Skip to main content

Member Reviews

An intriguing stand alone thriller from the queen of romantic suspense, Lisa Jackson. Be prepared to be kept up all night reading this. It’s action packed and keeps you turning the pages.

Kara survived a family massacre one Christmas as a young child with her entire family killed, minus her missing sister and her brother who murdered them. She is a shell of a person and barely functioning intone world as an adult when she finds out new brother, Jonah is being released. As the media descends on her, she starts receiving communication from someone claiming to be her sister. Is it really her? Who is messing with her mind? As people start to die around her she wonders if she will survive this time.

Edge of your seat suspense is what I’ve come to expect from Lisa and I wasn’t disappointed. Highly recommend to her legion of fans.

Was this review helpful?

Lisa Jackson's The Girl Who Survived is an intricate book alternating between present-day events and bone chilling memories of the past. Through her descriptive writing, Jackson takes thriller fans on a dark intense journey they will not soon forget.

Synopsis:
It has been over twenty years since seven year old Kara escaped a brutal massacre at her family's cabin in Oregon. On Christmas Eve, Kara's father, mother and two step-brothers were brutally murdered. Marlie, Kara's older sister disappeared that day without a trace. Kara's other step-brother Jonas survived with minor injuries and was later convicted of the crime. As an adult Kara still struggles with the emotional aftermath of this horrific event.

Kara receives word that Jonas is being released from prison on a technicality. Jonas has always claimed he did not commit the murders and was wrongfully convicted. However, when brutal recurrent murders start happening after Jonas is released from prison, police reopen the old murder case. Kara is unsure who to trust or what she should believe. Will Kara's quest for truth endanger her life?

Lisa Jackson is one of the most popular and highly acclaimed writers of today. I always find her books to be extremely spooky and entertaining. Lisa is not afraid to take on tough topics and present them in a realistic manner. The Girl Who Survived does contain graphic violence so check the trigger warnings before proceeding.

The Girl Who Survived is available June 28th. Applause to Lisa Jackson for writing this fantastic 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ book!

Thank you, NetGalley and Kensington Books for this nail biting novel! I love every page of it!

Was this review helpful?

Good book! This book had suspense, intrigue, action, and a bunch of who done it! The storyline was so twisted with some crazy killer! The story was very interesting and kept me glued to my Kindle! I will definitely recommend reading this book! It was well worth reading! Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for sharing this book with me!

Was this review helpful?

Lisa jackson never disappoints. This fast paced thriller of a book will have you hooked from the very first page until the last. The twists and turns kept me guessing and proving my theory wrong time after time. Highly recommend for a book you can’t put down!
Thank you to netgalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

Was this review helpful?

Ahh! This was such a creepy story right from the start! A perfect addition to any thriller lover's TBR!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the digital ARC in exchange for my honest review. All opinions expressed are completely my own.

Was this review helpful?

this was So good! Really enjoyed the plot and characters and kept me guessing throughout the story. Definitely recommend to any thriller lover! Thank you NetGalley for this ARC

Was this review helpful?

Suspenseful ✅
Mystery ✅
Multi-layered Thriller ✅
Gruesome beginning -Gore ✅
Twists & Gritty ✅
Secrets & Lies ✅
Page turner ✅

For years I have been a big fan of Lisa Jackson. Dozens of her books sit on my bookshelves. So to get a chance to ARC read & review one of her books was exciting. The girl who survived has a fast paced dark and twisted, action packed plot. I was on edge from the first chapter. The opening captivates the reader with such gruesome deaths.

Kara McIntyre became an orphan at the young age of seven when her family was brutally massacred in their cabin. She survived but her brother Jonas was convicted of the murders and her sister Marlie hasn’t been seen since the night of the massacre where she took Kara into the attic for her survival. The police officer that helped her that night also died that night from a heart attack as he helped her out. Now 20 years later Kara is still struggling with her trauma and suffering from panic attacks.

With her new friend being a reporter looking for a story but he is also the son of the police officer who died while saving Kara…her brother being unexpectedly realized from prison and asking for her help in uncovering the truth of that night…as well as cryptic messages from a stranger about her missing sister. Who can Kara trust? What happens when bodies begin to pile up?

A creepy and dark lurking book with many intrigue twists. Keeping you guessing and engaged from beginning to end. So many unexpected surprises and tension as everything slowly begins to unravel. A complete rollercoaster of events. What truly happened that dreadful night?

A must pick, TBR worthy binge read.

Was this review helpful?

Well, you know when a novel starts out with gruesome murders you are going to love it if you are a thriller fan.
I was pleased to have another Lisa Jackson that had me thinking throughout the entire book.

It has been 20 years since Kara’s almost entire family was massacred and now her older brother who was charged for the crimes is out of jail. With the help of a reporter who’ has an interest in the crimes, they must find out what really happened 20 years ago after more people start dying.

This is a must read for Lisa Jackson fans!

Was this review helpful?

Thanks to Net Galley, the author ,Lisa Jackson. Also the publisher, Kingston Books for the early preview. A very suspenseful novel of Kara searching for the truth of what happened that night. As she ran from the home, fell into a creek as former policeman saved her fife but dies with a heart attack. What were those dying words that may give her some answers. Lots of twists and turns which makes it a page turner. Excellent!

Was this review helpful?

Twenty years ago Kara’s mother, father, and two half brothers were viciously murdered in an Oregon lake house. Her half sister disappeared without a trace. A third injured half brother survived and was convicted of the slaughter. Another man, an off-duty cop, also died saving Kara as she escaped and fell through the thin ice of the lake. Kara has tried but never moved far from murder scene and seems stuck in this part of Oregon. Now, two weeks before she fully inherits her parents’ estate and again near Christmas, her half brother Jonas is being released from prison.

Jonas’ release sparks a series of other events: the police are reopening the case; the son of the off-duty police officer is now a reporter also investigating (and bugging Kara); and Kara is getting mysterious texts and calls saying “She’s alive!”

Lisa Jackson has again crafted a multi-layered thriller that keeps you guessing about who’s a good guy and who’s a bad guy. It was one of those books that at a certain you just can’t put down! What a great read! 4 solid stars!


Thank you to Kensington Books and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review!

Literary Pet Peeve Checklist:
Green Eyes (only 2% of the real world, yet it seems like 90% of all fictional females): YES Older sister Marlie’s “boyfriend” Chad had another girlfriend, Brittlynn, with green eyes.
Horticultural Faux Pas (plants out of season or growing zones, like daffodils in autumn or bougainvillea in Alaska): NO Most everything is snow covered and frozen.

Was this review helpful?

This book was sent to me by Netgalley electronically for review. Written by one of my favorite authors, this is a book of suspense and intrigue. I always wish the language could be avoided...really not needed in this type of book...mystery...murder...that being said, the story is loaded with red herrings...characters who are just not likable...and murders that keep happening...detectives trying to solve the murders...innocent characters trying to help...determining the ending is almost impossible...one person after another dead...family dynamics...friendship...reporters stalking...memories vague...more than one murderer? The count rises...bodies everywhere...the main character keeps finding the bodies...the horror she experiences each time...will it ever end? Enjoy...

Was this review helpful?

I am a fan of Lisa Jackson and really like her writing style and stories. However, The Girl Who Survived was hard for me to get through. The premise was so good, and I like how Lisa Jackson develops her characters and the setting. There were parts of the story that dragged on for me, and I just wanted to get done with reading the book.

I will read more from this author. I just think this book was not my style.

#TheGirlWhoSurvived #NetGalley @KensingtonBooks

Was this review helpful?

I've read and enjoyed other books by Jackson, and while this one was okay, it wasn't my favorite. It starts off solid, but things slow down, and even drag a bit, as the story unfolds. It took me longer to finish this than is normal for me. The characters were solid, but the pacing just fell flat.

Was this review helpful?

That first chapter was really something. It had me holding my breath and on the edge of my seat, figuratively. This author writes well. I like her writing style, the real-sounding dialogue, good suspense with the unexpected bouts of humour, and characters you root for. It did get a big draggy around the middle portions.

Content: some rough language and the expected blood and gore.

Was this review helpful?

20 years after escaping the family annihilator who kills her family at their Oregon cabin, Kara is still enduring the trauma of the night she lost everything. Now, her half-brother Jonas, who was convinced of the murders, has been unexpectedly released from prison and Kara is receiving cryptic messages about her big sister Marie - who hasn’t been seen or heard from since she saved Kara’s life that night. Suddenly, people connected to the murders start dying again, and Kara might not be lucky enough to survive twice.

Wheeeeww - Talk about a premise. I was *all in* when I read the plot of Lisa Jackson’s latest and for about 2/3 of the book itself. The plot is compelling, fast-paced, and suspenseful… Until it isn’t.

I had no clue who the culprit was, which kept me on the hook, and then things started taking a turn for the completely unrealistic. I can only suspend disbelief for so long, and when the truth about the night Kara’s family was murdered comes out, I was kind of angry that author decided to wrap the plot up the way she did. It just doesn’t have the satisfying twist you’d anticipate.

While The Girl Who Survived had the potential to be my favorite Lisa Jackson book, it fell short for me. Ultimately, I can’t give this one my whole-hearted recommendation, but I *do* want to discuss if you decide to read it!

Thank you to Kensington Books for our advance copy!

Was this review helpful?

Kara has been reliving the trauma of seeing her family's bloody bodies. Her sister went missing the same night. Her brother was convicted of the murders but is now free on a technicality. The suspense in this book starts from the beginning. It is a twisted tale of murder and revenge with an ending I wasn’t suspecting. Definitely edge of your seat. Thank you to net galley for an advanced readers copy.

Was this review helpful?

#netgalleyarc I really enjoyed this book. It was suspenseful and a quick read. It had some moments of predictability but overall it had some twists up in the plot and kept me engaged the entire time I read it. It’s not a title I’ll purchase for my HS library but I’ll definitely recommend it to friends looking for a great mystery/thriller to read.

Was this review helpful?

Not my favorite from Lisa Jackson. I've loved reading her books over the years, but this one just didn't do it for me. It started off strong and i got just over the half-way point, before i put it down for a bit. The story-line just seemed to slow and drag out at that point and it took me awhile to finally finish.

Was this review helpful?

This is my first Lisa Jackson book and it did not disappoint. The setting descriptions, character development, and plot twists were all well-done. I would compare her writing to Karin Sluaghter and will definitely be reading more of her books in the future.

Was this review helpful?

Creepy with many twists. Is it her brother or an intelligent psychopath? Jonah is out now. Is he a revenge filled man?
Thank you netgalley and the publisher for this arc

Was this review helpful?