this book. bro. i enjoyed this and didn't see the twist at all. def will be reading more from this author when i get the chance

I had a bit of a hard time getting into this book, as there is a lot of backstory that takes the reader out of the plot, and the relationship dynamics didn't feel memorable to me. Maybe it's because I read too much of this genre, but nothing unique stood out to me about the book or writing. Overall it was an okay read for me.

I enjoyed reading this book I just never got around to writing a review. I will continue to read works by this author

The lead character is very complex with a lot of history/background that somewhat overshadows the plot of the story. This book started out slowly but did gradually pick up speed. I did find the plot a bit too predictable.
.

This, I would assume, is every parent's worst nightmare- their child is missing.

Did they run away?
Were they kidnapped?
Are they alive?
The thoughts spiral out of control until nothing seems real.
Was their behavior abnormal?
Did I miss the signs?
Did they run off with a friend, a boyfriend, a girlfriend?
When do I start to panic?

Not a typical mystery I would jump into, but I was really pleased with the fast-paced writing style. I liked that our protagonist was a strong, female lead but also had her weaknesses. As the story progresses, glimpses of her past reveal frightening truths that continue to torment her. There were multiple POVs that alternated between the past and present and really enriched the terror of the narrative. The intricacies of the cases and how they were woven together was enjoyable and thought-provoking. Learning WHY someone does what they do is always intriguing to me.

I would definitely recommend picking this one up, it kept me on the edge of my seat and did not disappoint. While it is somewhat of a slow build, I thought it was expertly done in a way that is designed to feed you all of the haunting details piece by piece.

𝕋𝕙𝕖 𝕕𝕖𝕖𝕥𝕤:
FBI agent Elsa is not a rookie to missing persons, in fact- she is known to have a 'special feel' for cases involving teenagers. When she receives a call requesting her expertise on missing 17 year old Ruby Haverstock- she doesn't bat an eye. We follow Elsa as she confronts the demons of her past while piecing together the disappearance of Ruby- this case having multiple connections to other missing teenager cases that have remained unsolved.

Thank you to Netgalley, Mulholland Books and the author for a copy in exchange for an honest review🖤

TW: self-harm, child abuse, cancer

This is the first book in the Searchers Series. Elsa's father is dying, but she can't ignore the call about a missing girl. She discovers that the girl's abductor may be a killer who has been killing for years. Can she keep everything compartmentalized, or will everything fall apart?

This book is about a missing children FBI agent who gets called in when a cop requests her help after a girl is reported missing. The FBI agent, Elsia, has her father dying of cancer so the book goes back and forth between what is going on with her case and with her personal life with her dad, sister and her niece. So you get to go through all the steps of finding who's the bad guy to trying to find the girl or girls and also her not dealing with her issues with death and her father. I can't wait to read the next one!

What a fascinating book. I was impressed by the storyline and the characters were all well written and complex. Where there are complex storylines combined with intriguing characters the reader experience is magnified tremendously. To have a book that is well written as well as entertaining is a delight. Reading is about escaping your world and entering another one. The word building was phenomenal in this book. Here I forgot about my own life and was immersed in the world created by the author. I would recommend this book.

A very character-driven FBI procedural mystery. In the present, we have FBI agent Elsa Myers searching for a missing teenage girl. She knows the clock is ticking and begins to suspect they are tracking a suspect who has done this before. Ms. Ellis expertly weaves Elsa Myers personal history around her current missing persons case, and Elsa's childhood mystery is slowly revealed as she investigates. This was a great start to the series, a page turner to the end.

Great character development. Storyline was slow at first then picked up. It was enjoyable but was definitely more of an introduction to a series. Looking forward to seeing what will be next.

Okay, major screw up. I just posted the review for this book on the review page for Last Night by the same author. There does not seem to be an edit feature anywhere so I am going to post both the reviews on this page and hope it makes sense.
A Map of the Dark by Karen Ellis
I read this book two years ago and forgot to write a review. Ellis is a character centric author. That doesn’t mean she forgets the plot, she just makes the plot revolve around the characters. This book was about abductions and the young women who survived them.
Lex, a police detective and Elsa, an FBI agent are introduced in this book and are in the next book, Last Night, as well.
There were times the book was hard to read due to the angst of the characters.
It was a good read and I recommend it.

Last Night by Karen Ellis
Lex Cole and Elsa are back. Elsa unofficially when Lex asks for her help. Again Ellis provides great depth on her characters. Lex has fears of abandonment and his partner Adam, appears to be feeding those fears. Two teens and a teener are the focus of a real characters study of kids and how things can snowball.
Crisp, of mixed race is struggling with his racial identity.
Glynnie, entitled and white is learning what reality really is.
JJ, after abandonment, finds friends when he never expected it.
This was an excellent book, I highly recommend it.

Excellent slow reveal psychological thriller with lots of twists and turns. A Map of the dark took me completely by surprised I read this book in one sitting. I am not normally drawn into police procedurals and this one I wouldn't call that but it does involve an FBI agent and her search for a missing child. The story slowly unfolds as Elsia struggles with her job and her Dad who is dying of cancer. A great read for anyone that enjoys a thriller or a suspenseful mystery. Thank you to Mulholland Books and Netgalley for my advanced copy. All opinions are my own.

Unfortunately, this book didn’t work for me. The writing flipped between present day and Elsa’s life growing up, but the way it was done didn’t work for me. This book was more about Elsa’s past and how it helped her with the search of
Hope, but I was looking to read a thriller. This wasn’t it.

This is a skillfully crafted psychological thriller. Well plotted and fast moving, this multi layered story is well worth reading. Highly recommended.

"A Map of the Dark" was a surprisingly interesting book. I found the characters and overall writing to be rather well done though the plot of the story does sometimes verge on the predictable, it's definitely worth the read.

Thank you so much for the opportunity to review this book and to be an early reader via NetGalley! However, I will not be writing a review for this title at this time, as my reading preferences have since changed somewhat. In the event that I decide to review the book in the future, I will make sure to purchase a copy for myself or borrow it from a library. Once again, thank you so much for providing me with early access to this title. I truly appreciate it. Please feel free to contact me with any follow-up questions or concerns.

This book is so real and believable for people of law enforcement. They are sworn to uphold the law and protect people, chase down bad guys at a moments notice, but at what cost to their own lives? They have their own personal stuff going on, but the job comes first.

It was interesting to see the twists and turns of the story as it unfolded and the way the relationships between characters were demonstrated.

It reminded me of an episode of Law and order or something. It’s a great read.

This is a dark, but interesting story. The lead FBI agent Elsa Myers is on the case of the disappearance of Ruby. The case blows up into the hunt for a serial kidnapper and killer. The team Myers is working with sorts through the clues and information to try to find the man who has kidnapped and killed girls in sets of three. During this race against time, Elsa is triggered by her own past as she tries to care for and reconcile with her father, who is dying. As the case ramps up, the third kidnapping makes it personal.

This can be a hard book to read at times, because of the dark subject matter. Elsa is a well-developed, complex character who is hardly predictable. The supporting cast on the team as well as her sister and niece play pivotal roles that lead Elsa down a twisted road to solve the case and resolve her feelings about her past.

I can't say this book was enjoyable, because of the focus on child kidnapping and abuse. But it was interesting and a good read. I would recommend the author's future books. Just follow it up with something light.

One of the best aspects of this book is that detectives were represented as "real" people, including the good, the bad, and the ugly. The characters are richly developed and you find yourself feeling strong emotions on their behalf.

The abduction that starts the book has you focused on one person, but there are trickles throughout that provide clues that things are not as they seem. Don't make assumptions. You might be wrong.

Else is an amazing individual and I ached for her as she struggled to deal with her past. I cheered her on and kept wishing that she would open herself up and develop meaningful relationships. And then you add Lex to the story. He was an amazing person and his history was touching. So much of that and his brother, David, made him into the person he was as an adult.

There were some great twists at the end that elevated my opinion of the book even more!

Thank you to NetGalley and Mulholland Books for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Karen Ellis has crafted a book that was hard to put down, so much so that I am anxious to order her other books. "A Map of the Dark" focuses on the disappearance of 3 teens and the FBI agent, Elsa, desperate to save them while also navigating through the impending g death of her father, her complicated relationship with her sister, and issues from her past. The characters were so well-developed and complex---flawed, but relatable. Overall, I loved this novel!