Hush Little Girl: An absolutely gripping mystery and suspense thriller

I would like to thank Bookouture for the ARC of Hush Little Girl by Lisa Regan. This is the first book that I have read of Lisa Regan and I cannot believe I waited this long to read one of her books. Hush Little Girl is the eleventh novel of the Detective Josie Quinn series. When I requested this book I did not realize at first it was a part of a series and I was a little concerned that I would be completely lost. Lisa Regan did an impressive job of writing this book as its own story and has intrigued me to go back to the beginning of this series and read them all. Josie Quinn is a Detective in Denton, Pennsylvania. When a twelve-year-old girl is found, presumably murdered, on the front steps of a local church, Josie is there to investigate. Upon the girl's chest is an eerie doll made of pinecones. When Josie sees her face she is shocked and realizes that she recognizes this girl, Holly Mitchell. A few months prior, Holly's mom, Lorelei, had stopped to help Josie, who was stranded on the side of the road after hitting a deer. Josie heads to Lorelei's house to break the terrible news and it is apparent right away that something is wrong. Inside she discovers Lorelei is also dead, and Lorelei's youngest daughter Emily is missing. Emily is eventually found, hiding in a secret hideout in the wall. Soon enough they discover another pinecone doll. "It means he's sorry" Emily soon says. Josie attempts to get more information from Emily she refuses to tell Josie who it is she is referring to. As Josie continues to investigate a tragedy befalls her family. Stricken with grief Josie realizes that she is running out of time and tries to concentrate on solving this case. Will Josie discover the truth before the killer strikes again? Even though this was the eleventh book in the Detective Josie Quinn series I was pulled right into this intense and interesting story. Lisa Regan does a great job of writing in such a way that I was able to pick up this book and not feel lost or that I was missing big chunks from the past. The writing in itself was consistent and clear. I felt emotionally involved with the characters, especially Josie. Detective Josie Quinn was a strong and brave character. Even when the case became personal for her, she was able to hold her head high and persevere. She connected with Emily right away and was able to gain her trust. Because of her own traumatic past, she can relate to and connect with those around her. The little pine cone dolls being left added elements of mystery and suspense to the story. At first, they seemed kind of creepy but as we learn the symbolism behind them they don't seem so menacing. This book left me wanting more! I did not want it to end and lucky for me I can go back to the very beginning and read more! Lisa Regan has captured my attention and I can't wait to read her other books.

It’s Josie and Noah’s wedding day and there’s a body in the church. Of course that causes a delay in the nuptials. Lisa’s books make me so happy and this one a little sad, but as flawed as Josie is, I really like and relate to her. The way in which the author handles children and mental illness is admirable. There’s no pity, excuses or lectures, just an understanding that people have different hurdles in life and some include mental illness. There’s a great race to solve the crime, with a well thought out crime and a nice balance with the characters. And my favorite moment of the book was the advice, “You have to learn to live with them both: grief and happiness. If you can’t live with them both, you'll never make it.” If you haven’t read the entire series, I’d run out and start at the beginning and if you have, then grab this one and hunker down for a great read.

Hush Little Girl by Lisa Regan Detective Josie Quinn #11 Excellent, thought provoking, intricately woven story with twists, turns, red herrings and so many complications to overcome – this story grabbed my attention and kept it till the very end! What I liked: * The foreshadowing in the first scene * The wedding plans coming to fruition for Lisa and Noah * Josie: dedicated, empathetic, complicated, professional, loving, good leader, tenacious, perfect for Noah * Noah: stalwart, dependable, professional, dedicated, loving, loving, perfect for and with Josie * Seeing Josie’s family and the part some played in the story * The police procedural aspects of the story * Sawyer: I find him interesting and want to know how his story will play out * Emily: tough cookie, only eight, felt for her * Pax: more to him than his father and others gave him credit for * Rory: complicated character that I felt for but could also fear * The complexity of the case… * All the interwoven strands that had to be untangled and eventually were tied together * Being drawn in and feeling a part of the story * Josie’s team and getting to see how they were doing * All of it really except… What I didn’t like: * The person I was meant to dislike…easy to do and definitely found the person reprehensible * The choices Lorelei made that had, in my opinion, a negative impact on many * The loss of some lives that should have been able to live longer * Having to wait for the next book Did I enjoy this book? Yes Would I read more in this series? Definitely Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the ARC – This is my honest review. 5 Stars