Title: THE GIRL FROM WIDOW HILLS
Author: Megan Miranda
ISBN: 978 1838 9507 43
Publisher: Corvus; Atlantic Books
Pages: 325
Source: Private Copy
Everyone knows the story of “the girl from Widow Hills.”
Arden Maynor was just a child when she was swept away while sleepwalking during a terrifying rainstorm and went missing for days. Strangers and friends, neighbors and rescue workers, set up search parties and held vigils, praying for her safe return. Against all odds, she was found, alive, clinging to a storm drain. The girl from Widow Hills was a living miracle. Arden’s mother wrote a book. Fame followed. Fans and fan letters, creeps, and stalkers. And every year, the anniversary. It all became too much. As soon as she was old enough, Arden changed her name and disappeared from the public eye.
Now a young woman living hundreds of miles away, Arden goes by Olivia. She’s managed to stay off the radar for the last few years. But with the twentieth anniversary of her rescue approaching, the media will inevitably renew its interest in Arden. Where is she now? Soon Olivia feels like she’s being watched and begins sleepwalking again, like she did long ago, even waking outside her home. Until late one night, she jolts awake in her yard. At her feet is the corpse of a man she knows—from her previous life, as Arden Maynor.
And now, the girl from Widow Hills is about to become the center of the story, once again, in this propulsive page-turner from suspense master Megan Miranda.
Official Summary
15 February 2023
Get ready for a gripping read that is full of surprises when you reach for this book. Megan Miranda keeps you on your toes with characters who are not who they appear to be and then delivers a fabulous twist that leaves you in awe.
I have read a few of this author’s books and enjoy her creative twisty stories that reach a surprising ending. This author always manages to add a twist that I do not expect. With this book, she kept me curious from start to end while at the same time feeling sorry for the character. I love her work and look forward to digging into The Safest Lies which is already lying waiting on my TBR shelf.
Twenty years ago Arden Maynor has washed away in a storm while sleepwalking. It took the community of her small town three days to find her. Everyone was amazed that this six-year-old child managed to hang on and was found alive. The media frenzy that followed made life impossible for Arden. Eager to escape the attention she changed her name, moved away and did her best to leave her past behind her. Now, twenty-year later Olivia wakes up in her garden and discovers a dead body. The police investigation forces her to reveal who she once was and just like that her past becomes her present.
I found myself deeply engrossed in this book and battled to walk away from it. The story was realistic with Olivia’s emotions dripping off the pages. I did not predict this ending – which was brilliant. You will have to read this one to see what I mean.
I loved that no-one in this story was who they appeared to be. The author did a marvellous job showcasing people’s habits of showing different faces. While not really lying, but showing a different side of themselves at various times.
I enjoyed every moment I spent with this book. This is a book I am happy to add to my loved list for the year.
If you are looking for a book that will keep you curious from start to end, a book with characters who are not what they appear to be and a whopper of a final twist, then you won’t want to miss this one. Go ahead, and add this to your TBR.
Also by Megan Miranda
All The Missing Girls
It’s been ten years since Nicolette Farrell left her rural hometown after her best friend, Corinne, disappeared from Cooley Ridge without a trace. Back again to tie up loose ends and care for her ailing father, Nic is soon plunged into a shocking drama that reawakens Corinne’s case and breaks open old wounds long since stitched.
The decade-old investigation focused on Nic, her brother Daniel, boyfriend Tyler, and Corinne’s boyfriend Jackson. Since then, only Nic has left Cooley Ridge. Daniel and his wife, Laura, are expecting a baby; Jackson works at the town bar; and Tyler is dating Annaleise Carter, Nic’s younger neighbor and the group’s alibi the night Corinne disappeared. Then, within days of Nic’s return, Annaleise goes missing.
Told backwards—Day 15 to Day 1—from the time Annaleise goes missing, Nic works to unravel the truth about her younger neighbor’s disappearance, revealing shocking truths about her friends, her family, and what really happened to Corinne that night ten years ago.
Like nothing you’ve ever read before, All the Missing Girls delivers in all the right ways. With twists and turns that lead down dark alleys and dead ends, you may think you’re walking a familiar path, but then Megan Miranda turns it all upside down and inside out and leaves us wondering just how far we would be willing to go to protect those we love.
About the Author
Author bio from the author’s site
Megan Miranda is the New York Times bestselling author of Such a Quiet Place, All the Missing Girls, The Perfect Stranger, The Last House Guest, a Reese Witherspoon Book Club pick, and The Girl from Widow Hills. She has also written several books for young adults, including Come Find Me, Fragments of the Lost and The Safest Lies. She grew up in New Jersey, graduated from MIT and lives in North Carolina with her husband and two children.
Thank you for visiting the blog, your continued support has been truly amazing. Are you a Miranda fan? What is your favourite book? Leave a comment below. I cannot wait to read more of her books. Until next time…Happy Reading!
Sounds like a great read!
Thank you, I loved this book….