The Flower Girls will certainly be a much talked about book next year. The content is quite chilling and concerns all parents. I found it true to life in the way it brings to mind and mentions real life cases that we all remember. It's a good read even though I figured out the ending about two thirds of the way through. I'll definitely look for more books by this author.

After a slow start The Flower Girls began to really grip me about a third of the way in. The storyline is very dark with child abduction and murder the central elements of the tale. The lack of information available to the reader made the mystery of the two Flower Girls all the more intriguing and the little flashes from the past added to the slippery nature of the event only the girls, Laurel and Rosie, really knew the truth about. The external characters - Max, Toby, Johnny, Evie, Joanna and Hillier - were all intriguing with interesting and fleshed out reasons for their actions and investment in the central crimes being solved. The overlapping of the crimes - similar but different and with one key person seemingly involved in both - was the most interesting facet of the novel for me and I whizzed through the body of the book, desperate to discover the truth! That aside I found the ending a little anticlimactic. While the twists and reasons behind them were compelling it felt rather rushed and didn't quite have the gut punch effect I love after committing to a weaving, intriguing thriller.

I was intrigued by this book due to the short but to the point blurb.

The flower girls are sisters, Laurel & Primrose. One is convicted of the murder of a 2-year-old and the other is given a new identity.

Unfortunately, this book didn’t quite deliver for me. It was long-winded and boring in places and it didn’t flow particularly well. I had to force myself to pick it up and finish it. The supposed twist was made pretty obvious from near the beginning. I didn’t really connect or like any of the characters and I found the ending unsatisfying.

Really disappointed with this book. It felt a much longer read than it needed to and not enough happened for it to be mildly interesting and I actually had to force myself to read it. There were a lot of random subplots that I really don't think was necessary. There was no big twist and the only 'surprise' was easily guessed fairly early on. An uncomfortable read at times given the crime but certainly not one I would recommend out of enjoyment either.

The Flower Girls is a chilling disturbing read .In 1997 two little girls abduct and kill a two year old girl ,one of the children goes to prison but the other deemed too young to stand trail is given a new identity and goes on to live a happy life .Now called Hazel she and her boyfriend Jonny and his daughter Evie are staying in a hotel in Devon when another young child goes missing .The descriptions in the book of the Devon countryside and the snow are excellent and made me feel I was actually there .There are a lot of characters in the story and all of them are well written and believable .This is a gripping but at times uncomfortable read but very cleverly written that it is very hard to put down .The ending of the book was unexpected and left me thinking about it even now .Many thanks to the Publisher ,the Author and NetGalley for the review copy in return for an honest review

I really enjoyed The Flower Girls, which feels like an odd thing to say considering the subject matter. However as a thriller, it’s so well written and considered that you are sucked in and all that matters is discovering what happened all those years ago. When, as children Laurel and Rosie abduct a toddler, which in turn leads to the young girls death.
Just twisty enough, with the best one saved til last.

This book had me gripped from the very first page and I couldn’t wait to get to the end to find out what had happened all those years ago and why the flower girls did what they did. Why did Laurel commit such atrocious acts? Why did Primrose not try to stop her? Was Primrose really innocent? The descriptive sections of what happened to Kirsty was hard reading but it made what the flower girls did at such a young age so awful. I had a slight hunch that Laurel was protecting her younger sister all those years ago by not indicating that she had any part in the death of Kirsty however I did not see the twist(s) at the end! I finished this book so quickly and cannot wait to see what the author comes up with next!

This is a disturbing tale of two girls (Laurel and Primrose) who do the unthinkable to a small child. As a result of their actions, Laurel is sent to prison while Primrose and her parents are given new identities. Unfortunately for Primrose, she is brought to the public eye again when a child disappears at the hotel she is staying at.
I found this a chilling story with an ending which left me uncomfortable. This would make a good book club choice since there is lots to discuss. Recommended reading.

Alice Clark-Platt's nightmarish and chilling psychological thriller brings back memories of the notoriously unforgettable 1993 murder of toddler Jamie Bulger by two boys. Here we have the character driven disturbingly unsettling story of 10 year old Laurel and her sister, 6 year old Primrose aka Rosie, who abduct, torture and kill 2 year old Kirstie Swann in 1997. The girls became tabloid and media fodder, becoming the infamous Flower Girls. Laurel is convicted and imprisoned, but Rosie is deemed too young to be held responsible, and given a new identity as Hazel. Now 19 years later, Hazel and her boyfriend, Jonny, who knows her real identity and his daughter, Evie are at a hotel in Devon. The weather is dire, with snowstorms when 5 year old girl, Georgie, goes missing. The past is about the haunt the present as a frantic search to find Georgie takes place to find her as quickly as possible and Hazel's life begins to spiral out of control.

In the meantime, a bitter and resentful Laurel claims the death of Kirstie was an accident and is appealing the decision of the parole board. To all intents and purposes, her family appear to have abandoned her, and only her lawyer uncle has been in regular contact and supported her. Hazel's life is bought back into the spotlight as her real identity is revealed. The police are convinced that she is behind Georgie's disappearance given her shocking history, a case of history repeating itself. Max, an ex-journalist sees an opportunity for a exclusive story that he wants to turn into a book. Laurel's appeal faces implacable opposition from the lawyer aunt of Kirstie, Joanna Denton, intent on proclaiming the rights of the victim through a campaigning group 'Bang to Rights'. In a story that goes back and forth in time, we are given a clearer picture of the past, of what happened to Kirstie, and Laurel's trial. There are surprising twists as the Flower Girls once again come to connect, and we are given an unexpected ending.

Platt-Clark is a human rights lawyer, and to her credit she takes a non-sensationalist approach in the novel. She raises a number of pertinent issues, on evil and the debate between nature and nurture, morality, the influence attached to the court of public opinion, crime and punishment, and how far members of the media will go to get a story. Without doubt, this is an uncomfortable read, but it is also a gripping and thought provoking read on a subject most people would not wish to dwell on. I found this dark novel fascinating reading in the way it challenges perceptions people might have and the sensitive manner in which the author tackles such a difficult and traumatic topic. Many thanks to Bloomsbury for an ARC.

I can't figure out how to give any detail about this book without dropping in a plot spoiler. This book is so disturbing and so cleverly wrought. If you enjoy complex thrillers with endings that will haunt you then this is a book for you.

This is a compelling and haunting read. This is a book I will remember for a long time. There is so much more evil in this book. The twists in it make it even more incredible. The story is very well told and the descriptions make everything seem real. Hazel is a really complex character and the ending gave me shivers down my spine and left me in shock.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy.

A compelling, atmospheric novel that moves backwards and forwards between the past and the present, gripping the reader as it does so.

From the very first page, the author, Alice Cark-Platts, draws the reader into the world of her various characters, all of whom are connected in some way with the disappearance of a two-year old girl, Kirstie, nineteen years earlier, even if it is only to profit from Kirstie’s disappearance many years after it had happened. Because of their bacground or their location in the present, they are also connected, indirectly if not directly, with the disappearance nineteen years later of five-year old Georgie from a hotel in Devon on a freezing cold afternoon.

The circumstances and outcome of the first disappearance years before, have had a ripple-like effect on the lives of the characters involved. They have taken over their minds, set their lives on certain paths and have imprisoned them on thse paths. All are victims of what happened to Kirstie.

The Flower Girls of the title are Laurel and her sister, Primrose, who is known as Rosie in her early years, and Hazel in her later years. During their early years, despite the four years’ difference in age, they are very close and have a secret language, and play secret games. In later years, however, each one having been thrown into a life very different from that of the other, their lives have followed a totally different trajectory.

The disappearance of the two children, years apart though they are, are linked not just by the flower girls, but also by Kirstie’s aunt, DC Lorna Hillier, who is leading the attempt to find Georgie. It is Lorna’s drive that has refused to let what happened to Kirstie fade from the public’s mind, and she’s determined to see justice done for everyone she thinks was involved in what happened to her niece. With Kistie at the forefront of her mind, finding Georgie has a special urgency for her.

The book is beautifully written. The author has an eye for detail, and the ability to phrase the detail in such a way that it brings it alive in the reader’s mind. She has also peopled her novel with characters of real depth, from the obstinate DC Lorna Hillier to the headline-hungry writer, Max, to the dogged, persevering flower girls’ uncle, Toby, who is also a solicitor. Every character remains in the reader’s mind long after the book has ended.

I’ve tried to avoid giving away too much of the story as I didn’t want to take from readers the pleasure of discovering it for themselves. I found it a gripping read and highly recommend it.

Thank you, Bloomsbury and NetGalley, for an advance copy of the novel.

Ten years ago Laurel, aged ten and Rosie, aged six were involved in a horrific child murder. Laurel was tried and convicted but Rosie had no recollection of what happened and anyway was too young to be held responsible. They became known as The Flower Girls.
Fast forward to the present day and Rosie is now known as Hazel. She has formed a relationship with Jonny and whilst away for the weekend at a remote hotel a young child goes missing. Suspicion soon falls on Hazel and her real identity is exposed. Max, a journalist, is also staying at the hotel tries to persuade Hazel to let him tell her story and to make contact with the sister she hasn’t seen since she was imprisoned.
There are lots of layers to this story and it becomes impossible to tell who is telling the truth. The difficult subject matter is dealt with well. I found it difficult to empathise with many of the characters but you’ll have to read it to find out why. Fast paced and gripping.

A spine tingling read which tackles a very sensitive subject, excellently executed. Laurel 10 and Rosie 6 are just children themselves when Laurel is arrested and sent to prison for the murder of a child. Rosie being aged 6 was given a new identity. 18 years later while Hazel (Rosie) is at a hotel celebrating New Years another child goes missing. Rosie’s identity is uncovered. The flower girls hit the headlines again. A captivating riveting read.

I can't make my mind up about this book. I read it fairly quickly as I couldn't put it down, even waking in the night to read a bit more so that says something. However, there were a few irks including the fact that I couldn't get that Laurel would stay in prison, having such an awful time and not saying anything! Why? Really? At that age? The ending, as others have said, is a bit of a surprise. But it came too quickly with no follow up so I wasn't really sure what the author was implying. It didn't need a lot more to clarify, perhaps another couple of paragraphs and this would be a 5 star read.

The Flower Girls just didn’t work for me. Having read several other books with a similar theme, I was excited to read this book as the description and blurb was intriguing and interesting.

Unfortunately after the prologue which was, imo, enticing and uncomfortable the book then left me cold. I was unable to connect with any of the characters, which meant I stopped caring about who, why, when and how.

At just over halfway through my kindle told me I had 1 hour 30 left in the book, so I continued on hoping that something would change and I would feel differently. Unfortunately it didn’t and I finished the book feeling disappointed as I really was hoping this book would WOW me.

This is purely my opinion and having read other reviews since I finished the book, I’m sure it’s a case of “it’s not you.. it’s me”

I really enjoyed this book.
Lots going on to keep me on the edge of my seat guessing.
Great ending, I never saw that coming at all.

In 1997 sisters Lauren 10 and Primrose 6 abducted and killed a 2-year-old Kirsten Swann. Only Lauren was arrested for her murder, as they thought Primrose was too young to be convicted. Present day Lauren is still in prison for the crime, and Primrose has a new identity and a new life. Her name is now Hazel.
Nineteen years later, Hazel (Primrose) is celebrating the New year in a hotel off the Devon coast, with her boyfriend Johnny. When 5-year-old Georgie goes missing. When the police arrive, they discover that Hazel is one of the guests at the hotel and Hazel becomes number one suspect for the disappearance of the girl. The Police think that history has repeated itself and ‘The Flower girls’ have returned. The press finds out about Hazel and the flower girls campaign returns. At the same time Lauren is yet again has her parole hearing. Hoping this time that she will be released.
If you are a fan like me of Psychological thrillers this is the book for you. This is intriguing and thought provoking thriller, that you will keep thinking about well after you finishing the book. This gripped me and kept me reading into the early hours of the morning, I liked it so much. This book will be one to watch. I will be looking out for more books from this author.

Just brilliant! The story twists and turns, goes back and forth to the past. The premise of the story is heartbreaking and I didn’t see the last twist coming at all. Thoroughly enjoyed and highly recommended

You will LOVE THIS BOOK.

its a story of 2 sisters Primrose (Rosie) who is 6 and Laurel who is 10, they killed and tortured a 2yr old called Kirstie Swann, the press called them The Flower Girls, the eldest sister Laurel was tried and convicted but Rosie who was only 6 at the time could not be held accountable and so she was given a new identity.

This tells the story of what happened to them both with the cards they were dealt.

What a seriously amaaaaaaaaaaaaazing book I was totally immersed in it until it was over and even when it was over I was still getting over the twist !!

Its a corker of a book and I would recommend to anyone who loves a good thriller and one that will have you thinking about it long after you've finished the book, can't wait for more books by the author.

5 stars