Tuesday, March 1, 2016

Nowhere Girl - Pub Day Review & Giveaway

Review by Darcie Czajkowski
When her twin sister, Savannah, was murdered, Cady Martino was never the same. The girls had shared the same DNA, and so, with her sister gone, Cady felt like she had died, as well.

Eighteen years later, Savannah’s killer is still on the loose. Cady is now thirty-three, married, and an ultra-successful author. Outwardly, she appears to have moved on from her sister’s death, but inwardly she still toils with the profound loss and writing mystery novels is her way of surviving the pain.

Savannah occasionally comes to Cady in dreams, but until recently, the dreams were pleasant, reminiscent of Savannah’s whimsical nature and lively spirit. Now the dreams are vignettes Savannah walking toward a prison, prompting Cady to visit the nearest penitentiary under the guise of research for her latest mystery novel.

There, she runs into Brady Irons, her ultimate high school crush, where he now works as a corrections officer. The two become friends, and Brady uses his connections to secure Cady an interview with a serial killer, hoping to glean insight in the way sociopaths think and investigate whether or not he could be connected to her sister’s death.

At the same time, Patrick Tunney, the officer who arrived first on Savannah’s murder scene years ago and made Cady feel safe and cared for, gets in touch with Cady and explains that the old police chief, the one who was in charge when Savannah was murdered, is being forced to resign on account of corrupt practices. Detective Tunney has decided to re-open Savannah’s murder case, and he’s armed with information that should have been revealed long ago, information that could lead to finally identifying Savannah’s killer.

Will Cady be able to maintain her composure as the deadline for completing her latest novel barrels toward her and as she struggles to keep from accusing everyone around her of being her sister’s murderer? Will her already floundering and lackluster marriage survive the strain of re-opening her sister’s murder case? And most of all, will Savannah’s murderer be found and brought to justice?

With twists and turns around every bend, drama, romance, and true friendships, Susan Strecker’s Nowhere Girl pulled me in right from the start. I adored Cady’s flaws, both in her inability to move on from her sister’s death and in her physical appearance. That being said, never did I pity Cady or become exasperated with her. She did not come across as self-loathing or like she had low self-esteem. Rather, she had understandable insecurities and imperfections, which stemmed from experiencing the crippling loss of a person who was quite literally a part of her. The identity of the killer kept me guessing throughout, and the ending was not at all what I expected. I don’t often pick up mysteries, but Susan Strecker might be just the author to turn me onto them. I highly recommend this story that will leave you absolutely breathless.

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About the Author:
Susan Strecker holds a B.A. from Drew University and a Masters of Marriage and Family Therapy from Southern Connecticut State University. She practiced in the field of adolescent drug and alcohol addiction. For ten years she ran a multi-venue motorsports park in Florida, taking over the business after her father's death. In 2008 she sold it to be home with her family and began writing. Strecker resides in Essex, Connecticut, with her husband and two children.

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Thomas Dunne Books is giving one lucky winner a print copy of
Nowhere Girl by Susan Strecker

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