The first in a new detective series, this novel is bold introduction to Detective Lexi Bennett and lays the groundwork for many more stories to come.
Lexi, arriving back in her home town after training in the FBI for years, is brutally confronted with her violent past when a set of triplets are kidnapped in an act eerily similar to her own dark history, when she and her sisters went through the same trauma.
Lexi is a well-written, intriguing protagonist with many demons in her past and the author has left plenty of breadcrumbs to indicate future storylines.
Great for fans of Karen Slaughter

The Girls on Chalk Hill is the first book in a chilling, shocking, and gripping new series. I had a hard time putting this one down as I wanted to know what happened and the identity of the killer.

They were lying on a hillside, tiaras in their hair, clutching roses. They have been killed and their sister is missing. When Detective Lexi Bennett arrives at the scene the past begins to creep up on her, especially when she learns that the sisters were triplets, and one is missing. Lexi was a triplet and she and her sisters were abducted when they were teenagers. Her sister Rose did not survive.
Lexi is determined to catch the killer.


The tension, danger, and sense of unease mounts in this hard to put down mystery. I enjoyed Lexi's character. She has a sad past but is determined to move on even if this case does hit a little close to home. She is determined, strong and not willing to back down. She is up against a killer who is not only taunting her but obsessed with her. The book is mostly based on Lexi's POV, but readers do get some of the killer's POV as well. This makes for some interesting reading.


Gripping, well written and hard to put down!

A new detective is in town and she runs straight into her first case, literally........whilst practicing for a triathlon DI Lexi Bennett finds 2 bodies at the top of chalk hill. Dressed in princess dresses, the bodies of twin sisters have been posed with roses. Right from the start, this case is going to cause torment for Lexi has it has reminders of what personal tragedy befell her and her sisters 17 years previously. Drawing on her personal and work experiences she has to get into the head of the criminal whilst not allowing judgement to get in the way in order to bring justice.
In this case i found Lexi very tenacious but empathetic, after all she knew what the sisters had gone through. The novel was action packed so as readers we don't really get an indication of the other members of the team, Tom, Ridhi and Colin but I hope as the series continues we will learn more about them too.
I really enjoyed the book and look forward to reading more
Many thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for the opportunity to read this advanced copy, my opinions are my own and I am under no obligation to leave my review

Lexi Bennett is training for a triathlon and is running on the North Downs in Kent when she comes across two dead girls. They look like twins and are dressed as Princesses with red roses in their hands. What a way to start a new job! And it just gets worse from there on in. What is Lexi’s mind hiding from her?

Loved it. Well written and exciting.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher I read a free advance review copy of the book. This review is voluntary, honest and my own opinion.

Great start to a new series , as well as a new to me author , one of the things I loved about this story was the aspect of how triplets played a part in the story as well as the case it self .

Alison Belsham wrote the Tattoo Thief series, which I loved, so I was really looking forward to this new series.
A strong willed but damaged female due to a past trauma is how to describe the main protagonist, Detective Lexi Bennett.
Newly returned home from a stint in the FBI, Lexi brings her own unique story to the series which happens to be connected to the her first murder case in her new job.
A mixed team of characters make up her serious crimes unit and we have the makings of another excellent series.
The storyline in this first book is very close to Lexi’s heart. Without giving spoilers, the two bodies of sisters are found staged on a known tourism site and this leads to a complex but fast paced thriller.
I really enjoyed this book and look forward to read book two!

I would like to thank Netgalley and Bookouture for an advance copy of The Girls on Chalk Hill, the first novel to feature DI Lexi Bennett of Kent Police.

On her first day back In Canterbury after a four year secondment to the FBI Lexi discovers the bodies of two teenagers posed on a hillside. They have had their throats cut and are obviously twins. To her horror she quickly discovers that Eden and Lucy Carter are triplets and their sister Paige is still missing. Seventeen years ago Lexi and her triplet sisters were also abducted and while she and Amber escaped, Rose was never found.

I like a police procedural, but unfortunately The Girls on Chalk Hill was not a good fit for my taste. I found the way Lexi was allowed to continue with the case when it was so similar to her own experience and especially when she is convinced there is a link totally unrealistic and unbelievable. It coloured my attitude to the novel and I found it hard to summon up much enthusiasm for the read.

The novel is mostly told from Lexi’s point of view with switches to the unnamed killer at several junctures. For most of the novel his contributions serve to undermine how far off base Lexi is with her investigation. To be frank I think that the over sharing on his part does the novel no favours. It emphasises for much of the novel how the investigation is flailing for purchase. There are few viable suspects and no serious profile, although it is supposed to be Lexi’s speciality. As a result there are few reveals or developments for much of the novel.

I can’t even say that I took to Lexi. She’s prickly and abrasive and her decision making is suspect. Obviously much of this is due to the emotions involved, but it’s her obstinacy in pursuing the case that makes it so.

The Girls on Chalk Hill is not for me, but it is well written and I think it will appeal to those readers who like a more psychological approach.

Alison Belsham is brilliant!!!!! How can any written review do this book justice? I don’t think words can state how brilliant this book is.

Readers, Belsham is back and taking us on a journey to the dark side with this one. I do love a good trip to the dark side and Lexi has instantly been a character I’ve liked. As she’s about to start a new role, she comes across two bodies whilst on a run (I’m using this as a reason for running being bad for you).

The victims are identified and it becomes clear that they are two of triplets. Lexi is also keeping her experiences of being kidnapped seventeen years ago quiet. However, she has to confront her demons in order to save a life.

This is everything I’d hoped it would be. Belsham has really pulled me in and kept me captive from the very first page. I have been so into this plot and crimes, I’ve desperately tried to figure out where this was going. I have definitely been unsuccessful.

I have loved delving into Lexi’s past, her experiences on occasions blur her insights into the case. However, we see her quickly correct herself.

I have loved the team Lexi works alongside in this one. Each character adds their own dimension to this one. I have been completely hooked and enjoyed getting to know each of them.

This is a dark crime, kidnap, murder and in some areas mental torture. Can Lexi stop the “triplet murderer” before they strike again?

I’ve read many books by this author and this has instantly shot to the top of my favourites list. I have loved everything about this one. This is a must for the TBR.

This book hooked me from the start and had me hooked until the end. I loved that it followed the detective but had little chapters from the killers perspective. Made me think a little bit more and kept me wondering what would happen next. I was unsure who the killer was until the end! Great read!

Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture for the copy of The Girls on Chalk Hill by Alison Belsham. There was so much detail about the search for the killer, I didn’t get to really know any of the characters. Maybe we will learn more in future books, but I would have liked a little more insight this time. The chapters from the killer’s POV were creepy and the most interesting part. If you love police procedurals you will love this book. I would have liked more character development and relationships.

This is the first in the Detective Lexi Bennett series, I do love getting stuck into a good book series. Great storyline that had me hooked from the start. Dual storyline of Lexi dealing with her own past demons while trying to solve her current case. The storyline is told from both Lexi’s and the perpetrator’s point of view and it was great to get both sides. I really liked the characters for different reasons and their relationships with each other. Really well developed plot that had the mystery factor going for it. Great pace to begin with but slowed off in the middle and got going again for the last 1/4. I look forward to the next instalment. It’s never a bad thing to find a new book series.

Thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for the opportunity to read #TheGirlsOnChalkHill

A new detective series and a very good start with Lexi Bennett emerging as a strong character. It's a good mystery with a nice writing style, sometimes told from the killer's point of view. I never guessed who it was and the pace was intense until the end. A promising series which I would recommend. Thanks to Net Galley for my ARC.

This is a fab British crime series that I really enjoyed getting stuck in to. Lexi is a great character and I look forward to getting to know her and her sister more. We don't learn much about her team so I hope we get to know more about them in future books. You do have to suspend belief that Lexi gets to run the case when it is obviously linked to her and her abductor that was never caught. I also hate when lead detectives risk everything by going off on their own. Apart from that though it was an enjoyable read. It kept me guessing and the tension really amps up towards the end. I look forward to more of this series.

I received a copy of this ebook via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

This beginning of a new police procedural series by Alison Belshem is really quite good. And, as you heard, it has a great premise if you can get past a little bit of suspension of disbelief on the whole “triplet“ thing,

There is a little bit of a leap that you have to take to believe that something like this could happen from a purely statistics related point of you but, once you do that, you’re in for a really fun ride.

This book is not overly gory or violent and so I would see if there is a micro micro genre called gentle serial killer books, then this book fits into that. Yes, there’s a serial killer and yes bad things happen to good people, but they don’t necessarily happen on the page.

But don’t mistake that for this book not being interesting. It’s well paste the entire way through with the short chapters that you would expect. Also, the lead character of DI Lexi Bennett is really well done. She’s competent and smart, but you also know her on the other side as a victim who is trying to work out her feelings of fear and anger for what she was put through. The author does a good job of walking that line.

This is a book that took me less than three hours to finish and I would definitely say if you’ve been hankering for. A well done serial killer police procedural, but you haven’t wanted to go as deep and dark as say, Hannibal Lecter, then this book might be a really good one for your summer reading.

I was so happy to finally read this book and boy what a book it is,I was hooked from start to finish Lexi is such a determined Detective never giving up even on her first case as the new boss of the murder team.5*

Two of a set of triplets are found with their necks slit posed in princess gowns on a path in a public park. The third triplet is missing. The bodies are found by DI Lexi Bennett, herself one of triplets. Seventeen years ago she and her sisters were kidnapped and one of them did not make it out alive. Are these new kidnappings by the same man or are they copycat killings?

An enjoyable new British police procedural series. DI Bennett is a likeable character with a full range of emotions. We learn a lot about her present situation and her past. The supporting characters not so much is known about them. Hopefully, this will come in future volumes. The case is interesting and the pace steadily moves forward. The ending could have been more intense but overall the beginning of an interesting new series. I'll be reading the next volume soon.

What we have here is a serial killer on the loose who has remained silent and at large for seventeen years! Up until now…

Detective Lexie Bennet is assigned the case. But first, Lexie starts her
day at work by going for a morning run. As she comes up on Chalk Hill, she finds the bodies of two teenage girls, dressed up as princesses, with their throats slit. It’s her first day on this job and not how she planned to introduce herself to her new team.

The victims are identified as Lucy and Eden. Lexie learns that the girls are triplets and the other sister, Paige, is still missing. Instant panic arises within Lexie who is also a triplet. This fact forces memories of her past to resurface. Seventeen years ago she, along with her two sisters were also abducted. Lexie and Amber managed to escape, but Rose did get away with them. Rose, nor her body has ever been found.

You can see why this case is a little too close for comfort, nevertheless, Lexie jumps straight into the case with the professionalism she displays as with any other case. It’s a race against time to find missing sister, Paige alive. After seventeen years, she doubts whether her case is connected to the one she is investigating, until she returns home to find her back door open and Rose’s diary left on her kitchen table. Now Lexie wonders if the killer may be the same one who abducted her. She never saw his face but would surely recognise that voice.

In this intense thriller, the author sets the pace perfectly from chapter one until the closing word. This novel has a sense of reality as if watching it unfold in the daily news.
Lexie’s growing paranoia is vivid as she closes in and the suspense intensifies and makes you desperate for answers.

I highly recommend this novel. Expect to be completely absorbed and terrified by the killer’s voice written in italic font.
The Girls on Chalk Hill is the first instillment in a new detective series and what a great way to start. Want to continue Lexie’s journey? Get a copy of book 2, The Girl’s Last Cry, due out July 11, 2023

The Girls On Chalk Hill by Alison Belsham is the first in the DI Lexi Bennett series. On her first case she has to confront some trauma from her past and find a serial killer before it’s too late. It had a good storyline but I felt that it needed more interaction with the characters lives and found I couldn’t really connect with them and it was a little hard for me to get through. Overall is was still a good read just not one of my favorites. Thanks NetGalley and Bookouture for the chance to read and give my honest review.

The first in a new crime series by Alison Belsham featuring D I Lexi Bennett. Lexi is about to start her first day as head of the major incident team in Canterbury when she discovers the bodies of two teenage girls. As the story unfolds, it becomes obvious that the killings are linked to the, so called, Triplet Murders, in which Lexi's sister was murdered. Lexi has to battle against time and her own suppressed memories to try to find the killer.
An exciting read. At first I found the writing style rather heavy and clunky, but it did improve. The story seemed to get rather bogged down in the middle and the pace fell away, thankfully speeding up in the last quarter of the book.
The character of Lexi felt a bit remote and flat and the supporting characters weren't really developed in this book. My credulity was challenged with Lexi's personal links to the case, which should have barred her from involvement in the investigation. Instead she is given full rein to lead, even when it is apparent that she is becoming too emotionally involved.
Overall this was an enjoyable read. I notice that the second book also has a personal element to it. Hopefully this is kept within the realms of credulity. I look forward to reading it.

The Girls on Chalk Hill (Detective Lexi Bennett Book 1) by Alison Belsham is an excellent story. The story follows Detective Lexi Bennett as she confronts her past to solve a current case. The book is indeed a gripping serial killer thriller.

A quote from the book is that the Triplet Killer had stolen such simple pleasures away from Lexi and her family. This is a powerful sentiment that when a loved one is gone (murdered), those simple things taken for granted will never be experienced again (a meal, a smile, a laugh, the firsts of things to do together).

The Girls on Chalk Hill was rewarding to read. The story had drama, a compelling backstory, believable characters, and many twists to keep me turning the pages. Lexi has a traumatic history, and she displays empathy for the victims of crime as she knows what they are going through and how they possibly feel.

The culprit was plausible, and I never guessed who it would be. The Girls on Chalk Hill is a compelling story with great characters to get to know. I am looking forward to reading more in this series and by this author. A 5 out of 5 stars for me.

#TheGirlsonChalkHill #NetGalley @bookouture