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Richard Montanari
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The Buried Girl: The most chilling psychological thriller you'll read all year Kindle Edition

by Richard Montanari (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.1 4.1 out of 5 stars 697 ratings
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'Glittering and sharp, an ice pick of a novel. An astounding talent'
AJ Finn, author of The Woman in the Window

A haunting, nerve-jangling psychological thriller from Sunday Times bestselling author Richard Montanari set in a small town hiding a very dark secret.

When New York psychologist Will Hardy's wife is killed, he and his teenage daughter Bernadette move into Godwin Hall, a dusty, shut-up mansion in the small town of Abbeville, Ohio.

Meanwhile, Abbeville Chief of Police Ivy Holgrave is investigating the death of a local girl, convinced this may only be the latest in a long line of murders dating back decades - including her own long-missing sister.

But what place does Will's new home have in the story of the missing girls? And what links the killings to the diary of a young woman written over a century earlier?

Praise for Richard Montanari

'A relentlessly suspenseful, soul-chilling thriller that hooks you instantly'
Tess Gerritsen

'You turn the pages as if your very life depends on it'
Daily Mail

'The author's elegiac tone takes the curse off this blood-drenched thriller . . . Gripping'
New York Times (the 10 best crime novels of 2016)

'A master storyteller'
James Ellroy

'Scary good!'
Lisa Gardner

'Taut, propulsive and darkly gripping, Montanari is a master of suspense'
Chris Ewan

'A specialist in serial killer tales . . . a wonderfully evocative writer'
Publishers Weekly

Amazon readers love Richard Montanari

***** 'One of the best detective stories I have ever read'

***** 'If you haven't read these books yet.... START READING THEM!'

***** 'Great plot and incredible pace. A real page turner'

***** 'I couldn't put it down - utterly absorbing and compelling!!'

***** 'The last 20 pages had me biting my nails and sitting on the edge of my chair!'

***** 'Absolutely brilliant - almost impossible to put down'

***** 'Every once and while I read a classic which I'll NEVER forget.This is a book I'll never forget'

***** 'This is a chillingly good read with a fast-paced storyline full of twists and turns'

***** 'From start to finish, you never want to stop! You have to know what happened!'

***** 'An outstanding tale with as many twists as a game of snakes and ladders'

***** 'One of the best crime/thriller writers'

***** 'Amazing'

***** 'Richard Montanari never lets you down. The ending is always a surprise'

***** 'So easy to pick up, so hard to put down'

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Previous page
  1. Print length
    444 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Sticky notes
    On Kindle Scribe
  4. Publisher
    Sphere
  5. Publication date
    February 14, 2019
  6. File size
    5117 KB
  7. Page Flip
    Enabled
  8. Word Wise
    Enabled
  9. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
  10. See all details
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Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B07C7FBVLR
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Sphere (February 14, 2019)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ February 14, 2019
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 5117 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 444 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.1 4.1 out of 5 stars 697 ratings

About the author

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Richard Montanari

Richard Montanari

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Richard Montanari is the Top Ten Sunday Times bestselling author of Rosary Girls and Skin Gods, as well as the internationally acclaimed thrillers Kiss of Evil, Deviant Ways, The Violet Hour and The Devil's Garden. He lives in Cleveland, Ohio.

Customer reviews

4.1 out of 5 stars
4.1 out of 5
697 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Ashrae
5.0 out of 5 stars The Buried Girl
Reviewed in the United States on February 14, 2019
I am a big fan of this author's Balzano & Byrne series so I was quite excited to get my hands on this standalone book from him.
It starts off a little slow but that is to build the foundations of what is to come and the pace also serves to build up the tension. Way back in the past, we follow Dr Rinus van Laar as he emigrates from his native Holland to the US; specifically Ohio. Back in the present and we meet recently widowed Dr Will Hardy, a forensic psychologist, who, together is daughter Detta are still trying to cope with the death of Amanda. Detta blames her father for Amanda's murder, a blame that Will shares. They struggle along for a short while but then Will unexpectedly receives an inheritance; Godwin Hall which is in a small village in Ohio. Thinking a fresh start will do them some good and allow them the time and space to heal from their tragedy, Will and Detta promptly plan their move.
In that same village, Abbieville, Ivy, the Police Chief is investigating the disappearance of several young girls, spanning many years. Shocked that no one has made any connection, she takes it upon herself to try to get to the bottom of things.
And then Detta goes missing...
This was wonderfully and intricately plotted. There is so much going on in the book - Will's tragedy, his efforts to rebuild both the house he has inherited and his relationship with his daughter who is rather reluctant. And all the way through, there's the story of Dr van Laar and the myth and intrigue that surrounds his travel and what he brings with him. I'd love to expand further but I don't want to spoil anything.
If you've read any of this author before you'll know that he doesn't pull his punches. This book is no exception and does get a bit gory and gruesome at times. It's also quite chilling, so much so, that I am glad I read it during the day! It's also a bit complex and convoluted and switches time and perspective often but it's done so skilfully that I was never in doubt of who and when.
Characterisation was excellent. As well as the main characters, we have a whole host minor ones who are just as well drawn and easy to connect to. I especially loved that Ivy asked Will to help her with her investigation and they went on to develop a pretty good partnership all told. Could this be the start of a new series featuring that duo? I do hope so!
All in all, a cracking read that hit the spot nicely for me and left me satisfied at the end. My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.
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Professor Kowald
2.0 out of 5 stars Some of the “buried” things needed to stay buried
Reviewed in the United States on April 12, 2023
Verified Purchase
I only recently discovered this writer and quickly fell for their smart, literary style of thriller.
That being said - there’s a LOT here that I needed more clearly executed when it came to the big reveals at the end.
Many of the characters have complicated connections and tragedies that link them - but just saying “Ahhhh… see these people are linked!” Isn’t really good enough and I was left with very little to go on.
For example - Will (our trusty protagonist) loses his home and the love of his life in a devastating fire. This event turns out to be connected to a serial killer in an entirely different place.
Why? HOW do these two events and people link up? Well… they just do. Because a photo shows two people in the same place.
Just how does this generational serial killer make people do his budding and then kill themselves in truly horrific ways?
Tea.
Yup. He makes them drink tea. The tea makes them hallucinate. Why do they drink tea from
A complete stranger?
They just do.
Why does the killer have a weird obsession with a Dutch painter and is driven to “recreate” scenes from his paintings?
He just is.
Stop asking so many questions.
All that aside - the set-up of Will and his daughter moving to a spooky old house after the tragic fire is really awesome - but it takes so long to set up that all the “explanations” and loose ends get jumbled into the last 50 pages - and it’s ultimately unsatisfying.
Some of the loose threads just never get resolved at all. A mysterious boy is vital to the action and who seems to appear and disappear unnervingly … well we are told “we never found out who he was and he was never seen again”.
Seriously? Was he a ghost? Another patsy of our serial killer? Who knows?
Taking just a little bit longer to navigate the relationships between the killer and his henchmen and less on what household furnishings were being purchased would have gone a long way here and made this tale more satisfying in the end
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Kate
5.0 out of 5 stars Kept me on edge. Great reading.
Reviewed in the United States on May 27, 2019
Never a dull moment from beginning to end. Richard Montanari brings life to his characters as if we've known them all our lives. The stories come together by unfolding with intrigue, curiosity and fear.
One person found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

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Hovis
5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant!
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 23, 2024
Verified Purchase
What an awesome tale, scary in places but gripping from the start. I feel there's still more to tell of Ivy,a story too
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David Alexander Forde
5.0 out of 5 stars Mystery & imagination!
Reviewed in Germany on October 24, 2019
Verified Purchase
A fine work of art; this book realy needs to be read by those people, who appreciate personal sadness, love, adventure, poetic justice and, colourful description!
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Kindle Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Chilling
Reviewed in Australia on February 25, 2019
Verified Purchase
I have been a fan of Richard Montanari's writing ever since I first read The Rosary Girls. I love the unpredictability, the twisting nature of his storylines.
The Buried Girl offers a stand alone thriller with a gothic twist. I loved it. I couldn't turn the pages fast enough.
I thought this story was well written and atmospheric. I honestly think this is his best novel yet.
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Amazon Kunde
4.0 out of 5 stars muss man lesen
Reviewed in Germany on November 7, 2019
Verified Purchase
unbedingt lesbar
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kim g.
5.0 out of 5 stars Montanari has produced another brilliant gem of a tale.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 22, 2022
Verified Purchase
This book drew me in straight away. Such an original and gripping storyline. Another great book from a great author. I want to know what happens next with the main characters!
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