I really enjoyed this story, during the first couple of chapters I was hooked and was keen to keep reading.

Throughout this story I kept thinking surely not but the more you read the more you think it's got to be her....or does it. The last few chapters take you on the final journey and you can feel the chill as this story ends. I had to keep reading and could not sleep until I knew exactly what happened and why.

A very enjoyable book that I would definitely recommend, I like the way this book unfolded and the twists that took my by surprise and left me uncertain.

A chilling and compulsive read. I think that all of us harbour something of a morbid fascination with children who kill and “The Flower Girls” feeds into that macabre curiosity. It raises questions around nature and nurture, and the culpability of parents whilst considering the impact on the families of both victim and perpetrator.

A compelling story that hooks you within the first few chapters. Despite an ending which I didn’t enjoy (although I can imagine others would) there was enough mystery, intrigue and twists to keep me entertained throughout.

I’ll definitely look out for more by the author.

Thanks to NetGalley, Alice Clark-Platts and Raven books for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I did not like this because it referenced more than one real-life case of child abduction, which i found distasteful. The author sometimes writes in phrases rather than sentences. I was not sure what the ending meant - something nasty, i am sure. However, it was fairly well-constructed and the characters were reasonably well-drawn.

The book opens with a scene from 1997. Two sisters, Rosie and Laurel lead a toddler away from her distracted mother and into the woods. Chapter two brings us back to the present day and the setting is a small hotel in Devon coastline. A five year old girl has gone missing and her parents are distraught. Police arrive and everyone is under suspicion, but this is no ordinary whodunnit. The two stories are brought together with flashbacks, red herrings and an unsettling glimpse of the persuasive powers of a true psychopath



In 1997 the UK is shocked by a horrible crime. Two girls, Laurel and Primrose, forever after known as the flower girls, are involved. One is convicted of murder, the other given a new identity. Nineteen years later another little girl goes missing, and the flower girls hit the headlines all over again.

I'll start by saying I was not prepared for this book. I casually picked it up off NetGalley without really thinking about what the description was telling me it was about. I think that works really well for this book as it makes the impact even stronger. It does make it hard to review without giving too much away though.

The story here really hit home with me, I tho k because I can remember similar real life events (that are referred to in the book). It's a confronting plotline, and one that really makes you think about something you hope you would never have cause to in real life.

I realised about halfway through that there wasn't any characters in the book that I actually liked. There was characters I actively disliked, characters I had a bad feeling about, and characters I was mostly ambivalent towards, but none that I was rooting for. This all adds to the feeling that something is seriously wrong, and that nobody in the book is being truly honest.

I really enjoyed the way the author explores the idea of justice, and how long someone should spend in prison. I didn't feel this was the main focus of the story, but a very interesting sideline, that is looked at from all angles.

The only negative I had with this one is that I felt the ending didn't answer all of my questions, if anything it left me with more. That isn't always a bad thing, but in this case I felt a bit confused.

Overall I really enjoyed this book. I thought it was very well written, and definitely left me with a book hangover. I wish I'd read it with my book club as I think it would lead to some really interesting discussions. That and I feel like I need to talk about it with someone! The only other thing I would say is that it does cover a challenging topic, so might not suit especially sensitive readers. It's definitely worth the read though. 5*

Thanks to NetGalley, Bloomsbury Publishing PLC and Raven Books for an arc in exchange for an honest review

I was disappointed in this book and found the detail of the child's injuries quite harrowing. When I started it reminded me of the BBC program 'The Ice Cream Girls'... two young girls affected by a crime, one deserted, one sheltered. The characters were well-written, but not a great deal happened, and every time there was a pending twist, I would think "I didn't see that coming" and apparently it didn't come, because the direction would change again. In the end the climax was odd and unsatisfying. This book was not for me, but other crime thriller readers may find it a better read.

It took me a little while to get into this as there are a few key characters lending their voice to the narration, but then I was hooked as we discovered all of Hazel’s layers and her background. Lots of twists and turns to keep your attention and the ending was a complete shock, leaving me with lots of questions, which has meant that The Flower Girls has stayed on my mind since I finished it. A great, compelling read.

A good basis for a thriller. 2 little girls killed a toddler but only the older one is tried and found guilty of the crime. The younger one is too young for criminal responsibility and is given a new identity along with her family. Twenty years later another young child goes missing in the same hotel that the younger sister is staying. Twists and turns abound and it is a quick, page turning read. For me, it was twists and action over substance and I wanted to get to know the characters more, have them fleshed out. However, as a page turning thriller, it does the job well. You won’t see the end coming.

This was an intense and very disturbing read and I'm still processing how I feel about it.

In 1997, two little sisters aged 10 and 6 abducted and killed a two year old toddler. The older sister has been charged with the crime but the younger one, Rosie, was given a new identity and lived a happy life until another little girl goes missing at a hotel where Rosie is staying.

Reading about the abduction of a young child will probably make everyone feel quite uncomfortable. That's how I felt throughout reading the Flower Girls. However, despite the dark nature of the synopsis, the book gripped me and it was hard to put down.

19 years after the crime, there are still many open questions about the case. The answers are provided to us progressively by switching between chapters set in the present and in 1997.

What I am still struggling to get over, is the ending of the book. It definitely does not sit well with me and it left me feeling uneasy but I suppose that's what the author's intention was.

When a young girl goes missing from a hotel on New Year’s Eve, one of the guests is terrified she’ll be implicated. As a child she was Primrose, one of a notorious pair called The Flower Girls. Her older sister Laurel was imprisoned for the murder of a toddler and Primrose, present at the crime but considered too young to be responsible, was given a new identity.

The tale that unfolds is full of twists and turns, complex characters and the often selfish motivations that drive them.

My thanks to Bloomsbury Publishing, Raven Press and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read The Flower Girls.
I have thought deeply about my review of The Flower Girls because the subject matter is so chilling and awful that it's something we don't want to think about; a child killing a child. The Flower Girls are Laurel (10) and Primrose (Rose) (6) who take two-year-old Kirsty into a wood and kill her. Of course, only the eldest meets the age of criminal responsibility, so takes the blame for the murder and is incarcerated. Her sister, Primrose, now Hazel, because she has a new identity, is allowed home with her parents because she says she cannot remember anything about what happened and so, therefore, cannot be convicted. The story is very cleverly unravelled with characters whose motivations are less than honourable apart from the girl's Uncle, Toby who as a lawyer, is the person who defends Laurel and stands by her when she is abandoned by her family, and Lorna Hillier, the detective who will not let it rest. The novel is gritty, with references to past child murderers such as those who killed Jamie Bulger, chillingly reminding us that the story is very sadly a reflection of real life. We find these killings incredibly shocking and Alice Clark-Platts weaves this understandable horror into the story. The ending is as shocking because I didn't see it coming, which is unusual. A very powerful, gripping read, but not for the faint-hearted.

This book has on occasions been extremely difficult to read as it deals with child abduction, particularly by minors, and the potential issues related to judgement, justice and punishment deemed applicable for the crime. The story covers two incidents twenty years apart. Whether by misfortune or intent, one individual was present on both occasions. The first abduction is dealt with in flashback whilst the second takes place during New Year festivities at an innocuous hotel, festivities halted by the unimaginable followed by a police investigation and intense media speculation and public frenzy. Family members, protagonists in a harrowing set of circumstances become embroiled in deceptions to protect innocent and guilty secrets preventing the police from solving the case. The public with no knowledge of all relevant details encouraged by journalists need to sell newspapers or writers wish to sell books, result in mass hysteria with a focus on their need for justice to be seen to be done and the families involved a need for revenge. And so the story of the flower girls unfolds as we try to decipher the lies and deceptions. The conclusion is shocking in itself. Not enough for this author who introduces a second facet to the crime, showing aspects of real evil unimaginable to decent human beings. A book raising many issues leaving the reader with just as many questions as answers.

Didn't really enjoy this read, it felt a little disjointed, I couldn't warm to the characters, the plot wasn't bad but did flow well enough for me and the ending didn't make a lot of sense

This is a really interesting and atmospheric book that really throws you at the last minute. You think you know what's going on..but you don't. Great depth of characters, great writing, a really enjoyable read.

It's true. You'll never forget THE FLOWER GIRLS.
This book is bound to stay in your memory for a long time. It's emotional and provocative, and it makes you question things you would otherwise choose not to because they're not the kind of questions that have good, satisfactory answers anyway. Sometimes it's just life. Or a good story.

This book is absolutely perfect for thriller fans who prefer a solid plot to a PR hype. It's a guessing game with a proper, and yet shocking, ending.

Thank you NetGalley for the chance to read this in exchange for my honest review.

There are a couple of big questions posed in this book; why did a child kill a toddler? who has abducted the little girl at the hotel? Similarly there are some really interesting concepts that arise; trial by public opinion, the impact a crime has on a community of people, the vagaries of the justices system, nature vs. nurture and whether true evil really exists. It’s a lot to pack into an average sized novel, and I think the book struggled a little because of it. Personally I felt as though the author couldn't quite make up her mind to whether to write a thriller or a more nuanced psychological exploration of why a child would kill. Furthermore, there were a lot of characters, each with their own story, but these people were never fully developed enough to feel anything more than a means to include more ‘important themes’
That being said, the book does trip along at a good pace, there was a lot to keep me reading, and there were some genuinely creepy moments. The way that a certain type of crime never really diminishes over the years and continues to reverberate 20 years later did keep me thinking for some time. However, trying to cram in so much coupled with an overly theatrical ending (almost as if there should have been a knowing wink to the reader) means I would only rate this as an average read.

My thanks go to the publishers and Net Galley for the advanced copy in return for an honest review.

Such an amazing book. Your sucked right into it straight away. Plenty of twist s bad turns. The subject matter is raw and very similar to recent modern crimes. Its a book that grips you until the end.
Thank you to both NetGalley and Bloomsbury publishing for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest unbiased review.

We are propelled into the action when a young girl goes missing whilst celebrations are taking place at a hotel on New Year's Eve. We soon learn that one of the characters is afraid the blame will be laid at her door. 18 years previously she and her sister had been accused of murdering another toddler, having inflicted violence on the baby that no one should endure. At 10 years old, Laurel had been convicted. Rosie, at 6 was deemed too young to stand trial.
A young female police officer soon took charge of the situation wanting to prove her credentials. A writer, on a retreat to finish his book, spotted the opportunity to make his mark.
We follow the investigation into the different characters at the hotel, all under suspicion until proved innocent. Rosie, now Hazel, we follow home as the story remains with her.
The flashbacks fill the reader in on the effect the murder had, and still has, on Rosie's whole family. The girls' uncle Toby, a lawyer, finds himself defending Laurel, not just during her trial, but subsequently trying to gain parole for her on more than one occasion. He is giving up his life for his niece. Meanwhile, the sister of the murdered toddler is giving her life to keeping Laurel behind bars, fighting for the justice she thinks the baby deserves.
Are there right and wrong answers here? Do we know the complete truth? Or do the questions at the very end of the book raise even more questions?

A story line that was about about a murdered child many years before and a fresh child disappearance which involved two sisters. Well wrote especially with such a delicate storyline .