The Lost Girls

Starred review from May 1, 2021

Marti Reese's life hasn't been the same since her older sister Maggie stepped into a car with a man and told eight-year-old Marti to run. Twenty years later, Marti is called to the police station to see if a Jane Doe's corpse might be Maggie. Marti has turned her pain into an award-winning podcast, but it also destroys her marriage as her drinking spins out of control. When Marti receives a message from a woman named Ava Vreeland, she and her podcasting partner grab this opportunity to investigate their next case. Ava is convinced that her brother Colin was convicted of a murder he didn't commit, and she thinks that Maggie's disappearance might hold the key to the crime. According to Ava, the Reese sisters grew up in the same neighborhood as Colin's alleged victim. Marti launches an investigation, feeling that she's spent her entire adult life chasing after lost girls who never got the chance to grow up. There's a master manipulator out there who knows every one of Marti's secrets and uses them to free a killer, but they don't count on Marti's survival instincts. VERDICT Readers who enjoy true crime, especially podcasts, as well as thrillers featuring unreliable narrators, will appreciate Chiarella's (And Again) haunting story of lost girls, lost women, and revenge.--Lesa Holstine, Evansville Vanderburgh P.L., IN

Copyright 2021 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from May 24, 2021
For more than 20 years, Marti Reese, the narrator of this outstanding psychological thriller from Chiarella (And Again), has obsessively searched for her sister, Maggie, who disappeared from near their suburban Chicago home. Before getting into a strange car, teenage Maggie told Marti, then eight years old, to run. Marti’s all-consuming quest has ruined her marriage and estranged her from her parents, but her true crime podcast documenting her search wins her awards and puts Maggie’s case back in the news. It also catches the attention of ER doctor Ava Vreeland, who approaches Marti about doing a podcast involving her younger brother, Colin McCarty, who was convicted seven years earlier for killing his girlfriend, Sarah Ketchum. Marti has no interest in trying to prove Colin’s innocence, but she is interested in telling Sarah’s story, which has many similarities to Maggie’s. Marti and Ava quickly bond, united by how they were changed by girls close to them who went missing. Surprising twists accent this poignant story about two women, each with a single-minded goal. Chiarella is a writer to watch. Agent: Richard Abate, 3 Arts Entertainment.

August 20, 2021
An engrossing sophomore novel by And Again (2016) author Chiarella. It's been more than 20 years since Marti Reese witnessed her sister, Maggie get into a car and disappear forever. Maggie's absence and mysterious whereabouts have defined Marti's life, causing her to implode, ruin her marriage and turn to alcohol to cope. Marti continues to hope that Maggie is still alive and hunts for answers using her true crime podcast. Ava Vreeland has never given up on overturning her brother's murder conviction. Noticing some coincidences between her brother's case and Maggie's, Ava reaches out to Marti and the two begin a journey to save their loved ones; both single mindedly driven to find answers, no matter the cost. Chiarella brilliantly blends disturbing past events and the heart thumping present, unapologetically throwing the reader into Marti's twisted and obsessive world. Marti is a sympathetic character despite her destructive life choices and the plot moves steadily without revealing itself prematurely. Readers who expect a neat, satisfying conclusion will be disappointed but enthralled nonetheless. Fans of Gillian Flynn and Paula Hawkins will enjoy this one!

COPYRIGHT(2021) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.