The Girl from Silent Lake

A Totally Gripping and Heart-Pounding Crime Thriller (Detective Kay Sharp, Book 1)

By: Leslie Wolfe

Narrated by: Gwendolyn Druyor

Length: 14 hrs and 36 mins

Publisher's summary

"Please, not in front of my daughter,” she pleaded. “She’s just a little girl.” He leaned closer, so close she felt his heated breath on her face. The blue jays that had been filling the valley with their chirping fell silent all at once when the woman’s cry ripped through the clear mountain air....

Detective Kay Sharp vowed she’d never return to her childhood home. On the night of her 13th birthday, her broken family was shattered beyond repair, and leaving was the only option. Unable to fix her own past, she’s been an FBI profiler for more than a decade, desperate to save others.

But now Kay’s back, and only she can solve the crime that has rocked the tight-knit community of Mount Chester to its core. A dead woman has been found by Silent Lake under the dew-covered fall leaves, her hair braided, and her body wrapped in a blanket. This small town may be a stranger to murder, but Kay recognizes the signs of a serial killer. She’s certain that the ritualistic nature of the scene means it’s just a matter of time until he strikes again - unless she catches him first.

As yellow "do-not-cross" tape flaps in the biting wind, another woman is reported missing. Kay leads a frenzied search for out-of-towner Alison Nolan, and when she locates her car, Kay’s blood turns to ice as she shines her flashlight on the backseat and sees a teddy bear. Alison’s six-year-old little girl, Hazel, has vanished too.

Kay knows the missing-person investigation could turn into a murder case at any second. But as she hunts for the culprit, her own past closes in on her. Can she find the killer before it’s too late? And will the secret she thought she’d buried stay that way?

A totally gripping and utterly addictive new crime thriller series for listeners who love Lisa Regan, Robert Dugoni, and Kendra Elliot.

©2021 Leslie Wolfe (P)2021 Bookouture, an imprint of Storyfire Ltd.

Engaging Story

I enjoyed the story. It was interesting and had some good details. I didn't care for the narration. the narrator switched back and forth between accents that didn't make sense, and at times sounded like a little kid reading a book.

Great story

It was a great story, that was really what kept me listening to the book. The narrator was very difficult to listen to, especially when she was trying to imitate the female victims in the story and theDetective from Texas. She made him sound like a stupid redneck.

Annie M

Not a bad story, but when the Unsub got the FBI’s gun from her, that was just stupid. The narration was awful. Every character was way over, exaggerated with the voice shaking, and the accents were horrible. My husband is from Texas. Nobody talks like that.

Narration

Story was okay. Minor disconnects. Would listen to the rest of the series but the narration entirely too irritating. Sorry.

Great police procedural

Great police procedural. FBI profiler, Kay Sharp has returned home to Mount Chester to investigate why her brother has been arrested and jailed. When a young mother and child disappear while on the way to a lakeside cabin, Kay offers her expertise to the local sheriff. Can Kay and team catch a clever killer before it’s too late? Why does Kay feel that she’s being watched? Enjoyable story and great start to the series.

Fantastic thriller!

I loved every second of this book, but it was the narrator that told the story in a goosebump raising fashion!

Great book with intensity!

I loved this book. It kept me on my toes and made driving to work amazing!

Amazing story!

This first in series book introduces Kay Sharp, an FBI agent who takes a leave from her profiling job to go back to her hometown in the wake of a family crisis. She quickly and unexpectedly finds herself assisting local law enforcement in the apprehension of a serial killer. I will not recap the entire story line as I feel it unnecessary given the description provided in the listing. I want to comment on the exceptional details provided on why and how the killer became the monster that tortured and killed several women. The psychological insights and fascinating statistics about serial killers add so much authenticity and bone-chilling detail to the plot that it was impossible for me to put this book down once I started reading it. The main character, Kay, is an intelligent and capable woman who has worked hard to overcome a tragic past. She is a very compelling and authentic character that is easy to become invested in. I loved the fast pace of the story, the perfect balance of describing the horrendous acts perpetrated by the killer without wallowing in excessive gruesome detail, and the subtle promise of a more powerful relationship between Kay and the detective she works with to solve this case. I read the book first and later went back and listened to the audiobook for this story. In all honesty, I have to say that had I gotten the audiobook first, I might not have finished the story. I found the narrator to be completely unsuitable for this story. Her voice is far too timid and fearful (whether fearfulness was appropriate to the situation or not). Her distinction of characters was lacking (ex. I am a native Texan and the accent used for Detective Elliot Young – from Austin, Texas - was hard for me to listen to). Sadly, the grit and determination of the lead character, Kay, was just not represented with the narrator’s performance. The pace of narration was uniformly and painfully slow and did not reflect the urgency of some of the situations. There are, no doubt, stories that would benefit from the narrator's timorous voice but, in my opinion, this story was not one of them. Regardless, this story laid a firm groundwork for what promises to be a highly addictive and compelling series. I can’t wait to see what the author plans for these characters in their future adventures. I would give the story more than five stars if I could but, in my opinion, the narration detracted from the overall enjoyment of this audiobook.

I was provided with a copy of this audiobook and I am voluntarily offering my honest and unbiased review.

difficult to listen

The story was captivating but it was hard listening to the narrator. at time she sounds like a robot, other times her accents where terrible. I had to push through to get to the end.

Excellent

FBI Agent Kay leaving San Francisco and heading home, because. of her brother Jacob. A drunken punch and now a six month sentence was given to him. Her career gone, and now a place haunted by memories, more like nightmare of what had been done there. . Now wondering how to even spend a night in the derelict unkept house.
A newspaper telling of a murder at Cuwar. Lake Forest, a young woman was buried. The braided hair, the feathers, a case that intrigues her.
Detective Elliott stops by and wants to learn from her experiences.
We have Kay a strong, determined woman who is good at profiling.
Good flowing plot, figuring out the killer’s motives and who he caught in his twisted web and to prove his mother was wrong.
Given audio for my voluntary review and my honest