“The Weird Girl” by Carla Damron

The Weird Girl (Stillwater River 2025) by Carla Damron continues the story of social worker Georgia Thayer that readers met in The Orchid Tattoo. (See our review here.) In this installment, Georgia is fostering Tessa, a vulnerable teenager she previously rescued from sex traffickers. Given Tessa’s traumatic past, her struggle to fit in at school comes as no surprise.

Georgia, however, is not without her own challenges. She manages a mental health condition that sometimes causes her to hear voices, largely controlled by medication. Even so, her history raises concerns when child services evaluates her fitness as Tessa’s guardian, adding another layer of tension to an already fragile situation.

While Georgia remains the central viewpoint character, Damron skillfully broadens the narrative by allowing other voices to emerge. This approach deepens characterization and heightens the novel’s suspense.

Hoping to help Tessa experience a normal teenage life, Georgia encourages her to attend a neighborhood party—a decision that quickly spirals into disaster. Tainted fentanyl circulates among the partygoers, and Sara, the one girl Tessa has befriended, is struck by a car while walking home, leaving her fighting for her life. Sara’s mother, already grieving the loss of her son Max to addiction and suicide, is pushed to the brink.

The plot intensifies when Lily Grace, an outcast, witnesses the accident. Hidden nearby, she overhears Fletcher Hawthorne—a candidate for attorney general—pressuring his son to lie about who was driving the vehicle. With his campaign on the line, Hawthorne cannot afford scandal. Complicating matters further, Jeremy, the passenger, is too impaired to remember what happened.

As the story unfolds, readers learn that Marcus, a powerful drug kingpin, is secretly backing Hawthorne’s campaign, seeking influence over a future law enforcement official. When Lily Grace becomes a liability, Marcus orders her silenced. After a failed attempt to confide in Tessa, Lily Grace disappears.

Georgia, Tessa, and law enforcement launch a desperate search, while the emergency room where Georgia works fills with victims of drug poisoning. The stakes escalate rapidly, and Damron delivers a series of unexpected twists in the novel’s final act.

Blending a gripping mystery with urgent social issues—human trafficking, addiction, and political corruption—The Weird Girl offers both suspense and substance. Fans of issue-driven thrillers will find much to admire. This novel further confirms Damron’s skill at navigating complex, sensitive topics with authority and insight.

Carla Damron

Damron is also the author of the Caleb Knowles mystery series, including Keeping Silent, Spider Blue, and Death in Zooville. She lives in South Carolina with her husband and a small gang of beloved rescue animals. She holds both an MSW and an MFA in Creative Writing.