Fans of Hidden Pictures and The Lovely Bones will enjoy this unconventional love story with a harrowing mystery and a bond that transcends time…

In the year 1986, 12-year-old Jackie Tanner leads a desolate existence alongside a flighty older sister and an absent mother. It isn’t until Jackie meets an older boy on the banks of the river that she understands the value of love and the bonds of friendship. But J.R. is only in southern Minnesota because his father, a detective with the FBI, is aiding local authorities in the search for missing girls. After the community goes into lockdown to protect their children, Jackie and J.R. navigate through the highs and lows of their complicated lives as close confidants.

Twitter #LostGirlsOfKato #QuinnAvery @naumannbooks @KellyALacey  @lovebookstours #LostGirlsOfKatoTour #Ad #LBTCrew #BookTwitter Instagram @authorquinnavery

In the year 2018, 32-year-old Sterling Pruitt is inexplicably lured from Los Angeles to a small Midwestern city where her lifelong dreams involving a little girl become even more vivid…tangible, even. When Sterling learns of the city’s haunting secrets, she confides in Theo, the handsome yet sullen carpenter hired to renovate her new home. Together, Sterling and Theo will question both their destinies and their grips on reality.

Once Sterling begins to understand the gravity of her dreams, she’ll do everything in her power to unlock the mystery behind the abductions in 1986. This enchanting, heartfelt, and often agonizing tale of friendship and tragedy reminds us the bonds of true love can etch a permanent place into our hearts.

My Review

I really enjoyed listening to this. I’ve never been that big a fan of audio books, but this was great. For me the pace is usually too slow and I get frustrated, but this was perfect. The narrator’s voice is soothing and easy to listen to.

The story is told from two points of view – Jackie Tanner in 1986, when the girls go missing – presumably abducted – and 2018 when 32 year old Sterling Pruitt finds herself inexplicably lured to Mankato, a small town in Minnesota, to start a new job. But it’s her vivid dreams about a young girl that have really drawn her to this location, dreams she doesn’t understand. She has bought a house that needs a huge amount of renovation, but she can afford it. Her mother is a famous Hollywood actor, but Sterling prefers to keep quiet about that part. She’s not a fan of the ‘celebrity’ lifestyle. She hires a local handyman, Theo Davies, to work on her house and finds herself attracted to him immediately.

Jackie is 12 years old in 1986. She lives with her older sister and her mum in Mankato. Her mum is rarely there and the girls more or less fend for themselves. Jackie doesn’t have many friends until she meets JR, who is two years older than her and already in high school. In the UK so would Jackie be at 12, but it must be different in the US.

Girls have gone missing and JR’s father, a detective with the FBI, has been relocated to southern Minnesota to investigate the disappearance of the girls. A curfew has been imposed to protect the young women of the community. Jackie regularly steals out of the house though to meet JR and they become firm friends.

What starts off as a typical case of kidnapped girls, turns into something quite different. Do Sterling’s dreams have anything to do with the abductions? And how does she know how much about what happened? Why is everyone in Mankato so secretive about the circumstances surrounding the disappearances in 1986, almost as if the past is being buried?

This was a very exciting read, with plenty of twists and surprises, made even more so by the use of audio

This was a very exciting read, with plenty of twists and surprises, made even more so by the use of audio – I never thought I would hear myself say that. It works so well because of the great narrator, who helps build up the suspense when it’s needed. I’d love to read more by this author in the future.

Many thanks to @lovebookstours for inviting me to be part of #LostGirlsOfKatoTour

About the Author

Quinn Avery, a lifelong Minnesota resident, writes romantic suspense thrillers, some of which are set in her favorite haunts (ie Mankato and Lake Shetek). An avid fan of the beach, a good book, and Dave Grohl, she enjoys spending her free time traveling with her favourite people and biggest fans – her husband and children. Quinn also writes romantic suspense as Jennifer Ann.

Handles/Tags

X (Twitter)
@naumannbooks
@KellyALacey
@lovebookstours 
#Ad #LBTCrew #Freereview

Instagram 
@authorquinnavery
@lovebookstours  
#Ad #LBTCrew #Bookstagram  #Freereview

Threads
@lovebookstours 

Facebook
@lovebookstours 

TikTok
@lovebookstours