“Because one of the truths about a marriage—I knew that then, and I know it now—was that there should be some secrets. Small things, inconsequential things. I didn’t believe a person could ever know another person wholly, inside out, and I was okay with that".

Paula Treick Deboard- "The Drowning Girls"

What a creepy wickedly good story! This is a five star domestic thriller..no question.

A young family moves into "The Palms" a luxury gated community complex. The husband has a job there and is quite excited to start. And they will be living among so many wealthy upscale people..what could go wrong right?

Well..unfortunately..quite alot.

I LOVED this book. I loved it so much I read it a second time almost immediately. One of the best thrillers I have read.

This book is simply spell binding from start to finish "The Palms" is such a creepy place. I could visualize it so easily. I do love stories about affluence gone wrong.

SPOILERS:

Only quibble..the ending..the book ends in a very jarring way, to the point where I had to look to maker sure I had not skipped a page. Ending left me cold and I debated about only giving it 4 stars because of that (and the animal brutality). So those two things take away a bit. Animal violence nowhere near as bad as in many other books that have been brought down by this plot devise. But it is there and that is the main reason for four and not five stars.

But the writing is so good! Calling all mystery lovers..read this book ! ( )

One star. The author and I seem to have the same favorite movie. I do not intend this as a compliment. ( )

I sped through this one -- couldn't put it down. It's really well-written, with a compelling storyline. Fast-paced and keeps interest high throughout. Paula is a sharp, engaging author.

My only complaint is that the ending felt pretty unsatisfying. I need a sequel to know what happened to these characters... ( )

A book that is had to put down! This is a suspenseful psychological novel which raises questions about obsession, denial, truths and lies. ( )

4.5 stars.

The Drowning Girls by Paula Treick DeBoard is a compelling and thought-provoking novel that is suspenseful and slightly disturbing.

Liz and Phil McGinnis and their fourteen year old daughter Danielle have just relocated to The Palms, an affluent, exclusive and tight-knit subdivision. Phil is the newly hired community relations specialist for the neighborhood while Liz is a counselor at a nearby high school. Although they feel like they are living in paradise due to the many amenities and lavish surroundings, Liz is slightly intimidated by her wealthy neighbors and she is plagued by insecurities when dealing with the other families. Hoping to ease her daughter's transition to the new neighborhood and her new school, Liz eagerly accepts Sonia Jorgesen's offer to introduce her daughter Kelsey to Danielle. The two girls soon become tight friends, but it quickly becomes apparent that Kelsey is deeply troubled and after Liz makes a disconcerting discovery, her once happy family becomes to fall apart.

Liz is uncomfortable and feels out of place in their new neighborhood. Their sumptuous and expansive home is part of Phil's salary package and she is somewhat astonished by her neighbors' extravagant lifestyles. Feeling like she is out of her league, she tries to keep to herself as much as possible and to some extent, she manages to remain under the radar. At first happy that Danielle and Kelsey have become fast friends, Liz is not exactly thrilled with some of the changes in her daughter nor does she like having Kelsey under foot all the time. Her disenchantment in the situation grows when Danielle is caught in a lie and Liz begins to have doubts that she can trust her daughter. At the same time, Liz suspects that something is going on with Phil and their marriage grows strained as circumstantial evidence seems to support her suspicions.

Phil is pretty laidback and easygoing and he is a good fit for his new job. He is not exactly happy to have Kelsey at their house day in and day out especially since she has developed a disconcerting habit of dropping by his office as well. He makes a concerted efforts to put an end to her flirtatious behavior but these attempts usually backfire. By the time Phil realizes the depth of Kelsey's obsession with him, he fears it is too late to go to Liz with his concerns. As his problems with Kelsey worsen, Phil desperately searches for options to get himself out of the untenable situation before he loses everything he holds dear.

Kelsey is an extremely disturbed young woman whose behavior quickly grows out of control. She is extremely devious and manipulative as she insinuates herself into the McGinnis's life. When her schemes fail, she resorts to rumors and lies to try to achieve her goals. Kelsey is quick to retaliate when things do not go her way and her destructive behavior soon begins to escalate. Her parents are frequently away on business and despite an earlier incident, they are completely blind to their daughter's faults.

With the chapters alternating between Liz and Phil's points of view, The Drowning Girls by Paula Treick DeBoard is a darkly captivating novel of obsession. Weaving back and forth in time, this spellbinding mystery is fascinating yet sometimes unsettling as it thunders to a conclusion that is utterly shocking. An absolutely riveting novel that I highly recommend to fans of the genre. ( )