What do you think?
Rate this book
The Girl on Mill Street
Nineteen-year-old Annie Taylor has a dark story to tell, one of sex, betrayal, and homicide: her family’s story.
Ten years ago, her beautiful and well-loved mother disappeared. Her father, a famous sex therapist and loving husband, was charged with the murder.
But Annie stubbornly believes in her father’s innocence. She follows in his footsteps and studies psychology, desperate to understand the tragic event that has shaped her life and to exonerate the man she believes was wrongly convicted.
Annie, who will fight for the truth no matter what it reveals, starts discovering more sinister details about her family’s history. Why did her peace-loving mother have a police record? Who could explain her father’s fear of mirrors? What about the other woman in her father’s past, who is also missing? And what about her father’s warning to others of a darkness that is hidden inside each of us?
The Girl on Mill Street asks us to explore how much we really know about our own families and how our assumptions can keep us from the truth.
Ten years ago, her beautiful and well-loved mother disappeared. Her father, a famous sex therapist and loving husband, was charged with the murder.
But Annie stubbornly believes in her father’s innocence. She follows in his footsteps and studies psychology, desperate to understand the tragic event that has shaped her life and to exonerate the man she believes was wrongly convicted.
Annie, who will fight for the truth no matter what it reveals, starts discovering more sinister details about her family’s history. Why did her peace-loving mother have a police record? Who could explain her father’s fear of mirrors? What about the other woman in her father’s past, who is also missing? And what about her father’s warning to others of a darkness that is hidden inside each of us?
The Girl on Mill Street asks us to explore how much we really know about our own families and how our assumptions can keep us from the truth.
197 pages, Paperback
First published February 16, 2016
607 people are currently reading
959 people want to read
About the author
Peter Gilboy
9 books16 followersPeter Gilboy is the author of 2017 thriller - The American Pearl. He is also the author of The Girl on Mill Street, Madeleine’s Kiss, and Operation Fantasy Plan
He has been a ditch digger, bartender, truck driver, short order cook, soldier & intelligence operative, teacher and academic. He has been in jail only once. Peter almost always takes his meds.
Peter lives in upstate New York with his dog, Dollar.
You can find out more about Peter and his upcoming books at http://www.PeterGilboy.com.
See also http://www.TheAmericanPearl.com/
He can be contacted at Hello@PeterGilboy.com.
He has been a ditch digger, bartender, truck driver, short order cook, soldier & intelligence operative, teacher and academic. He has been in jail only once. Peter almost always takes his meds.
Peter lives in upstate New York with his dog, Dollar.
You can find out more about Peter and his upcoming books at http://www.PeterGilboy.com.
See also http://www.TheAmericanPearl.com/
He can be contacted at Hello@PeterGilboy.com.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 188 reviews
April 22, 2017
3 stars for the twist at the end, but I would have to stick with a 2 for reading pleasure. Originally titled "Annie's Story" The Girl on Mill Street is told through the lens of 19 year old, Annie Taylor, as she recounts the disappearance of her mother and the case that eventually sees her father, a Freudian doctor, being named as the killer and brought to trial many years later.
I am feeling so-so about the way in which the story was written. So many fantastic reviews that talk about suspense or thriller and yet I felt none of that. In fact, I actually kept thinking "When exactly is this story going to get interesting?" It's not until the trial that I felt invested in the story and that isn't until half of the book has been read. Secondly, the relationship between Annie and her father had a weird vibe that I just couldn't shake. Even if your dad is completely okay with all types of discussion, I cannot believe that he would want to know the details on his daughter's sex life. Seems a bit stereotypical for a doctor who follows Freud.
I might be in the minority, but this book didn't work for me.
Thanks to NetGalley for an uncorrected digital galley in exchange for an honest review.
I am feeling so-so about the way in which the story was written. So many fantastic reviews that talk about suspense or thriller and yet I felt none of that. In fact, I actually kept thinking "When exactly is this story going to get interesting?" It's not until the trial that I felt invested in the story and that isn't until half of the book has been read. Secondly, the relationship between Annie and her father had a weird vibe that I just couldn't shake. Even if your dad is completely okay with all types of discussion, I cannot believe that he would want to know the details on his daughter's sex life. Seems a bit stereotypical for a doctor who follows Freud.
I might be in the minority, but this book didn't work for me.
Thanks to NetGalley for an uncorrected digital galley in exchange for an honest review.
July 10, 2017
In this story Annie Taylor’s mother disappears and her father, whom she has always believed is innocent is charged with her murder. Annie follows in his footsteps and studies psychology hoping to understand how this has shaped her life and prove her father’s innocence. As she investigates her family she discovers things about them she had not been aware of, her mother’s past is not as she once thought and what happened to the woman from her father’s past? In this book, you are left wondering do we really know anyone even those we love. I would like to thank the Publisher and Net Galley for the chance to read this ARC.
July 28, 2016
☆☆☆☆ 4.5 "Everybody Needs Something" Stars ☆☆☆☆
Traveling to Indianapolis read....GRIPPING TALE OF WHO DONE IT.
Annie's life growing up was awesome. Her parents were the ideal couple. Her and her sister were loved to the fullest.
Then one day, her mom disappears. No trace, no clues, no word of what has happened.
Her father, sister and her, live life thinking mom will come home. She is just away. Then one day, everything changes.
Annie is not about to accept the outcome, she will find out the truth if it is the last she does. She will have the justice her family deserves.
If you want a story that is different but in a great way this is the book!! I never EVER expected that ending!!! My review is quite vague but this story is complex and I don't want to give the secrets away.
Traveling to Indianapolis read....GRIPPING TALE OF WHO DONE IT.
Annie's life growing up was awesome. Her parents were the ideal couple. Her and her sister were loved to the fullest.
Then one day, her mom disappears. No trace, no clues, no word of what has happened.
Her father, sister and her, live life thinking mom will come home. She is just away. Then one day, everything changes.
Annie is not about to accept the outcome, she will find out the truth if it is the last she does. She will have the justice her family deserves.
If you want a story that is different but in a great way this is the book!! I never EVER expected that ending!!! My review is quite vague but this story is complex and I don't want to give the secrets away.
February 9, 2023
Book Blog | Bookstagram
This was really just the most okay-est, maybe a little less. The ending has a nice little twist that definitely worked, but for the most part, it is pretty mild. There’s no suspense, barely any twisty or thrilling moments. I’m usually a sucker for high-stakes murder trials, but somehow the author managed to even make that boring.
And I’m 100% blaming the narrator. This is told through the eyes of 19-year-old Annie Taylor during and after her father is arrested and put on trial for the murder of her mother. Annie as the POV narrator was a bad choice in her current state. If the whole disappearance, murder and trial had been written so we had access to all the players, this could have been a tight legal thriller. It might have also been a little more fleshed out, given an opportunity to feel more emotion, setting, and whatever else, other than only just what Annie cared about, which wasn't that compelling.
I was expecting this to have a little more power in the narrative because of the topic and themes, but Annie really killed all of that. Considering she’s 19, she talks and thinks with such an immature tone that it was really disorientating/annoying for me as a reader. Until I learned her age, I thought she was around 12. This was maybe another case of a male author not knowing how to write a female character.
Annie’s father, and potential murderer, is a psychologist and so there were a lot of “insightful” moments, mostly in relation to Freud. None of it felt professional though, but like you were talking to someone who read Freud’s work once but never really studied the subject as a whole. There was just something weird about it, like when an anti-vaxxer does a Google search and then tells you to “do your own research!” Bitch, you haven’t done any research either. A Google search is not research. A lab study is research. You don't understand microbiology. So, shut the fuck up. Don't @ me about it.
Anyway, two stars for the reading experience. Half a star for the ending. It’s whatever.
The vibe for this one:
⭐⭐½ | 2.5 stars rounded down
This was really just the most okay-est, maybe a little less. The ending has a nice little twist that definitely worked, but for the most part, it is pretty mild. There’s no suspense, barely any twisty or thrilling moments. I’m usually a sucker for high-stakes murder trials, but somehow the author managed to even make that boring.
And I’m 100% blaming the narrator. This is told through the eyes of 19-year-old Annie Taylor during and after her father is arrested and put on trial for the murder of her mother. Annie as the POV narrator was a bad choice in her current state. If the whole disappearance, murder and trial had been written so we had access to all the players, this could have been a tight legal thriller. It might have also been a little more fleshed out, given an opportunity to feel more emotion, setting, and whatever else, other than only just what Annie cared about, which wasn't that compelling.
I was expecting this to have a little more power in the narrative because of the topic and themes, but Annie really killed all of that. Considering she’s 19, she talks and thinks with such an immature tone that it was really disorientating/annoying for me as a reader. Until I learned her age, I thought she was around 12. This was maybe another case of a male author not knowing how to write a female character.
Annie’s father, and potential murderer, is a psychologist and so there were a lot of “insightful” moments, mostly in relation to Freud. None of it felt professional though, but like you were talking to someone who read Freud’s work once but never really studied the subject as a whole. There was just something weird about it, like when an anti-vaxxer does a Google search and then tells you to “do your own research!” Bitch, you haven’t done any research either. A Google search is not research. A lab study is research. You don't understand microbiology. So, shut the fuck up. Don't @ me about it.
Anyway, two stars for the reading experience. Half a star for the ending. It’s whatever.
The vibe for this one:
⭐⭐½ | 2.5 stars rounded down
July 6, 2017
*2.5 Stars*
I was provided an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This book is about 200 pages long. Freud is mentionned 92 times. I checked. That's about once every two pages. It drove me insane.
This was the story of Annie, a 19 year old girl who tell us about what happened to her mother and her dad, a famous freudian therapist.
The way it was told was interesting. It was truly Annie telling us her story, she was conscient of the reader which I really liked.
I also enjoyed reading all about the trial and the testimonies, it was pretty entertaining.
But I couldn't relate to any of the characters and they mostly drove me crazy, either by their thoughts or their actions. A lot of sexist things were said / thought. A lot of Annie's thoughts started with "Freud says" or "Freud explains" or "Freud..." etc...
My biggest problem though was that whenever a new character was introduced, if it was a woman, a sentence saying whether she was attractive or not was almost always added but never when male characters were introduced.
So, I guess it just wasn't what I was expecting. I was expecting something more thrillery and less about psychology...
I was provided an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This book is about 200 pages long. Freud is mentionned 92 times. I checked. That's about once every two pages. It drove me insane.
This was the story of Annie, a 19 year old girl who tell us about what happened to her mother and her dad, a famous freudian therapist.
The way it was told was interesting. It was truly Annie telling us her story, she was conscient of the reader which I really liked.
I also enjoyed reading all about the trial and the testimonies, it was pretty entertaining.
But I couldn't relate to any of the characters and they mostly drove me crazy, either by their thoughts or their actions. A lot of sexist things were said / thought. A lot of Annie's thoughts started with "Freud says" or "Freud explains" or "Freud..." etc...
My biggest problem though was that whenever a new character was introduced, if it was a woman, a sentence saying whether she was attractive or not was almost always added but never when male characters were introduced.
So, I guess it just wasn't what I was expecting. I was expecting something more thrillery and less about psychology...
June 1, 2017
my reaction to this book can be summed up in a mere two words: oh dear.
this is billed as a psychological suspense, and whereas it certainly could be described as psychological up to a point, the suspense was sorely lacking.
i suppose i should say that i absolutely hate sigmund freud. i hate him. i'm not an official student of psychology or anything, but what i've read of him and what i've read of psychology graduates analysing him, i do not like the guy. he was instrumental in defining psychology for his generation, sure, but the vast majority of his theories are no longer relevant because they have been disproved.
therefore, the many tangents about freudian theory made me want to poke my entire eyes out.
not only that, but the seemingly random insertion of these theories took away from the little suspense that was there. i'm not sure what Gilboy was trying to achieve. was he trying to prove he was writing a Clever Thriller??
it didn't work. it was not clever. the psychological tangents were pseudoscientific and pointless. do we really need a freudian analysis of psychology to tell the reader that sex and violence are sometimes linked and sexual motives are common with murders???? no. we don't. everyone knows this. e v e r y o n e.
the majority of the book was dealing with evidence for a certain character who i will refer to as the Primary Suspect. now, this did not create much suspense at all, because it is obvious that if a mystery thriller is dealing with evidence for the Primary Suspect for the majority of the book, the Primary Suspect is probably not going to be the perpetrator otherwise it would not be a mystery in the first place.
therefore, the mystery should lie in trying to figure out who the murderer actually was. but there weren't enough characters introduced for this to really work, and the ending seemed completely ridiculous, pointless, unsurprising and unoriginal.
finally, a bunch of minor annoyances began to build up throughout the book and combine with the central fact that the plot was weak and unoriginal, to culminate in me being more frustrated and annoyed with a book than i have in a long, long time.
minor annoyances included:
- poor writing, such as defining words (i know what cathartic means, thanks, and if i didn't then dictionaries exist, mate)
- the suggestion that males are only interested in sex and not friendship with females, which is not only heteronormative but a notion that needs to be dispelled because the more it is perpetuated the more boys who do think like this will think it is okay because that is what is expected of them. (and the percentage of boys who are only interested in sex is not fucking 99%, as this book implies. what the hell??)
- implication that antidepressants are an inferior treatment to therapy
so yeah, overall, i was incredibly NOT IMPRESSED. i can't even think of a single thing i liked about this. i don't know why i even finished it.
maybe reading it so soon after finishing an Agatha Christie was a bad idea, but then again i don't think i would have even remotely enjoyed this under any circumstances.
this is billed as a psychological suspense, and whereas it certainly could be described as psychological up to a point, the suspense was sorely lacking.
i suppose i should say that i absolutely hate sigmund freud. i hate him. i'm not an official student of psychology or anything, but what i've read of him and what i've read of psychology graduates analysing him, i do not like the guy. he was instrumental in defining psychology for his generation, sure, but the vast majority of his theories are no longer relevant because they have been disproved.
therefore, the many tangents about freudian theory made me want to poke my entire eyes out.
not only that, but the seemingly random insertion of these theories took away from the little suspense that was there. i'm not sure what Gilboy was trying to achieve. was he trying to prove he was writing a Clever Thriller??
it didn't work. it was not clever. the psychological tangents were pseudoscientific and pointless. do we really need a freudian analysis of psychology to tell the reader that sex and violence are sometimes linked and sexual motives are common with murders???? no. we don't. everyone knows this. e v e r y o n e.
the majority of the book was dealing with evidence for a certain character who i will refer to as the Primary Suspect. now, this did not create much suspense at all, because it is obvious that if a mystery thriller is dealing with evidence for the Primary Suspect for the majority of the book, the Primary Suspect is probably not going to be the perpetrator otherwise it would not be a mystery in the first place.
therefore, the mystery should lie in trying to figure out who the murderer actually was. but there weren't enough characters introduced for this to really work, and the ending seemed completely ridiculous, pointless, unsurprising and unoriginal.
finally, a bunch of minor annoyances began to build up throughout the book and combine with the central fact that the plot was weak and unoriginal, to culminate in me being more frustrated and annoyed with a book than i have in a long, long time.
minor annoyances included:
- poor writing, such as defining words (i know what cathartic means, thanks, and if i didn't then dictionaries exist, mate)
- the suggestion that males are only interested in sex and not friendship with females, which is not only heteronormative but a notion that needs to be dispelled because the more it is perpetuated the more boys who do think like this will think it is okay because that is what is expected of them. (and the percentage of boys who are only interested in sex is not fucking 99%, as this book implies. what the hell??)
- implication that antidepressants are an inferior treatment to therapy
so yeah, overall, i was incredibly NOT IMPRESSED. i can't even think of a single thing i liked about this. i don't know why i even finished it.
maybe reading it so soon after finishing an Agatha Christie was a bad idea, but then again i don't think i would have even remotely enjoyed this under any circumstances.
August 22, 2016
Annie's Story: A novel of psychological suspense - really? What suspense? I can't believe this got so many 4 and 5 star reviews.
The story is told from the POV of a 19 year old girl diarising the events surround her mother's disappearance nine years ago and her father's eventual arrest for the murder. Mistake. The author is an older man and (having once been a 19 year old girl myself) the character of Annie just doesn't ring true. For one thing she is too good to be true. And her dad is a saint who can do no wrong (apparently).
The writing wasn't awful, it was OK but that is about the only positive thing I can say about the book. The characters were all one dimensional without any depth. The plot was very linear with no complexity. And the one and only (very lame at that) twist was obvious. There was no suspense and no drama. I should stop there. Suffice it to say I won't be reading any more of Mr Gilboy's books.
The story is told from the POV of a 19 year old girl diarising the events surround her mother's disappearance nine years ago and her father's eventual arrest for the murder. Mistake. The author is an older man and (having once been a 19 year old girl myself) the character of Annie just doesn't ring true. For one thing she is too good to be true. And her dad is a saint who can do no wrong (apparently).
The writing wasn't awful, it was OK but that is about the only positive thing I can say about the book. The characters were all one dimensional without any depth. The plot was very linear with no complexity. And the one and only (very lame at that) twist was obvious. There was no suspense and no drama. I should stop there. Suffice it to say I won't be reading any more of Mr Gilboy's books.
September 24, 2018
I'm torn on this one. I enjoyed it and it was a quick read--not that that's what I necessarily look for in a novel. I'm not sure how it's a thriller, at least in the sense that I imagine thrillers with lots of twists and turns. Annie's mother disappears and is later found murdered and her father, a psychologist/writer is the prime suspect as there were handcuffs discovered in his possession. His relationship with Annie is odd as they don't have the "typical" father/daughter relationship and he felt a little creepy to me. I did enjoy the chapter headings as they quoted Freud and psychology is just an interesting subject to me. But the ending seemed so abrupt that I felt a little blindsided. Yes, we wanted to know who the killer was but there weren't enough clues for me to believe this logic.
November 10, 2019
Lately, I had been reading a lot of Bully romances and contemporary romances and needed something to break it up. When I feel like I have read too much, I tend to gravitate towards mystery fiction to rejuvenate myself. Scrolling through my kindle I came across The Girl on Mill Street and the cover captured me. Ten years ago, Annie's father was committed to murdering her mother when she disappeared one day. Her father built his career on being a top Sexual therapist and had written a self-help book called Twice a Day and had a strong belief in Freud's theories. Annie always believed her father was innocent but as the trial went along all this past information about her father came to light including a stint when he was in a cult in the 1970s before meeting Annie's mother Sunny. During this cult, one of her father's girlfriends was murdered and it seems to be identical to the way that Sunny's body was found. Annie decided to follow her father's footsteps and study psychology and continued to fight for the truth as she knew in the back of her mind that her father would never kill her mother as he loved her. The Girl on Mill Street is told from Annie's perspective as she attempts to write down her past and the story of her parents that influenced her to become the person she is today. I have to admit I did not see the twist coming at the end and when the actual killer was revealed, I was like WOAH, Horsie as in one way it was a shock but in another after reading everything in the book I could actually see that person being the killer and it made sense reflecting on the entirety of the book. If you are in the mood for a good psychological thriller and why people have the phobias they do and what drives someone to unleash their inner selves, then check out The Girl on Mill Street by Peter Gilboy.
August 28, 2019
This is story of a missing much loved mother and what happened to her as told by her daughter Annie. Sonny was a beautiful, spiritual Sikh, married to a sex therapist. They lived a normal life raising two daughters and living their lives. Then one day Sonny disappeared. There were no leads of where she had gone or what happened to her.
Her husband and daughters continued their lives with a huge hole in it where Sonny belonged. Then she was found. The authorities began looking hard at husband, they put together a circumstantial case, put him on trial and convicted him for his wife's murder.
But did he do it? Annie starts putting together bits of clues and might have found the real killer. But will she be believed.
Her husband and daughters continued their lives with a huge hole in it where Sonny belonged. Then she was found. The authorities began looking hard at husband, they put together a circumstantial case, put him on trial and convicted him for his wife's murder.
But did he do it? Annie starts putting together bits of clues and might have found the real killer. But will she be believed.
July 6, 2016
Good Read
This was well written and quite realistic. The character development was excellent as was the character description. I liked the details which were included. Freud's teaching and quotes from those surrounding the incident were very appropriate. I took off a star because readers were never informed at the beginning if the protagonist did what his wife requested. While a few of the protagonist's reasons could be mild personal eccentricities such as going to another town's library, the death of someone earlier in his life in the exact same matter is never explained. Also spouses can testify against each other. They just cannot be legally coerced to do so.
This was well written and quite realistic. The character development was excellent as was the character description. I liked the details which were included. Freud's teaching and quotes from those surrounding the incident were very appropriate. I took off a star because readers were never informed at the beginning if the protagonist did what his wife requested. While a few of the protagonist's reasons could be mild personal eccentricities such as going to another town's library, the death of someone earlier in his life in the exact same matter is never explained. Also spouses can testify against each other. They just cannot be legally coerced to do so.
August 14, 2017
Not really too sure about this one, read it a while ago now and wanted some time to think about it before I wrote this review, the problem is that I can't remember too much about it and that is a sign for me, maybe other readers too, that it just wasn't that good.
What I do remember is that the main character 19 year old Annie, after the disappearance of her mum Sunny, follows in her fathers footsteps and becomes a therapist, he was a Freudian therapist and there's lots of talk about sex and the sex life of him and Sunny which seems a little weird to be discussing with Annie in such an in depth manner. That might just be me who thinks that though.
I also remember the ending as I guessed it early on and only finished the book to see if I was right!
So unfortunately this is a book that hasn't made too much of an impact (other than what I mentioned above), I do read a LOT of Psychological Thrillers/Mystery Thrillers/Crime Procedural etc type books so I need to be hooked straight away or find something in the first 25% of a book to pull me in, if I don't, I lose interest. The more I pushed myself to finish this the more my brain refused to connect and wanted me to speed read until the end to see if I'd guessed right.
This is very much a 'It's not you, it's me' type of situation as I've read reviews from others, they've enjoyed it and have been pulled along by the story and the characters.
*Huge thanks to Peter Gilboy, Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley for this copy which I chose to read and all opinions are my own*
What I do remember is that the main character 19 year old Annie, after the disappearance of her mum Sunny, follows in her fathers footsteps and becomes a therapist, he was a Freudian therapist and there's lots of talk about sex and the sex life of him and Sunny which seems a little weird to be discussing with Annie in such an in depth manner. That might just be me who thinks that though.
I also remember the ending as I guessed it early on and only finished the book to see if I was right!
So unfortunately this is a book that hasn't made too much of an impact (other than what I mentioned above), I do read a LOT of Psychological Thrillers/Mystery Thrillers/Crime Procedural etc type books so I need to be hooked straight away or find something in the first 25% of a book to pull me in, if I don't, I lose interest. The more I pushed myself to finish this the more my brain refused to connect and wanted me to speed read until the end to see if I'd guessed right.
This is very much a 'It's not you, it's me' type of situation as I've read reviews from others, they've enjoyed it and have been pulled along by the story and the characters.
*Huge thanks to Peter Gilboy, Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley for this copy which I chose to read and all opinions are my own*
June 29, 2016
Never saw it coming!!!! I couldn't put this book down!
What can I say about this book. A LOT! it is never boring and keeps you trying to figure it all out. It is perfectly written. I can usually figure out the end before I get there but not with this one. It will keep you interested until the very end. I can't wait to read more by this author.
What can I say about this book. A LOT! it is never boring and keeps you trying to figure it all out. It is perfectly written. I can usually figure out the end before I get there but not with this one. It will keep you interested until the very end. I can't wait to read more by this author.
February 28, 2017
A great read
Emotional, informative, clever. All aspects of a good book. Interesting story with a surprising outcome. I highly recommend it to anyone who likes stories with a twist.
Emotional, informative, clever. All aspects of a good book. Interesting story with a surprising outcome. I highly recommend it to anyone who likes stories with a twist.
March 26, 2016
Well, kept me guessing to the end. Loved it
July 10, 2017
I recently received a copy of The Girl on Mill Street in a Goodreads giveaway.
As much as I wanted to love this novel, I really struggled with it. I spent two days and two hundred pages trying to find something redeeming about it; something that stood out. In the end, I just couldn't. I really tried to like The Girl on Mill Street, but there were so many factors that frustrated me to no end that I just couldn't give it the review that I wanted to.
Although The Girl on Mill Street is supposed to be structured like a diary, the formatting and structure do not work well for this novel. The reasoning for this, is, in part, due to the fact that despite claiming to be a diary recounting Annie's memories of her mother's disappearance, there are no real entries. While the novel is supposed to be a retelling of Annie's story on her journey to uncover the truth behind her mother's mysterious disappearance when she was a child, almost the entire thing takes place in the present, making it a confusing read to say the least. Due to the extended use of the present tense, it is difficult to follow the timeline of events, other than Annie's occasional comments about her age at the time that a specific event occurred.
Structure and grammar aside, the story was not incredibly interesting. And we don't get much of it. Instead, the reader is given a taste of lengthy court room sessions filled with argumentation during a trial. All the while, Freud and his theories on sex, obsessions and phobias are mentioned on just about every page. Annie does not have thoughts of her own, but instead constantly mentions either her father's work as a psychologist, or her studies in Freud, as she is going to school to be a psychologist just like her father. Who, by the way, is painted as the perfect character, as if that couldn't get mildly annoying.
All in all, the structure of this book, when paired with Annie as a narrator, really made it difficult to enjoy and read. Although there were a few interesting parts hidden within the pages of The Girl on Mill Street, a number of things go unresolved. If you are looking for a novel that is truly thrilling, I am sorry to say that The Girl on Mill Street is probably not what you are looking for. That is, unless you enjoy Freud, in which case, the novel includes interesting theories and scenarios featuring his analysis on many different topics.
As much as I wanted to love this novel, I really struggled with it. I spent two days and two hundred pages trying to find something redeeming about it; something that stood out. In the end, I just couldn't. I really tried to like The Girl on Mill Street, but there were so many factors that frustrated me to no end that I just couldn't give it the review that I wanted to.
Although The Girl on Mill Street is supposed to be structured like a diary, the formatting and structure do not work well for this novel. The reasoning for this, is, in part, due to the fact that despite claiming to be a diary recounting Annie's memories of her mother's disappearance, there are no real entries. While the novel is supposed to be a retelling of Annie's story on her journey to uncover the truth behind her mother's mysterious disappearance when she was a child, almost the entire thing takes place in the present, making it a confusing read to say the least. Due to the extended use of the present tense, it is difficult to follow the timeline of events, other than Annie's occasional comments about her age at the time that a specific event occurred.
Structure and grammar aside, the story was not incredibly interesting. And we don't get much of it. Instead, the reader is given a taste of lengthy court room sessions filled with argumentation during a trial. All the while, Freud and his theories on sex, obsessions and phobias are mentioned on just about every page. Annie does not have thoughts of her own, but instead constantly mentions either her father's work as a psychologist, or her studies in Freud, as she is going to school to be a psychologist just like her father. Who, by the way, is painted as the perfect character, as if that couldn't get mildly annoying.
All in all, the structure of this book, when paired with Annie as a narrator, really made it difficult to enjoy and read. Although there were a few interesting parts hidden within the pages of The Girl on Mill Street, a number of things go unresolved. If you are looking for a novel that is truly thrilling, I am sorry to say that The Girl on Mill Street is probably not what you are looking for. That is, unless you enjoy Freud, in which case, the novel includes interesting theories and scenarios featuring his analysis on many different topics.
May 30, 2017
I was given a copy of this book and after 8 chapters, I have decided to quit reading it. I tried reading a few chapters, then quit to read other books. I came back to it again but it doesn't appeal to me. The writing style is fine but I don't really care about the subject matter. It reads like a true crime novel and I'm a cozy mystery fan. I'm sure many people will enjoy it.
The reason I rated it 2 stars is because I couldn't finish it.
The reason I rated it 2 stars is because I couldn't finish it.
February 7, 2017
definitely a psychological thriller, but nothing suspenseful about this book. Went almost deep into Freudian psychology and psycho-sexual development, which i found interesting for the most part.
I figured out who the killer was halfway through reading, so i wasn't surprised at the ending. There are only a handful of characters, so it just had to be ONE of them and i guessed correctly!
I did not like that Annie kept referring to her grandparents as "Grandpa Sam- the Bicycle Man" and "Grandma Janet - The Saint in Waiting." Once or twice fine, but it doesn't make any sense or any difference to continue referring to them as such. Petty issue I guess, but it did annoy me!
I also HATED the ending with a passion. I did not find any closure what-so-ever. i don't believe the author did his research on spousal privilege.
I figured out who the killer was halfway through reading, so i wasn't surprised at the ending. There are only a handful of characters, so it just had to be ONE of them and i guessed correctly!
I did not like that Annie kept referring to her grandparents as "Grandpa Sam- the Bicycle Man" and "Grandma Janet - The Saint in Waiting." Once or twice fine, but it doesn't make any sense or any difference to continue referring to them as such. Petty issue I guess, but it did annoy me!
I also HATED the ending with a passion. I did not find any closure what-so-ever. i don't believe the author did his research on spousal privilege.
September 9, 2016
3.5 stars
February 27, 2017
This book was mildly entertaining. It was a somewhat interesting murder mystery that had the potential to be intriguing and surprising, but in the end I think it fell short. There were a few questions that went unanswered and the surprise twist at the end wasn't very surprising after all. I also don't think it flowed well with the story itself. There had been no hints or foreshadowing throughout and it wound up feeling more like a last minute add-on. Like the author wasn't quite sure if he wanted the accused person to be guilty or not until the very end and then quickly made a decision. Overall, it was a decent book to pass the time but not one I would read again, or recommend to others.
January 27, 2017
The title and cover made me think there wasn't much to expect. it was one of those free suggestions. But as reading it, I found it to be very well written and unique. Aside from the predictable Freudian musings. I too loved Sunny, and was able to relate to Annie's pain. It was refreshing to read of a caring, intelligent man, rather than the stereotype we see too much of.
I think if Gilboy's a bit more creative with the book titles, and finds a new cover designer, he'll be on his way.
I think if Gilboy's a bit more creative with the book titles, and finds a new cover designer, he'll be on his way.
August 31, 2016
Boring
This story is boring. I was waiting for a surprise ending. I was disappointed. I had high hopes for this novel.
This story is boring. I was waiting for a surprise ending. I was disappointed. I had high hopes for this novel.
October 1, 2016
Not worth it.
This book is just bad. Drags on. No suspense. The story line was horrible. And the ending! Just all bad!
This book is just bad. Drags on. No suspense. The story line was horrible. And the ending! Just all bad!
February 18, 2018
”No family is perfect all the time. That’s just for scrapbooks and Facebook.”
This book could have been more but from about halfway through it was unsatisfactory.
I enjoyed the way ‘The Girl on Mill Street’ was structured; every few chapters Gilboy switched from Annie’s somewhat unreliable narrative of events to police interview records or quotes from her fathers book and so on. It broke up the constantly pushed dramatic tension and fluffy reminiscing from Annie.
However from when the actual trial began for the supposed ‘murderer’- I got so bored. Nothing new was really revealed in the trials, it included everything that Annie had already put forward and went the way we expected because that was how it was put forward. It was a shame, especially up until that point it was a read that sucked you in.
Annie also didn’t have a lot of depth to her narrative and sometimes swerved into over the top chapter closers, irrelevant moans and yet really nothing about her younger sister which was surprising because it was meant to be a family centered mystery. Riddle me that. At the same time though it was a very human, it was a young girl reminiscence in that respect, with a couple of insightful comments on society that comes from experience.
Even after all that, with the drawn out trial and narrative the answer just apparently appears out of thin air for Annie in the last few pages and your left feeling...what? How did we get there? Even then its not shocking or beautifully twisty and turny, its disappointing. Actually that's the perfect word to the describe the ending of this book- disappointing. I love a good surprise or epiphany moment but ‘The Girl on Mill Street’ had neither.
Its gets two stars rather than one because the first half was pleasant and the structure was a bit different (in an enjoyable sort of way) so I’m interested in Gilboy’s other works to see if their more developed but I wouldn’t recommend this one.
December 29, 2024
(Rating 2.5) —- This was quite an interesting read as there was a lot of psychology talk (Freud’s theory, what drives humans, etc) which I haven’t read much of in this genre so that was good. However, the plot felt very flimsy and I felt like I kept waiting for it to really start.
I also didn’t get the dramatics over the handcuffs. It’s not like that’s a huge sexual taboo. I get why a husband would not want to explain this and betray his wife but when it’s at this stage, when he is literally going to prison for her murder, I think surely that’s ok to discuss your wife enjoying what is considered quite a common kink. And he is a sex therapist so if anyone knows the reasons behind this stuff it would be him so he would know her liking them was not a big deal. As far as I could tell there was no trauma behind it, she just liked it. I kept thinking something bigger is going to be revealed, that the handcuffs were just the tip of the iceberg to a deprived sex life, but it was just all so tame.
And whilst the twist was ok, I do feel like it ended very strangely. It did keep my attention though and I liked the characters well enough. The psychology aspects were definitely my favourite parts even though they were quite surface level explorations.
I also didn’t get the dramatics over the handcuffs. It’s not like that’s a huge sexual taboo. I get why a husband would not want to explain this and betray his wife but when it’s at this stage, when he is literally going to prison for her murder, I think surely that’s ok to discuss your wife enjoying what is considered quite a common kink. And he is a sex therapist so if anyone knows the reasons behind this stuff it would be him so he would know her liking them was not a big deal. As far as I could tell there was no trauma behind it, she just liked it. I kept thinking something bigger is going to be revealed, that the handcuffs were just the tip of the iceberg to a deprived sex life, but it was just all so tame.
And whilst the twist was ok, I do feel like it ended very strangely. It did keep my attention though and I liked the characters well enough. The psychology aspects were definitely my favourite parts even though they were quite surface level explorations.
October 24, 2017
Parmesan Suprise Me..
Those three words are the tell-all for Annie the 19 year old girl who stands behind her father as he's accused of murdering her mother. This book was not the greatest read that I've ever put my eyes to. The idea and the plot are interesting but the way the twist is revealed just comes up out of nowhere. Usually with a book like this there are tells throughout the story but that was not the case here. The tills or hints is what keeps the reader engaged making them want to keep reading because they have an idea of who did it or what's going to happen. The lacking of that element in this book made it hard for me to want to keep reading it and to stay interested in what was coming next. If you're looking for something to read as a filler in your day this is the book for you. If you're looking for a page-turner with a lot of suspense that's going to keep you engaged and wanting to know what's going to happen next this is not the book for you. I gave it 3 out of 5 stars because the idea and the plot are interesting it just wasn't executed well.
Those three words are the tell-all for Annie the 19 year old girl who stands behind her father as he's accused of murdering her mother. This book was not the greatest read that I've ever put my eyes to. The idea and the plot are interesting but the way the twist is revealed just comes up out of nowhere. Usually with a book like this there are tells throughout the story but that was not the case here. The tills or hints is what keeps the reader engaged making them want to keep reading because they have an idea of who did it or what's going to happen. The lacking of that element in this book made it hard for me to want to keep reading it and to stay interested in what was coming next. If you're looking for something to read as a filler in your day this is the book for you. If you're looking for a page-turner with a lot of suspense that's going to keep you engaged and wanting to know what's going to happen next this is not the book for you. I gave it 3 out of 5 stars because the idea and the plot are interesting it just wasn't executed well.
June 4, 2017
Isn't really a psychological thriller. Too much Freudian psychology is spouted but the book really drags and not everything connect- too much time is spent on etching out Dr. Taylor's practice in his field and his book, almost as if that element has a big role to play in it. And then, nothing. There is indeed a mention of how Sam had been eyeing Sunny- just shortly before the book ends, and I can't see how the narrator, Annie doesn't quite figure it out then but then eventually figures it out in the end. I don't know how "Parmesan, surprise me" really helped her nail it and I'd love for someone to explain it to me. Overall, it started well, but ends a little meh for me. A lot of time is spent setting up the book. It it really doesn't get anywhere. I even skipped parts, and sometimes pages of the book, well just because it didn't really add to the story. The courtroom drama also isn't half as interesting. And Annie's relationship with her father just borders on obsessive.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 4, 2018
Annie's Story
This was a great book and extremely intriguing from the beginning to the end. The Author's writing style was exquisite and all the words flowed together. Content was very rich and filled with words that really pulled me into the story. I read it in one day. It's a very good read. Each chapter had a quote at the beginning from Sigmund Freud. As the mystery unraveled, I was suspended, almost holding my breath to end. It ended differently than I wished, but left a feeling that the story wasn't really over. I felt like the happy ending still happens even though the book is finished. It was a book that pulled me in, made me think, stimulated my brain, made me smile, amused and entertained me, gave me great pleasure and more. I would recommend it to anyone. I absolutely loved it.
This was a great book and extremely intriguing from the beginning to the end. The Author's writing style was exquisite and all the words flowed together. Content was very rich and filled with words that really pulled me into the story. I read it in one day. It's a very good read. Each chapter had a quote at the beginning from Sigmund Freud. As the mystery unraveled, I was suspended, almost holding my breath to end. It ended differently than I wished, but left a feeling that the story wasn't really over. I felt like the happy ending still happens even though the book is finished. It was a book that pulled me in, made me think, stimulated my brain, made me smile, amused and entertained me, gave me great pleasure and more. I would recommend it to anyone. I absolutely loved it.
April 11, 2017
Well the book is quite realistic. It's about a great and beautiful family. They all have a perfect life when one day something unexpected and unexplainable happens which changes their life forever.
The author has done the characterization immaculately and the story telling is exceptional. Quotes from Freud and his teachings helps the story move forward in a steady manner.
The court drama is again narrated marvelously and leaves you astonished. It's a suspense thriller, so I won't reveal much; but yes it will surely grip you till the end and is a real page-turner. It's one of those books where you will keep suspecting the protagonist and after climax everything turnarounds.
Recommended if you have an appetite for stirring novels with immense suspense and rightful principals.
The author has done the characterization immaculately and the story telling is exceptional. Quotes from Freud and his teachings helps the story move forward in a steady manner.
The court drama is again narrated marvelously and leaves you astonished. It's a suspense thriller, so I won't reveal much; but yes it will surely grip you till the end and is a real page-turner. It's one of those books where you will keep suspecting the protagonist and after climax everything turnarounds.
Recommended if you have an appetite for stirring novels with immense suspense and rightful principals.
October 1, 2023
I rated this at 3 stars, but really it's a 2.5 at best. This was a slow read for me. Listed as "suspense" and "thriller", I found neither adjective apt. The cover also says the ending will "sock you in the gut"; again not a good description, but definitely an ending that left me wondering, frustrated and questioning the term "justice system".
Annie's Dad is a psychologist and sex therapist. Her mother, Sunny, is described repeatedly as a beautiful person physically and from within as well. She goes missing with virtually no clues at the beginning. Eventually her dad is charged with Sunny's murder and the story unfolds from there. I found Annie's relationship with her dad quite weird. I like the description of the grandmother as "saint-in-waiting".
Annie's Dad is a psychologist and sex therapist. Her mother, Sunny, is described repeatedly as a beautiful person physically and from within as well. She goes missing with virtually no clues at the beginning. Eventually her dad is charged with Sunny's murder and the story unfolds from there. I found Annie's relationship with her dad quite weird. I like the description of the grandmother as "saint-in-waiting".
Displaying 1 - 30 of 188 reviews