I really wanted to like this book, but it is too long. There are parts that are amazing, but there are even more parts that are just filler. At 463 pages there is a lot of filler that take away from the story. If those parts were omitted, this would be an amazing story.

The Girl in the River is the 7th gripping installment in the Detective Ellie Reeves series. I have not read the previous books in the series, but besides missing out on some personal character growth and relationships, I had no problem enjoying this crime thriller/police procedural. Ellie is very excited to be attending her friend Mia's wedding. Although her date was unable to attend, she was still very happy for her new friend. Everyone is waiting patiently for the bride to appear, but as time goes on and no Mia, Tori or Pixie, Ellie starts to worry. Has Mia got cold feet? Heading back to the bride's room, Mia finds the room in disarray and Mia's 4 year old daughter Pixie, in tears, locked in the bathroom. Both Mia and her Maid of Honor, Tori are missing. A quick search of the grounds finds Mia's veil and a body in the river. As information comes forward and secrets are revealed, it turns out Mia is not who everyone thought she was. In fact, she disappeared 5 years earlier shortly after her wedding.

I really love thrillers that are made up of short, action packed chapters. It made the book move quickly and kept me on the edge of my seat. The more the investigation reveals, the more complicated the case becomes as well as more danger and injuries to others. There is a race against the clock to figure out who is responsible and why before anyone else ends up dead. As the reader learns about Mia's background, it becomes apparent what might be going in, but Ellie needs to solve the puzzle in order to find Mia and keep her safe. I really liked Ellie's character. She is smart, perseverant, and able to put the clues together like a puzzle. She is no pushover and takes over this case without hesitation. It is easy to see why the other officers respond to her and to see that she has their respect. There were several twists in this story and I was left puzzling out the cast right along with Ellie. There is also information about personal lives that makes the characters real to the reader. Not having read the previous books, there is apparently a love triangle that is coming to an end, which is fine with me as I dislike them. With more than one storyline, Rita Herron does a great job of tying things together and bringing this story to a very satisfying conclusion. If you enjoy a fast paced, twisty, gripping crime thriller, then I recommend The Girl in the River. If you prefer to read your series in order (which I normally do) then pick up The Silent Dolls, the first book in The Detective Ellie Reeves series.

The Girl in the River by Rita Herron is the seventh book in the brilliant Detective Ellie Reeves series. This has been a series that has been a 5 star read and it has everything with Twists and turns throughout. With a great story line for every book Rita has written, its fast paced and a brilliant page turner. Detective Ellie Reeves is Just a fantastic character. I have loved this series and all the characters.

I highly recommend this series. They do not disappoint x

Weddings have always been days to remember, haven't they?

And not infrequently it happens that the bride simply disappears. Some brides change their minds, others panic, while some disappear without a trace...

And so our detective Elie is again on the quest. This time she is looking for her friend Mia who suddenly disappeared from her own wedding. The tracks lead to the river where they find a lifeless body...

And here they begin to unravel the tangle of lies and distorted truths that brings more questions than answers...

Sounds interesting, right?
Then you know what you need to do. Pick up this book and join detective Ellie in her investigation. You'll enjoy every single moment, for sure.

An enthralling read that's so full of twists
Any crime thriller reader this is one not to be missed
A case full of danger, secrets, betrayal and lies,
In which so many innocent people die.

A wedding where the bride and bridesmaid both disappear,
Her child locked in a bathroom, nothing is clear.
Where did they go - and why?
A stranger came and took them - will the die?

This keeps you turning the pages right to the end
Wondering how Ellie can rescue her friend.
Can she find her in time and begin to uncover
What's going on and the truth to discover.

With great characters and such a devious plot
I suspect other crime thriller readers will like it a lot.
So if this is a genre that appeals to you
I highly recommend you read it too!

For my complementary copy of this book, I say thank you,
What a complex, fascinating read and this is my honest review.

The Girl in the River is the seventh book in the Detective Ellie Reeves series. Ellie is attending the wedding of Mia. As the wedding is about to start, Mia is missing along with her bridesmaid, Tori. The room where they were getting ready looks like a struggle happened. Pixie, Mia's daughter, is found in a bathroom crying. It looks like they were kidnapped, until Tori is found murdered. Ellie and her team begin the investigation of the murder and missing Mia. As details are uncovered Ellie discovers that Mia has been living under another name and has many secrets she has not shared with her friends or fiance.

I really enjoy this series; the characters are very likeable and written so we care about what happens to them. I have read several books in the series and look forward to reading them all. Each of these books are stand-alone but a continuing saga. This one has a small cliffhanger, since I am already invested in the series it is not as annoying as other cliff hangers end in one book and pick up where the other left off in the next. This one alludes to something in the future.

I encourage you to read the whole series since all of the books in the series are worth reading.

Thank you to both Bookouture and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review The Girl in the River.

2.5 Stars, rounded up.

Facing the most complex case of her career, Ellie is in a race against time. Can she uncover the truth before her friend is brutally killed? And when the murderer comes after innocent little Pixie, will Ellie save her from the clutches of death?

Boy am I an outlier!! I see that most readers have absolutely loved The Girl in the River. Unfortunately, I struggled with many parts that I considered to be unrealistic. In addition, I felt the book had a bit too much young adult angst.

It's true what they say: You can't please everyone all the time. Be sure to read ALL the reviews, because this series has a huge following. It's just not for me.

Love this author and adore this gripping series. And this book is just wow! Addictive and gripping, a really unputdownable, thoroughly entertaining page turner. Really loved this one.

An outstanding and puzzling mystery for Detective Ellie Reeves. Ellie is attending the wedding of her friend, Mia Norman. Waiting at the altar is the groom, but as he waits, Mia and her bridesmaid appear to be missing. Ellie and her date, Special Agent Derrick Fox, begin to search and find Mia’s four-year-old daughter alone in the room. When a body is found in the nearby river, is it Mia or her bridesmaid? When it appears that Mia has been taken from the resort, who has taken her and why? The investigation will lead them to a missing woman from Red River Rock, but how is her case related to Mia’s? Had Mia changed her name and fled to Crooked Creek years ago? As Ellie and her team question the residents of Red River Rock, they realize that the people are afraid to talk as the town appears to be entirely under the control of one family. What secrets are being covered up by fear of reprisal or even death? Ellie won’t give up until she finds Mia and reunites her with her daughter. I received an advance review copy at no cost and without obligation for an honest review. (paytonpuppy)

Thank you to Bookoture for letting me take part in this tour and for my copy of this book via Netgalley. This is the seventh book in this series but they can all be read as standalones.

Rita has written another intense and action-packed crime thriller. I love the short chapters they really help to keep the fast pace of the book flowing. I found myself flicking page after page, chapter after chapter. I just couldn't put it down.

This story had layer upon layer. The more Ellie dug into Mia's life the stranger it became. The town of Red Rock was a tight-lipped community indeed. Then you throw in a little girl who just wants her mother back and you have quite the case for Ellie Reeves to solve.

Rita really did an excellent job of keeping me in suspense. From the very first page, I was on the edge of my seat, tense and desperate to fund out what happened to Mia.

Another fantastic addition to this series, don't delay grab your copy today!

Book 7 I wasn't sure what to expect since Ellie Reeve has been to hell and back in the first 6 novels. I have enjoyed Rita Herron Detective Ellie Reeves series if you have read one you know that at times you need to suspend your belief in the world the author has created.

The story moved quickly with bodies piling up, missing bride and a best friend who will stop at nothing to find the bride. The characters are finding their pathway in the story and of course the two men in Ellie life one trying to find a place in her heart and the other hiding away his feelings.

I want to make it clear that I would highly recommend you read the Ellie Reeves series in a row. It will help understand the world that Rita Herron created. I know it is scary finding a new series this one thankfully can sometimes be found on kindle unlimited. If you come across Rita Herron books on kindle unlimited grab a copy you won't regret.

Thank you to Netgalley for advance copy of Rita Herron The Girl in the River.

4 1\2 stars

This is a very good addition to the Ellie Reeves series. There is a steady pace throughout with good character development and clever plotting. Ellie is attending the wedding of her friend Mia, when Mia disappears and the bridesmaid is found murdered. Some parts were a bit unbelievable but overall I enjoyed the read and would recommend it. Thanks to Net Galley for my ARC.

A deliciously intense and addictive thriller that took my breath away ! I loved this book and highly recommend ! Thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture got the opportunity to read and review this book ! Opinions are solely my own !
#Netgalley #Bookouture #TheGirlInTheRiver

Detective Ellie Reeves is back again and finds herself embroiled in even more danger and an impossible situation when a friend goes missing at her wedding and another is hurt. Its a deadly race against time and she will have to watch er back more than ever because some does not like er poking around their business. A town full of people with secrets. A missing women who is not at all who she seems to be, a child caught in the middle of it all and the two men that love Ellie. Will Ellie succeed as she always does? Or will this foe proved to be her downfall?

Detective Ellie Reeves is about to watch her friend Mia get married. Ellie is really happy for Mia and also Mia’s young daughter Pixie. Shockingly, Mia suddenly disappears, as does one of her bridesmaids, Tori. Everyone is in a panic, and Ellie is determined to discover what happened. When a body is soon discovered near the river, Ellie’s blood runs cold. It is Tori. But then, where is Mia?

Ellie is on the case with a bunch of immediate questions. What happened, why was Tori killed, and where is Mia? Furthermore, as Ellie starts to investigate, she learns that Pixie heard the voice of a man just before her mother went missing. As the case begins to unfold, Ellie discovers somethings shocking. Mia was actually an assumed name because she was Jesse, who has been missing for five years. Why did Mia change her name? What happened five years ago and how does it tie into Mia’s disappearance now?

This story quickly turns into one of secrets and conspiracies. In order to discover what happened to Mia, Ellie must uncover the past and as she is doing this, the reader of this compelling story is given privy to what was going on with Mia before she disappeared back then and why she actually changed her name. Time might be running out for Mia, and Ellie must connect the past with the present if she has any hopes of finding Mia alive.

While this mystery slowly unravels, there is a side story that ties into Ellie, Ranger Cord and FBI agent Derrick. While this is a very intriguing crime thriller, that side story about Ellie‘s relationships with both men and her future remained a curiosity for me. Could this apparent love triangle be coming to its end? Then we cannot forget about little Pixie and how she is faring with her mother being missing especially when the past begins to clash with the present.

What another compelling read by Rita Herron! This story hit the ground running and never once lost traction. Although there was more than one story being told, everything continued to tie together but still left me in great suspense as to what was going on with Mia, her past and why she disappeared previously. For a truly remarkable book, you can’t go wrong The Girl in the River as well as the previous titles in the series.

Many thanks to Bookouture and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.

Please enjoy my YouTube video review - https://youtu.be/f-p82dDRMHg

Detective Ellie Reeves is dressed up and ready to have fun at a new friend Mia’s wedding with Special Agent Derrick Fox. Derrick is unable to join her as he is called to reading of his friend Rick’s will. Ellie heads out but the bride is more then fashionable late, as a matter a fact she is missing. Ellie and her team are racing against time, and a neighboring town is not what it seems.
Another great installment in the Detective Ellie Reeves series.

I received this ARC from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I was absolutely over the moon to be approved to read and review this book as the Detective Ellie Reeves series is one of my most favourite Detectives and I just love this series and I couldn’t wait to get back to Crooked Creek.

The prologue is just a little teaser of what’s to come in this thrilling ride of a book!.

Ellie is happy to be at her new friends Mia’s wedding even though her date Derrik had to cancel last minute, when the bride and bridesmaid go missing Ellie will do whatever it takes to find them.

This one really had me guessing!

The writers talent to keep you so enthralled in book 7 is immense, the ominous short chapters from the unknown perpetrators and victims i especially enjoyed as they added even more mystery and depth to the story.

I loved as always the push and pull between, Ellie/Derrick and Cord and felt sorry for Lola she deserves a happy ending too!.

All in all this is another fantastic instalment in the Detective Ellie Reeves story that I absolutely loved.

Yikes! This story just had so much going on. More then a few times I had to stop and think about where it could be going.
What a complex case for Detective Ellie Reeves to investigate. How will she handle the investigation into the disappearance of her best friend Mia? What is going on in her small town of Red River Rock? Who can she trust?
The Girl in the River is so full of secrets and lies its hard to see if the truth will ever come out.
Get ready for major suspense in this latest installment in the Detective Ellie Reeves series.
Many thanks to NetGalley, Bookouture and the author for the opportunity to read this book for my honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

I love when there are multiple storylines going on at the same time and you are left wondering if they will all converge at the end or if there are multiple crimes. This is the third book I've read in this series, and I am in love with the different characters - especially as I get to know them better. There are some twists and turns along with the way as Detective Ellie Reeves try to solve the case of why a bride went missing right before her wedding. Especially since she left her daughter behind. No one can question Ellie's resolve to solve a crime, and at time this gets her in trouble. And the little tease at the end has me wondering what will happen in her personal life in the next story.

The Girl in the River gives us another enthralling case full of mystery, intrigue and wrongdoings that Detective Ellie Reeves adopts as her latest mission.

Leaving no stone unturned, Ellie is determined to solve this awful crime but little does she know just how complex this particular case will turn out to be.

If you're like me and like to read to the end of a chapter, this novel will definitely suit you. Filled to the brim of short, impactful chapters The Girl in the River will prove to be a truly compelling read.

You'll be kept guessing all the way through as more and more incidents are added to the bigger picture, making the reader wonder if they can possibly be related!

Fear not, by the time you reach the end you'll see everything tied up in the shiniest handcuffs as the guilty parties pay the price for their crimes.

Despite being the 7th book in this particular series it can be read and enjoyed as a standalone easily.

A must read for crime thriller readers.