An excellent read full of suspense and heart stopping moments. The genre is fairly common, young girls being abducted, one by one, by a perpetrator with a backstory and an aim he thinks is perfectly reasonable and logical. The details, however, have a real feeling of originality and there are plenty of quirks to the storyline which really held my attention, coupled with a lot of tension.
Two of the fathers of kidnapped girls join forces to investigate themselves and as an unlikely mix of backgrounds and characters they add a lot of interest and emotional weighting to the story. The different and very strong characters of the girls who join forces in such a time of adversity were also brilliantly written.
I loved the pace of the story and some of the details were very clever (no spoilers so won’t elaborate) The writing style was also very engaging and easy to follow. I definitely recommend.

This was my first book by author Jeff Stetson and it won’t be my last! The Stolen Girls was so thrilling & unpredictable, and tackled rough topics like family trauma, abuse, racism, justice system, and kidnapping.

The story starts out with widowed single dad Ron and his daughter, Jennifer. Disappointed with himself for not getting a promotion, Ron, is also embarrassed to tell his daughter.
But while thing is happening, Jennifer is being kidnapped.
Shortly after, there is a similar situation happening to a father, Todd, and his daughter, Rebecca, but their story is getting way more media attention.

Grief stricken, Ron and Todd may be worlds apart in every aspect, but to save their daughters they must come together and see things eye to eye.

Thank you NetGalley and Storm Publishing for this ARC.

I thought I would never read another story about kidnapping children but gave The Stolen Girls a shot. The story follows the kidnapping of four young girls and two fathers that would not stop until their daughters were found. It was a decent, quick thriller, but got a tad slow in the middle with unnecessary details.

˗ˋˏ ♡Thank you Jeff Stetson and NetGalley♡ ˎˊ˗

˗ˋˏ୨୧Introduction୨୧ ˎˊ˗
Note:There are topics that should be put as trigger warning such as Slurs, Pedophila, Racial Issues, Sexual Assault etc. If any of these topics trigger you, please do not read this book.

This is “The Stolen Girls” by Jaff Stetson. The main genre for this is thriller. In this book we have two little girls who are taken without a trace. Their fathers are devastated and we have to wait to see if these girls will ever see their families again. This is a 4.25 Stars

˗ˋˏ୨୧Plot Summary୨୧ ˎˊ˗
We meet two fathers and their families, firstly we meet Ron and his daughter Jennfier/Jenny, and then we meet Todd, his wife Elizabeth/Liz and their daughter Rebecca/Becky. Sadly Ron’s daughter goes missing, this sparks devastation in him, because his daughter is missing and she is all he has left, his wife died a few hours after childbirth. After around 1 week Todd’s daughter goes missing and this causes major problems for his mental state as well as his marriage. These two fathers find each other and gain a sort of friendship as they bond over their similar circumstances. However, there is an imbalance between them, Todd is privileged and rich while Ron is an African-American who is having a harder time. They find ways to connect through this and gain trust and want to help each other out. Throughout the book we get multiple POVs, however it is done in a very good way. You gain insights into the fathers minds, the girls minds, and the sick person who kidnapped the girls mind. Throughout the book you can see how emotional and desparted the fathers are. Usually when I hear of thrillers you get the POV of the one going through the horror. It was heartbreaking to see the pain both sides were gaining and how such trauma evokes deep emotions in you.

˗ˋˏ୨୧Writing style୨୧ ˎˊ˗
The writing style is detailed and descriptive, but in a good way. It does not describe highly irrelevant things. It also makes you engrossed in the story style. Descriptive and detailed writing can very much make or break my reading experience and this surely made it better. The pacing is fast to medium.

˗ˋˏ୨୧Characters୨୧ ˎˊ˗
As this is a thriller book the individual characters and their traits are not something I overall look for and analyse. Overall the characters were amazing.

The fathers: They have their own separate identities and trauma, they have made mistakes, but you get to see them grow. You get to see how desperate a parent will become at the face of their child being in danger. You see how they do not think properly, how they cope with each other. The measures they go to for their daughters is heartwarming and heartbreaking that they must do this. ‘

The girls: The pain that they went through is heartbreaking. But the way they never gave up no matter what is truly inspiring, if I was ever in this type of situation I do not know what I would do.

Sick bastard: Disgusting, and seeing what goes through his thoughts makes him even worse.

˗ˋˏ୨୧Originality୨୧ ˎˊ˗
This concept is probably not as original as I would imagine it to be, I am still new to the whole mystery of thriller genre, so to someone new in these genres it would be something original, however to someone more experienced in this genre maybe not.

˗ˋˏ୨୧Enjoyment and impact୨୧ ˎˊ˗
I enjoyed this book, it kept me on my toes and even managed to pull tears out of me. It was heartbreaking. I liked how it also explored smaller sup-topics through the book, it made it ever more realistic and that is the scary part, the fact that things like this happen today.

˗ˋˏ୨୧Target audience୨୧ ˎˊ˗
People who want a fast.medium, emotional, thriller, heartbreaking, detailed and descriptive read.

˗ˋˏ୨୧Overall assessment୨୧ ˎˊ˗
Overall I enjoyed this book, as well as the writing style. I would recommend this book, however please look at the trigger warnings I put. This book should have them stated for people who possibly might get triggered from such topics. It might have been better to put the name of the character when it came to the switching of POV’s, but it might have been a part of the style.

An easy enough read but I found it a little too predictable. I also felt that it played into racial stereotyping - rich white/ poor black / strict Asian parents. The ending felt a bit rushed though it did pick up the pace.

The Stolen Girls by Jeff Stetson is a Thriller about what it means to be a family, unspeakable grief from children being snatched from their families and the ensuing desperate search. It is also about unlikely ties which bring people together in spite of pasts and differences.

Four young girls are studied and stolen by a creep to be tucked away as his family. The girls are chained and grow close in their peculiar proximity and shared experience. The focus is on two of the girls and their fathers, different races and socioeconomic situations but bonded by sorrow and anger. Jennifer is openly adored by her demonstrative father and Rebecca is loved at arm's length as her father is too busy. Nonetheless, the fathers find their way to each other and relentlessly search for their girls. But kidnapping isn't the only crime on the agenda.

Though a thriller, it is not as suspenseful or thrillery as I had hoped. Race is a big part of the story but a bit overdone in my view. The snappy pace is excellent, as is catching glimpses into the disturbed mind of a criminal. Some domestic scenes are taut and drip with angst; others are laced with grief and love. Well done!

My sincere thank you to Storm Publishing and NetGalley for providing me with a digital copy of this engrossing novel.

This book was harder for me to get into, whether it's the writing or the pace of the story I couldn't tell you, but as soon as I reached 60% I couldn't put it down. The multiple POVs were sometimes confusing, but I did appreciate that it allowed us to follow the girls in their situation.

The book had an exciting premise but fell short of expectations due to some flaws. It was slow-paced with a lack of plot twists, and many chapters seemed repetitive and didn't contribute to the story. The characters and plot were clichéd and predictable, relying on stereotypes. However, the book did have some strengths, such as descriptive writing and engaging scenes. It ended on a satisfying note and depicted diverse races, albeit in a clichéd manner. Overall, it's a mediocre thriller that may appeal to readers who enjoy action, but it lacks depth and originality.

This book was really good......It was heartbreaking and scary as a mom to read this book but it was really well written and a good read!!!!

Two Stolen Girls by Jeff Stetson and Lauren Street is a thriller novel that follows the investigation of two kidnapping cases that seem to be connected by a mysterious serial kidnapper. The book alternates between the perspectives of the police, the two fathers of the missing girls, the kidnapper, and the victims. The book explores the themes of family, trauma, justice, and survival.

The book has a promising premise that could have been a gripping and suspenseful read. However, the book fails to deliver on its potential due to several flaws. One of the main weaknesses of the book is the slow pace and the lack of plot twists. The first 50 chapters are mostly filled with mundane details and repetitive scenes that do not advance the plot or the character development. After dragging on for most of the book, the plot finally heats up and reaches its conclusion in the last 10 chapters. However, the reader may have already given up on the story or lost their enthusiasm by then.

Another weakness of the book is the lack of depth and originality in the characters and the plot. The book relies on clichés and stereotypes to portray the police, the fathers, the kidnapper, and the girls. The police are portrayed as diligent but inept, the fathers are portrayed as heroic and determined, the kidnapper is portrayed as a psychotic and sadistic man, and the girls are portrayed as kindhearted and helpless victims. The plot is also predictable and simplistic, with no surprises or twists.

Some of the book’s strengths are its descriptive and vivid writing style that creates a realistic and immersive setting and some tense and exciting scenes that capture the reader’s attention and curiosity. It also has a satisfying and hopeful ending that resolves the main conflict and gives closure to the characters and the reader. The book also depicts diverse races, albeit in a clichéd way, such as black being impoverished, white being affluent, Asian having rigid parents, and Mexican being migrants.

Overall, Two Stolen Girls by Jeff Stetson and Lauren Street is a mediocre thriller that could have been much better with more creativity and complexity. This book might appeal to readers who enjoy action-packed stories, but it might disappoint readers who expect more depth and originality. The book deserves a rating of 3 out of 5 stars.