The book has a very good plot but I feel the narrative has been overdone. There are quite a lot of pages which literally kills the story, so much so that I had to close the book and restart it twice. What should have been a joy became a chore. It’s more like the author wants to score a point over someone. I sincerely hope someone edits this book before publication.

A fascinating beginning to this new series from the author of the popular McRyan Mysteries. FBI Agent Victoria “Tori” Hunter has not been back to her hometown since her twin sister went missing followed by the death of their father. She has no plans to return, but does so when she receives mail about her sister’s disappearance. Will Braddock is now the Chief Deputy of Shepard County and another woman has gone missing in a case eerily similar to her sister’s. Tori needs to assist in this case, but in the middle of working the case, is abruptly called out of town to search for a kidnapped two-year old girl. In the meantime, Will is contacted by detectives that have similar cases. Do they have a serial killer who has been killing for years? Will and Tori develop a close friendship, but this is secondary to the search for clues to stop the killer before he strikes again. A very well thought out and suspenseful mystery as the killer’s thoughts are interwoven into the story. I received an advance review copy at no cost and without obligation for an honest review. (by paytonpuppy)

Thank You Netgalley and Bookouture for the ARC! This review is based on my complete honest opinion.

Agent Tori Hunter, returns back to her hometown, Manchester Bay, Minnesota after  leaving behind the memories to start new life in Boston and New York. She returns with only one aim--she has received a newspaper article, reminding her of her twin sister's disappearance, Jessie who disappeared twenty years ago. Now returning back along with a detective Will Braddock, she and Will get together to investigate the disappearance of another girl Genevieve Lash, who disappeared on the anniversary of Jessie's disappearance and they are both doing a cat and mouse chase. 

The story was good, intense and gripping that I was hooked into the book from the start! The plot line was good and many of the characters are likable. There were so many twists and turns, so many suspects that you don't know which one of them is the actual serial killer and the ending was good and unexpected! This book is completely unputdownable and I couldn't wait to see what the ending was going to be!

This is the first book of the series and I can't wait to read more of Tori Hunter's series!

Overall, this is a fast paced thriller that will keep you awake at night--completely worth five stars!

Silenced Girls by Roger Stelljes is the first in a series starring Special Agent Tori Hunter. When Tori was a teenager back in 1999, her twin sister Jessie went missing, never to be seen again. This destroyed their father who died not long after. Tori never return to her small hometown and instead poured herself into her work. She became an FBI agent specializing in finding missing children. Now 20 years later someone mails her a newspaper article about her sister’s disappearance and tells her to check the news in her hometown. When she does, she finds that another girl has gone missing under similar circumstances. Tori goes home and joins in on the investigation. This is a very well written mystery. I was not able to figure out who the culprit was and was shocked at the ending. I enjoyed the character of Tori. The author spent enough time on her background to make it feel like you actually know her. I look forward to many more books in the series. If you’re a fan of thrillers and mysteries you definitely will want to check this book out. Thank you to NetGalley and  to publisher for the advanced copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

The Silenced Girls is the first instalment in the FBI Agent Tori Hunter series, based in a Manchester Bay, Minnesota. Agent Hunter moved far away to try and forget her past. A past that would seep back in when she least expected it and crushed her soul over and over. She tried to keep the evidence packed away in boxes high up on a closet shelf like carefully packing away a tragic part of her life. As if sealing the boxes, was sealing away a time in her life she desperately wanted to go back and change. Until one day a mysterious letter arrives from an unknown sender that unravels everything. 

FBI Special Agent Tori Hunter returns to her hometown of Manchester, Minnesota for the first time in twenty years to investigate the disappearance of a woman who is gone without a trace. She is desperate to solve a case that will cause her to confront her own painful past and question the motives of friends she thought she knew and trusted. It will plunge her and the other detectives into the crosshairs of a dangerous killer while in search of the truth. 

This is a captivating, exciting and well written story with enough action happening to keep you racing through the pages. It takes a while to get into it, for some reason, as Stelljes sets up the characters and backstory, which is necessary for a series opener, but it soon becomes fast paced and quite addictive, so it's worth persevering. The main issue I had was that although it is superbly plotted there is rather a lot of unnecessary padding to fill out the page count and it could do with a solid editor. Despite this I enjoyed it and was both engrossed and entertained.

"Silenced Girls" by Roger Stelljes is a brutally morbid crime story that centers on the devastating disappearance of women near or within the area of Minnesota. Stelljes is a brilliant writer with a knack for emotionally intense episodes, action-packed scenes, and a flair for keeping answers just out of the reader's grasp. "Silenced Girls" is the first book of the Agent Tori Hunter series and comes highly recommended to those who are lovers of dark crime novels.

Agent Tori Hunter is a woman with confidence that borderlines arrogance, a fiery personality that can scorch her opponents to ash where they stand, and no matter what gets thrown in her way she remains resilient in her pursuit for truth. Though Tori specializes in missing children, she returns to her hometown a cut-out newspaper article is sent to her apartment that details her sister's age-old disappearance that never got solved. Worried that the person responsible for her sister's disappearance is taunting her, Tori works alongside her hometown's police force and is horrified to find shocking similarities between her sister's kidnapping to that of a woman's recent disappearance. 

This new investigation causes deep, emotional distress for Tori who never gained closure from her sister's unsolved case. Spurred on by these new revelations that connect Tori's sister to another woman, she resolves to do everything she can to find the person responsible or die trying. 

"Silenced Girls" is a riveting, horrifyingly dark tale that is emotionally heavy and entirely fascinating in its approach to finding out the truth behind the disappearance of women who unexpectedly and devastatingly never returned home. Stelljes brilliantly captures the emotional impact of the loss and traumatizing nature of those who are left behind and fail to receive answers on what happened to their loved ones.  For this reason, the main character Tori Hunter shines brilliantly throughout this novel as she encapsulates these harrowing emotions and uses them to propel her to find justice and peace for these missing women and the families who are left grieving for answers about their children. 

Absolutely brilliant and chilling in its delivery. Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for providing me with a free e-arc in exchange for an honest review. This is a novel to be on the lookout for.

Thank you to Netgalley for an advanced copy of this book.

I struggled with this one and found that the dialogue was a stilted and and overlong.

The storyline was quite good, but I found I really didn't care what happened with Tori one way or the other.

3/5 stars from me

This book has a great, but sad, story line and well developed characters that you want to "reach in" and help. But I felt it was hard to concentrate on the plot because of the verbosity. It got to the point that I was re-reading pages because I wasn't sure what was happening in the story due to the wordiness. If you can accommodate for all the extra words you will definitely enjoy this book.

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest, voluntary review.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for a  e-ARC of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

When I pick up a Roger Stelljes novel, I know that I can expect a gripping plot with twists and turns until the very end - Silenced Girls is no exception. 

While I was drawn to the story line right from the beginning, I struggled with the pace of the narrative. Some chapters where quick and exciting, while others were almost lack lustre in comparison. 

Nevertheless, Silence Girls is a great read for mystery addicts.

I couldn't get enough of this first book in a new series! Well written and full of intriguing characters. The mystery is full of suspense and action. The police procedural parts are interesting. I went back and forth so many times trying to solve it. The reveal was gripping and not what I expected. 
I love Tori's character. She grows a lot over the course of the story and I look forward to seeing her develop over the series. Will was probably my favorite character. He balances Tori perfectly, both personally and professionally. Steak, Cal, and all the rest were just as engaging. I'm really looking forward to seeing more of the characters and the town. I want to know how that ending plays out.

Thank you to Bookouture for providing me with the E-ARC of Silenced Girls. I have been looking for a good FBI crime fiction book for awhile and this one did not disappoint. I really loved the progression of the story and the character development. The twist had me guessing till almost the end. I would definitely recommend this one.

Jessie Hunter disappears after the town’s 4th of July celebrations. Her car is later found abandoned with a flat front tire that had been slashed. Jessie was never seen again.  Tori Hunter, the twin sister of the girl who went missing 20 years ago, left that town and is now an FBI agent. She is sent a paper clipping and a note telling her to look up the current news in Manchester Bay (the town she was initially from.). Being shocked by the similarities what she is reading of another murder, she thinks that’s she is being taunted and summoned by the killer of her sister. With an opened wound again, and not satisfied until she gets the answers she seeks, and  who this killer is, she goes back home for the first time in 20 years.

The killings start to escalate, and as the search goes on, Tori and her team know they are looking for a serial murderer. This killer is very crafty, and has stepped up his game.

I enjoyed the story's beginning, but was having a hard time staying interested in it. It just seemed to drag through, being too long on pages for my taste. Much of it was police procedural. I liked Tori's character, and I think Stelljes will enjoy developing Tori's character further if he so chooses, perhaps making her a little more personable, given that she has the answers now that she long sought. .

Overall, an enjoyable read. My thanks to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

There isn't one thing that I didn't love about this book..  Victoria is a deditcated FBI agent, she doesn't really have friends, and hasn't made her condo feel like home even after living there for years.. The only thing she wants to do is help families find their missing children. When a young woman dissapears in her hometown of Manchester Minnesota and it seems like its just like how her own sister went missing 20 years earlier she knows she has to go home again.. 
This book had me guessing the entire way . Everytime I thought I knew who the killer was something came along and changed my mind, I had no idea what was going to happen from one minute to the next.  I loved Will and Victoria they had the perfect amount of romance.. I also loved alot of the other characters even though I had no idea if any one of them could have been the killer. 
As soon as I finished the book I signed up for Roger Stelljes newsletter so I wouldn't miss the next book!

A solid suspenseful police procedural though somewhat clichéd; a female agent returns to her hometown decades after the disappearance of her sister to help investigate a similar case. This was a well written and enjoyable read, albeit a bit too long. The characters were interesting and I'm looking forward to see what Tori gets up to next.

This is the first of, what I hope, will be a number of books featuring FBI agent Tori Hunter!  
20 years ago, Tori's identical twin sister, Jessie, disappeared without a trace in their hometown of Manchester Bay, MN.   After the death of her father a couple of years later, she left her hometown behind never to return and becomes an FBI agent, specializing in the abduction and disappearance of young children.   Now on the 20th anniversary of her sister's disappearance,  another young woman has disappeared in the same unusual manner and Tori is lured back to help find her, as well as answers about her sister. 

 You can't help but feel drawn in by Tori as well Detective Will Braddock.  The story line flowed well and gave you a clear picture of all the major players.  The twist at the end concerning Tori was a little unexpected and I'm anxious to see how it plays out in the series.  I really enjoyed this story and am eager to read more!

A fast-paced investigation that keeps you guessing, Silenced Girls is a brilliant first instalment that I didn’t want to put down.

While some scenes are unnecessarily long and there are a few scenes that aren’t directly related to the main story which could have been cut down, I was completely gripped by the mystery and its characters. The sharp dialogue helps drive the plot and there are plenty of twists and turns to keep you invested. And although the plot makes you question everybody involved, I still had no idea who was going to be behind it all in the end.

The strongest quality of the book is the brilliant character development. I feel like I got to know every character quite closely and I especially warmed to Tori and Will. With a lot of detail given before and after the main investigation, as well, you feel completely wrapped up in their lives which really helps you to connect with them.

I even liked the romance that was building up. Usually, I think that romances in a first instalment feel cliche, predictable and downright boring. They don’t always have a place in police thrillers, but because I liked the characters so much, the romance worked and progressed at a good speed.

The only thing that annoyed me was that the characters were referred to by both their first names and surnames which sometimes confused me, but this was easy enough to overlook.

In the end, Stelljes pieces together his complex puzzle so well that I came away wanting more. I will definitely be back to find out what happens to FBI Special Agent Tori and to follow her next case.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Bookouture for an advance copy of Silenced Girls, the first novel to feature FBI agent Tori Hunter, set in the Minnesota town of Manchester Bay.

20 years ago Tori’s twin sister, Jessie, disappeared after a 4th July celebration with her classmates. Jessie was never found and the case went unsolved. Tori is lured back to Manchester Bay for the first time when she receives an anonymous clipping in the post, a clipping that highlights the similarities between the recent disappearance of Genevieve Lash and Jessie’s. She inveigles her way into Chief of Detectives Will Braddock’s investigation in an unofficial capacity.

I enjoyed Silenced Girls on the whole as it is a good police procedural with extra action to keep it interesting. I was hooked from the beginning, which is set at the time of Jessie’s disappearance, with a strong and emotional description of Tori’s grief and guilt at not being there for her. Fast forward to the present day and Tori is a decorated and successful FBI agent with no life. Putting aside the fact that, as an interested party, no investigation would allow her to participate what follows is a standard police procedural, widening in scope and reducing the suspect pool as the novel progresses. What sets it apart is Tori’s emotional response to what they uncover. There are plenty of discoveries and danger to keep the novel going at a steady pace. Unfortunately my interest began to flag about three quarters of the way through as it starts to get repetitive and Tori and Will seem not to learn from their mistakes. I think the novel is too long and could do with a judicious prune.

I didn’t initially warm to Tori Hunter as she is impulsive, emotional and prickly in her dealings with others. Fortunately Will’s hard headed logic is there to temper her impatience. I guess that’s the upside to a long novel, the reader has time to get used to her and her ways. Anyway, she seems to be a new woman by the end of the novel. 

Silenced Girls is a good read that I can recommend.

FBI agent Tori Hunter is drawn back to her hometown by a note and news article from when her twin sister disappeared 20 years ago. Detective Will Braddock is running the case and allows Tori to assist. This is the first book I've read by this author and is the first in a new series. I liked the characters and look forward to learning even more about them in the next book. This one kept me turning the pages quickly to find out who the killer is and what impact it will have on the town.

Thanks to netgalley and Bookouture for the arc

This is the first book with special agent Tori Hunter and it was a great read.
Tori left her home town when her twin sister disappeared never to be found.  When another young woman disappears in similar circumstances seventeen years later it’s time for Tori to go home.   Detective Braddock is lading the case and allows Tori to help.   
Tori is over whelmed by old friends reaching out on her arrival and the unanswered questions around her sisters disappearance.
This was a thoroughly enjoyable read and will be keeping a close eye for book two, the next case and how the characters will develop.
Thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
#SilencedGirls #NetGalley

On the 5th of July 1999, Jessie Hunter (17-years-old) disappears on her way home from a party without a trace other than her abandoned car with a punctured tyre. 20 years later on exact the same date; another woman goes missing in the same circumstances. Tori Hunter, Jessie’s identical twin sister is now a successful FBI agent specialised in child abduction and lives in New York. She receives a letter (from the killer, we assume) that points out the similarities between both crimes. So, she’s lured back to Manchester Bay in Minnesota and wants to be involved in the investigation. She even puts her job on the line. Will Braddock, the lead detective isn’t all that impressed with her offer to help but slowly starts to appreciate her expertise. They discover that Jessie and Lash may not be the only victims. Then there’s an unexpected twist when Jessie’s boss sends her to Des Moines to solve the kidnapping of a 2-year-old baby girl.

Within the first chapters, I encountered several stereotypes that immediately lowered my expectations; an FBI agent with a missing sibling, the hostile encounter between the local detective and the outsider ‘expert’, a serial killer that contacts the police/a survivor. I was almost convinced that the killer would be one of the trusted long term friends. Luckily, there are a lot of those but I had my suspect based on similar stories. I’d be disappointed if it would that easy though. Was I right? You have to see for yourself.
I did like the additional case of the child abduction half-way through. That was realistic, as Tori isn’t officially detached but only helping as a private citizen. Of course, in real life, she also wouldn’t be allowed to take part in the investigation and her boss tries to send her elsewhere
The story does draw you in though. With many obstacles in the way of the investigation, the suspense is upped a little bit a time. With every consecutive suspect, you think they finally solved the case but then something else happens and the theory deflates. The book is well written and the suspense is masterly augmented with every new chapter. The characters are likeable but also not very original.
Tori is a brilliant investigator, cool, calculated, logical, methodical and dogged but also a complete pain in the ass as said by one of her colleagues.
Braddock is a real gem though, almost too perfect to be true. He’s a sensitive and caring dad. He’s lost his wife just long enough to be over it although he still speaks very loving about her. He doesn’t seem to have any flaws. You see the respect between the two protagonists growing and you know that there’s going to be some romantic innuendo sometime.
Nevertheless, I do like both of them and had a picture in my head of them as Mulder and Scully, even with the voices included. I don’t know why though.
One of the things this book does try to point out is the dangers of having elected judges, sheriffs of prosecutors. Politicians are always crowd-pleasers by nature and bow far too easily to money and influence to the extent that justice becomes inferior to those of popularity.
This is definitely not a bad book but I’ve read several similar stories in the last months. This is even better than some of those that I gave a 4-star review so I have to compare it to those standards and it deserves this 4 certainly.
I received a free ARC from Netgalley and Bookouture and this is my honest, unbiased review of it.