The Girl in Kellers Way

By: Megan Goldin

Narrator: Anthea Greco, Susan Godfrey

ASIN: B07BMZHYM6

Publisher: Penguin Random House Australia Audio

Publication Date: 03/22/2018

Format: Audiobook

My Rating: 4 Stars

When a body is found buried near the desolate forest road of Kellers Way, Detective Melanie Carter must identify the victim if she is to have any chance of finding the killer. That's no easy task with fragmentary evidence from a crime committed years earlier and a conspiracy of silence from anyone who might have information. The one person who may be able to help is Julie West.

In a troubled marriage, Julie often jogs along Kellers Way to clear her mind and escape the confines of her suffocating suburban life. Until one day, something happens there that shakes Julie to the core, making her question everything she ever believed about her life, her marriage and even her sanity....

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Praise

"Domestic noir at its best, this work of fiction will leave your heart pounding days after the final pages are finished."—New Idea

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My Review

Having read and loved Megan Goldin's books, Stay Awake, The Night Swim, The Escape Room, and currently reading her 2023 book, Dark Corners, I realized I had not read— THE GIRL IN KELLERS WAY and quickly grabbed the audiobook.

As with Goldin's later books, this one had all the riveting twists and turns and the psychological elements readers have come to expect.

THE GIRL IS KELLERS WAY is an intriguing novel of deception and delusion.

A riveting domestic noir suspense from a seasoned pro (war zone journalist) turned psychological thriller novelist. Before becoming a novelist, Megan worked as a reporter covering the Middle East and Asia for the Reuters news agency, the Associate Press, and ABC, as well as other news outlets.

Set in North Carolina (in my hometown area), THE GIRL IN KELLERS WAY is a riveting domestic noir suspense from a seasoned pro (war zone journalist) turned psychological thriller novelist. Before becoming a novelist, Megan worked as a reporter covering the Middle East and Asia for the Reuters news agency, the Associate Press, and ABC, as well as other news outlets.

When the body of a woman is found in the forest near Kellers Way, detective Mel Carter must re-open an old case that was closed. There are links to Matt and Julie, and both become suspects— Mel must work out who is reliable and who is lying.

Narrated from two POVs:

Julie West:

Housewife, and mother to three-year-old Alice, Julie is the second wife of Matt West, a psychology lecturer. She loves jogging on Kellers Way. She lives in the shadow of Laura's tragedy, daily. She sees herself as the inconvenience second wife, the way she is treated by Matt.

Julie became Matt's wife and mother to his young daughter Alice— after his wife, Laura, was tragically killed. Matt has never really gotten over the shock of his wife's tragic death. Matt is not a faithful husband and is a womanizer. Julie is being compromised by Matt (drugged)and has given up her love of life and jogging. She no longer trusts her husband and has doubts about her memories.

Julie is under stress from the memory of Laura, the demands of being a trophy wife, and constant worries about her husband’s attention from the young women who flock to his lectures. Her escape is in running, and one morning in the forest on Kellers Way, she is forced to dive out of the way of a crashing vehicle.

Then the dying driver gives her a chilling warning… then he dies.

Detective Melanie Carter:

The second narration is Mel Carter, the homicide detective assigned to the case of the body found on Kellers Way. Mel is a single mother who balances her family with her professional life as a detective. Her police officer husband was killed on active duty in NY. She is determined to identify the victim found on Kellers Way and the killer. She wants closure for the victim's family.

Mel is a complex character, struggling with her oldest son acting out and worrying about the effect their father’s loss has on her sons. Mel left NY with her two boys after the death of her husband. Alternate chapters are told from Mel’s point of view as she tracks down the identity of a body found in Kellers Way, and then the person responsible for their death.

Things get busy for DI Mel Carter when her partner goes on holiday. Just two weeks apart, there’s a fatal road crash and then the discovery of human remains, both on Kellers Way. Mel discovers that the murder of Laura West is not a closed case and that the trail of clues is not as clear as she had thought.

Is the obvious suspect the murderer? Or has an innocent person been condemned? Mel and Julie's lives intersect when Mel suspects Julie may have a connection to the body found on Kellers Way.

To complicate matters making it more mysterious, there’s someone warning Julie she’s in danger, intriguing new information about Matt’s research, and some questions about Alice’s parentage.

A gripping story infused with psychological elements about how we perceive situations and process memory.

And that ending . . . !

Even though these are not girls as the title implies, they are women and the author keeps you guessing with red herrings and plot twists. Goldin is a talented storyteller and even though this was her first novel, she has a wealth of experience (see bio). When you read her subsequent novels, you will agree she is a star.

With well-developed characters, you will love/hate them— Especially Matt which is despicable. Even though he did not have a voice in the novel, he was highly unlikeable. I enjoyed Mel's character and her drive with her job and balancing her personal life and her partner, Will.

Julie is somewhat of a mixed bag with the memories and drugs, fugue state, and jealous mania— based on how her character is represented as being worn down by Matt and an unreliable witness and narrator.

I hope we see a sequel, later on, to continue with DI Mel Carter! (we are getting a sequel from Night Swim with Dark Corners), so maybe this one too.

AUDIOBOOK: I purchased the audiobook narrated by Anthea Greco and Susan Godfrey. The narrator for Mel was not as good as Julie's part as she was very breathy and annoying. I did enjoy Julie's narrator; however, overall an entertaining performance.

@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks

Pub Date: Mar 22, 2018

My Rating: 4 Stars

My MG Reviews:

Stay Awake

The Night Swim

The Escape Room

#AuthorElevatorSeries Interview

The Girl In Kellers Way

Megan Goldin Books

About the Author

Megan Goldin is the author of The Escape Room, a 2019 thriller that Lee Child called "one of my favorite books of the year" and Harlan Coben called "thrilling and unforgettable". Megan's new novel The Night Swim will be released in August 2020. Before becoming a novelist, Megan worked as a reporter covering the Middle East and Asia for the Reuters news agency, the Associate Press and the ABC as well as other news outlets. WEBSITE