Three Drowned Girls- the debut novel in the Detective Freya Sinclair series by Emily Shiner is an absolute page-turner!

From the prologue I was hooked and struggled to set this read down. Shiner writes with a type of smoothness that keeps the pages flying. Her development of Freya throughout the book has me looking forward to what’s to come. I am eager to learn more about her past, but also excited to see how she approaches settling back into her old town and department in future books.

The title hides nothing- we are dealing with child abuse, trauma, and neglect. However Emily does a phenomenal job of keeping us on our toes and making the reader feel as though they are working to solve the case right alongside Freya and her team.

Speaking of her team; the dynamic between Freya and the Chief, as well as Freya and her team is incredible believable. The tensions to the camaraderie… it feels genuine. Given Freya’s history, I appreciated the honest and at times awkward moments expressed between the group.

There were a couple of moments outside of the team, but more in the way they operated that I questioned. Moments or decisions felt as though they were required for the story to move along, but wouldn’t have been believable or practical outside of the book- which didn’t align as well with the authenticity of the rest of the story.

The ending moves at lightning speed and while the pacing was appreciated throughout the who-done-it; I wouldn’t have minded slowing down the closure of some story points to have a more complete ending to those plot lines.

Overall it was dark, enigmatic, gripping, and I’ll be looking forward to see what Freya is in for next.

Thank you NetGalley and Emily Shiner for the ARC and opportunity to provide my honest review!

Emily is one of my favorite authors, and I always look forward to reading her books! This one was a little different from her typical stories. It's the first in a new series about a detective, and I really enjoyed it! I'm really excited to read more in this series. The storyline hooked me at the beginning, and I couldn't wait to find out how it all ended. I would recommend, along with anything else written by Emily!

This story is a textbook example of how someone with a lot of charisma can convince you of everything. They can even make you forget all the common sense you have and they can talk you around no matter how crazy and disturbed the idea might be.

And that of course must lead to tragedies...

Detective Freya Sinclair has only been back in her hometown for five minutes when this case lands on her plate. There is one person straight on her radar, but does it not seem a bit to easy? 

She starts digging deeper, together with her small team, and what they discover is beyond believe...

I love it when a detective has a tragedy in their background. At the moment we don't know everything that has happened in her past, but it's heavy without a doubt. As soon as I can, I will pick up the next book in this new series because I am intrigued.

As the stakes escalated, the tension mounted and I was dragged deeper and deeper into this fascinating story. 

The characters are still rather new to me, of course and I am looking forward to learning more about them. 5 stars

Thank you

Policewoman Freya Sinclair left Fawn Lake five years ago after a situation we know very little about at the beginning of the book. She’s back at her old station, her chief is happy to see her back but not ready to trust her yet and she only gets a tiny team of one full time cop and a part time rookie : Candy and Brad. When one little girl is found dead in the lake, she starts an investigation.

It’s impossible to talk about this book without spoilers so this is your warning

I loved the trio Freya, Candy and Brad, they get along very well from the start and you can see that both cops trust Freya and that they don’t see her as the serial killers’ daughter who once arrested the wrong guy (like the rest of the town does). Freya is a team player and when she cracks the case she makes sure to credit them, they’re already a very dysfunctional family with secrets (Brad obviously has secrets of its own) and a lot of trust and respect. I cannot wait to see them work on other cases. I also would love to know more about both coworkers.

I loved Freya a lot, she’s not perfect, she owns up to her mistakes and she tries to do her best. Her past made her be careful but trusting of other people, she knows you shouldn’t try to do it all on her own. The solitary cop who’s alone against the whole world has been overdone in my opinion. Loved her relationship with Esther who pretty much raised her, and Esther’s antics like trying to set her up with the town’s widow really lightened the mood, which was needed, this is a dark story. I also really liked that we don’t get her whole life story from the get go, too much exposition from the start can be exhausting. We get information bits by bits, and even at the end of this book we still don’t know the whole story. Cannot wait to know more (so yes I’m gonna read the following books :D).

I like when I don’t figure out everything from the start, and in this book you get a pretty big read flag character (the janitor) before actually realising what’s going on. The cultish world of soccer moms was a pretty smart idea, even as a non American, I can picture it easily. Always love a complex villain that is more than a villain and that says something about our society. Moms being so obsessed with purity culture, and the desire for their daughters to be pure and perfect, that they’re ready to let them die. That’s a culture that actually exists, I mean nobody’s performing cleansing ceremonies the way they happen in the book (I hope so), but parents are ready to put their children in danger if it means they’ll be “good enough”.

Overall a great way to start a series, the case works on its own, the characters are well defined but you don’t know everything about them yet, there’s enough hints of more to make you wanna follow them along for more stories and exposition is here but kept to a minimum.

I really enjoyed this book. I am a huge fan of Emily and read all but one of her books, and love her writing style. This was different from her usual style and it was great to read. It's the first in a crime series, and it was gripping and made you question what you would do in the situation the mother's find themselves in. It was dark and gritty and covers some taboo subjects. It was a great read, and I was disappointed when it ended. There are questions about the MC that I hope are covered in other books. I cannot wait for the second book.

"Three Drowned Girls" by Emily Shiner kicks off the Freya Sinclair series with a dark and suspenseful tale set in a tight-knit North Carolinian community. Detective Freya Sinclair returns to her hometown of Fawn Lake with the weight of her twisted family history on her shoulders, determined to prove herself despite the skepticism of the locals.

Shiner's storytelling prowess shines through in her ability to craft a gripping narrative filled with twists and turns. The mystery surrounding the drowned girls keeps readers on the edge of their seats, as Freya races against time to unravel the truth and confront her own demons.

One of the strengths of the book lies in its character development. Freya Sinclair is a complex protagonist with a troubled past, making her journey all the more compelling. The interactions between Freya and the supporting cast add depth to the story, showcasing the intricacies of small-town dynamics and personal relationships.

The pacing of the novel is generally well-maintained, with suspenseful moments driving the plot forward. However, there are instances where the narrative feels slightly rushed, especially in the resolution of certain plot threads.

Overall, "Three Drowned Girls" is a promising start to the Freya Sinclair series, offering a blend of mystery, suspense, and character-driven storytelling. Fans of crime fiction will find this book an engaging read, although some may wish for a more polished execution in certain aspects. Emily Shiner's talent for crafting intricate mysteries and compelling characters bodes well for the future installments of the series.

Thanks to the Ms Shriner, the publisher and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review

Detective Freya Sinclair is on a tear! She has her work cut out for her when she returns to her hometown to find clues as to the tragedies there. Angsty, thrilling, fast-paced, and anazing!

Three Drowned Girls by E. Shiner, published by Bookouture, is the first book in the Detective Freya Sinclair Series.It is an absolute gripping thriller of it's finest. Heartstopping, goose flesh giving, unputdownable, angsty and full of unexpected twitst and turns that had me guessing til the last page.
Blurb:
After five years away from her hometown of Fawn Lake, Detective Freya Sinclair isn’t expecting a warm welcome from the people she’s sworn to protect. She became a detective to bring serial killers to justice, but the tight-knit North Carolinian community can’t see past her twisted roots.
Minutes after stepping foot back home, the body of a young girl is pulled from the river and Freya races to the scene. She’s determined to identify the child and finally prove herself, but before Freya even has a chance to search through missing persons, another girl is reported missing.
Freya’s heart breaks at the sight of little Isa’s blonde ringlets and pristine soccer uniform in the photo the father clutches, but the look on his face says he doesn’t trust Freya. Does he think she’s just like her parents, or does he have a sinister secret of his own?
But when a third girl is found , Freya finds a clue, and instantly recognizes it as part of the soccer team uniform at the local school…

This talented author has written a cannot put down novel. Drowning little girls...in white dresses...whew...red herrings and secrets kept me guessing. The characters are realistic and keep the story moving quickly. In fact, this is a fast intriguing read...a book of fiction that reads, at times, like nonfiction, and would make a good movie albeit a sad one. Shiner does not make it easy to discern the ending and the "why" of all that happens. Do not miss this mystery. Thanks Netgalley.