The Innocent Girls

Tears stream down her face as she feels the cold blade press against her neck. The sweet scent of her daughter’s favorite strawberry pancakes all around, her last thought is for her beautiful girl. Please, please let Lisa have escaped.

When Detective Casey White is called early one morning to a beachside vacation campsite in the Outer Banks, she finds the bodies of Carl and Peggy Pearson side-by-side, their throats cut, and their thirteen-year-old daughter Lisa nowhere to be found. Haunted by memories of her own missing girl, Casey fears this could soon become a triple murder: because without the medication found in the bathroom cabinet, Lisa has just days to live.

As her team struggle to untangle the meaning of the cryptic symbol carved into the victims’ skin, Casey searches the area for signs of Lisa: and is rewarded when she finds her blistered and barefoot, staggering along the highway. The girl barely has breath left to whisper ‘he invited me’ before blacking out.

Days later, another couple is found murdered on a vacation yacht. A different symbol is etched on their bodies, and their teenage daughter is also missing. Casey’s only clue is an unsettling ‘invitation’ found on the girl’s phone, to a secluded building out in the cornfields.

Desperate to uncover who is luring these innocent families to their deaths, and certain forensics have missed something vital, Casey matches up the crime scene photos herself. The symbols combine to form an upcoming date. The killer is taunting them with the timing of the next murder.

Racing to follow the invitation in time, when Casey arrives she is shocked to glimpse not the missing girls from this case, but her own missing daughter…

An absolutely addictive mystery thriller that will have you holding your breath until the shocking final twist. Perfect for fans of Kendra Elliot, Robert Dugoni and Melinda Leigh.

Read what everyone’s saying about B.R. Spangler:

‘OMG WHAT A BOOK!!!… A real page-turner and rollercoaster… Hooked from the first page… I literally devoured this book in one sitting. Cancel everything and curl up with this fantastic five-star read… I LOVED IT!!!!’ Goodreads Reviewer, 5 stars

‘I loved this book!! It has everything you could want in a mystery/thriller. It grabbed me from the first sentence and didn't let me go until the last one. I couldn't turn the pages fast enough… This book is one of my favorites of the year.’ Goodreads Reviewer, 5 stars

‘An explosive, exciting, twisty, riveting read that will have you gasping for air. Make sure to set some time aside to read this one because once you start, you won’t want to stop until you reach its shocking conclusion. A propulsive thriller with a fantastic female protagonist you’ll connect with immediately!’ Lisa Regan, USA Today bestselling author of the Detective Josie Quinn series

‘This is one of the best mysteries I have read this year. It's an emotional rollercoaster. Full of suspense, the action never lets up… I couldn't put this book down… I held my breath… I cannot wait to see where the series goes from here.’ Goodreads Reviewer, 5 stars

‘Casey White might be my new favorite character… starts off with a bang and keeps the intensity flowing throughout… will leave readers salivating for more! It's a fantastic read and I can't wait to read the next instalment in the series! WOWZA!’ NetGalley Reviewer, 5 stars

Genre: Mystery