A review by mackenzierm
The Next Girl by Pip Drysdale

mysterious tense fast-paced

5.0

THE NEXT GIRL popped into my email's inbox and its intriguing description had me racing to grab myself an ARC.

Billie wakes up in a strange man's bed with little memory of the night before until the memories rush back of her law firm losing a high profile assault case with it looking like she's at fault. Dr. Samuel Grange is now free to target another woman unless Billie can expose the truth of what he's really like. Her only problem is that to protect the next girl, she has to be the next girl.

As my first experience with Pip Drysdale's writing I can say that I am thoroughly impressed. I was quickly hooked into Billie's story by Pip's impeccable and captivating writing style. Her narration of Billie's inner monologue is akin to the feeling of having a chat with a close friend.  Billie's character is not without flaws, she's a bit of a mess but this makes her all the more relatable and you can't help but root for her.

This novel is addictive and gripping from beginning to end with nothing appearing as it seems. There's a lot of moving pieces and many unknowns that culminate to create a tense and suspenseful read.

I thought this story was original and very creatively put together. I loved the fast-paced nature of the plot as well as the authentic feel of Billie's tech-savvy skills (although I admittedly have very little clue about this level of internet sleuthing). The musical references and QR code to access the playlist was a lovely added touch!

I would like to thank Netgalley and the publisher, Simon and Schuster Canada, of this advanced digital copy for the opportunity to read this novel in exchange for an honest review! All opinions shared are my own.