Conspiracy Girl by Sarah Alderson
Genre: Thriller, Action, Romance, Contemporary
Published by: Simon & Schuster
Pages: 320
Format: e-book
Rating: ★★
Where to Find: Goodreads | Amazon

I’d previously read The Sound by Sarah Alderson, so when I saw Conspiracy Girl on NetGalley I thought, “Why not?” However, it’s safe to say that I haven’t found my new favourite Sarah Alderson, and I even found the ending a little predictable given the plot twists in The Sound. It had the same basic structure: conspiracy, bad boy love interest, the ‘big’ reveal – none of that was problematic, it was just that I felt I’d read the book before.

Conspiracy Girl has two points of view: Nic and Finn. Nic’s family were murdered, and she was left with the wreckage, and likes to be protected by high security gadgets and her dog. Finn – with a shady background that isn’t revealed until later – is a code cracking genius. When Nic is trust into his hands by a friend on the Police, he helps he solve the mystery of her mother and sister’s death.

I can’t deny that the plot was engaging and action packed. It didn’t quite have me on the edge of my seat, but I was still intrigued. The plot was well paced and kept together by a string of reveals that aided the changing relationship between the protagonists. However, the relationship wasn’t my cup of tea.

For starters, I don’t really like the whole bad-boy-changes-for-good-girl-protagonist trope. How am I supposed to like this guy when he comes of as an arrogant And it felt like insta love, or rather insta lust, because no sooner had they moved in together were they having ‘forbidden’ feelings of one another. The romance was steamy, but there was too much “I want her, but I can’t have her” tantalisingly close moments. On a murder inquiry or when the characters lives are at stake I don’t think romance should be the top priority!

The plot twist was the same sort of “I thought they were innocent!” reveal as The Sound, along with the fact I didn’t really enjoy the romance I can only give Conspiracy Girl two stars. But this will not be the last Sarah Alderson I read, I promise! I really enjoyed The Sound for I don’t want to give up yet. I really like the  crime and thriller aspect to her writing as I haven’t read an awful lot of it, and they do make for fast paced reads.