The Drowned Girls (Angie Pallorino #1)

I made it through half of the book and had to stop reading. Graphic sex, foul language and poor writing got the better of me. The last chapter I read nauseated me. This might be for some but definitely not my cup of tea. I wish could rate a zero.

At over 500 pages, I doubted this book could keep the intensity going the whole time… but it did. It doesn’t let up! This is a great introduction to a fascinating new character, Angie Pallorino. Like many protagonists in suspense novels, she’s damaged… but her past is undeniably intriguing and she’s a bit sexy too. If you prefer your mysteries to have no sex or romance, this might not be for you. There’s some sweet romance, but it’s also a bit dirty. It can get a bit graphic at times in several ways.

Great detectives are always haunted by unsolved cases… the ones who got away. For Angie, one is a rapist last active a couple of years ago. She’d never seen anything like it. Everyone was left hoping he’d died or been sent to prison for a different crime… but he seems to be back. His calling card is a cross etched on the forehead. A lock of hair taken away. These details were kept from the public, but either he’s back or someone has a lot of information they shouldn’t…

Wanting to move to the homicide division from sex crimes, Angie seeks to prove herself. She knows it won’t be easy. She lost her partner on the job not so long ago, and many blame her for the demise of a fine detective. The tough road to her goal becomes just a little more rocky when she meets her new coworker… who happens to be the man she picked up the night before for a one time only fling. Oops.

I’m so excited to read a book with a damaged female detective who manages to still feel fresh and exciting. I’m so happy I read a lot of positive reviews about this one, which inspired me to pick it up! Looking forward to book number two. I hope it’s as difficult to put down as the first.

I received a copy of this book from Net Galley and Montlake Romance, thank you! My review is honest and unbiased.

THIS! This book! Just wow! So Dark, gritty and many secrets. This is what I look for when I read suspense. Kept me guessing until almost the end. Thank you Loreth and NetGalley for the opportunity to read it!

Holy, holy, holy cow! What an intense, edgy, sitting-on-the-seat-of-my-pants novel. About 25% of the way into the book I was wondering if I could keep reading it. Detective Angie Pallorino might be too broken to tolerate as a heroine. Then along comes James Maddocks — a strong, caring, tough homicide detective brand new to Victoria, B.C. Maybe he is too good and is this going to be an angst-driven romance? Big sigh — just keep reading. The plot is spectacular, hints and red herrings galore, police procedural spot on (as much as I know of Canada law – which is not much), and more than one bad guy and different levels of bad guys. Pretty soon, I was sighing again — big gulps of air filled with tension and out loud exclamations about what I was reading. I was hooked completely. This was my first Loreth Anne White book. I did not know what I was getting into here. So glad I read and trusted the reviews. Super book. A new great mystery/crime/detective writer for me to read.

I didn’t even need to read the blurb to know that I want to read a Loreth Anne White’s book.
As soon as I saw this cover and saw her name, my finger was requesting the book.

The Drowned Girls is everything I have come to expect from Loreth Anne White. Her characters are always well developed and interesting. Usually, they are damaged and trying to find their way.

Our main characters are Detective Angie Pallorino and James Maddocks.

Detective Angie Pallorino is trying her best to get a promotion into Homicide. However, her personal and professional life are both in turmoil. Her mother suffers from early dementia and schizophrenia. She was recently placed in a long term facility. When Angie starts seeing a little girl with red hair, she wonders if she’s getting sick like her mother did. In regards to her job, months ago, she lost her partner and a small child and she blames herself for it. Some of her co-workers also seem to think she’s to blame and she is confronted with multiple cold shoulders. Furthermore, Angie has some control issues and she constantly has to fight her anger issues. Starting a relationship is the last thing she wants especially when her new sex crime case involves a teenager who has been raped and almost drowned. She also has been marked with a cross on her face. This reminds Angie of a couple of cold cases from years past.

James Maddocks has relocated to Victoria to be closer to his daughter. His job destroyed his marriage and he’s trying to salvage his relationship with Ginny. He believes he has time to repair the damage until he’s called to the scene of a homicide. A girl has been found floating in the water. His job is to find the killer. The more they learn about Jane Doe, the more similarities they find with a recent sex crime victim.

When Angie and James’s path cross for the second time, they know they are in trouble. They are thrown together as temporary partners as part of the same task force to capture this serial killer. Yet, no one must know they met the night before and had a hot interlude.

The Drowned Girls is a fantastic thriller with amazing characters. I couldn’t put this book down. The narrative demands your attention. It’s impossible not to become involved with the characters. I liked the twists in the story as well as the addition of the killer’s POV.

As I realized this was turning into a series, I couldn’t wait to find out what happens next. I need the second book now. I do hope we learn more about Angie’s past and also everything about Kjel, the celibate cop.

Cliffhanger: No

4.5/5 Fangs

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