The Girls on Chalk Hill (Detective Lexi Bennett #1)
Author: Alison Belsham
4.5 out of 5 stars
While on a morning run, DI Lexi Bennett is shocked to find the bodies of identical twin sisters. Lexi didn’t expect to get thrown into an investigation on her first day as leader of the Major Investigation Team. The pressure mounts when they learn the girls weren’t twins but triplets, and their sister, Paige, may still be alive. Lexi’s past makes this case even more difficult. She’s also a triplet and 17 years ago she and her sisters were abducted, and one of them didn’t survive. She tries to convince herself and everyone else that the cases aren’t connected, but as the investigation continues, she can’t help but wonder. She realizes that she might have to confront her past if she’s going to stop the killer and save Paige.
This gripping novel begins with a fast pace and rarely slows down. There are multiple twists and turns as Lexi and her team learn more about the sisters’ lives and their secrets. And they have to figure out if any of it is even connected to their abduction. There are chapters that are from the killer’s point of view, so the reader knows early on that he is the same man that abducted Lexi and her sisters, which adds a layer of suspense as you wait for her to realize it.
I liked Lexi and think she’s a compelling character. She’s very determined, and her past definitely still affects her, and the way it was written in this book was very well done. Her determination and focus keeps her from sleeping or even eating. Eventually though, she starts jumping to conclusions, which just showed further how badly she’s affected. It made me want to keep reading even more. Would she save Paige and catch the killer? Would she be able to find some peace? I definitely want to read another book and see what she’s like on a case where she’s less personally connected. I liked the other characters too. There were some interesting dynamics that came up as those she was closer to worried if she could handle the case.
In general, the book was very well written, however there were little moments that made me stop and wonder why they did that, or why the author wrote it that way. The one that sticks out most is that Lexi finds a clue that she thinks is connected to Moby Dick, and she goes to the library to look at the book. This book takes place in 2023, so she could have done an internet search. So there were just little things throughout that bugged me but didn’t make much difference to how I felt about the book overall. That’s why I rated it 4.5 out of 5 stars. If you like suspenseful thrillers, then you’ll be sure to like this book.
Current price through Amazon Kindle: $0
Link to buy: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0BZ8Y2C5Z
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