Book Review: The Fourth Girl (Haven Cliff, #1) by Wendy Corsi Staub
When I first heard about The Fourth Girl, I was intrigued by the eerie premise surrounding a decades-old disappearance and the reunion of three fragile friendships on the anniversary of their friend’s vanishing. Wendy Corsi Staub, known for her Lily Dale Mystery series, had me curious. I’ve enjoyed her work in the past, so I hoped to find another gripping read nestled within the pages of this new series. However, my excitement dwindled as I navigated the book’s landscape.
At its core, The Fourth Girl explores themes of friendship, loyalty, and the haunting weight of secrets. Midge, Kelly, and Talia reunite at Haven Cliff, where their friend Caroline disappeared on prom night twenty-five years ago. The tension amplifies when a body is discovered near the site of Caroline’s last known whereabouts, and suddenly the past resurfaces with relentless force. I appreciated the premise; it holds great potential for a gripping narrative, yet somehow, it stumbled along the way.
The characters, unfortunately, failed to resonate with me. Midge, the police detective, lacks the depth that would typically invite readers to root for her. Kelly and Talia, the other two friends, felt more like placeholders than fully realized individuals. None of them evoked enough empathy for me to engage deeply in their plight. This lack of connection made it hard to appreciate the weight of their shared trauma, leaving me detached even as the mystery unfolded.
Throughout the narrative, Staub employs a back-and-forth timeline, which initially intrigued me. However, it quickly became confusing. Each timeline shift felt abrupt, jarring the flow of the story and muddling character development. I found myself longing for clarity, but instead, I was met with a convoluted plot that felt stretched thin. The excerpt paints a haunting visual, but I craved the suspense that should accompany such moments—an anticipation that never quite materialized.
While I might’ve hoped to devour this book in a matter of days, it instead lingered on my reading list for five. I found myself questioning the book’s classification as a thriller; the suspense was minimal, leaving me yearning for adrenaline that never arrived. The execution of a potentially intriguing plot fell short, making this a lukewarm read ultimately.
With all this said, The Fourth Girl may appeal to readers who enjoy slower, character-focused mysteries without the intense thrill of a typical crime novel. Fans of the author might still appreciate her narrative style, aiming for an exploration of friendships intertwined with tragedy rather than a heart-pounding thriller.
In conclusion, while I wished for a captivating experience akin to those I’ve had with Staub’s other works, The Fourth Girl simply didn’t deliver. If you’re drawn to stories centered on nostalgia and unresolved secrets without the expectation of suspense, it may resonate with you. As for me, I’ll be putting this series aside for now, reflecting on how sometimes expectations can both elevate and dampen the reading experience.
⭐⭐.5
Happy reading, friends!
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