The Graveyard Girls is the eleventh installment in Rita Herron's Detective Ellie Reeves series, and it delivers yet another suspenseful, fast-paced addition to the series.
Some secrets refuse to stay buried, no matter how many years have passed. That is exactly what Ellie Reeves and her team discover in this installment.
Years ago, sixteen-year-old Ruth Higgins vanished without a trace. The only evidence left behind was a single red shoe and a red scarf. Not long afterward, the prime suspect in her disappearance also disappeared. When skeletal remains are uncovered in a deserted graveyard years later, everyone believes Ruth has finally been found. However, the investigation takes an unexpected turn when the remains are identified as another missing teenage girl. As more bodies are discovered, each accompanied by a red shoe and a red scarf, the team is left questioning whether the suspect from years ago was truly responsible or if someone else has been hiding in the shadows all along.
Ellie and her team have their work cut out for them. They are digging up decades-old secrets while searching for an abusive suspect who seemingly vanished. At the same time, his daughters are keeping secrets of their own, making it even harder to separate truth from lies.
As if the investigation isn't complicated enough, Ellie's relationship with Cord introduces another layer of uncertainty. He has secrets that may or may not have an impact on the case, creating additional tension outside of the murder investigation.
One aspect I particularly enjoyed was the killer's point of view. It added another layer of suspense and gave readers insight into what drove the killer to commit these horrific crimes without taking away from the mystery.
The Graveyard Girls kept me turning the pages as I tried to figure out whether the killer was the person everyone suspected or someone hiding in plain sight. Rita Herron once again delivers an engaging mystery filled with twists, buried secrets, and plenty of suspense. If you're a fan of police procedurals with compelling characters and cold cases that refuse to stay buried, this one is definitely worth picking up.