The Girls in the Woods by Helen Phifer

The Girls In The Woods by Helen Phifer
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Annie Ashworth is on leave from the police force due to being pregnant. Annie's husband has also been recovering from being brutally attacked in the previous book. But it's time for him to return to work as a police and the first case back is that of a body discovered in the woods. Could this be the body of a young girl that went missing years ago?

The Girls in the Woods is the 5th book in The Annie Graham Series. I haven't read the previous four books, but there were no problems for me getting into the story, despite mentions of previous events that had happened in the previous books.

I was instantly intrigued by the book's blurb and that gorgeous cover. I was also pleased when I realized that it was a paranormal crime novel and just not a crime novel which I had expected it to be. I do love reading crime (or any other kind of genres) with a bit of paranormal mix into it. Annie in this series can see ghost and that has helped her in the past because apparently she is danger magnet. She is also expecting her first child with her new husband and her life is quite good since she was married before to an abusive man. But, this case will open up old wounds and also bring danger to Annie and someone close to her.

There are some things with the book that didn't work for me. For instance, I'm not overly fond of crime novels when the identity of the killer is revealed in the beginning. I prefer living in uncertainty and having to figure it out along the way. Also, the book started with a flashback to the end of 1900-century and a man taking a picture of three sisters whereof one of them is dead, and I thought that was a great beginning and I thought that it would have something to do with the story. But, it didn't instead we have a man discovering a Memento Mori book at his grandfather's place when he was a child and he got obsessed with taking dead people's photographs. That story just didn't impress me that much.

I was not completely pleased with the end, it felt so absurd when I read it, but now after some contemplation can I see how it in a way fitted with the story. But, when I read it was I very skeptical about it. On the plus side, the twist was truly unexpected, but I'm annoyed that the revelation made the fate of one of the main character in this book unexplained. I wanted to know how that turn of the event would affect that person, but the book just ended without any explanation.

All and all, not so good that I thought it would be when I started the book, but still enjoyable and I wouldn't mind reading the rest of the books. And lucky me, I have book four and I'm looking forward to reading it.

I want to thank the publisher for providing me with a free copy through NetGalley in an exchange for an honest review!