I initially thought this book might drag on a bit since it was quite long but since it had so many plot twists I loved it the whole way through

Actual rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

So far I have loved every book I have read from this author. The Drowned Girls is no exception. This was a fast-paced romantic thriller that held my attention from the beginning to the very end. Everything you want is in this book: a tight plot, excellent character development, and a thrilling conclusion. The complicated plot of this story is also cleverly crafted. I loved the chemistry between Angie and Maddocks. I can't wait to read the next book in this series. I highly recommend this book.

Thank you to Netgalley, Montlake Romance and Loreth Ann White for a copy of "The Drowned Girls" in exchange of an honest review.

Many people have reviewed this so there's not much I can say except that it's a nice start to a gritty new series. For fans of the genre.

The Drowned Girls was an incredible read featuring an amazing set of characters and a fascinating storyline.

Angie Pallorino has worked as a detective in sex crimes for the last six years and is at times still haunted by the ones who got away with their crimes. When it appears a serial rapist is back and has escalated to murder, Angie is determined to bring the bastard down once and for all. Assigned to a joint task force, Angie is ready to prove herself to the all male homicide division only to be thrown for a loop when her temporary partner, new hire James Maddocks, turns out to be the man she had an anonymous encounter with the night before.

Angie is an intense character who has questionable coping mechanisms for dealing with the stress of her job. In order to deal with her stress, Angie engages in anonymous sex where she gets to be the one in control. Angie is incredibly passionate about her work and cares about the victims sometimes to the detriment of her own well-being. In this book Angie learns some information about her past that has caused her to question everything she thinks she knows about her life. I find myself quite interested in finding out more about her past and hope to see it further explored in future books.

Maddocks has recently moved to the area to be closer to his daughter in the hopes of salvaging their relationship. Maddocks is good at his job and comes up with a few surprising ideas to catch those responsible for what happened to the murdered young women. He's a great partner for Angie as the two have different approaches to their work that ultimately compliment each other. The beginnings of a personal relationship for them are there but there are stumbling blocks on the path to that relationship working out. Their working together and Angie's personal issues definitely do slow things down but the chemistry between them is undeniable.

The serial rapist/murderer they're investigating definitely makes for an interesting case that is at times quite gruesome and graphic, so be forewarned if that's not your thing. There are several avenues the investigation takes and I found myself wondering how they would all connect to each other. Overall I did like how the author connected the different threads and the ending was wonderfully done with the perfect amount of suspense.

I really enjoyed The Drowned Girls and hope to pick up the next book in the series sometime soon. I definitely recommend this series if you're looking for a suspense series with realistically flawed characters.

I couldn’t finish this book. Between the profanity, raunchy sex scenes and a woman who is so self centered it is nauseating, I couldn’t get far in this book.

I’m telling you right now, this book is the sh*t.

Not even an exaggeration, honey.

And it’s the shit for one reason. Yes, it’s got murder. Yes, it’s got sex. Yes, it’s got a psycho serial killer. Yes, it’s hitting that fine line in the level of detail. Yes, it reads like real life honesty. Yes, it’s got gore. Yes, it takes place in C to the A to the N to the A to the D to the A…

Hold on, did I spell that right? *goes back to check* Yep.

CANADA!

But listen to me readers and lovers, without Detective Angie Pallorino as a lead character we would be sitting at a three star rating. That’s just the truth.

She might be my favourite new character that I’ve read in a long while. She’s giving you angry, damaged, ambitious and intelligent sex-vixen realness, 100% of her page time. She does not disappoint in how well thought out her psychological issues are, and how cohesive it is to the story line.

I will say there are explicit sex scenes in this one that gave me the vapours, and typically I don’t really like that in my novels unless I’m specifically looking for it. But the sex scenes in this actually worked for me because they were personally telling as much as they were physically telling.

This book feels taken care of, like the author babied it until it was ready to fly. It’s well researched in terms of the psychology and the religious aspects, but I do have some questions about the more Americanized parts of the politics and justice system. Was it done on purpose, disregarding facts? Or was it not researched? For instance, Canada doesn’t have DAs or anything of those other acronyms. That features pretty heavily in some aspects of the story telling, so points for wanting to set a novel in Canada, but minus points for not engaging in our different political and justice systems genuinely.

Overall, the setting is dark, the story line is dark, Angie is dark and the sex is dark but somehow this book made me feel light and airy and a little turned on.

What a great start to a series. The relationship between Maddocks and Angie was my favorite. The way White put everything together was brilliant. I didn’t find anything overly shocking about the book but I was engaged the entire time.

Angie is the disturbed hot cop who is facing a lot of challenges both personally and professionally. A serial rapist whom she failed to nail seems to be back. But this time, he is killing too. Tagged as "The Baptist", he has taken it upon himself to help bad girls. The details are gory.. he rapes them, mutilates them and baptises them.
James Maddocks is her new partner and there is more to James and Angie than just a work relationship.
The book is fast, engaging and full of disturbing details. It shifts between the personal and the professional lives of the two cops.
The book however doesn't just deal with this crazy killer. There is a parallel plot leaves me in a bit of a fix.
While I loved both the angles and how they all come together, I was also a bit disappointed that the serial rapist was mostly sidelined.
I quite enjoyed the book, but it left me wanting to know more about the psychopath..
Overall, an enjoyable read for the ones who enjoy crime thrillers. It's got all the elements of an engaging crime show! Passion, politics, drama- it's all there. .

The Drowned Girls is the first fast-paced book in the Angie Pallorino series written by author Loreth Anne White. Thanks to NetGalley and Montlake Romance for the advance copy.

I loved it! Loreth Ann White is a new author for me.I will definitely be reading more from this author!

If you want a good thriller then you need to read a Loreth Anne White book. The Drowned Girls is the first book in the Angie Pallorino series. You have dead bodies, a serial killer, a bad ass detective, and so much more. Ms. White tells it like it is and does not hold out on the details.
You will never be disappointed when you read a Loreth Anne White book!

At over 500 pages, I doubted this book could keep the intensity going the whole time... but it did. It doesn't let up! This is a great introduction to a fascinating new character, Angie Pallorino. Like many protagonists in suspense novels, she's damaged... but her past is undeniably intriguing and she's a bit sexy too. If you prefer your mysteries to have no sex or romance, this might not be for you. There's some sweet romance, but it's also a bit dirty. It can get a bit graphic at times in several ways.

Great detectives are always haunted by unsolved cases... the ones who got away. For Angie, one is a rapist last active a couple of years ago. She'd never seen anything like it. Everyone was left hoping he'd died or been sent to prison for a different crime... but he seems to be back. His calling card is a cross etched on the forehead. A lock of hair taken away. These details were kept from the public, but either he's back or someone has a lot of information they shouldn't...

Wanting to move to the homicide division from sex crimes, Angie seeks to prove herself. She knows it won't be easy. She lost her partner on the job not so long ago, and many blame her for the demise of a fine detective. The tough road to her goal becomes just a little more rocky when she meets her new coworker... who happens to be the man she picked up the night before for a one time only fling. Oops.

I'm so excited to read a book with a damaged female detective who manages to still feel fresh and exciting. I'm so happy I read a lot of positive reviews about this one, which inspired me to pick it up! Looking forward to book number two. I hope it's as difficult to put down as the first.

I received a copy of this book from Net Galley and Montlake Romance, thank you! My review is honest and unbiased.

This was a fast paced romantic thriller. A few plot holes and character misses, but, all-in-all, a decent read.

This was SO good! I have been wanting this type of read for so long, and by that I mean a book that is suspenseful, has an element of romance, is an interesting crime procedural but hits that balance between detail and not being boring. I am so happy this will be a series! Angie is the perfect MC of these books - smart, complex, fierce and far from perfect but so real. I just devoured this book - it had seriously creepy elements almost like Silence of the Lambs but it was also straightforward in just trying to catch a serial killer. The setting is on the island of Victoria, BC and was perfect.

Loreth Anne White is a master at atmosphere! Sometimes it's hardest to review books that shine and this is one such instance but I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this book and you should definitely pick up this series.

This book was creepy and chilling which scores points with me. As I try to review this book I am realizing I cant say enough good things about it. This book was a book that made me lose sleep and trust me I like my sleep. Highly recommend.

Strong characters and storyline. The book had everything I need to le me interested, a building romance, suspense, intrigue, mystery and hope for more books with the same char acts. Loved it and looking forward to he next one.

If the Prologue doesn't grab you I don't know what will!
The Drowned Girls, by Loreth Anne White, is thrilling, chilling suspense, with a touch of romance that I just couldn't put down.
Detective Angie Pallorino, with the sex crimes unit, has anonymous sex to not only deal with the demons of her past but to help herself stay in control. However, unbeknownst to Angie, one of her anonymous sex partners happens to be James Maddocks, her new partner. They work together to track down a horrific sexual predator and murderer while dealing with their own issues.
A unique storyline, complex and captivating characters, dangerous and intense situations, and intriguing twists and turns result in The Drowned Girls being one of my favourite novels in this genre.
This is my first experience reading any of Loreth Anne White's work. I highly recommend it and look forward to the rest of the series as well as her stand alone novels.

Thank you to NetGalley and Montlake Romance for an arc of this novel.

He surfaced two years ago. Then he disappeared ...

But Detective Angie Pallorino never forgot the violent rapist who left a distinctive calling card—crosses etched into the flesh of his victim’s foreheads.

When a comatose Jane Doe is found in a local cemetery, sexually assaulted, mutilated, and nearly drowned, Angie is struck by the eerie similarities to her earlier unsolved rapes. Could he be back?
​
Then the body of a drowned young woman floats up in the Gorge, also bearing the marks of the serial rapist, and the hunt for a predator becomes a hunt for a killer. Assigned to the joint investigative task force, Angie is more than ready to prove that she has what it takes to break into the all-male homicide division. But her private life collides with her professional ambitions when she’s introduced to her temporary partner, James Maddocks—a man she’d met the night before in an intense, anonymous encounter.

Together, Angie and Maddocks agree to put that night behind them. But as their search for the killer intensifies so does their mutual desire. And Angie’s forays into the mind of a monster shake lose some unsettling secrets about her own past . . .

How can she fight for the truth when it turns out her whole life is a lie?



* * * * *



Wow! Detective Angie Pallorino has to be one of the most broken people that I have ever heard or read about without being one the wrong side of the law. Instead Angie works with sex crimes and she is looking to get justice for women that have been raped, mutilated and murdered.


Detective James Maddocks has taken a step down the ladder to be able to get a job near his daughter. His first case is a doozie and his partner is Angie. Sparks flew between them both personally and professionally as they work to solve this crime and perhaps start putting Angie back together.


If I keep running across books this good, I will never catch up on my sleep. Angie is a character that I found really easy to emphasize with and Maddocks is dark, dreamy and caring. Their partnership is one that we all dream about finding. I highly recommend this book to any of my readers who enjoy reading thrillers, romantic suspense or police procedurals.


*** I received this book at no charge from NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions expressed within are my own.

A fantastic, action-filled crime drama. I love Angie and James! White knows exactly how to set the scene, even when it comes to the super hot sex scenes. Can't wait to see where she takes us with this new series.

Detective Angie Pallorino is part of the Victoria Metro Police Department sex crimes unit and answers the call for a young woman desecrated in a nearby cemetery. She and her new partner are still finding their way with each other (mostly not) and haven't created "team" yet. She's got LOTS of baggage and being the only woman in the detective ranks doesn't make things easier. When they determine that this case has a lot of similarities to two she investigated a few years ago, both are included on a special task force created when a homicide occurs. Homicide detective James Maddocks, new to the department, is in for a rather big surprise when he's teamed with Angie.

I've seen quite a few fictional damaged female detectives over the years and Angie ranks high on that list of most flawed. Combined with her risky behaviors and tendency to be a lone ranger, she makes for a dangerous cocktail. Her relationship with with Maddocks, who got her in one, was a highlight of the story as he had the ability to read and disarm her despite the boulders she constructs. The case was distressing with its sexual overtones involving young girls but captures your attention from the onset. The secondary plot related to Angie's family just made for a strongly layered story.

I enjoyed the story, especially as the author is one who has the skill to create a vivid sense of place. The weather in Victoria, British Columbia is a critical part of everything and I just felt wet and cold for the duration. I'm glad not everything was resolved by the end (not including all the critical stuff) as what's left is just intriguing. I'm looking forward to where the series leads.