The story begins with the disappearance of Megan and Nicole. Megan's eventual escape and return provide some answers, but many questions remain, especially regarding Nicole's fate. Livia, motivated by her sister's disappearance, becomes a medical examiner and starts her own investigation. As she digs deeper, Livia uncovers dark secrets about her sister, Megan, and their seemingly idyllic town.
The novel intertwines the stories of Megan McDonald, who escapes her captor and returns home, and Livia Cutty, a medical examiner and sister of Nicole Cutty, who is still missing.

This psychological thriller was very gripping, thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.

I really enjoyed the rode this thriller took me on. Everything was there for a great story and to leave you on the edge of your seat the entire time. Greatly recommend.

Anyone else just love Charlie Donlea's psychological thrillers? They always seem to be suspenseful and perfectly paced. This one did not disappoint. I was completed engaged - a page turner from the first to last page.

Megan McDonald and Nicole Cutty both disappear from a beach party in the small town of Emerson Bay, North Carolina. Megan miraculously resurfaces two weeks later, after escaping from a bunker deep in the woods. She has lost a lot of her memory of the events due to the amount of drugs she was given. She has recently written a book, or her psychologist wrote a book, and it brings it all back into the public eye. Livia is Nicole's sister. She is training as a medical examiner/coroner with the dream that she will bring her sister home some day. When a body ends up on her table with ties to her sister, she and Megan begin investigating in earnest.

Charlie Donlea has written a solid, well-written story, even if there are some elements that have you suspending belief a bit. The characters were all developed and I felt that I got to know them well. They had very distinct and different personalities. I liked watching Megan come out of her "fog" as the story progressed and start to stand on her own two feet. There were some very odd characters that we meet as the story progresses and that is where I found the story a bit bizarre. We get the POV of the abductor as well which adds more tension to the story, the girls who were abducted, the police, but Livia narrates the major part of the story. There is a dual timeline as we learn about what happened in the past, but it is very easy to follow. Even with the strange happenings in this story, I did like it. It had me listening when I should have been doing other things, but I wanted to find out what was going on. All I will say is that you need to read Charlie Donlea, and be prepared for a shocker of an ending

What really happened to Nicole? Megan has written a book- and has dined out for years- about the night they disappeared from a beach. She spent time being held in a bunker but what about Nicole? Nicole's sister Livia is the one who untangles the secrets in this well written thriller. A good read.

I was provided an electronic copy of The Girl Who Was Taken, via NetGalley and the publisher. I voluntarily chose to review this book and my opinion was freely given.

High school seniors Nicole Cutty and Megan McDonald go missing on the same night from their small town of Emerson Bay, North Carolina. Megan escapes, but Nicole remains a captive. Years later, Livia Cutty, Nicole's sister, is a forensic doctor who has a fellowship with the coroner. When she is given an interesting case that may have ties to her sister's disappearance, will the secrets involving Nicole's disappearance finally be revealed?

I wanted to like The Girl Who Was Taken more than I ultimately did. Some of the plot was transparent, and although the ending was a bit of a twist, I just did not find it to be all that realistic. Unfortunately, I did not find the novel to be memorable, as it did not have a plot or characters that stand out. For these reasons, I would be hesitant to recommend The Girl Who Was Taken to other readers.

At time,, The Girl Who Was Take, was a little hard to stomach and kind of gross. Whether it was gross because of the descriptions or gross because of how horrible humans can be, I was uncomfortable. And not in a good way. There were so many gory descriptions of sounds and smells... I couldn't ever connect with the characters because I felt so sick reading. I finally gave up and decided to stop reading the book. Since I did not finish it, I will not be writing a formal review.

*4.5-5 Stars*

Copy kindly received via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book had me hooked instantly. From the very first chapter I wanted to find out what happened and get to the bottom of this mystery. Told in different perspectives, we have two main characters in the present, Megan McDonald - the girl who escaped, and Livia Cutty - the sister of the other missing girl - who didn't escape. The book also flicks back to the past in the lead up to the day that both girls were taken.

Between these perspectives, we begin to learn more and more about these characters, and the individuals around them. Livia was a very interesting character for me, because shes a training medical examiner and is very very smart and does a fantastic job using her resources and putting together all the little pieces of this mystery.

Megan is also an interesting character, because we learn who she is after the kidnapping, what she is trying to remember, and who she is trying to be in this new phase of her life.

There were many times in the book I thought we were thrown little clues as to who had taken these girls, but by the end I was totally thrown for a loop and did not see coming who the kidnapper was.

My only gripe with this story is the abrupt ending. Whilst I think it is meant to leave the reader assuming that yes it is what we think - there is no clear answers and definitely has room left open for a sequel or a series. I would love to read more about Livia and get some more answers and cases where she is involved.

Great book that kept me on my toes and guessing until the end, Very well wriiten. A Must read for thriller fans!

Donlea's writing holds the reader's attention rapt. With a riveting plot and believable characters, he has successfully followed up on the promise of thrilling entertainment introduced in his debut title, Summit Lake.

Confession, Summit Lake was not a favorite book of mine. However, I did feel that that book was good enough for me to wanna try another of Charlie Donlea's books and I'm glad I did because The Girl Who Was Taken is great!

First I want to say that I don't get really surprised that much nowadays when I read thrillers, at least it feels like that. I often have a hunch about what will happen, so getting totally taken by surprise is rare. Which makes this book a delicious treat because the last part truly pulled the rug out under my feet. I had several suspects in my head, but I was wrong. So wrong. And, that thrilled me!

Secondly, Livia, the older sister of Nicole that was taken is a marvelous character, she's a fellow in forensic pathology, and she is expecting to one day find her sister on the slab. And, when a body shows up that is connected to Nicole can she perhaps find answers and peace. I liked her storyline the most, not that the Megan's is bad or the flashbacks to when Nicole and Megan were taken. But, following Livia, as she discovers more and more about what happened that night is truly great.

Now, I will leave it to this. The book is great, and I don't want to give ANYTHING away. Instead, just read it!

The author does a nice job with this book, alternating between events that occurred over a year ago when two girls disappeared, to the present when the one girl who got away has become quite famous through her ordeal and the book she is promoting.

Several of the characters in the story have their own stories of relatives who were abducted. This has caused them to be broken inside and is really apparent by their actions. There are so many hurting people in the world who have gone through horrific experiences and at times, this is a very difficult book to read. It’s almost as if the author has a view into the minds of those who suffered losses, because he makes the reader feel the pain these characters feel.

The main character is a fellow in forensic pathology. Throughout the book she has to autopsy people who died. These scenes are very graphic , hard to read about and yet, it’s somewhat interesting what someone in her position looks for before making a decision on the cause of death. The author throws in some swear words now and then. It’s something I really dislike, but at least the book isn’t as saturated as many on the market today.

In the end, all the pieces fall into place.

The Girl Who Was Taken is an addictive psychological thriller!

Ack! Kept me guessing until the end - I wish more libraries held this book, since I think Donlea is a great author.

Dr. Livia Cutty is a pathologist working under a fellowship with the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Raleigh, NC. Her decision to follow this area of medicine was driven by her sister’s abduction and disappearance one year ago. Livia doesn’t think Nicole is still alive and fully believes she’ll one day show up on her autopsy table. Another teen, Megan McDonald, was also abducted from the same beach party on the same day but she managed to escape.

To say this story was bizarre is an understatement. Every time I thought I knew the direction it was taking, the path veered, sometimes sharply. It transitions from the past to the present rather seamlessly, providing Megan and Nicole’s narratives leading up to the abductions and Megan and Livia’s in the present. I was able to figure out the culprit but second guessed myself to the end.

It moved a bit slowly after an exciting start but really got in gear about halfway with an ending that moved so fast I could barely keep up. It has a great climax and poignant ending. I really enjoyed the story and especially liked that I learned so much about the world of pathology. This was good storytelling and I’m looking forward to more from this author. Highly recommend this book.

Two girls are taken from a summer party. One escapes. A year later, she teams up with the missing girl's older sister, a forensic pathologist, to make sense of her tangled memories and find the missing. I truly did not see the ending coming!

Thanks to netgalley for the opportunity to have read this thrilling read. This is the second book by Charlie I've read, and it does get better and better! It was a gripping, suspenseful thriller that gripped me from the start and didn't let go until the end! Entertaining and recommended.

Fabulous! A very intense read filled with mystery and suspense. It had me turning page after page not able to put it down. Well written, with a great plot, that kept me riveted throughout and guessing until the very end.

Last year I read and enjoyed Charlie Donlea's first novel "Summit Lake", so I had high hopes for his second novel "The girl who was taken". Also, I'd read several glowing reviews from bloggers whose opinions I respect.

The novel's protagonist is Livia Cutty, a pathologist working in Raleigh, North Carolina who is studying in a fellowship under the forensic expert Dr. Gerald Colt. Livia is beautiful, highly intelligent, and an avid kickboxer in her spare time. She is also the elder sister of Nicole Cutty, the girl who was taken around the same time as Megan McDonald.

Megan McDonald, an all-American girl and daughter of Emerson Bay's sheriff was abducted from a beach party in the summer of 2016. Luckily she escaped her abductor and now, one year later, with the help of her psychiatrist, she has written a true-crime account of her experiences.

Nicole Cutty was not so fortunate. No one knows what happened to Nicole and her body was never found. Her friends had called her "Slutty Cutty" and seemed to have distanced themselves from her for the months immediately preceding her abduction.

"A life might end, but sometimes their cases live forever."

Now, Livia encounters a body during her morning autopsies that brings the events of last year to the present. A homicide victim, he was a young man named Casey Delevan who was dating Nicole at the time of her disappearance. It seems he has been dead for about a year. Livia has always felt that she failed her younger sister because she didn't answer her phone call the night she went missing... Now, she wants to attone for her failure by investigating her sister's case.

With the help of some co-workers and much research and footwork on her part, Livia discovers links to other girls who were taken. Some from other states as well as North Carolina. Her medical and forensic training help her to make connections from autopsy reports in which she discovers all of the girls were drugged with Ketamine.

This book encompasses many modern themes including the dangers of troubled minds encountering others in online chatrooms who have similar interests. Adolescent angst and insecurity; adult obsession and depravity. Cult-like groups.

Personally, I had a few problems with the novel. I don't know if it is just that I've read a lot of books about abductions and I'm becoming jaded, or if I just wasn't in the right frame of mind for this particular book at this particular time. I found the protagonist Livia to be just too perfect. Scary smart, beautiful, an intimidating kickboxer, she was just too good to be true which made her character unrealistic in my view.

Also, I found the novel ageist. Mr. Steinman, a secondary character, referred to several times as 'an old man' who relished attention was only 60 years old. (Younger than I am by the way - and I took offense to that.)

Despite my personal quibbles with the book, this was a fast-paced novel of suspense with several 'red herrings'. (I'm proud to say I did not fall for them). The end twist ratcheted up the tension even more when Livia and Megan team up to confront the abductor. The writing held my interest, and I know this novel will be savored by many.

I wish to thank Kensington Books for providing me with a digital copy of this novel via NetGalley.

Dollycas’s Thoughts

Charlie Donlea is a new author to me and I am so happy I found this book.

Emerson Bay is rocked when two high school seniors go missing. Nicole Cutty and Megan McDonald were not friends but they hung in the same crowd. They were both at a summer beach party when they disappeared. No clues were found even after a massive search. But then, 2 weeks later Megan is found walking down a highway. She has no idea who took her or why or where Nicole could be. Her physical injuries healed but she is emotionally tattered. She starts seeing a therapist and together they release a book about her trauma. Sadly Nicole is hardly mentioned.

Nicole’s sister Livia has never given up on finding Nicole. She is a fellow completing her training as a forensic pathologist knowing that any day her sister could appear on her autopsy table. Instead a young man from Nicole’s past shows up first and after he is identified she thinks he is connected to her disappearance. Livia reaches out to Megan hoping that together they can bring Nicole home.

The story is broken down into several parts and alternates between past and present. The separate plot lines blend together so well and are easy to follow.

Livia is the main character and most of the story is from her point of view. I was a little surprised at the actions she took while just being a fellow. She was driven to find answers even if that meant meeting with medical examiners from other states when girls had gone missing. She also tracked down and spoke to witnesses even before bringing the police in. She was gutsy and lucky.

With flashbacks we were able to get Nicole’s point of view and Megan was remembering more and more under hypnosis with her therapist. Megan’s parents wanted to see that she was healing and getting back to her old self so she put on a happy face around them but she was hurting inside.

The story has a real ripped from the headlines feel with a steady pace until Megan has a vital memory. From that point on the pages flew and the suspense ramped up to a extreme pace. The real world fell away and I was right there with Livia and Morgan. The author twisted the story in an incredible way that took me completely by surprise and I had that OMG moment.

Much of the story is procedural but so compelling. As it continues is becomes riveting, gripping, exciting, intense and the final twist was mind blowing. There are some creepy parts and Livia’s autopsies are vividly described. This story is not for the faint of heart but if you enjoy thrilling suspense this is the book for you.

I am excited to have found this author. I will be watching to see what he brings us next.