Cinematic is the main word that springs to mind when I think about this book. Seems to me it was written with the intention of it becoming a movie. It is the type of thing I see publishers pushing on authors. The perfect little book that will bring revenue in so many forms... Everything made me think of that: jumping from scene to scene, not always directly related; the point of view of so many character, at times secondary characters that weren't necessary adding to the plot but where filling spaces, as you'd most likely see in a movie; such a controversial subject etc.
It does seem inspired by the famous Jamie Bulger case and with the fuss made around the movie being nominated for an Oscar I expect this book to bank on some of that publicity too. Which is not necessarily a bad thing. Alice Clark-Platts did a good job. It is indeed a thrilling, gripping read and while I've anticipated some aspects, it still managed to surprise me at times. Plus I've actually liked the somewhat open to interpretation ending. I feel it gave a much needed depth to the story. While you can argued that the author tries to deal with hard subjects like pure evilness/wickedness; emotional abuse; fairness of legal system etc, I believe it remained at a rather superficial level. Or better said, it was done in a rather soap-operish way that once again alignes with my first impression. I obviously am not very fond of this technique but it will probably appeal to many and help the book overall.
That being said, The Flower Girls is an enjoyable read. Even if I am not sure "enjoyable" is actually suited a word seen the subject!

A twisty psychological thriller than will keep you on your toes until the last page.

In 1997, ten-year-old Laurel and six-year-old Rosie are playing a game that somehow results in the death of a baby. The country is shocked, and Laurel is old enough to be criminally responsible. She ends up juvenile detention and later prison, while her sister and parents are given new names and relocated.

Fast forward to the present day, and Rosie is now Hazel. She had a boyfriend with a teenage daughter, and they are spending New Year’s Eve in remote Devon hotel. A little girl has disappeared from the hotel, and her parents and the police are frantically searching for her. Meanwhile, Laurel is pursuing a judicial review that might finally allow her to be released from prison.

When a writer staying at the hotel realises that Hazel is actually one of the infamous Flower Girls, as Laurel and Rosie were known, he starts a chain of events that will change lives.

This is one of those twisty tales where you’re never entirely sure where you’re going. The narrative jumps around from Hazel to the suspicious Detective Hillier, and to including Laurel’s defence lawyer and the aunt of the original victim who has made it her life’s work to ensure that Laurel is never released to society.

There obviously lots of real-life parallels with child killers that The Flower Girls doesn’t avoid. But this is most certainly a different tale, and working out precisely what happened in both 1997 and the present day keeps you guessing all the way through.

So this was such a chillingly interesting premise and almost from the onset here because of the delicate and disturbing subject matter we are being exposed to I felt an almost deep sense of unease and dread down to my very bones.
This really wasn't an easy subject to take on board and digest: but it was one I really wanted to tackle just because of the discomforting content and unpleasant questions this poses when dealing with the actions of children and their culpability when committing such horrific crimes and while there were instances I found The Flower Girls to be thought Provoking and intense I also thought it started with a bang then slowly fizzled away leaving me feeling rather deflated inside as I was really expecting so much more then what I was actually given.
So this is told in then and now time and from multiple POV's: it also jumped around slightly which could be a tad disconcerting at times.
I loved the way this was almost a puzzle: a mystery to be solved and it did make me question what to actually take at face value here and how authentic was the limited information we were being dripfed by the author.
I was also left with questions here: one being the conspiracy of silence for so many years between the girls themselves.
I really liked where this eventually took us in regards to that end reveal: but did feel that this should have been expanded on and some clarity offered regarding the Why?
This did to me feel unfinished with that rather abrupt ending and I felt like I was leaving the story before the eventual conclusion was offered up.
I did enjoy this mostly but on reflection, there were just some aspects here that didn't quite work for me.
I would still recommend this as its very well written and in my opinion, did have more positives than negatives.
I voluntary reviewed an Arc of The Flower Girls.
All opinions expressed are entirely my own.

A fantastic story full of twists and turns that I didn’t see coming! A touch of a ‘true crime’ vibe to it as well, which I really enjoyed.

Ooh I didn't half enjoy this book. Laurel and Rosie are sisters with a sinister past. The abduction and brutal murder of a toddler puts Laurel behind bars and forces Rosie to start a new life with a new identity. Rosie thinks she can put the past behind her, until a nasty turn of events pushes her right back into the spotlight. With similarities to the James Bulger case, this book made my stomach drop quite a few times. A really good read.

The Flower Girls just didn't land for me. The premise was good and I enjoyed the story until about halfway. The ending was an anti-climax and I just didn't really care for any of the characters in the story, nor the missing child storyline.

Chillingingly reminiscent of the James Bulger case. Full of twists and turns that literally kept me on the edge of my seat

This is a harrowing and thought provoking novel, presumably inspired by the notorious murder of two year old James Bulger by two young boys, in 1993. That was the year I finished uni and started work, so I was studying and then working all hours, and barely watched any TV, but even in those days before instant and 24 hour news, I remember the saturation coverage and the tabloids’ fascination with the killers, which continues to this day, so while the premise seems at first unbelievable, on reflection it is plausible and therefore all the more horrifying.

In 1997 on a summers day in a small English town, two young sisters abduct a toddler from a playground while her heavily pregnant mother chats with friends. The girl’s body is found, horrifically beaten and tortured, and 10 year old Laurel, and 6 year old Rosie, dubbed the Flower Girls by the media, are soon arrested for the crime, but only Laurel is convicted as Rosie is deemed too young to understand the consequences of her actions.

Twenty years later, Rosie, now known as Hazel, visits a seaside hotel with her boyfriend to celebrate her birthday and New Years Eve. When a 5 year old disappears, Hazel is terrified that her secret will be revealed and that she will be blamed for the crime, but a predatory ex-journalist, who scents a major story, persuades her to confess to the police, and all her fears come to pass. Meanwhile Laurel is half-heartedly making another attempt at parole, but having never admitted her guilt or expressed remorse, the victims family, and many of the public, are adamantly opposed to this.

Written by a human rights lawyer, with some believably awful characters and a compelling plot, this posed lots of questions and would make a great book club pick. How long should a guilty child be punished for? Can children be truly evil? Should the press have the right to stalk people never convicted of a crime? When should family members accept that all their campaigning will never bring their loved ones back, and move on with their lives? (The latter question being particularly pertinent in New Zealand.)

The writing was stunning, with lyrical turns of phrase and an amazing sense of place. Unfortunately it was spoiled for me by the bizarre misuse of capitals in the ARC I received, many being missing, especially at the start of sentences, meaning you often had to read them twice, but also turning acronyms into weird looking words, and then capitals turning up in the middle of other words. I had assumed this was accidental and a gremlin in the typeface software, which would be fixed before publication, but then at the end, specific mention was made of the font, making me question whether in fact this is deliberate. If this is something that would bother you, I suggest taking a peek inside before you buy, but no other reviewer has mentioned it so maybe it’s just mine?

The other reason for downgrading this to 3 stars is the ending, which other reviewers have complained about. The solution to the mystery is well sign-posted as the plot progresses, and flashbacks reveal progressively more about the girls’ past, but then a bizarre double twist is thrown in that makes little sense and leaves a slightly bad taste. It’s not that I necessarily need a happy ending, but I like a definite resolution and for some sense of right prevailing. 3.5 rounded down.

My thanks to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. The Flower Girls is published on 24th January 2019.

Unfortunately this was the third book that I've read recently which uses the device of each chapter being set either in the present or going back in time to tell the story. Obviously a coincidence but it was becoming rather a tired formula. The book was quite good but I have to hand it to the author - the ending was superb - and therefore I would recommend this book for that alone!

It’s 1997 and Britain has been shaken to the core by the chilling abduction and murder of a baby, by two young girls. Sisters Primrose and Laurel are those two young girls, and the media gives them a sickeningly sweet name; The Flower Girls. Ten year old Laurel is convicted of the baby’s murder whilst Primrose, who is only 6, is deemed too young to be convicted and allowed to walk free.

Fast forward almost 20 years and Primrose, now Hazel, is staying with her boyfriend in a hotel over the New Year when a little girl goes missing. Suddenly Primrose finds here self catapulted into the spotlight all over again as The Flower Girls have the Press salivating once more.

This atmospheric novel is full of twists and kept me guessing right until the end, something many novels claim but few deliver. Alice Clarke-Platts deals with the deeply disturbing subject of child killers cleverly and succinctly and this novel immediately recalled high profile, real life cases to mind – some of which are cited and referred to within.

I must admit, I was apprehensive about starting this psychological thriller, not only due to the sinister subject matter but also because as I have two young children myself, both of whom are little girls. All apprehensions were hurriedly pushed to the back of my mind as soon as I started reading; this is an intriguing page turner in its truest form. The Flower Girls is fast paced, punchy and truly unsettling; a fantastic read.

Many thanks to Bloomsbury Publishing/Raven Books and Netgalley for sending me an ARC copy of this novel to read in return for an honest review. The Flower Girls is out in hardcover on 24 January 2019.

A really twisted story and one that I did not even consider the outcome. The last paragraph completely blindsided me but brought it all together so well. I loved the descriptions and the characters. Laurel and primrose are two sisters notorious for the murder of a toddler. Laurel is convicted and primrose as a 6 year old is given a new identity (Hazel) to continue to live her life.
This story has very strong links to the Bulger case which made it unsettling in places to read due to the horror of the topic but I have to say that it has been very senstively written. The whole journey is asking questions about the judicial system, especially concerning children and how the dead child's family suffer with their grief.
Fast forward to Hazel now an adult and another child goes missing.
A compelling story about a topic that most authors would not dare to touch.

It all begins in 1997 when a two year old girl, Kristie Swann, is abducted from a local park and later found tortured and murdered nearby. Two sisters, Laurel and Rosie, are found to be responsible. At the ages of 10 and 6 years the case is picked up by the tabloids and the two sisters are soon known as The Flower Girls. Laurel is tried and found guilty but as Rosie is only 6 she is not tried and instead given a new identity and carries on her life in a different part of the country.

Nineteen years later, Laurel is still in prison and Rosie is now known as Hazel. Hazel has a good job and a lovely boyfriend (Jonny), who knows all about her past, and is very much getting on with her life. The couple along with Jonny’s daughter are staying in a hotel on New Years Eve when a five year old girl goes missing from the hotel. The police arrive and Hazel starts to worry that her past is going to be discovered and she will be prime suspect. What has happened to the little girl ? Will she be found ?

The story is told via the past and present day, as we discover what happened to Kirstie Swann all those years ago and the repurcussions of her death on not only her family but also the Flower Girls and their family. Although the story covers a very distressing subject matter it was very well written and I thoroughly enjoyed it. The characters are very complex and more about them is gradually revealed throughout the book. A fantastic chilling psychological thriller !!

Thank you to Bloomsbury Publishing and NetGalley for a digital copy of this book.

here on earth do I start with the Flower Girls. I guess the beginning is as good a place as any...?

It is Summer 1997, the day is hot and Primrose (Rosie) and Laurel and playing in the park near their house when two year old Kirstie Swann is murdered.

Nineteen years later and Hazel is about to celebrate the New Year with her partner and Step Daughter, when the hotel where they are staying raises the alarm. A five year old girl is missing... and Hazel worries that as soon as her identity is discovered she will be a prime suspect.

Nineteen years earlier under her former identity, Six year old Rosie looked on whilst her Ten year old sister was convicted of Kirstie Swann’s murder. Both were implicated by the press and were quickly dubbed the Flower Girls.

When Hazel’s true identity is discovered, the Flower Girls hit the headlines all over again.

Alternating between the present day (of the novel) and 1997, we learn of Rosie and Laurel’s childhood, the time before, during and after Kirsties murder and Lauren’s conviction. We are constantly forced to query what we think we know and there is a deep sense of unease throughout the novel.

But Hazel/Rosie and Laurel aren’t the only interesting characters in this novel, an ex journalist, determined policewoman, Lauren’s solicitor and Kirstie’s aunt are all fascinating in their own way. And are all asking the questions that we the readers are asking in our heads; should Laurel be released now she has done her time? Does Rosie remember more than she let’s on? Is justice ever really done for a child murder? What kind of child wants to kill or harm another child? Should family members linked to convicted criminals be allowed new identities?

I can’t guarantee that all of these questions will be answered, but I can guarantee that you won’t put this book down until you’ve finished it. And then you’ll probably pick it up again, because you’ll probably need to read that ending twice. Just to be sure.

With thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an open and honest review.

Hazel, boyfriend Jonny and his daughter Evie had gone to stay in Devon to bring in the New Year. On their first evening in the hotel five year old Georgie Greenstreet went missing during a violent storm.

DC Lorna Hillier was called to organise the search and interview the guests. Although Hazel was innocent she was worried the secret she had held for over nineteen years was about to be revealed.

Hazel then called Primrose AKA Rosie then six, and her sister ten year old Laurel met 2 year old Kirsty Swann in a playground. Laurel and Rosie led Kirsty to a wood where she was tortured and then murdered. The girls were arrested and dubbed The Flower Girls by the press. Laurel was sentenced to prison until she was at least 18, Rosie was not charged because she was under the age of criminal responsibility.

Max an ex journalist turned author was also staying at the hotel. Seeing pound signs he wanted to write a book about Hazel`s side of the story. Meanwhile Laurel had been refused parole multip!e times, her uncle was also her solicitor and was bringing the case to the court of appeal. Kirsty`s aunt had been a tireless campaigner that Laurel should never be freed, and tired to speak to Hazel.

Wow, the plot was dark and left me with a cold chill going down my spine. This story was sadly reminiscent of the case of Jamie Bulger in 1993. You can tell the author had been a human rights lawyer because the story featured forgiveness and plunged into the nature versus nurture debate.

As more of the story unfolded I could not help feeling sorry for Laurel. Laurel had been disowned by her parents once she had been convicted, her only family member was her uncle who has tirelessly tried to get her released. I liked Max and DC Hillard it was a shame they didn't play a larger part in the book.

Although I guessed one of the revelations in the story, I did not see the final twist in the tale. The final twist was shocking but I would of liked it explained further.

I highly recommend this book.

I was really intrigued by the idea of this book. I always enjoy when a story delves into the darkness within people and The Flower Girls absolutely made me think about the nature of good and evil and the question of nurture versus nature. The story follows two women who were part of a horrific crime when they were children. They are the titular flower girls and are both fascinating characters. They are the driving force of this novel.

Despite being about the two flower girls, the author gives us multiple perspectives of them and the way they behave. It was something I loved about this book as I felt these different personal experiences made the question of evil and morality all the more complex and intriguing. The Flower Girls made me consider the prevalent question of whether someone can be born evil and if not, what sort of mentality could lead a child to commit such a violent act. I honestly couldn’t decide who to empathise with most within this story and the way I felt about certain characters was frequently changing as I learnt more and more of the real truth of what happened in the past.

The writing was also particularly good, most of the chapters are quite short and snappy which kept the momentum going all the way to the end. The Flower Girls has an incredibly tense and rather sinister atmosphere to it even when the situation seems amicable, this creepy feeling is ratcheted up as we barrel towards the skilful ending. I actually really didn’t want the book to end as I just wanted to know more and more about these characters.

Overall, I think The Flower Girls is a fantastic, thought-provoking and clever psychological thriller which I enjoyed from start to finish. There were a couple of twists that I did see coming but the execution was so great that this didn’t bother me at all. I would definitely recommend this one to anyone who enjoys dark atmospheric books.

Laurel and Primrose are little girls who like to play in the woods. Two little girls who take a baby with them into the woods and only two of the three little girls come back out again. The world despises them, the nation spends years hunting them, but only one of them spends time behind bars,

Even after so many years the public believes Laurel and Primrose deserve to be punished until they themselves take their last breath.

Laurel, the elder of the two, is seen as the main perpetrator and locked up. The youngest girl is renamed Rosie and is raised normally in society as if the events had never taken place at all. The public and the family members of the victim keep finding out where she lives, so she feels like a hunted animal.

When another young child goes missing where Rosie happens to be spending the night she becomes an instant suspect, thanks to the help of a writer, who is hungry for a sensational story. She is then forced to reconsider her attitude towards Laurel and whether or not she should help her get parole.

There are definitely parallels that can be drawn between the Bulger case and the fictional Flower Girls, and it invites the reader to ponder and perhaps even debate what happens when a child kills another child. When children commit a heinous crime, it’s perhaps worse than the horror of any adult on child crime, because it is so hard to fathom how a child can do such a terrible thing.

The author goes for the more hard-nosed approach with this plot, so you might think it is going a specific way, but it doesn’t. Clark-Platts allows the story to hover over the dark abyss and takes the reader on the steep decline into the desolate landscape of a cruel and calculated mind.

The Flower Girls is a tense psychological thriller, which takes the reader on a difficult journey of justice and morality. Is there any right or wrong in such tragic circumstances? Then just when you think, as a reader, you have come to a conclusion you feel comfortable with, the author blindsides the reader with the truth. Not a read you should miss.

This is an excellent story of a very unpleasant murder of a child, by a child, almost twenty years ago. The unpleasantness is handled sensitively, and the pros and cons of imprisoning a child for life are also thoughtfully considered.
However, it's the twists and turns that kept me reading. I thought I had sorted it all out about halfway through - but I was wrong! And wrong twice more before the end!
Highly recommended.
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the ARC

Hazel Archer is on holiday with her boyfriend, Jonny and his daughter, Evie, when a five-year-old-girl disappears from the hotel. Everyone is concerned, but especially Hazel as her real name is Rosie and she and her sister, Laurel, were involved in the disappearance of another young girl back when they were just six and ten years old respectively. Hazel has worked hard to leave behind "The Flower Girls" as they were known but this latest disappearance brings down unwelcome attention.

Being from the UK, this story stirred memories of the James Bulger case and the two children convicted, although they were males in that case. This is an excellent book about the emotive subject of child murderers and I think it asks some difficult questions about how they are viewed. It kept my attention all the way through, but it lost a star for me with the ending. It was quite abrupt and it just left me feeling rather disappointed compared to the rest of the book, but I would still definitely recommend it to any crime/thriller readers.

Thanks to NetGalley and publishers, Bloomsbury Publishing Plc / Raven Books, for the opportunity to review an ARC.

Two children Laurel and Primrose went out to play. When they came back one was convicted of murder the other had her identity changed and moved on with her life. Nineteen years later another child is missing. The Flower Girls will once again be headline news.

If you want to know more of the plot you will have to buy the book and believe me when you read all the reviews not only mine you will be buying this book.

Review

What a tense , chilling wonderfully descriptive book this was. The descriptive sentences used throughout added to the depth and feeling of the book. One of my favourite sentences was ” The tension in the air crackled like cellophane ” .

The tension that wove its way through the the pages definitely made those pages crackle. Drawing on a heart wrenching plot that grips you to your very soul. The book sees you wanting it all to end well but deep down you know the plot has its own path it’s going to follow. Yet you don’t give up you stay glued to the very end, relishing the beautifully written sentences.

The story draws out the girl whose name was changed as she was near to another child that is missing. As news filters out of who she is the life of the sister behind bars is brought to the forefront in social media. We follow the girls as they cope in their own ways what there past did to them. They author allows us to feel some sympathy for them without losing sight of what they did, after all why do children murder other children? A sensitively written novel that covers a taboo subject without graphic detail.

The ending of the book leaves you closing the book thinking ” did it really just end like that ? ” , leaving you questions you want answers to so let’s hope there is a follow up , but you know what if there isn’t that’s ok too. You will never forget The Flower Girls.

A stunning novel beautifully crafted and well worth taking up anyone’s reading time. A story that will stay with you long after the book is put away.

REVIEW RATING 4 STARS

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The Flower Girls by Alice Clark-Platts held a lot of potential for being an intriguing mystery. Sisters, one in prison and one leading a 'free' life but both complicit in an atrocious murder of a young girl. Rosie, the sister who walked free only to live a life in hiding and Laurel her sister, by circumstance of age, imprisoned after 10 years of life. Now fast forward some years and Rosie (now called Hazel) is holed up in a hotel during a winter white out when a little girl is reported missing. Guests marooned by weather with a potential murderer in their midst is hardly a novel idea but it was probably the highlight of the book.
The writing style was overly descriptive, every sentence over-stuffed. Less can be more if the correct meld of words is used. The secret the sisters shared was implausibly kept, especially considering Laurel's transition from girl to woman at Her Majesty's Pleasure. The final twist was hardly worth the heft of writing the bulk of the novel. Overall, after finishing the book I felt disappointed.