A gripping psychological thriller which has you guessing up until the very end, find out more about The Girl from Widow Hills by Megan Miranda.

The plot:

When Arden Mayor was six years old, she was swept away in a terrifying storm and went missing for days. Against all odds, she was found alive, clinging to a storm drain. Fame followed, and so did fans, creeps and stalkers. As soon as she was old enough, Arden changed her name and left Widow Hills behind.

Twenty years later, Olivia, as she is now known, is plagued by night terrors. She often finds herself out of bed in the middle of the night, sometimes streets away from her home.

Then one evening she jolts awake in her yard, with the corpse of a man at her feet.

When the pieces all start coming together it’s mind-blowing

I can’t believe how thoroughly this was thought-through and how well it’s been pulled together. It seems like your typical thriller, but small things made this an excellent 4/5 star read for me. It’s pacey, but slows down at times to have some reflection, with great characters and an unexpected plot twist.

When the pieces all start coming together it’s mind-blowing. You can really tell the meticulous attention to detail the author has and leaves you playing detective alongside the main character.

There’s one part which is exceptionally well done – it’s hard to discuss without giving spoilers, but the transition is so smooth you’re left wondering what was real and what wasn’t.

Chapters are a good length and follow present time with excerpts from news clippings/ interviews/ books etc, which split the chapters up and allowed you to gain that extra information without having to jump back in time.

I loved how it showed the affect that a childhood trauma can have on someone as they grow older, as well as dealing with fame – it shows repressed memories well, and also makes you question the narrative. I definitely didn’t believe aspects, and the excerpts allow you to build your own ideas. There’s a bit of debate about the last few pages, and I just love it when a book makes you think like The Girl from Widow Hills does.

It doesn’t tie together in your usual way, which I liked – you don’t get full closure, so if this is something you’re after, you may not like the ending. But I thought it was really well done and keeps the book on your mind for days after finishing.

You can sort of imagine it as a Girl on the Train type of movie but with a little bit more mystery.

The Girl from Widow Hills, Megan Miranda, RRP £14.99 (hardback); Book Depository 

Pages: 321

Publisher: Corvus

Genre: Thriller