Review: The Fifth Girl - Paul J. Teague


Review: The Fifth Girl - Book #3 Detective Hollie Turner Series - Paul J. Teague - January 2024
The Phantom Paragrapher here, and folks, I'm not kidding when I say this book left me emotionally wrecked in the best possible way.
You know that feeling when a cliffhanger grabs you by the throat and refuses to let go? That's exactly what happened after finishing Her Last Cry. Lucky for my sanity (and sleep schedule), I had Her Fifth Girls ready on my Kindle because honestly, who has the willpower to leave a Paul J. Teague cliffhanger hanging ?
This third installment doesn't just continue the story—it excavates the soul of it. We finally dive deep into Sister Sophia Brennan's psyche, and wow, what a masterclass in character development. Paul J Teague reveals why she became the nightmare she was to those teenage mothers at the Unwed Mother's Home. Her cruelty wasn't just institutional—it was personal, born from seeing her own traumatic past reflected in every frightened girl who walked through those doors. She was seventeen once, raped and pregnant, and watching history repeat itself turned her heart to stone.
The revelation about "Twiggy" and her law enforcement career had me literally gasping at my screen. But it's the killer's storyline that really twisted the knife. This man, believing he's Twiggy's son, has built his entire identity on a lie fed to him by corrupt religious figures. When the truth finally surfaces about his real mother's identity... chef's kiss for that plot twist, Paul J Teague.
What absolutely destroyed me (in the best way) was the reunion of the mothers with their stolen children. After all the horror, manipulation, and institutional abuse, watching these women finally find their babies—now grown—felt like watching flowers bloom through concrete. Sometimes the most beautiful moments emerge from the darkest chapters.
Here's where I get real with you, dear readers. This series has always hit close to home, but Her Fifth Girls felt like a punch to the gut. Between Ireland's ongoing revelations about 800 babies found buried in septic tanks and my own family's story, Paul J Teague's fiction feels uncomfortably close to reality.
My mum had my older half-brother taken from her because some hospital bureaucrat deemed her "unfit" due to her autistic traits. Five years later, she raised me and my siblings with more love and strength than most "fit" parents could muster. She passed in 2013, but she'd be thrilled knowing that brother she lost found his way back to our family. He's closer to my siblings than I am—different personalities, same heart.
Paul J. Teague has crafted something special here. Her Fifth Girls doesn't just tell a story; it bears witness to institutional trauma while celebrating the unbreakable bonds of family. It's mystery, historical fiction, and healing all wrapped into one unputdownable package.
Amazon: https://amzn.to/44nUUFb
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