I had a hard time getting into this one. It picked up towards the end and the plot twist was very unexpected. Overall I liked it but didn’t love it.

This is my first book by Nichole Severn and it certainly won't be my last.
Agent Leigh Brody is back in her hometown to aid in a series of murders that are eerily similar to the murder of her brother decades earlier. Brody's father was arrested and convicted however, she never faltered in her belief that he was innocent. Now, she has a chance to solve these murders and confirm her fathers innocence.
Severn did a fantastic job hooking me from the first page and kept me invested in the book until the very last page. The multiple plot twists near the end of the book had me on the edge of my seat.
100% recommend.
Thank you Netgalley and Storm Publishing for the ARC copy of this book.

This was a wonderful puzzle to unravel. Set in a small town, Leigh Brody comes back to where her father was convicted of two killings, as copycat killings are happening. There was an underlying sense of menace in this book, some red herrings and an ending that I didn’t see coming. This is a skilfully put together book, and I would certainly like to read any sequels. Many thanks to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for a copy to read, enjoy and review.

A twenty year old mystery rises its head again with a copycat killer ,one to read with the lights on .Keeps the reader engrossed right to the end .

Nichole Severn's "The Girl Who Survived" plunges readers into a riveting FBI mystery as Leigh Brody confronts the shadows of her past in a quest for justice and closure.

The story opens with Leigh's return to her hometown after a chilling discovery—a body marked with her name, echoing a decades-old mystery involving her brother's murder. Severn expertly weaves together past traumas and present-day investigations, immersing readers in a tale of relentless determination and personal redemption.

Leigh's character is the heart of the narrative, a complex and driven FBI agent whose past fuels her pursuit of truth. As she delves into the copycat crimes and confronts long-buried memories, the tension escalates, drawing readers deeper into a web of intrigue and suspense.

Severn's writing style is sharp and immersive, capturing the essence of a small town haunted by secrets. The pacing keeps the story moving at a brisk pace, with twists and turns that keep readers guessing until the final reveal. The inclusion of a specific calling card adds an intriguing layer to the mystery, tying together past and present in a chillingly personal way.

"The Girl Who Survived" is a gripping crime thriller that delivers on suspense, character development, and unexpected twists. Fans of Rachel Caine, Lisa Regan, and A.J. Rivers will find themselves captivated by Severn's storytelling prowess and the gripping journey of Leigh Brody. This is an unputdownable read that will leave readers eagerly anticipating the next installment in the Leigh Brody FBI Mystery series.

Thanks to Ms Severn, the publisher and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review

This is a great debut novel ~ there was just a tiny bit of over explanation in the beginning, but the story
is well written and quite unique. The story is uniquely set in a small town with some very deep dark
secrets that are going to be very slowly uncovered by one of the people most deeply affected by the
criminal activities of one of the most high profile in the town. The ways people can harm others is]
stretched about as far as you can imagine, but what an adventure.
I look forward to the future of FBI Agent Leigh Brody in coming books.
My thanks to Storm Publishing via NetGalley for the download of this book for review purposes.

Agent Leigh Brody is with the FBI. She is called in to consult on a murder after a body is found with a toy soldier marked with her name.
Twenty years ago, her younger brother was abducted and his body was found under the house they lived in, with a toy soldier on the body.
Leigh's father was jailed for the murder of his son. Leigh has been looking for evidence of the real murderer for twenty years.

A very well thought out police procedural. Leigh works tirelessly to find her brother's murderer.
There are just so many twists in this book that my mind is reeling!!

The suspense takes the reader's breath away, and then the finale!!! Wow!! Unreal.

I recommend 100%. Looking forward to reading more in this series.

Thanks to Netgalley and Storm Publishing for the opportunity to read this book.

FBI Agent Leigh Brody is asked to consult on a bizarre case. Two adult bodies have been found in a condition that bears strong resemblance to a case from twenty years ago, in which two small boys were murdered. The town of events is Lebanon, New Hampshire, Leigh’s old home town, and one of the young boys was her brother Troy. The man convicted of the murders is Leigh’s father, Joel Brody, a man considered by the locals to be a monster, currently serving life imprisonment, so the new murders must be a copy cat. No one knows the details of the earlier events like Leigh, hence her call up. Unfortunately, most people in Lebanon hate and despise the Brody family, so her return is not welcomed.

The first in a new series featuring Agent Brody, and also a first for me with this author.

A well written book, exciting plot with lots of twists and red herrings. All belief in anything you think you know about police procedural and crime stories needs to be suspended, there’s some crazy happenings in this story! Too much repetition for my taste and far too long, the denouement went on and on, but I can see the appeal, with the final twist being a real jaw dropper!

I look forward to the next instalment.

Thank you NetGalley and Storm Publishing.

A huge thank you to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for the opportunity to read The Girl Who Survived in exchange for my honest opinion.


This book was just...WOW!! This gripped me from the very beginning and did not let go until the last page. We're following our FMC, FBI Agent Brody as she's been requested by the FBI to return to her hometown to assist in solving two new murder cases that seem to relate to the murders of her younger brother and her best friend from two decades prior. Agent Brody's father was convicted for the killing of those young boys, and she's spent years screaming about her father's innocence to anyone who will listen. So when adult bodies start showing up using a similar MO to those cases, she knows she's in a race against time to find this killer.


The Girl Who Survived hit it out of the park. I was quite literally on the edge of my seat, and my Apple Watch notified me several times that my heartrate was high just due to reading this book. I tried so hard to solve these crimes along with Agent Brody, and was only able to come out half correct at the end, and what an ending it was!!! My entire body flooded with goosebumps! If you're into dark, twisty thrillers, this is an absolute must to add to your TBR. You won't regret it!

A book with so many twists that you won’t know which way is up. A fast paced crime thriller that leaves you reeling from the revelations.

This is a real nail biter of a reading experience and the pace is relentless. I loved the back story, although found it a bit hard to believe the main character would be asked to consult on a case so personal to her. The oppressive sense of small town politics weighed heavily throughout the book and the author did an amazing job making the desperation and frustration of the main character’s experience so tangible. Well written and a terrific plot, this is a great option for fans of Karin Slaughter.

Twenty years ago, two young boys were found murdered. A suspect was freed, another, Joel Brody, father of one of the victims, was incarcerated. The detective and mayor fast tracked the investigation to send an innocent man to prison. The case nearly destroyed the town and devastated the Brody family. Now, FBI Agent Leigh Brody is called back to her hometown. The killer has struck again, but noting the tiny variations, Leigh believes a copycat is recreating the original crimes. This is her chance to put the real killer behind bars and free her father. Unfortunately for Leigh, not everyone is happy to see her back stirring things up. This book is tense throughout. A few red herrings, loads of twists and turns, a detailed plot, great characters make this a very good read. I was gripped throughout this page turner. And the ending……well, I really did not see that coming. I am looking forward to the next novel in this series. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

One man in prison, one man free - a whole town happy to leave it that way, keep things status quo and beat down anything otherwise. And one special agent in the middle of it all, sorting through the murders past and present with a whole town against her. Tense and twisty - the end wanders to a different tangent and may surprise in more ways than one ...

This was such a wild ride. I found myself holding my breath several times while reading this book. There are so many twists and turns. This book is packed suspense. I never saw the end coming. There was actually two surprises revealed I never saw coming. I just loved this book.

It’s been twenty years since Leigh found the murdered body of her twelve-year-old brother, Troy. Her father was arrested for the crime, but she never accepted that he did it. Her hunt for the real killer almost cost her everything! Now working for the FBI, Leigh is called back to New Hampshire when a series of copycat crimes are committed. Only the killer has left a very specific calling card, a plastic army figurine, the same as the one she found on Troy’s body, and carved into its base: Leigh’s name! This book had a bit of everything! It had suspense, intrigue, action packed, murder, mystery, serial killers, a great who done it and some crazy twists and turns! The storyline was very interesting and kept me glued to my kindle! I definitely recommend reading this book as it was well worth reading! Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for sharing this book with me!

Thanks to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for this Advanced Reader’s Copy of The Girl Who Survived by Nichole Severn for an honest review due to be published May 6, 2024.
FBI Agent Leigh Brody returns to her hometown in New Hampshire to help with an investigation of a very specific crime – a murder eerily like that of her brother twenty years ago. Her father was arrested for her brother’s murder, but Leigh knew he was innocent. This time it’s personal. Can Leigh not only find this killer but clear her father’s name?
I loved this book – my first from Nichole Severn – she has lots of books out there – another new author! This one kept me interested from the first page. I couldn’t wait to see if Leigh solved the new murders and who was the villain. The ending had several shocks – never saw them coming.
Can’t wait for the next book in this series!
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