This book hooked me right away. There is something even more terrifying and captivating when the story and concept is completely believable. Any mother's worst nightmare turned reality. This was my first read by L.A. Larkin and I am excited to read more!

😲Exciting reactivation of a cold case: fast moving🚨

Next Girl Missing has a great plot structure and non-stop suspense that just sped along and kept me on the edge of my seat. A mystery of young girls disappearing with no resolution that is still crushing family years on and, suddenly, maybe a breakthrough, if someone will act on new information from a convict. Sally, the lead character, has been through years of troubles herself and I loved how the author brought her from a gaslit wife eased out of her law enforcement career to a victims advocate who is ready to stand up against those who belittle or try to brush aside her efforts to find the girls' truth. Sally's got a strong moral compass, great empathy and is a ball of energy when she's investigating. She's also got a temperamental teenage son to raise on her own and I found her son Paul's attitude to life and their frictional relationship very relatable and realistic.

Sally was a good cop who had the misfortune to be wooed and conned by Scott, a beguiling cop initially assigned as her partner and mentor. Their oldest child, Zelda, who knew most of the missing girls well, died of an overdose. I found the subplot dealing with Zelda and what happened in her last months the most interesting mystery in the story, especially since Sally's cop husband Scott is slowly revealed as a major liar and manipulator who blamed Sally for their daughter's death but, really, what didn't he blame her for? This part of the story was not all tied up in a bow by the book's end in my view; maybe I just didn't get it or it's waiting for more attention in a sequel.

There are good bouts of spine-tingling danger, chases and abductions, and I totally enjoyed the unpredictability of who would come at Sally and Paul next. This was my first time reading the author's work and, based on Next Girl Missing, I will be following author L.A. Larkin in the future.

Thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for sharing a complimentary advance copy of the book; this is my voluntary and honest opinion.

This was a good read. It was also a new author for me and I will definitely check out more of her books. The storyline was interesting and kept me thoroughly invested.

Thank you to NetGalley, L.A. Larkin, and Bookouture for an ARC copy of Next Girl Missing.

This book is an intense read with terrific characters. It's a captivating story that combines mystery and suspense. Six young girls were kidnapped from the streets four years ago. Each victim had a fake “missing” poster hung around town just before they were taken.

Sally Fairburn is an ex police officer who became victim advocate. She has always been plagued by the case and their inability to bring the girls home. While dealing with her personal trauma following the tragic loss of her daughter and the aftermath of an abusive ex-husband, she is trying to figure out what happened to the girls who went missing four years ago.

Prepare to lose sleep. Next Girl Missing is a gripping crime thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat. I absolutely loved this book and I cannot wait to read book in the next Sally Fairburn series. I highly recommend adding it to your reading list.

OMG! What did I just read?! I do not suggest starting this book unless you have time to finish it! Grab yourself a bowl of chips or pop some popcorn... If you're anywhere near as enraptured when reading this book as I was, you're going to thank me. Not a single slow moment here, people, so brace yourself, take some deep breaths, and settle in for the long haul. This book plays out like a movie with nonstop action and is near impossible to step away from!

This book has such an interesting premise--a serial killer who puts up missing person posters just before the victims disappear. I found it a unique plot that I've never encountered before.

Sally is struggling to find her confidence again after being the victim of an abusive spouse. He didn't psychically assault her, but the mind games he played have certainly had long lasting effects. (Flashback scenes that included the husband had me wanting to reach into the book and strangle the guy! How is that for eliciting a visceral reaction? Well done, Larkin!)

Even now free of the marriage Sally suffers second doubts and a lack of confidence, but you can see that she's working hard to overcome this and claim her power. She's not what you expect for a typical strong, female protagonist, but her silent strength is deceiving. I really found that I took a shine to the character because she was realistically developed. It was awesome seeing her growth as the book went on and being witness to her stepping back into her power.

I sped through this high-octane thriller, heart pounding a lot of the time. The responsible party behind the abduction of six young girls certainly doesn't want Sally exposing them. But Sally feels a strong commitment to the girls and their families to get justice despite the fact she's no longer connected to the police department or DA's office.

This is such an excellent read that I can't pause it or recommend it enough! I look forward to reading the next book in the series. I'll try to overlook the fact that the victim's name in the next book is Carolyn... lol

Next Girl Missing is a heart-pounding thriller that grabs you by the throat and holds you hostage until the last page is devoured.

Thank you to Bookouture and NetGalley for an advanced reading copy.

There is a deep thread of menace which weaves its way through this book - I loved it and was ever-so-slightly creeped out by it too!!

There is a LOT to unpack in this novel, and a trigger warning might not be a bad idea, especially for those who are DV survivors. I am one, and I was a little bit triggered by some of the behaviours of Sally's ex - it was a bit too close to home. I am nearly 30 years down the road now but for a more recent survivor, it might be too much.

Sally used to be a cop, as was her ex-husband and she now lives quietly with her teenage son Paul, both of them trying to recover from living with her ex. Sally is a very protective mother, and she needs to be, considering what is swirling around the pair of them. Paul has some behavioural issues, because of his father's actions or as a result of genetics? Either way, Sally needs to be on her guard.

In every police officer's career, there is one defining case that doesn't get solved and which they still think about afterwards. That case, for Sally, is the Poster Killer case. Posters were put up of young girls BEFORE they were abducted. Four girls went missing in this way and only one of them turned up, as a dead body, unfortunately.

When a poster goes up with Sally's face, she has to scramble to make sense of it.

This is a pretty amazing book. I have read books by this author before, standalones, and I am excited that this is the first book in a series because I really love the character of Sally. She is stronger than she feels, and very brave, and I want to read about what she gets up to next.

5 stars from me.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture.

* 4 3/4 Stars*

Copy kindly received via NetGalley for an honest review.

This was a great read with terrific characters. You had to feel for Sally and her kids for what Scott put them through. Sally didn't give up on finding out the truth about her daughter and tracking down the people responsible for the kidnapping and murders. The ending had some good and bad results. Would recommend.

WOW! I LOVED THIS BOOK!
NEXT GIRL MISSING by L. A. Larkin introduces us to Sally Fairburn, one-time cop, one-time victim services case worker, divorced mother of a sullen teenager with an ex-husband who I personally wanted to shake (and other things) by about page 30. I imagine this feeling will only increase as I move further on in the series.
Sally was working with the families of the Poster Killer who is thought to have abducted and killed six girls about five years ago. But only one body was ever found. When the man convicted of the Poster Kill(ing)s reaches out the Sally reporting that he knows who the real Poster Killer is (are), she doesn’t want to get involved. But circumstances force her to change her mind. When he is murdered without revealing the killer’s true identity, Sally finds herself in a race against time to protect her son. She lost one child already, she’s not going to lose another.
This book had me hooked from the first page. I had to keep getting up and walking around because the adrenaline was coursing through my veins. By the end, I felt like I had just run a marathon. I love a book that gets me so riled up that my pulse pounds and my heart is in my throat. I cannot wait to read the next one in the series. I see that the author has other psychological suspense thrillers out there. You can bet that I’ll be purchasing more of her work!

This is a great start to a new crime series.
Sally is determined to find The Poster Killer when she sees her own face on a poster.
A man was charged with the murders but claims he’s innocent. He says he knows who the killer is but will only tell Sally.
Events take a turn for the worse so she can’t get the information so she sets her sights on uncovering their identity herself.
Sally and her son are moved to a safe house as the killer has them in their sights, but will this be enough to keep them safe?
This is a gripping crime thriller and I look forward to finding out what’s next for Sally.
Thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

Loved this book , such a great story , read book 1 and 2 straight after , so well written and the main characters were really interesting, I loved the way the story unfolded and followed through in both books . Will definitely be looking to read more by this author . Really highly recommend this addictive read. .

This book was good! I enjoyed the story and characters! There were parts that weren’t my favorite but overall a good read! 4 stars!

I’d like to thank Bookouture and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read ‘Next Girl Missing’, the first Sally Fairburn Crime Thriller written by L A Larkin, in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

Four years ago six young girls had their pictures on posters before they were abducted but only one body was located. Theo Durrant, nicknamed ‘The Poster Killer’, was found guilty and put in the State Penitentiary. Sally Fairburn was a police officer for three years and a victim’s advocate for twenty-two and although she wasn’t involved in his arrest Theo Durrant insists she visit him saying that he’ll tell her, and her alone, the identity of The Poster Killer.

‘Next Girl Missing’ is an action-packed thriller that once started is impossible to put down. From page one it’s been full of suspense, excitement, tension and intrigue, all the ingredients needed to make this the fantastic thriller that it is. I’ve been gripped with the plot, through each unbelievable twist and turn, each shocking discovery, as Sally fights for her own life and that of her son. This is a totally addictive thriller that has great character descriptions, a strong well-written storyline and a cliffhanger that will hopefully lead nicely to the next in the series that I can’t wait to read.

This was the first book I read by this author and didn't know what to expect, maybe a classic crime thriller.
I got something different: a twisty and gripping story, heartbreaking or disturbing at times.
There's a classic crime novel trope like a serial killer targeting the MC but there's more, so much more.
Sally is a damaged character, she still grieving her suicide daughter and facing a son who blames her.
Sally is damaged but not defeated even if there's this dysfunctional family situation. She wants to catch the killer and avoid other senseless killing.
I started reading and the fast paced plot kept me turning pages. It's an excellent story even if there were some disturbing moments that were well beyond my comfort zone.
I can't wait to start the next story, this one is highly recommended.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to Bookouture for this ARC, all opinions are mine

Book Title: The Next Girl Missing
Author: L.A. Larkin
Series: A Sally Fairburn Crime Thriller Book #1
Publisher: Bookouture
Genre: Psychological Thriller
Pub Date: June 16, 2023
My Rating: 4 Stars
Pages: 361

Sally Fairburn has been a Victim’s Advocate for twenty-two years but was a police office for three years. She met Scott who is now her ex-husband but was her mentor on the police force when their relationship began. At that time they worked on the case of the “Poster Killer” ~ a serial killer who would display a poster of his latest victim - before she went missing. He would post details including date and time she went messing and then include ~ “If you have information about Anna Moorehouse (or another victim’s name0, please call Franklin Police Department.”

This unsolved case and not finding the six missing girls is the one case and is something Sally has never gotten over.
Additionally she is still dealing the suicide of her twelve year old daughter and the fact, her son Paul blames her.

Story touches some very emotional things plus … ‘Whodunit’ completely threw me. Plus story was different than the other thrillers I read. Sally’s husband gas lighting her was troublesome.

In the ‘Author’s Notes” author, L.A. Larkin tells us her inspiration for writing a story.
One day an acquaintance revealed that her sister was being ‘gas lighted’ by her husband. Goes on to say that he poisoned her sister’s view of realty, making her doubt herself and left her totally dependent on him. He appears to be charming in public but he was very manipulative in their private life.
Ms. Larkin then did a lot of research on this and decided to write a PI series where the protagonist is in this situation and grows stronger and more confident in each story.

Needless to say, I am looking forward the next Sally Fairburn story!!

Want to thank NetGalley and Bookouture for granting me this great read.
Publishing Release Date scheduled for June 16, 2023.

Five years after Sally Fairburn lost her thirteen year old daughter, and four years since the Poster Killer had abducted six young girls, with only one girl's body recovered, Sally had handed in her police badge and become a victim's advocate, comforting the parents of the girls taken. The Poster Killer would put a "missing" poster up on bus shelter walls with the victim he would take after it had been seen. A vicious killer who was in prison for other crimes - some thought he was also the Poster Killer - contacted Sally, saying he knew who the Poster Killer was. But he wouldn't give Sally any meaningful information and when Sally saw another poster, this time with her own picture on it, she knew things had escalated - more people were in danger, including herself.

Sally's fourteen year old son Paul was an angry young man. When Sally and her ex-husband Scott had split, Paul hated the narcissistic bully that he was, and now wanted to help his mother. As danger came closer to Sally and Paul, Sally knew she'd do anything to keep her son safe. But with the local police not doing a great deal of anything, it seemed it was up to Sally. Could she do it? Could she identify and stop the killer before he murdered again?

Next Girl Missing is the 1st in A Sally Fairburn Crime Thriller by Aussie author L.A. Larkin and it was gripping and filled with tension. I did feel Sally did some very foolish things, putting her own life in danger. But with all her lack of self-confidence, caused by Scott, she was like a wolf with her pup - determined, brave and even while shaking like a leaf, sure of her abilities. I'm looking forward to #2 Her Deadly Truth. Recommended.

With thanks to NetGalley & Bookouture for my digital ARC to read in exchange for an honest review.

Next Girl Missing was a perfect introduction to the Sally Fairburn series. This thriller had me guessing and my wheels turning trying to figure out who the perpetrator was.

I love a well put together thriller/serial killer book and this one was just that. It was easy to like and connect with the main character especially with her recent loss and narcissistic marriage struggles.

Thank you L.A. Larkin and NetGalley!

The story revolves around Sally who is a ex police officer that became a victim advocate. The story is told in past and present. Learning about Sally’s past plays a big part in the story. I’m not really sure how I feel about Sally. I am hoping to see growth in her character in the next book in the series.
Next Girl Missing is a dark, suspense thriller about a serial killer. The story is creepy and intense to say the least.
I am looking forward to reading the next book in the series to see where is takes us.
Many thanks to NetGalley, Bookouture and the author for the opportunity to read this book for my honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

There’s always something disturbing about thrillers dealing with serial killers, even more so when the victims are children and this is what we’re dealing with in L.A. Larkin’s Next Girl Missing. This first book of a new series is filled with moments of high emotion and frantic action and it drew me in completely.

Sally Fairburn is a former police officer now working as a victim advocate. She appears to be in constant fear. She has been conditioned by an abusive husband to doubt herself, to behave passively when confronted and to try to please others, even if it’s to her own detriment.

Four years ago a killer, dubbed the Poster Killer, had been operating on the streets of Pioneer Heights. The way he operated was to put up a fake Missing Person poster before the victim was taken. All victims were girls between the ages of 11 and 13. It’s a case that was never solved and one that has haunted Sally ever since it went quiet.

Still working with the families of some of the missing girls today, Sally receives a phone call from a prisoner who claims he knows the identity of the Poster Killer and wants her to come to the prison to speak to him about it. It’s a meeting she doesn’t want to keep, but knows that this particular prisoner is dangerous and she can’t afford to ignore him.

As if she hasn’t got enough on her plate, she’s stopped cold while out on a run when she’s faced with another Missing Person poster and this time it’s her face on it. Immediately, questions flash through: has the Poster Killer returned? Why is Sally being targeted? Is she about to die?

Next Girl Missing is an edge of the seat thriller that sets off at a frenetic pace and things continue to ramp up with increasing urgency. Not only is this a story about a desperate hunt for a serial killer, but there’s a far more emotional aspect to Sally’s story. She’s still overcoming her own personal tragedy after her daughter’s suicide. Plus, through a series of flashback chapters we gain a growing picture of the deeply disturbing control that her ex-husband exerted over her and their children.

Larkin manages to evoke strong emotional responses through Sally Fairburn’s experiences, the controlling husband who gaslighted her repeatedly, the suicide of her teenage daughter and the trauma of possibly being stalked by a serial killer. All of these add up to a harrowing story that piles fear upon fear.

This is the first book in a series featuring Sally Fairburn and it provides great insights into the background of the protagonist. From a beaten down shell of a wife and mother, we witness a gradual growth in strength and self-belief so it will be interesting to watch how much further she goes in the next book in the series.

My thanks to NetGalley and publishers Bookouture for the digital ARC giving me the opportunity to read, enjoy and review the book.

Next Girl Missing (A Sally Fairburn Crime Thriller Book 1)
by L.A. Larkin
Pub Date: 16 Jun 2023

OMG....I am at a loss for describing how utterly fantastic author, L.A. Larkin is! If you're looking for a great crime/thriller read I highly recommend this book. It's the first book I've read of hers and I assure you I plan on reading many more.

It was intense, thrilling, creepy and even scary. I can't speak highly enough about Next Girl Missing. It kept me on the edge of my seat from the first page until the final page! I highly recommend this 5 star book!

Short Synopsis:
Four years ago, six young girls were snatched from the streets of quiet, suburban Pioneer Heights—chilling, fake “missing” posters of each victim hung around town just before they were taken. Ex-police officer Sally Fairburn has always been haunted by the case and their inability to bring the girls home. Having lost her own daughter, she knows only too well the pain it brings…

Four years on, the wide brown eyes and neat braids of twelve-year-old Anna Moorhouse—the last girl to disappear—still plague Sally’s dreams. She has never stopped fighting to bring the devastated families back together, but all leads have gone cold. Until Sally receives a chilling call out of the blue: their former main suspect, in prison for another crime, wants to talk to her… alone.

Desperate for answers, Sally races to interview him. But a horrifying discovery stops her in her tracks: a missing poster—on her daily running route, in the same style used four years ago—with Sally’s own face on it…

Not only is Sally in grave danger, but the more threats she receives, the more convinced she becomes that the killer is a lot closer to home than she ever could have imagined…

Thank you to #Netgalley and #Bookouture for the ARC of #NextGirlMissing.

4.5 stars for a fab crime thriller! I loved it and I am so keen to read book 2 in the Sally Fairburn series.

This was so intense, and the thriller bits were thrilling - spooky, creepy and a little scary even.

A perfect unique mix of ex-police officer FMC and police procedural in my opinion. This is about Sally, who's going through her own personal nightmares, trying to solve a cold serial killer case, just as the serial killer seems to be starting to strike again.

I'd absolutely recommend this to all crime thriller and police procedural lovers.

I have one major gripe with this, which resulted in a reduced rating (but I'm still hoping it's corrected before publication). If you follow me on bookstagram, you may have seen my post about authors, or people generally, saying someone "committed suicide". It features a bit in this book. It is wrong and disrespectful to use 'committed'. The reason people tend to use the word 'committed' before suicide is because suicide used to be a crime - before people knew or understood mental health. Suicide is no longer a crime and saying someone committed suicide is wrong. They suicided or died by suicide. It frustrates me that it is taking years for this to become widely known. If you didn't know about it, I'd love for you to take this on board and share the word that suicide is not a crime anymore and it is therefore not appropriate to refer to someone as having 'committed suicide'. 🤞 this ARC gets edited.

Anticipated publication date: 16 June 2023.

⚠️ Check TWs online ⚠️

Thanks to Netgalley, the author and Bookouture for my eARC in exchange for my honest review.