This is the first book by Ms Mackay I've read in a long time, but I enjoyed it again so much, will definitely read some more in the near future! Throughout the book, the author teases what happened to the girls, but she doesn't give the secret away, just to annoy the anxious reader even more! But all is well that ends well when the story comes to an end, and all is revealed. Well written and thrilling from beginning to end.
Recommended.
TB

Thank you to Netgalley and Orion Publishing Group for the arc of The Girls Inside by N.J Mackay!

A very different read, but a good one nonetheless. A psychological thriller, gripping, shocking-Definitely a page-turner. Recommended.

A gripping, compelling psychological thriller about a cult, a fire, and the dark secrets that four young girls have carried with them but can no longer keep buried... The perfect book to wrap yourself around on a dark night! This book needs to be on your radar! I love it so much!

This book is amazing. Do not miss this if you are a fan of phycological thrillers. It is suspenful, thrilling, chilling and completely gripping. I was absorbed in this book from the very first page until the very last. Just wow. Great work.

This is Niki Mackay's deeply disturbing story, focusing on a cult and the aftermath on the lives of those that lived there. Blue Sillitoe lived within the cult, at the Black House, after she was taken there by her mother who had been enticed by Joseph Carillo, their enigmatic leader. After a huge fire, Blue escaped but her mother died so she was left in the care of social services. Blue later went to London and met an unlikely friend named Isaac, who becomes her rock. When something happens to Blue’s friend, Natasha, her ten-year-old daughter, Pen, comes to live with Blue, changing Blue's life dramatically once again. However, not everything is as it might appear and DI Annie Grafton believes that there is more to Natasha’s disappearance...

The book is brimming with twists and turns and some parts make for difficult reading but it's an excellent tale. Full of intrigue, the story pulls you in right from the beginning and includes some hugely compulsive character development as the minutia and drama of the protagonists' personal and professional lives are depicted with dexterity. A remarkable tale from start to finish.

I read The Girls Inside in staves with other Pigeonholers as part of a group. A special thank you to the publisher, NetGalley, Niki Mackay and The Pigeonhole for a complimentary copy of this novel at my request. This review is my unbiased opinion.

Excellent book that kept me turning the pages. Sinister and atmospheric with a mystery and a lot of history made this a really good read.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the ARC in return for an honest and unbiased opinion.

Wow, this book was intense, exciting and totally gripping. Who doesn’t love a thriller set in an area you are familiar with. A great read.

A really dark and sinister story. If you love cult stories, you will love this. A great insight into cult life and the aftermath. A really good story with lots of twists and shocks. Highly recommeded.

This book was so well written from start to finish. Throughout the book I had no idea what was going to happen and the twists were things I wouldn’t have guessed. My one down side to it is that i feel like it wasn’t finished, I had questions at the end. I’m hoping there will be another book that will follow up on this.

Thank you to Netgalley and Orion Publishing Group for the arc of The Girls Inside by N.J Mackay!

5 Star read ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐- This follows the aftermath of a sex cult in north Wales! Blue was only 5 when her mum got lured into this by Joseph Carillo.... the children and her were cruelly seperated from their own mothers and then forced to wear a so called uniform, not show any emotion and to be known as Aunts though.... Blue then gets a call in where her former dorm mate as well as survivor has commited suicide and that she now has the responsibility of her child..

A twisting, saddening and heartbreaking but mysterious book, had me on the edge of my seat from start to finish! I loved it and highly recommend to everyone!!

I really didn’t like Blue so didn’t get too far reading this, tried picking it up a few times but she was too annoying for me! Three stars for fairness.

What a gripping, fabulous read! Blue Sillitoe is an interesting, complex character and I have followed her unfortunate story with addictive interest.
The blurb gives a hint of the plot, but does not prepare you for the ride you will go on.
I warmed easily to the characters Blue, Isaac, Pen, Annie and latterly Brodie and felt like I knew them personally. They are not perfect people, rather they are ‘normal’ flawed characters which helps the reader empathise with their situations.
The chapters alternate interestingly through narrators and also in time, some from time spent at Black House and some from now, giving you pieces of a jigsaw to try to put together.
If you like a compulsive, grippingly dangerous mystery, building in pace and urgency, then this is the book for you! I LOVED it!

Absolutely love n j mackay. Love the way she writes and most certainly hooked from the first couple of lines. This book was no different. How the past can catch up with you and make you face the things you chose to runaway from and forget.
Fast paced heart racing read where secrets unfold.

A very well written thriller that is plenty sinister with a great story line.

Based around a charismatic commune/cult, and the consequences years later.

This was a very good read that kept my interest the whole way through. It was a bit of a slow burner at times but this actually suited the story. I look forward to reading more books by this author.

The Girls Inside is a gripping and compulsive psychological thriller about the aftermath of being involved in a cult; even years later their lives are deeply affected by what they witnessed and experienced first hand. But being left a baby to care for and bring up after a fellow cult member, and friend, who you have spoken to in years passes away is more than a shocker. A compelling and engrossing read from start to finish. Highly recommended.

# The girls inside #Netgalley

A slow burner, the actual story was really interesting. You read a lot about cults so I found the subject very interesting. Because it was a bit slow I was going to give up once or twice. But I wanted to know what happened to Natasha even blue, Lisa and Any and or course Brodie. Although blue played a fairly bit part in the book I wanted to hope one day things would be better for her. All the way through even though I did think about putting it down something interesting was happening in one way or another. As I said it was a bit slow of a read for me but at the same time it had grabbed me as well yea I know a bit weird. However after all I read was extremely interesting I was disappointed towards the end when Anni got blue back to Issacs from there it did seem to be faster but at the cottage what a let down it was. I think perhaps the saving Grace when Natasha told blue something. Although I sort of expected something like that I was sure. But on the whole a slow but Farley good read plot wise until the disappointing end. In some ways I would say read it if you don’t mind it being a slow book to get through.

I enjoyed this book which had an interesting unique storyline. It kept me guessing right til the end. Will definitely look out for more books by this author

This plot is so different from anything I have ever read that I found myself totally immersed in this thriller. As the story progresses the complexity of the mystery pile up, imploring you to get answers.

A riveting and captivating read with captivating characters.

The story centres around a commune from the past that was influenced by evil and ruined / cost many lives. The children who escaped the commune are now grown up, albeit with physical and mental scars.
One such survivor is Blue who suddenly is told one of the others has taken her own life and had pre-organised for Blue to take custody of her ten-year-old daughter. But what happened to Natasha and what was the truth behind the end of the commune.


I really enjoyed this book, its plot keep me guessing until the end, there were enough twists and turns and it was written well. I will be investigating other books by this author.