The Lullaby Girl (Angie Pallorino Book 2)

EXCERPT: "It affected us all, you know, finding that bleeding and mute toddler inside. She was a beautiful child - that pale complexion, the long dark-red hair, and that tattered little pink dress with frayed lace." A pause. "We all thought someone would come forward to claim her instantly - that she had to have some family who was missing her. But no one did - not a soul. No mother presented at Saint Peter's with injuries later. The other hospitals in this health-care region reported nothing suspicious either. It was a mystery. An absolute mystery."
"Tell...tell me more about the child," Angie said, her voice husky.
"Her mouth had been slashed open by a sharp weapon - it had sliced through both the upper and lower lips on the left side of her face. She was bleeding copiously from the wound. Blood saturated her dress, the bassinet. She was clutching the Teddy we'd placed inside, like a lifeline. Blood soaked the Teddy as well. She was in shock, grey eyes like saucers. And she made no sound at all. As though she was beyond crying and had perhaps been that way for a long time before."

THE BLURB: Detective Angie Pallorino took down a serial killer permanently and, according to her superiors, with excessive force. Benched on a desk assignment for twelve months, Angie struggles to maintain her sense of identity—if she’s not a detective, who is she? Then a decades-old cold case washes ashore, pulling her into an investigation she recognizes as deeply personal.

Angie’s lover and partner, James Maddocks, sees it, too. But spearheading an ongoing probe into a sex-trafficking ring and keeping Angie’s increasing obsession with her case in check is taking its toll. However, as startling connections between the parallel investigations emerge, Maddocks realizes he has more than Angie’s emotional state to worry about.

Driven and desperate to solve her case, Angie goes rogue, risking her relationship, career, and very life in pursuit of answers. She’ll learn that some truths are too painful to bear, and some sacrifices include collateral damage.

But Angie Pallorino won’t let it go. She can’t. It’s not in her blood.

MY THOUGHTS: The Lullaby Girl by Loreth Anne White is a fast paced, action packed read. The storyline is complex, without being complicated, the writing punchy, the characters interesting. There is romantic content and reasonably explicit sexual content, both of which are handled well and integral to the plot.

This is the second book in a series, the first of which, The Drowned Girls, I have not yet read. I probably should have as there are references to the content of that book throughout The Lullaby Girl. But at no point when I was reading did I feel lost or out of the loop, there was enough explanation of past events given to make everything clear.

The Angie Pallorino series is one I am going to follow with interest, including going back to read the first book. And at the end of The Lullaby Girl, is a teaser for the third book in the series, which has whet my appetite for more.

A good solid ☆☆☆☆ read.

Thank you to Montlake Romance via Netgalley for providing me with a digital copy of The Lullaby Girl by Loreth Anne White for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own. Please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page for an explanation of my rating system.

***Some spoilers ahead if you haven’t read the first book.***

The Lullaby Girl takes us back to the life of Angie Pallorino, and after the events of the last book her career as a detective is in jeopardy. She’s being accused of excessive force in taking down a serial killer! Really? I sort of thought this was ridiculous, and even if she did fire off a bunch of rounds into him, hello, he was a really bad guy and deserved it! This is important to Angie, but she’s distracted by her own mystery, and getting to the bottom of her identity; what happened the night she was abandoned at the hospital takes precedence. She remembers blood, gun fire, and lullabies sung in Polish.

Maddocks has his own hands full with the bar code girls; girls forced into sex work on the Amanda Rose. All evidence is pointing to organized crime, and Maddocks is trying to find the responsible parties so no other girls will suffer or die. Angie’s past and this current case have some disturbing things in common, and it soon becomes evident that Angie is in danger. The ending wrapped up with some exciting and tense moments and had me on the edge of my seat!

All this is taking place while Maddocks and Angie try to navigate their new relationship. I was afraid Angie was going to get skittish and push Maddocks away for good, but thankfully that wasn’t the case. She did have her moments, but she did think things through and thought of the big picture before ruining things. Maddocks was a prince! I just loved this man! He realizes some of the reason Angie’s in hot water is because she was trying to protect him and his daughter; it touches his heart that she put herself on the line for him like that. He also is pretty understanding that Angie has issues because of her past, and cuts her a lot of slack. I know these two have what it takes for the long term! They just sizzle and spark every time they’re together!

The Angie Pallorino series is captivating and thrilling, with flawed, but likable characters. It’s must for anyone who enjoys a well written police procedural, but truly, the romance is my favorite part, and I hang on every interaction between Angie and Maddocks! I’m anxious to find out where Loreth Anne White takes Angie and Maddocks in the next book, especially with how things turned out here!

The Lullaby Girl is the second book in Loreth Anne White’s Angie Pallorino series. It is a direct continuation from the first book, The Drowned Girls. You have to read the first book if you want to have a good understanding of what is going on. Angie Pallorino is a police officer who is currently on suspension for the number of bullets she put into a serial killer. However, that is just the tip of the iceberg as it relates to everything that is going on with her. In addition, her new boyfriend, Detective James Maddocks is continuing the investigation into a human trafficking ring that they came across while they were hunting aforementioned serial killer. Somehow, that prior investigation helped to unearth childhood memories for Angie that brought to light the fact that she was adopted.

Since this is a mystery/suspense, there is only so much that I can get into without spoiling everything. Needless to say, there are a lot of layers to this mystery. As Angie digs into her past, her present and future begin to unravel. She discovers that her past is so gruesome that her younger self had to forget everything in order to survive. Even her secrets have secrets. In addition, Maddocks’ investigation into the human trafficking ring will have an unimaginable overlap into Angie’s past. And that is as much as I can get into. Loreth does an uncanny job of weaving everything together. I was captivated until the very end. At times, it was hard to root for Angie because she is so self-destructive but once the truth about her past comes into focus, I understood her so much more. And Maddocks was a truly admirable guy who just wanted to be a good cop, father, and lover. He was compassionate and never let Angie down even when she tried to push him away.

I have no idea what the next novel will be about because it seems that a lot of questions were answered this time around. Nonetheless, I look forward to reading the next book because I am curious to know what happens next for Angie and Maddocks.

**Received a copy from the publisher and voluntarily reviewed.**

I love, love, love this series! Loreth writes so well, that I was stressed out reading it and loved the stress at the same time. This book was so good, you just get lost in the story! There are spoilers going forward, so you are warned. Angie is one messed up heroine, but who wouldn't be with everything that has happened to her starting as a toddler. Angie has some vices that she seemed to deal with in the first book and almost fell back into a couple of times while I was yelling "Don't do it" at the book. That is how involved you get with these books. You definitely need to read them in order and I'm so excited that I get to read the 3rd book "The Girl in the Moss" in ten days. I was a little disappointed in how little interaction there was between Maddocks and Angie, but I totally understand it had to be that way for the story to unfold. Maddocks has made plenty of mistakes in his personal life in the past and puts work first. In this book, he starts to realize his future will be the same unless he makes some changes as well. One of the best, in my opinion, was his choice at the end risking his career.

Lullaby lyrics sung in a strange tongue haunt Angie. Hypnosis is shining a sliver of memory but her past abandonment in a hospital cradle at age four is a terror that keeps on giving. A police detective position is being ripped from Pallorino due to her over giving of bullets to suspect in prior The Drowned Girls. Rescue of six trafficked young girls who do not speak has Detective James Maddox and Kjel Holgersen scrambling for answers. White has an expert way of telling a story that even if it is two in the morning blurry eyes keep reading. Would have liked a bit more romance between Maddox and Pallorino and uncovering more about Kjel. "A copy of this book was presented by
Montlake Romance and author via NetGalley with no requirement for a review. Comments here are my honest opinion."

Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) provided by the Author and Publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an fair and honest review.

You must read The Drowned Girls first or you will be lost as The Lullaby Girl picks up two weeks after the end of that book. A lot of loose ends left from "The Drowned Girls and the aftermath is messy, to say the least. Loreth Anne White is nothing short of a sensational author. She has it all: mystery, romance and plots that grab you and won't let you go. Her characters are truly unique and don't behave as you would expect in any other romantic-suspense book. This book is about three different cases, or are they really?

Detective Angie Pallorino is on administrative leave and could be faced with criminal charges stemming from the fatal shooting of a serial killer. Fortunately, she dodged that bullet, but she has been placed on a desk assignment for the next twelve months, with mandatory counseling required. Heavy sentence for Angie whose sole purpose in life is her job as a detective. So, she dives deep into her past as "the cradle child" looking for answers and justice. Then, a severed foot that washes up is a link that Angie didn't expect.

Detective James Maddocks, Angie's former partner, current lover, and workaholic whose job has already cost him one marriage, is heading the case that he and Angie broke about a sex-trafficking ring. Trying to control Angie’s obsession with her past is really tough when the two cases have some unexpected connections. He needs to figure out what is going on before Angie is in too deep to dig herself out.

The Lullaby Girl (Angie Pallorino #2) by Loreth Anne White
4.5 stars
M/F Thriller
Triggers: Murder
I was given this book for an honest review by Wicked Reads.

This is the second story in the series and I do recommend that you read the previous book so that you have a good grasp on who all of the characters are and what the back story between Angie and James is.

Angie got in to some trouble at the end of the first book and she needs to decide whether or not she wants to continue being on the police force. However, she also learned a very important fact at the end of the first book (read book 1) and she now hunts to track down answers.

James is still the gung ho detective that he was in book 1. However, I thought that he was much more patient with Angie in this book. He also didn't have as much going on in his own life and was able to focus more on the thriller aspect of this story.

While Angie searches for answers, other people from her past crop up and make things complicated, dangerous and interesting. I really enjoyed her hunt.

This is a fast paced story that just kept getting more interesting. I wanted to read faster and faster the more we learned. I really enjoyed it and can't wait to see what happens next.

Lullaby Girl is book number two in the Angie Pallorino police procedural series . Author Loreth Anne White has done it again!! She is such a talented author! Great storyline and characters, Angie's boyfriend and former partner Detective James Maddox and the mysterious Kjel Holgerson . This book takes up where book one ( The Drowned Girls) left off , so I highly recommend reading the first in the series before this one . I loved this book !
Detective Angie Pallorino is on desk duty for 12 months after taking down a serial killer using excessive force. Angie is starting to remember bits and pieces of her childhood, especially a lullaby sung by an unknown woman. She uncovers shocking secrets about her past. I would like to thank Montake Romance, Netgalley and Loreth Anne White for the wonderful opportunity to read and review this ebook in exchange for my honest opinion.

This is a topical and well written thriller with a protagonist in Angie who just won't give up on her search for the truth. Yes this is the second book in a series but White gives you enough in the prologue to make it a fine standalone. There are secrets here- lots of them- about Angie's past. She's determined to find answers, even risking her own life. James, her partner, worries for her but never undermines her. There are twists and turns and all in all- it's a page turner. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.

Yes, Angie is the main character in this series, and she's been one hell of a detective, and no different in this second book in the series. She has found her life to be full of secrets, rage, and self-destructive behavior. She will not only find the answers she is seeking, but a love she didn't expect to happen in her life. Just as she uncovers who she is, will she make it out of her own story alive? Explosive, riveting, and just great writing!

The intertwining stories and multiple character cut offs are great. Im really liking this writing style. And I'm really loving this series, I'm hooked for sure. One thing though, this book had a bad editor because there were a lot of errors unlike the first book. Grammatical errors, misspelled words and even mix up of character's NAMES! I hope the 3rd book doesn't have these kinds of errors! I'm giving it 5 stars because of the story but wish I could do a separate rating for the writing. That'd be more like 2 stars.

Wow ! Detective Angie Pallorino does it again. Imagine you find out you're not who you've always believed you are. That you find out you were discovered badly wounded in an Angel,s Cradle. That this all ties back to the Russian mob. This is all happening while in the midst of a massive undercover operation while you're a rogue cop doubting your own sanity. Throw in a handsome hunk of man with his own issues and you've got Angie,s life.

Okay I love that this author is not predictable like some authors tend to get when they write a series. In fact this author is so good I was mad at, crying with, and yelling at one of the main characters Angie was she a real person lol! I was talking about what stupid thing she did to my mom (she not a big reader) like Angie was an actual person. I can’t express enough how I can’t put this author down.... so worth reading. Wish it was a movie!!!

Great story which I enjoyed completely. It was a tangle of mob and drug lords operations worldwide together with an incredible cold case crime investigation. A very complex criminal operation with human sex slave traffic included. Liked how it ended and look forward to reading more like this.

This was such a amazing continuation of the trilogy!! I loved how we got to focus on Angie and her past and present as she searched for answers, rather then on a case like usual thrillers. I’m hoping the ending of the trilogy is just as good.

I absolutely loved this book. If you liked the first in the series you will like this one more. The first had a lot of background and character development to lead into the rest of the series. This one is just a straight thrill ride to the end. I highly recommend it. Now I'm on to the next!

While Maddocks gets involved with a task force examining the international trafficking of the "barcode girls", Angie receives and follows up a clue to her past. The two stories interweave leading to an exciting climax. The story builds on book one--which must be read first and sets up events for book three in what is an engaging read. Looking forward to book three.

White does not disappoint in this second Angie Pallorino book 2. Angie struggles with learning her history, and the cost to her job and possibly her life. James becomes he'd life line...figuratively and literally. I couldn't put it down.

I read the series backwards by accident but it actually helped me understand book 1 better. I did think this book was even better though. The main character Angie is super interesting and the writing keeps you on edge. I couldn't stop listening to it. I can't wait for the third book!

This series is an addiction. Its raw, heart wrenching, gut wrenching, there is crime, mystery, suspense and romance. For me there was anguish, I was right there pulling on Angies sleeve, no, come on Ang, no, don't do it.

This is book two in the Angie Pallorino series. I highly recommend reading book 1 first.
Thank you Montlake for letting me receive this ARC from NetGalley. I volunteered to provide my honest opinion.

Entertaining series that takes place in an area with which I am only slightly familiar, British Columbia. This adds to the reading experience with new locations and procedures different than in US. There is solid character development and an interesting storyline with multiple subplots and action. As an older male reader, I would prefer a little less romantic emphasis, thus only 4 stars.

Can't wait for book number three. Angie is having flash backs of her childhood. She knows that she was adopted as a child, now she is starting to remember things that she can't explain. This is a great mystery. As usual, Ms. White has outdone herself .

Dark, dangerous, provocative, twists, turns, suspense...this author has a dark, calculating mind. Find a quiet space and immerse yourself in this read. You will not be able to break away. There won’t be any satiating your reading appetite until the very last page. Angie Pallorino is, herself, a bit of an enigma.

The Lullaby Girl is the second phenomenal book in the Angie Pallorino series written by author Loreth Anne White. Thanks to NetGalley and Montlake Romance for the advance copy. This is a voluntary review.

I read the complete book but it was so painful!!! If you read book #1 don't bother with book #2! The author should be ashamed! This book was page after boring page as the author repeated, over and over, the drama from book #1. It did put me to sleep at night. I found Angie an extremely unlikable person, selfish and self centered.

The sequel to The Drowned Girls, The Lullaby Girl starts right where DG ended. Finally we find out who Angie Pallorino is and where she came from. Angie is such a complex character, tough as nails but also yearns for a normal life. Gritty and dark, oh so depraved, so many secrets are revealed. Another awesome novel by Ms. White! Thank you Loreth and NetGalley for the ARC!

White brings readers another gritty police procedural with loads of suspense.

Thoroughly enjoyable, suspenseful writing with multifaceted characters will keep you up well past bed time.

I highly recommend this book to fans of the contemporary romantic suspense genre.

The protagonist isn’t an altruistic innocent; she’s a strong, talented, flawed, rage-filled, capable woman. She is damaged but determined to seek retribution and answers to her past. She is. It a damsel in distress and I love that she doesn’t give up EVERYTHING for a man, and that he still respects and doesn’t give up on her. Her love interest is not threatened by her goals and her issues. We need more characters like her in books & on the screen. The criminology in this series is impressive and very original.

While Maddocks gets involved with a task force examining the international trafficking of the "barcode girls", Angie receives and follows up a clue to her past. The two stories interweave leading to an exciting climax. The story builds on book one--which must be read first and sets up events for book three in what is an engaging read. Looking forward to book three.

White does not disappoint in this second Angie Pallorino book 2. Angie struggles with learning her history, and the cost to her job and possibly her life. James becomes he'd life line...figuratively and literally. I couldn't put it down.

I read the series backwards by accident but it actually helped me understand book 1 better. I did think this book was even better though. The main character Angie is super interesting and the writing keeps you on edge. I couldn't stop listening to it. I can't wait for the third book!

This series is an addiction. Its raw, heart wrenching, gut wrenching, there is crime, mystery, suspense and romance. For me there was anguish, I was right there pulling on Angies sleeve, no, come on Ang, no, don't do it.

This is book two in the Angie Pallorino series. I highly recommend reading book 1 first.
Thank you Montlake for letting me receive this ARC from NetGalley. I volunteered to provide my honest opinion.

Entertaining series that takes place in an area with which I am only slightly familiar, British Columbia. This adds to the reading experience with new locations and procedures different than in US. There is solid character development and an interesting storyline with multiple subplots and action. As an older male reader, I would prefer a little less romantic emphasis, thus only 4 stars.

Can't wait for book number three. Angie is having flash backs of her childhood. She knows that she was adopted as a child, now she is starting to remember things that she can't explain. This is a great mystery. As usual, Ms. White has outdone herself .

Dark, dangerous, provocative, twists, turns, suspense...this author has a dark, calculating mind. Find a quiet space and immerse yourself in this read. You will not be able to break away. There won’t be any satiating your reading appetite until the very last page. Angie Pallorino is, herself, a bit of an enigma.

The Lullaby Girl is the second phenomenal book in the Angie Pallorino series written by author Loreth Anne White. Thanks to NetGalley and Montlake Romance for the advance copy. This is a voluntary review.

I read the complete book but it was so painful!!! If you read book #1 don't bother with book #2! The author should be ashamed! This book was page after boring page as the author repeated, over and over, the drama from book #1. It did put me to sleep at night. I found Angie an extremely unlikable person, selfish and self centered.

The sequel to The Drowned Girls, The Lullaby Girl starts right where DG ended. Finally we find out who Angie Pallorino is and where she came from. Angie is such a complex character, tough as nails but also yearns for a normal life. Gritty and dark, oh so depraved, so many secrets are revealed. Another awesome novel by Ms. White! Thank you Loreth and NetGalley for the ARC!

White brings readers another gritty police procedural with loads of suspense.

Thoroughly enjoyable, suspenseful writing with multifaceted characters will keep you up well past bed time.

I highly recommend this book to fans of the contemporary romantic suspense genre.

The protagonist isn’t an altruistic innocent; she’s a strong, talented, flawed, rage-filled, capable woman. She is damaged but determined to seek retribution and answers to her past. She is. It a damsel in distress and I love that she doesn’t give up EVERYTHING for a man, and that he still respects and doesn’t give up on her. Her love interest is not threatened by her goals and her issues. We need more characters like her in books & on the screen. The criminology in this series is impressive and very original.

Angie is a fabulously strong and human character. We all have a darker side that we don’t want to share. The author shares hers and it is balanced by the true good nature of the lead characters , Angie, soul.