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Sunday, March 31, 2019

REVIEW: Girl Most Likely by Max Allan Collins @amazonpub @MaxAllanCollins

Girl Most Likely 
by Max Allan Collins

Thank you to Little BIrd Publicity and Thomas & Mercer for this copy.


Publisher: Thomas & Mercer
Publish Date: April 1, 2019
Paperback
272 Pages
Standalone
Genre: Crime Fiction, Police Procedural, Thriller

In a small Midwest town, twenty-eight-year-old Krista Larson has made her mark as the youngest female police chief in the country. She’s learned from the best: her father, Keith, a decorated former detective. But as accustomed as they are to the relative quiet of their idyllic tourist town, things quickly turn with Krista’s ten-year high school reunion.

With the out-of-towners holed up in a lakefront lodge, it doesn’t take long to stir up old grudges and resentments. Now a successful TV host, Astrid Lund, voted the “Girl Most Likely to Succeed”—and then some—is back in town. Her reputation as a dogged reporter has made the stunning blonde famous. Her reputation among her former classmates and rivals has made her infamous. Astrid’s list of enemies is a long one. And as the reunion begins, so does a triple murder investigation.

Krista and her father are following leads and opening long-locked doors from their hometown to the Florida suburbs to Chicago’s underworld. They just never imagined what would be revealed: the secrets and scandals of Krista’s own past.

My Review:


Remember that girl in high school you loved to hate.  The one who stole all the boyfriends, who dressed impeccably, who made you feel tiny and was voted the Most Likely to Succeed?  Well in this book, that girl is Astrid.  She shows up to the reunion dressed to the nines and people are already fawning all over her.. again!  Krista just kind of observes and is surprised when Astrid approaches her to apologize and ask for her help.  When Krista shows up to her house the next day... well, this is where the story starts to take off. 

I absolutely love the relationship between Krista and her father, Keith.  "Was it the kale?" 🤣 She brings him in on the murder investigation as a consultant and he notices a connection to another case and they're off and running to try and figure out who the killer is.  What I did love was the different point of views - especially of the killer as this was in a gender neutral voice and had me looking in one direction that didn't pan out.  (A detective, I most certainly am not!)

For me, this was a fun light thriller that reads like part police procedural and part high school turned adult drama.  The writing is fast paced and fun and you can see the personalities shine for each character.  Although I never figured out who the killer was, when the reveal came I just kinda went, "Oh ok."  Not surprised but it didn't hold much of an impact either.  

If you don't like to veer out of the thriller genre, this is a perfect palate cleanser in between the darker reads.  This is also perfect for a beach read or quick travel read as at under 300 pages, this one flies! I also found it highly entertaining. I would definitely read this author again.

★★★☆

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