Reviewed: January 21st, 2024
Released: August 18th, 2022
Genre: Mystery Suspense
A girl and a boy, haunted by their past, must battle their personal demons to fight the evil hiding in plain sight.
Eighteen-year-old Dee Bailey works hard on her personal brand. She’s intelligent and passionate about her community. To her peers, she’s a great friend and everyone’s favorite social butterfly.
But when alone, she’s terrorized by a secret that leaves her cowering to the floor. Until one night, a mysterious girl in white appears on the manicured lawn of her family’s vacation home. She follows the robed figure into the woods with no clue that she’s about to change the course of her future.
Meanwhile, Brandon Cuenca is drowning in the weight of his self-sabotage. Mourning the death of his girlfriend, he throws himself deep into a world of drug binges and questionable life choices—until the news of another disappearance of a Wakefield teenager forces him to set his problems aside. The victim was the third girl abducted in their social circle.
But when a chance encounter lands him in her path, he learns that bringing her home is more complicated than finding her. What happens when the missing doesn’t want to be found?
Followers of the Owl explores greed, avarice and the human need to find light in the darkness.
Trigger Warnings: Use of profanity, drug use/alcohol use, no sex but brief sexual interactions, dysfunctional relationships, brief discussions of triggering topics: sexual/physical abuse
Helen’s Thoughts: 5/5
An excellent sequel to Night Orchid, following the same social group from the town of Wakefield.
This book follows Dee and Brandon, both of whom have some serious problems to deal with. Although they are from rich families and live the socialite dream, life has sent them some tough challenges and from hesitant beginnings these two extremely well developed characters have the means to help each other.
Hernandez delves into the world of cults and explores how manipulation of vulnerable girls by the rich and powerful can so easily happen in plain sight. Difficult topics are dealt with sympathetically, and they are very well written.
At the core of the story is the disappearance of another girl, and how the group of friends support each other as they try to deal with the fallout. Dee and Brandon’s relationship keeps you turning the pages, as one horror leads to the next, but ultimatley you are rooting for them to have a happy ending, and the story is about how you pick yourself up after traumatic events and try to live your life the best you can.
A gritty mystery you won’t want to put down.
Purchase Followers of the Owl via Amazon
Link to book on Amazon UK: eBook | Paperback
Link to book on Amazon US: eBook | Paperback
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If you enjoy fantasy books then you will love my epic fantasy Sentinal series or the Romantic Fantasy SoulMist series. As a new threat against Remargaren is discovered, only one man can wake the ancient guards who can protect them, only he doesn’t know how. Start the adventure and stay for the journey. Sign up to my newsletter and download a free novella called Sentinals Stirring and get notified when my next books are published.
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