This was a super entertaining read! I’d describe it as a slow burn thriller as it takes a minute or two for all of the groundwork to be laid. It definitely builds up as you continue to read. The storyline builds tension and suspense before it’s big ending (which I didn’t see coming!). I also really enjoyed the different media and call transcripts that were interspersed throughout the book.

Perfect thriller to read this summer.

I think the ending was semi-rushed after the big reveal and there were a few things that didn't tie up for me.

Everyone’s heard of the girl from Widow Hills. She was lost for 3 days and then rescued while the world watched. Arden was only six when her sleepwalking took a dangerous turn. She managed to make it outside the house and get swept away in a flash flood. One of her shoes was found by a grate to the storm drain system, so the entire town spent days searching for little Arden while the entire world watched it all on television. By a miracle, a man saw her little hand holding onto a grate, and he held on to her until they could cut a hole in the concrete and get her out of the storm drains.

Her stunning rescue, shown live in television, was followed by a painful surgery on Arden’s shoulder, countless media appearances, a book by her mother, and years of her being recognized. Exhausted from it all, she changed her name to Olivia, went to college, and found a job far away in hospital administration. She has a whole new life.

But the past is never really gone.

As the twentieth anniversary of her rescue comes near, Olivia’s guard comes up. She starts looking around for journalists tracking her down. She knows that social media will replay the old stories and add new ones. And the stress of waiting for that shoe to fall causes it all to start happening again. The nightmares. The night terrors. The sleepwalking.

And when she wakes up outside of her house one night, stumbling over a dead body, she knows that the past she tried so desperately to get away from has shown back up, on her doorstep. And she has to stay vigilant, or she’ll get swept away by something she can’t understand.

Megan Miranda’s The Girl from Widow Hills is an exemplary thriller, with twists and secrets that come from nowhere and yet fit perfectly into the twisty puzzle of the story. Everything about this novel is beautiful—from the fully developed characters to the surprise at the end. The story spirals through questions and doubts in a way to keep you guessing, until that moment where it all falls into place near the end. The Girl from Widow Hills is as close to a perfect thriller as I’ve read in a really long time. If you’re a fan of thrillers or mysteries, move this one to the top of your list!

Egalleys for The Girl from Widow Hills were provided by Simon & Schuster through NetGalley, with many thanks.

3.5 stars This was quite the ride! After a slow start, maybe 30 pages in I couldn’t put it down. Lots of twists and turns in this thriller about a woman trying to put her past behind her. I found the character development of the main character, Olivia, very good, though some of the peripheral characters were a bit two dimensional. I did not guess the ending; I always like it when authors can trick me! Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

This was solid. Nothing revolutionary, but several twists and turns I wasn’t expecting and that I didn’t guess. I am growing a little tired of thrillers where the main character decides to do the detective work on their own instead of letting the authorities do their jobs - I understand there is risk involved, and that part of the thrill is believing that the main character might be unreliable themself, but I find it unrealistic that your average Joe could piece together some of the things this MC did. But overall, another Megan Miranda that I’m glad to have read, I will continue digging into her backlist and reading more from her in the future.

Let me preface this by stating that I really loved All The Missing Girls, but was sorely disappointed in The Last House Guest. But I was willing to give Miranda another chance and was thrilled when I was selected to review her latest novel.

My biggest issue with this book is that for a thriller, it’s very slow-moving. There’s no sense of urgency and there are a lot of repetitive phrases and rehashing of the same story over and over again, and I don’t know if that was to fill a certain page quota or what, but a lot of the flashback, news clippings, or 911-calls chapters didn’t really reveal anything new. There isn’t even a body until 30% in the book!

Another issue that I had with the book is that I just couldn’t get invested in any of the characters. All the side characters felt shady and the protagonist, Olivia was annoying beyond measure.

Now, there are two major twists, one that I saw coming a mile away and another that I didn’t really expect. Did these two major twists save the novel? Yes and no. It’s always nice when a thriller can throw a surprise ending, but for a novel that was at a snail’s pace with no sense of urgency or threat, it was a little too late.

IF YOU’RE MORE OF A COZY MYSTERY SORT OF READER, THEN YOU MAY ENJOY THIS NOVEL VERY MUCH. BUT IF YOU’RE A READER WHO LOVES FAST-PACED THRILLERS, THEN YOU MAY WANT TO PASS ON THIS ONE.
*Thank you so much to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for the digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

2.5 Stars

I spent a lot of time while reading wondering where this was going, kept waiting for it to get better. I felt a real disconnect with Olivia and with the story itself. There's a lot of internal musings from her, not a lot of dialog because Olivia wasn't close to anyone else. I like the dynamic of relationships in my stories and I just didn't feel like I got it here. Olivia fell pretty flat for me overall.

The Girl From Widow Hills was just entertaining enough for me to see it through to the end instead of DNFing it, so I guess there is that.

A copy was kindly provided by Simon & Schuster via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

“ The Girl From Widow Hills” is out today and if you are looking for a page turner this book has it. Arden went missing at 6 for 3 days believed to have been sleepwalking when a storm hit. 20 years later she has a new identity to hide from that story and as fate would have it some characters from her past invade her new world in a haunting tale of whodunit and can you trust yourself and your memories? “ You become the stories you tell-“ by Megan Miranda

#thegirlfromwidowhills #meganmiranda #arc #outtoday #6/23 #netgalley #goodreads #julesbookshelf📚

Stayed up WAY too late two nights in a row to read this! Sucked me in with the atmosphere and then made me care SO MUCH about the characters and all the things that went down. Done with the book and STILL MAD at several characters for things they did haha. I'm composing angry letters on Olivia's behalf rn.

Basically another home run for me from Megan Miranda. I adore how she does small town Southern tone, and particularly "isolated house in the woods" tropes. Something about it just sucks me into the setting and stakes immediately. I wasn't even sure where the book was going at first, but I was intrigued by the setting/set-up nonetheless. And then once the inciting incident happened I was locked in. I suspected everyone. The ending surprised me in the best way.

I loved the interplay between the secrets--and shame--of the past and the complications of the present. Keeping secrets and not being your full self with people--but what is Olivia's full self? The setting was particularly well drawn, both the town and her home, and I was just... anxious the whole time I was reading. I had to know what was going on. The multiple turns of the ending were super satisfying. Honestly would not be mad if Miranda just writes this type of book over and over again (this one, indeed, is similar to All the Missing Girls in the best way). Give me Southern towns with baggage, isolated houses in the woods, and guarded main characters with secrets. I will read them all.

3.5 stars for The Girl from Widow Hills! This is my first Megan Miranda book and it did not disappoint.

Arden had a sleepwalking incident when she was younger and was found in a drain 3 days after she went missing. Almost 20 years later, she has officially changed her name to Olivia, moved out of her hometown and is trying to leave all of the craziness behind her. Then, she begins to have sleepwalking incidents again and a man mysteriously turns up dead on her property. What happened when she was younger and what happened now? This book unravels these mysteries in beautiful slow burn fashion.

I really enjoyed how there were side by side mysteries to solve and subtle clues were dropped throughout the book to keep you guessing until the big reveal. The only thing I didn’t love about it was that it was kind of slow at times, but boy, did it pay off.

Fans of true crime and those who love to solve mysteries with a few red herrings along the way will enjoy this one!

I really like Megan Miranda books. I've read a lot of them. I would even go as far as saying she is one of my top 10 favorite authors. Mystery/thriller is my favorite genre to read and she does it well. She did not disappoint with her newest book.

One of my favorite parts of the book was the twist ending. Typically with mystery/thriller books I can figure out the ending about 1/2 to 2/3 of the way through the book. This one I did not see coming at all and I was pleasantly surprised at how the author decided to end the book.

I devoured this book in less than one day. It was easy to relate to the characters. I do wish there was more follow-up/closure regarding Olivia and Bennett. I feel like that was kind of left unfinished, especially with her thoughts about him before finding out who the true killer was.

I liked how the author had a bunch of players involved in the story and made each one of them suspicious in some way. That's what kept me guessing and unable to figure out the ending. I enjoy when a book surprises me.

If you are a fan of mysteries and thrillers, I definitely recommend this book, along with her others.

The Girl from Widow Hills is the first book that I have read by Megan Miranda. It's about a woman named Olivia who went missing as a child and spent 3 days in an underground tunnel holding on for her life until she was rescued. Now she is grown up, moved away and changed her name to avoid the fame and attention brought to her after this traumatic event and miraculous rescue. In her new town, she stumbles upon a body of a dead man in her yard which leads Olivia on a mysterious investigation that brings up all the secrets of her past.

This book started off a little on the slow side, but I did get pulled into the story and the mystery! I ended up staying up super late to finish this book, as I just had to know what was going on with these characters. Some elements of this novel feel a bit formulaic. I have read quite a few stories with similar plot lines--a woman who seems a little unreliable, who is involved in a murder investigation and might be a suspect, who has a mysterious past, etc. But if the formula works, why change it? Obviously I still enjoying reading these stories as evidenced by my late night reading binge to finish this book!

I'm still thinking through the end of this book. It did surprise me. But is it plausible or believable? I'm not quite sold yet, but I did appreciate the twist. I think another chapter or a little bit more of an explanation would make the ending work better.

A decent thriller that picks up speed as the story moves along! Thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for sending me an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

Almost 20 years prior- Arden Maynor was considered a miracle in Widow Hills. A small girl who while sleepwalking was swept away by a rainstorm and found three days later clinging to a storm drain. A media sensation, Arden because famous and with that came unwanted attention from fans and stalkers alike. Unable to cope, Arden changed her name to Olivia and moved away.

Now- Oliva has managed to keep her identity hidden. She works at a local hospital in a remote town and she keeps people at a distance. As the 20 year anniversary of her rescue approaches, Olivia receives a box containing memories from her past and begins to sleepwalk once again. Late one night she jolts awake to find herself standing over the body of a dead man, someone she knows from her past. With no memory of what happened, she finds herself back in the media spotlight and everything she tried to escape.

The Girl from Widow Hills is a fantastic new thriller by one of my favorite authors. This was definitely one of the best thrillers I have read in a long time, a real page-turner, and I didn't want to put down. Olivia is trying to flee from her past only to be thrown back into it when a man is found murdered at her house with her as a prime suspect. Olivia suffers from sleepwalking, a condition that leaves her with no memory of what she has done. Uncertain if she killed the man or if someone is out to get her, she has to dig into her past to discover the truth about what really happened to her as a child. This novel has a lot of good twists and turns that will leave you guessing until the very end. A must read for 2020!

The Girl from Widow Hills by Megan Miranda is Arden Maynor, the subject of one of those rescue stories about a child caught in a storm drain. For years on the anniversary of the event, Arden had to deal with reporters, fans, and stalkers. Fed up with all the fame, she changed her name to Olivia Meyer and moved away from Widow Hills, Kentucky.

Olivia has not been sleepwalking for years but as the 20th anniversary of her rescue looms, she begins sleepwalking again, and she feels like she is being watched. One night when she is asleep, she hears noises and goes out to investigate only to find a corpse. When she learns the corpse belongs to a man who was at the scene of the rescue when she was six years old, she is afraid she will be swept back into the limelight.

A twist readers will not see coming explains all the things they cannot figure out.

Megan Miranda crafts suspenseful novels like The Last House Guest, which was a pick for Reese Witherspoon’s book club. A New Jersey native, Miranda lives in North Carolina with her family.

My review will be posted on Goodreads starting June 23, 2020.

I would like to thank Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in return for an objective review.

I enjoyed this book. A very particular and different plot from other thrillers I have read before.

The author's writing style helps a lot to make you feel invested and immersed in Arden/ Olivia's story.

Also liked how the story alternates between the past and the present, however, it started a little slow for me, but then it picked up and was more enjoyable.

Overall, a well written story, with a very unique premise.

Thank you Simon & Schuster and Netgalley for the free advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

https://wendyreadsandwrites.blogspot.com/2020/06/book-review-girl-from-widow-hills-novel.html

The Girl from Widow Hills is another page turner from Miranda. With this genre being bombarded daily with new works this one stands apart in the best way. The reader is kept guessing all along and still with a surprise ending. Another great one from this author although I would love to see a novel from her set in a different area of the country since the recent ones all center in North Carolina. Definitely a must read for this one!

This is a good story for readers that like suspense and domestic thrillers. I liked how the main character, Olivia, was established with hints at her past while she’s living a new life in a new town. There was an underlying tension from beginning to end where almost everyone seemed suspicious and could be the answer to the mystery.

The mystery itself felt a little torn between the current death close to Olivia and Olivia’s past. I did like how the two stories intersected but I was expecting a bit more of a twist and reveal. I did like the slow building nature but there could have been more suspense to amp up the atmosphere.

Overall, I would recommend this book to fans of the author, those that like domestic thrillers, or fans of the mystery genre. There’s a good balance between character and plot, and it does have a good payoff in the end.

The Girl from Widow Hills is flawless. Miranda is among a precious few that manage to ensnare me from beginning to end. I was tangled in a web of mystery, deception and half-truths questioning everything and everyone. I was on high alert much like Olivia.

This story has all the feels! The swell of anxiety, disaster moving in, covering the details like a deep fog. The inescapable thickness of the mood tangible. You think you understand survival, instinct, what you’re capable of, then you’re reminded there is still much to discover.

Megan Miranda’s writing is a treasure. The Girl from Widow Hills is a standout. A thrilling suspense that will keep you guessing.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my digital copy in exchange for an honest review.

Megan Miranda's latest psychological thriller revolves around Arden Maynor, a child from Widow Hills who turned up missing from her home one night while sleepwalking during a terrifying rainstorm and went missing for days. After she was found, she was looked upon as a miracle and made famous. Now a young woman, Arden goes by the name Olivia and still has trouble sleepwalking. One night, she wakes up and finds herself in her yard with a dead man at her feet. The book was OK and sometimes felt a bit flat, and the storyline unconvincing. I prefer Miranda's previous books, All the Missing Girls andThe Perfect Stranger, which I loved.

You’re looking for a book with twists and turns along way, this book is for you as is the author’s other books. This is a fast paced page turner that will keep you guessing. You think you have it figured out and then, nope!

We always remember the children that got stuck in wells or went missing. If they survive, people want to know where they are or who they are now. It’s got to be terrifying. Just like Arden/Olivia people never left her alone. Twenty years later she finds herself in an awkward position and not sure who to trust. I found this story gripping with plenty of twists and turns. The end of every chapter has a piece of history with a media release or 911 transcripts, very unique. My copy came through Netgalley and I wrote my review voluntarily.