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.

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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

I was captivated by the very first chapter and it stayed steady throughout the entire book!
She has a true gift for storytelling, unique plot developments, amazing character development.
Legit had me on the edge of my seat wanting more!

Unsettling in the best way and a creepy and compelling read. Caroline disappeared on the night of her prom and 25 years later, her friends come together to be tormented by someone who knows what happened to Caroline.

Three friends reunite for answers about their fourth friend, missing for 25 years. Enjoyed this and definitely didn't guess the ending but might have gone on longer than it needed to.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review! I had a harder time getting into this one due to all the changing of timelines and POVs at the beginning. There was a lot of mystery but it just wasn't gripping and neither were the characters in my opinion. Maybe I will attempt this read again in a different mindset and enjoy it more

The Fourth Girl by Wendy Corsi Staub is a mystery/thriller about four girls and a promise they made.

First, let me thank NetGalley, the publisher Thomas & Mercer,  and of course the author, for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.




My Synopsis:    (No major reveals, but if concerned, skip to My Opinions)
Haven Cliff was said to be built on an eighteenth-century settlement graveyard.  It is also said to be haunted.  Haunted by those in the graveyard.  Haunted by the two Winterfields who had been killed there.  Haunted by the those who died from tuberculosis when the place had been turned into a sanatorium, and then an asylum.  Then there was Joseph Andover's death, and the little boy that fell into the lake during the 1900's.  The property has been abandoned for a long time.

Then there was the disappearance of Caroline Winterfield,  who walked away from the mansion into the woods, on her prom night in 2000, and was never seen again.  But her friends Kelly, Midge, and Talia kept a secret about that night.  They kept their promise to Caroline.  But that promise broke their friendship.

On the 25th anniversary of that night, the three women reunite at Haven Cliff.  Midge is now a detective in their home town.  Talia had moved away and has never been back.  Kelly returned and purchased Haven Cliff, and has been restoring it to its former glory. Now the three friends will get together to honour their lost friend.  But someone else has been watching them.




My Opinions:
I enjoyed this.  It did start out a little slow, but thankfully the pace did pick up.

I liked how the author alternated chapters with the voices of the three women, as well as others.  It kept things moving along quite well.  The characters all grew to have depth as they told their perspectives, and the story grew with the details of what each character knew.

The timeline also changed quite often. The most important timelines were 1999, when Caroline went missing, 2000 a year after, and the present 25th anniversary of Caroline's disappearance.  There was also a lot of background provided by each character, so we easily understood some of the "whys" behind their behaviours.  This worked really well.

The plot was quite complex, and if somewhat predictable, it still held a mystery, still held suspense, and continued to hold my attention.

Overall, I really enjoyed it.  You may think that with all the changing timelines and changing characters that it may become confusing.  For me, it was not a problem.  I think it was well done.

The Fourth Girl is a well developed psychological mystery that explores the past disappearance of a teenager on its 25th anniversary. It focuses on the remaining 3 friends who must come to terms with the consequences of their past actions. Told in past and present timelines and in different POVs, Wendy Corsi Staub offers enough morsels to keep the reader wanting more..

Read this if you like::
• complex/interesting characters that enhance the emotional depth of the story.
•. Past and present timelines with multiple POVs
• good pacing with short effective chapters that leave the reader wanting more
• late 1990s and early 2000s pop culture references
*. Some twists filled with suspense and tense moments
*. A creepy mansion with a cursed, tragic past
*. Exploration of friendships that span decades as well as family dynamics with the themes of secrets
and lies, and consequences of the past

My rating: 3.5 out of 5

Thanks to NetGalley and Thomas and Mercer for this eARC that will be published April 1 2025.
:

I tried so hard to get into this book, but it was a really slow start for me.
It picked up pace about halfway through but I found everything pretty predictable.
I just felt maybe the copious amount of switching between characters made it a little difficult to keep track of everything going on.

New series by Wendy Corsi Staub. I enjoyed this. I figured out the twist pretty early on but it was still a really good read. Looking forward to seeing the next Haven Cliff book. Curious where the author is going with it, as this 1st book could definitely be a stand-alone.

Thank you #netgalley and #thomasandmercer #apub for the eARC.

3.5⭐️ Staub is a hit or miss for me. Some titles are phenomenal and others good. I enjoyed The Fourth Girl, the timelines, while back and forth A LOT, flowed well and aligned with the story well. Love the friendship of the girls and the twist was great

I am such a fan of Wendi Corsi Staub’s books and have been reading them for years. I was excited to see this one come up. I loved the premise of four teenage girls at Leon all promising to be there for each other always. But now 25 years later, while Midge is investing a murder does the last come back. What happened to Caroline? This was suspenseful and kept me guessing. Thank you to Netgalley and publisher for the arc.

I'm sorry to say, but I struggled with this one. I normally love a dual timeline narrative but this one threw me, and I just couldn't get into the story or mystery. I think less may have been more in this case. I note this is the first book in a series, so I'll be interested in what the author does next here.

I give this book 3.5 stars! I enjoyed it and liked the descriptions of the small town of Mulberry Bay. I especially liked all the references to the movies, songs, book and food of the late 90’s. Loved the girl group they all created but there were times when I was reading having a difficult time trying to figure out who was who and whose voice we were reading in. I wish each chapter was labeled with a name. I kind of figured out the plot midway through but still enjoyed it. I would recommend it!

3.5/5

Four friends go to an after prom party. Only three return. Promises are made, one is kept. Then 25 years later, a murder, someone close to the girls. Are the two related?

I went into this book knowing it was the first in a series, so I expected holes, unanswered questions. I wasn’t disappointed. For me, it was a good setup for the second book. The character development was well done, taking the friends from young girls to teenagers to adults. Multiple POVs and back and forth timelines, but I found all very easy to follow. It was fast paced enough to keep me interested. I’m looking forward to the second book, that will be a deciding factor if I continue with the series. I’m looking forward to reading this author’s previous stand-alone books.

Thanks to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for this ARC. This is my honest opinion.

I have read and enjoyed multiple books by this author but unfortunately this one I did not connect with. I enjoy her writing style so I will read more in the future.