Thanks to Net Galley and Bloomsbury Publishing Plc for an ARC of this book in exchange for a review.
Wow! This is an intense psychological thriller, fast paced and hard to put down.
Two sisters, Laurel who was aged 10 and Rosie who was only 6, brutally murdered a toddler, 2 year old Kirstie.
The press named the two sisters ‘The Flower Girls’ Lauren was found guilty of her murder, she had been in prison for nearly 20 years, while her sister was given a new identity and a new life, too young to stand trial.
The story is told in the past and the present by both sisters, It is a dark twisty story and the ending is unexpected and shocking.
Very well written, the story and the characters felt very real.

The book tells the story of Hazel and her sister Laurel (the Flower girls), almost 20 years after a young child has been murdered, and Laurel charged and imprisoned for committing the crime. When a second child disappears at a hotel where Hazel and her partner are staying, the initial story is brought into focus again, and Hazel is suspected of being the perpetrator.
Initially I found the book a little difficult to follow as a varied number of new characters are introduced, made slightly more confusing as several of the main characters have had their names changed to protect their identity. It took a while to become involved with the story as I had to keep checking back to see who each character was.
Chapters are quite short, which increases pace and makes the book more interesting. Characters are finely drawn, and story and action expertly crafted drawing you into the past and present events. The author takes you back to the original crime and what happened, which brings everything alive.
The story is readable and keeps you interested trying to work out what really happened. The ending is a complete surprise, definitely not what I expected. I feel that another follow on book is needed to see what happens later.

The Flower Girls are sisters Laurel and Primrose, one convicted at age ten for the murder of a toddler, the other given a new identity. Nineteen years later, a child goes missing at a hotel where Primrose, now known as Hazel, happens to be staying. Secrets of identity and past events can no longer be kept when a fellow hotel guest recognises Hazel from newspaper headlines all those years ago.

I was drawn to this title as it is published by Raven Books and I really enjoyed some of their previous releases. I can be a very slow reader but I read this in very few sittings. There are two overlapping strands of mystery; the present-day disappearance of a five-year-old hotel guest, and the mystery of what really happened when a toddler was found murdered twenty years before. The plot jumps between the two main time periods and this works really well, entwining the mysteries.

The characters are strongly written; full of secrets and internal conflicts. But we never get to truly know the characters, not until the very end; or else there would be no mystery!

The inciting incident of the story, the murder of a child by another child, is hauntingly written; fragments of the life-changing day are scattered throughout the book, hinting at events, but avoiding gratuitous violence. This is effective and important with such a disturbing theme.

Several characters are affected by the ripples of events from many years before. Among them are the aunt of the murdered toddler, fighting to keep Laurel in prison forever, and Laurel and Primrose’s lawyer uncle, the only family member to keep in touch with Laurel.

The story explores the nature of truth, memory, trust, hate and love in an interesting and chilling way. The final twist is an excellent end to this riveting read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Raven Books for the opportunity to read and review this title.

"And what about if you don't believe in evil? What's the answer then?"

This murder mystery by Alice Clark-Platts explores the murder of a young child that has potentially been committed by another child and goes into a nature vs nurture argument. There are plenty of twists within the tale though to keep you guessing as to who really committed the heinous crime and who should be held responsible.

The final twist definitely leaves its mark and had me pondering the conclusion for a while.

It is clear that Clark-Platts has a background as a lawyer and the court scene flashbacks are carried out with detail and care and the way she has crafted the novel to dip back into episodes from the past and bring us to present-day is done skillfully. For pace it gets full marks.

Certainly a book that leaves you questioning your views on rehabilitation, redemption and how our circumstances play a part in who we then become.

Many thanks to NetGalley, Bloomsbury Publishing, Raven Books and the author for a copy of this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

In 1997, two little girls (sisters) aged 10 & 6 abducted and killed a two year old toddler. The older girl was charged with the crime but the younger one got a new identity. The younger sister (Rosie) went on to lead a normal life. 19 years later, another young girl goes missing at the hotel where Rosie was staying. The Flower Girls are about to hit the headlines again.

This is quite an uncomfortable book to read. It is indeed a twisted tale. The murder of the two year old girl read a lot like what happened to Jamie Bulger. We are taken back regularly tom1997 where we learn of the sisters childhood before, during and after the murder. We also get glimpses of the older sisters trial. The book itself is sensitivity written and utterly compelling. There are plenty of vivid characters. The story will definitely mix with your emotions that stay with you long after you've finished the book.

I would like to thank NetGalley, Bloomsbury Publishing Plc (UK & Anz) and the author Alice Clark-Platt for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This could have been a very uncomfortable read considering the subject. It immediately made me think of James Bulger. But it was such a well written story that it was gripping and I raced through it.

I had an idea there would be a twist and what it would be, but there were further unexpected twists that left me thinking “WOW!” A fantastic book that I want to read again to see if I missed any signs to the twists.

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

Deeply dark thriller with a terrific twist at the end. Convincing characters but some seriously mixed up people.

I was hooked on this book from the beginning. The story went back and forth but didn't confuse you by doing so. You just. knew something was going to come out,but wasn't sure what or when Very gripping

-The Flower Girls tells the story of sisters Laurel and Primrose (Rosie), who hit headlines in their childhood for a chilling reason - one was convicted of murder, whilst the other was too young to stand trial, deemed innocent and given a new identity. Years later, we meet Rosie in her new identity as Hazel. On holiday when a young girl disappears, Hazel finds the events of the past beginning to haunt her once more.

-This book is full of twists and turns. The characters are vividly painted, but still leave you questioning your view of them. As each person developed I found myself thrown from rooting for particular characters to disliking them, to being shocked, saddened, and everything in between. Although there are one or two obvious red herrings thrown into the mix, the overall story really involved me emotionally. Although I had an inkling of how the story would turn out, I never saw the whole thing and I was reeling by the end. A story that sucked me in with twists and turns and made me hunger for a sequel.

-The Flower Girls raises many questions around a highly emotive subject. We can see similarities to real life events, such as the murder of Jamie Bulger, and how cases are dealt with in the press for both the victim, the offender, and their families. The flashbacks, slowly uncovering the events of the young girls at the time of the murder, raised issues of influence, mental illness, family dynamics and age restrictions of trials, as well as rehabilitation, incarceration and the long-term, devastating impact the death of a young child has on the victim's family and friends. An important book.

3.5 stars rounded up.
Nineteen years ago, a young child was brutally murdered. There were two other children present at this most heinous crime - Laurel and Primrose (Rosie); The Flower Girls. Laurel went to jail for the crime. Rosie, too young to be convicted, was relocated along with her family, with a new identity and continued to live her life. Fast forward back to the present day and Primrose is now known as Hazel and in a solid relationship with boyfriend Jonny. They are holidaying in Devon along with Jonny's daughter Evie and all is going pretty well until a child goes missing from the hotel where they are staying and Hazel starts to worry that her secret will come out and she will be accused of taking the child.
Meanwhile Laurel is still in prison having been transferred from youth to adult jail. She is still trying to get past the parole board but the Aunt of the child who died keeps campaigning to get her parole denied. With only her Uncle/Lawyer on her side, things look pretty grim for her until the news breaks when Rosie's identity is exposed. Whilst this exposure proves bad for Rosie with the attention and accusations it gleans her, Laurel sees how reconnecting with her sister could help her gain her freedom. But at what cost... and to whom...?
This book wasn't quite what I was expecting from the blurb. It actually ended up being much more than the sum of its parts as it delivered shocks and surprises aplenty. Some of which I had already guessed to be honest, but others swept me off my feet. It follows the usual format you would expect from a psychological thriller insofar as there are red herrings and misdirection along the way, a couple of plot twists to keep the reader on their toes and then, the ending that I suspect will divide opinion. Me, I'm still on the fence about it all. Not the ending that I would have really preferred but I guess it fits with what went before so I can accept it and move on without worrying too much about it.
What I didn't really like too much was that the majority of the characters left me a bit cold. The lawyer, the two girls, the aunt, the cop, the boyfriend, the writer, and probably others that I have already forgotten, well... I just didn't really click with any of them and hardly cared what happened to any of them. That didn't really help me along the way but I guess the story must have been interesting and intriguing enough to keep me reading on cos I also can't remember wanting to give up.
I can't say that I really enjoyed this book. It's never pleasant reading about child murder, especially when the perpetrators are children too but it was a good solid read that ticked most of my boxes and left me mostly satisfied (albeit uncomfortable) at the end. My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

Cracking book full of survival suspense and mystery throughout with a final few twists that shock as well as surprise. I couldn't put t his one down.

Urghhhhhhhhh this was just the book I was looking for at this time. I want to clarify that is a 'yes. perfect. excellent. I need more like this' kind of urgh, not the bad kind. Women being evil, fake identities, secret sister codes, unreliable narrators, this book had everything. It was just the right amount of dark, just the right amount of deception and maneuvering, and while I wasn't totally surprised, it's often not about the reveal, but the motive, the reasoning, the omg that's f***ed up moment. I really, REALLY, enjoyed this read, I was gripped all the way through, and I'm excited to check out what else Clark-Platts has written.

Laurel and Primrose are known as The Flower Girls. One was convicted of murder nineteen years ago and the other a new identity. Now another child has gone missing and The Flower Girls hit the headlines all over again.

I found this a very slow read, I was waiting for something to happen but I’m not sure what. The characters were hard for me to connect with and by the end I didn’t care who had done what!

Thank you to Netgalley for my advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

WOW I’m actually still reeling/thinking about this book, I was completely gripped from the first page. Laurel and Primrose (Rosie) were dubbed the Flower Girls by the press after they lured and murdered in the most horrific way, 2 year old Kirstie Swann. As Rosie was only 6 years old, she was deemed incapable of standing trial given her age, Laurel who was 10 was convicted and sent to a young offenders institute and then to prison once she turned 18 whilst Rosie and her parents were given new identities and a new start.

Roll on 19 years later and a 5 year old girl goes missing from a coastal hotel on the Devon Cliffs, as the roads have been closed due to a snow storm, obviously it’s the guests/staff who are accused. When it gets out that Hazel Archer a guest in the hotel is in fact one and the same as Primrose Bowman, one half of The Flower Girls, she claims she has nothing to do with the missing girl but with her history, can she be trusted to be telling the truth?

The Flower Girls hit the headlines once again and now that they know the identity of Rosie Bowman, she is being hounded. She has no memory of what happened the day Kirstie Swann was murdered she has blocked it out.

I can’t say much more for fear of ruining it for others, but to tell you it’s a jaw dropping, head spinning, horrifying, chilling, twisty read and I highly recommend it.

Many thanks to Netgalley, Bloombury Publishing Plc and Raven Books for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

It's taken me a long time to think about this book and how I want to review it. I have to say that although the writing is exquisite and the storyline slowly built but engrossing, I really didn't like it and it left me feeling very uncomfortable. That doesn't normally bother me but The Flower Girls just felt a little bit too close to recent events for comfort for me. I wanted to give up around 15% but felt invested enough in the plot to keep going to the end to find out if my first instincts were correct (which they were!) but the ending especially really did make me feel quite queasy. Not for me I'm afraid.

Thought provoking! A different kind of murder mystery. Rosie and her sister Laurel were accused of killing a toddler when they were 6 and 10 respectively. Laurel is convicted and incarcerated for the next 18 years. Rosie was too young to testify and "escaped" but had to change her name and felt forever at risk. A tragedy occurs and Rosie's identity is revealed bringing back notoriety and all sorts of unwanted memories.
The book is an interesting angle of the impact on a killers family. But it is also a murder mystery, to understand what really happened "that day" and on its present day parallel. As a mother, I found the story disturbing and I'm not sure I enjoyed it. But I cant deny its twists and turns and dive in psychology were interesting and had me thinking about the book, and its ending, long after I had finished the last page.

Laurel and Primrose are The Flower Girls. One was convicted of murder, the other given a new identity. Now nineteen years later another child has gone missing. This book had me hooked from the first page. The plot flows well with just the right amount of characters. Alice Clark-Platts tells a brilliantly chilling tale and I can highly recommend this book. Thank you to NetGalley, Bloomsbury Publishing and the author for the chance to review.

The Flower Girls
Alice Clark-Platts
Raven Books

Firstly, I’d like to thank Raven Books for the ARC of this novel. I’d like to thank NetGalley for facilitating, and also Alice Clark-Platts for an interesting read!

It has taken me almost 2 weeks to write this review because I wanted to find a way to be fair to the author but I also wanted to be honest about my feelings towards The Flower Girls, and immediately after reading I had such intense feelings about this book that I couldn’t bear to write about it. Two weeks later and I’m finally in a place where I feel able to discuss it but forgive me if this isn’t the best review I’ve written - I really just want it out on the page so that I can put it from my mind.

Now usually I will not disclose any information about the book NOT in the synopsis so that I don’t ruin the book for anyone - and also because I think that’s terribly unfair to the authors who put so much time into their novels. HOWEVER... on this occasion there is one fact that I will disclose because I think it is important to know before you begin this book. The murder that is mentioned in the synopsis is the brutal torture & murder of a toddler. An innocent baby. And I’m telling you this because had this been made clear in the synopsis I would have kept away from the book. I know I’m not alone in this, as a mother of a baby and a toddler I CANNOT read or hear of any crimes against children their age without my head going mad and imagining them in that scenario. It is torture because it replays over and over in my head in as much detail as I am given. I hear what my girls would have said, how they would have cried, what their faces would have looked like and I can’t stop the thoughts from playing. I was told it was some form of post-partum anxiety but I know from speaking to other mothers that they also experience the same thing as I do - it seems fairly common. So if you are like me, do not go near this book. Once I’d started I couldn’t stop and it was very painful to read.

This book closely resembles another crime that I’m certain everyone will remember. As such it easily blurs the lines between fact and fiction and therefore creates a deeper emotional response when reading.

The storyline was actually well thought out -although I had the characters figured out quite early on into the book. That’s not to say that they were not complex because they very much were, but their true selves were easy enough to figure out as the story progressed.

Because of the above issues with the subject matter I found it incredibly hard to connect in any way with the characters because I spent most of my time wishing the book were over and holding everyone within it at arms length.

I am giving this 3 stars because I’m certain that it was written well, and that for some people this will be an incredible page turner, but for me - I didn’t want to read this book, and had I known what it was really about I wouldn’t have.

A truly suspenseful read. Two sisters Primrose and Laurel take a small child from the playground. Hours latwer the child is found dead. Nineteen years on one sister in prison the other living her shiny new life with a new identity. While away on a break with her partner 'Hazel' is recognised as one of the flower girls after a child goes missing. The story twists and turns through the sisters lives portraying both favouritism and fear.
This book is both riveting and chilling. It is hard to put down once started and is a book I would definitely recommend to anyonwe who enjoys a good psycholoical thriller.

THE FLOWER GIRLS by Alice Clark-Platts is a sharp and well-paced thriller built upon the chilling incident of a child murder: a murder not just OF a child, but one committed BY a child. Two sisters were there when the baby died; neither of them ever described what happened, and one went to prison while the other gained a new identity and a life marred by horror. So what happened next, and why has another child disappeared?

The start of this book is beautifully atmospheric, set at a hotel on a snowy clifftop in the midst of a New Year celebration. During these first few chapters - swirled with high emotion and drama - I couldn't help thinking that this was what I would be reading if Daphne du Maurier had written a novel based on the Cluedo board game. It honestly kept me up at night, I was enjoying it so much.

The book moves on past the inciting incident at the clifftop hotel and into the murky developments of the weeks and months to follow. What really happened? Who was to blame? These answers are dangled until the very last, with many characters' motives and actions remaining suspicious throughout. Interspersed with the developments are small, delicate flashbacks to the original child murder - chillingly brutal and unnerving and making you rethink your theories right up to the last page.

This was a great book, nicely paced and with a stunning sense of atmosphere and creepiness. The author has a really lovely turn of phrase - there were many instances where I thought to myself, "Wow - THAT line..." and breathed a blissful sigh.

Thank you, NetGalley, for the opportunity to read this exciting book. I'm looking forward to reading more of Alice Clark-Platts' work!