Detective Geena Brassard and her partner Parker Reed are back for this 3rd installment of the Northhampton County series. This time they are dealing with a perp known as the Spring Strangler. A case that Geena's former retired partner was on. A 3rd female victim's body has been found, the spring strangler, brutally rapes, kills and dumps their bodies into a body of water. But there is a 4th victim but she is a survivor. Janey is a single mother, she has no memory of what happened to her but she lives in constant fear. Her son Christian has his own problems and Janey fears for her son's well-being. Janey seeks the help of a child therapist in hopes of helping Christian to overcome his daily hurdles.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It kept me on the edge of my seat and held my attention. I have read all 3 books in this series and I really hope there is more to come.

The third in the Northampton County series, “Spring Girls” is a police procedural with themes of nature vs. nurture and the cyclic course of abusive relationships. The pacing was steady, and the descriptions well rendered.

Detective Parker Reed took a backseat this time to his partner Geena Brassard. We got to know her more and discover her increasing regard for her new partner, Parker.

Janey was an interesting character. She had very low self-esteem, and loved her young son very much despite his behavior. I got bad vibes from Janey’s therapist, Helen, from the start but couldn’t imagine the reason… We learn the identity of the Spring Strangler at about the 70% mark of the book, with the rest of the novel explaining the motivation and back story.

Karen Katchur knows how to perfectly balance her plot with her characters and it is evident here. The books in this series are interconnected, but each highlights a different character so they could be read just fine as stand-alones.

All in all, another fine addition to this series and I’ll look forward to future cases of Brassard and Parker. Recommended!

Spring Girls (mystery/suspense/crime)
Rating: really enjoyed

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for the gifted copy. All opinions are my own. Full review on bookstagram to come.

Overall this was an almost even mix between a character driven novel (40%) and a plot based novel (60%). I also hadn't realized this book was part of a series before starting, but it worked well as a standalone for me. The pace of the story was steady, with easy to read short chapters, and the characters were well-developed. What I found to be a bit unique, is that the killer isn't revealed at the very end like in most suspense novels. Once the reader finds out who is responsible (I did not guess who!), we spend the rest of the book learning the reasons for the killings, which I loved. By the end, this story wrapped up nicely and answered all lingering questions. Would recommend overall!

I would compare this to Lisa Gardender which is a high praise! I was so impressed with this and kinda hoping for a survivor series?

Karen Katchur surprised me. I picked up her book, River Bodies, loved it, and I now will read whatever she writes. A very talented author!

Survivor stalks serial killer in this tense suspense from Karen Katchur. If that sentence catches you, then this book will hold you captive until the last page.

An excellent police procedural story with a very compelling plot and great descriptions of Northampton County. Different from other authors, Karen puts a lot of effort into describing details involved in every step of an investigation which is really interesting. I read this book without having read the two previous ones in the series which I'll now do. Very, very good book.

I requested this one not realizing it was part of a series. It can be read as a stand alone but to get the full experience, I feel like I need to read the previous books. I really enjoyed this one and would recommend it

Good book but great ending - I enjoyed how the author finished the story. Whilst some of the book was a little cliche and a bit predictable, the ending made up for it. A decent crime novel. 3 stars from me. Thanks to Netgalley for my copy.

3 Stars

I went back and read the first two books in this series. I would say that you do not need to do that to pick up on the story line or the characters. The premise of the story is interesting. Serial Killer that strangles girls in the spring and puts braids in their hair before dumping the bodies in water.

Geena and Parker are interesting characters along with the serial killer. I would have liked to have read from the serial killer's perspective the trauma from their childhood and the thought process of victim selection. I think that would have made the story more creepy and extra exciting.

A special thank you to NetGalley, Thomas & Mercer, and Karen Katchur for providing me with an ARC.

I did not read the first two books in this series, and it didn't seem to matter at all! Which I find is a good thing for me first off. This book read like an episode of SVU to me, which made it enjoyable and intriguing. Some parts were predictable, but that didn't take away from the pages.

I was a bit distracted from the first big twist, because it didn't seem well involved in the story before it actually happened, so I was waiting for the OTHER big twist that tied in better, and it did not disappoint!

I enjoyed reading this author and may have to read the first two now!

Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer!

They are called "Spring Girls". Found in the water, dead, with their hair braided. And there is a new spring and a new victim, again. But...there is always the first one.

Detectives Geena Brassard and Parker Reed are on the hunt for Spring Strangler, but the inditions are scarce. But then they are tipped about the first victim - living, still! Now they need to get this survivor to cooperate. But the one who stays alive always has the most to lose - because not only the police are interested in the surviving one...

This is a strong series (fingers crossed for the continuation!). Ms Katchur gets better in the mystery field with every new book under her belt. This one has a good, chilling central mystery accompanied with interesting subplots, vivid storytelling and strong characterization of the place (I can see its cold, strict beauty and can smell the water in my imagination).

What I like most about this authoress's style is the strong human interest, and here we have the human story which has touched me the most within the series. Because Janey Montgomery might seem as an eternal victim - but in reality, she is not. She is fighting with her nails and teeth to love her special-needs son well; and she has her own demons to fight at the same time. She has made a decision which I personally bow down to, even if the most people probably would not understand or they will even see her as a weak-willed pushover. But the real heroes of live are often simple, unassuming ones, even if the in-fashion tendencies are promoting different models of female strength. I am not advocating the only right model! But I give my respects to the heroism when I see one (and I have several friends bringing up special-needs children).

As a practicing Catholic - well. The authoress obviously is not:), but I see that she tried to respect several aspects of it. So I consider this book an honest try and I can respect that.

All in all, Ms Katchur is now definitely on my reading radar as an auto-read author. She is that interesting writer.

This is such an amazing series. I happen to live in Bangor. It is really interesting to read a book that takes place in your hometown. This book is so well written. I am very saddened that it is the last of this series. The characters are well evolved and interesting to read about. I will definitely be reading this authors other books.

I enjoyed this one! I haven't read the previous books, but this one held up as a standalone well. Not quite as "dark and twisted" as I am used to reading, but still made for a quick and engaging story.

i really enjoyed the find the killer elements in this book, it kept me guessing from beginning to the reveal. I liked the characters.

really do like this series other than like small things but overall good and kinda bummed theres not more out :0 might reread this series eventually

Spring Girls is the 3rd book in the Northhampton County series and even though I have not read the first two books, it did not affect my ability to follow the story. Spring Girls is a mix of mystery and psychological thriller about a serial killer who kills young women by drowning every spring. This year, Detective Geena Brassard and her partner, Parker Reed, must investigate the murder of a young woman who is found dead in a river. The killer, nicknamed The Spring Strangler, has killed other girls in the past few years and has never been caught. Geena finds out that one woman survived her attack and must convince her to help the detectives find the killer while gathering evidence against him.
The plot flows well and the characters are likeable. The survivor's angst and fear for herself and her young son are well portrayed and the new partnership of the two detectives evolves. A compelling and sinister read.
Thank you to NetGalley, the author and publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Spring Girls is book 3 of the Northampton County series. I'd read book 2, Cold Woods, last year and enjoyed it. Hence, when I saw the ARC for this one was available, I immediately requested it.

Each spring brings with it the body of a young woman strangled and left in a body of water. One woman was able to escape the strangler but she's reluctant to talk. Detective Geena and her partner Parker are investigating the case.

Spring Girls is a solid addition to this series. In fact, I enjoyed this one more than Cold Woods. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher, Thomas & Mercer, for providing me with an ARC of this book.

I really liked this book. What was interesting was not so much the investigation, but the psychology of Janey and her son. I did not expect this end, though I found that the reasons for the crime was not very well explained. I recommend this book to anyone who likes a good psychological thriller.

Spring Girls is the third in the Northampton County series. Detectives Greena Brassard and Parker Reed investigate the murder of a young woman. She's one of many of the Spring Strangler's victims found in water. But one victim survived and has a lot on the line if she's discovered.

Even though this is the third in a series, it the first Northampton County book that I read. I appreciated that there was enough background that I didn't feel like I missed anything by not reading the first two. This is a well-written detective story, and I look forward to reading Katchur's other novels.