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The Forgotten Girls

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The Forgotten Girls

Written by: Sara Blaedel
Narrated by: Christine Lakin
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#1 Danish bestselling author Sara Blaedel presents an unforgettable thriller to the U.S. for the first time.

"For readers who gorge on captivating characters and chilling suspense, The Forgotten Girls is a tantalizing treat. Enjoy yourself, America." —Sandra Brown, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Sting and Blood Moon

The body of an unidentified woman has been discovered in a remote forest. A large, unique scar on one side of her face should make the identification easy, but nobody has reported her missing. Louise Rick, the new commander of the Missing Persons Department, waits four long days before pulling off a risky move: releasing a photo of the victim to the media, jeopardizing the integrity of the investigation in hopes of finding anyone who knew her.

The gamble pays off when a woman recognizes the victim as Lisemette, a child she cared for in the state mental institution many years ago. Lisemette was a "forgotten girl", abandoned by her family and left behind in the institution. But Louise soon discovers something even more disturbing: Lisemette had a twin, and both girls were issued death certificates more than thirty years ago.

Louise's investigation takes a surprising when it brings her closer to her childhood home. And as she uncovers more crimes that were committed—and hidden—in the forest, she is forced to confront a terrible link to her own past that has been carefully concealed.

Set against a moody and atmospheric landscape, The Forgotten Girls is twisty, suspenseful, emotionally intense novel that secures Sara Blaedel's place in the pantheon of great thriller writers. Crime Fiction Detective Fiction Genre Fiction International Mystery & Crime Mystery Police Procedural Psychological Suspense Thriller Thriller & Suspense Women's Fiction Crime Exciting
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What the critics say

"Sara Blaedel is a force to be reckoned with. Everyone keeps talking about the 'trend' in crime writers--Scandinavian, German, Russian. Blaedel is no trend. She's a remarkable crime writer who time and again delivers a solid, engaging story that any reader in the world can enjoy."—Karin Slaughter
"One of the best I've come across."—Michael Connelly
"The Forgotten Girls is without doubt the best the author has delivered so far...strikingly well done....the chances are good that The Forgotten Girls will become your favorite crime novel for a long time to come."—Børsen (Denmark)
"Sara Blædel is at the top of her game. Louise Rick is a character who will have readers coming back for more."—Camilla Läckberg
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This book came highly suggested in a list of best Nordic noir books of 2017 and it doesn’t measure up. Parts of the story were interesting but it frequently fell into tired tropes of female protagonists. I won’t spoil it but it’s hardly original. I also couldn’t shake the feeling that her new partner was a washed up Harry Hole, which was a bit distracting. Several plot lines had no purpose or follow through such as the one with the protagonist’s best friend who decided to solve a mystery that is the central plot to get away from relationship troubles. Not only does she not solve it, get her journalist job back or play any role at all in the final outcome, she spends the rest of the story being a ridiculous Bechtel Test case in point. No development at all on the main character’s sidekick and no reason his relationship with her so dramatically advances.

The narrator read these Danish characters and place names in regional American accents - several Danish cops with southern drawls, one police staff who had a ridiculous 1950s American secretary voice and a character with an Irish accent and a clearly Danish history. Really unfortunate.

Disappointing

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