Megan Miranda is another author who seems to have a new book a year, though I have only read one, The Perfect Stranger , which I expected to be a typical whodunnit, but was pleasantly surprised by the how Miranda crafted a story that seemed to lead you in one direction but ended up somewhere completely different. The Girl from Widow Hills was much the same; a strong mystery that kept itself out of reach and intriguing enough to push me from start to finish for a quick read.

And it was good. Again, I was surprised with how well Miranda lays everything out and then gives you something completely unexpected, even though the pieces were there all along. The mystery you thought you were unraveling wasn’t even the main focus and then surprise, you are blindsided.

This makes me so excited because I read a lot of books like this and more often than not it’s just another okay read. Something that follows a formula and even if I didn’t totally expect the ending, it never really makes a big impact. But Miranda makes an impact and that makes me so happy. This was refreshing.

The girl from Widow Hills is a decent domestic thriller. I wasn’t able to connect with any of the characters but I didn’t dislike them either. The pacing of the story was satisfactory. I enjoyed how the reports and interviews were woven into each chapter giving us a glimpse into what was going on around the time that Arden disappeared. Megan Miranda seems to have done some research into the disorder of sleep walking, which I appreciate. Sleep walking can be a very serious disorder that is greatly misunderstood. If the plot had of focused more on that aspect instead of the strange turn that it does take resulting in a rather unrealistic ending I may have enjoyed the book more and given it a higher rating. Overall the book left me feeling underwhelmed and uninspired. The girl from Widow Hills is not a bad book, it’s just not exceptional.

This book was not at all what I expected.

First of all, I really loved the backstory and past "twist" of the story--of Liv being the sensationalized survivor of a childhood trauma, trying to distance herself from that past, and living with the consequences on the twentieth anniversary. I honestly thought it was an incredibly unique backstory, as many of these types of thrillers hide the main character's secret past until the climax. For this story, there is no secret that Liv is trying to deliberately hide; her past comes out naturally, to both the reader and other characters. And that's what made the story's twisty reveals all the better.

I will admit this book had a definite hook and I never felt bored, but it was in the last 30% or so that really picked up. The pacing at the beginning might be a bit slow for readers who expect more action and intrigue from the first few chapters; this book has a bit of a slower build-up, but I think it was so worth it. Highly recommend!

Thank you at Netgalley,  Megan Miranda, and Simon & Schuster Canada for the Advanced Reading Copy of “The Girl from Widow Hills” coming to a bookstore near you on June 23rd, 2020 just in time to grab and take to the backyard, a hand by the pool, or to the beach.

The psychological thriller takes you on a ride of the main character Olivia previously known as Arden. A series of events brings Arden’s early life story to the front page news. Everyone knows Arden’s story. In order to get away from the headlines, Arden becomes Olivia to seek some normalcy in her life. Oliva has a great job at the hospital, a few good friends, and a wonderful home away in a quiet rural area with a great neighbor. However, the quietness does not last for long!

Olivia is a sleepwalker. One night her neighbor wakes her up as she is standing over a dead body with blood on her hands. What did she do? Who is the man? How does it link to her past? Miranda takes the reader on a journey through the life of Olivia!

Megan Miranda is a wonderful author. The plot and characters are well developed, engaging, and just a little mysterious. The book played out as a movie as I was reading and I could easily see her novel playing out on the big screen! Miranda has the readers trying to finger out the mystery of Olivia/Arden to the very end!

Always difficult to write a review that goes against the general appreciation, furthermore when I really appreciated another book from the same author!

So, my thoughts... I wasn't sure what to think of the premise, but I decided to trust Megan Miranda, since I really liked All the Missing Girls. Finally, the story of The Girl from Widow Hills wasn't interesting nor believable. Same for the characters... The pace was too slow (especially in the first third) and then I wasn't sure where the story was going at all. Also, all the articles, book excerpts, etc., between the chapters were repetitive and didn't bring anything new to the story.

At leat, Megan Miranda writes nicely. If it was the other way around, I wouldn't have finished it! The ending was okay, but didn't save the book for me.

Many thanks to Simon & Schuster and Netgalley for the ARC in exchange of my honest review.

Publication date: June 23rd.

Another great read is in the books! Megan Miranda has a winner with this one! Another fast paced thriller that kept me guessing until the very end. The story is told in the present by the main character Olivia. When she was six years old and known then as Arden Maynor, she was prone to sleep walking and one night made it out of her house in a terrible storm and was swept away in a flash flood. Miraculously, three days later she was found clinging to life in a storm drain. Of course, this was a huge story and fame followed. But this fame also brought on stalkers and so when she was old enough, she changed her name to Olivia Meyer and disappeared from the public eye, starting a new life for herself. But now, on what will be the twentieth anniversary of the event, Olivia starts sleep walking again and once again finds herself in the midst of a story. I was sucked in to this story from the beginning. The chapters were short and action packed which made it easy to keep turning the pages. Transcripts, old newspaper articles and 911 call logs fill in the missing pieces of the past throughout the story. A couple of shady characters thrown into the mix kept me guessing. I love a book where I can't guess the twist and this one got me! Loved the ending! Thanks to Simon and Schuster Canada and Netgalley for allowing me to read this book. It'll be publishing June 23rd and you are going to want to get your hands on this one!

Thank you to Netgalley, the publishing house and the author for the opportunity to read a complimentary copy of this book in return for a review based upon my honest opinion.

I was hooked right away and couldn’t wait to read it to get to ending. Olivia was once Arden, a little girl who had a habit of sleepwalking, a little girl who went missing in a storm, feared to be washed away in a storm drain; a little girl who was found clinging to a grate for dear life three days later. A little girl who was traumatized and doesn’t remember what really happened, whose mother profited from the incident with a book and interviews.

Twenty years later Olivia has changed her name and tried to forget the past, but the past just won’t let go, she discovers she is walking in her sleep again, strange things and happening and then she wakes up outside, the body of a man at her feet. What really did happen all those years ago? What happened now? Olivia wants nothing more than for things to stay the way they are, but the past has a way of not staying buried, and how far would Olivia go to protect that past and secure her future?

I loved the pace of the book, I was kept guessing right up until the end, those last few chapters were edge of my seat and the storyline twisted and turned. A not to miss summer read.

Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free, electronic ARC of this novel received in exchange for an honest review.
Expected publication date: June 23, 2020
When Arden Maynor was six years old, she disappeared in the middle of the night and ended up in a storm drain, after being swept away by a torrential storm. Now, twenty years later, Arden is in a new town, with a new name, trying to start over. When she stumbles across the dead body of a man on her property, she soon becomes the centre of attention all over again when it is discovered that the dead body was that of the man who found her alive twenty years ago. Arden, now Olivia, is wracked with the unanswered questions of her disappearance. Why can’t she remember anything? Was she really sleepwalking like her mother claimed? Has her sleepwalking returned- and is it responsible for the mysterious death of the man on her property?
“The Girl from Widow Hills” is Megan Miranda’s twelfth novel. This was surprising to me, as I have only recently become aware of Miranda, having read only two of her previous novels, “All the Missing Girls” and “The Last House Guest”. This one was definitely on par with what I have come to know as Miranda’s suspenseful, creative style of writing.
The plot line in itself is unique. A six year old child disappears after sleepwalking, only to be found by a stranger days later? Then it continues even farther with the continued sleepwalking episodes, complete memory lapses of those days she was gone, and the murder of someone familiar to the case. This novel is one that starts hot, and doesn’t quit.
There are many twists and turns in this novel and the ending is the biggest one. I can honestly say I didn’t see it coming. Each and every character is suspicious and there are times when I even began to suspect Olivia/Arden herself. Miranda wraps up the story in a satisfying way, bringing all the loose ends together.
This was definitely a great read, full of mystery and intrigue. Definitely one of my top Miranda reads!

I could not put this one down. What a gripping plot! Sleepwalking, miracles, murder, secrets and lies. This book had all of it. I kept thinking I had it all figured out, then second guessing, then finding out I was wrong. I was all over the place in the best way. The GIrl from Widow Hills has a very unreliable narrator and, really, an unreliable story all around. You never really know what's true or not! Highly recommend reading this one - this one is definitely going to garner some buzz this year!

Another great read from Megan Miranda.
I found the beginning slow and sometimes disjointed. Helped build the mental state of the main character, but made it hard for me to really get into it until about the halfway mark. Was worth sticking it out. Good story development as Olivia finds herself repeating history again’. She starts sleepwalking and has nights with no recollection of what has happened. She struggles to put the pieces of the present and past together before it is too late.
Recommended for anyone who likes a good thriller/mystery.

* I received an advanced reader’s copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my hones review

After some historical fiction and heavier reads in a row - I knew that I needed a fast paced thriller to change it up. Lucky for me, I had this advance copy courtesy of @netgalley @simonschusterca - and it hit the spot - in a way. 🤷🏻‍♀️.
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The Girl from Widow Hills - releasing at the end of June - was a little slow at first - but it picked up mid way and had a twisty ending that I did not see coming. Arden was six years old when she made national news after being lost for days and then rescued. Approaching the 20th anniversary of the ‘miracle’, a dead body in her backyard and many mysterious occurrences have her questioning those around her and the truth of her disappearance 20 years ago.🕵️‍♀️.
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I enjoyed the book. It didn’t grab me from the beginning though so I can see how some people may give up ... but ... if you hang in there, the ending will come out of nowhere and will keep you to the last word. ⭐️⭐️⭐️.
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@tolovetoread #tolovetoread #read #reader #reading #readinglife #readersofinsta #readersofig #readthisbook #book #books #bookstagram #bookworm #bookish #bookreviewer #bibliophile #bookaddict #booksofig #booksof2020 #bookrecommendations #canadareads #bookishcanadians #amreading #bookthoughts #booklife #readanywhere #thegirlfromwidowhills #meganmiranda #netgalley

The Girl from Widow’s Hill by Megan Miranda
Even the dead could surprise you.

I’ve read all of Megan Miranda’s books and was happy to receive this ARC from Netgalley. Right away I recognized the author’s staccato writing style; sharp phrases and quick paragraphs designed to pull you into the story and immediately sketch out the characters. The tenets of mystery writing come in quickly: girl’s mysterious past, lost connection with her mother, mother’s death, ominous signs for more impending trouble...but Olivia is living a decent life, though she doesn’t get too close to anyone but she does have her people. These characters help expose the story and move the action along — and there’s plenty of twists, keeping you in the moment and wanting the next thing, though it may be scary. And Miranda will keep you guessing, but she delivers the lines in a measured way, never feels fake or forced; the reader will accept what is happening due to this smooth delivery and get into the next chapter. It comes down to the search for the truth; and for fans of this genre we know there’s a deep pack of lies that we have to wade through to get to it. And you’ll be happy you held on during the twists and all the potential betrayals to discover the biggest one of them all! Well done, Megan Miranda

I want to thank the Publisher and Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Megan Miranda is one of my favorite authors. I was so excited when I was accepted to read this novel before publish date!! And I have to say, I was NOT disappointed. This book was amazing. The title already has an ominous vibe but once you get started in the book you can't help but continue with that creepy feeling throughout the book.
I love Ms. Miranda's books for the simple fact that they aren't a series. I love that they are all stand alone novels and as the reader we get to meet all new characters, plots and personalities.
There are a number of twists and turns in this book but not too many that one could get overwhelmed. The author always manages to have enough going on that you have to finish to get that "creepy what's going on" feeling to pass!
I enjoyed how the author unraveled the story for us bit by bit and with each new "carrot" you start trying to piece the rest together...usually incorrectly....as to get the full magnitude of the story, you need all the info!

Definitely recommend this novel and I can't wait for the next.

I'll admit I had trouble getting into this one at first. The writing seemed abrupt and disjointed. But I kept plugging away and eventually I couldn't turn the pages fast enough. I'll also admit that I did not read the part about the corpse on the blurb so I was really excited when I read about that and that's where it took off for me. What happened?! Not only what happened now, but what happened all those years ago. Interesting concept. Interesting characters. The ending was a little out there for me, but overall this was a very strong, solid read.

**Thank you Netgally and Simon and Schuster, Canada

Arden is notorious as The Girl from Widow Hills. She was found as a child clinging to a storm drain after being missing for a couple days. Her mom capitalized on it. Arden is now Olivia, lives hundreds of miles away and works at a hospital.

I've been a huge fan of Megan Miranda's works since All The Missing Girls, so she's an auto buy author for me. This luckily, lived up to my hopes and restored my love and faith after the disappointment of The Last Houseguest.

Olivia is flying under the radar, until the 20th anniversary of the incident. As it gets closer, she senses that she is being watched and Olivia starts sleepwalking again. Just as Olivia did 20 years ago. It had a slow buildup, but then took off and had you questioning everything. There's an unreliable narrator, which I absolutely love. It wasn't a groundbreaking twist for me, which kept me from giving it 5 stars.

After reading so many Megan Miranda novels I can say that the writing is getting a lot tighter and a lot more mature as it goes on. Her books get better with each passing novel. I also loved how much darker and creepier this was than the others.

4/5 stars.
I'd recommend this for fans of domestic thrillers and unreliable narrators. It gave me some vibes to The Woman in the Window, since there is an unreliable character and no elusive husband/boyfriend lurking in the shadows.

I've been a big fan of Megan Miranda for years and often recommend All The Missing Girls and The Perfect Stranger to friends. That being said, The Girl From Widow Hills didn't quite hit home for me.

The Girl From Widow Hills was a bit drawn out and anticlimactic. Even with the big twist revealed (I won't ruin it for you!), it was a bit too unrealistic for me. I do enjoy Megan Miranda's writing style and still enjoyed reading this novel, the plot just did not do it for me.

When Arden was a little girl a tragic event happened one night in her home town after she was sleepwalking. After a rain storm she disappeared for days. Eventually she was found in a storm drain. Fast forward to present day Arden is now known as Olivia. After sleepwalking again she finds a dead man in her yard. Once again she is in the public eye.
I really enjoyed this story. I found it unique and intriguing from the first chapter on. I really enjoyed the mystery part and all the twist and turns it took. Highly recommend to anyone who enjoys mysteries/thrillers. The writing style was really immersive. I felt like I was there right along side Olivia trying to figure everything out. I look forward to reading more books by Megan Miranda in the future.
Thank you to Netgalley and Simon & Schuster Canada for this advanced readers copy in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.
Release Date: June 23 2020
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I really enjoy The Girl From Widow Hills. It's Megan Miranda at it's best. I will forever read everything she writes. I will update this review closer to the release date.

I WAS SOOOO EXCITED to hear that Megan Miranda wrote another book! I enjoyed The Last House Guest. With this book, I enjoyed some of it but found a lot of it confusing.

The main character, Arden Maynor (Olivia) was swept away during a rainstorm while sleepwalking when she was a child. She was missing for days as the nation came together and searched for her. Days later, she was found alive in a storm drain. Fast forward 20 years later, Arden changed her name and moved away from her town Widow Hills. One night, Arden wakes up in her yard and is beside a corpse … Her past starts to catch up with her as she is involved with the murder investigation.

So the summary of the book sounds like this book is going to be a real page turner! It was a ‘page turner’ as in I really wanted to know who the murderer was but was very confused with the various less important plot lines. The character development, tbh wasn’t that great and I didn’t feel tied to any character because I feel like I didn’t have information about any of them to feel like I really knew them. Maybe that was the point? At the end, we learn who the ‘murderer’ is and oh my….that was confusing! There wasn’t a whole lot of evidence through out the story pointing to this murderer.

Thank you to the publisher, via NetGalley, for providing me with an arc for review - this has in no way influenced my opinion.
I requested The Girl From Widow Hills after my mom raved about Miranda's The Last House Guest - so I thought I'd see what the fuss surrounding the author was about. Unfortunately, this was a letdown. Arden's story mimics the fervor over Baby Jessica (pardon me while I date myself). but updated for the internet/tabloid age. The story is largely description with an absurd lack of concern as bodies/ominous coincidences stack up. The resolution was both totally obvious (as far as what really happened during the flood) and completely random (who the present day murderer is). I understand the murderer's motivation but it didn't gel with the previous established operating procedure of the character.
This may appeal to readers starting in thrillers, but anyone who is old hat at reading mysteries/thrillers will be disappointed.