I was pleased to get hold of a copy of this book after enjoying the author’s debut novel, Stranded. Unfortunately, this novel didn’t hold my attention and stretched my credulity too far.

My main issue lies with the character of Lucy/Lucia. At the start of the novel she is living a humdrum life, working in an administrative job but firmly under the control of her simultaneously wet yet condescending husband, Marshal. He, in turn is patronised and managed by his awful parents, Marshall senior, an MP and Enid, a columnist. Nothing about any of these relationships rings true.

Then we move on to the main ‘plot’, involving cults, kidnapping and wellness brands and if that all sounds like an OTT dream sequence, it also reads like that.

Sadly, this book just didn’t engage me at all. I found the characters, settings and plot almost farcical. The ending was just as dissatisfying as the beginning. Hopefully the author will have a return to form with her next book.

With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher, Avon books Ltd for an arc of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

Psychological family thriller.
Lucy is is married to Marshall, a local councillor, who has his sights on greater things. As his wife, Lucy follows his guidance as to how she dresses and behaves. Then one day, the press release evidence that Lucy and her mother were part of a cult. As Luscy was brought up in care, she only has a hazy recall of her earlier life.
The general idea was a good one with twists and turns but there were several ideas that just didn't work for me which spoilt the story.

*Thank you to Avon Books, Sarah Goodwin, and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review*

Previously published at https://www.mysteryandsuspense.com/the-thirteenth-girl/

“Although force is often used, it is not essential. Many cults woo their victims with love, rather than brutality.”

― Kathleen Taylor, Brainwashing: The Science of Thought Control

Having read Stranded last year and declaring it one of my favorite books, I was so excited to read this new one by Sarah Goodwin, and it does not disappoint. Sarah has a way of pulling you into her novel from the first page. And keeps you mesmerized throughout. Much like her previous novel, nothing is what it seems. With an unreliable narrator, and questionable characters, I wondered what I was going to find out next.

Lucy Townsend is recently married to Marshall, a wealthy counsellor. Much to her surprise, she becomes pregnant fairly quickly. Having had a terrible role model as a mother, she is not keen on having this child. Lucy’s childhood memories are somewhat faded, but she remembers being saved from a fire when she was just seven years old. She also remembers the ones who did not survive and their cries for help. When Marshall’s parents hear she is pregnant, they are surprised and delighted. His father is an MP and they are wealthy and well known in the community. Lucy has been keeping some big secrets about her past and when a rookie journalist exposes her past, the article threatens everything Lucy has. The publicity is not good and Lucy’s in-laws are not happy. Marshall and his parents decide that the best thing to do is to send Lucy away until the press settles down.

Lucy and her friend Ellie arrive at the hideaway and she immediately realizes how close it is to the house she grew up in that burned down. With nothing to do for the foreseeable future, she decides to investigate her past. Amid exploring what is left of her old home, she falls and breaks her leg. This is really when this incredible book begins. We learn so much more about Lucy and the cult she grew up in, what happened to her mother, and everyone else that survived the massive fire.

The ending was wonderful and wrapped the story up nicely. As the reader, I loved how Sarah Goodwin did not make Lucy superhuman, but let her actually struggle and then struggle again. I enjoy books where nothing is as it seems and The Thirteenth girl did not disappoint. I could not put this one down. Even down to the minute details, it all has shades of not being the truth. An amazing follow-up to her debut novel. I can’t wait to see more from this author.

Lucy was brought up in care after being rescued from the cult where she spent her early childhood. Now married to a well to do aspiring politician she has just discovered that she is pregnant when a media storm erupts revealing her association with the cult. This is used to smear her father in law, a prominent M.P. and the family decide she should go into hiding in a remote country cottage in Wales - which isn't far from the site of the ruined house where the cult used to live.... Its a complex and intriguing plot which will keep you engaged and asks questions about who is abusing whom.

Lucy is hiding a secret from her past. She is trying to make a perfect life appeasing her husband in everything she does. When she is discovered by someone from her past, her seemingly perfect life begins to fall apart and all the secrets she has been hiding, even from herself, are revealed.

Very well done. Lots of twists and turns and it was hard to put down. The story is dark and somewhat disturbing but quite the thrill ride. Thank you NetGalley for the advanced readers copy for review.

Fantastic suspense story with well constructed characters, keeps you gripped in the storyline from start to finish, really enjoyed it.

I enjoyed reading this suspenseful story. This is not my first book by this author but it is one of my favorite by her yet. This is a well written story about something that happened years ago and now the secret is not only brought to the present but it keeps pulling you back. This is a great well rounded story that ticks all the boxes for suspense. I enjoyed the twists and turns that had me sitting on the edge of my seat. A story that is fast paced and hard to put down. A story where the characters are connectable and the authors writing skills bring the story to life. They made the story easy and entertaining to read. I really enjoyed this story and I highly recommend it.

A very gripping thriller, well written with plenty of twists and will keep you guessing till the end highly recommended
I received this book from Avon books and Netgalley for a review.

What an absolutely explosive & captivating read, Plot within Plot , twists & turns every which way a truly fantastic Book. Who is good & who is evil you will have to read the Book to discover this for yourself .# NetGalley, # GoodReads,#FB, # Instagram, # Amazon.co.uk, # <img src="https://www.netgalley.com/badge/358a5cecda71b11036ec19d9f7bf5c96d13e2c55" width="80" height="80" alt="100 Book Reviews" title="100 Book Reviews"/>, #<img src="https://www.netgalley.com/badge/ef856e6ce35e6d2d729539aa1808a5fb4326a415" width="80" height="80" alt="Reviews Published" title="Reviews Published"/>, #<img src="https://www.netgalley.com/badge/aa60c7e77cc330186f26ea1f647542df8af8326a" width="80" height="80" alt="Professional Reader" title="Professional Reader"/>!

I had flashbacks of Rosemary's baby! An unexpected turn of events for sure. Definitely a surprising ending.

An interesting book by a relatively new author that explores coercive and controlling behavior both by an individual, the husband, and collectively by a cult.
The central character, Lucie, escaped from the cult as a seven-year-old and grew up in foster care. She now finds herself married to a controlling husband who is the son of a radical MP and who knows nothing about her early days and her relationship with the cult. As the cult slowly comes back into her life Lucie is drawn into a terrifying scenario.
The story moves along at a good pace to a climactic ending.
It is a book written from a female perspective in which the only two men to figure prominently are shown to be controlling and willing to use women to achieve their own needs.
I enjoyed reading this book and the author shows good promise.

A complicated and a bit unbelievable story of Lucy who as a child was in a cult with her mother but managed to escape when she was seven to lead a normal life. Fast forward to Lucy married to the manipulative son of an MP and at the same time as discovering she is pregnant her whole world explodes around her when a reporter uncovers her past life. Going into hiding it soon becomes apparent that the cult is still active and closing in on her. Quite a slow burning start but the final chapters are frantic with what I felt was,a disappointing ending

I found The Thirteen Girl to be an OK read. I read the description to it and was really looking forward to it but unfortunately the story did not quite live up to my expectations. It wasn't what I was expecting but I am sure some people will love it - Cults just aren't my thing.

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon Books UK for my ARC.

I need to learn to DNF!

1.5 stars

The Thirteenth Girl is an over-the-top psychological thriller about the lone survivor of a former cult whose members were murdered in a terrible fire.

7-year-old Lucy was thought to be the only survivor of a fire at the manor that housed a cult. 20 years have passed, and Lucy is now married to an MP’s son and pregnant with her first child. However, Lucy’s secretive past comes to haunt her. She is caught up in a plot that puts her life in danger.

Narrated by Lucy, she isn’t so bright. She fails to see what is going on right in front of her eyes. She acts like a helpless child, and I wanted to shake her repeatedly for her dumb choices. She eventually grows and develops a backbone by the end, but it was too late at this point for me to care about her.

There are a few chapters narrated by another cult member, but they didn’t make much sense to me.

I should have stopped reading this around the 30% mark when Lucy receives a threatening letter written in menstrual blood. For no apparent reason, I kept reading. I deeply regret this choice.

The plot centers on a cult--it has some potential, but it gets increasingly convoluted and unbelievable as the novel progresses. In addition, there are many plot holes and elements that just don’t make sense. The ending wraps things up nicely, which helped my rating a bit. I enjoyed Stranded by Goodwin, but this book needed a lot of help, to say the least.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

The Thirteenth Girl by Sarah Goodwin is a 4 star read.
This is a new author for me, I was really intrigued by the blurb to this story, it started out slowly and built up to a really good read. Some of the characters were very unlikeable but it was easy to push past them to get to the good points in the story. I would highly recommend this book.
I voluntarily reviewed an advanced copy of this book through Netgalley.

If you love slow burners, this book could be for you. There are no aspects of a thriller for a while at the beginning but it definitely comes through by the end. Lucy has a controlling husband, who has an equally, if not even more, controlling family. I personally struggled relating to any of the characters, but other than Lucy, the characters are her husband and his manipulative family, plus cult members, so they weren’t written to be likeable. Lucy was quite bland; she lacked a lot of personality, art being her outlet, but I think this was a result of a lifetime of manipulative surroundings. There was one character in particular I did really like though.

It switches between the past and the present, the past voice not that of Lucy, but I actually much preferred the scenes that were written in the past. The past, living within the cult… well, I’d quite enjoy a prequel and I could imagine it being a five-star read.

A massive part of the book, the hospital part, lacks a lot of anything much happening. The book really picks up the last 20% though and THIS was the point it had me on the edge of my seat. It progresses slowly and ends with a bang. I personally like books filled with action and tension, but this book would be much better suited to people who like slow burners.

Thank you to Sarah Goodwin, NetGalley, and Avon Books UK for this DRC in exchange for an honest review.

Sadly, I was disappointed in this book. As I began to read I felt it could be a really gripping story, but then it seemed to progress very slowly and I started to realise how ridiculous the plot was. The second half especially made me feel cross and angry at Lucy for putting up with Marshal and his parents, and if I’d known the story was about a cult I wouldn’t have even requested it. Sorry, but this wasn’t one for me although I think a lot of readers will love it. Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the advanced copy in return for an honest review.

If you're into cult-based thrillers this is one to check out. I got frustrated with our main character narrator (though, don't you always in a thriller) but I'll say that some of my frustrations were explained as the novel progressed and I was satisfied by the ending. Of course, suspect some belief but it's good conspiracy theory type book.

Thank you to Netgalley and Avon for the electronic advanced copy.

Lucy is married to Marshal Townsend, son of the wealthy Enid and Marshal Senior. Marshal, Jr. is a member of Bristol City Council. His father is big into politics and wants his son to follow in his footsteps.

Lucy has a degree in art which she loves but currently works in the back office of a Bristol hospital. She has not been feeling well and has just discovered she is pregnant. Lucy is not happy when her husband immediately informs his parents of this news. Now, Enid wants to take over things.

Breaking news reports that Lucy was in a cult with her mother when she was a child. Marshal is shocked because Lucy had told him she grew up in care. Actually, she was taken into care when there was a fire in the manor where the cult was located. Everyone died but Lucy. The press hounds them until Marshal sneaks her out of town to a cottage. Thankfully, she has a friend going to a conference in the same area, so she goes with Lucy to keep her company.

Since Lucy was so young when she was in the cult, she is determined to find the manor and try to learn what all went on there.

Oh, my! This book really made me mad in so many ways. Lucy’s constant apologizing to her husband and his parents was very irritating. She was a child when this stuff happened. Stop blaming her! What I found utterly stupid in this case is women who joined this cult to escape the dominance of men only to have - gasp - a man to dominate them and control their lives. And then Lucy who was literally dumped by her mother repeats the same scenario. I found this a difficult book to read and to write a review for. I realize there are a number of cults in the world, but I find it extremely difficult to believe how utterly stupid one has to be to join one.

Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.