I have a huge soft spot for characters who are a little different. In a sea of stereotypes it’s the ones that don’t fit in who are more interesting. In this gripping story we’re introduced to Rory Moore, an MC who stands out from the crowd for several reasons.

Rory is a forensic reconstructionist. Occasionally she works on cold cases for the Chicago PD under the supervision of Det. Ron Davidson. Her specialty is recreating a crime scene in such minute detail that often new information is revealed. It’s a gift & her uncanny abilities are a direct result of her being somewhere on the autism spectrum.

Ron has just dropped another case in her lap when Rory gets the news her father has died. It’s a terrible blow made more difficult when she takes on the job of closing his law practice. She discovers he’s been representing an infamous convicted killer since 1979. That was the year 5 women went missing courtesy of a man nicknamed “The Thief”. Despite a massive search, police were only able to nail him for one. Her name was Angela Mitchell & she was credited with identifying him. After numerous applications made by Rory’s father, it looks like he’s finally been granted parole & the job of guiding him through the process falls to Rory.

There are dual time lines & in alternate chapters we follow Angela in 1979. She, too, is a little different. Intelligent but socially awkward, Angela deals with the daily challenge of appearing “normal”. With the help of a supportive husband, she just about manages to keep a lid on the personal tics that can take over her life. That summer, everyone is talking about “The Thief”. She is soon obsessed with following the investigation & begins to see patterns others miss. Eventually, she’s sure she knows who the killer is. Then Angela becomes missing woman #6.

That’s it from me about the plot. The less you know going in, the better & I don’t want to deprive you of one “Holy Crap!” moment. Just get used to saying it because you will. A lot. Given the subject matter, much of the prose is surprisingly low key. You have a chance to get to know Rory & Angela before events begin to spin out of control in both time lines. In terms of the big picture, it’s like little puzzle pieces are littered throughout the story. Some I picked up, others I completely missed. The overall plot is intricate & as that picture emerges, it becomes a tense & compulsive read. I should mention we also get chapters narrated by the killer, a man who had me praying to the Gods of Karma that he’d get what he so richly deserved.

The author does a good job of portraying how times have changed (somewhat) for people living with degrees of autism. Rory is accepted by those she allows in her life & appreciated for her abilities. Angela has to deal with patronizing smiles & labels such as “slow” or “retarded”. It’s not overplayed, just presented as a fact of life for both women.

I’ve heard other readers say they were disappointed by the finale but I thought it was perfect & very much in keeping with the characters involved. The author knows how to spin a story that keeps you reading & has created a compelling MC. If there’s a Rory 2.0 in the works, sign me up.

With true crime documentaries (Making of a Murderer, etc.) being the new thing being streamed by audiences through Netflix, etc., this book delves right into that newfound popularity.

Sidney Ryan has a new idea whereby the documentary is produced weekly and then streamed at the end of that week. There are an unknown number of episodes as Sidney has no idea how the story will end. Her subject is Grace Sebold, who has many names such as "Grisly Grace", etc. Grace is in jail having served ten years of her life sentence for killing her fiancee by pushing him off a mountainside into the water below in St. Lucia.

There is also an elderly man named Gus who has just had one of his legs removed due to cancer and is in rehab learning to deal with this situation. The reader is advised that he worked in police enforcement, however, that doesn't happen right away. They are also not made aware of what Gus's role is going to be in the book for a while. However, he does become a very intricate part of the story.

The U.S. Attorney's office also gets involved as Grace is a U.S. citizen in jail in a foreign country who may be innocent. All of these things just add to the plot to garner a few more very interesting twists.

I found it fascinating to read and watch how Sidney Ryan deals with all these situations. Of course, that's not the only thing that held my attention. 

The ending with its multitude of twists was crazy. I was shocked!! I will say though, I did not like a certain part of the ending. That's not what I wanted to happen, at all!! Ha!!

An interesting read that held me spellbound throughout the whole book.

Did she or didn't she? You gotta read it to know. And, it's worth it.

Thanks to Kensington Books and Net Galley for providing me with a free e-galley in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.

Sidney Ryan has put together the most watched documentary in television history. The Girl of Sugar Beach is a true-life mystery that is running in real time. The audience finds out exactly what happened ten years ago in St. Lucia when an American woman was accused of murdering her American boyfriend. Is Grace Sebold guilty or did the police want everything tied up in a neat little package to avoid a drop in tourism and money? The audience seems to think Grace is innocent and it looks as if she's getting out of that St. Lucian prison soon. Sidney has been uncovering startling evidence, things that were overlooked during the original investigation. But as the television series races towards its final episodes, Sidney receives a letter saying she got it all wrong.

Charlie Donlea is one of those authors, for me, where I don't have to read the blurb because I already know it's going to be good. If you've read his last book you'll recognize some names in this one, which I liked. I liked the aspect of Sidney Ryan digging around to free those who were wrongly accused and airing Grace Sebold's story on tv in real time. I found it easy to envision a group of friends in St. Lucia for a wedding and then everything being torn apart and everyone having to go on with their lives in different ways. Some things were convenient and the ending was a little far-fetched but overall it's another solid and entertaining read from this author.

Thank you to Netgalley and Kensington for an ARC.

By:  Charlie Donlea

ISBN: 1496701003

Publisher:  Kensington

Publication Date: 4/25/2017 

Format: Hardcover

My Rating:  3.5 Stars

Charlie Donlea returns following his debut, Summit Lake with THE GIRL WHO WAS TAKEN – a disturbing, and evil sadistic game of kidnapping and abduction goes bad. The Capture Club. More than one monster? An abandoned haunted subdivision Stellar Heights. A psychopath. Lies and secrets. A sister who will not give up.

Set in a small southeastern town of North Carolina (not in an area worthy of scenery or landmarks), we meet a rebellious teen. A selfish, self-centered girl who is out of control. However, she has cried wolf too many times. Now she really needs help and it may be too late for saving.

Flashing back and forth, we learn of two girls who go missing. Megan McDonald and Nichole Cutty. Megan was taken, the daughter of Emerson Bay’s Sherriff in the summer of 2016. Nichole was taken about the same time. Megan goes free. Nichole is still missing.

One year later, Megan is out with a book, called Missing. A so-called true story account of her abduction and courageous escape. Did the killer let her go, or did she escape? Does she remember the events or has she repressed the horrific events?

However, turns out Megan is not forthcoming about the real truths of her abduction. It was a front to keep people at bay. She had been on her way to Duke University. Everyone wanted to know the morbid details of her captivity. She needed to be a success story. Her abductor had let her go.

Nichole was still missing. What happened to Nichole and what is Megan hiding?

“A life might end, but sometimes their case lives forever.” - Gerald Colt, MC

Donlea spends most of the book featuring Livia Cutty, the sister of Nichole. She chose forensics as a career because someday her parents would get the call that her sister’s body had been found. There would be questions about what happened to her and what they did to her. She needed to be the person to gather those answers. She chose to take a position in Raleigh, NC, close to where she grew up in Emerson Bay. Livia, a pathologist was happy to be a part of a well-funded program run by Dr. Gerland Colt, widely considered in the world of forensics as a pioneer.

She had to do something for her sister. She was not there when Nichole placed the call that night. It was always drama with Nichole. Livia could only imagine finding redemption in some form and be able to help her sister in the future.

A body comes in which is thought to be a suicide. Turns out the guy, Casey had dated her sister Nichole. However, was it suicide or murder? Her sister was wild, and out of control before she was taken. What had she gotten herself into with someone like this?

Livia thought something was off about Megan’s book and her account of her abduction. However, the book was the closest thing she had gotten about the real details of the night Megan and Nichole were taken.

However, were they actually taken at the same time? What really happened and how are these two connected? What about other girls that were taken. Are they connected? A similar drug was used. We learn about the events leading up to the abduction. (did not find this very interesting).

Livia was ten years older than Nichole. Still, Livia knew most of Nichole’s friends from that time. Jessica Tanner had been one of her sister’s closest friends. She receives a call about Casey. The guy they had pulled out of the bay. He was the guy Nichole was dating that summer before she disappeared.

From here the bulk of the book goes on and on about the sick immature games Nichole played and the Capture Club (pretty far out). Nichole was self-centered, narcissistic, jealous, and manipulated everyone, seeking attention from everyone, mostly guys. Rebellion. She was part of this cult-club, who enjoyed playing games obsessed with abductions. (So tired of hearing about this girl, was hoping she would never be found).

A dangerous dark game. Nichole was jealous of Megan. Games she played. However, her plan backfires. A cast of characters from boyfriends promiscuous behavior, drugs, sex, and more abductions. Casey was creepy as well as many others. A bag over the head. Where are these bodies going?

We hear about all gory details of the bodies coming into the examiner’s office and not so realistic attempts by Livia to investigate the whereabouts of her sister and other missing elements. She finally teams up with Megan leading them to the real horror of the night both girls were taken.

My take: This was a difficult review to write as for why I have delayed posting. I hate to be negative; however, being honest here with a much lower rating than the first book. I really enjoyed Summit Lake, Donlea’s debut; however, was not fully engaged on any level with The Girl Who Was Taken.

Not many likable characters here and the best part of the book starts about 80%. Fast action and suspense. Then after all the buildup for an entire book, the identity of the killer is revealed, and like nothing happens. It ends. This would have been an opportunity for an entire book here. Very similar to another book I just finished (another 3 star).

Livia and Megan learn the identity and (it was like, now OK, and let’s move on- what’s for dinner)? From both sides. No why or explanation? No flushing out. No emotion. I am not a fan of cutting off a book this abruptly. Would like to have more focus and time spent on the latter part and less on the teenage disturbing events. Will not go into more details, with spoilers. I would have liked to hear more from Megan, her childhood and parents. Would have been an intriguing story here.

However, Donlea does a good job with the forensics, even though most folks in her situation would not be allowed all the liberties, but again this is fiction. The author offers suspense and action with a number of red herrings.

Sure the book will attract a variety of readers on a more positive note since it was outside- the-box. Would like to have a much more interesting city in NC for the setting, which was not expanded upon here. Really enjoy this author, so hoping for something different next go around.

I think my overall reading interests are changing to less dark thrillers, and enjoying more: domestic suspense, literary and historical fiction. Finding the more I read my book interests (genre) change.

A special thank you to Kensington and NetGalley for an early reading copy.

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