Well Paced..
A small town, a deadly reunion, a murder, a devastating secret. Slow burn suspense brimming with atmosphere with a well drawn and credible cast of characters populating a well paced plot and a well imagined sense of place. The author succeeds in building tension from the off and gradually turning the dial up. Compelling.

With the haunting background of Haven Cliff and a complex friend group front and center in my mind, The Fourth Girl’s synopsis made it sound like exactly my kind of read. Sadly, however, despite a truly explosive conclusion and plenty of juicy drama and intrigue, this book missed the mark for me by the end. First, though, I’ll focus on the pluses as there definitely were some. You see, I relished the relatable friendships and 1990s nostalgia. Taking me back to my own teenage years, I had a blast visiting my childhood through this small group of friends. Even better, however, Staub crafted characters with oodles and oodles of enticing secrets that drew me right in. Altogether, there were definitely parts to this book that I really loved.

With all of that being said, however, I do have to admit that there was also plenty that failed to live up to my rather high expectations. After all, I’ve been a huge fan of Ms. Staub for quite a while. This time around, though, there were some definite misses. From the beyond slow-burning plot to the sometimes hard-to-follow mashup of alternating multiple POVs and dual timelines, my attention wavered quite a bit throughout this almost 400 page novel. The biggest issue I had, though, was how predictable the whole thing was. I’m sad to say that I figured much of it out well before any of the reveals. Now, most of that could be down to my insatiable appetite for all things suspense, but it didn’t lessen my disappointment when I was right over and over again.

All said and done, I’m just crossing my fingers that this book, which was the first in a series, will be followed up with some tighter, more surprising storylines in future installments. I do have to add, though, that if you happen to like a sloooow, slow burn of a murder mystery that comes complete with plenty of drama, this book just might be perfect for you. You see, the themes running throughout this one were spot-on. Exploring the difficulties of friendship as well as the heavy burden of secrets, the plot did get me thinking despite how much I ended up skimming. So while it wasn’t my favorite by this author by far, it still won’t stop me from trying whatever she writes next. After all, with some editing even this one could end up being a home run. Rating of 2.5 stars (upgraded).

Thank you to Wendy Corsi Staub, Thomas & Mercer, and NetGalley for my complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.

I enjoyed this! I was invested in the story and liked how fast-paced this was. I was surprised by the ending, which is always a good thing. I would recommend this!

Okay, this book has it ALL - different POVs, different timelines, a curse, a haunted mansion, a disappearing girl, and friends that made a promise they vowed to never break.

I immediately got Pretty Little Liars vibes from this book, and in the best way possible. In the past, we have a group of friends that are worried about their own, and they soon realize that sometimes saying goodbye is the best way to protect someone.

In the present, these friends haven't talked in a long time, but they all come together for their missing friend. They're keeping secrets, sure, and maybe one of them is up to something? Or maybe something nefarious happened that none of them were aware of.

This is one of those books where I kept hoping that it would end the way I wanted to, even though I knew in my gut it wouldn't. It was nostalgic and heartbreaking and I am so happy that I read it.

This book was a great summer read but would also be great for October as well!

𝕋ℍℝ𝕀𝕃𝕃𝔼ℝ 𝔹𝕆𝕆𝕂 𝔽𝔼𝔸𝕋𝕌ℝ𝔼

Special thanks to @wendycorsistaub @amazonpublishing & @netgalley for the #gifted eARC.
When the first few buzz words of a synopsis have you hypnotized, you just have to hit that request button. This one was not different between the disappearance, the secrets, and the stalker - who wouldnt grab this one?

𝙎𝙔𝙉𝙊𝙋𝙎𝙄𝙎
On prom night, Caroline Winterfield walked away from the ruins of an abandoned mansion called Haven Cliff and into the woods…never to be seen again. Only her three best friends know what really happened. But a secret is a secret, and a promise is a promise—even when it shatters lifelong friendships.
On the twenty-fifth anniversary of that night, Midge, Kelly, and Talia reunite at Haven Cliff, now a gleaming architectural jewel. But they aren’t alone. Someone is watching. Someone who knows what really happened to Caroline—and to the man who now lies dead a stone’s throw from where she was last seen.
Police detective Midge knows she’s dealing with a murder the moment she sees the item clutched in his lifeless hand. Only three other people in the world would grasp its significance. That means Kelly and Talia are either involved or in danger, because Caroline is long gone…or is she?

𝙋𝙐𝘽 𝘿𝘼𝙔:
April 1, 2025

ℚ𝕆𝕋𝔻❓️⁉️❓️ Did you go to prom? What did you do after?

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#mysteryandthrills #thrillersandsuspense #thrillerfriendsunite #thrillerlover #thrilleraddict #thrillerjunkie #thrillergirlie #bookbuzz #thefourthgirl #amazonpublishing #amazonpublishingpartner #wendycorsistaub
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I didn’t care for the arrangement of the chapters. They were too chunky and bounced around way too much. I was lost after the 5th chapter with all the back and forth and switching of voices. Normally this doesn’t bother me but with this book it did.
I finally caught up but it sort of ruined the book for me.

The Fourth Girl was an extremely slow read. I really wanted to like it, as the description sounded great, but I just couldn't get into it. I was bored the whole way through. It was very predictable.
I have read and loved a few of Wendy's books. The Fourth Girl wasn't one of them. For me, it's her worst book so far.

With this particular trope of friends reuniting and an old murder mystery, it's been done so many times already that it really needs to be a fresh take, with spectacular twists and turns. Unfortunately, The Fourth Girl didn't do that.

Overall, it was disappointing.

2.5 stars from me.

Thanks to Netgalley, Thomas & Mercer, and Wendy Corsi Staub for the chance to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I went into this book hoping for a thrilling ride, but unfortunately, it didn’t quite land for me. The plot moved at a slow pace, and the characters lacked the depth needed to truly draw me in.

The narrative jumped between timelines and cycled through too many points of view, which made it difficult to stay grounded in the story. I found myself constantly trying to piece together who was who and when things were happening, and eventually, I just stopped feeling invested.

Despite this, I stuck with it to the end in the hope that the payoff would be worth it, but the conclusion left me underwhelmed. While I appreciate the ambition behind the structure, it just didn’t quite come together in a satisfying way.

The premise of the Fourth Girl had me hooked, and the book did keep me interested in finding out what happened, although I did find it a bit predictable. I usually enjoy alternating timelines or alternating narrators as a suspense-building mechanism, but having both here did get a bit hard to keep track of at times. There are also a few loose ends that seemed to have gotten dropped. Overall a decent read, but I probably won't continue the series. Thank you NetGalley and Thomas and Mercer for the ARC.

A decades-old secret binds three friends – Talia, Kelly, and Midge (now a police detective) – who reunite on the twenty-fifth anniversary of their friend Caroline's disappearance, clinging to the hope of her promised return. Despite being marketed as a thriller, the plot unfolded at a sluggish pace, and the characters lacked sufficient development to truly engage me.

The narrative's constant shifts between timelines and the overwhelming number of perspectives required significant effort to track the events, their chronology, and the individuals involved. As a result, my investment in the story waned early on. While I persevered until the end, hoping for an upswing in the plot, the conclusion ultimately left me feeling underwhelmed.

I enjoyed this! I was invested in the story and liked how fast paced this is. I was surprised by the ending which is always a good thing. I would recommend this! Special Thank You to Wendy Corsi Staub,Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley for allowing me to read a complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.

Ok apparently I’m not in line with some reviews here. I really enjoyed this book and it kept me on the edge of my seat trying to figure out what is going on.
I tried to write a review without spoilers but couldn’t do it.
There is a lot missing from this book and a lot of unanswered questions. My guess is that this says book 1 so it will be a series and hopefully will go into more details later on.
It’s obvious that Caroline died on that 1 yr anniversary. But I think it’s Caroline’s daughter that is back and causing the confusion etc with the 2 of spades cards, the bracelet, killing Gordy etc
But why? And why now. And how did she know all these things about her mom and her friends because I don’t think the sister Mary Beth knew them.
And the details the walking man gives about the night of the disappearance and the 1 yr anniversary.

Ughhhh I wish this book answered more questions about everything but it doesn’t. I will probably have to read again just to refresh if and when the next book comes out.

Thank you NetGalley for the copy

I love this author and I will always love her. This book is not my absolute favorite of hers but it is not a bad book or anything. I just kept getting distracted in the middle of the book and while it is likely a "me problem" it is still a problem, hence the super late review.
I love the twists!
Maybe I will get this on audiobook then I can do it one go and not get distracted.

The story worked for me till about the 35 percent mark. I enjoyed the premise and the mystery of what happened to the sisters and the present timeline with all of the friends.

I think the pacing was too slow and a lot of the conversations and details were repetitive.

I wasn't too invested in any of the characters except maybe Caroline.

I'm not sure exactly what was kind of meh for me seeing as how the premise was a good one.

Perhaps I just wasn't invested enough in the circle of friends.

Thank you NetGalley and Thomas and Mercer for an e-copy of THE FOURTH GIRL to review.

I rate THE FOURTH GIRL three out of five stars.

A secret has been kept by three remaining friends for decades and now that it is the twenty fifth anniversary of Caroline’s disappearance, Talia, Kelly and Midge ( now a police detective) reunite in hope that Caroline will return as she had promised. Touted as a thriller, I kept waiting to be thrilled but the plot was slow and the characters poorly developed.

Going back and forth in time , with the points of view of way too many characters it took a lot of concentration to figure out what was happening, when it was happening and to whom it was happening. In fact, i stopped caring early on. Nonetheless I read until the end, hoping the story would pick up , and was underwhelmed by the conclusion.

Two and a half stars rounded to three for a lackluster mystery. My thanks to Netgalley and Thomas and Mercer for an ARC in exchanged for my review. It was published on April 2, 2025. If you’re a fan of the author you might like it better than I did.

Wendy Corsi Staub (https://wendycorsistaub.com) is the author of more than 50 books. The Fourth Girl was published early this month. It is the 29th book I completed reading in 2025.

Opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own! Due to minor scenes of violence, I categorize this novel as PG.

This is the story of four young women. Talia Shaw, Kelly Barrow, Midge Kennedy, and Caroline Winterfield grew up in Mulberry Bay, Ulster County, NY. The night of their High School Prom, Caroline walked away into the night and was never heard from again. The four girls had been close friends. They were deeply saddened at her disappearance, but not surprised. The four had conspired together to facilitate her escape.

A year later, Talia Shaw, Kelly Barrow, and Midge Kennedy returned to the deserted Haven Cliff house, the location where Caroline had last been seen. They were expecting to hear from her. She had promised to let them know she was well. The girls were disappointed that they didn’t see Caroline, but they did find a sign that led them to believe that Caroline was doing well.

Twenty-five years have passed. Midge has followed in her father’s footsteps and joined the local police force. The only one to stay in Mulberry Bay. Kelly has become very wealthy through a series of short-lived marriages. She has recently returned to Mulberry Bay and bought the crumbling Haven Cliff house. As the anniversary of Caroline’s disappearance approaches, the house has been beautifully restored. The final touch to the property is underway, digging out the old filled-in pool to build a new one. Talia left and has only returned for their reunion. She has even kept her past in the dark to her family.

On the anniversary of Caroline’s disappearance, local resident Gordon Klatte is found dead at the bottom of the stairs in his back garden. Midge is called out to the scene. It looks like an accident, but Midge has doubts. Gordon had been Caroline’s boyfriend at the time of her disappearance, though he was never connected to it. The more Midge investigates, the less she thinks it was an accident. The situation comes to a head when a skeleton is discovered in the old pool at Haven Cliff.

Is Caroline still alive, or were the remains hers? If so, who killed her? Was Gordon’s death an accident or a second murder? Will Talia, Midge, and Kelly discover the truth?

I enjoyed the 7+ hours I spent reading this 391-page mystery. The story jumps between today, the girls in High School, and their one-year reunion, making it a bit choppy. The story also leaves a few unanswered questions. I am torn by the selected cover art. I like it, but it doesn’t relate to a scene in the novel. I give this novel a rating of 4 out of 5.

You can access more of my book reviews on my Blog ( https://johnpurvis.wordpress.com/blog/).

My book reviews are also published on Goodreads (https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/31181778-john-purvis).

Although the ending was predictable, I did enjoy this thriller. The characters were very interesting though I wish there was a but more character development. The book jumped back and forth between time lines which made it a bit confusing and took away from getting to know each character.

Many thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc.

I am not sure why but this book did not work for me. However, as I always say when I don't like a book, just because I did not like the book, it doesn't mean that someone else won't like it. It also doesn't necessarily mean that I may not like another book by the same author. Or even that I may not like the book if I try it again in the future...

Wendy Corsi Staub, a master of suspense, returns with The Fourth Girl, a chilling tale of secrets, betrayal, and a past that refuses to stay buried. This is not just a mystery; it's a relentless unraveling of a small town's dark heart, where old ghosts resurface with deadly consequences.

Twenty-five years ago, on prom night, Caroline Winterfield vanished from the grounds of Haven Cliff, leaving behind a trio of devastated friends and a town shrouded in suspicion. Now, Midge, Kelly, and Talia are drawn back to Haven Cliff, and the past isn't done with them.

Staub expertly weaves together past and present, creating a growing sense of unease as the three women confront the truth about what happened that night. Someone is watching, someone who knows their secret, and as the body count rises, the friends find themselves in a desperate race against time.

The Fourth Girl is a suspenseful thriller that will keep you guessing until the very end. Staub's intricate plot, richly drawn characters, and atmospheric prose create a palpable sense of dread, making this a must-read for fans of dark, twisty mysteries.

Thank you NetGalley! I wanted to like this book, but could just not get into it. It started out slow, while picking up the pace but not fast enough to keep my attention. It was a little harder to keep track of which character was speaking with all the different narratives