Ms. Alger knows how to pull you in and she knows how to write strong but flawed female leads. Nell comes back home after her father died in a motorcycle accident only to be pulled into a local case involving 2 murdered girls.

I love books that deal with conspiracy, corruption and murder and Girls Like Us delivers that extremely well.

Really good, fast paced book about two women killed a year apart and the FBI agent who gets involved in the investigation of the case when she returns home after the sudden accidental death of her own father who was a detective investigating the girls’ deaths up until his own passing. There are a lot of paths that open up a lot of questions and it’s a really good mystery, I really liked the setting of the story too (Long Island). Girls Like Us is the first book I’ve read by Cristina Alger, and I really liked her writing style so I’m looking forward to reading her other book, The Banker’s Wife.

Girls Like Us is my first Cristina Alger book and I definitely enjoyed it. Nell is probably one of my recent favorite thriller characters. I loved her combination of strong yet broken. She is resilient and yet soft. Guarded but deep. She carries a lot of this book for me. Alger methodically puts together the pieces of the plot of this book. And it’s not until the end that everything comes together. But when it does, it’s worth the effort. I flew through the finally 1/4 of the book and even gasped at one point. I would love more books based around Nell and will definitely be looking for Cristina Alger’s next release!

Thank you to the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Girls Like Us is unputdownable! Seriously proceed with caution when beginning this novel because you won’t be able to stop until reading the last delicious page. Christina Alger is an incredible author who entices the reader with a mystery and intrigue, likable characters and a holy crap ending. Fans of The Bankers Wife will not be disappointed.

Nell scatters her father’s ashes with his beloved friends and fellow cops after losing him in a tragic motorcycle accident. It’s hard to cope with the death of her father and Nell is still haunted by the unsolved murder of her mother from years ago. As an FBI agent, Nell is naturally inquisitive, and something just isn’t right. She delves into her father’s life, his most recent cases and becomes consumed with finding out the truth regardless of the consequences.

This storyline is complicated and fast paced with so many twists and turns. The possibilities are endless, and the suspects are many. I thoroughly enjoyed this novel and highly recommend it.

I received an advance copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

Many thanks to NetGalley, GP Putnam's Sons, and Cristina Alger for the opportunity to read her latest thriller - loved it! I haven't read this author before but I'm definitely going back to read her other books. 4.5 stars!

FBI Agent Nell Flynn is recovering from a shoulder injury she received on the job and the suspect is still on the loose. Meanwhile, her father, a Suffolk County police detective, passes away and Nell heads home to handle the details of his death. After her mother's murder, the two never had a close relationship and Nell is anxious to tie up loose ends and head home. However, her father's partner, Lee, asks her to help solve a recent murder that is very similar to the last case her father worked before his death. When she begins investigating, she starts finding clues that point to her father being a major suspect - could he also have had something to do with her mother's murder?

This is a fast-paced thriller that I couldn't put down. Great read!

After reading a couple 'nice' books, I was ready for some murder and mayhem. And this book definitely delivered! I haven't read Cristina Alger's first book (yet) and was pleasantly surprised by her writing in this one. The characters are vivid and the story is laid out in an intelligent and enticing way. One mystery after another, and one injury after another for poor Nell! I liked the character of Nell and hope to see her again in future books.

Some of the mysteries were somewhat predictable but some caught me off guard (love that in a mystery!) The story came to a satisfying conclusion leaving plenty of room for future books if Alger makes Nell part of a series.

Girls Like Us

What if the primary suspect in a murder case is your father, whose funeral you are in town to attend? Worse, what if you are FBI agent on leave and asked to help hunt down the killer? That's the situation which FBI Agent Nell Flynn finds herself in Christina Alger's new Girls Like Us, which I had the opportunity to read courtesy of Penguin Publishing and NetGalley in exchange for an objective review.

I enjoyed reading this book. It is a quick read, much like a 2 hour made-for-tv movie. An uncomplicated plot, a handful of well-written characters, and an unexpected conclusion. Neil Flynn is a fascinating character. She is intelligent, brave, and dedicated to searching out the truth wherever it may lead.

The other factor that made this book stand out from other beach reads (and that is what it is) is they masterful way the author plays with interweaving the past into the present. This technique really allows us to get to know Flynn and understand her actions much clearer.

Would I recommend this book? Yes, with reservations. For die-hard mystery readers, its an appetizer.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam/GP Putnam's Sons for the opportunity to read a copy of this in exchange for an honest review.

I loved Cristina Alger's previous novel, The Banker's Wife, so I was looking forward to this book and it did not disappoint. It definitely is a little bit slower than a typical mystery/thriller, but. It's more character driven and you get a lot of insight into Nell's psyche and background. I really like Alger's writing so I enjoyed this book a lot. The ending is a little bit anti-climactic and slightly predictable, but there were a few surprises along the way. All in all, I liked this book a lot and I will definitely read more of Alger's novels in the future.

Girls Like Us is a mystery that will keep you turning the pages. As I read it, I kept changing my mind over who the killer was and then there was a surprise ending that I didn't see coming. I love books that keep me guessing until the end.

Nell is an FBI agent who has gone home to Long Island when her father dies. Her dad, Martin was a well liked but tough police detective. Nell and her dad didn't have much of a relationship after her mother died and her plan was to sell the house and get back to her job. Martin's partner asks Nell to help with a current case and as Nell gets pulled into the murder and all of the people involved, she begins to question how well she really knew her dad. Was he really a good guy or were his friends on the force covering up for him? As Nell begins to uncover more information, she realizes that the police are not investigating it correctly which makes her question everyone involved. As she gets closer to the truth, her life is in danger. Will she be able to solve the crime before it's too late?

This was a wonderful roller coaster ride. Nell was a likable character despite being kind of rough around the edges. This is a mystery novel at its best.

4-5 stars. An intense thrill ride that is well written and so tense you actually hold your breath! My second Alger book and definitely not my last. She writes in such a real, intense, and brutal way you can’t help but get drawn in and stay there until the very end!
Will highly recommend to the members of Chapter Chatter Pub!

This story has so many mysteries to it! It started off a little slow for me and then by 75% of the book you fly through to the end because you need to know who did it! There were a lot of mysteries you had to solve. Who killed Nell’s Mom? What happened to Nell’s Dad? Is the police force Nell’s Dad works for corrupt? Are the two murdered girls related? While I was always curious to find the answers to these questions I felt like there wasn’t always an answer. We are left never really knowing what happened to one question and there’s plenty of it mentioned throughout the story. I had ideas and suspects in my head but in the end I couldn’t guess everything.

5 Stars.

I was nervous about Cristina Alger's sophomore book only because her debut was so amazing- how do you follow a hit like The Banker's Wife? She proved that she is not a One Hit Wonder- this book was incredible.

FBI agent, Nell Flynn visits her home town to take care of her father's estate and learns that she doesn't know him at all. As a woman who grew up in a small town, separated by wealth, the descriptions in this story were right on. There were some political themes in this book as well- and an underlying message that We are all created equal, if only we were treated as such.

I loved this book. Cristina Alger joins my favorite authors like Harlan Coben, Lee Child, John Hart, and Lisa Unger. Thank you #netgalley and #penguinbooks for giving me the opportunity to enjoy a new favorite!

FBI agent Nell Flynn is home to grieve and spread her father's ashes after his untimely death in a motorcycle accident. In recent years, she wasn't close to her father, Marty, as she left home for college and never looked back. While dealing with his estate, Nell's childhood friend, Lee, and also Marty's police partner, pulls Nell into a murder investigation that occurs nearby. They soon discover leads that tie this case into the one her father was trying to close when he died. Even though Nell grew up with most of his cop buddies and they were like fathers to her, who can she trust when she realizes that her dad or someone in the department might have been involved? Was her dad's death not an accident? Will she survive long enough to find out?

Girls Like Us is an edge of your seat thriller with twists that shock and surprise. I read the first few pages and I was hooked - the suspense held my interest and kept me turning pages late into the night. Nell is a complicated character, but I instantly liked and wanted her to succeed. And just as much as I liked Nell, I disliked some of the macho cop friends of her dad's. If you loved the Banker's Wife, put this book on your TBR list now.

I received an advance copy. All opinions are honest and my own.

Girls Like Us is a must read for everyone. FBI Agent Nell Flynn goes home to put her newly deceased father's affairs in order after not being back in Suffolk County for ten years. Returning to her home brings back unsettled emotions as she remembers her mother's murder and runs into her old family friends. Nell is pulled into a murder investigation and realizes that her father was a possible suspect. This causes her to keep digging and start thinking about her mother's murder too. Nell doesn't know who she can trust with her newfound knowledge of the case.

I devoured this intense, psycho-thriller novel and loved every word. The creative story line was different and the characters were well developed and complex. Nell was a strong, intelligent character who had baggage galore, but doesn't allow it to cloud her judgement. This is a must read!!

I received an Advance Review Copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

Having read all four of Alger's previous books, I am in awe of her ability to move amongst genres. The Darlings takes place in the world of family privilege and high finance in NYC, This Was Not the Plan tells the story of a widowed father figuring out how to raise his child in a world turned upside down, The Banker's Wife is a thriller in the world of international money laundering, and now Girls Like Us, a page-turning novel that encompasses police corruption, family drama, and a serial killer on Long Island. I will continue to be first in line when Alger writes a book; she has yet to disappoint me, and always always entertains me and makes me think. This book will keep you up late, trying to figure out whodunnit.

FBI Agent Nell Flynn has come home after an absence of 10 years. Her father has died in a motorcycle accident and she's there to spread his ashes and take care of his estate. He was a Homicide Detective and when his partner, Lee Davis, comes to pay his respects, he also wants something else from her.

Nell's father was working a case of a murdered young woman when he died. There's been another woman brutally murdered and Lee wants her to consult on the case.

Even though she is on medical leave, she accepts without telling her supervisor. After all .. better to ask forgiveness than ask permission in her case.

Nell's investigation leads her to believe her father may have been involved with local law enforcement covering up for him. Who does she turn to? Who can she trust? And how can she find the truth about her father?

A slow start leads to a real page turner of a mystery. Well written with stand out characters, I found this one hard to put down.There are twists and turns and a very surprising ending.

Many thanks to the author / GP Putnam & Sons / Netgalley / Edelweiss for the advance digital copy of this crime fiction. Opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.

Nell Flynn goes home to Long Island after her father suddenly passes away. I really liked Nell, I think we would be friends. She is a strong woman who speaks up for herself and others. She is also on leave from the FBI's BAU because of an injury. Nell gets roped into helping the local SCPD solve a local murder. As she is helping with the investigation, it is clear that things are not what they seem in many ways.

Girls Like Us had a bit of a slow start, but picked up about halfway through once secrets started to emerge. After I finished the book, I looked it up to see if it is intended to be the first book in a series, but I couldn't find anything that indicated that. This book seemed like the start of a series featuring Nell Flynn, especially since there were a few small loose ends that I could see being answered.

Absolutely couldn't put it down, It's an adrenaline filled adventure from the moment you read the first page up until the last. Pick up this winner of a book and strap in the best ride of your life. Strong plot with characters that linger long after the last page. Happy reading!

Girls Like Us
Cristina Alger


A dramatic and tension-filled crime thriller with a delightfully strong and courageous female protagonist.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

SUMMARY
FBI Agent Nell Flynn hasn’t been home for ten years. It’s a place she had no desire to see again. Her mother had been brutally murdered there when she was only seven. She and her father never had a particularly close relationship. And now her father, a thirty-year homicide police officer, is killed in a motorcycle accident. She returns to Suffolk County on Long Island, New York to scatter his ashes and sell his house.

While she is there, her father‘s partner, Lee Davis asks Nell for help on the investigation of the murders of two young Hispanic women. It’s the case her father was working on when he died As Nell investigates, she discovers that her father had all the traits they were looking for in the murder suspect. He was tall, left-handed and drove a red truck. His truck had might even had been seen sitting outside one of the victims house just before she disappeared. Could his friends on the police force be covering his tracks. Did her father perhaps kill himself over his guilt or was something else going on here?

REVIEW
GIRLS LIKE US is a irresistible crime thriller with a strong, vulnerable and relatable protagonist. Nell’s courage and persistence drives the plot of this dramatic story. I was hooked when Nell climbs on board Glenn Dorsey’s fishing boat with a cooler of Guinness and an urn. The plot is tightly woven and packed full of tension and mystery. Suffolk County on Long Island seems like the perfect setting for this gray novel.

My favorite part of the novel was Nell’s character, particularly her objectivity and need for answers. I loved how the story is told from her perspective. While I didn’t like the frequency of Nell’s flash backs to her childhood, I did appreciate how they greatly informed the backstory of her relationship with her father. In a sense this is a story about how our past, our childhood, make us who we are today. If you like crime mysteries you have to put this one on your reading list.

Author Cristina Alger is a lifelong New Yorker. She graduated from Harvard University and NYU Law School. She worked as a financial analyst and a corporate attorney before becoming a writer. Her third novel The Banker’s Wife (2018) was a USA Today bestseller and was one of my favorite books of 2018.

Thanks to Netgalley for an advance reading copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.


Publisher G. P. Putnams’s Sons
Published July 2, 2019
Review www.bluestockingreviews.com

Another winner by author Cristina Alger.
I was entranced by this story and had a hard time putting it down. There were times I thought I knew where it was going only to be wrong—which is one of the only times I’m okay with being wr-wr-wrong.

Alger creates engaging, well-rounded characters and heart-pumping plots. To say much more about where this was going and where it ended up risks the deployment of spoilers—which I refuse to do.

Suffice it to say, if you want a true mystery with police-gothic underpinnings with unexpected twists and turns, this book might just be up your alley.

I received an ARC of this title. All opinions are my own.