Thanks a million Netgalley and Bookouture for allowing me to read this book. Gripped from the start. This book is heart racingly fast paced. A kidnapping gone wrong and a woman's race to freedom and survival. Absolutely recommend.

WOW. I was pleasantly surprised with this book and it was very unexpected. Definitely fits the category of "thriller." I really enjoyed reading this and it kept me turning the pages right up until the end.

First off, THANK YOU TO NETGALLEY, the publisher & the author for this great read!!

This story was split between the victim and the investigator's POV which made this an enjoyable read. I must say i did enjoy Katie, the victims point of view more so. Her side of the story kept me on the edge of my seat. I also appreciated that Katie was not so much the victim as she became the hero in a sense.

Katie Calumet was on her early morning run when she hears a baby crying. She senses something may be off due to the park being empty so she sends her husband a sort of joke text in case he doesn't hear from her to assume she may of been taking or something awful happened. Then she decides to investigate where the cry is coming from. Katie notices a vehicle in which she assumes that is where the cries are coming from then BAM everything goes black. When she wakes up, she's blindfolded and her hands and feet have been bound.
Detective Justin Cross takes on the case, which leads them into an endless forest. Will Cross be able to find Katie in time or will her kidnappers hurt her? Is Katie's family keeping secrets of their own? Will Katie be able to escape?

This novel kept me holding on till the end with all the mystery and plot twists. The author wrote this with such precision and grace. I plan to read anything by this author, past or present books. If your looking for a good mystery/thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat till the end this book is for you.

Thank you to NetGalley!

It was a normal day. Then they took her.

Katie Calumet is on her usual morning run when she hears a baby crying. Fearing a child may be in danger, she stops to investigate – but to her horror the cries are a trap, and a sudden strike to the head knocks her unconscious. When Katie wakes up, blindfolded and with her hands and feet bound, she has no idea where she is…

Investigator Justin Cross takes on the case, but with the trail leading into six million acres of dense forest, and a failing marriage weighing on his mind, finding Katie is his most challenging case yet – not least because the Calumet family are keeping secrets of their own.

Justin and Katie face a race against time that will push them both to their very limits. As Justin works day and night to discover who took her and why, Katie fights desperately to escape from her kidnappers and the forest that surrounds her…

Can they find her before it’s too late?


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This is an excellent and suspense filled thriller that I thoroughly enjoyed. The point of view alternates between the police and the victim which gives us two sides to the story. The character development is great too - Katie is shown to be a determined and strong-willed lead character. Investigator Justin Cross is focused and resourceful but is dealing with lots of personal issues that he doesn't have the time to resolve. Other characters that are mentioned are done so fleetingly and don't feature too much in the plot. Another part of the story that features strongly is the Adirondack mountains and the surrounding terrain that is described in so much detail you can imagine yourself there in amongst the stunning scenery.

Faced-paced, captivating and full of detail, this thriller kept me on the edge of my seat and guessing until the very end. I found the plot twist at the end satisfying and felt it tied the loose ends together well. I would definitely read another book by TJ Brearton.

Extremely compelling - Brearton is one to watch! Highly recommended.

I would like to thank TJ Brearton, Bookouture and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.

Gone Missing by T.J. Brearton is a thriller, and the first I have read by this author.

First, let me thank NetGalley, the publisher Bookouture, and of course the author, for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Katie Calumet runs every morning, taking one of three routes.  She is in good shape.  Today she should have stayed at home.  When she hears the sound of a baby crying inside a van, she stops to investigate.  Then her world goes dark.  Her next conscious thought finds her bound and blindfolded in the back of that van, and being harassed by one of her kidnappers. 

Katie is determined to get out of this situation.  Her will to survive is strong.  She refuses to give up, although this ordeal will have her questioning her own abilities, both physical and emotional. 

Katie’s husband is devastated but will not give up the search.  He tries to be involved every step of the way.

Katie’s father will pay anything to get her back, but does this very wealthy man have enough cash to do so?. 

Detective Justin Cross is determined to find her, even with so little evidence. The trail is leading them into the heavily forested and dangerous Adirondack Mountains.  He doesn’t know how long Katie can survive in the harsh climate, and he doesn’t know who her kidnappers are, but what he really doesn’t understand is Katie’s family.  Why are they lying?  Are they protecting someone?  Or are their lies just “family stuff” as they claim.

Time is running out.

This was a really good mystery.  It is true suspense, and a very action-packed novel, which made it a very fast read.  One of those stay up late to read the next chapter(s) kind of book. I loved the characters, who stay true to themselves from beginning to end.  I like how the author alternated the perspectives between the detective and Katie, so that you felt the frustrations, struggles and determination from both of them.

This is the first I’ve read from this author, but it won’t be the last.

*thank you to Netgalley and Bookouture for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*

3 stars.
This started out so so strong. I was immediately gripped and felt so glad that I'd finally found this type of story. I was definitely in the mood for it. "A gripping crime thriller that will have you hooked" is part of the title in the ARC that I was given and this was so true, so accurate. 4.5 stars I was thinking, because it was just that good! Well that is for the first 50% of the book. After that, it died down and I'm afraid to say that some parts were a little boring. Not to forget to mention, it was a bit gory! It wasn't as fast paced and full on as the beginning. It was still OK/good. I kept reading because I wanted to know the 'why'. Why was she taken? Thankfully though, around 75% it did actually pick up. I can't say too much about why it did, without giving away spoilers. But it got exciting again. Not as much, but it was enjoyable. The last part of the story was really well written. Just as the beginning had been. It was written in the way that you just had to speed read. Because you just had to know what happened next. A story that can do this, is a tick for success. I am glad I got to read this and I don't regret giving it my time, so yeah, I'd recommend it.

I'm going to admit that I almost gave up on this half-way through. I was pretty bored and felt it was slow going.
Katie goes for her regular run, hears a baby cry and goes to investigate. She is kidnapped and her parents are hit up for ransom.
The main character Katie was a good one full of flaws and strengths and I appreciated her struggle but the Detective and the rest of Katie's family I couldn't care less about. The "illumination" about her dad's financial status was both obvious and played carelessly. We don't get to work on the clues as much as have the answers thrust at us from nowhere.

I found it a bit slow I'm afraid and gave up in the end.

This is the second book by T.J. Brearton that I have read over the last couple of months and rest assured that it certainly won’t be the last as I really enjoyed it, but more about that in a bit.

I must say that the characters in this book are realistic and believable. Katie Calumet is just your normal every day person, who hears a baby crying whilst out jogging. When she goes to investigate Katie is herself kidnapped. Katie is one feisty lady, with a strong determination that she has to do everything she can to escape her captors. At the same time, she is scared of what the kidnappers have in mind for her. Detective Justin Cross is more of a complex character with several layers to his character. He is a determined police officer, who strives for justice for the victims of crime. Katie’s case is allocated to Justin and he resolves to rescue Katie. Justin throws himself into the case and at times he seems to have no regard for his own personal safety. Justin is going through a bit of a tough time and he seems to be having difficulty balancing his professional life with his personal life. His dedication to his job seems to take priority and his personal life suffers as a result.

I must say that I really did enjoy reading ‘Gone Missing’ and I think that it is extremely well written. The book hits the ground running and maintains the pace throughout. The author has clearly given a lot of thought to his characters and he cares about them, which shines through in the quality of his writing. The characters are realistic. The story is told from two points of view- from the point of view of Katie and from the point of view of Justin & the police investigation. The author really does capture the sense of urgency and the sense of frustration such an investigation entails. He certainly knows how to create a tense and dramatic atmosphere and ratchets up the sense of tension with ease. At times there were definite OMG moments, where my heart rate increased and I actually had to hold my breath as I genuinely feared what was going to happen next. Reading this book was similar to being on a rollercoaster ride with all the twists, turns and stomach churning moments. Just when you think that you can relax, the action sets off again.

In short I really did enjoy this book and I would certainly recommend it to others. I look forward to what comes next from T. J. Brearton. I award this book 4* out of 5*.

I really enjoyed how this book started right off with a hook to keep me reading! A woman goes for her daily run and hears a baby's cries coming from a van. When she goes to investigate, things are not as they seem and is kidnapped! The plot of the book rotates between her point of view and the investigation on finding her. I'll have to say that I enjoyed her chapters but became a little bored with the investigation. For me, it dragged on for too long. This could have been my fault, as I read it over several days. The ending was satisfying and I would read more books by the author.

Thank you very much to NetGalley and Bookouture for the ARC of Gone Missing by TJ Brearton in exchange for an honest review.
This is the first book I have read by this author but it definitely won't be my last. This book had me gripped from the very beginning. When Katie Calumnet went for her morning run she came near a deserted park and heard a baby crying and she followed the cries to a campervan she sends her husband a text to let him know what's going on but next thing she is hit over the head and wakes to find herself bound and blindfolded and on the move in the back of the camper van. When she fails to arrive home her husband reports her disappearance and thus begins the chase against time to find her and when the trail leads to a huge forest the odds are stacked against detective Justin Cross can he find her before it's too late.?
This book had me hooked from the beginning and was very interestingly told both the detective's and the victim's side of the story. A fantastic thriller full of twists and suspense.

Really enjoyed this , but I do think it could have been more gripping . Katie is abducted one morning whilst out running and so begins the search for her , the story is split in two , the search and Katie herself trying to survive her ordeal . I did root for Katie and much preferred her story than Cross the law enforcement officer tasked with finding her . Overall a good read but for me could have been a bit better .

Thanks to Netgalley for my copy.

Katie is kidnapped whilst out for an early morning run. She is kidnapped by two men who demand a ransom from her rich father. Katie's husband David is distraught and works closely with investigator Justin Cross but the area they are searching is harsh, millions of acres of forest land which contains just a few hunters cottages.

The kidnappers underestimated Katie's will to survive and her sheer bloody mindedness and tenacity.

This novels hooks you in from the beginning, it is fraught with tension and twists. This is the second book I have read by this author and he is a talented writer.

Such a great mystery. Strong characters. In-depth plot. Would definitely read again.

I received an ARC from NetGalley to read and review. The below is my honest, unbiased opinion. Thank you, TJ Brearton, the publisher, and NetGalley, for allowing me to review.

It was a normal day. Then they took her.

Katie Calumet is on an early-morning run when she hears a baby crying. The park is deserted, and there’s no one in the street. She follows the cries, but then everything goes black. When Katie wakes up, she’s blindfolded and her hands and feet are bound.

Detective Justin Cross takes on the case, but with the trail leading into endless dense forest, and a failing marriage weighing on his mind, finding Katie is his most challenging case yet – not least because the Calumet family are keeping secrets of their own.

Justin and Katie face a race against time that will push them both to their very limits. As Justin works day and night to discover who took her and why, Katie fights desperately to escape from her kidnappers and the forest that surrounds her…Can Justin find her before it’s too late?

Gone Missing is a truly fantastic thriller. Unlike most books in this genre, the readers are given two sides of the puzzle: we follow the story from both the police and from the victim. And yet, the final twists are still captivating enough to keep us guessing until the very end. I love the character development. I feel as though too many books portray women as weak characters, but Katie was the opposite: a strong-willed female lead you'd want to spend the next several hours with. I read this one in one sitting, and I highly recommend it.

I really enjoyed this book. When Katie is kidnapped it is up to Detective Cross to find her as soon as possible. This is a fast paced well written thriller. The short chapters build the suspense. I was hoping that Katie would survive. The descriptions of scenery and events made it easy to imagine and feel part of. I would definitely recommend this book and I would definitely read another book by this author.

Katie Calumet, a nice lady who just wants to stay fit, runs daily. But one day, she doesn’t return from her run, so her husband reports her missing. There follows a narrative that is fast and engrossing about what happened to Katie. She was kidnapped, but who would do such a thing and why? The ransom demand is exhorbitant, and as the investigation continues, a lot of family secrets are revealed. Katie has been taken to the wilderness of the Adirondack Mountains, with little hope to escape her kidnappers and if she does, how will she survive in such a harsh environment? The action of the story is non-stop and moves quickly to a conclusion that has a real wow factor. This was an excellent book with lots of twists and revelations that the reader will have to read to believe.

An interesting novel that had some amazing writing and characters. Can't wait to read more.

"Despite Recent Crimes Assholes Have Committed, Women Are Still 99.9% Safe Going for a Run."

Not Katie Calumet. She's kidnapped while on a morning run and taken high up in the vast Adirondacks. State Police Investigator Justin Cross catches the case. Katie's husband, David, and her wealthy parents soon receive a ransom demand. With no response to the proof of life request, no idea who has taken her or where she may be held, the FBI is soon involved in the situation. Everyone is searching, but the area can be treacherous and the off trail forest is dense. The truth is, Katie could be anywhere up there -- or already dead.

This is a suspenseful and tense read that alternates between the point of view of Katie and Cross. She's very determined and resourceful -- and she has a secret that propels her to fight for survival. Cross is focused but is dealing with personal issues he can't take the time to examine or repair. The Adirondack mountains and parks are also so detailed and described, almost making that terrain another character in the book. The supporting police and secondary characters don't figure too much into the narrative, but the interactions between all do propel the plot forward.

Fast-paced and descriptive, this thriller kept me involved and turning the pages as the story evolved and came to a satisfying conclusion. I enjoyed it and will read more by this author.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the e-book ARC to read and review.

A great well written book to get lost in. Plenty of story line and quality reading.