"...the law has nothing to do with the truth."

In 1997, two young girls -- 10-year-old Laurel and 6-year-old Primrose (Rosie) -- are accused of abducting and killing a toddler in a gully near a canal by their back garden. Because of her young age, Rosie is not subject to trial but Laurel (referred to during the proceedings as "Child X") is convicted and sent to a detention center. After the court case, her identity was revealed to the public and Laural and Primrose were labeled with the Flower Girls name. While Laurel languished at the youth center until age 18, the rest of the family were given new identities, moved away, and never visited her. When Laurel turned 18, she was moved to a women's prison and her only regular visitor was her uncle, and solicitor. Meanwhile, Rosie grew up out of the spotlight with her Mum and Dad and their notoriety hidden.

Flash forward 20 years to Rosie's (now her name is Hazel Archer) 25th birthday. She and her partner Jonny are at a Balcombe Court in Devon on New Year's Eve to celebrate with his teenaged daughter, Evie. A cry goes up early in the evening -- a 5-year-old girl, Georgie Greenstreet, has gone missing. A massive search begins even as a horrible winter storm comes in and blankets the hotel and beach with ice and bitter cold. When DC Lorna Hillier arrives on scene, she's in high gear and initiates an intense investigation. It's during this drama that Hazel meets the author, Max Saunders, and reveals her hidden identity as she shares with him her worry that she will be outed as a "Flower Girl" and somehow accused of this crime. Seeing an opportunity in this fortuitous encounter, Max has visions of a book deal based on Hazel's life and the long ago murder of Kirstie Swann. NO SPOILERS. Now, just pick up the book and read it!

I'm still reeling after finishing this book in the last couple of hours. Definitely it's a one-sit read as I think most will find it impossible to put down. Told in alternating points of view and going back and forth in time, it is an incredible story that asks more questions than it provides answers. This extremely well-written mystery demands that the reader think about evil and the concept of punishment. If you think about what you've read in the news, you'll be staggered by the notion of child murderers and again, wonder how and why they walk among us. Despite the clues and revelations, the conclusion leaves many dangling uncertainties and I would have liked to have seen more explanation and a more spelled-out ending -- I couldn't believe it when I read the last paragraph -- what??? No, please tell me more!

There were many characters in this book and they each play a role but were not fleshed out as much as I wanted -- give me more details and information. That said, I felt that I could identify at times with several of them and also want to shake others until the truth fell out. I really enjoyed this gripping story and definitely will look for other books written by this author. Very compelling and unsettling.

Thank you to NetGalley and Raven Books for the e-book ARC to read and review.

The Flower girls is a very different thriller and one which truly lives up to the blurb. In addition to being a first rate story, with twists and turns that keep the reader guessing, it’s also disturbing and thought provoking.

There are clear parallels with some real crime cases; notably the murder of James Bulger and the child killer, Mary Bell. The narrative examines culpability and rehabilitation. Do children who kill grow into loving, caring and morally aware adults? It explores themes which resonate with these cases and sensitive issues are very carefully handled.

It’s packed with plausible characters who endear and estrange, much like real people. I was hooked from the outset and consider this one of the most memorable books I’ve read in a long time. I think it’s one people will talk about.

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

After I finished reading this I walked away thinking that I would give it 3 stars. I felt that while the book was nothing amazing it was still an easy read and compelling enough to keep me going back.

Then I kept thinking about it. Over and over. The more I kept thinking about it the more I realised that I didn’t want to give it 3 stars after all. I actually wanted to give it 2 stars. So I did.

I don’t like ‘downgrading’ books from what I originally rated and I don’t do it often. So why did I do it here?

On reflection, The Flower Girls is a fairly average crime thriller. A murder was committed many years ago, someone was arrested for it and justice was served. Flash forward nineteen years to a cold winter day at a hotel where a young girl goes missing (but who is found quite quickly).

The story comes into play because one of the guests is a young woman aged 25. Nothing remarkable perhaps aside from the fact that she’s one of the titular ‘Flower Girls,’ a term coined for a pair of sisters (aged 10 and 6) who tortured and murdered a toddler those nineteen years ago.

Laurel, aged 10, was the one convicted for the crime and has spent her life in prison. Rose, aged 6, was the one deemed too young to be responsible and was given a new identity. We now know her as Hazel.

The tension comes from two factors; did Hazel have something to do with the disappearance of the girl at the hotel and exactly how involved was Hazel in the original murder?

Maybe this isn’t what I was expecting it to be. It was compelling enough for me to continue reading but I didn’t feel like the stakes were high because sadly I could see the ending coming at me like car headlights. Maybe we were meant to work it out. Maybe I’ve just watched a lot of police dramas on TV.

The characters are not particularly compelling. We sit inside the heads of Hazel, Laurel, Max (a writer at the hotel who wants to use the information he knows on Hazel to benefit his career), Hillier (the cop trying to solve the disappearance of the missing girl), Joanna (aunt of the murdered toddler) and Toby (uncle of Laurel who is trying to get her parole).

That’s a lot of character perspectives for a crime thriller.

Unfortunately I feel the author was using the larger cast of characters and their varying perspectives to weigh in on the debates of ‘is evil born or created‘ and ‘when can we say someone has been fully punished for their crime‘ but this just didn’t fully work for me. The characters became devices rather than fleshed out characters and because there’s some unreliable narrators involved I actually felt a little cheated with purposeful misdirection.

Maybe I just wanted a more terse, psychological thriller and uncertainty. I never ask for uncertainty in stories but I wonder if here it would have been used for better effect.

But I’m probably saying that because I just didn’t like the ending. And as that’s the last thing you read in a book (shocker) that’s probably another reason why I changed my rating from a 3 to a 2.

I would have preferred uncertainty to the author’s ending which seems to concretely answer the question of ‘is evil born or created’ while simultaneously not providing any answers of substance. It’s hard for me to further elaborate without spoilers and I don’t want to spoil.

Now I must be completely honest with you and I hope it doesn’t offend: –

As mentioned before I found The Flower Girls to be a fairly average crime thriller. But I think the reason why this book is so hyped is because it benefits from the ‘sensationalism’ of having two young girls murder a baby.
And this is where I can’t separate my subjectivity from objectivity.

It’s a piece of fiction. Yep. Fine. It’s a piece of fiction that made me feel uncomfortable. Yep. Fine. The ending made me feel uncomfortable. Fine.

The frequent references and comparisons to a real life case in order to highlight how shocking this fictional murder was made me feel uncomfortable. I didn’t feel so fine.

If you’re comfortable with this, that’s fine (and no, this review is not about how many times I can use the word ‘fine’ even though it does appear to be a lot) but I didn’t like it and ultimately our reading experiences are personal because we’re humans not robots.

The real life case often referred to and I believe acts as inspiration to ‘The Flower Girls’ is that of Jamie Bulger which happened in the UK in 1993. If you want more details I suggest Google but it is horrid and involves two ten year old boys torturing and murdering a two year old.

The problem I have is that The Flower Girls references Jamie Bulger a lot. I feel this is to get the readers to fill in the blanks as to how horrifying the fictionalised crime is but a) that’s lazy writing, b) the author doesn’t provide any intelligent insight into the crimes, c) the book sensationalises the crime and glamorises Hazel without providing a narrative as to why this is not a good thing.

Like I said – I can’t separate my subjectivity from objectivity. This is on me. I didn’t like something and I didn’t like it enough for me to rate the book 2 stars.

Even if I remove the subjectivity then sadly I think this is an average crime book using sensationalism to give it a boost.

Maybe I should just stick to Agatha Christie.

A harrowing story about crime, grief and punishment, The Flower Girls is a fast paced and twisty read that is bound to make you uncomfortable.

The Flower Girls is a totally in-your-face suspense, with a chilling premise: two little girls murdered a toddler nearly twenty years ago, and while one of them is still behind bars, the other one is living her life, free as a bird, under a knew identity, barely even remembering the crime that had been committed.

Joanna, the murdered toddler's aunt is still campaigning for longer sentences, and through her story the author examines the effects of grief and the inability of letting go. Is it really the best thing to hold onto that all consuming anger? Is it possible to rehabilitate children who committed serious crimes?

Hazel (a.k.a. Rosie) is seemingly free and can live as she pleases, but when a child goes missing in the hotel she stays with her boyfriend, it still sucks to be her. She does whine a lot about this, to the point where I couldn't even feel sorry for her anymore, but as the police search getting more desperate, another problem pops up. An author recognizes her and comes up with the brilliant idea to write a book about Hazel, so she can tell her side of the story, and free herself from all past guilt. Also there will be money... lots of money.

There's the obligatory debate about nature vs. nurture, and of course we can't have a story like this without someone posing the question whether it's possible that some children are born evil. Well... Through disturbing flashbacks you will get all the details of what took place in 1997, so you can decide it for yourself. I personally came to the conclusion that I don't know anything about anything anymore, people suck, and I just want to hang out with the cat.

Although The Flower girls is a brilliantly written, twisted and thought provoking thriller, there is such thing as one too many plot twist, so while I thoroughly enjoyed the ride, it ended with a tiny eyeroll for me.

This storyline reminded me of the tragic case of James Bulger. I found it to be an uncomfortable subject and while I did finish the book I'm not sure that I would recommend it

2 Sisters go out to play, while they are out they abduct and murder a baby!
The 2 sisters Laurel and Primose are caught, one is charged and is put away for life, one is too young to be prosecuted and so has her name changed ( and her parents ) and her life is led in secret
19 years on a little girl goes missing at the hotel her and her fiancé are staying at....of course the truth of who she is comes out....but is she involved in this crime?....she then decides to go and visit her Sister in prison, for the first time, then the truth amongst many lies starts to emerge
The book is menacing and certainly didn’t have any ‘LOL’ moments!,I found the writing cold but then am guessing it was meant to be that way, its not the book to call cosy, by any means, the regular references to Hindley etc also chill you even more
The Sisters are both horrible characters, again they are meant to be and if the author was hoping to create characters to despise then she succeeded!
The other players in the book are equally unpleasant and there is an above average quota of stomach acid that they all seem to have!
Some of the plot I found far fetched and some storylines petered out, I could see why they were there but just fizzled off when kinda ‘dealt with’
There are 2 endings, one which I am sure many will guess as I did but then the last 2 pages have an abhorrent ending that ( and I read a lot!!) shocked me and made me pull a eurrghhhh no way face! Then theres an extra bit added to the 2nd ending that made me grimace even more
If the author wanted to create a book that got you at the end, again she succeeded!!!
A disturbing uneasy read that will stay with you, the ending raised my overall score for the book

This was very enjoyable, keeps you guessing with a lot of red herrings and I did not want to put it down.
Thank you Netgalley for giving me the chance to read and review.

I was completely swept away by the first half of this book but much less so the second half, with the missing child safe and sound and Hazel's secret already out. The final couple of twists felt like they needed more explanation and earlier signposting for them to ring true. A thought-provoking book nevertheless.

The Flower Girls, Alice Clark-Platts debut thriller is both emotional and chilling due to the thought-provoking and complex plot. It reminded me right away of the James Bulger case, and as if the horror of finding a murdered child isn't enough the brutal, merciless killers are children themselves. Just like the Bulger case, this story brings a lot of emotion to the surface as we struggle to decipher why these children would carry out such an incident and how much culpability do they have for their actions at certain ages? It's quite didactic which I liked; it dealt with morality in a subtle way rather than shoving preconceived ideas down your throat. Having studied law at degree level the questions surrounding intent, age, brain capacity and responsibility of children for their actions were endlessly compelling to me. By the end of the book I had so many questions, and I love it when a novel is both rivetingly good and inspires a multitude of questions to arise in a readers mind.

This is an exquisitely written, intense and disturbing story, and I raced through it in a single sitting; I was just too far in to put it down and it had activated my mind and created much food for thought. The tension throughout is palpable, and there is an undertone of pure dread because of the nature of the crime, which never really dissipates. This is indeed a masterclass in crafting an absorbing yarn which plays with your emotions, and I know this is a story that will stay with me for a long time to come. There's something so shocking about the idea of two seemingly innocent children taking part in such a horrendous act. Should they get to live in witness protection? Should they be locked up for life? Will the first crime committed lead to recidivism? So many questions...

Many thanks to Raven Books for an ARC.

You know when you are a few pages into a book and you just know that this one is going to keep you gripped from start to finish, this is that book. I’m still in shock and amazement and feel like I’ll be thinking about this book for weeks to come.

It can be very chilling at times, the kind of conflicting book that you don’t want to put down but at the same time, on occasion, you need to set aside for a moment. The subject matter is so serious and very affecting but it has been dealt with well.

I think what made it get under my skin the most was getting to hear from so many perspectives and as the pictures start to build, realising the implications of what happened in both 1997 and in the present day and how it affects the different characters.

It isn’t just about the murder it’s the question of culpability, how we treat people who are related to someone in that position, whether rehabilitation is possible in such a young offender and at what point should they be considered for release; and how people can end up as prime suspects because of past wrongdoings even if there is no link to them other than that historic event. It is all of these issues that make up The Flower Girls and make it such a tense and atmospheric read.

There aren’t really any likeable characters in this book, I was surprised because I thought I would feel in a more positive way about Joanna, Kirstie’s aunt, but even she becomes particularly unlikeable. This just speaks to how good the author is at her craft and how amazingly well she has managed to capture the human condition in all of her characters.

The Flower Girls is certainly a book I won’t forget in a hurry, filled with suspense and a few twists that you might not expect, it is a compulsive read and even though its subject matter is difficult and won’t be for everyone I would really recommend it.

Cinematic is the main word that springs to mind when I think about this book. Seems to me it was written with the intention of it becoming a movie. It is the type of thing I see publishers pushing on authors. The perfect little book that will bring revenue in so many forms... Everything made me think of that: jumping from scene to scene, not always directly related; the point of view of so many character, at times secondary characters that weren't necessary adding to the plot but where filling spaces, as you'd most likely see in a movie; such a controversial subject etc.
It does seem inspired by the famous Jamie Bulger case and with the fuss made around the movie being nominated for an Oscar I expect this book to bank on some of that publicity too. Which is not necessarily a bad thing. Alice Clark-Platts did a good job. It is indeed a thrilling, gripping read and while I've anticipated some aspects, it still managed to surprise me at times. Plus I've actually liked the somewhat open to interpretation ending. I feel it gave a much needed depth to the story. While you can argued that the author tries to deal with hard subjects like pure evilness/wickedness; emotional abuse; fairness of legal system etc, I believe it remained at a rather superficial level. Or better said, it was done in a rather soap-operish way that once again alignes with my first impression. I obviously am not very fond of this technique but it will probably appeal to many and help the book overall.
That being said, The Flower Girls is an enjoyable read. Even if I am not sure "enjoyable" is actually suited a word seen the subject!

A twisty psychological thriller than will keep you on your toes until the last page.

In 1997, ten-year-old Laurel and six-year-old Rosie are playing a game that somehow results in the death of a baby. The country is shocked, and Laurel is old enough to be criminally responsible. She ends up juvenile detention and later prison, while her sister and parents are given new names and relocated.

Fast forward to the present day, and Rosie is now Hazel. She had a boyfriend with a teenage daughter, and they are spending New Year’s Eve in remote Devon hotel. A little girl has disappeared from the hotel, and her parents and the police are frantically searching for her. Meanwhile, Laurel is pursuing a judicial review that might finally allow her to be released from prison.

When a writer staying at the hotel realises that Hazel is actually one of the infamous Flower Girls, as Laurel and Rosie were known, he starts a chain of events that will change lives.

This is one of those twisty tales where you’re never entirely sure where you’re going. The narrative jumps around from Hazel to the suspicious Detective Hillier, and to including Laurel’s defence lawyer and the aunt of the original victim who has made it her life’s work to ensure that Laurel is never released to society.

There obviously lots of real-life parallels with child killers that The Flower Girls doesn’t avoid. But this is most certainly a different tale, and working out precisely what happened in both 1997 and the present day keeps you guessing all the way through.

So this was such a chillingly interesting premise and almost from the onset here because of the delicate and disturbing subject matter we are being exposed to I felt an almost deep sense of unease and dread down to my very bones.
This really wasn't an easy subject to take on board and digest: but it was one I really wanted to tackle just because of the discomforting content and unpleasant questions this poses when dealing with the actions of children and their culpability when committing such horrific crimes and while there were instances I found The Flower Girls to be thought Provoking and intense I also thought it started with a bang then slowly fizzled away leaving me feeling rather deflated inside as I was really expecting so much more then what I was actually given.
So this is told in then and now time and from multiple POV's: it also jumped around slightly which could be a tad disconcerting at times.
I loved the way this was almost a puzzle: a mystery to be solved and it did make me question what to actually take at face value here and how authentic was the limited information we were being dripfed by the author.
I was also left with questions here: one being the conspiracy of silence for so many years between the girls themselves.
I really liked where this eventually took us in regards to that end reveal: but did feel that this should have been expanded on and some clarity offered regarding the Why?
This did to me feel unfinished with that rather abrupt ending and I felt like I was leaving the story before the eventual conclusion was offered up.
I did enjoy this mostly but on reflection, there were just some aspects here that didn't quite work for me.
I would still recommend this as its very well written and in my opinion, did have more positives than negatives.
I voluntary reviewed an Arc of The Flower Girls.
All opinions expressed are entirely my own.

A fantastic story full of twists and turns that I didn’t see coming! A touch of a ‘true crime’ vibe to it as well, which I really enjoyed.

Ooh I didn't half enjoy this book. Laurel and Rosie are sisters with a sinister past. The abduction and brutal murder of a toddler puts Laurel behind bars and forces Rosie to start a new life with a new identity. Rosie thinks she can put the past behind her, until a nasty turn of events pushes her right back into the spotlight. With similarities to the James Bulger case, this book made my stomach drop quite a few times. A really good read.

The Flower Girls just didn't land for me. The premise was good and I enjoyed the story until about halfway. The ending was an anti-climax and I just didn't really care for any of the characters in the story, nor the missing child storyline.

Chillingingly reminiscent of the James Bulger case. Full of twists and turns that literally kept me on the edge of my seat

This is a harrowing and thought provoking novel, presumably inspired by the notorious murder of two year old James Bulger by two young boys, in 1993. That was the year I finished uni and started work, so I was studying and then working all hours, and barely watched any TV, but even in those days before instant and 24 hour news, I remember the saturation coverage and the tabloids’ fascination with the killers, which continues to this day, so while the premise seems at first unbelievable, on reflection it is plausible and therefore all the more horrifying.

In 1997 on a summers day in a small English town, two young sisters abduct a toddler from a playground while her heavily pregnant mother chats with friends. The girl’s body is found, horrifically beaten and tortured, and 10 year old Laurel, and 6 year old Rosie, dubbed the Flower Girls by the media, are soon arrested for the crime, but only Laurel is convicted as Rosie is deemed too young to understand the consequences of her actions.

Twenty years later, Rosie, now known as Hazel, visits a seaside hotel with her boyfriend to celebrate her birthday and New Years Eve. When a 5 year old disappears, Hazel is terrified that her secret will be revealed and that she will be blamed for the crime, but a predatory ex-journalist, who scents a major story, persuades her to confess to the police, and all her fears come to pass. Meanwhile Laurel is half-heartedly making another attempt at parole, but having never admitted her guilt or expressed remorse, the victims family, and many of the public, are adamantly opposed to this.

Written by a human rights lawyer, with some believably awful characters and a compelling plot, this posed lots of questions and would make a great book club pick. How long should a guilty child be punished for? Can children be truly evil? Should the press have the right to stalk people never convicted of a crime? When should family members accept that all their campaigning will never bring their loved ones back, and move on with their lives? (The latter question being particularly pertinent in New Zealand.)

The writing was stunning, with lyrical turns of phrase and an amazing sense of place. Unfortunately it was spoiled for me by the bizarre misuse of capitals in the ARC I received, many being missing, especially at the start of sentences, meaning you often had to read them twice, but also turning acronyms into weird looking words, and then capitals turning up in the middle of other words. I had assumed this was accidental and a gremlin in the typeface software, which would be fixed before publication, but then at the end, specific mention was made of the font, making me question whether in fact this is deliberate. If this is something that would bother you, I suggest taking a peek inside before you buy, but no other reviewer has mentioned it so maybe it’s just mine?

The other reason for downgrading this to 3 stars is the ending, which other reviewers have complained about. The solution to the mystery is well sign-posted as the plot progresses, and flashbacks reveal progressively more about the girls’ past, but then a bizarre double twist is thrown in that makes little sense and leaves a slightly bad taste. It’s not that I necessarily need a happy ending, but I like a definite resolution and for some sense of right prevailing. 3.5 rounded down.

My thanks to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. The Flower Girls is published on 24th January 2019.

Unfortunately this was the third book that I've read recently which uses the device of each chapter being set either in the present or going back in time to tell the story. Obviously a coincidence but it was becoming rather a tired formula. The book was quite good but I have to hand it to the author - the ending was superb - and therefore I would recommend this book for that alone!

It’s 1997 and Britain has been shaken to the core by the chilling abduction and murder of a baby, by two young girls. Sisters Primrose and Laurel are those two young girls, and the media gives them a sickeningly sweet name; The Flower Girls. Ten year old Laurel is convicted of the baby’s murder whilst Primrose, who is only 6, is deemed too young to be convicted and allowed to walk free.

Fast forward almost 20 years and Primrose, now Hazel, is staying with her boyfriend in a hotel over the New Year when a little girl goes missing. Suddenly Primrose finds here self catapulted into the spotlight all over again as The Flower Girls have the Press salivating once more.

This atmospheric novel is full of twists and kept me guessing right until the end, something many novels claim but few deliver. Alice Clarke-Platts deals with the deeply disturbing subject of child killers cleverly and succinctly and this novel immediately recalled high profile, real life cases to mind – some of which are cited and referred to within.

I must admit, I was apprehensive about starting this psychological thriller, not only due to the sinister subject matter but also because as I have two young children myself, both of whom are little girls. All apprehensions were hurriedly pushed to the back of my mind as soon as I started reading; this is an intriguing page turner in its truest form. The Flower Girls is fast paced, punchy and truly unsettling; a fantastic read.

Many thanks to Bloomsbury Publishing/Raven Books and Netgalley for sending me an ARC copy of this novel to read in return for an honest review. The Flower Girls is out in hardcover on 24 January 2019.