04/13/2020
The hospital administrator who now calls herself Olivia Meyer, the narrator of this suspenseful but far-fetched page-turner from bestseller Miranda (The Last House Guest), has put as much distance as possible between her and the drama that riveted the country two decades earlier when, as sleepwalking six-year-old Arden Maynor, she was apparently swept away during a storm into the drain pipes of her hometown of Widow Hills, Ky., until a miracle rescue three days later. But despite the subsequent charitable outpouring, the future proved far from rosy for the traumatized child, who was unable to remember most of her ordeal, and her troubled single mother. The adult Liv seems finally to be starting fresh in Central Valley, N.C.—until one night, while sleepwalking, for a second time, outside, she stumbles over a dead body. As Liv tries to keep Det. Nina Rigby at bay while she investigates further herself, the author throws suspicion on a succession of suspects. The pace quickens with a second murder and the appearance of a stalker. Even though Miranda opts increasingly for surprise over plausibility, psychological thriller fans will enjoy the ride. Author tour. Agent: Sarah Davies, Greenhouse Literary. (June)
A hauntingly atmospheric and gorgeously written page-turner, The Girl from Widow Hills is a deeply thought-provoking, riveting mystery about the complex weight of history and the dangerous power of the lies we tell ourselves.” —Kimberly McCreight, New York Times bestselling author of Reconstructing Amelia and A Good Marriage
"Sleep-walking is creepy. You’re asleep, but you're walking through the night— like the living dead. I knew when I started The Girl from Widow Hills I was in for some shivers. But I had no idea the terrors that were in store." —R.L. Stine, bestselling author of Goosebumps and Fear Street
"With Hitchcockian flair, Megan Miranda shrewdly examines what becomes of the people at the center of those rare, sensational news stories that capture the nation’s attention. The Girl from Widow Hills gave me the creeps in the best way possible." — Chandler Baker, New York Times bestselling author of Whisper Network
"Miranda flaunt[s] her considerable talent for jaw-dropping, yet believable, twists. Even jaded readers might not see this one coming. An unusual heroine anchors this creepy, fast-paced chiller. This is Miranda’s best book yet." —KIRKUS REVIEWS
"Miranda, a best-selling author of thrillers for both adults and YAs, sprinkles the present-day narrative with transcripts and reports from Olivia’s past, building suspense with startling plot twists that lead to a stunning climax. Another compulsive page-turner from an accomplished author." —Booklist
"This is a great whodunit, done well. Olivia/Arden narrates but Miranda (The Last House Guest) creatively uses media transcripts, newspaper reports, book excerpts, and voicemails to piece together her fragmented story that ends with a chilling twist.” —Library Journal
"Psychological thriller fans will enjoy the ride." — Publishers Weekly
"The Girl from Widow Hills is a creepy, compelling portrait of a life forever warped by unwanted fame, a timely theme in this era of internet celebrity and the fall from grace that often follows. (There are strong echoes of the real life 1987 “Baby Jessica” media explosion, too, wherein a toddler fell deep into a Texas well and the nation breathlessly tuned in to CNN’s live broadcast of the tension-filled, successful rescue effort.) It’s a shivery kind of fun to wonder along with Olivia whether those close to her should be trusted or feared, and to urge her on as she races to unravel the past without unraveling her sanity." — Bookpage
"The small-town cast is drawn in shrewd, suspicion-arousing detail; you’ll point fingers at someone new every few pages." — Martha Stewart Living
"With chilling twists and turns, this book will keep you captivated in the sand." — BookBub
"If you can relate to your past coming back to haunt you, then this book is for you." — PopSugar
05/22/2020
Twenty years ago, Arden Maynor's life dramatically changed. She was the six-year-old girl who went missing (while sleepwalking) for three days. Presumed dead after a flood, she was found, against all odds, clinging to a storm drain. The intense media attention threw her into the spotlight and enabled her mother to benefit financially. But after college, tired of the unwanted attention and wanting to put her past behind her, Arden changed her name to Olivia Meyer. She makes a new life for herself, becoming a hospital administrator. Now the 20th anniversary of her rescue is looming and Olivia feels like she's being watched. Her sleepwalking habits return, and one night she wakes up and is standing over a dead body. Did she kill the man? If she didn't, who did? Why doesn't she remember anything about her childhood disappearance? And who is stalking her? VERDICT This is a great whodunit, done well. Olivia/Arden narrates but Miranda (The Last House Guest) creatively uses media transcripts, newspaper reports, book excerpts, and voicemails to piece together her fragmented story that ends with a chilling twist. [See Prepub Alert, 12/9/19.]—Marianne Fitzgerald, Severna Park H.S., MD
2020-03-29
Arden Maynor was only 6 when a traumatic event changed her life forever.
Twenty years ago, Arden, who now goes by Olivia Meyer, was swept into Widow Hills, Kentucky’s underground system of pipes during a deluge and was trapped for three days before she was miraculously rescued. The rescue effort was immense, as was the media coverage. Support, monetary and otherwise, for little Arden poured in. Not all of the publicity and attention were good, however, and Olivia, who remembers very little about those three days, has been trying to put the entire incident behind her for a decade. Now she’s a hospital administrator in rural Central Valley, North Carolina, and is starting to feel that the worst is behind her, until she wakes up outside her home after a sleepwalking episode, the same thing that preceded her childhood ordeal. The sleepwalking incident sets her alarm bells clanging, but then she’s approached, in public, by a man who seems to know exactly who she is. She hasn’t even told her closest friend and co-worker, Bennett, about her past. When she awakens outside again one night, there’s a man’s body at her feet and blood covering her hands. The dead man turns out to be a blast from Olivia’s past, and now the police are involved. But Olivia isn’t about to let everything she’s done to put her past behind her come crashing down, even it means opening a Pandora’s box full of secrets that may have been better off left in the dark. Miranda nimbly mines underexplored terrain: the long-term aftermath of dramatic, highly publicized rescues. Olivia's desire to live a life undefined by that one event is relatable, and her amnesia about those three days lets Miranda flaunt her considerable talent for jaw-dropping, yet believable, twists. Even jaded readers might not see this one coming.
An unusual heroine anchors this creepy, fast-paced chiller. This is Miranda’s best book yet.
Narrator Rebekkah Ross handles Megan Miranda’s latest mystery with maximum intensity. Swept away while sleepwalking during a storm, 6-year-old Arden goes missing for three days. Upon her return, she becomes a reluctant celebrity, receiving letters from well-wishers and a flurry of attention from the media, along with an assortment of gawkers, stalkers, and creeps. Eventually, she grows up and moves; changes her name, becoming Olivia; and tries to disappear into a new life. Ross’s tones of tenuousness and uncertainty are just right for Liv, who can’t remember details of her three days of trauma. As the twentieth anniversary of her disappearance looms, Liv’s stress level soars. She begins sleepwalking again. One night she stumbles across a body in her backyard. Ross ratchets up the tension, adding urgency and immediacy as the drama increases. Surprises and secrets abound. S.J.H. © AudioFile 2020, Portland, Maine