The Girls in the Dark

 

The Girls in the Dark by Avery Bishop
4/24/26; 404 pages
Bookouture 

The Girls in the Dark by Avery Bishop is a very highly recommended psychological thriller. This one improves with each new chapter and ended up capturing my complete attention. 4.5 rounded up.

Twenty year ago Megan escaped a sadistic serial killer who held her and her fifteen-year-old twin sister Alison captives for five months. Their brutal abductor had put shock collars on them and locked them up in cages in an underground room. It was incredible that Meagan escaped, although she is still traumatized by what happened and worries about what happened to her sister. Their abductor was never found and this, too, haunts Meagan.

Once out, Meagan ended up writing a book, which made her even more well known and exposed. Now, on the twentieth anniversary of her escape, during the Q&A after her talk she is asked a question about something only her sister would know. Then she later finds a black rose in her car with a note. It is a warning and she begins to wonder if her sister is still alive and angry at the promise she failed to keep. Complicating matter is the documentary being made about her case and questions about it arising.

This is a well-written psychological thriller that starts out feeling like a tried and true familiar plot but gradually kept getting better and more compelling until it was completely un-put-downable. I suspected one twist in the plot but was completely blindsided for several others. We know through Meagan that she has secrets, that she hasn't told the whole story. This fact alone makes you question everything that is happening to Meagan, and it becomes increasingly threatening. It is also clear that someone knows the truth behind what happened.

The narrative unfolds through dual timelines, the present day threatening occurrences and the horrific events from the past. Both timelines are equally compelling and will hold your complete attention. The past, with the girls in captivity, is horrifying and heartbreaking. The present, where Meagan feels progressively threatened by an unknown entity becomes increasingly ominous. Your sympathy and support will be with Meagan throughout the novel, even when you question her reliability as a narrator.

The Girls in the Dark is a perfect choice for those who enjoy psychological thrillers. Thanks to Bookouture for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.