Skip to main content
PBS logo
 
 

Search - The Sea of Lost Girls: A Novel

The Sea of Lost Girls: A Novel
The Sea of Lost Girls A Novel
Author: Carol Goodman
In the tradition of Daphne du Maurier, Shari Lapena, and Michelle Richmond comes a new thriller from the bestselling author of The Lake of Dead Languages?a twisty, harrowing story set at a prestigious prep school in which one woman?s carefully hidden past might destroy her future. — Tess has worked hard to keep her past buried, where it belongs. ...  more »
ISBN-13: 9780062852021
ISBN-10: 0062852027
Publication Date: 3/3/2020
Pages: 336
Rating:
  • Currently 2.8/5 Stars.
 7

2.8 stars, based on 7 ratings
Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks
Book Type: Paperback
Other Versions: Hardcover
Members Wishing: 4
Reviews: Member | Amazon | Write a Review
Read All 2 Book Reviews of "The Sea of Lost Girls A Novel"

Please Log in to Rate these Book Reviews

reviewed The Sea of Lost Girls: A Novel on + 144 more book reviews
I started this book last Saturday and finished it today (Tuesday) so it's a quick read. It was on some list of recommended books so I added it to my paperbackswap wish list. The first couple chapters were promising. Tess, the central character, is a teacher at a private, elite boarding school in Maine. Tess had been a student there years earlier but had abruptly left at age 17. Tess had a son ("Rudy") after her disappearance. She later returned, earned a college degree, and became a teacher at her old school. She married a fellow teacher. Anyway, early in the book, "Lila," Rudy's girlfriend (or friend, depending on who one asked) was found dead at the bottom of a cliff.

By the third or fourth chapter, I found myself becoming annoyed with Tess and Rudy. As the investigation began around Lila's death, Tess started lying about the whereabouts of Rudy and Harmon (Tess' spouse) around the time Lila had died. The lies continued. As I continued reading, I realized how much I disliked Tess. Ditto with Rudy. Granted, he was a teenager (17) so probably some of his "issues" were typical male teen angst. But, I still didn't like him. He was a troubled youth (as the reader learns) but Tess, knowing this, never took him to therapy, fearing that--if the truth came out--Rudy would be taken away from her. When others brought up some of Rudy's behavior, Tess would always make an excuse.

SPOILER ALERT: At the end, Tess decides to divorce Harmon. She goes out for drinks with a female colleague and runs into Kevin, the town police officer who investigated Lila's death. He and Tess had been classmates at the boarding school. Well, they ended up leaving the bar at the same time and ended up kissing. I think a better ending would have been for Tess to realize that she was a strong, independent woman who wanted to experience life on her own without leaning on a man.
eadieburke avatar reviewed The Sea of Lost Girls: A Novel on + 1609 more book reviews
A twisty, harrowing story set at a prestigious prep school in which one woman's carefully hidden past might destroy her future. Tess is a teacher and her husband is a professor at the school. She has a 17 year old son, Rudy, who is about to graduate from the school. Rudy's girlfriend, Lila, is found dead on the beach in Maine and 4 hours later Rudy and Tess's husband, Harmon, are the suspects. I found the book to be an easy read where the plot moves pretty quickly. The characters were very interesting. The school had a fabled history with many skeletons in the closet. The ending was a surprise and the best part of the book. I look forward to reading more from Carol Goodman and recommend this to those who like to read about murder at a elite boarding school. I would like to thank William Morrow Harper Collins Publisher for a free copy for an honest review.


Genres: