This is the eighth in the Darby McCormick series written by Chris Mooney. However you don't have to have read any of the others in order to fully enjoy this one. It can be easily read as a stand alone though as with all series you probably benefit from reading the series in order. Having said that I've only read one other one and you certainly pick up enough as you're going along. Derby is a forensic consultant. She has been brought in to consult on a cold case as the main suspect in the disappearance of three young girls has said he will only talk to her. This suspect, the truly obnoxious Father Byrne, a manipulative psychopath, is dying of cancer and the police hope he will confess to her. What he tells her though is nothing to do with the girls' disappearance.

It's a cliche but this is a real page turner. The characters are believable and you empathise fully with Mickey, the father of one of the girls in his attempts to find out the truth. The truth is genuinely surprising and doesn't disappoint. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

I really enjoyed this book another in the Darby McCormick series. If you’ve not read any of this series you would still be ok to read it as a stand-alone. I bet you’ll want to read the others after if it is your first. Darby is a great character who has gone back to her old hometown to help with a cold case of three missing little girls. This book is gripping with lots of twists and turns along the way. I recommend this book a great read

The Snow Girls by Chris Mooney a five-star read that wont leave you cold. This is twisted and compelling in the best way possible, you do need to understand that it is a book and not real life, I don’t know what to put in this review as I don’t want to tell you the details as you need to let them unfold like a winter flower. Darby McCormick is a great character and she will make you turn the page to see what she will do next.

Darby is back on her home territory assisting in a case of three missing girls from a decade before. The local priest claims he wasn’t involved but he is now dying and wants to talk to Darby but she doesn’t know why. One of the missing girls parents, mickey, is darby’s first love so she wants to help
Him wrestle his demons finally.

This was a much slower paced book than the previous ones. The last 25% had me gripped tightly! Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for this arc in exchange for my honest review.

This is a really good read. I am speechless. So much happens. There is a lot of suspense and a lot to the plot. This is definitely a must read. The characters are really good. Darby is determined to find out what happened to the missing girls and her determination gets answers. I really like the ending. It is really well written and well thought out.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy.

I rate Chris Mooney as one of the best psychological thriller writes working today, having read a few of his Darby Mc Cormick books. “The Snowgirls” is one of his bests in my opinion; the plot is tight and leaves room for various outcomes until the very end. The author reserves the resolution until the last 30 pages which makes it a gripping, fast paced read, I had no clue how it would end for a very long time.

Chris Mooney uses the current topic of pedophile priests in the US as his storyline. It has been a while since Claire Flynne disappeared while sledding on a neighborhood Belham hill. Investigator Darby Mc Cormick, with a Harvard PhD as a forensic psychologist, is called in as an expert by police investigator Kennedy when he is assigned to cold cases. The key suspect had been Father Richard Bryne, who was also linked to two previous disappearances of young girls. The police were never able to come up with enough evidence to pin him to a court case. The case has a personal connections for Darby as none other than her first love Mickey Flynne is the father of missing Claire. His life has been completely destroyed after his child vanished. When Darby interviews the now defrocked Father Bryne, she learns he is terminally ill having only weeks to live. He is anything from repentant, quite to the contrary he has some disturbing information for Darby and seems to glee in it. It becomes very clear that some powerful connections are willing to do anything to prevent Darby and the police from digging up the disappearance of the three snowgirls.

If you are looking for a gripping thriller that will keep you on your couch for a rainy November weekend, this would be an excellent choice.

This book is flawless! The storyline was amazing and the whole thing completely shocked me. I really wasn’t expecting the ending to happen the way it did. Throughout the whole book I was trying to work out what was going to happen, and I couldn’t even think of one theory. I really had no idea what was happening. There’s a lot of characters in this story, but not too many so I didn’t get confused at all. All of the characters were really interesting, and I love Darby as she’s an awesome character who you don’t want to mess with! It’s always refreshing to see a powerful female as one of the main characters. I think this is probably one of my favourite books that I’ve read this year. This one really stands out to me, as it’s different to other crime stories. I think with so many people writing crime stories, it’s easy for endings and storylines to become predictable. This one definitely wasn’t predictable and I think it’s one that’s going to stick with me, as I’ll definitely be recommending this one to people!

This is the latest brilliant addition in the Chris Mooney series featuring forensic psychologist consultant Darby McCormick. Darby returns to run down Belham, the Boston town she grew up in and where her Detective father, Big Red, was murdered, and where she exposed the police corruption that made her a persona non grata, hated by the cops as a rat. Detective Chris Kennedy has hired Darby as a consultant to come back and work on a 11 year old cold case. 6 year old Claire Flynn was taken without trace from a snowy hillside, previously 2 other young girls were taken in a similar manner. They are the snow girls, leaving behind griefstricken and inconsolable parents desperately looking for answers, presuming the worst. There was only ever one prime suspect, Father Richard Byrne, defrocked by the Catholic Church after the Boston abuse scandal, linked to the disappearance of all 3 missing girls, becoming the town pariah ever since.

Byrne is terminally ill with cancer, and will only talk to Darby before he dies, taking with him the knowledge of what happened to the girls. Darby expects a confession, but is confronted by a disgustingly evil and manipulative man with an agenda of his own. Mickey Flynn was Darby's first love and is Claire's father, a man unable to find peace and move on from the disappearance of his beloved daughter, leaving him a broken man whose marriage fell apart, and dependent on alcohol. Driven by his efforts to find out what happened to Claire, he assaulted Father Byrne and will go to prison if he goes anywhere near him. A movingly emotional picture emerges of just how completely Mickey has been reduced to a shell of a man, so traumatised and volatile, bitter that the police have never arrested or questioned Byrne. Darby's investigation has her looking closely at Father Keith Cullen, discovering family secrets and up against a killer determined to ensure that she gets nowhere close to the truth of the snow girls.

Mooney takes the reader on a disturbing and unsettling psychological journey, littered with red herrings, and with an unexpected ending that you will not see coming. His ability to paint a picture of Belham, the characters that reside in it, and the fallout from the Boston abuse scandal and the Catholic Church is phenomenally good. The detailed depiction of the unravelling of Mickey feels so authentic, the pain and despair of never knowing what happened to Claire is slowly but surely destroying him. Darby is confronted by her own personal dilemmas as she learns more about her parents that she never knew, not to mention the secrets and lies that simmer beneath the facades of other people that she uncovers. This is beautifully written and well plotted bleak and atmospheric dark crime fiction that never once fails to engage the reader. Highly recommended. Many thanks to Penguin Michael Joseph for an ARC.

I’ve read one other Chris Mooney book last year and found it to be very enjoyable so when I was offered this one via NetGalley I was really pleased to read and review it.
Like the previous book this one has Darby McCormack as the main protagonist. Darby is an independent investigator who who has a PhD in profiling of serial killers and uses that knowledge to track them down.
In this story she is called in to consult on a cold case by a Detective she used to work with. A 6 year old girl, Claire, the daughter of Darby’s old boyfriend Mickey had been abducted 11 years previously. The prime suspect is a Catholic priest, Byrne, but he’s never been convicted and he has recently returned to Darby’s and Mickey’s hometown suffering from a terminal illnesses. Mickey has tried to beat information from the priest about his lost daughter but to no avail and now has a restraining order against him so he can’t go anywhere near Byrne.
This is an interesting read, particularly because some of the story is based on fact; the paedophile priests scandal in Boston, a major news item over the last few years, obviously plays a large part in the plot.
The characters are well drawn, particularly Mickey and his desparate need to find out his daughter’s fate. His struggle to keep off the booze despite wanting to drink to forget , is extremely well described.
There are many twists in the novel - the author certainly knows how to mess with the reader’s mind and I must say that the ending was completely unexpected.
A major theme in the book seemed to be families and secrets. All the characters discovered hidden family secrets including Darby herself and that seemed to play a large part in the story.
This was a compelling read which I really loved and am now looking forward to the next book in the series.

Wow it’s been a long time since I read any Chris Mooney books and it’s been far too long. This didn’t disappoint, I’ve been missing Darbys character and she’s certainly back with a bang . Fantastic book I would highly recommend

Thank you to Netgalley, the author and the publisher for an ARC of this book.

Once again Chris Mooney excels and Darby is just as kickass as ever! The only character missing was....well you'll find out when you read it, but I hope this isn't the start of phasing him out of the series. I'd be really disappointed - but would still read them.

Unlike some series', and the way they start to fade and storylines become boring, this doesn't. It's fast-paced, edgy, dark and who doesn't love Darby and wishes they can be like her?

The story centres around the missing child 10 years earlier of an old flame of Darby's and the sick twisted priest who is accused of being the perpetrator.

Another 5 stars from me for Chris Mooney and The Snow Girls.

Keep 'em coming!

Absolutely loved this book. Suspense filled mystery with so many twists it keeps you constantly speculating. Lost childre, suspect priests and greiving parents. Darby is a strong character, returning to her childhood home to help local police with a cold case she gets in deeper and faster than imagined. I literally did not figure out the bad guys until the last chapter. Could not put this one down. Extremely well written.

Thank you so much for the advanced copy of this. I love this series. One of my favourites and this didn’t disappoint. In fact I didn’t put it down until it was done! Story is about Darby going back to her home town to speak to a catholic priest who is the prime suspect in a young girls disappearance many years ago. Darby is like an old friend and I just feel like I’m right there in the book. Highly recommend this to anyone who likes a mystery.

This is the latest instalment of the Darby McCormick series and is just as good as the previous.
Darby is called back to her home town to look at the cold case of six year old Claire Flynn who went missing eleven years ago.
The main suspect was, and still is, Father Richard Byrne. He now wants to speak to Darby as he is dying and back in their home town where Claire went missing. As Darby investigates she reacquaint herself with all those involved including her first love and Claire’s father Micky. Micky is struggling with the past and wants answers. Claire’s disappearance is also linked to the disappearance of two other young girls who disappeared into the snow.
I read this in one sitting and now want to reread the series. Darby is a troubled investigator but wants the answers to the questions no one else asks.
You can read this without having read the previous but the previous instalments add depth to the characters particularly Darby.
Thanks to Penguin and NetGalley for an ARC in return for an honest review.
#TheSnowGirlsChrisMooney #NetGalley

It has been a while since I have read this author and boy have I missed him.
I love the Darby McCormick series and I have been with her since the beginning. What can I say about this book. WOW AMAZING FANTASTIC and so many more adjectives. In places in this book I wanted to go and have a bath in bleach. This is writing at its best and OMG !!!! the ending what a twist and I never saw it coming.
This is a real page turner and this author is back with a Bang !!!!!!
Makes me want to search through my library and read from the beginning of this amazing and exhilarating series.
I would like to thank the author Chris Mooney, Penguin U K- Michael Joseph and Net.galley for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for giving an honest review.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Michael Joseph - Penguin UK for an advance copy of The Snow Girls, the eighth novel to feature forensics consultant Darby McCormick.

Darby has returned to her hometown of Belham, Massachusetts to consult on the cold case of six year old Claire Flynn who disappeared eleven years previously but the consultation is not what she expects. The only suspect in not just Claire’s disappearance but that of two other young girls, Father Richard Byrne, is dying and will only talk to Darby although what he has to say is also not what she expects.

I thoroughly enjoyed TheSnow Girls which is a tense, emotional read with some good twists and a very surprising conclusion. I must admit that I had an inkling of where the novel would end up but it didn’t spoil my enjoyment of what was for me a one sitting read, I just couldn’t put it down. It is a quieter, more reflective novel than some of Darby’s outings (she only gets attacked twice!) and this is due to the format where narrative is split between Darby and her old school friend, Claire’s father, Mickey. Darby’s narrative is all about the investigation whereas Mickey’s is all about his struggle in trying to come to terms with the loss of his daughter and his memories of their time together. I found it incredibly moving and realistic - how do you get on with life when you don’t know what happened to your child? In the background to Mickey’s pain Darby is relentless in her pursuit of information. She doesn’t do a lot of forensic examination but relies on interviews and reason. I love the way she keeps going when all around her are looking for an easy life.

The plot may require a certain suspension of disbelief as there are too many people with big secrets but Mr Mooney has a very readable style of writing and sets a good pace so I was too busy going with the flow to really notice while reading.

Darby McCormick is a real kickass protagonist. She is smart enough to have a doctorate in psychology along side her forensic science qualifications but she is also an action woman with excellent self protection skills, never mind being mentally tough and confident. This perfection could make you sick until you realise that she is a loner with nothing meaningful outside her job. She reveals a softer side in this novel, full of empathy, compassion and a certain amount of soul searching.

The Snow Girls is a good read which I have no hesitation in recommending.

Another great story staring Darby McCormick whose career I have followed for several years.

The main thread connects fiction with the real life horror of paedophile priests that erupted world wide after exposure in Boston. Cleverly intertwining reality with fiction brings the story to life.

A complex plot with endless side and past stories of both Darby and the other cast members it is sometimes hard to keep hold of the separate threads. However, it held my attention sufficiently to finish in one sleepless night. Engaging read.

I've read nearly all of the books that feature Darby McCormick, though it must be well over a year ago since I read the last one. I felt the author gave enough background so anyone who may not have read any of the other books, could certainly read this as a stand alone.

What I really enjoyed most about this book is Darby investigating a cold case. There is always something that I find fascinating about cold cases and even though technology may have improved over the years, there is always the risk of witnesses dying or their memory not being as good. I also loved Mickey Flynn's character as well as finding out more about his and his families background. It really makes for some intriguing reading and I couldn't tear myself away from the pages. 

There are lots of secrets and lies throughout this book which definitely makes for a compelling read. The further into the story I got, the more hooked I became. Towards the end got quite emotional and before I knew it, I was having to grab a tissue to wipe away the tears. It will certainly have you going through a mix of emotions. 

The Snow Girls is a chilling yet addictive read that I couldn't get enough of. I loved the build up of tension and really was on tender hooks as to whether Darby was going to solve the case or not. A must read for crime thriller fans.

Darby McCormick has never forgotten the disappearance of Claire Flynn. The investigator failed to solve the case conclusively, or recover the lost girl. Now, eleven years later, the only suspect, Father Richard Byrne, is dying and wants to talk to Darby. To confess perhaps? He was also suspected in two other disappearances and Darby goes to his side expecting him to unburden his soul, but she doesn’t get a confession. Mooney knows how to build suspense and does a masterful job keeping readers on the edge of their seats