Cover Image: The Girls on Chalk Hill (Detective Lexi Bennett Book 1)

The Girls on Chalk Hill (Detective Lexi Bennett Book 1)

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We are introduced to Detective Lexi Bennett when she finds 2 teenagers brutally murdered. After working for the last few years with the FBI in the United State Lexi is thrust straight into her first case.

She soon discovers they were in fact triplets and Paige is still missing. Is a copycat to blame or is it the same person who kidnapped Lexi and her 2 sisters when they were teenagers with her sister Rose never found.

This was a great start to the series. I really liked Lexi as a character and would love to read more about her. I was gripped throughout the story not sure exactly who was responsible.

I listened on audio and thought the narrator did a great job of all the characters.

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This is going to be an interesting series if all the books are like this one. Lexi not only has to battle her past, but her past is battling her. I was sucked in from the beginning and captivated all the way to the end. I had a little bit of a hard time with the English references, but after looking them up, I sailed through. Looking forward to the next.

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Is it mere coincidence that while out running one morning Detective Lexi Bennett stumbles across the bodies of two teenage girls? After having worked for the FBI in America for several years, Lexi is back in the UK and now has a case that eerily resembles her past. There is a killer with a plan. A plan that includes Lexi Bennett.

The bodies were identified as Lucy and Eden Carter. This fact is quite chilling to Lexi, especially once she learns that they are part of a set of triplets, with the third sister still missing. The reason that this shocks Lexi is that this case is reminiscent of her past, as she too was one of a set of triplets. She and her sisters had also been abducted when they were teens.

This Detective Lexi Bennett book begins a new series by Alison Belsham. I had this book in audio format and found this book very well written and truly compelling, and it was made all the more intriguing due to the excellent narration. The story itself came full circle when it came to Lexi’s past and the tension when it came to the current case never let up. I look forward to reading the next book in the series, The Girl’s Last Cry, in very short order.

Many thanks to and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.

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I love a good British Detective story and Alison Belsham did not disappoint. The Girls on Chalk Hill is a psychological thriller about Lexi Bennett who left England after a horrifying tragedy. She worked for the FBI for several years before deciding to return to her hometown as a Detective Inspector. Immediately upon her return, she stumbles upon two murdered girls that are found dressed as princesses holding hands on a hill. Lexi’s first day begins with helping her team process the two victims who lay slain. Her investigation leads her to startling information. The victims were a set of triplets: Paige, Lucy, and Eden Carter. This case starts resembling the abduction and murder she and her sisters experienced 17 years ago. Were these two girls left just for Lexi's benefit? Is there a copycat killer on the loose? Is her sister’s murderer still alive and out to kill more innocent girls?

The Girls on Chalk Hill is a thriller about the survival of sisters and the determination of Detective Lexi Bennett to save other families from the atrocities she suffered. As Lexi Bennett goes deeper into the investigation of the two murdered girls on the hill, her supervisor starts to worry that she is too close to the case considering she was abducted 17 years ago. Lexi and her team continue digging and get more evidence to solve the case. Due to the complexities of the case Lexi requests the help of the FBI. Will Lexi be able to solve the case, or will they take her off? Can Lexi survive this new case, or will the killer overcome her?

I enjoyed this book a lot. The narrator was excellent. It was a decently paced story with likable characters. I loved the depiction of the English town and the people who live there. I would recommend this book to anyone that loves mysteries, thrillers, and good detective stories. I am excited that this will be a series. The author did a great job with the first book in the series. I give this 3.5 stars for the book and 4 for the narration. Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for allowing me to read the book for an honest review.

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Amazing. Amazing. Amazing!!!
Yep, that’s it!
This OPENS UP with a double homicide.
Two young girls…left out on a beautiful hillside…to be found by Detective Lexi Bennett…who has just returned home after a stint in the US at Quantico …learning all about profiling.
The girls were staged to look like princesses…and this brings back tragic memories for Bennett. Ones she’s not sure she wants to dredge up. But being as she is now in charge of the police unit…she needs to deal with them.
Unbelievable character development. You will feel like you’ve become a part of their lives. You will laugh. You will cry. You will bite your nails. You will want to smack a few people in the head…
But in the end it’s tied up nicely, and you WILL be able to breathe again. But getting there…hold on for the ride!
Of note, this is book #1…so we can look forward to more adventures with Detective (DI) Bennett.
Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for the ARC of this delightful book!
Release date was June 26th (I just had some trouble accessing it), but you should be able to find it already!
5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ for me!
The Girls on Chalk Hill by Alison Belsham.

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This book was the first in a new detective series.

Detective Lexi Bennett was an interesting main character to follow. She came into the story as the new Head of Major Crimes, finding a pair of bodies on her first morning. This links back to an incident in her past, which she originally tries to keep hidden from her team.

This book was quite typical for procedural thriller. Nothing felt overly groundbreaking, but it was definitely an interesting crime book to read.

While this was the beginning of a series, this made a good standalone, meaning that you don't need to continue the series if you don't want to.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for an advance copy of the audiobook.

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This is a spooky start to a new series. Lexi has returned to England after a stint with the FBI. Before her first day on the job she stumbles across the bodies of two young girls who had been murdered and posed. Upon further investigation it seems the girls were part of triplets and one is still missing. This brings Lexi back to her own childhood when her and her sisters, also triplets were abducted. Lexi and one of her sisters escaped but her sister Rose did not and it has haunted Lexi through adulthood.

There are many similarities between the two cases and Lexi sometimes gets wrapped in her emotions instead of the evidence. This is a great police procedural with the added benefit of seeing everything going on through the eyes of the killer as well as the police. The narration was excellent and the the story kept me engaged. I found myself thinking the killer was one person when it was someone entirely unexpected. I'm intrigued to see where this series goes.

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I love nothing more than when its personal for a detective in a crime novel and this one hits it out of the park. Lexi is a triplet and was abducted years ago and one of her sisters did not survive. And at the start of this one she stumbles across twins that were murdered when she is out on her run. Only to investigate and find out they are triplets and one of them is missing. How does it get any more personal than that? I was hooked. Now throw in some chapters from the killer’s point of view, so the readers know more than the detectives and get to watch her piece it together. I really like the start of this new series.

We learn about what brings Lexi to this point in her life and to this new job she is starting. She doesn’t feel like a dime a dozen detective. We meet her new team and get to see how they operate as they work together to save the missing triplet. I wanted to watch the cat and mouse game unfold right from the start. The triplet story is fresh and something I haven’t read before even though I have read more than my share of detective novels. The story was layered and kept me wanting to know how it would end. This wasn’t just will they find the killer, but will they figure it out in time to save the missing triplet.

Lexi is a relatable character and there is more to her story that I want to see unfold in future books in the series. I am really looking forward to reading more in this series.

If you are looking for a new take on the detective series, I would pick this one up. You won’t be disappointed.

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I love audio books and I’m always looking for new to me authors. I really enjoyed The Girls on Chalk hill by Alison Belsham and am so glad this is #1 in a series for Detective Lexi Bennett. What a fascinating character. To have gone through a personal tragedy and becoming a detective to catch criminals like the one in her past. I’m looking forward to more from this author and her amazingly strong character.

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DI Lexi Bennett is on a run when she finds two teenagers with their throats cut.

These two teenagers are twins but there is a third, making them triplets, and they are missing. But this may all be too close to home. Lexi is a triplet and but while she and one sibling were found, the third was not.

Now Lexi is going to use the knowledge of her personal experience to find the third sibling and hope it’s not too late.
This novel is told from two perspectives, keeping the narrative tense. I enjoyed the way we heard from Lexi’s past which gave me chills to find out what happened next. There were puzzles and clues throughout which simply added to this storyline and made it so exciting.
This was a great first book to the series and I look forward to the next.

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Triplets. Uncommon already, but what about triplets who are targeted by a murderer?! This book is a classic who-dun-it, detective mystery. The reader gets to know a bit of Detective Lexi’s past and how she can use it to help solve a hometown murder. While I enjoyed the mystery, the audiobook narrator did not have enough character difference in her voice. I often found myself confused about who was talking or what POV I was hearing.

Thank you NetGalley, Bookouture Audio, and author Alison Belsham for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

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Holy cow!!! What an amazing book! I couldn’t stop listening. I was completed sucked in. Every time I thought I knew what was going to happen, I was wrong. I swear I was on the edge of my seat for most of this book. The story line was spot on with enough to keep you on edge and guessing. This states it was book one, you better believe I will be waiting for book two.
The narrator was so good, the characters were easy to grip because of her. Great job for both the Author and Narrator!

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I listened to this book on audio and I was hooked from the first five minutes! The story of Detective Lexi Bennett is a gripping ride that will keep you guessing throughout the story. It is a well-thought-out crime mystery with Lexi's past story perfectly woven in. I really enjoyed the few chapters that gave us a glimpse into the killer's POV and his motives for what he did.

I very much enjoyed the narrator for the audio version she keeps the story interesting and easy to follow. The audio had me on edge while cleaning the house lol.

I look forward to really more from this author and more about Lexi Bennett.

I was fortunate to get an advanced audio version thanks to NetGalley however my review is my opinion and mine alone.

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Detective Lexi Bennett is on a cool early morning run before her first shift at a new police department. She finds two identical young women in white with tiaras and roses dead on Chalk Hill. Lexi feels like she has the investigation under control until the other shoe drops – the dead girls on the hill were part of triplets and the third girl is still missing. Things immediately go sideways. Lexi is also a triplet and when they were teenagers, her and her sisters also went missing. Lexi and Amber escaped, but Rose was never seen again. Her new boss tries to get her to step back, but Lexi argues she’s in the best position to find the perpetrator. But he is not going to make it easy for her.

This an intriguing mystery. I don't always like when the detective has a personal stake in the outcome of a case, but I thought this worked well. Lexi is motivated and determined to solve the case and find Paige at any cost. My only worry is will her next case seem minor in comparison...

But that's the author's problem, not mine. Great book!

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Are you a lover of action-packed detective novels that leave you gasping with action? then this book is for you! DCI Lexi Bennet has returned to her homeland in the UK after 4 years at Quantico studying the behavior of serial killers. Now, just before her first day of work in her hometown, on her morning run, she finds 2 bodies of twins, and a stage scene with a very personal message, which she understands immediately. Because 17 years ago, she was in the same situation, she is a survivor of this ruthless killer who wants to test how far twins, triplets will go to protect their brothers./sisters I loved Lexi's explosive personality. The story was written in a very clear way, that you can hardly stop and reflect on it, because the plot and the characters are so well done that the attention is all on the story and not on the way the sentences are made. As a less positive aspect, I point out the fact that there were many loose ends unknot. many questions to answer. I confess that the end disappointed me, because I thought there would be more answers. However, the book ends with the cue that more books are coming with Lexi, I'll have to read the next ones to see if my curiosity is satisfied. Netgalley once again thank you so much for this opportunity. I'm proud to review books like this, and Lexi that's one see you soon... I want to hear more about your adventures. On book 2.

#TheGirlsonChalkHill #NetGalley

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I really enjoyed this story and could not figure it out! I did like the narrator when was he was narrating from Lexi’s perspective. However, I wish they would have had a different narrator for the killer. I kept having to turn the volume up when it was the killers perspective and still didn’t always hear everything that was said.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to listen and review this book.

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Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

Holy wow! This book sucked me right in and had me on the edge of my seat. I really enjoyed how there were chapters from the unsub’s point of view where he is stalking Lexi as she works the case. Those chapters had an eerie quality to them and really helped to make the story thrilling. Lexi Bennett was a great main character and the way her past experiences played into the investigation was great. I am looking forward to the next book.

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Detective Lexi Bennett run's in the morning before starting her new job and comes across two bodies laid out on a hill. The first in a new series and a very good start indeed. Lexi is flawed and believable, well plotted with lots of twists and turns. You also get the viewpoint of the killer Which add to the story. Sofia Zervudachi does excellent narration of this book.
I received this audiobook free from Bookoutre audio and Netgalley for a review.

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⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

I received an advance copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

There's nothing quite like a good honest crime novel, is there? This novel introduces DI Lexi Bennett on her first day back in Kent, after four years with the FBI.

It's really well written, with a solid main character who is brilliant at her job but also with enough history and flaws of her own that she's very believable and just right for the novel. I was hooked from the beginning, all the way through to the very end.

Lexi likes to run - and that's exactly what she's doing when she discovers the bodies of two girls, almost identical in appearance, on her first day back on the force in Kent. She calls it in and as she begins to delve into the murders, her own personal history comes to the fore, bringing with it all the emotions and memories Lexi thought she had blocked out permanently. She must confront her own demons to solve this case - all the while more lives hang on the line.

The second Lexi Bennett book is due out in July, and third in November. Unfortunately, these appear to only be available in Australia as audiobooks which is a real shame! I'll be hanging for the next one though.

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On a morning run before her first day on the job, DI Lexi Bennett stumbles upon the bodies of twin girls. She soon discovers the murdered girls are actually triplets, and the third one is missing. And possibly still alive. Lexi must race against the clock to find the missing girl and catch the perpetrator. Lexi herself is a triplet, and as a teen, was abducted alongside her sisters, Rose and Amber. Could the cases be linked? With many twists and turns, this book is truly a heart-pounding thriller.

What I liked:
- Hearing the story from the perspective of both Lexi and the perpetrator
- The clues and puzzles made for a complex story line that was totally gripping
- The chapter recounting the night Lexi and her sisters were held captive in the cabin gave me a genuine feeling of terror. Few books have done that so bravo to the author!
- Lexi’s experience and history in Quantico. I’d love to hear more, and I’m especially interested to read the case of the Diamond River Killer

Easily 4.5/5 stars. This was a fantastic introduction to DI Lexi Bennett, and I’m so excited for the rest of this new detective series. Thank you to Bookouture Audio and Netgalley for the advanced reading copy!

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