Dark secrets, old friendships, and a long-buried mystery collide in The Fourth Girl. Wendy Corsi Staub crafts an eerie, suspenseful tale where past and present intertwine in unexpected ways. The tension builds steadily, with well-placed twists and an atmospheric setting that adds to the intrigue. While some reveals are easy to anticipate, the journey is undeniably gripping. A compelling read for those who love twisty, character-driven thrillers!

Thank you Wendy Corsi Staub, Thomas and Mercer, and Netgalley for the advanced copy!

Four girls made a pact to help and be there to each other and also to help one of them run away, but she would have to keep in touch and a reunion was set for one year after the prom day. But things did not turn out exactly in the way the girls hoped, two of them fled town, one stayed and became a detective and deputy sheriff. Decades later, the boy involved with the girl who disappeared is found dead, the three remaining girls meet and each of them with secrets from each other, start to search for the truth. The Fourth Girl has an interesting plot that kept me reading through the night.
I thank the author, her publisher, and NetGalley for this ARC.

I love a book that is shrouded in mystery. A creepy abandoned mansion that is connected to one of the main characters. Four best friends that will do anything for each other. A small-town vibe where everyone knows one another and their business. I dove into this headfirst, but there was a current that kept me from being completely hooked. There are their real names, their nicknames, and their statue names when they are hanging out at the mansion, Haven Cliff. Write them down, it will make the read much more enjoyable. The mystery is fantastic, yet there were so many loose ends that were not tied up at the end that I am left wondering. This is the first book in the series, this could have been done on purpose, and I just need to be patient for the second.

It has been twenty-five years since Caroline Winterfield disappeared into the woods. Her three best friends have decided to come together to celebrate Caroline and to see each other again. Each has grown into fantastic women. Talia, a mother, Midge the town cop, and Kelly has been divorced twice and has bought Haven Cliff. The mansion that Caroline's Great-Great-Grandfather built. That is surrounded by curses and sat empty for years. Kelly has restored it to its former glory, all for Caroline. On the day of the anniversary, a man is discovered dead. He has links to the girls, specifically to Caroline. Was it an accident or is there more to the fall? There is so much more than what meets the eye to this story.

Thank you to Wendy Corsi Staub and Thomas and Mercer for my gifted copy.

This book was so good and had me totally hooked!! There is a bit of paranormal aspect to the story but I actually enjoyed it. Definitely kept me second guessing right till the very end.. And that twist, just wow!!

Thank you, NetGalley for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review!

On prom night, four friends gathered with their dates at the ruins of an abandoned mansion called Haven Cliff, but after a night of celebration, only three went home. Caroline Winterfield vanished into the woods…never to be seen again.

Twenty-five years later, Midge, Kelly and Talia reunite at newly remodeled Haven Cliff after Caroline’s high school boyfriend is found lying face down near where she was last seen. Was it a coincidence? The three women have been keeping a secret for Caroline, but is it now time to break their promise about where she went that night?

I grew up in Western New York and first discovered the (then) local author when I was in high school. I used to love reading her novels because they always kept me guessing. She’s still got the magic touch! It felt like I was reunited with an old friend while reading this, and I look forward to seeing what happens next in this new series.

Thank you to Wendy Corsi Staub, Thomas & Mercer, and NetGalley for a gifted digital copy of the book for an honest review.

The Fourth Girl is a deliciously twisted reunion where secrets and nostalgia mix like aged whiskey. On the 25th anniversary of teen Caroline Winterfield’s mysterious disappearance, three friends return to Haven Cliff—a mansion reborn into a sleek architectural marvel that still whispers eerie secrets in every polished corner. The air is thick with tension and the tang of old regrets, while every rustle in the wind hints at untold stories.

Detective Midge’s sharp eyes catch every detail—from the cool, almost metallic scent of betrayal to the blood-chilling discovery clutched in a dead man’s hand—fueling a pulse-quickening pace that never lets you catch your breath. Kelly and Talia, with their vibrant yet haunted personalities, are crafted with a finesse that makes you feel every tremor of their fear and every spark of determination.

Staub serves up a mix of dark humor and suspense, wrapping character depth and brisk pacing into a sensory feast that leaves you both laughing nervously and peering over your shoulder. If you love a reunion where the past is as palpable as the present, and every whispered secret leaves a lingering taste of danger, then The Fourth Girl is your next must-read thriller. #NetGalley #TheFourthGirl

This moves back and forth in time and between narrators to tell the story of the mysterious disappearance of Caroline, a teenage girl whose friends, 25 years later, find themselves once again in the cross hairs of suspicion. This is trope-y as can be (this plot is now so so familiar) and I eventually found myself flipping to the end for answers. Thanks to netgalley for the ARC. Over to others.

I really enjoyed this book. It was fast paced and suspenseful. The ending I would have never guessed. Overall, this is a winner and I can highly recommend getting yourself a copy. Thank you for my gifted copy.

Ok, wow! I had a hard time putting this book down. It’s a very intense story. It builds very slowly, at time I was wondering where it was going, but by the end I was riveted. The characters are so intense, you feel like you grew up with them. #TheFourthGirl #NetGalley

I really did try with this book but it ended up a DNF for me at 30%. The jumping timelines between so many characters was convoluted and I the pages upon pages describing how one store used to be another, or one time a Dollar Store moved across town over the course of 25 years was mind numbing.

Not for me in the least.

The Fourth Girl certainly was atmospheric. Unfortunately, it just felt like too many other books out there. It wasn't bad! I wasn't mad that I read it. It just wasn't a knockout for me.

The story of four friends keeping a secret to keep the fourth one safe. But what happens when she never returns, when she said that she would exactly a year later? Now, 25 years later the mystery unravels about where she went and if she has come back. There are a few other mysteries wrapped up into this one, appearing that each of the three remaining girls got a different piece of the mystery no one having the full story.

This one felt a little premature on the ending. We never did get the why it all happened but this author also appears to be setting up for a series so perhaps in a later book we get the why that we didn't get here. I would've like the characters to be a little more developed as this one felt a little short and I wasn't attached to any of them.

Thank you NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Wow. What an incredibly sad story. I had a feeling I knew what happened and why. I was so bummed out that I was right! Wendy Corsi Staub is a master of storytelling. Even though I knew what happened, I thoroughly enjoyed reading it down to the bitter end. It was an absolute page turner. Part of what made it that way despite knowing the outcome was her ability to create these amazing three dimensional characters. The four girls all had something in them that I could identify with, so watching their lives play out was like watching old friends in a movie. It really was a phenomenal story. If you’ve never read anything by this author, I highly recommend her. She’s the kind of writer that should be studied in writing courses!

Huge thanks to Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley for sending me this ARC for review! All of my reviews are given honestly!

Four best friends for life made promises and shared secrets never to be told to anyone else. Now twenty-five years have passed and three of the four are reuniting to keep the last promise made that night long ago. But is the fourth girl going to meet them as promised or did she truly dead like the whole town believes, or did she disappear like was her plan that her three friends helped her with. Before the meeting can happen a long ago friend is found dead and it may not be an accident. Is his death connected to the about to take place meeting, or is it merely a coincidence that his death occurs right now...and what about the two other bodies found near by...everything must be connected to the long ago secrets, right?

Midge, Kelly and Talia have been keeping a secret for years. When their friend, Caroline, went missing, they knew more than they admitted. Years later, they are hopeful that the lies can now end, but their reunion takes quite a twist! Fans of psychological thrillers will enjoy this!

Wanna read a book that keeps you guessing and makes you keep reading … and literally miss sleep? That’s this book? Enjoyable, exciting, and really fun read.

I felt like it was a little short and could’ve had a bit more development in the plot or characters to add to the books plot/story.. but it was a great read!

I found this book to be pretty engaging - the plot was well crafted and the characters kept me engaged throughout the story. I didn't find it to be too predictable or cliche.

The Fourth Girl is a now and then story. Then being prom night for teen girls Caroline,Kelly, Midge and Talia but now there are only three.
The story tells of what happened then or what the girls thought happened then but as the twisty ending draws near they find out how wrong they were. You won’t see it coming because they didn’t even see it coming.

Unfortunately this wasn’t for me. The back and forth between time frames wasn’t easy to track and the story was quite muted overall.

Although she has written a number of books and series, Wendy Corsi Staub is a "new to me" author. I was very excited to read The Fourth Girl, a thriller/suspense about four friends with a dark secret, three of whom are brought back together over unpleasant circumstances years later.

On their prom night, four friends gather at a party. One of the four slips away never to be seen again. The remaining three keep the secret of what really happened that night for 25 years. Now a murder has brought them back together. Midge, one of the friends, is a cop who has to investigate the murder. What she finds in the man's hand convinces her that his death is related to their long disappeared friend.

The Fourth Girl was very interesting as were the characters. Normally, this is exactly the type of book that really pulls me in. I'm not sure why I wasn't as thrilled with this one as I normally am. I suspect that the back and forth timelines - which normally don't bother me - coupled with so many characters going back and forth on those timelines was the reason. It really did get to be too much. I did like the ending and I do look forward to reading the next book in the series. I just really hope the next book is kept more tailored, less back and forth.