Title: Shaw Connolly Lives to Tell
Author: Gillian French
Genre: Mystery
Rating: 4.00
Pub Date: June 17, 2025

I received a complimentary eARC from Minotaur Books, a division of St. Martin's Press, via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. #Gifted

T H R E E • W O R D S

Gritty • Tense • Chilling

📖 S Y N O P S I S

Shaw Connolly is no stranger to trauma. As a fingerprints analyst, she’s one of the first on-site for crimes, including murder scenes and a mysterious string of arsons popping up throughout the rural Maine community her department serves. But the tragedy of her little sister’s disappearance sixteen years ago has always weighed on her the most; Thea is never far from her thoughts or dreams, and Shaw knows that her obsession with finding the truth about Thea is driving her husband away and impacting her two boys. Still, she can't let it go and has even started taking disturbing calls from a man named Anders Jansen who all but claims to have committed the crime.

Anders taunts Shaw with hints and innuendo about what supposedly happened all those years ago. His calls go to the next level as he reveals just how much he knows about Shaw’s personal life, like her stalled career and ruined marriage. As his stalking escalates to threats on her and her family's lives, he begins to show just how dangerous he might be. Shaw is too desperate for answers to hang up now, just when she's getting close to finding proof. The only question left is what she must lose to learn the truth.

💭 T H O U G H T S

Shaw Connolly Lives to Tell was one of my most anticipated releases for the month of June. I was intrigued by the premise of a finger-print analyst doing everything she can to solve the cold-case of her sister's disappearance years earlier. This book is Gillian French's debut adult mystery, making it the first time I have read from her repertoire.

This is the type of story that takes some time to settle into. It is by no means a thriller, rather a slow paced mystery where the reader learns very early on whodunit, but will spend a good chunk of the book learning the reasoning as to why. The characters are realistically flawed and the isolated Maine setting created atmospheric tension.

There is a lot of focus on the relationships between characters, which I appreciated. And Shaw's unresolved grief plays a central role as Gillian French expertly manages to weave together past and present. Shaw's character is unrefined and resilient, going above and beyond for those she loves. The final third of the book really picks up on the suspense aspect and I found myself holding my breath until it finally came to a close.

Shaw Connolly Lives to Tell was one of those surprising reads that had me totally immersed. The reason it worked so well for me is because there was enough character/relationship building and depth while the mystery unravels at a steady pace. To be honest, I was somewhat surprised to see so many negative reviews for it, but if someone picks this one up thinking they are jumping into a thriller, they are bound to be disappointed. It's possible going in without really knowing what to expect ended up really working for me. I'll definitely be keeping an eye out for my adult work from Gillian.

📚 R E A D • I F • Y O U • L I K E
• cat-and-mouse vibes
• slow burn mysteries
• cold cases

⚠️ CW: death, child death, sibling death, murder, grief, stalking, sexual assault, drug use, drug abuse, cursing

✅ A main character haunted by trauma
✅ A creepy stalker
✅ Cat-and-mouse vibes

Shaw Connolly is haunted by her younger sister’s disappearance that happened 16 years prior. Thanks to her stalker, Anders, she rarely goes a day not thinking about her. He supposedly knows the truth about what happened, but can she trust him and is he a danger to her and those she loves?

As the cat-and-mouse games between Shaw and Anders ramp up, French works to build tension for the reader through a series of revelations and a seemingly endless chase for the truth. The pacing for this story starts out slow and doesn’t speed up until the last chapters as things are coming to a head. I felt like this could have been helped by cutting out some of the dialogue and events that didn’t have much of a connection to the main plot.

Overall this was a solid story with an interesting plot. There was a lot that I liked about this story that I wish would have been featured more. I think the Anders parts could have been amped up to leave the readers chilled by his presence.

Shaw Connolly Lives To Tell follows Shaw (a fingerprint analysis) and her family years after her sister Thea disappears. Shaw is being stalked,, trying to figure out what happened to her sister, working, all while taking care of her 2 boys.
I enjoyed this novel, but wasn't super surprised at the way it ended. It was well written and kept me wanting to know the why.

I am going to be honest; it took me a little bit to get into this book. I felt like I was a little lost and missing a few things in the beginning. Totally my fault with not being able to grasp the first maybe 50-60 pages. But once I was able to get into this and put things together it had such great twist and details as to what they thought might have happened in the past and really getting into what it feels like to be part of a family with troubles of a missing daughter/sister all these years ago and how it effects each person in their own way.
What really pulled me in was the mystery of how this Anders guy really fit into everything and how Shaw was handling it trying to piece it together.

Shaw Connolly has spent the last decade searching for her sister, Thea who dissapeared 16 years ago.
The police label her a troubled runaway. Shaw is facing a crumbling marriage, she is also raising two sons and caring for her aging father. Then a man from her pased named Anders Larsen reaches out claiming he is the person who took Thea. He starts to taunt and stalk her, but he won't give her the answers she needs. How far will she go to get them? The dialogue between the main character and the killer was a little boring. I kept reading thinking maybe there would that twist, but in the end, I thought it ended well.

Thanks for Netgalley and St Martin's Press for the advanced copy.

I would probably rate 3.5 starts

3.5 stars. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I had a slow start getting into this novel and connecting with Shaw. It may be because her style of communicating with her stalker/ alleged kidnapper seemed a bit too breezy. This was less of a mystery of Shaw's long missing sister and more a family drama about the aftermath of such a traumatic and its long-term effects. The story picked up towards the middle and I ultimately found it to be a satisfying read, if not particularly memorable.

Shaw Connolly works as a fingerprints analyst and is used to tough crime scenes, but nothing haunts her like the disappearance of her sister Thea sixteen years ago. When a creepy guy named Anders Jansen starts calling her with eerie details and threats, Shaw becomes obsessed with finding out the truth—even if it means risking her family and everything she has left. She’s closer than ever to answers, but the cost might be more than she’s ready to pay.

I was fully immersed in this read from start to finish, almost as invested as Shaw, but not quite as obsessed. I think Shaw was meant to be an unlikeable character from the very beginning but that played into the story so well. The author did a really great job at showing how losing your sister to unforeseen circumstances can affect you and other loved ones for years to come, and that is exactly what we saw play our throughout this book with the Connolly family.

The mystery of the book was really well done, and it wrapped up well. As the reader, I saw what was coming but I wasn't quite sure so all the pieces fit together until certain events happened, and I enjoyed that. This book kept me on my toes. We were really able to get inside of Shaw's head and that added to the suspense of the book even more. This is definitely a slower burn of a mystery but overall I enjoyed it and recommend it.

Rating: 3.5/5
Spice: 1/5

Tropes:
Missing Person
Stalking
Unreliable Narrator
Blackmail
The Big Reveal

Thank you so much Gillian French, St. Martin's Press, Minotaur Books, and NetGalley for this eARC. All thoughts are my own.

I DNF this book, it was hard getting into the story. I will give it a try maybe it was the wrong book for the wrong time.

I loved the description and thought i would love the book. It was all right, maybe my expectations were too high. Good story, and very atmospheric but it isn't something I would recommend to friends or ever want to read again. Thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book

Read a library copy of this since archive date got away from me and I missed it. This was okay and all but not one I'd probably read again. Not sure where a stand on rating it. If you like police procedure thriller books then this one might be for you

A twisty and provocative mind bend thriller. Whilst you know the killer early on, the mind games he plays still gives the same element of suspense as not knowing until the very end. I loved Shaw and her family’s story and search for justice, and the moments that solidified them as a family and proves that love and connection always win out in the end.

Shaw Connolly Lives to Tell by Gillian French is a tense, atmospheric thriller that grips you with its portrayal of obsession and the lasting impact of trauma. Shaw’s relentless search for her missing sister adds emotional weight to a plot filled with mystery and danger. The escalating threats from the enigmatic Anders Jansen keep the suspense high, and French’s background in YA lends a sharp focus on character and psychological nuance.

While the story is compelling and the pacing mostly effective, some plot twists feel a bit predictable, and Shaw’s personal struggles occasionally take the spotlight away from the central mystery. Still, the novel offers a solid blend of emotional depth and thriller elements, making it a worthwhile read for fans of character-driven suspense. A good start to what promises to be a strong series.

I was not a huge fan of this book unfortunately. I had a hard time getting into it and it felt kind of disjointed. There was a lot going on and it didn’t always flow together well. I also didn’t find it to be very twisty or suspenseful.

Gritty and rough around the edges, this gave me a Mare of Easttown feel. Shawnee 'Shaw' Connolly's sister went missing 20 years ago, something Shaw and her family were never able to move past. Her sister Thea is a heavy presence in this novel- rebellious and stubborn and hanging with the wrong crowd. Shaw, now a police officer, hasn't given up hope of finding out what happened to Thea all those years ago. Even if it's costing her her relationship and her future. Even if it may cost her her life.

The mystery of Shaw's missing sister is intriguing, especially since it's been unsolved for so long. It's clear the impact that Thea's disappearance has had on her family, practically stunting their growth in certain ways. Even though Shaw is a police officer, she doesn't always play by the rules and takes actions that at times I found to be incredibly frustrating. She lets her obsession with her sister overwhelm her, to the point of completely taking over her life and ruining her relationship with her husband. I wanted to shake her and show her how much she is missing in the present. As for what happened to Thea, this ended up being a so-so resolution for me. A 3.5 star read.

Firstly- thank you to Gillian French's team and NetGalley for allowing me to read this title before it's release date.

3 stars! My first Gillian French. I'm not sure if I connected with the writing style and often felt like I was behind if I didn't focus on every single sentence and word. I personally struggle with third person thrillers and found it hard to follow the characters and their relationships at times. I won't fault French for my inability to keep up- I DID think this was a good thriller once the ball got rolling. Beautifully chilling writing but this story probably won't stick out to me forever.

Shaw Connolly’s sister Thea went missing 16 years ago, never to be found. The torment of her missing sister has been with Shaw over the years, but she also has the added unhappy bonus of Thea’s self-admitted killer intermittently calling her periodically to toy with her. The phone calls have been ramping up, and Shaw is concerned for the safety of her and her family. Combined with local acts of arson that may or may not be connected to Thea, Shaw and the killer come to a final clash.

I thought Gillian French did a great job writing this book. It’s just a little slow for me. It took a while to develop what was really going on and for Shaw to figure it out.

Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press | Minotaur Books for sharing a copy of this book

I wound up DNF-ing this book around 20%. It was not holding my attention enough to continue. Another element that bothered me was the MC had these dueling personalities; she'd be a class-clown superior colleague at work and then a normal mom at home who is going through a divorce. Her dialogue scenes were odd to me. I don't know if her weird banter was supposed to be her coping mechanism but I'd be reading and then her personality would completely change; I wasn't sure if I was reading the same book. Some parts just felt inconsistent. I do really like the forensic side of the story but it felt bogged down.

This suspense novel is centered around the disappearance of Shaw’s sister, Thea, 16 years earlier. Shaw is now a mother, a fingerprint analyst and is also watching her marriage fall apart as she can’t get over the obsession of finding her sister or whoever is responsible for her disappearance. To add to her obsession, Anders Jansen is stalking her by calling her, taunting her about her life, her sister, her marriage. As the calls become increasingly threatening, Shaw’s family, job and even her life are in danger as she can’t give up on finding the truth, no matter what the consequences.

I read and listened to this one. Anders’ calls were even creepier on audio and the narration added to the urgency and the suspense in the second half of the novel. It is a slow burn at the beginning as the characters are developed and the setting is set for future action. I found this book just ok and a bit repetitive. If it hasn’t been for the audio, I might not have been able to get through it.

Thank you to @macmillan.audio @netgalley @minotaur_books @stmartinspress for a #gifted audio and digital copy of this novel

The plot was interesting and I liked Shaw as a narrator, but the book felt slow and the ending left so many things unresolved.

Shaw Connolly is a wife and mother with a good career and good life, but also with an emptiness that haunts her. Her younger sister Thea has been missing and is assumed dead. She has been gone for more than a decade but with no body recovered it only leaves more questions.

Shaw is on a path to find out what happened to her 17 year old sister all the years ago. She is also being tormented with calls from person who possibly know what happened.

Shaw is a very likable character caught in the always unpredictable cycle of grief.

I enjoyed this book and the family dynamics that were portrayed were believable. Well written and the story was easy to follow.

Would highly recommend to psychological thriller readers.

Thank You NetGalley and Minotaur Books for the advanced digital copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.