Member Reviews
Leigh left Lebanon years ago with the town hating her. Her brother and his best friend went missing. She found her brother under the crawl space under their house. Her father was arrested and convicted for the murders. Now she returns because someone is killing and leaving her name on a toy soldier. As a member of the FBI, she is determined to find the killer. But someone wants her out of town and is going to great lengths to get her to leave. Will she find the killer before they strike again?
Great story. But it’s told in only Leigh’s point of view. I like at least two point of views. Secrets. Mystery. Surprises. Action. Sort of cliffhanger.
* VOLUNTARILY READ AND REVIEWED FOR NETGALLEY *
bone chilling thriller!! this book was super intense and very well written. lots of unexpected plot twists and turns. great book!
Wow! Wow!wow! Thank you NetGalley and Storm Publishing for the ARC. This is my honest review.
This was so good! It is the first, of many I hope, in a series. Leigh Brody’s father was convicted 20 years ago for the murder of 2 boys- one of whom was his son. Leigh has always thought he was innocent, but she left town as soon as she graduated. She went to school and eventually came to work for the FBI. She is called back home to help in the investigation of murders that are happening in the same manner as 20 years ago, but there are some differences, and the victims are adults.
This was very fast paced. And I really liked Leigh. She has many demons to face, especially the fact that everyone in her hometown blames her for what they believe her father has done. Leigh has to battle with herself to stay focused on the present case. As she and the team- Boucher, Reed and Livingston continue to investigate, lines become blurred and the connections to the cases 20 years ago are undeniable.
The characters are really well written, the investigation is spot on. It is a puzzler- but the twist of the present day murderer, and the reveal about one of the characters blew me away. I had thoughts on who it was, and towards the very end I really thought I had it figured out but -NOPE! However, everything fit together and it was a great ending!
Great FBI procedural, great characters, great pacing and plot.
My only con: Why did Leigh stay in her childhood home by herself while investigating this case??!!
Cannot wait to read the next one!
This is the first book in a new series by Nichole Severn. It was just average. It was hard to get into as I didn't care for the writing style. I had a really hard time liking any of the characters. I feel like the main character should have been much stronger given her childhood, especially when the twist at the end was revealed. There was nothing special about this and I'm not sure it's an author I would read again.
Thank you #netgalley and #stormpublishing for the eARC.
This book starts like many police/investigative mysteries. I'm not drawn into stories that are overly police procedural, but don't worry, this one isn't that way! It has some very unique twists you won't see coming. The characters have underlying storylines that draw you in to get to know them truly. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and grew to love the characters as the story progressed. The ending did not disappoint.
Twenty years ago Leigh found her brother’s body and her father was convicted of murdering him and another little boy, her mother not able to cope commits suicide not long after. When our story starts she’s a FBI agent and she’s coming back to the town she left so long ago to investigate what may looks like a copycat killing.
Leigh is a typical thriller heroine, she’s so very damaged and she doesn’t have a lot of friends, turns out that being the kid of an accused murderer doesn’t make you that popular. The local police aren’t very happy about having her on the case. She’s not happy either but she’s always been convinced that the school psychologist was her brother’s killer - not her father - and she hopes to prove it. At first I was a little bit disappointed because we get the killer’s name (said psychologist) very early in the book (I quote my notes : he can’t be the killer, it’s too early in the book), but I didn’t what was in store and boy was I in for the ride. I didn’t see the ending coming, at all. And that final twist? Oh my god, makes the book worth reading on its own.
Thank you to Netgalley, the Author and the Publisher for providing an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. The girl who survived is out on May 6
This was such a great book! Best book I have read in a long time. Leigh works for the FBI and gets called back to her hometown to find out why a toy solider is found with her name on a murder victim and how does this victim connect to the murder of her brother. Was her father who was accused of murdering her brother really innocent? Leigh is on the search to find out! From the very first pages I was captivated so many potential suspects and so much suspense! The end... let's just say talk about a shock! Great book , exceptional ending. Loved it and hope there is a next book with Leigh if so I will be reading!
Fantastic! I read this one in almost a single sitting! It was so hard to put down! I loved the main character Leigh and her backstory. I love it when a protagonist uses their trauma to fuel themselves as Leigh did. The only thing I didn’t like about the story was the animosity toward Leigh as though she, as a child, could have had any sort of responsibility for what happened. The idea that an entire town would turn their back on a child, a victim as well by circumstance, was inconceivable to me. But I guess that’s a sign of a great writer if they can evoke that kind of emotion from you! A fantastic start to this series and I’ll definitely be looking forward to the next one!
Huge thanks to Storm Publishing and NetGalley for sending me this ARC for review! All of my reviews are given honestly!
This is a fast paced psychological thriller. I liked the main character Leigh but overall found the story a bit too unbelievable. The ending in particular was just a bit too much. I would read another book by the same author as the writing was fast paced and interesting but if the next was similarly far fetched then I wouldn’t read any more.
Short summary - Leigh found the murdered body of her brother 20 years ago. Since she has become an FBI agent. She is called back to her hometown to investigate a series of murders via a copycat. All of the victims have a toy soldier on them that has her name carved into them - the same kind Troy got.
This won’t be the last book that I read by Nichole Severn, I’m looking forward to the next book in this series. I was confused at some parts of this book due to the amount of people but it got better overtime.
I didn’t see the twist coming at all and then I thoroughly enjoyed our little twist that we got at the end! Overall this was an enjoyable book, and I’m looking forward to reading about Leigh chasing down all the children victims.
After years spent profiling every detail of her brother’s brutal murder, Leigh Brody, now an FBI Agent in her own right, is called back to the home town that turned it’s back on her, to investigate similar murders. When the investigation finds darker secrets than even she bargained for, the stakes escalate and Leigh not only has to uncover the horrifying motives of others, but reveal her own vulnerabilities along the way.
When the tagline on the book says it’s “A Totally Unputdownable Crime Thriller!” it wasn’t joking! I was pulled into the story and the emotions surrounding Leigh’s involvement with the murder investigations from the first chapter. While there one or two moments of repetitive information, I was consistently compelled to keep readying by the perfectly timed pieces of information dropped throughout.
I can be the first to admit that I’m not the most astute in accurately predicting the suspect and motive, but the conclusion of this book left me literally shocked. If you enjoy crime mysteries and thrillers that keep you on the edge of your seat and throw you for a couple of loops, I know you’ll enjoy The Girl Who Survived!
First in a new series. Another great book by Nichole Severn. I couldn’t put it down. There were many twist and turns. Totally surprise ending. I had to read three times to make sure I understood what I was reading. A must read
4.5/5⭐️
Tropes : Mystery, Suspense, thriller, Serial Killer, FBI Investigation
Absolutely Brilliant!
I had the best time reading this book. The investigative procedure in this book was very meticulous and precise. It was quick, fast paced and engaging with an explosive ending. This book played like a movie in the mind the whole entire time I read it.
This book is the first installment chronicling the life and work of our protagonist Leigh Brody who is in the FBI. Leigh and her family have a troubled history in the town of Lebanon, New Hampshire. And yet she is forced to return to the town to investigate some homicides taking place which are similar to the ones she had witnessed in her childhood. The story picks up from there.
The book deals with a lot of interesting topics such as crime, mental and emotional trauma which follows, parenting, complex dynamics in small towns and interaction between law enforcement agencies. All descriptions are pretty explicit and graphic. The descriptions of crimes within are elaborate and gory but adds to the appeal of the book rather than take away from it. The ending left me completely shocked and scrambling for more details.
Loved everything about this. It had a lot of intrigue and mystery and loads of character growth. There was never a dull moment over the course of the entire book. Cannot wait to pick up where this book left off.
I loved the Author's writing style and though this is my first book, I will definitely be picking up more work by Nichole Severn. Her writing is very polished and refined, right up my alley.
I received an ARC of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Thank you to Netgalley, the Author and the Publisher for providing an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Thank you for the advanced readers copy!
I loved this book, I did not want to put it down! There were so many twist and turns throughout, when I thought I knew what was going to happen something completely different happened. My mind was completely blown away with the huge bomb that was dropped at the end of the book, it makes me so excited for the next book to come out.
I 100% recommend this book to those who love a fast paced murder mystery where you are questioning everything until the very end.
Firstly, thank you so much to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review! I ended up giving this novel 4 stars.
This riveting mystery presents a captivating puzzle within a small town, as Leigh Brody returns to her father's shadow of suspicion amid a series of copycat killings reminiscent of his alleged crimes. Nichole Severn skillfully weaves an atmosphere of palpable menace, interspersed with red herrings that kept me guessing until the unexpected conclusion. From the outset, Severn's storytelling prowess captivated me, and I eagerly anticipate any sequels. Agent Leigh Brody's quest to unravel the truth behind her family's past, while navigating the present-day murders, is well-executed, ensuring that this won't be my last encounter with Severn's work.
I did not care for this book at all. The twist at the end was unbelievable. I will not be reading anymore by her.
An excellent psychological thriller. I couldn't read it fast enough. Great characters and storyline with unforeseeable twists. It hurtles you towards a fast-paced ending. A highly recommended, must read novel. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Absoutely riveting! Leigh Brody works for the FBI BAU helping to find patterns to catch serial killers, all the while trying to find a way to prove who killed her brother when she was a teen. Eventually she gets the opportunity to go back to her hometown and the opportunity is within her grasp. What follows is a wild ride of a story. The ending has several twists that you just don't even suspect. Great characters and excellent writing.
Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher and the author for a free copy in exchange for an honest review.
Wow. This fast paced psychological thriller has twists and turns from beginning to end. The authors writing style had me hooked from page one and guessing until the last page, which was nothing how I imagined. There’s a lot going on - not too much to be confusing - and everything is tied together in the end. There’s a handful of characters in this story, but all have their place and make this story come together.
Leigh Brody left her small hometown after her father was sent to prison for the murder of her brother. There’s nothing left for her there, especially after her mother committed suicide, but her job with the FBI has taken her back to the town that wanted her and her family gone. Years after her brother’s murder, a copycat killer is on the loose. Leigh is on a mission to hunt the killer down, while also seeking justice for her brother.
The Girl Who Survived by Nichole Severn is a psychological thriller that follows FBI agent Leigh Brody as she is called to investigate copycat murders in her hometown of Lebanon, New Hampshire. The original murders occurred 20 years earlier and took the lives of her younger brother and his best friend. Falsly accused of the murders, Leigh's father is still in prison. For two decades, Leigh has sought the real killer, honing her detective skills through police and the FBI.
Leigh does not receive a warm welcome from the people of Lebanon who see her as the child of murderer rather than the sister of a victim. Leigh's life is threatened repeatedly she gets closer and closer to finding the murderer. Will she bring her brother some justice and find the killer... or will he find her first?
The twist at the end is a little on the farfetched side, but if you don't mind , it's an interesting story
Thank you #NetGalley, Storm Publishing and the author Nicole Severn for an advanced readers copy of The Girl That Survived in exchange for an honest review. I enjoyed it!