guess what was coming next.

I like cold cases so I was excited to read this book. I enjoyed the main characters, and I thought the serial killer case was interesting. I also thought the side case she solves in the middle was interesting if not random. I like how enough clues were left to enable you to guess, but that there were also surprises. I liked the pacing of solving it and the doubt and uncertainty thrown in with each suspect. I did not like how she had to give up her job for a relationship. That was not necessary and ruined it a bit for me,

FBI Agent Tori Hunter returns to her hometown after being gone for 20 years. Her twin sister disappeared at that time.. and Tori has always felt guilty because they should have been together.

Someone sends her an anonymous newspaper clipping about another missing girl, Genevieve. Gen disappeared without a trace, leaving behind her abandoned car..... 20 years to the day that Tori's sister disappeared.

The police have decided they have a credible suspect.. a man who was seen with her the night before she went missing. But that man was found dead in his cabin ... and another girl's body in the trunk of her car. And the man she suspects most .... the one man Tori thought she could trust.

Suspenseful from the very first page, this is well written, with characters that are solidly drawn. There are some twists and turns that lead to a very unexpected conclusion. This is the first of a series featuring Agent Tori Hunter ... I look forward to seeing more of her.

Many thanks to the author / Bookouture / Netgalley for the digital copy of this crime fiction. Read and reviewed voluntarily, opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.

Enjoyed this one. I felt like there was something missing though, something I needed to love it. Well thought out plot and easy to read.

3.5 stars

Silenced Girls by Roger Stelljes is the first in the FBI Agent Tori Hunter series.

First, let me thank NetGalley, the publisher Bookouture, and of course the author, for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Series Information:    
Special Agent Tori Hunter works with the FBI Missing Children's Team.  Her mother passed away when she was a child.  When she was a teenager, her twin sister Jessie went missing.  Tori left Manchester Bay Minnesota, and went to college in Boston.  Shortly after, her father, the town Sheriff, had a heart attack and died.  She hasn't been back since.


My Synopsis:   (No major reveals, but if concerned, skip to My Opinions)
When a newspaper clipping about her sister's disappearance arrives in her mail, 20 years after Jessie went missing, Tori is stunned.  There is a note attached telling her to check the current hometown  newspaper for another missing girl.  It quickly becomes evident that Genevieve may have suffered the same fate as her sister.

She heads back to Minnesota, and meets with Detective Will Braddock, requesting to be part of the case.  But Tori and Will have different points of view, and sometimes their methods differ.  Sparks will fly, but they are both determined to work together.  They realize that this is a much bigger case than anyone had realized.

When their only suspect apparently commits suicide, neither Tori nor Will are convinced, but the political bigwigs want this over, and want to attribute the deaths to him.  But the detectives will do anything to buy some time.  They are sure  that the real killer is still out there.

My Opinions:   
I really liked this book. The story sucked me in and held on tight.  It was totally captivating plot.  However, even though it started out at a good, fast pace, it seemed to drag in the middle.  Overall, it was just a little too long.  One of the areas that could have been cut was the part where Tori goes back to her FBI job to find a missing child.  That just added unnecessary words.  It wasn't needed for the plot.  As well, the last couple of chapters were a little iffy.

I absolutely loved Tori, although I did find her a little abrasive at the beginning....just as the author intended.  Will was the same.  I came to love them both, and although I am not a romance reader, I was silently cheering them on.

So, although it was long, the actual plot was very good, with good characters, and a twist or two (although they were fairly obvious).

Bottom line, I am looking forward to the next in the series.

I absolutely loved this book and couldn’t put it down!

A great start to a new thriller series, I enjoyed getting to know the main characters and it kept me guessing to the end.

I’m looking forward to reading the second book!

Wow...what s fantastic read. The story had me gripped throughout. A great start to a series.
This is the first book j have read by Roger, but it won't be the last.

Agent Tori Hunter returns to her hometown to investigate the case of a missing woman. This case is a painful reminder for her as it's similar to how her twin went missing twenty years ago..This time will Tori finally be able to stop the serial killer and find out the truth about what happened to her sister all these years ago .

The Silenced Girls by Roger Stelljes is the first instalment in the FBI Agent Tori Hunter series. An interesting police procedural with great in depth characters but just a tad bit too long . Will look forward to reading the next one in the series

I would like to thank Bookouture & NetGalley for providing an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest and fair review.

Roger Stelljes is the author of the bestselling Mac McRyan series and it’s clear he knows his way around a mystery. Silenced Girls, the first book in a new series that features FBI agent Tori Hunter, is a solid, exciting read.

Set in Minnesota, the novel begins with a flashback to the murder of Tori’s twin sister Jessie on the Fourth of July. Tori hasn’t been back to Manchester Bay since and, despite her career success, she is not especially skilled at intimacy. Or decorating. She lives in a barely furnished condo in New York City and doesn’t have time to unpack, never mind get into a relationship. She also has no problem staying away from the town she grew up in or with leaving behind her high school friends.

When Genevieve Lash goes missing under similar circumstances, Tori has no choice but to return to Manchester Bay after 20 years. The question is why does the killer want to ensure she does? When the overworked agent returns to her condo after a run, there is a letter waiting for her. Attached to an old photocopy of the story about Jessie’s disappearance is a typed note: “Check the Manchester Bay Chronicle. It will look familiar.”

Silenced Girls is a suspenseful thriller that has plenty of the usual twists and turns. I liked Tori’s character and didn’t mind the budding romance with Will Braddock, chief detective for Shepard County. The northern locale is as detailed as it is atmospheric, set just south of Minnesota lake country. The small town has mushroomed to 44,000 and the heavily wooded area Tori remembers has morphed into a quaint, bustling city.

My only issue with Silenced Girls is that at nearly 500 pages, the book is longer than it needs to be. There is a long section in the middle which is not set in Manchester Bay and has almost nothing to do with the story at hand. While it does reveal more about Tori’s character and her work rescuing missing children, it seemed superfluous and probably could have been cut. I also liked the older story better than the new one and found young Tori more compelling than older Tori.

That said, The Silenced Girls is currently 99 cents on Kindle and it’s well worth a download. I also plan to read the second book in the Hunter series, The Winter Girls, which comes out in March.

Much thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Silent Girls is the first installment in the Agent Tori Hunter series by Roger Stelljes.

Tori’s twin sister disappeared without a trace twenty years ago. Shortly after the disappearance, Tori moved away from her hometown eager to put the past behind. However, she remained tormented by the loss of her sister and the lack of answers. Soon, the past caught up with her as more women begin to disappear in similar ways and Tori goes back to Manchester Bay to help investigate the cases.

This is a very well written cop procedural with an intense, dark, suspenseful mystery that had me guessing from the first page. Young women were going missing in the middle of the night leaving their cars behind. There were no signs of struggle and it appeared as if the women simply left their cars and disappeared into the night. Tori is desperate to solve the case in the hope that she will also get answers concerning her sister’s disappearance. However, things get complicated as more women go missing and it soon becomes apparent that a serial killer is on the loose.

I loved this story. It is an addictive read with well-crafted characters and a baddie whose identity was hard to guess. There was a bit of romance but it didn’t bother me much especially since it didn’t take the focus away from the case. I can’t wait to read the read the next book in the series.

First book I’ve read by this author and it was a really good read and a great start to a series! I liked the fact that there was a story outside of the original storyline ( when Tori left to run a kidnapping case ) it is quite a lengthy read but does have you guessing as to who is the killer

Wow. What a fantastic start to a new series. I absolutely loved this book. It was full of twists and turns that kept me totally hooked.

Tori and Braddock are great characters who I can't wait to read more about.

My one slight criticism is I don't like the quote at the beginning of each chapter. Apart from that small thing it's great and I'll certainly be looking out for the next book.

This book had me hooked right from the beginning. It was exciting and thrilling. The plot twists were very intelligent and kept me guessing. Can’t wait to read more!