The Forgotten Girls

When it comes to choosing a new book there are a few factors that help me decide; is it an author I love, have I read great reviews or is it a genre or subject matter that I am interested in. The cover will also be a deciding factor if I’m looking to try something new. Terrible I know, but true.

That’s why I love being in a book club, you get thrown outside of your comfort zone and read books you wouldn’t normally.

The Forgotten Girls by Sara Blaedel is such a great example of this. If I had seen this book in a shop I’m almost certain I would never have picked it up because I don’t like the cover. To me this one looks like it is for a horror story and really reminded me of the Blair Witch Project (which I’ve always been to afraid to watch).

I am so glad that I did read it though. It has had me absolutely glued to the pages and I haven’t been able to put it down.

Louise Rick is the new Commander of the Missing Persons Department, when the body of a young woman is found in the forest. The woman has a very distinctive large scar on her face, so she should be easy to identify, and yet nobody has reported her missing. When her photo is published by the media, a woman identifies her as Lisemette, a child once cared for in the state mental institution. Stranger still, Lisemette and her twin sister were both issued death certificates thirty years ago.

While I have enjoyed reading this book, I do have to say that it is dark and there are many accounts of violence and in particular sexual violence which are upsetting. That said, it did draw me in totally, and had me wracking my brains to try and figure it out.

Sara Blaedel is described as Demark’s Queen of Crime and I would most certainly read more of her work. If you liked Jane Harper’s books Force of Nature and The Dry I think you would also enjoy this one. Definitely one that is worth a read.

Will it stop me from judging books by their covers? Honestly? Probably not, what can I say I love a good book cover although I will try to be more open minded.