Part of a series but works as a standalone. An interesting storyline with some good characters. A good read.

The premise of this was interesting but unfortunately it didn’t live up to my expectations. Mainly, I struggled with the pace and found it hard to get into. The characters also didn’t feel developed enough and I couldn’t get behind t them enough to care what happened to them. Not for me, but I’m sure this book will be enjoyed by others.

Thank you to Joffe Books and NetGalley for the eARC of this book, the second in the Detective Bec Hope series.

Bec Pope is a detective working out of the Charing Cross police station in London. Like so many women she's trying to balance her work and home life. The balance is upended one evening as she's leaving work. A young woman stumbles into her arms, covered in blood. The woman appears uninjured but has no idea where the blood has come from, or who she even is. Dogged detective work reveals she disappeared 8 years ago as a child with 3 other girls. This case will take up more and more of Bec's time as she becomes invested in searching for answers for this young woman.

It's an excellent book. I hadn't read the previous book and didn't feel I needed to in order to enjoy this book. Interesting premise, well written, likeable lead character. I did figure out fairly early on where this was going. It's a 3 out of 5 stars for me.

Thank you Netgalley, Jez Pinfold, and Joffee Books for the ebook! This was a fast paced detective thriller that I just couldn't put down! The cult vibes were crazy and I really enjoyed this!

A young woman shows up at the police station with blood on her and amnesia. It turns out she is one of three women who disappeared years ago. Her case as considered a cold one so her arrival brings up many questions that the police must now solve.

The book is fast paced and has just enough thrills to keep the pages turning.

I could have used a deeper character study - which is why it is only 4 stars.

That being said it is still a good read - engrossing and a fast read.

The story was entertaining enough. I did feel there was a lack of character development. The MFC was very repetitive with regards to her home life, she thought the same idea over and over and there was no resolution to that. Her feelings toward her boss was once again very repetitive. I feel like Instead of delving deeper into the characters, the same ideas were just repeated. I would have liked to see more fleshed out with regards to the oldest child. The family was gone for half of the book and then they just pop up out of nowhere. It seemed like an afterthought.

I would have loved if there were more views into the collective. Maybe the author was uncomfortable writing about graphic abuse but it didn’t feel detailed enough to have strong feelings for the victims. There were enough details on the bad parts of their lives at all to empathize with them.

Over all the plot was enjoyable if not a little predictable.

What a great book surrounding a difficult topic! A young lady shows up at the police department covered in blood, but doesn’t remember anything. Is she faking amnesia? Where did she come from? Whose blood is it? What happened?

There were twists and turns throughout the story, just enough to keep me engrossed. I really was invested and wanted to know what happened to the young lady that showed up at the police station covered in blood. I loved this story, and the plot, along with the characters, kept me flipping pages every chance I could. I do wish there was more character development. I would love more depth to Bec and her partner, Brody.

This is book two in a series, but it can be read as a standalone. I immediately went and started book one after enjoying this one so much.

Thank you NetGalley and Joffe Books for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

The Stolen Girls
Thriller
Jez Pinfold
⭐️⭐️⭐️

• ᴍᴜʀᴅᴇʀ • ᴋɪᴅɴᴀᴘᴘɪɴɢ • ᴄᴜʟᴛ •

I didn't realise that this book was the 2nd one in a series so I felt like I was missing some details about Detective Bec Pope and her history.

I wasn't keen on the writing style. The author often explained conversations and how they went rather than letting the characters actually have the conversations.

I struggled to become engrossed in the story. Routines and activities were described in too much detail, step by step and things seemed too repetitive.

The characters were ok but they didn't seem to have much depth to them.

The pacing itself was quite good and so I finished reading this book quite quickly.

I did enjoy some of the plot twists. One or two were predictable but I didn't mind that.

I didn't find the ending very satisfying at all. There seemed to be so much left unanswered and while I understand that the author did this to set up things for the next book, it just made me a little frustrated.

Unfortunately this book wasn't for me but I'm sire other readers would like it.

*Thank you to @Netgalley, the author, and the publishers for providing this ARC. This is my own opinion and an honest review, which I am leaving voluntarily*

Did this book live up to the blurb oh my yes

I loved it. Was hooked. From the start to the finish. What a read

4 stars from me thank you Netgalley and Joffe for the opportunity to review

The book is well-written and is really twisty and gripping. It is a quick and easy read. The characters are great, plot-line is good and the premise is captivating. I enjoyed it.

Overall, it was a nice book and I would recommend it to anyone looking for a quick read or as a palate cleanser.

Thank you NetGalley, Joffe Books, and Jez Pinfold for this arc copy!

Three missing girls have haunted the career of DCI Pope for years. Suddenly one appears. Will she finally solve the case? Jez Pinfold has crafted a skillfully written story that will keep you turning pages. Highly recommend this book.

The stolen girls by Jez Pinfold.
Detective Bec Pope Mysteries Book 2.
Eight years ago, three girls went missing. Only one was found. Dead.
Her body dumped in the street. No drag marks, no blood.
It was Detective Bec Pope’s first case. And she has never given up hope of finding the others alive.
Now. A young woman stands in the doorway of the police station, silhouetted against the fierce sunlight. ‘Help me,’ she asks Bec.
Her pale yellow dress is drenched in blood. But it isn’t hers.
I really really enjoyed this book. I am enjoying this series. I was unsure if I believed the girl or not. I did like the writing style. Twisty and gripping as I did not know who to believe. An easy read and I was surprised by how quickly I read it. I do hope there is more to come. 4*.

This was my first contact with Pope and it was a good introduction. I enjoyed the plot and I was actually hooked from the moment when one of the missing girls wander into the police station. I am eager to get to know the characters better, hoping for some great character growth in the near future!

Brilliant edge of your seat read, the story and characters go so well together to bring the reader an excellent book that they will love an I for one will look forward to more from Jez Pinfold.

Rebecca Pope is a dedicated police officer who is plagued by insomnia and an overactive sense of responsibility. Haunted by an earlier case she was unable to resolve, the last thing Bec expects is to have one of the girls still missing wrt that case show up unexpectedly all this time later.

That's exactly what happens though, when Alice shows up so long after she initially went missing. Where has she been all this time?

A gripping crime novel featuring an intriguing protagonist, this is one for those who enjoy a strong police procedural. It gets 3.5 stars.

Bec Pope finds herself pulled deep into a case that reminds her of her first case ever that remains unsolved. This is the second book in the series but can be read as a standalone as it gives enough context to events in the first book to have an understanding of the dynamics between characters.

The plot itself is something that would traditionally interest me, but I felt the character development fell flat and there were some parts of the plot that were unrealistic.

It is quick moving, but there is redundant information that could have been cut to keep the plot flowing smoothly.

This one wasn’t for me, but I can see how someone who wants a palette cleanser after an emotional read would benefit from picking this one up.

THE STOLEN GIRLS by Jez Pinfold. The premise was interesting and the opening chapter was intriguing. The narrative only skimmed over the surface and became repetitive. The characters lacked any depth making it difficult to engage with them. The ending was disappointing in that it left many loose threads and story lines that were not finished. However, it was an entertaining and quick read.

Thank you to the author, Joffe Books, and Netgalley for the opportunity to preview the book.

A brilliant story with great twists and turns. I really enjoyed this book. Great characters to go along with a amazing storyline

This book had me hooked from the beginning. I had to read the first book in the series just for my own reading order preference, but this can be read as a standalone book, all the key parts from the first book were brought up briefly here to catch the reader up to speed. This book was interesting, I loved the story line and also hearing more of Bec's story when she first came on the squad and her first case and how this story relates. It was interesting to learn a lot about cults and especially how relevant they are today. There is a great background knowledge of getting in the mind of the perps and I love reading about that! I do wish there was more of the background story of everything that had happened during the past few years with Alice, but hopefully that means there is a follow up story to this!

Eight years ago, Detective Bec Pope's first case was when three girls went missing and only one was found. Now a young woman shows up covered in blood and Pope is thrown back into the past all over again.

I enjoyed the overall story about what happens when the past catches up. I did feel a little unconnected to the main characters and wished for a little more character building. The story was pretty straight forward but entertaining and I'd be interested to see what happens to Pope during the next installment. A definite read!