Special Agent Nikki Hunt returns to her hometown to catch the murderer of two young girls. Returning home 20 years after her parents brutal murder brings back unwelcome memories. This book grabbed me from the start. Engaging characters with an edge of your seat mystery kept me glued to the pages. Twists and turns that’ll have you guessing the whole way through. I’m looking forward to more to more in this series.

*ARC provided by NetGalley for an honest review.

When she was 16, Nikki Hunter snuck out of the house to go to a party. When she returned, she found her parents murdered. The murderer was a boy just a few years older who’s been in jail since. Nikki left Stillwater and is now a famous special agent with the FBI forever on the trail of an elusive serial killer, Frost.
When 2 16-year-old girls who disappeared a few months earlier, are found frozen in a cornfield in rural Minnesota the first thought is that they’re victims of Frost. Nikki is not too happy to return to her home town where she’s forever ‘the girl whose parents got murdered’ especially now that there’s the commotion about the conviction of Mark Todd because of previously untested evidence. During the investigation into the new murders, people just won’t leave her alone about her parents’ case. It doesn’t take long for her to see that these murders are not the work of Frost, but she insists to continue her work.
Unlike in most stories, at first, there’s no real conflict between the FBI and the local sheriff. That changes later on. Sometimes it’s a bit confusing for non-Americans to keep up with the differences between the various law enforcing agencies and their specific job descriptions. Luckily, here we don’t have to deal with all the acronyms.

What I want to say is that I admire the work of organisations as ‘the innocence project’. Unfortunately, there are a number of people that get convicted for crimes they didn’t commit. There are various reasons why these things happen: shoddy police work due to underfunding and understaffing, lazy lawyers that don’t care for non-paying clients, prejudices … And once convicted, no-one will believe they’re innocent anymore. Now, with all the new scientific techniques, we like to think that such miscarriages of justice are a thing of the past. But people forget that those tests are expensive and not everything is widely available. Don’t forget that some of those innocents are serving a very long prison sentence or even on death row, which is my main argument against the death penalty.
I greatly enjoyed this book. It had everything a good crime mystery needs. A likeable detective who’s a strong female protagonist that appeals to female readers, enough background to picture her but not too much to interfere with the narrative, a sprinkle of romance, a good and solid story, a few red herrings and some unsavoury characters to hate. I can’t find any big wrongs in writing or story. This is a good and decent book.
I thank Netgalley and Bookouture for the free ARC they provided and this is my honest, unbiased review of it.

This is the thriller that I didn’t know I was waiting for and needed in my life until I picked it up. SO GOOD. I’m still reeling and trying to catch my breath from this highly suspenseful and emotionally charged story.

I am so glad that this is a series, because I need more ASAP. I don’t know when the next installment will be released, but I do know that I will be anxiously awaiting it to come, and when it does, I hope to be one of the very first readers! That’s right, sign me the heck up for the entirety of this series, no matter how long it ends up being!

I want to know more about Nikki Hunt, and follow along with each and every one of her investigations.

This was an emotionally suspenseful ride filled with twists and turns from the first page to the turn of the last page. The list of suspects was long, and each time I thought I had the killer figured out, I realized I was very, very wrong indeed!

This book showcased two intertwining mysteries (with another lingering in the background, perhaps a set up for a future book in the series?) and the investigation into both of the mysteries at hand made for a book packed full of clever twists and turns. There was never a dull moment to be found, as there was always something happening.

I loved Nikki Hunt’s character, and delving into her background and unpacking her many layers. Her traumatic story made for an emotionally impactful read, and gaining insight into her state of mind of what truly happened on the worst night of her life and how it all played into the current events at hand was excellently woven into the story by the author. I very much look forward to learning more about Nikki and solving more murders alongside her!

This was an outstanding thriller novel, and one of my favorites that I read this year! It was excellently crafted, and I cannot wait to see what’s in store for the future novels!

Stacy Green, you most certainly have got yourself another reader right here!!

Bloody fantastic! I loved this book it was such a great story. I was hanging on to every word and couldn’t put the book down. It’s my first book by this author and will definitely be reading more. Thoroughly enjoyed it, it was full of tension and action and kept me guessing. Highly recommend this book, 5 stars.

Two fifteen-year-old girls, Madison and Kaylee, who were widely known as best friends are found frozen to death in the snow shortly before Special Agent Nikki Hunt (formerly known as Nikki Walsh) is called in to investigate the murders to determine if it’s something local or the work of a serial killer known as Frost.

The FBI agent, Nikki, returns back home to Stillwater, Minnesota, which is also the scene of the brutal crime the first time in twenty years—long after the grizzly murders of her parents and the prosecution of the killer, Mark Todd, who she identified at the scene of the crime.

While in the midst of the investigations, she’s confronted by protesters eager to see Mark freed. With new evidence that could clear his name, Mark has appealed his conviction and his brother Rory begs Nikki to take a look at what they’ve found. To re-read the reports, evidence and sort out conflicting information to help determine that Mark is in fact innocent and very much like Nikki, a victim of foul play. And though Nikki knows she must focus on the killer at large, Rory makes her wonder if she put her trust in the right people all those years ago. Are Madison and Kaylee’s deaths connected to her parents’ murders? And can she face up to her past before another life is taken?

The answer to these questions came to unfold as the story progressed, and though it was quite obvious to determine who were the actual murderers of her parents and the young teenage girls were from a mile away—the attention to detail, characters that were real and raw, the well guarded secrets and history between the suspects made this an interesting read and I would mark this as one of my favorite mystery thrillers I have read in a long time. And I must say, one of my favorite things about this novel that stood out is that as a reader, we were able to feel the turmoil the agent faced when returning back home and the struggles she dealt with as a child then later on as an adult when attempting to come in terms with what had happened.

All in all, this was an outstanding novel and I look forward to reading more from this author.

Thanks NetGalley, Publisher & Author for this gifted eBook.

Summary
In the remote forests of Stillwater, Minnesota, you can scream for days and no one will hear you. So when the bodies of two fifteen-year-old girls are discovered frozen in the snow, Special Agent Nikki Hunt is sure the killer is local: someone knew where to hide them and thought they'd never be found.

Review
So this was a thriller suspense novel to me.
It was a really good book from stat to finish, I found it getting hard to even out down my Kindle, because I just had to know what happened next.
Very well written, Characters were likable, the plot was great, and the ending was even better.

Rating- 4
Overall- Good Book

This book was fantastic! Everything about it worked - from the character development, to the plot, to the writing/dialogue - it just came together beautifully, I was hooked from page 1 and didn’t put it down until I was done. There were several different stories going on at once, but the author did a great job in interweaving them. Only one didn’t come to its conclusion and I can’t wait to see how it’s presented in the next installment.

There are very few mysteries I read that I don’t figure out way before the end. This was not one of them. I had no idea who the killer was until it was revealed. This is going to be must read series! I can’t wait for book 2 to see how it continues.

This was the first I’ve read by this author and she did not disappoint. I look very forward to reading much more by her in the future.

Thank you so much #netgalley and #bookouture for the eARC. This is my honest review in exchange for the advance copy.

FBI agent Nikki Hunt is brought back to Stillwater the place that she grew up, when the bodies of two girls are found and linked to her current investigation. An intriguing and entertaining plot that slows a bit in the middle but ends with a surprising twist.

Okay! I love a thriller and this was no disappointment. Nikki is an FBI profiler and we learn her past as we also find her searching for a killer in her hometown. She's already been through the ringer in this town and now she's dealing with more. Great book, can't wait for the second in the series!

Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

This grabbed my attention immediately and I felt compelled to keep on reading. It's an intense mystery with interesting characters. I'm looking forward to reading more.

Small towns in the Midwest used to be a cliche for "friendly" and welcoming, while big cities were the hotbeds of crime. Stacy Green shatters that image in a fictionalized version of Stillwater, Minnesota. You'll find very little that's wholesome and heartwarming in "The Girls in the Snow," Book One of a new series starring FBI agent Nikki Hunt.

Green does an exemplary job of depicting PTSD and the havoc it can wreak on our memory. She shows how much crime-solving depends on questioning people who might know something, even if they have no idea that one trivial detail might be the key to blowing a case open. Everyone, it seems, withholds information or even lies to cover for a friend or relative. The novel is engrossing, a step-by-arduous-step look at how local police and the FBI can work together to find out whodunnit.

The plot: Twenty years after losing her parents in a double homicide, agent Nikki Hunt is called back to her hometown to help with a new case: 15-year-old best friends Madison and Kaylee have been found dead in the snow, apparent victims of a serial killer known as Frost. Nikki, despite the cloud of bad memories, PTSD, and a new haze of media frenzy surrounding the horrific murder of her own parents, finds herself in the position of having to interview people from her haunted past. She questions the new victims' classmates, teachers, neighbors, and assorted locals. Not one of them is empathetic or likable, with the possible exception of the man fighting to prove his brother was wrongly imprisoned for the murder of Nikki's parents. Nikki herself is hard to like when she keeps slamming the door on those who ask her to revisit that awful night. Then again, PTSD.

Throughout Nikki's search for information on the girls found dead in the snow, it seems nothing but catty, snarky, judgmental comments are made by community members who might show more empathy and outrage. Someone stole the lives of two girls. One is a trouble maker, one is a model student, but both had families who loved them. Both had so much to live for, and both were brutally killed for no good reason. It seems to be the way of the world: "for no good reason," people do no end of stupid, banal, or evil things.

There never seems to be any genuine compassion or outrage from the townspeople. There's anger and blame--lots of blaming and shaming!--but hardly anyone who'd take any sort of risk to see truth and justice prevail.

The lies escalate even though Agent Hunt will catch them all, from furtive sexual escapades to epic infidelity, from supplying illegal fentanyl to nursing home patients (a misguided act of compassion) to sneaky teenagers lying about their whereabouts and scheming their way around that dreaded 21st Century punishment, a parent confiscating a cell phone. (And what did crime solvers ever do in the days before surveillance cameras and GPS?)

While almost everyone in Stillwater seems smarmy, banal, or guilty of sordid little secrets, I kept turning pages to see how the clues would come together. Would a man imprisoned for 20 years be exonerated by new DNA technology? How would the truth ever emerge from a festering network of so many people telling so many lies?

This story is much too close to home for me, but every now and then I venture out of my comfort zone and read a police procedural for the vicarious gratification of seeing a murder mystery solved. For fans of the genre, this thriller should satisfy. For those who know firsthand what it's like to have a teenage daughter go missing and be found dead in a ditch, her killer walking free among us, this will be a grueling read, and learning whodunnit will not satisfy. No spoiler here: of course Nikki is going to identify and apprehend the culprit(s). Even a conviction and a life sentence, however, will not bring back the lost loved ones, and nothing can explain or ameliorate the senseless taking of a life.

I know what it's like to have a loved one go missing. In November 1975, my own sister fell off the face of the earth. The Not Knowing is worse than the knowing, even when the Knowing is the worst-case scenario. I know the harsh judgment of locals, the misinformation fed to the media. I know about small town police working with state and federal agents and 45 years later, seeing the case stay as cold as a March day in 1976 when spring rains flushed my 18-year-old sister out of a culvert, nude, strangled, discarded like roadside trash in a rural ditch. The FBI tried to create a profile of a serial killer, but we knew it was a local job. Iowa Cold Case 76-00382 should have been something the FBI could handle. So much depends on witnesses, and whether they'll tell the truth. Solving a case as quickly as Agent Hunt does in "The Girls in the Snow" is the stuff of fiction, not real life, but it does make for a compelling and unforgettable read.

Thank you to Netgalley and to Bookouture for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

For the start of a new series this one was well worth reading. With lots of action and thrills that kept me turning pages long into the night. I look forward to reading more from this author. I received an e-book from NetGalley in return for an unbiased review.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Nikki Hunt, an FBI profiler, finds herself investigating a horrific crime right back in her hometown, where she herself experienced a tragedy that changed her life forever. Stacy Green did a fantastic job of creating a complex, believable character in Nikki Hunt and I found myself quickly rooting for her. She isn’t magically gifted, she’s just a good investigator who doesn’t give up. The mysteries in the story grabbed me right away, and really never let go. It seems strange to say, but this murder mystery was exactly what I needed after the ponderous, never-ending book I was reading right before. In stark contrast, this one captivated me from the word “Go” and I sped right through it, often reading instead of doing the things I should actually be doing. I’m very excited to read the next installment and to see where Green takes this character. I highly recommend this one for anyone who likes a good mystery with a perfect mix of personal and procedural in the investigation.

FBI Profiler Nikki Hunt is back in Stillwater, Minnesota where two fifteen-year-old girls have been found frozen in the snow. The main reason for her involvement is a possible connection to a serial killer Nikki and her team have been chasing.

She knows immediately that the killer is local and not the man they've been chasing, but she still feels some responsibility to aid in the investigation.

This is Nikki's first return to Stillwater in 20 years. After her parents were murdered, Nikki couldn't wait to finish high school and leave town, which is one personal complication for Nikki. Another is that the man convicted of her parents' murders has drawn the attention of the Innocence Project and a number of townspeople have joined in support and want his conviction overturned. Nikki still believes he is guilty, but the situation adds complications.

Nikki has to confront the past and the present even as she tries to discover who killed Madison and Kayleigh--and in a surprising development, whether the murder of the two girls is in any way connected to the murders of her parents.

The Girls in the Snow has a lot of potential as a new series. I look forward to Nikki Hunt's next case.

Read in August; blog review scheduled for Sept. 2, 2020.

NetGalley/Bookouture
Police Procedural. Oct. 19, 2020. Print length: 347 pages.

From the very first page...BOOM!

You are sucked In immediately and you literally can’t put it down. You need to know how the current murders in this small town connect to murders in the past. You need to know how FBI Agent Nikki Hunt’s parents murder can possibly be entwined with the murder of 2 teenage girls and an exotic dancer.

I was so invested in this. So many pieces and when they came together...what an ending!!!! I can’t wait to see where this series goes because what a start.

The Girls in the Snow contains two mysteries - one from Nikki's past and the one she's currently investigating in her home town. Both plots were well done and enough details/hints were provided throughout the story so that the reveals made sense.

I generally prefer mysterious/thrillers that are character driven so I was a tad bit disappointed in Nikki's character development. I didn't really find that this story showed depth to her character. It just felt like Nikki was a vehicle to tell these two mysteries without really revealing who she was.

Overall, The Girls in the Snow was an enjoyable read.

The Girls in the Snow is an edge of your seat thriller full of suspense and mystery. Nikki Hunt is a profiler for the FBI who catches the worst of the worst. Her latest cases involve a serial killer who freezes the bodies of his victims. When the bodies of two teenage girls are found frozen solid, Nikki must return to the hometown she left in her rear view after her parents were brutally murdered. Her hometown is over run with protestors trying to free the man in prison for her parents murder. Nikki wrestles with the past and the present as the stakes just keep climbing and the past may not be anything like she remembers for a twisty, head turning, unputdownable read.. I look forward to more of the Nikki Hunt Series. My voluntary, unbiased review is based upon a review copy from Netgalley.

THE GIRLS IN THE SNOW (Nikki Hunt Book One)
BY STACY GREEN

This is a brand new series introducing Nikki Hunt who is a special agent with the FBI who is leading the investigation of what appears to be a copycat of a serial killer. I loved Nikki as she is a strong woman protagonist who is on top of her game and she is honest, empathetic, haunted but tough. Her team consists of Liam Wilson who is known for his patience, attention to detail and great instincts. Liam has been with Nikki a year after graduating from Quantico. Courtney Hart rounds out their team of three as an expert in forensic science and she taught me what touch DNA means. Courtney works with trace evidence and all three make up an interesting trio.

Special Agent Nikki Hunt is returning to Stillwater, Minnesota where she left after High school never wanting to return again because it is the small town where both her parents were murdered. There is the investigation she is leading into the deaths of two murdered fifteen year old's who were freshmen in high school named Madison Malone and Kaylee Thomas. There is a third victim named Janelle Gomez who is later found who worked in a Gentlemen's club. All three are found frozen and the frigid temperature is a character in and of itself as a back drop to lend some very chilling vibes.

Nikki's having to not only solve these heinous crimes but at the same time deal with the media and protester's that say that the man she witnessed in her home the night her parents were murdered might be the wrong man and who might be innocent. She meets the accused man's brother named Rory and I liked how they slowly became friend's. Rory's brother Mark Todd and himself show no animosity to Nikki as they both view her as a victim also twenty years ago.

There is much to like in this brand new series. The team works very well together and are likable. There is no gratuitous violence at all that I appreciated. It is a page turner of a novel that had a suspenseful pace that I was able to read in one sitting. The mysteries kept my attention which pulled me into the novel and I didn't want to put it down. It held my interest and I don't really like series that much but I will definitely be looking forward to revisiting these character's in the next installment which will be book two. Stacy Green you have a winner and this is my favorite series of the ones that I have read before I discovered this one. I would rate this 4.5 stars and highly recommend.

Publication Date: October 19, 2020

Thank you to Net Galley, Stacy Green and Bookouture Publishing for providing me with my ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.

#TheGirlsInTheSnow #StacyGreen #BookouturePublishing #NetGalley

Wow! What a read! I’ve been longing for a small town mystery like this for awhile. It’s an amazing read. I was actually hooked from the beginning, and I couldn’t stop reading. I like Nikki Hunt and want to get to know her better! I hope Stacy Green has already finished writing the second book in the series, because I am eagerly waiting for it!

I’m trying to think of any flaws, but no, can’t find any. Great character description, the perfect pace, the right amount of past and present settings, and the awesome small time vibe of a bit creepy, but warm atmosphere, and a troublesome past people can’t get over - and for a reason.

Nikki is just the right kind of protagonist I like to have in books. She’s flawed, the typical introverted federal agent, who has such a dark and sad past which makes her the perfect profiler. She has a great attention to detail, but she knows a human mind and memory can’t be trusted.

The case, or cases in fact, are intriguing, and this small town has now faced two traumatic events, and Nikki is all about solving the case of two teenage girls who have been recently murdered, while facing her past. The man who was put away for the murder of her parents wants out, his brother is convinced he’s innocent, and so are many protesters on the street. The case is about to be reopened, just when Nikki is back in town after being away for ages.

Read it, because I loved it!

I got a free copy through NetGalley in an exchange for an honest review.

Nicki Hunt, has to do what she least wants to do. Go back to her hometown where her parents were murdered.
She is now a behavioral scientist for the FBI.
You feel all of her emotions, her struggle to be around old friends. Figuring out who to trust.
Thrilling and Suspenseful.
Hope there are more Nicki Unt books