Little Silent Stranger

Georgiana Germaine #13

by Cheryl Bradshaw

A quiet walk through the woods. A secret left unspoken. A murder that tears through a small town and everyone in it.

On the brink of leaving for college, Audrey Ashford heads toward her best friend’s house, taking a shortcut she’s walked countless times before. But as night falls and the shadows close in, Audrey senses she isn’t alone. What begins as a familiar path turns deadly, and by the time she realizes the danger, it’s already too late.

Detective Georgiana Germaine is called to investigate, but the deeper she digs, the more tangled the case becomes. Everyone has secrets, and someone will do anything to keep the truth buried.

Little Silent Stranger is a haunting murder mystery of broken innocence, long-buried lies, and a determined detective who will risk everything to unmask a killer.

What Readers are Saying about the

"Makes you want to keep reading the story into the night." ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

"A strong lead character and plenty of drama, it keeps the reader engaged." ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

"Leaving you wanting to read more." ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

"I will definitely read more from this author." ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

"Kept me on the edge of my seat." ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

254 pages, Paperback

Published January 26, 2026

About the author

Cheryl Bradshaw is a New York Times and 11-time USA Today bestselling author writing in multiple genres, including mystery, thriller, romantic suspense, supernatural suspense, and poetry. She is a Shamus Award finalist for best private eye novel of the year, an eFestival of Words winner for best thriller, and has published over fifty books since 2011.

Raised in Southern California, she now lives in North Texas. When she's not writing, she loves jet-setting to new countries, exploring the outdoors, and playing with her grandbabies.

For a free eBook, click here: http://cherylbradshaw.com/get-a-free-...

Book series in order by Cheryl Bradshaw:

Georgiana Germaine (Mystery Series)

1. Little Girl Lost - USA Today Bestseller
2. Little Lost Secrets
3. Little Broken Things
4. Little White Lies
5. Little Tangled Webs
6. Little Shattered Dreams
7. Little Last Words
8. Little Buried Secrets
9. Little Stolen Memories
10. Little Empty Promises
11. Little Hidden Fears

Sloane Monroe Mystery/Thriller Series

0. Silent As the Grave (prequel to series)
1. Black Diamond Death
2. Murder in Mind
3. I Have a Secret
4. Stranger in Town - Shamus Award Finalist
5. Bed of Bones - USA Today Bestseller
6. Hush Now Baby - USA Today Bestseller
7. Gone Daddy Gone - USA Today Bestseller
8. Smoke and Mirrors - USA Today Bestseller

Sloane Monroe Stories - Mystery Novella Series
(with characters from the main series)

1. Deadly Sins: Sloth
2. Deadly Sins: Wrath
3. Deadly Sins: Lust
4. Deadly Sins: Greed
5. Deadly Sins: Envy
6. Deadly Sins: Pride

Sloane & Maddie Peril Awaits - Mystery Series
(Spinoff Series with Sloane Monroe & her sidekick Maddie)

1. The Silent Boy
2. The Shadow Children
3. The Broken Soul
4. The Widow Maker
5. The Familiar Stranger

Addison Lockhart Ghost Mystery Series

1. Grayson Manor Haunting
2. Rosecliff Manor Haunting
3. Blackthorn Manor Haunting
4. Belle Manor Haunting
5. Crawley Manor Haunting

Stand Alone Mystery/Thriller Novels

1. Eye for Revenge - USA Today Bestseller
2. The Perfect Lie
3. Hickory Dickory Dead - USA Today Bestseller
4. Roadkill - USA Today Bestseller

Reviews

[Mandi Newbold · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! One of Bradshaw's best.... And I've read them all! I'm so impressed at the depth of this story. So many spider webs, my heart was racing reading this, esp when it was solved. It was such a great mystery!

[Shirley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love this series. Each book is good from the first page to the last.

[Marsha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Georgiana was keeping tabs on the latest homicide the police department was working on, so it took her no time at all to accept the case when the mother of the victim walks through her PI business asking for help. Even if her two sidekicks were out of town and she was on her own. The homicide tracks back to over 20 years ago and involves two generation of friends. There are plenty of suspects, lies and omissions, secrets. This author is very good at describing the characters, their behaviors/mannerisms, so you can never tell for sure who the culprit is until the big reveal. This story doesn't have any violence on the page and Georgiana's life was never threatened (like it often is when she confronts the suspect.) It was almost a laid back case. Not that it wasn't important to her, but there wasn't much in way of suspense, other than actually trying to figure out who done it. This is a good quick mystery that was interesting but not too convoluted or overdone.

[Stephanie Herron · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a mystery that has you guessing until the very end. Georgiana is hired to find out who killed Audrey. As she investigates the teen's death, she finds more questions than answers. As she talks to Audrey's friends, she begins to think her death is related to the death of a teenager that has been unsolved for over twenty years. Georgiana manages to find Audrey's boyfriend, Logan who has been hiding in fear of his own life. In order to figure out who the murderer is Georgiana has to interview all of the parents of Audrey's friends about the night Anne went missing and figure out why they have lied about the bonfire they were at all those years ago. Georgiana chases clues piecing them together like a shattered mirror with each shard reflecting a sliver of the bigger picture until it all becomes clear. An excellent story with an ending that has you stunned.

[Kat · Rating 5 out of 5]

99 cents

georgia is looking into a case of a girl who was murdered going through the woods in cambria to her best friends house.

its tied to a old case of a missing girl 25 years ago

the murdered girl found a locket in a old cabin in the woods and traced it to the missing girl. she was last seen at a bonfire with a bunch of local kids

she questioned all the people at the bonfire
turned out the girl had left with one of the guys and fell and hit her head and died. he buried her under the bed in the cabin but then moved her to a spot by a special tree (georgia got clues about that in a dream)

turned out the murdered girls best friends parents were involved. it was her dad who was with her that night at the bonfire and her mom killed her best friend to keep her quiet

they were both arrested. the daughter went to stay with her best friends parents

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another very capitivating book by Cheryl Bradshaw. This was a story about two deaths occuring approximately 20 years apart in a small town. A group of teenagers got together for a bonfire and later the town and the teens realize one of the girls is missing with no clues as to her whereabouts. Fast forward to present day and a teenager is murdered and the clues come together with a surprising twist as to what happened to the young lady years ago and the current murder. Gigi Germaine is on the job and she brings the closure to two deaths. Very good story!!!

[Robin Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of my favorite series, although it can be read as a stand-alone. Georgiana Germaine is a private detective with a stellar reputation. She solves cases that the police haven’t. She works with the police although not formally. In this book, she is hired by the mother of a teenage girl who has been murdered in the woods nearby. There are many twists and turns in this story as there usually is in this series. I thought I had guessed the ending this time, but I was wrong yet again. Ms. Bradshaw always keeps me guessing!

[G Victoria Jerome · Rating 5 out of 5]

a mystery that has you on the edge of your seat

Georgiana -private detective in Cambria, California is tasked yet again to solve a murder. She methodically chips away at the story, bit by bit, to uncover the potential culprits until the true events are revealed. Her books are always easy to read, no typos, no slow spots. The chapters tend to be quite short. There is some backstory to be aware of from all the previous books but it’s not necessary to have read them all before diving into this one.

[Sheri · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great story by Cheryl Bradshaw. Private investigator Georgiana Germaine is hired to help the police solve a local murder, which leads to a cold case. There are several potential suspects who are slowly eliminated. An unexpected twist at the end leads to a surprising conclusion. I enjoy these books as they are realistic, easy reading and with a touch of paranormal.

[Carol Nauss · Rating 5 out of 5]

A small town murder shakes a community to it's core. So many questions. Is this murder somehow connected to a missing person case from 20 years ago? Is someone in the small community responsible? A town full of lies and secrets. Can detective Georgiana Germaine uncover the truth? An exciting mystery which leads to an unexpected conclusion.

[Ros · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just could not put this book down. So many twists and turns. This story is incredible and so not expected. How an inquisitive mind can end in such tragedy. As usual I thourally recommend reading this book. I think Cheryl has truly outdone herself.

[Leah Hines · Rating 5 out of 5]

Georgiana is back and this case was full of angst and suspense! It kept me guessing, and boy was I stunned at the reveal. I also really loved that we saw more of Giovanni than we have in the past few stories. This one really tugs on your emotions. I loved the ending.

[Nell · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love Cheryl Bradshaw books and this one is great. I love that she gives her books a rating so you know ahead of time that there won't be terrible language. I wish all authors would do that before you get 50 or 75% in and find out. Thanks Cheryl Bradshaw! Can't wait for # 14 !

[Heidi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing

I have enjoyed reading this entire series. This book was no exception and did keep me guessing to the very end. If she was real I would love to me Georgiana and talk to her.

[Pamela Faust · Rating 4 out of 5]

Audrey has been murdered and Georgiana is doing some detectiving to find out why. She believes that Audrey might know what happened to a woman went missing twenty-five years earlier. This was a good story with a lot of good suspects.

[Mimi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Meh. I was bored. The AI reading of this almost made me DNF. When the narrator pronounces "Talia" differently... every. single. time. I wanted to scream...I may pay attention to making sure there are actual *people reading the audio versions after this. It was dreadful!

[Marie Price · Rating 5 out of 5]

Silence isn't always golden.

Oh my goodness! I downloaded this today and could not put it aside. I devoured all of it. it was absolutely captivating, suspenseful, and extremely emotional.
Excellent!

[Maureen ~Bitch Can Write A Book · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was another fast paced, fantastic read. I was hooked from the beginning. I’m looking forward to the next book in the series.

[Rhonda · Rating 5 out of 5]

First. a thank you to Cheryl Bradshaw for a copy of the book.
I really enjoy this series and this one is as good as the others!
Highly recommend!

[Kathy Danzinger · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely love this book series. The characters are likeable and I enjoy figuring out the mystery as Georgiana does.