The Girls: The gripping Richard and Judy Book Club pick

Product Information

I hesitate to go into too much detail because each development is important to the progression of the story. Sure, you kind of know where the story is going from the start but as you begin to piece together the puzzle you realize just how much more complex things really are. There's murder, mental instability, love (which you might could argue is mental instability in itself), and most of all, the dynamic of neighborly fellowship. Even if things weren't seemingly crumbling from within, the last thing this place needs is more drama. Clare and her 2 daughters move into a new home that shares a communal "garden" with other families. Things seem fine at first as they always do, but then things turn out to not be as fine as they seem. There are cliques, family secrets, jealousy, relationships changing upon the arrival of the new family, and a 15 year old murder mystery of another teenage girl. What did I think?: I really enjoyed this book. It wasn't the heart-racing tale that I had possibly hoped, but it wasn't disappointing either. I see this one really being popular with many readers and I'm glad I was able to get my hands on it and share it with others early on. I didn't particularly warm to either Clare or Adele, they were each too one-dimensional and cliched. The reader meets so many different people who are part of the estate, that its difficult to keep up withe everyone, their actions and their motivations.

The book begins with the discovery of bones in the Thames River that is related to a 30-year-old cold case. Poppy, Floyd’s youngest daughter, however has striking similarities to Ellie, which only leaves Laurel with more questions than answers. This story really puzzled me, and not completely in a good way. I find it hard to decide exactly which genre it falls under - its a little drama, a little mystery, a little crime. Jewell is known for stories featuring complex family and friend orientated issues, which this book does well. However, there is no one lead protagonist, which makes it difficult to fully understand any one character. The story opens on the day of Virginia Terrace’s annual community garden party. There’s a BBQ; wine; music; everyone’s children running around playing games and roaming through the place. The garden boasts a small playground with swings and a roundabout; a so-called secret garden, gated and mysterious, and a larger, wilder patch of ground that everyone calls ‘The Jungle’. It’s child heaven.I give Lisa Jewell a lot of credit, right from the start I felt totally immersed within the garden community. The setting descriptions are beautiful and almost at times unsettling in their real-ness. I found myself feeling like I could totally picture the places these characters were walking. It's a real sense of adventure to be able to immerse yourself in a book like that.

All across the USA, people are showing up dead. The deaths don't appear to be connected in any way until one particular death occurs and gets the Secretary of Defense's attention. He arranges for a task force to investigate. Who should read it?: If you like thrillers or mysteries, I wouldn't say this necessarily fits into that niche, but I still think you would probably enjoy it. It wouldn't surprise me if we saw this in theaters in the future.

Creative Play

Right now, two people who seemed destined to be with each other forever are gradually growing alienated.