A review by piperhath
The Miller Women by Kelli Hawkins

adventurous challenging dark mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

The Miller Women is my second Kelli Hawkens book and like the first, this one did not disappoint! Set in the small fictional town of Arundal, Australia, we follow three generations of the Miller family, each with their own stories (and secrets) to tell. These begin to rear their heads when Clara Ross, a year 12 student goes missing and The Miller Women must come together to figure out what happened to her. 

 

This book is split into parts, each telling the story of a separate Miller women with a final part bringing the story together as a whole. By doing this, the character's were really expanded on and had a lot of depth to them which I not always common in thrillers. I think Nicola's story (Abby's mum and Joyce's daughter) was done the best and one I could relate to the most. I also really liked how this story was told in first person so you really felt connected to the characters more. I also did not predict where this story was going and I was pleasantly surprised at the ending. 

 

It is also important to not that this is not a who done it novel but rather a gripping thriller of secrets and lies, with a little mystery on the side. Because of this, I felt like some aspects of the main plot (Clara's disappearance) were brushed over and not explained in a depth I personally would have liked. I also didn't like how this book didn't have chapters. While the book was well split up within the parts (i.e. Flash backs then to present day), I just love chapters personally as they provide a good spotting point. However, I understand why this book lacked them.  

 

Thank you Harper Collins and Netgalley for sending me a copy of this one to review. I really enjoyed it and will definitely be reading more of Hawkens books in the future.