Three girls, nearing the end of their high school days, have been friends since kindergarten. Penelope, Emily, and Christina are young, carefree, and feckless until two of them are kidnapped. This is S. C. Shannon’s opening scenario for The Third Girl. Of the two girls, Christina manages to escape, leaving her friend Penelope behind, facing certain death. The guilt weighs heavily on her, and after fleeing her small town, she hides away from the public, fearful of the slightest noise. The death of the third girl, Emily, in a hit and run tempts her back for the funeral, where she reconnects with an old flame, Ryan, Emily’s brother. The kidnappers were never found, and Penelope’s body was never discovered until Christina was sent a photograph of her. She is desperate to discover the truth, but how far does the cover-up go? Who is involved, and when Christina receives several warnings to get out of town, she realizes the killers are still at large. Old friends try to help, but who can she trust?

I enjoyed reading The Third Girl by S. C. Shannon. It is a well-written psychological thriller that will tempt any reader to keep turning the pages. I liked the alternating chapters from the past events to the present, which explain little by little what happened two decades earlier. There are small hints sprinkled along the way, but you need to be sharp to spot them. The author writes about relatable and real people that the reader can connect with. Christina’s character reminds me of how most teenagers react, feel, and speak. She evokes sympathy and understanding as the main character, and while a victim, she is also very likable. The plot has several twists and turns, and the pace never flags. A good book that will appeal to lovers of psychological thrillers. This is one of the best.

In The Third Girl by S.C. Shannon, Christina, Penelope, and Emily were best friends during their time at Tranquility Ridge School. Twenty-five years earlier, Christina and Penelope were abducted the day before Christina's seventeenth birthday. Penelope fought back against their kidnapper, allowing Christina to escape with the promise to return for her friend. Upon Christina's return with the authorities, the entire group had disappeared, and Penelope was never found. Christina closed herself off from society and always felt guilty for leaving Penelope behind to escape. Out of nowhere, Christina receives a letter from Emily's husband revealing that Penelope is alive and urging her to search for her. Emily had instructed her husband to give the letter to Christina if anything ever happened to her. Christina went back to Tranquility Ridge in pursuit of the truth, but it was not long before she began receiving threats telling her to stop her search and return home.

The Third Girl by S.C. Shannon was complex and engaging. Focusing on the lives of the three close friends, the writing style drew me in, allowing me to fully engage with the lives of the trio both at school and outside of it. The story was filled with action, and with all its twists and turns, I was always kept guessing about what would happen next. There was a surprise waiting for me every time. The characters felt authentic and like typical teenagers. Their journey into adulthood was portrayed in a relatable and believable manner. The chapters alternated between past and present, making it easy to follow the plot and understand the background. The writing was superb and maintained my interest from beginning to end. The conclusion completely blew me away. It was entirely unexpected.