I thoroughly enjoyed Black Orchid Girls (Detective Amanda Steele Book 4) by Carolyn Arnold. I liked this book so much that I scoured the library for other books in this series and her other series. I also have bought some from the bookstore. What I like is the way the author weaves the story. She does not include any unnecessary details or information to pull a reader from the storyline. The writing is crisp, fast-paced, and entertaining. I liked the main characters, and each character was written in reality.

I'm looking forward to more in this series and other Carolyn Arnold mystery series. The book was a good mystery with tense moments that kept my interest. I would recommend this book and others by this author.

#BlackOrchidGirls #NetGalley

Book 4 in the series! This is a rapid-paced, compelling story with masterful execution. The constant action means there is never a dull moment
Good book! This book was filled with suspense, action, intrigue, and lots of good detective work! It definitely was a good murder mystery! The storyline kept me glued to my Kindle through the whole book!

Considering where Ms. Arnold left Amanda Steele at the end of book 3, I was so anxious to dive into Book 4, Black Orchid Girls. In addition to trying to balance her work with her new foster child, Zoe, Amanda and the best partner ever (seriously), Trent, are called to the state park to the body of a murdered college student. With everything going for her and very few clues, Amanda and Trent dig deep on this case... all whilst Amanda is working hard to be present for Zoe. It's a delicate balance and Ms. Arnold does justice to both Amanda's profession and her desire to be a foster mom to Zoe. The mystery here is top notch! You're going to love this series!!

Detective Amanda and her partner Trent are called to the scene of the mysterious murder of a young woman, not long after another young woman is also found murdered in a similar fashion. Are they on the hunt for a serial killer or is there something else going on.
While this book wasn’t as heart stopping as the previous books in this series that’s okay, Amanda and Trent needed something different to sink their teeth into. I enjoyed this book, it’s nice to see Amanda and Trent finding their stride as partners and learning to trust each other.
Looking forward to more adventures as this series continues. Thanks Netgalley and Publisher for this ARC.

I have read all the books in this series and have enjoyed them very much. I was excited to get started on this and it didn't disappoint.! Lots of intrigue and tension and great characters.

Black Orchid Girls is the 4th book in the Detective Amanda Steele series that gives a solid story, but felt a little bland.

Early one morning a girl is found murdered in the Leesylvania State Park and Detective Amanda Steele and her partner Detective Trent Stenson are called in to investigate. The girl turns out to be a local college student, Chloe Sumner, with a heart for the environment and was frequently known to go to the park for the Mystery snail. Soon the detectives are given plenty of leads to begin their investigation, which include boyfriends, roommates, and rivals just to name a few.

Out of all the characters and police interviews, my favorite parts were the dynamics of Chloe's two roommates. The tension between the two felt believable and allowed them to become scene stealers when they entered the story.

My biggest issue is that it felt a little bland. The story and plot was ok and easy follow, but outside of Detective Steele you don't really see any character development. I don't necessarily need to follow Detective Stenson to his home, but at the same time I can't say I know any more about him than when I first started the book. And while we continue to follow what is going on in Detective Steele's personal life, it didn't necessarily always feel like an organic progression.

Rating: 3.5 stars

Thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for the advanced reader copy and opportunity to provide an honest review

Good book! This book had suspense, intrigue, and some great police work, and a great who done it! The only thing I didn't like that much was when we find out who the killer is, its a bit anticlimactic?! I don't know the killer wasn't really anything shady their reasoning was just blah! It was this big build up then just oh really?! That's why?! Lol but the book was really good before that so I will definitely recommend reading this one! Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for sharing this book with me!