Loved how it was written. The quick chapters made it a breeze to fly through. I didn’t want to put it down; wanting to find out Faye Walker’s next step. Great insight into the world of trading. I loved the NYC setting and the  landmark references. I highly recommend this one! 
Thank You to NetGalley, Harlequin Trade Publishing, and Michael Ledwidge for the opportunity to enjoy this ARC.

This was a fun thriller read! Some parts of the story were hard to follow or not believable, but overall I loved it!

I wanted to like this one because I’ve enjoyed the books he wrote with James Patterson. But this was too busy for me. So many storylines and some just weren’t plausible. It was a lot to take in. Thanks to the publisher and netgalley for this copy for review

Yeah, OK, this was fun—fun enough to send me to Ledwidge’s Gannon series, which turned out to be cookie-cutter action nonsense with zero actual characters. Maybe he’s learning.

I really enjoy this mystery thriller read. It's entertaining and fun.

What I like:
- Faye Walker. Totally admire her, love her guts, she's smart, she's the type that will survive in any situation, root for her success from the get-go.
- The thrill. Love that it keeps me on the edge of my seat. Is this crazy plan will work, is she going to get caught, yup definitely a page-turner for me.
- The action. Again it really got me on the edge on my seat.

What I don't like: It wrapped up too quickly for me and some part just too unbelievable, it's like everything is too easy and it takes a great amount of luckiness to be true, but it doesn't take away all the fun though.

Recommended: Yes, especially if you're looking for a fun thriller read.

This is the second book in the Blackwater Falls series, and while I have not read the first I really liked this one and did not feel I had missed anything (other than a good book). I enjoyed the case as well as the dynamic between the characters, which were very well developed and the pacing was also steady and on point. The case was interesting and I was vested in the characters, and overall really enjoyed this one and will definitely go back and read the first in this series. The audio for this was excellent as well, and I loved reading it via this medium.

Thank you to Minotaur Books and PRH Audio for the copies to review.

The Girl in the Vault by Michael Ledwidge transports readers into the world finance. A world in which deception and betrayal thrive, where hard work doesn't win you any rewards and revenge, is the tool used to rectify it all. This exciting story is about a determined young woman who uses her smarts to claim what she rightfully earned. The Girl in the Vault will keep you turning the pages to the very end.

The story introduces Faye Walker. She works as an intern for Greene Brothers Hale, one of the largest investment firms in New York City. She works hard and looks forward to the day when the firm will hire her full time. Then she learns that someone who barely lifted a finger the entire internship would get the job which she worked hard for.

After learning of the perceived betrayal, Faye hatches a daring plan which would net her a whopping 3 million dollars.  Although everything went smoothly a tragic incident changed the dynamics of the plan. Faye now needs to stay one step ahead of her employers, the law and also an unexpected threat.

Ledwidge portrayal of Faye made her relatable and likeable. Now, although not in agreement with her method, I rooted for her and hoped with all my heart that her plan met with success. It took sometime for me to get into the story, but the moment I did there was no letting go. Action and suspense kept me turning the pages of this fantastical tale. I liked that I never knew what turn the story would take. The many surprises including the one at the end showcased Faye’s brilliance.

I enjoyed the story and look forward to reading more from the author. The Girl in the Vault delivered a thrilling read which fans of pulse pounding thrillers would enjoy.

What a ride!  This novel reads like a John Grisham thriller.  It starts off with a bang and gallops along to a mind-blowing ending.  You've got to read this book!

Faye’s worked hard and things are looking up for her as she’s scored a sought after internship at Greene Brothers Hale, in New York. She’s a whiz with numbers and a shoo-in for a permanent job, when Faye finds out they’re passing her over in favor of a well-connected, rich candidate, one she’s bailed out numerous times. She’s endured a lot from life and this firm and she’s not about to take it laying down. 

She’s got a backup plan that will set her up for life, one that seems to go off without a hitch until deadly consequences has her scrambling, trying to stay one step ahead and come out on top.

Michael Ledwidge bio states that he has co-written some of James Patterson’s most popular books and I understand why.  I really enjoyed The Girl in the Vault! Action packed, with a smart heroine that’s a bit morally gray, but likable, even so. I was rooting for her to come out on top even with some of her shady plans. While some of the story was a little too fantastic to be believable it was still a fun, fast-paced ride!

Michael Ledwidge is co-author of my favorite James Patterson series.....Michael Bennett.  BUT, he also writes some very good thriller stand alones.  THE GIRL IN THE VAULT is just another example of his ability to build characters that will keep readers engrossed long after that .....one more chapter....becomes... I might as well finish it tonight!  

Faye Walker comes from a background that leans more towards meth and a couple of kids by the time you're 21.  But she's good at math....really good.  With a little guidance from a mentor and a lot of determination, she will not spend the rest of her life in the sticks.  Her straight A's all through college have won her an internship at a private investment bank that caters to the rich, really rich.  Her life is going fine and then she finds that she's not going to be offered a job at the bank, just because she's not a Dartmouth grad, nor is she sleeping with the boss.  So Faye gets herself a plan.  That's about all I can say without giving away the plot, but it's REALLY good.  An easy 5 star read for me.

There's not a lot of thriller set in the world of finance which are exciting and well plotted liked this one. It kept me on the edge and it was an exciting read.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

Faye is an intern at a private bank in NYC. She really needs to get the job offered to interns to get out of the rut her life is in. But, she soon finds out that the job is not going to be hers. It is going to the mistress of the president of the bank. So, Faye develops a scheme to steal the bank of quite a bit of its funds!

Well, well, well…little miss Faye is a piece of work! This book is not exactly what I expected it to be. It is so much more! Talk about smart, intense and a bit energetic in places. And Faye! Boy! She does not let grass grow under her feet. She takes it all to the next level. Talk about a planner and an intelligent one at that!

Need a financial thriller…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today.

I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.

Faye Walker worked hard and has earned an internship at Green Brothers Hale, a prestigious Wall Street investment firm.  The firm hires two of the interns at the end of the summer.  Faye knows she has a lock on this, she is smarter than the others. She has met her true love, an Irish cab driver wanting to become a first responder she is ready to start her life.  Unfortunately, the position goes to someone else.  And so, Faye begins to plot her revenge.  

Faye hatches a plot to steal the firm's 10 millon dollars that is kept in their vault in case of kidnapping and ransom is demanded.  Faye gets a client's son, Gareth, to help her fake a kidnapping.  She is sure that the plan is going to work, except Gareth turns up dead.  Who knew about the plan other than those who should have?  Is Faye next?

This is a fast paced story.  Yes, some of the things may seem unbelievable but this is fiction.  Faye is a strong character, well developed.  The author has added some romance, and a side story about her  boyfriend trying to get a green card.  If you want a fun escapist read on a rainy afternoon, this is it - romance, a heist, and suspense.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher, Harlequin Trade Publishing, for an ARC.  The review is my own.

I first discovered this author when I read Beach Wedding last year, and I've been meaning to try more of his work ever since. Add the fact that I LOVE a good heist plot, and there was no way that I was going to be able to resist adding The Girl In The Vault to my wishlist straight away. And I'm happy to announce that this stand-alone thriller turned out everything I hoped it would be and more, and I loved every single minute of the ride! If you like your stories on the action-packed and thrilling side, you will be in for a treat with this one.

The Girl In The Vault is set in New York, and the many descriptions really made the city come alive for me. It was also the perfect backdrop for the plot, with the main character working in the prestigious bank and using the bustling city to plan the perfect heist and escape plan. While the heist part did take some time to appear, I personally didn't mind after that teaser first chapter. I liked how the scene was properly set, showing us the motivation behind main character Faye Walker's decision to plan what she did... And trust me, it is somehow extremely easy to agree with that motivation and root for her along the way.

The plot of The Girl In The Vault is part psychological thriller and part action thriller with a little romance thrown in on the side. The beginning might read a tad slower, but as soon as Faye starts introducing us to her plan the pace picks up enormously. Especially the second half is high octane and what you can call a real pageturner: I literally couldn't stop reading once the heist plan was put into action! Things can be said about the credibility of certain aspects of the plot, but I personally didn't mind as I was too busy having fun.

As with most mainly action-focused thrillers, the development of the characters themselves is more limited. Faye herself is probably the most developed as we see the most of her, and it was very easy to warm up to her and root for her while she works on her plan. The rest of the cast might not be as thoroughly developed, but the basics were there and it was enough to satisfy me even though there were cliches involved. There is also something about the writing style itself that is somehow strangely addictive and extremely readable, and I was able to finish this story in record time.

If you can appreciate a good heist plot and like your thrillers on the fast-paced, action-packed and exhilarating side, I can definitely recommend The Girl In The Vault. Make sure to brace yourself for a wild ride!

Faye Walker has a coveted internship on Wall Street, the love of her life, and a ridiculous work ethic. She expects to work for Greene Brothers Hale, but a betrayal shatters her plans. Faye isn’t willing to leave New York City for her small town. Instead, careful timing and nerves of steel should net her ten million dollars in Wall Street cash.

Aside from the stinger of a prologue to catch our interest, we're thrust into Faye's world where she catches mistakes for other interns, makes plans and contingency plans, expects to help her sister also leave Kentucky, and hopes to make it big. The betrayal comes early, and the full-time position she thought she earned by crunching numbers and orders like a machine, skipping meals, and covering for others, was taken by those she covered for. As she says, "It's a class ceiling. For everyone." Without the paid job, all of her plans and dreams go up in smoke, and it would be going back to the trailer park in Kentucky. The theft is meant to be her severance package and is essentially a vault heist using money for special accounts that she had handled and remembers the account numbers for.

As much as Faye tries to plan ahead or get by on her Southern charm, of course, there are things she can't predict that send it all sideways. Enough of the steps had gone through without a hitch, and once it goes bad, it goes bad.  That makes it even more intense and thrilling to read, and it's a roller coaster ride until the very end. It's a great story, sure to keep you up at night.

The Girl in the Vault is a fast-paced thriller.  There are plenty of twist and turns throughout the book.  I have enjoyed the books that Michael Ledwidge co-wrote with James Patterson and was anxious to read this book that he wrote solo.  I thoroughly enjoyed.

3.5 stars, actually.

My feelings about this book are very mixed, I'm afraid. Oh, not that it wasn't engrossing; in fact, I stayed up 45 minutes past my bedtime because I didn't want to wait till morning to see how it turned out. It's just that the plot seemed so contrived that at some points it was borderline silly - and having read other of this talented author's books, it was a bit of a disappointment overall. 

Faye Walker, a dirt poor gal from the South, has "made it" to New York City as a summer intern at a Wall Street bank. She's just one of several interns - all unpaid - who are vying for a couple of full-time slots come fall. Her math-inclined brain and near eidetic memory is serving her well, and her chances of making the final cut are excellent. Needless to say, she has very little free time, but she's managed to find the love of her life - an immigrant who's anxiously awaiting his Green Card and driving a carriage around Central Park.

But as the internship nears the end, Faye makes a discovery that convinces her the deck is stacked against her; no matter how hard she's worked, she won't be picked. That, in turn, not only infuriates her, but makes her want to get even. She hatches a devious plan, finds a willing cohort who also has an axe to grind and sets out to get not only vengeance, but several million bucks.

To say her plan is complex would be an understatement; at a few points along the way, the details got lost on me and I just tried to ride it out till the goings on turned back to reasonably coherent (I mean, I've been to New York City and ridden the subway, but the concept of counting support posts and dodging third rails kind of left me scratching my head). Still other details of the plan made sense, but it was hard to believe that even a person as smart as Faye could ever have anticipated every possible glitch and pulled off a caper of this magnitude. The ending wrapped things up with a few twists, but of course I'm not about to offer any hints. All told, it was an enjoyable ride (really!!) even if it fell a little short of my expectations and defied credibility. I thank the publisher, via NetGalley, for allowing me to read and review a pre-release copy.

Thank you to #NetGalley, Harlequin Trade Publications and Michael Ledwidge for the opportunity to read an advance copy of The Girl in the Vault, to be published 7 Nov 2023. 4/5 Stars for this suspenseful novel with great detail! Faye was an intern from Kentucky, living in New York City for her summer job that she hoped would become permanent. It entailed high finance and Faye was trying to earn a living in the Big Apple one way or another. She had a Plan and when Plan A didn’t work, she moved to Plan B and ultimately Plan C. She was extremely resourceful and didn’t give up or give in. Great read. #NetGalley. #HarlequinTradePublications #MichaelLedwidge #TheGirlintheVault

Whew!

This book was definitely fast paced, and the plot was full of twists and turns.  Unfortunately, for me the story was so convoluted that it was unbelievable and that really took away from my enjoyment.  The author has great knowledge of New York City, the train system and the roadways, but in the current climate I find it difficult to believe that someone could have gotten around the area undetected.  I can’t give specifics because it would ruin the experience for others.  To believe that an intern from Kentucky with no training was able to formulate the plan and execute was just beyond belief for me.

Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book, but my opinions are my own.

Faye Walker is a summer intern at Greene Brothers Hale, a private investment bank for the very wealthy where new hires are usually only Ivy League graduates and other waspy types. But Faye is different. She’s come a long way from Gramma and her boyfriends and the single wide in Kentucky. She’s a math genius, able to make complicated sums in her head and remember long strings of numbers. She should be a shoo-in for a permanent position and the much needed salary and bonuses that will follow. So when she discovers that she’s not getting a job offer (hint: it has nothing to do with skills in the workplace), she invents the perfect revenge plot. If it works…Greene Brothers Hale will know what they missed when they didn’t hire Faye Walker.

The Girl in the Vault is a fast-paced read that will leave you breathless. Michael Ledwidge is a talented writer who knows how to build suspense. The plot is realistic but deliciously complicated. Don’t miss this one! 5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley, Harlequin Trade Publishing and Michael Ledwidge for this ARC.