The Running Girls

By: Matt Brolly

Narrated by: Patricia Santomasso

Length: 8 hrs and 46 mins

Publisher's summary

From the bestselling author of the Detective Louise Blackwell series comes a story of two murders, twenty years apart. There’s only one suspect. But what if he’s innocent?

Twenty years ago, in the seaside town of Galveston, Texas, Annie Randall took her dog for a walk. The dog returned. Annie did not. When her body was found, cruelly broken and posed like a runner, there was only ever one suspect: Annie’s husband, Frank. Now he’s served his time and come home–but the locals won’t let him forget. Especially when there’s a new ‘running girl’ murder…

Detective Laurie Campbell remembers Annie’s case. She’s also married to the Randalls’ son. Painfully conscious of the deep wounds within her family, and still suffering from a personal tragedy of her own, Laurie takes the lead on the new investigation. As much as the finger of suspicion points to her father-in-law, something doesn’t add up. If he didn’t commit the most recent murder, is it possible he never killed Annie either? And if he didn’t, who did?

As a terrifying hurricane hits Galveston, Laurie finds herself in a dangerous race against time. Can she find the answers that could heal her broken family before the wind and the waves hide them forever?

©2023 Matt Brolly (P)2023 Brilliance Publishing, Inc., all rights reserved.

Critic reviews

“Totally gripping from the start.…If you’re looking for pace, thrills, an intriguing concept, and compelling characters then this is the book for you.”—Imogen Clark, million-copy selling author of Reluctantly Home

“It’s dark and twisted and brilliantly tense, and I loved it. Next one please!”—Kitty Murphy

“Brolly delivers a fast-paced, emotionally charged story that will have you flipping to the very last page to solve the mystery.”—Cara Reinard, bestselling author of Into the Sound

GREAT READ WITH A GREAT PACE!

Great read, and Laurie is the one anyone would want on their team! Especially Frank. I knew there would be a lot twist at the end, but the direction I was going with who would be who was all wrong. The narrator was perfect in helping to bring the book to life.

The injustice will tug at your heart strings

Frank Randall spent the past 16yrs paying for the gruesome murder of his wife. Now he’s back at his Galveston home…and another woman is murdered in the same way. All signs point to Frank but his daughter-in-law, Detective Laurie Campbell, is beginning to doubt the original case. With a hurricane bearing down on them, Laurie is determined to catch the killer before it’s too late. This heart pounding story will keep you in its grasp until THE END!!

Not what I expected

there were parts that were certainly hard to get into bit definitely left me guessing as to who was responsible and watching it evolve and come to a resolution. The pain and turmoil she felt, was all to real the distance between her and her husband just added to the drama and story unfolding

Great but sad story

I enjoyed this and couldn’t put it down until it was done. It was a good story but so sad too. I love this author! I’d like to thank everyone that made it possible to listen for free through kindle unlimited.

Great mystery..

This was really a great mystery to solve. It really kept my attention…although it took me awhile to figure out that Frank and Randal
lol were the same person. Laurie was an amazing woman, but had a self esteem problem..and loosing her child seemed to only make that come to the surface more. She had amazing tenacity when searching for justice. Good read.

Intriguing

This story will keep your attention from start to finish. I thoroughly enjoyed this book.

Disappointed

This is the third book I’ve read by Matt Brolly. It was one of the worst books read in my three years as an Audible member. I disliked the “breathy” voice of the narrator which was often at odds with the action of the novel. There was so much repetition of material within the novel it seemed the author/editor was trying to reach a word count. The editing of the novel was not up to par (“impassable” vs impassable). Could have been an interesting read if the writing was tighter.

Pass

Voice actress was good. Story premise sounded good and was fast paced. However, the authors turns the protagonist into an infuriating constant internal monologue. The supporting characters were unlikable. I rarely give up on a book once I’ve started. But I couldn’t wait for this one to be over.

Good Story, Disappointed w/editing

For me there are a few things that should never appear in a finished book. One is unnecessary repetition. When it becomes as excessive as in this book it seems like word count filler. This seemed like an editing and proofreading fail because the story itself is a really good one. Also the body dysmorphia conveyed more like fat shaming rather than a response to overwhelming grief. Clearly her coping skill was needed for later in the book but it wasn’t as powerful as it could have been. There is so much to like about the story even though I’ve focused on two negatives. I would love to listen again if ever there was a rewrite.

Narration was really good!