The Forgotten Girls

by Sara Blaedel

Overview

The Forgotten Girls

The body of an unidentified woman has been discovered in a remote forest. A large, unique scar on one side of her face should make the identification easy, but nobody has reported her missing. Louise Rick, the new commander of the Missing Persons Department, waits four long days before pulling off a risky move: releasing a photo of the victim to the media, jeopardizing the integrity of the investigation in hopes of finding anyone who knew her.

The gamble pays off when a woman recognizes the victim as Lisemette, a child'she cared for in the state mental institution many years ago. Lisemette was a "forgotten girl", abandoned by her family and left behind in the institution. But Louise soon discovers something even more disturbing: Lisemette had a twin, and both girls were issued death certificates more than thirty years ago.

Louise's investigation takes a surprising when it brings her closer to her childhood home. And as she uncovers more crimes that were committed—and hidden—in the forest, she is forced to confront a terrible link to her own past that has been carefully concealed. Set against a moody and atmospheric landscape, The Forgotten Girls is twisty, suspenseful, emotionally intense novel that secures Sara Blaedel's place in the pantheon of great thriller writers.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781455581511
Publisher:	Grand Central Publishing
Publication date:	10/06/2015
Series:	Louise Rick Series , #7
Pages:	352
Sales rank:	1,148,292
Product dimensions:	5.20(w) x 7.90(h) x 1.00(d)

About the Author

Sara Blaedel is the author of the #1 international bestselling series featuring Detective Louise Rick. Her books are published in thirty-eight countries. In 2014 Sara was voted Denmark's most popular novelist for the fourth time. She is also a recipient of the Golden Laurel, Denmark's most prestigious literary award. She lives in New York City.

Editorial Reviews

"Tautly suspenseful and sociologically fascinating, THE FORGOTTEN GIRLS demonstrates yet again that the finest contemporary suspense fiction emanates from Europe's snowbound North."—BookPage

"For readers who gorge on captivating characters and chilling suspense, THE FORGOTTEN GIRLS is a tantalizing treat. Enjoy yourself, America." —Sandra Brown

"Sara Blaedel is a force to be reckoned with. Everyone keeps talking about the 'trend' in crime writers—Scandinavian, German, Russian. Blaedel is no trend. She's a remarkable crime writer who time and again delivers a solid, engaging story that any reader in the world can enjoy."—Karin Slaughter

"One of the best I've come across."—Michael Connelly

"Crackling with suspense, atmosphere, and drama, THE FORGOTTEN GIRLS is simply stellar crime fiction. I loved spending time with the tough, smart, and all-too-human heroine Louise Rick—and I can't wait to see her again."—Lisa Unger

"THE FORGOTTEN GIRLS is without doubt the best the author has delivered so far...strikingly well done....the chances are good that THE FORGOTTEN GIRLS will become your favorite crime novel for a long time to come."—Børsen (Denmark)

"THE FORGOTTEN GIRLS has it all. At its heart, it is a puzzling, intricate mystery whose solution packs a horrific double-punch...Once you start, you will have no choice but to finish it."—BookReporter

"Sara Blædel is at the top of her game. Louise Rick is a character who will have readers coming back for more."—Camilla Läckberg

"[THE FORGOTTEN GIRLS] is gripping when it depicts some horrific crimes...[An] uncompromising realism...distinguishes this novel at its best."—Washington Post

"Tightly knit."—Kirkus Reviews

"A sharp protagonist who wrestles with her own failings and fears, in a skillfully told
story that is typically dark in the manner of Nordic crime fiction."—Booklist

"Chilling...[a] swiftly moving plot and engaging core characters."—Publishers Weekly

"Already an international best seller, this outing by Denmark's "Queen of Crime" offers trademark Scandinavian crime fiction with a tough detective and a very grim mystery. Blaedel is incredibly talented at keeping one reading even as one wants to look away from the graphic scenes. Recommend to fans of Camilla Läckberg and Liza Marklund."—Library Journal

"Sara Blaedel's THE FORGOTTEN GIRLS is an emotionally complex police-procedural thriller set in Denmark. With a gripping premise, fast-paced narrative and well-developed characters, THE FORGOTTEN GIRLS is an incredible read."—FreshFiction.com

"This is a standout book that will only solidify the author's well-respected standing in crime fiction. Blaedel drops clues that will leave readers guessing right up to the reveal. Each new lead opens an array of possibilities, and putting the book down became a feat this reviewer was unable to achieve. Based on the history of treating the disabled, the story is both horrifying and all-to-real. Even the villains have nuanced and sympathetic motives."—RT Times - Top Pick **Nominated for a Reviewer's Choice Award**

From the Publisher

11/17/2014
In the chilling fourth Louise Rick thriller to be published in the U.S. from Danish bestseller Blaedel (after 2012’s Farewell to Freedom), the former Copenhagen homicide detective craves a fresh start as head of the fledgling Special Search Agency, but the unit’s first case plunges her back into a nightmare she has spent decades struggling to forget. Before the body of a middle-aged woman found in the forest can be identified, a toddler’s cries lead Louise and her enigmatic new partner, Eik Nordstrøm, to a brutally slain babysitter, not far from the first corpse—the very place where a teenage Louise suffered the tragedy that would shape her life. As the dogged investigator and Eik—to whom she finds herself attracted despite his alcoholism and other issues—pursue links to a long-shuttered mental institution, it starts to look as if the past could prove key to catching a present-day monster. The swiftly moving plot and engaging core characters help make up for serviceable prose and a hard-to-swallow denouement. Author tour. (Feb.)

Publishers Weekly

12/01/2014
This is Blaedel's fourth Det. Louise Rick and journalist Camilla Lind mystery (after Farewell to Freedom) to be released in the United States, although this is actually the fifth in the series. Hoping she hasn't made a huge mistake with her career, Louise Rick now heads the new Special Search Agency, which investigates missing-person reports. The job isn't off to the best start when Louise has to retrieve her new partner Eik Nordstrom from the bar where he is passed out. Their first case is an unidentified woman found dead in a forest near where Louise grew up, and scans show the victim was mentally disabled. Heading to the forest to investigate, Louise and Eik encounter another body. As the danger mounts, the case forces Louise to confront the reasons she left her hometown while she tries to find the killer before he strikes again. VERDICT Already an international best seller, this outing by Denmark's "Queen of Crime" offers trademark Scandinavian crime fiction with a tough detective and a very grim mystery. Blaedel is incredibly talented at keeping one reading even as one wants to look away from the graphic scenes. Recommend to fans of Camilla Läckberg and Liza Marklund. [See Prepub Alert, 8/22/14.]

Library Journal

2014-11-29
Taking charge of Copenhagen's Special Search Agency, detective Louise Rick (Farewell to Freedom, 2012, etc.) catches the case of a young woman who's been found dead more than 30 years after her death certificate was issued.Responding to a public announcement, Agnete Eskildsen, a former care assistant at the Eliselund facility for the mentally disabled, identifies the distinctively scarred woman who recently took a fatal fall as Lisemette, who was one of the young patients at Eliselund a generation ago. The complication is that Lisemette turns out to be two people, Lise Andersen and her twin sister, Mette, and that they were both pronounced dead at age 17 on the same day back in 1980. Louise's recent corpse is clearly Lise, but how can she have been alive (and having sex) until very recently—and what's become of Mette, whom the Special Search Agency no longer has any reason to assume is actually dead? Ragner Rønholt, Louise's new boss, wants her to mark the case closed now that she's identified the dead woman, and you can see why. The murder of child care provider Karin Lund has reopened the search for a rapist who may have been preying on women in the neighborhood of Hvalsø ever since 23-year-old Lotte Svendsen went missing in 1991. But Louise, egged on by both her new colleague Eik Nordstrøm and her old friend Camilla Lind, keeps dogging the surviving staff at Eliselund until she uncovers long-buried secrets as ugly as you could wish. This first installment of a new trilogy for Louise and the Special Search Staff is perhaps the most tightly knit of Blaedel's grim procedurals.

Kirkus Reviews