When I started this book, I thought I knew what to expect based on the publisher’s synopsis. I was wrong. As I began to read, the story kept pulling me in. I wanted to know more, always wondering, what is going on? It kept me on the edge of my seat waiting to see what was to come next. I was not disappointed.
This book is categorized as suspense, thriller, mystery and crime. It is all of that in the best ways possible.
The characters are different and interesting. Joseph Souza did a great job developing them. The story is well written with all the twists, turns and edginess of a suspense/ thriller.
I highly recommend this book to everyone, no matter their favorite genre, who enjoys a good book.
Thank you #Netgalley and #KensingtonBooks for approving my request. The opinions expressed in this review are solely my own.

EXCERPT: When I left New York City, I left with my suitcase filled with my best clothes (admittedly, not many), some personal stuff, a canvas roll of professional knives, and my ego in splinters. Heather was not exactly a happy camper when I gave my notice, which took effect immediately after saying 'I quit.' She was eight months pregnant at the time but looked ten, and most of her line cooks were junkies, or whack jobs. I felt bad about leaving like that. But shit happens in this business. I tried not to stare down at her pumpkin belly as I said the dreaded phrase. I tried not to dwell on the fact that her body would soon burst with life, something mine would never do. She was already short-staffed on the line, and the restaurant was packed to the gills night after night.

Heather was a victim of her own success. If I could have stayed and helped her until she found a replacement, I would have. But in the fragile state I'd descended into, I knew I wouldn't last another minute in that place. Dropping the ball in that fashion was a terrible thing to do, and considered one of the worst offenses in our profession. But what choice did I have? When the inner demons awaken from their deep slumber, there's not much one can do but let fate run its course.

ABOUT THIS BOOK: Lucy Abbott never pictured herself coming back to Fawn Grove, Maine. Yet after serving time in Afghanistan, then years spent as a sous chef in New York, she's realized her only hope of moving on from the past involves facing it again. But Fawn Grove, like Lucy herself, has changed.

Lucy's sister, Wendy, is eager to help her adapt, almost stifling her with concern. At the local diner, Lucy is an exotic curiosity--much like the refugees who've arrived in recent years. When a fifteen-year-old Muslim girl is found murdered along the banks of the river, difficult memories of Lucy's time overseas come flooding back and she feels an automatic connection. At first glance, the tragedy looks like an honor killing. But the more Lucy learns about her old hometown, the less certain that seems.

There is menace and hostility here, clothed in neighborly smiles and a veneer of comfort. And when another teen is found dead in a cornfield, his throat slit, Lucy--who knows something about hiding secrets--must confront a truth more brutal than she could have imagined, in the last place she expected it . . .

MY THOUGHTS: Wow! And I don't often say this, but Wow! After d-n-fing a previous book by this author, he has taken me by surprise with Pray for the Girl. It is topical on more than one front, fast paced, and contains many surprises.

The author doesn't give much away. Particularly during the first part of the book, he makes the reader work for every nugget of information, but it is worth it. There are few likeable characters in this book, and few, if any, are what they seem.

There are so many current issues woven into the storyline: the struggle and disintegration of small town life; the refugee crisis; racial intolerance; drug abuse; veteran health, and others that I won't go into because to do so would give away valuable aspects of the plot. It is, amongst other things, a valuable social commentary.

This is a dark read but, despite the grim picture I may have painted, not a depressing one. It is a read that kept me turning pages long into the night, and continuing to read when I ought to have been packing for our upcoming move.

😊😊😊😊

THE AUTHOR: Joseph Souza's award-winning short stories have been published in various literary journals throughout the country. Winner of the Andre Dubus Award for short fiction, he also won Honorable Mention for the Al Blanchard Award and the 2013 Maine Literary Award. His mystery, UNPAVED SURFACES, was published by Kindle Press in 2015 and was an Amazon bestseller. NEED TO FIND YOU, his crime thriller set in Portland, was the first novel to go direct-to-publish by Kindle Press. Visit josephsouza.net for more information about his work.

He lives near Portland, Maine with his wife and two children and enjoys running, cooking and playing golf when not writing.

DISCLOSURE: Thank you to author Joseph Souza for providing me with a digital ARC of Pray for the Girl via Kensington Books and Netgalley. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.

Please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the about page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com for an explanation of my rating system. This review and others are also published on https://sandysbookaday.wordpress.com/...

Pray For The Girl by Joseph Souza - wow what a story! This book had me hooked straight away and I just wanted to keep reading. And that twist - I certainly didn't see that coming and I can't imagine that anybody else will either. There are so many layers to this story and it is one that you can relate to in some way. Fawn Grove is definitely not somewhere that I would want to live - so many unlikeable characters. This was the first book by Joseph Souza that I have read but it will not be the last.

The story is a tragic story in so many ways. Lucy Abbott is a war vet who has returned severely injured and a different person. War in Afghanistan has changed her and suffering from PTSD she leaves her job as a chef in Ney York City and comes back to Fawn Grove in Maine where she grew up to stay with her sister and family to recover and rest. When a 15 year old Muslim girl is murdered Lucy feels connected and memories of her time at war come flooding back. She is determined to find out who killed the girl and why, especially as the local police don't seem to have a clue. Lucy soon makes enemies in this racist town, full of unkind and downright nasty people but she is beyond caring.

Thanks to Kensington Books, Netgalley and Joseph Souza for the advanced copy of this book to read. All opinions are my own and are in no way biased.

‘The girl’s body was found after a daylong search …’

Fawn Grove, Maine was a place that Lucy Abbott never expected to return to. It was part of a life that Lucy hoped to leave behind. She was injured during military service in Afghanistan and is haunted by what happened there. Lucy had a successful career as a chef in New York, but she’s carrying some heavy baggage from the past.

Back in Fawn Grove, Lucy is staying with her sister Wendy and her family. Outside her immediate family no one recognises her. The town has changed: there’s been an influx of Afghani refugees and not everyone is welcoming. Then a fifteen-year-old Muslim girl is found murdered. This murder triggers memories of Lucy’s service in Afghanistan and she becomes quite obsessed by the case.

‘Why in the world would you care about any of that when you have your own issues to care about?’

Lucy starts her own investigation, taking her on a dangerous path into her own past. Who killed the fifteen-year-old girl, and why? And then there’s another murder, and another girl goes missing.

There are a couple of layers of mystery within this novel: some set in the present, others in the past. There are some thoroughly despicable characters, and a couple of quite interesting twists. One of these twists hooked me, another didn’t. While almost anything is believable in fiction, I found a couple of parts of the story difficult to accept.

The best part of the novel was Lucy. Mr Souza’s depiction of her life, past and struggles held my attention completely. Some aspects of how Lucy went about solving problems didn’t work for me. But then Fawn Grove is not a place in which I’d like to live either.

And the ending? You’ll have to read it for yourself.

Note: My thanks to NetGalley and Kensington Books for providing me with a free electronic copy of this book for review purposes.

Jennifer Cameron-Smith

You could read this as a thriller or a mystery and be completely satisfied but you would miss the fact that it's also an excellent character study. Lucy is a disabled vet - maimed in Afghanistan and bearing the psychological burden not only of her own trauma but guilt for what she did not do. Going home felt like a good option to hide for a while but then she's pulled into the open by the murder of a muslim girl. Fawn Grove, Maine has changed a lot since she left home and not, frankly, in a good way. Souza does an excellent job of pulling Lucy into the story and making you think. Thanks to net galley for the ARC. This has good twists and is a rewarding read.

I was absolutely blown away by this book. It was a reading experience I'll not soon forget, with one of the most unique main characters I've ever encountered in the pages of a suspense thriller. I couldn't turn the pages fast enough to keep up with the surprises and shocks that come at you fast and furious, and make this an absolutely riveting read. I really can't say too much regarding the plot because you definitely won't want to know anything about this before you start reading. The twists and turns and game-changing surprises are something you'll want to experience for yourself. Every single book I've read by Joseph Souza has not failed to entertain, amaze and blow my mind. He has a deft, unique touch with a tale that pulls you in and won't let go. There are so many levels to this tale that, once you've read it, will make you think of the many meanings that could apply to the title, "Pray for the Girl." This is what a mystery suspense thriller is all about. Kudos to the author for another stellar job.

Pray For The Girl By Joseph Souza

5 Stars

Lucy never pictured herself coming home to Fawn Grove, but now she is home recuperating from her time in Afghanistan. When a young girl is murdered she feels connected and sets out to find out what happened. When another kid is murdered she is even more determined, but when she starts to search, she finds out that her good old home town isn't what it used to be.

I found this book to be very well written. It's captivating. Lucy is trying to heal from her past so coming home is supposed to help with that. I found her to be a very likeable and very real character. This story was mysterious and enthralling. It is also shocking. Let me just say I was so shocked I had to stop and process for like 2 days. It was amazing. It has a bit of a political aspect to it that may bother or intrigue some people. I have experience with the military life and so to me it was intriguing. When I picked it up, I could not put it down. The characters and mystery lead the reader on a crazy ride from beginning to end. It left me in shock. Honestly. I still can't get over this book.

Reviewed By
Stormi Ellis

Mood- mystery, thriller
Pace- steady
Plot- som twists
Characters- complex

A unique mystery about a girl returning to her hometown to help solve a crime (and confront her past demons). As many other reviews have stated, the twist in Book 2 is unexpected and brilliant. Highly recommend!

So when I started the story I was intrigued then I started to lose a bit of interest and then at part 2 of the story everything picked back up and I was ready to see where it was going to head.



We are introduced to Lucy who left Fawn Grove (which I love the name), to get away from her past. Yet, she now back home. While here she will find herself in an adventure, that will not be fun. Now for a while I felt confused about Lucy and who she was and at first I thought her to be a drug addict when it kept saying she would stick herself followed by not leaving her room and the sunlight bothering her. Then it all made sense. I did like how Lucy really wanted to find out who murdered the young girl and was going to stop at nothing to make sure she found answers. Now the detective on the case Dalton he seemed to me a bit loose lips on the case. I do know that cops talk but man he was like giving things up that should have been kept quiet. I did like how the author did a good job with describing how the residents of Fawn Grove were with the immigrants coming and living within the community. You see this happen in real life and people are not always so happy about it. So for the author to write the way people would honestly be like it was good to see.

The author did a great job with bringing Lucy to life as a character from describing how she felt to what she was going through, to how she looked and dealt with different things.

This little town has more going on then it seems from murder, to arson, to spoiled kids doing what they want.

I think Lucy coming back to Fawn Grove was good for her as she could close her past without any regrets. I did like how it all came together and everything made sense.

I liked this one a lot as it touched on some real life issues in a very real and cutting way.
The plot was well thought out and I loved the setting.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for letting me review this book

This book was an interesting easy read and it touches on many issues.
The presence of refugees in an small town in Maine. The local population is already struggling to survive with the reduced factory productions. The resentment of the refugees who are getting federal assistance.
A veteran having lost both legs and having PTSD returning back home to seek help in recovering.
A sister with a slow degenerating disease and wheelchair bound with a husband having lots of medical problems after a work accident.
How far will parents go to protect their teenage children? How many excuses will be made to justify the teenagers behavior. This includes murder. All this is nicely put together to make an intriguing read..
Ones you start this book it is hard to put it down.

A truly fascinating book with a twist that I didn't guess!! It was thoroughly enjoyable, murders to solve, family dynamics to work out, natural death, working out past relationships, dealing with PTSD to name just a few of the aspects of this amazing book.
Well worth reading and I'd like to thank NetGalley and the books publisher for gifting me an ARC, TY.

I am very grateful to Kensington and Netgalley for the chance to be an early reader of this title that publishes the end of April. “The Neighbor” was my first novel by Souza and I was hooked. I’ve been waiting for this new one and I was not disappointed.

Lucy Abbott returns to her hometown of Fawn Grove, Maine, after serving in Afghanistan and working as a chef in Manhattan. Her goal was to face her past so she could move on with her future. Then a Muslim girl is murdered and later a Caucasion boy ends up dead. Lucy realizes she needs to help solve these crimes if she’s ever going to feel satisfied.

My favorite part of the book was the tiered plotting. Just like an onion, you pull back one layer and think you’ve uncovered the mystery, only to find the author reveals another unexpected tidbit a little later on. And those reveals don’t stop until you’ve finished the last page. I also like that Lucy, the heroine, could be so inventive and downright sly.

Honestly, “Pray for the Girl” is unlike any book I’ve read. It deals with issues ripped from the headlines, yet not in the way one would expect. The author uses ingenious methods to discover what is being said in a video and who took a photo, besides other ways I don’t want to reveal.

Choose this book for a read that will keep you engrossed throughout. I also predict it will be on a lot of “Best of” lists for 2019.

Fawn Grove, Maine is a small town full of small-minded people. It's been a long time since Lucy Abbott has come back to her hometown and some things have changed and some are fighting change.

The refugees who have settled here are not wanted. There is so much tension you could cut it with a knife. Everyone seems to be prejudiced and duplicitous. Kids, adults, no one is being honest.

After suffering in Afghanistan, Lucy is hiding her identity from everyone but her immediate family. No one in town recognizes her. After what happened to her over there she is having trouble just leaving her room. 

She can't let go of the crimes happening in her own town. An Afghani girl buried up to her neck and stoned. A boy with his throat slit and an Islamic symbol left behind. Who is behind all of this hate and violence?

Well let me tell you this, the second half of the book there is a huge WOW! And the Wows just keep coming after that. The teenagers, including her own niece are absolutely despicable and you will have to read it to see just how bad they are.
One ending I did not see coming!

NetGalley/  April 30th 2019 by Kensington Publishing Corporation

This is the first book I have read by Joseph Souza. This is not a light hearted story, it is intense. The book is told from Lucys point of view. Our vet who returns from the war minus her legs, who detoured to New York as a Sous chef to try and drown out the voices. She returns to her small home town to get her life together. The books starts with Lucy taking an interest in the murder of an Afghanistan 15 year old. You settle in as much as you can dealing with mental anguish and physical being Lucy. The story is so deftly told you ARE Lucy. While your investigating the death along with members from your past who don't recognize you, your catapulted into twist, turns, secrets and evil in book 2. And what about the ending? She's ready. Thank you you Joseph Souza, Kensington Books and Net Galley. All thoughts and opinions are my own and were unsolicited.

This is the first book I’ve read by this author, and it is amazing. The characters are all flawed and unique, and the story is really interesting. I don’t think I’ve ever read anything quite like it before. There are several really surprising twists too.
Definitely give this book a chance, you won’t be disappointed!

3.5 stars rounded up --There was a big twist in the book after part 2 which I did not see coming at all--up until then the book was a petty good tale of Lucy trying to find the murderer of an Afghani girl in her decaying home town. However, the book diverges from there and that is why I am rating it higher just because of that. If it had just stayed a whodunit it would have been average.. The character development of Lucy is fantastic. The author does such a good job describing her ailments-physical and mental --as she suffers greatly from PTSD among other things.
I recommend to anyone who enjoys reading about characters who can break your heart or make you flinch in disgust. There were a few of them in this book too.

Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for a chance to read and review

NOT LIKE ANY OTHER NOVEL! Surprises, Mystery, and unique but odd characters grace these pages. The story line is a hero who is wounded in Afghanistan that returns to Fawn Grove. The WOW factor of this book is the part of Pray for the Girl's that sets it apart from other stories. Can Not Say much here without sharing too much. Does have some violent situations to note. "A copy of this book was provided by Kensington Books via Netgalley with no requirements for a review. Comments here are my honest opinion."

Holy Cow! This book is full of surprising twists and turns, none of which you anticipate or see coming. But they're delivered in a such brilliant way! This book ticks off all the boxes of what I look for in a thriller. Everything right from the beginning to the end is a one mad ride(in a really good way)!
The book is about a US army vet, Lucy Abbott back from Afghanistan. She moves back to her childhood home in Fawn Grove, a small town in Maine after overhearing a conversation about a murdered 15 year old Afghani refugee living in the town. She develops an intense need to solve the murder and bring justice to the girl who reminds her of another girl back in Afghanistan she couldn't save. Lucy, compelled to solve the murder (and blessed with mad culinary skills) sets out on finding who murdered the poor girl.
I found this book to be very compelling and twisted! The twists in here are so delicious, so well-written I stayed up well into the night just to finish reading this one. The ending too, in my opinion is brilliant!
Thanks to Joseph Souza, Netgalley and Kensington books for an arc!

Pray For The Girl by Joseph Souza

Thank you Net Galley, Kensington Books, and Joseph Souza for sending above book for review.

This is my second book by Joseph Souza and it won't be the last. Just like The Neighbors I enjoyed this book. I like how the Author described the town and people I felt like I was there. I also like his style of writing, the plot with it's twists and secrets, his character development, and the theme which is in our current time. It's always a good book when you can't predict the plot. You won't want to skip this book when it is published April 30th. This book is a great one for passing around to family and friends.

Lucy Abbott quits her job, leaves New York City and returns to her hometown of Fawn Grove, Maine after 14 years. Not long after returning the body of a Muslim teenage girl is discovered buried along the river. Soon Lucy feels like she has a purpose and is playing detective along side long time resident Detective Dalton and former classmate. This is probably my favorite part because of the way these two banter back and forth. Lucy stays with her sister Wendy and husband Russ who have a daughter Brynn. There's a few people introduced in the book but not too many. Some of them are not happy about the Muslims that have moved into their town a few years ago. But then another body is found. Who could be the killer?

This book review will be on Amazon, Good Reads, and BookBub.