This was a decent thriller, with lots of twists and turns and unusual characters. It's dark and disturbing, and doesn't always make for nice reading. But it's also engaging, and I kept wanting to read more to find out what happened.

HOWEVER ........ the ending [edited to remove spoiler]

Up until the end, this was a 4* read. But that ending .... such a disappointment!

Wow.  Where to start with this book? The Roanoke Girls is one of those books that turns you upside down, reaches into your chest, pulls out your heart and leaves you reeling. It is definitely a novel that will polarise opinion; it deals with an incredibly difficult and taboo subject matter and there are readers who will understandably struggle with it. Personally, I loved this novel; it is dark, disturbing and twisty and despite the sensitive issues (or maybe because of?) it is one of my top reads of 2017.

Roanoke holds a deep, dark secret which is unveiled early on and in a shocking way. Despite the abrupt way we discover it I still doubted it was true and, even though there is evidence pointing to the contrary, I convinced myself I'd misunderstood. It is a very disturbing and grotesque subject and one in less deft hands could have been sensationalized.

Time jumps and split narratives are used so effectively in this book; Lane's story is told both in the present day and in the past when she spent one summer at Roanoke. Interspersed with this are chapters telling the stories of the other Roanoke Girls which really flesh out the novel and add to the growing sense of unease which seeps from every page. These chapters were honest and unapologetic and packed a real punch.

The Roanoke Girls is a weighty, literary book which, even though it made uncomfortable reading, I was glued to. Expertly written, gritty and unafraid to address difficult issues this book is one I won't forget in a hurry.  Amy Engel has written a very sensitive and complex book with layer upon layer of emotion which builds a complicated and twisted tale.

The Roanoake Girls
This is an unsettling but totally captivating read. I must confess that I'm not often drawn to books selected by 'Richard and Judy', but the blurb for this one was intriguing.

It's beautifully written, easy to read and quickly draws the reader into a very different world. Almost from the outset, I found it quite dark and creepy and tension builds as layer upon layer of secrets, lies and family ties are stripped away. I enjoyed the small town setting which added to the very introspective sense feel that runs through the story. It's intense and claustrophobic, with a skilfully twisted plot and a kick in the tail.

My thanks to the publisher for a review copy via Netgalley.

Roanoke girls description leads you to want to pick up this book.
I wouldn't say the content is disappointing,it is just not what I expected it to be.
The story touches on a number of issues that some readers will not want to read about but others will want to push on through it and find out what happened in the end.
It is difficult to review this book without giving away spoilers .
It is narrated by the main character of Lane who knows what happens to Roanoke girls and is conflicted by the family history and her place within it. It explores the lives of all the girls and her grandparents.
There are characters on the periphery such as Charlie and Margaret who I felt could have been explored further and more depth provided.
I felt that there were attempts to explore the subject matter without causing offence. I am not suggesting anything more graphic was required but I felt something was missing.
The book did not grip me but I wanted to finish it.

'The Roanoke Girls' is narrated by Lane, a girl who at 16 moves into her grandparents' home after her mother's death. She develops a strong friendship with her cousin Allegra, but something feels off: the walls are lined with pictures of the other Roanoke girls - cousins and aunts - but they're all either 'gone or dead'.

Ten years later, her grandfather calls with an emergency, and Lane returns to Roanoke for the first time since that dramatic summer.

The narrative flits between Lane's teenage summer, the present, and little snippets of the other Roanoke girls' stories, mainly set around smalltown Kansas. Its an atmospheric and powerful read, with a handful of intriguing mysteries that really push the story along.

The characters are well drawn and fascinating, with complex backgrounds and motivations, which is excellent. However, the characters whose motivations are hardest to understand are never fully explored - we don't find out why Yates does the things he does, and we never fully understand why the Roanoke girls don't tell anyone (particularly Allegra) and that's an issue for me.

I think the writer attempts to explain, but without getting into the head of a character like Yates it's pretty difficult to understand him.

Overall, a great read which would appeal to fans of 'The Virgin Suicides' by Jeffrey Eugenides and 'The Last Days of Summer' by Vanessa Walters.

I'm not going to say much about the story as I don't want to give anything away but this story was difficult to put down but really uncomfortable to read! It was dark, it was twisted but not in the way you would expect,I was shocked through some of it but it just kept me wanting to read more! The story was suspenseful even though I kind of knew what was going on during the story I hoped that wasn't the case. It's a well written story and I would recommend it

Highly recommended if you like stories that keep you hooked from the first page. Real page turner and an emotional rollercoaster!

I have to say that I loved this book. Which seems a bit strange given the subject of the story, but I literally couldn't put it down.
It follows the story of Lane and her cousin Allegra, who both live in an elaborate house in a small town in America. They are the Roanoke girls and everyone wants to be a Roanoke girl…..
The story changes time frames but this doesn’t distract from the point of the story, finding out what happened to Allegra. It switches between past and present and also explains what happens to those Roanoke girls who are no longer around.
As well as mystery and intrigue there is hot steamy romance and quite a lot of controversy. This story is not for the faint hearted but if you aren’t too squeamish then this will be perfect for you.

Interesting study of a totally dysfunctional family and the heartbreak caused which is destined to repeat itself over and over. A young orphan returns to her mothers childhood home to be cared for by her grandparents. Her struggle to escape their clutches but a she ever really escape

Found this book to be well written, but not gripping.

Thought the storyline was different from other psychological thrillers, but predictable.

Thank you Netgalley, Amy Engel and Hodder & Stoughton for allowing me to read and review this book.

A dark and disturbing story which is well written and intriguing.

I have never read a story like this before, it's a tricky messed up subject so it feels strange to say it was an enjoyable read but I felt that the way it was handled and written wasn't too grotesque and over the top, you just wanted to get to the bottom of what happened to Allegra.

Thanks to NetGalley, Hodder & Stoughton, and Amy Engel for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest review.

This book was a different read and dealt with a horrible topic very well. The story starts with Lane Roanoke who has just found out her mum Camilla has committed suicide. Lane is sent to live with family she has never met. Her grandparents and cousin Allegra. We find out that the Roanoke girls have a history of run away from home and never returning. The character of Lane grated on me at parts but the in the end I did like her. Allegra I just felt so sorry for her. Grandad and Gran were just horrible, both as bad as each other. Its hard to say I enjoyed this book because it deals with child abuse but it was an interesting story and I would read more by this author.

To say this book is dark is an understatement. However you are drawn into the secrets of the generations of Roanoke girls to the point that you want to shout at them. I am not going to give spoilers, but despite knowing or guessing the secret early on, you simply have to finish the book. It does not end predictably. You can smell the kansas heat, the horses, and the sweat. Vividly written.

How I loved this book. The still, suffocating Kansas heat, the dark secret, you are drawn in and unable to look away, even as you want to scream.

Gothic tale of damaged family life in the heart of America.

I loved the writing: atmospheres, people and places felt beautifully real for the most part.
However, it strained my powers of suspending disbelief to find it credible that SPOILER ALERT Yates Roanoke was so handsome and charismatic that he could seduce his sisters, daughters and granddaughters (who were also his daughters!)... and that his wife let it happen.
It didn't stop me avidly turning-pages until the end though!

At just 15 years old, Lane Roanoke finds herself alone in New York following the suicide of her seriously depressed mother. She’s not had a great life so far – indeed Lane feels as if her mother didn’t really like her.

So when an NYC social worker tells her that she has grandparents in Kansas who want her to come and live with them she is astonished. Lane’s mother had always refused to talk about her family, so she really has no knowledge or history of them.

When she gets to Kansas, what she finds is the Roanoke mansion in Osage County where her grandparents Lillian and Yates Roanoke live with their other granddaughter, 16 year old Allegra.

Allegra is a bit of a kindred spirit, full of life and mischief, who loves nothing better than a bit of fun. Lane finds that there is significance in being a Roanoke in a poor town where the Roanokee’s can play the wealthy benefactors and for the first time in her life, Lane finds that she is loved, wanted and that she can buy whatever she likes.

Yet, when we first meet Lane, she is on her way back to Roanoke after a series of dead end jobs in Los Angeles. She doesn’t really want to go back, but her cousin Allegra is missing and she feels a deep sense of guilt for having left Allegra behind when she went. So when her grandparents call her back, she reluctantly returns.

Amy Engel beautifully intertwines the past and present Roanoke, with a 10 year gap between the two. So we learn how the two teenage girls grew up together and how Allegra was yearned after by the young and straightforwardly handsome Tommy, now the local policeman. Lane was attracted by the dark and sultry Cooper; a town bad boy destined to inherit his father’s car repair workshop.

It isn’t long into the novel before we learn that Roanoke has a dark and horrible secret. It is this secret that causes the Roanoke Girls either to run or to die.

Tommy isn’t having much luck finding Allegra, but Lane knows her better than anyone and she is tenacious about finding out what happened to her cousin, helped by that knowledge and the carvings that Allegra made whenever she was upset.

What makes this novel work so well is the strong focus on characterisation and the very clear atmosphere of repression, dust and depression and the secrets that hold this family together.

Oddly Yates Roanoke is the least fleshed out of these characters, even Lillian Roanoke comes across more clearly – in her case as a cold, bitter shrew – devoid of warmth or hope.

There’s no doubt that The Roanoke Girls is a well written, dark, disturbing and grippingly compelling novel. But for all that I was left uncomfortable about what it says about women and that unsettles me more than anything.

I couldn't figure out this book as it kept alluding to a "dark secret" throughout (and the cover referred to a "twist") but the dark "secret" about the family is revealed early on so I kept reading wondering if there was more. There wasn't! I also found the parts of the main character's life that weren't in Roanoke weren't really developed, so you never got a sense of who she was in NYC and LA before and after the Roanoke years. I really like dark novels so I was looking forward to this but it was disappointing.

Thank you so much to Netgalley for my preview copy of The Roanoke Girls by Amy Engel. Despite finishing this book on a wonderful holiday in the hot sun of Puglia, Italy, staying in an amazing place, I felt cold at times as I read this uncomfortable and heartbreaking book.
The subject matter is a difficult one, but, so well written as to make it a real page turner.
I can't describe this as an enjoyable read, but, it's a worthwhile one.

Engel writes a haunting novel about growing up in an old town where every person and every building hides a secret. With characters entwined in mixed morals, demeaning friends, and a dark history not easily accepted, The Roanoke Girls is a must-read regardless of it being a brooding work of astounding fiction.

When this book comes out I'm probably going to buy two copies: one to re-read until it looks like it came out of a tumble dryer, and another to keep, in immaculate condition, on my shelf.

Every now and then you come across a story that changes your perspective on life, whether its contents have shocking revelations or jaw-dropping conclusions. The Roanoke Girls is one of those.