Thank you Netgalley and bookouture for sending me this audiobook for review purposes!

This is a slow burn mystery solid 3.5. The first half of the book was pretty slow but I was still very interested in the outcome of the story! The ending made it all worth it and there were a couple twists that I could not figure out!! It all came together nicely! I had a little trouble in the beginning figuring out all the characters and the narrator had a UK accent so I think that had something to do with it but after a little I caught on!!! If you love a slow burn mystery you will love this audiobook!!!!

This book started off pretty slow and super confusing. As it went on, it continued to be confusing as there were so many different characters that were introduced. The different perspectives didn't help. Maybe I was confused because I wasn't that invested into any character. I am also not sure why the author threw a name change in there, that certainly didn't help, especially crossing timelines where different names were used.

It also felt very off because the clues were there on who killed Lauren but the police didn't look further into it or talk to enough people. Not sure why it took Sadie having these conversations to get any information. It is a bit infuriating.

This story wasn't for me, but it did pass the time while working.

Quite a slow start to this book, but the pace picked up quite quickly. Lost of twists and turns, and a really good ending.
I listened to this on audiobook and the narration was excellent. Thank you to Net Galley for an advanced copy.

A very intriguing premise, but this was a very slow burner for me. So much so that I sort of would space our & forget about who certain characters were.

Thank you NetGalley& Bookouture Audio for the ARC!

This book just wasn't for me. I finished it yesterday and to be honest I don't think I could tell you much about it as I found it forgettable.

I think the narration put me off. It was as though it was being played at the wrong speed. Just a fraction to fast. Like someone in a rush to tell their story. If it was just for one character I would say it was intentional but it was like that the whole way through.

The other thing I didn't like about the narration was that the tone was the same for each character. As the story is told from multiple points of view it was a bit confusing at times to work our who was meant to be talking if you missed the chapter title.

I may give this book another try but in physical formate because the narration really let it down but for now I can't give it more than 2 stars.

Was approved for an ARC on NetGalley
I was drawn to this book especially by the cover. I thought it was about mistaken identity and kidnapping but it took a different turn and I was not expecting it at all. There were so many twists with the characters among the loss, revenge and social media.
You never knew what was coming next but you could feel the anxiety of a mother and the lengths she would go to, to protect her child. I did not see the ending and loved how it was wrapped up.

<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/201943695-the-girl-on-the-news" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px"><img border="0" alt="The Girl on the News" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1699614938l/201943695._SX98_.jpg" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/201943695-the-girl-on-the-news">The Girl on the News</a> by <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/16861836.Elisabeth_Carpenter">Elisabeth Carpenter</a><br/>
My rating: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6146076191">4 of 5 stars</a><br /><br />
Was approved for an ARC on NetGalley <br />I was drawn to this book especially by the cover. I thought it was about mistaken identity and kidnapping but it took a different turn and I was not expecting it at all. There were so many twists with the characters among the loss, revenge and social media.<br />You never knew what was coming next but you could feel the anxiety of a mother and the lengths she would go to, to protect her child. I did not see the ending and loved how it was wrapped up.
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/31644606-char">View all my reviews</a>

Thank you to NetGalley, Elisabeth Carpenter, and Bookouture Audio for this ARC audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

3.5 STARS

BRAVO, to the narrator Zoe Mills! Each character felt unique and spot on.

This is a fast paced thriller that delivers a punch in the end. If you're looking for a quick thriller with an AMAZING narrator, be sure to check this one out!

first and foremost, Zoe Mills did an excellent job bringing Carpenter's story to life! this was a story about the value of the truth and how you can never escape your past. I liked the dual perspective and the intermittent interview style, and I really liked how it felt like a slow-burn mystery so I could feel like I solved it with the characters. I'm not sure I would have been as glued to my seat if it wasn't an audio book, but it was still fairly engaging! I would recommend this to anyone wanting a "true crime" feeling British drama, it publishes on January 29th! I would not recommend this to anyone with mommy issues. (Thank you to NetGalley, Elisabeth Carpenter, and Bookouture Audio for sending me the audiobook to review. All thoughts are my own.)

Good story! Took a bit to get into it. Was pretty slow. But picked up and the ending was great. I wasn't a fan of the narrator.

The Girl on the News by Elisabeth Carpenter
Narrated by Zoë Mills

There is a LOT going on in this story, many people have lied in the past and are telling lies now. I wasn't positive who did what until the very end although I had a good idea. It was nice to be so confused and unsure of who to trust for so long and in the end the story wraps up quickly, in an almost ambushed kind of way.

Four year old (ALMOST FIVE!) Mia is adorable. So very smart, intuitive, and the jewel of any mother's heart. Her parents, Jessie and Mark, are extremely protective of Mia, as any parent should be but especially because of events in the past. They know that no child is safe and that can lead to paranoia. Now there have been text alerts that Mia is missing, but she's not, she's right here, she's fine. Who is sending out these text alerts?

Something very bad happened in the past and someone seems to want it to come out. Or they are threatening to tell if something doesn't happen? It's hard to tell just what is going on, who is doing what, but maybe the people who you thought you knew aren't who you thought they were?

Overall the audiobook narration is good. For the most part the women sound good, if sometimes whispery, and the narrator does a very good job of portraying the hysterical chaos some of the women feel at times. Mia sounds so cute, smart and like a four year old (ALMOST FIVE!). It's with the voices of the men that I had some trouble. Almost all the men sound like they are four pack a day smokers with very severe cases of laryngitis. I think I got a sore throat listening to them...narrating like that has to hurt the narrator's throat. That's my only quibble with the narration and maybe that growly, smoker's voice can be backed way off in the future (unless the character is over ninety year old and led an extremely hard life). Back to the actual story, it's short enough that I was able to finish it quickly, entertaining, and did a really good job of giving us likable characters amongst the not so nice characters.

Thank you to Bookouture Audio and NetGalley for this ARC.

Rating: 2 Stars ⭐️
Genre: Thriller 🔪
Format: Audiobook 🎧

Imagine you see the news 'missing girl' and a picture of your daughter accompanying it. Panic sets in, but it turns out someone is pretending and she is safe, but why would anyone lie about it? It can mean only one thing, someone has uncovered who you really are and what you were convicted of.

I have have done my own summary of the synopsis because one the official synopsis isn't completely accurate to how certain events play out in the book and two it reveals something that happens at about 75% of the way through the book spoiling it. The synopsis also reveals something else that could have been a great reveal/surprised element. There really were not many twists in this and I worked who it was at 50% of the way through so there could have been more twists to throw you off the trail.

I listened to this on audiobook and while it started off well with the introduction of new characters I found there was little differentiation between the voices so it was hard to follow the narration at times.

If the synopsis didn't reveal those key things that happen and are revealed late in the book I would rated this at least 3 stars. Surprise elements in a thriller are key to a great story.

Thank you to Netgalley and Bookoutre for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

If you love a British crime thriller which involves flashbacks and family drama, this is for you! I do love this kind of story as an audio and I really enjoyed this one. Such a fast paced, intriguing thriller with a few twists and turns throughout.

I am typically not an audiobook girlie but I absolutely could not stop listening to this audiobook.

I was absolutely hooked and had to find out what was going to happen.. This does include some time jumps of when the FMC was younger and now when she was older but without those flashbacks, you don't realize how those accusations had shaped her into who she was today.

Rosie has been in the young offenders unit charged with the murder of her best friend Sadie, but did she kill her?
The book then goes the the present day and Rosie daughter Mia is on Facebook missing, but where is she? Who can she trust? Sadie wants to help her gain back her innocence. There has been a few murders on the same day for a few years, could they be connected.


This is a very quick read/listen that keeps you guessing, easily readable in one sitting, you will want to too. Rosie has been written well and the rest of the characters too. A great psychological thriller.

I listened to the audio book and it was an easy listen that will keep you engrossed for an afternoon. The narrator is good and easy to follow.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for a copy.

🎧4.25⭐️

I had the audiobook read by Zoe Mills. I found her male voices to be overly breathy which was a bit distracting.

Book set slightly ahead in time for one time frame wed 13th march 2024 which is unusual.

There are various POV, Rosie was was convicted as a 12 yr old who k*lled her best friend. Sadie who is a sister of Lauren the m*rdered girl.
Heather is Lauren’s mom.

Rosie claimed to be innocent, Sadie an investigative reporter is convinced that there’s a serial killer at large. In several aspects it didn’t feel 100% realistic, but it’s entertaining through out which is what I want most from a book. There are several intertwined relationships. It’s got a decent pace. One if you want an entertaining easy listen.

This one was a DNF for me. I got 25% of the way through and found the narrator hard to listen to, thus making the story hard to follow.

3.5 Stars
An intriguing read

Although the pace of the novel was initially slow, it gradually picked up and became more engaging as the story progressed. The ending was a bit predictable. However, the overall storyline was still enjoyable. This is a good novel for those looking for a slow-burn mystery.

***Thank you to NetGalley, Elisabeth Carpenter, and Bookouture Audio for graciously sending me the audiobook to review. As always, all thoughts are my own.***

Book Title: The Girl on the News
Author: Elisabeth Carpenter
Narrator: Zoe Mills
Publisher: Bookouture Audio
Genre: Psychological Thriller
Pub Date: January 29, 2024
My Rating: 3.3 Stars
Pages: 283

Story is told from several POVs in two timelines- Now and 1994
Jessie/Rosie, Hannah Jones Lauren’s mother, and Sadie Harrison, an investigative journalist who was the only one who believed Rosie was innocent.

Jessie and her husband Mark believe they have built a perfect life; they are happy and have a four-year old daughter Mia.
Jessie changed her name from Rosie to escape her past. When she was twelve years old she was sentenced for the murder of her best friend Lauren

Now thirty years later there is a post on Social media that Mia is missing, however Mia is right there in Jessie's sight.

I am a big psychological thriller fan –this story had me curious.
However I was disappointed with the ending- as it wasn’t the big shock which is typical of a Psychological Thriller. Whodunit was hinted at early in the story.
It was good but IMO it just wasn’t great!
I will read this author again as this was my first read and everyone deserves a second chance! Right?

Want to thank NetGalley and Bookouture Audio for this early audiobook.
Publishing Release Date scheduled for January 29, 2024.

I love a book where the layers gradually peel away and then it all makes sense - this story definitely ticked the box there ✅

When Jess sees a Facebook post claiming her daughter is missing, I could literally feel her fear spreading into me as she raced to school to make sure Mia was safe. Terrifying!

The book switches across multiple timelines and we start to read the transcripts of 12 year old Rose’s interviews with a journalist after she was convicted of killing her best friend.

As those layers are revealed, I was gripped! The characters were relatable abs well developed and I couldn’t wait to find out the truth. And when I did… OMG! I would NOT have called that one 😮

I did feel the ending was rushed, which was a little bit disappointing after that mega twist, however, it’s still a recommended read from me.

Zoe Mills was an excellent narrator, she captured the essence of the characters well.

4 ⭐️ Thanks to Netgalley, Elisabeth Carpenter and Bookouture, for an ARC in return for an honest review.

I enjoyed this one.

The breakdown:
The beginning is slow and the multiple points of view could be a little confusing.
The 2nd half of the boom was amazing. Fast moving, chills...and I mean chills! I felt quite invested in the story and loved the Rosie/Jessie character.

The end: I figured out the "bad guy" from the jump, tho. I find that a little annoying even tho it happens a lot. 😜 The end and the epilogue were both pretty darn satisfying.