From the New York Times bestselling author of Behind Her Eyes and We Live Here Now comes a thrilling, genre-bending mystery about two murdered girls, the ones who might be next, and a town with dark secrets.

It’s happening again. . . .

Anna Maybourne feels trapped in Harper’s Creek, a nowhere town of dusty farmland plagued by drought, known for the murders of two young women who died exactly three years apart. The presumed murderer, killed as he tried to escape the police, was known as the Farmhand. But Anna, new in town and caring for her grandmother with dementia, wonders if the closed case is actually unsolved.

As the three-year anniversary of the last Farmhand murders nears, Anna’s younger sister worries it could happen again and she and her friend might be next. Anna’s grandmother’s experiences odd paranoid episodes, and she claims to know things about the girls who died.

Anna begins to think her grandmother may be the key to discovering the truth about the murders. Something strange is happening in their old house, Grandma knows more than she should, and instead of being over, the mystery seems like it’s starting again.

They Say a Girl Died Here is a novel of thrilling and terrifying secrets, with a mind-bending twist that could come only from Sarah Pinborough.

I received an advance copy of this audiobook courtesy of the publisher. All thoughts are my own.

I read and loved Pinborough’s “We Live Here Now” last year and had high hopes for this one. I enjoyed it, but it didn’t deliver the same punch as the aforementioned. Still, it was a decent read. I always love a good murder mystery set in a small town, and this one delivers exactly that kind of setup.

Anna hasn’t lived in Harper’s Creek that long, but she already feels stuck. It’s a small, drought stricken town best known for two murders that happened exactly three years apart. The male suspect, known locally as the Farmhand, died trying to run from police, and the case has technically been closed ever since. Anna spends her days helping take care of her grandmother, who’s dealing with dementia, and starts to wonder if the case was actually solved at all or just conveniently wrapped up. As the three year anniversary of the last murders approaches, Anna’s younger sister grows increasingly anxious that history might repeat itself, worried she or her friends could be next. Meanwhile Anna’s grandmother starts having strange, paranoid episodes, insisting she knows things about the girls who died even though there’s no way she could. Or could she? The more time Anna spends with her, the more she starts to suspect her grandmother might actually hold the key to what really happened, and that whatever’s going on in their old house could put them all in danger.

I enjoyed the central mystery and the way small town secrets kept bubbling up throughout the story. The reveal of who was actually responsible for the murders, and why, was genuinely interesting, and I have to admit I didn’t see it coming as early as I probably should have. That was a nice surprise because I often clock the twist well ahead of time.

Pacing wise, the story moves along at a steady, comfortable clip, never dragging but also never really hitting a frantic pace when it maybe could have. I liked it, but if I’m being fully honest, the book was just fine overall. I didn’t finish it feeling like I’d read something particularly new or exciting. Nothing about it really shocked me or stuck with me afterward. That’s not necessarily a bad thing. I listened to the audiobook, and it kept me engaged and entertained while I worked around the house. The narration by Saskia Maarleveld was great. She handled the cast of characters well, and the overall production quality was solid too.

If you’re looking for a solid, no frills small town mystery to listen to while multitasking, or just want something easy and entertaining without needing it to blow your mind, this one fits the bill nicely.