White Out by Danielle Girard

I received White Out by Danielle Girard from NetGalley. I really enjoyed this book and rate it a 4 out of 5 pages. 

This book is the first in the Badlands Thriller series and it did not disappoint. I look forward to other books in the series. 

The reader is introduced to a few key players and each chapter is dedicated to their point of view at the time. Lily Baker is one of the main characters who finds herself caught in some seedy situations and a past which she can't remember due to a head trauma. As she fights to piece her past with the present, she links up with Iver Larson, a former soldier, suffering from his own demons and fighting to prove his innocence, in a murder that has rocked the small town in which he lives. Iver tries to protect Lily while helping her to remember the past that tore them apart and Lily tries to help absolve Iver of any wrongdoing. Dead set on finding the truth is Detective Kylie Millard who will stop at nothing to catapult her detective career from small town to big city, even if it means overlooking key details to put a murderer behind bars. 

This book was so intriguing. It had everything- murder, scandal, drugs, thrills and turns around every corner. There is a nice twist towards the height of the story which I, personally, did not see coming. The characters were well developed and none were without flaws which was appreciated. It made them seem real and like they could be the person next door. I liked how the story was interwoven, chapter by chapter from a different characters view. It was done in away that didn't make the story seem disjointed or cause me to get lost in the shuffle. 

The description of people and places was on point, as well. I could feel the emotions of the characters and envision myself being in the cold or the car dangling off the guardrail. As the story peaked, I felt myself becoming more and more antsy to find out how it all wrapped up. I didn't want to put it down and stayed up way too late to finish and the ending did not disappoint. I liked how through all the drama, hurt, and chaos, the story ended subtle, yet the way I found myself wanting it to go. 

There were very few things I didn't like about the book. I think I would've put more focus on the person who was murdered and how she came into play. We learn of her backstory and who she is but we are not introduced really as to where she fits in with the past and Lily. Was she the same as Lily in the past or was she just playing a part? I also didn't like how Lily literally lost her memory but yet the weirdest things she could remember, things that just seemed out of place and unnatural. It felt a little fake at times. 

I would highly recommend this read for anyone who is seeking a good, fast-paced murder thriller. It will not disappoint!