Wow! This is the first book I've read by Nichole Severn but it certainly won't be the last. What an amazing, gripping and fast paced thriller. It pulled me in from the first page and kept me hooked til the very end. With great characters, an incredible storyline that kept me guessing and a killer twist, this book is a definite must read. I cannot wait for the next Leigh Brody thriller. I'm now off to get stuck in to all her Nicole's previous novels.

Thank you to Neg Galley for the ARC of the Girl Who Disappeared in return for an honest review. This book started strong and was hard to put down it started slowing down and getting a little bit confusing about what was going on and keeping characters straight. The end wasn’t a huge wow either which I was hoping was coming. I would try the next book to see if I like it more. I did like Detective Brody. I want to give it another shot. Thank you again for the opportunity.

This was my first book by this author, and I really liked it! I have been loving crime thrillers lately, and this one didn't disappoint. I was intrigued from the beginning, and enjoyed playing detective right along with FBI Agent Leigh Brody. I was fully immersed in this well written plot. Not only was the plot strong and well-developed, the characters were fully fleshed out. By the end of the book, I felt I knew Leigh and the supporting characters as well. There were twists and turns, all of which were shocking. The ending was great! I am really looking forward to the next book in this series!

Thank you NetGalley and Storm Publishing for the ARC. My opinions are my own.

Nichole Severn’s “The Girl Who Survived” takes readers on a thrilling journey with Leigh Brody as she confronts her haunting past in search of justice and closure. The tale begins with Leigh’s homecoming to her birthplace, triggered by an eerie revelation—a corpse bearing her name, linked to a long-standing enigma surrounding her brother’s killing. By skilfully blending past traumas and current investigations, Severn plunges readers into a story of unwavering perseverance and individual redemption. The heart of the narrative is Leigh’s character, an FBI agent driven by her complex past in her pursuit of truth.

The tension intensifies as she investigates the copycat crimes and confronts repressed memories, pulling readers further into a captivating web of intrigue and suspense. The way Severn writes is both intense and captivating, perfectly depicting a small town filled with hidden mysteries. With its fast-paced pacing, the story keeps readers engaged with unexpected twists and turns until the final reveal. Adding a specific calling card adds an intriguing twist to the mystery, blending past and present in a disturbingly personal fashion.

This book is going to run you through an emotional roller coaster like none other!

Leigh Brody has had all of her worst nightmares imagined. Her brother is dead, her father has been arrested, and her life is falling apart. All she wants is to prove that her father is innocent, that he was not the monster that everyone is looking for. But no one is willing is willing to listen to a teenage girl, especially when the local school counselor is saying the exact opposite.
But the past has a way of staying with you, and Leigh is not willing to let it go. She is determined to find justice and prove that her father is innocent. To do it, she must return to the town she grew up in, and face those who would rather not see her return. All it will take is a fresh set of victims, and the seal is cracked on a case that people thought closed years ago.

If you are looking for a thrilling psychological read, then you are going to LOVE this one. It will keep you hooked.

I just finished reading this book, literally just put it down moments ago. Oh my heavens. At first, I wasn't too sure about the book, but I kept reading, and I am so glad I did! I was so drawn into the story, and to the intense emotions that our MC was feeling, that I could not stop. As the heartbreak of those who were dealing with it, I could not imagine. As the mother of two boys, this one hit me a bit closer to home, but the emotions were true.
This is one that takes a slow burn to get into the book, and the suddenly ignites into a stream of intense, so intense, that you will lose track of time. This is one of my top reads for the year.
Very well done!

OMG This was a roller coaster ride!
I Hated every moment I had to put this book down! I don't want to give anything away so no spoilers! It started a bit like a roller coaster sort of slow, then that big dip and twists and turns! I honestly believe this is the best book I have read so far this year! I look forward to Ms Severn's next book.

I received an advance reader copy from the publisher. Any review is voluntary and my honest opinion.

Severn captivated me from the first page to the very last, leaving me hanging on every word. Leigh's disturbing backstory and the spooky copycat crimes—the premise alone—had me turning pages more quickly than I could keep up. Twenty years had passed since Leigh's world fell apart, and her unadulterated determination to seek justice made my heart race.

Leigh discovers her brother's dead body, and her life is completely turned upside down. The worst part is that, despite the opinions of everyone else in their little community, she is certain her dad did not commit the crime. Twenty years later, Leigh is employed by the FBI, but her brother's passing still bothers her. Subsequently, similar crimes occur, all connected to Leigh's background.

She finds herself thrust back into the case that destroyed her life so many years ago. But this time, she's committed to finding the truth and apprehending the genuine murderer.

Leigh isn't like other FBI agents. She may be as tough as nails, but she also has a lot of baggage. I'm referring to significant prior traumas that she is still attempting to overcome. You can only imagine the pressure she's under, given that the entire community holds her responsible for what they believe her dad did.

I really enjoyed this book, it described one of the behavioral analysis characters as someone with the last name Reed, and said he was covered in tattoos. This book reminded me of criminal minds, and when they mentioned a hotter version of Reed I was all over it. I highly recommend this book and can't wait for the second installment and to see where the rest of the series plays out.

Thank you Storm Publishing and Netgalley for an ARC of this book. I have been recommending it to everyone i know.

I'm still recovering from reading this book!

The Girl Who Survived is a fast paced thriller that picks up speed and doesn't stop. At first, I thought it was going to be predictable as I've read books where the main character is law enforcement and goes back home, unwelcome and needing to solve a case. However, Nichole Severn had several surprises in store for the reader. Each time I thought I'd figured things out she'd throw another twist in. By the end of the book, I realized I had been holding my breath at some point and actually made myself dizzy!

While this could easily be a standalone book as it had a complete conclusion, I am happy to report there are 2 more books coming up. I can't wait to see this turn into a series!

Thank you Storm Publishing for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

#netgalley
#thegirlwhosurvived
#stormpublishing

I enjoy reading novels with several twists, mysteries, and some family drama. Well, this is one of those books. You try hard to guess where the story is taking you, but you most probably fail at one point or another.

I loved this mystery/thriller! I liked that there weren’t too many characters to remember and that the author dove right into the crime. Very easily the reader can get a sense of the main character’s emotional state and mindset, which helped you relate to how tied to the case she was. A true, well-though out murder mystery!

The Girl Who Survived is the first book in the Leigh Brody FBI Mystery series. It's an absolute corker of a book to start a new series with.
Great writing, fast paced, intense, gripping, very clever plot, I really really enjoyed it. The story is quite gruesome in places but it just grabbed my attention and I wasn't able to put it down. It's so so good.
I thought the main character, Leigh, is a great lead. She's somebody who suffered a great loss, had to overcome so much and is still faced with people's harsh judgement despite doing her best to put the past behind her. I liked her a lot and can't wait to see how she develops in future books.
Twisty and twisted, The Girl Who Survived, is a fantastic start to a new series and an absolute must read for fans of crime thrillers. I can't wait for the next book in the series.

Leigh Body's life was turned upside down when her father was jailed for the murder of her younger brother and other young boys. The trauma left her small town turning on her family, with her mother later dying by suicide. Throughout this all Leigh has always contended her father is innocent. Now with the FBI she has been summoned back to her hometown after a copycat murder. Leigh is determined to find the real killer and bring justice for her father.

This book had me hooked. I breezed right through it until the jaw dropping conclusion. Unfortunately, while these were clever twists there were so many plot holes that made such twists impossible. There is no way any of this would've passed the FBI. Not to mention, basically made Leigh a horrible person for her role in the misery she lives with in the present day.

That said, I am now very curious to see how all of this works out and whether the author addresses the implausibility of it all.

Thanks to Storm and NetGalley for the ARC.

5 stars !!!

I always find it hard to decide whether or not a book I really enjoyed is a five star book. The fact that I even consider rating it five stars means that it was a five star book for me. This is my second five star for this year and it is well deserved.

There was so much that goes on in this book and it's hard to explain in detail without giving away too much. That being said, I'd highly recommend readers to go into the book without reading too much into the synopsis.

We follow FBI Agent Leigh Brody who is sent back to her hometown in New Hampshire to consult in a murder investigation and possible serial killer. Her past is explained and in great amount of detail. It's the very reason she became an FBI agent. She's very intelligent, fierce, and has a very strong will to survive, even with all of the challenges that come her way. With more bodies showing up, she wonders if it's connected to the murders that happened twenty years prior, one of the victims being her younger brother.

This book took me for a ride. It kept me guessing, which is something I enjoy in mystery/thrillers. I wasn't left with a ton of questions to explain things that happened throughout the book; the author did a good job at mentioning details to tie everything together. Nichole Severn's writing was beautiful. I was captivated from start to finish and read it easily in almost two days. This was such a fun read and kept me on my toes. To say I'm excited for the future books in this series would be an understatement.

The Girl Who Survived
by Nichole Severn
Pub Date: May 06 2024

The Girl Who Survived is the 1st in the Leigh Brody FBI Mystery series by Nichole Severn, it was gruesome, gritty, intense. At times it was a little over my comfort zone when describing the grisly details. Other than that, it was an enjoyable read. I will definitely read the next book in the series. I highly recommend this book.

Synopsis: Leigh Brody returns to her hometown after a body is found, marked with her name. Will it give her the chance to solve a mystery that has shadowed her life for years? It’s been twenty years since Leigh found the murdered body of her twelve-year-old brother, Troy. Her father was arrested for the crime, but she never accepted that he did it. Her hunt for the real killer almost cost her everything…

Many thanks to #TheGirlWhoSurvived #NetGalley and #StormPublishing for providing me with an E-ARC of this book.

Thank you to Storm Publishing and NetGalley for the advanced copy.

Leigh Brody is a federal agent tasked with assisting on a case back in her hometown of Lebanon. This book takes us through the struggles of solving a crime in a town where everyone despises you and your family. Everyone believed the case was open and shut. Lies, deceit, kidnapping, murder, and corruption make everything much more complicated.

Overall the story was decent. I found many of the twists impossible and unrealistic. I wouldn’t object to reading more about Leigh but I’m hoping the story is more believable next time.

I love Ms. Severn ‘s books! This book has so many twists, turns, deception, and lies. I would think I knew what was going to happen next, and found out I didn’t know anything! Something terrible had happened to Leigh’s family when she was in high school and she had not been to her hometown since she left. I understood why Leigh became a BAU in the FBI because of what happened to her family. Because of her job, Leigh had to go back to her hometown to help find a serial killer. No one in her hometown wanted anything to do with her which made it harder for her to get the evidence she needed. I was on the edge of my seat so many times, and snapped at people if they talked to me! If you like thrillers, I strongly encourage you to read the book.

Leigh Brody is fascinating. Highly intelligent, strong and resilient are all accurate descriptives. A trauma from her teenage years left her grief-stricken and ostracized molding her to be closed off and wary but determined to join law enforcement to right an old wrong. She is called back to her hometown to solve a couple of murders where she is plagued by memories and prejudice which draw on her stores of stoicism and tenacity. There are several twists and turns not to mention- maybe- a few surprises. Thoroughly enjoyed this first installment and can’t wait to see what is in store for Leigh next.

It’s been 20 years since Agent Leigh has been back into her hometown after the murder of her brother and his best friend. New murders have started back up in Lebanon, New Hampshire and she was called on to come in and help investigate the murders since they were murder just like her brother and his best friend had been murder. Is this the same murderer or is there a new murderer in town?

This book had you interested right at the beginning of the book. The story was very mind blowing and very fast past and kept you wanting to know more and needing answers. The last chapters will really blow your mind away. I can’t wait to read the rest of the series.

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

A twisted mystery that will keep you guessing until the final twist! FBI Agent Leigh Brody is called to investigate a murder in her former home town. Neither the police or the town want her there, but she hopes to find out who murdered her brother and his friend twenty years ago…and framed her father who is now in prison. She is aggressive and doesn’t mind upsetting the police, even the police chief who she feels did not due his job twenty years ago. She has long suspected one individual, but before she can begin her investigation, she learns that a man was killed months ago, in a similar manner. Now, a local woman’s body has been found. How many more will die before the killer is caught? Leigh will be insulted, attacked and threatened as she deals with her own personal health issues. Even during a visit to her father in prison, he tells her to leave things alone. Leigh won’t quit until the children and adult victims receive justice. What an ending! I received an advance review copy at no cost and without obligation for an honest review. (paytonpuppy)

Leigh Brody is an FBI agent and she has gotten the call to go back to where she grew up at. There has been another murder that is the same MO as two other murders from twenty years ago. The one from twenty years ago directly relates to her as it was her brother that died and his best friend. Her father is the man who was arrested for the crime even though she knows he didn't do it. Now another murder has happened and other than it being a woman the rest seems to be the same. Why has the murderer changed their MO? Things in this town are going to get worse instead of. better.

Follow Leigh as she solves this very crazy twisted murder investigation. Nichols Seven has written an impressive book full of twists that I never saw coming! Catch them if you can!

Happy reading!