VANISHING GIRLS by LISA REGAN (Detective Josie Quinn #1) is a gritty, dark, and tense police procedural that grabbed my attention quickly and had me totally invested throughout this whole story.

LISA REGAN delivers another well-written, action-packed, and an angst driven story here that starts off a little slow but quickly becomes a thrilling, entertaining and exciting read.  I found the storyline to be rather interesting and I enjoyed following along with Josie as she investigates the disappearance (vanishing) of young women from her small town.  Even though there were a couple of questionable situations that seemed a little unlikely it didn’t take away from my enjoyment and how entertaining this novel was for me.  I kind of really enjoy over-the-top action!  

I thought the mystery was really good with a few surprising twists and I really enjoyed Josie’s character and the relationships she had with the other characters in this book.  I look forward to getting to know Josie better in the next book from this series.  

To sum it all up it was a suspenseful, fast-paced, and an enjoyable read with an ending that has definitely enticed me to read the next book in this series. Would recommend!!

Traveling Sisters Group Read - Thank you so much for another wonderful reading experience! It is always a pleasure reading along with these awesome ladies!

Thank you so much to NetGalley, Bookoutoure and Lisa Regan for the opportunity to read a copy of this book in exchange for a review.

As soon as I saw the cover for this book and read the blurb I knew it was going to be one I would enjoy - and I loved it!

The characters were great and I really enjoyed Josie's determination to succeed. The plot was great, really well paced and I was gripped from the first few pages - you could tell it has been really thought about to make sure it was a believable story. I hope to see more books featuring Josie in the future - I love a good strong female lead!

Five stars from me - very highly recommended - a great thriller and really addictive - I didn't put it down from start to finish!

Actual rating 3.5 out of 5 stars

Originally I was going to give it 4 stars but after thinking of what I was going to write for my review, there were some things in the book that irked me so I decided to deduct half a star.

Josie Quinn is suspended from the police force while an investigation is taking place for misconduct (btw, you do not know what she did until half way into the book). A local 17-year girl goes missing and the whole town is looking for her. Since Josie is suspended and cannot partake in the search, she calls her fellow cop and estranged husband, Ray, and tells him what he should be searching for. Since she can't help the police, she decides to do her own investigating. Turns out, there may be other missing girls that are related to this case.

The plot and writing was good. It was suspenseful with some twists. But there were questions that didn't get answered until later on in the book (see above) or not at all. It's hard to like the protagonist if there is no character development in the beginning. I didn't see the connection between Josie and Luke besides rebound sex. I also felt like all the men in the book were weak.

The epilogue was confusing. <spoiler>I thought Ramona was an only child so I didn't understand the sentence "She smiled and thought of her sister..." Maybe I missed something.</spoiler>

All in all, I would recommend this book and I look forward to reading the next one in the series.

I would like to thank NetGalley and Bookouture for supplying me a copy of Lisa Regan's "Vanishing Girls" in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you very much for my copy. Unfortunately this book is not for me, I really couldn't connect with the characters or the storyline. I did not finish this book and so I will not post a review as I feel that is unfair to the author. I am sorry as I know I am in the minority and this book has a high rating. I will come back at a different time and attempt it again. Many thanks and my apologies.

This book had a little bitbof everything from action to police crime solving. The characters are genius and show a huge amount of talent as well as having problems of their own to deal with.
Jo is becoming one of mynfavoueite characters as she is good but has issues as well showing a human side that I wasn't expecting at first.
The story moves at a very good pace which I like and the book wasn't overly long and not drawn out. I am looking forward to more from this author.

I have to say that before I even read the blurb for this book I knew I wanted to read it, the cover just jumped out at me. It’s stunning.
This is the start of a new series involving Detective Josie Quinn and what a cracking character she is. Suspended due to misconduct the book opens with Josie struggling to fill in her days, that is until she hears a young girl has gone missing and she’s desperate to be involved in the case.
Josie is one of those characters that you are instantly intrigued by. We know she’s been suspended but at the beginning the reason why isn’t clear, she’s also got a bit of baggage and some demons haunting her but she’s also a bit kick ass and determined.  Josie is definitely a character many will love.
Vanishing Girls is quite an action packed story, right from the get go I was hooked and as the story unfolded and the many twists and turns were revealed  I found myself getting closer and closer to the edge of my seat, ready for my bum to hit the floor as the pace evolved.
This isn’t your ordinary police thriller, for one Josie has been suspended and shouldn’t even be investigating. It was different and interesting and I don’t want to give anything away so I’m going to end here and just say that if you’re looking for an edge of your seat, unputdownable, sleep stealing read the Vanishing Girls is for you.
So I think I can safely say I thoroughly enjoyed Vanishing Girls and will be waiting with bated breath for book two.

EXCERPT: She only went outside if her mother, father or sister were out there. For a long time he disappeared. She stopped sensing him, stopped hearing him. She almost believed that he had gone back to wherever it was he came from. Maybe she had conjured him after all.

Then one day her sister was hanging clothes on the line while she flitted to the other side of the yard, chasing the yellow monarch butterflies that proliferated on top of the mountain. A white sheet fluttered on the clothesline, blocking her from her sister's view. She got too close to the treeline. A hand shot out and clamped down over her mouth, silencing her screams. An arm wrapped around her waist, lifting her off the ground. Holding her tightly against his chest, he dragged her through the forest that used to be her friend. One thought rose above her panic. 'He was real.'

THE BLURB: She was close enough to see that the girl had written a word on the wall in bright, warm red blood. Not a word, actually. A name…

Everyone in the small American town of Denton is searching for Isabelle Coleman, a missing seventeen-year-old girl. All they’ve found so far is her phone and another girl they didn’t even know was missing.

Mute and completely unresponsive to the world around her, it’s clear this mysterious girl has been damaged beyond repair. All Detective Josie Quinn can get from her is a name: Ramona.

Currently suspended from the force for misconduct, Josie takes matters into her own hands as the name leads her to evidence linking the two girls. She knows the race is on to find Isabelle alive, and she fears there may be others…

The trail leads Josie to another victim, a girl who escaped but whose case was labelled a hoax by authorities. To catch this monster, Josie must confront her own nightmares and follow her instinct to the darkest of places. But can she make it out alive?

MY THOUGHTS: This is a series that I am going to follow with great interest! Reminiscent of, but definitely not a copycat of, Angela Marsons DI Kim Stone series, Lisa Regan has laid the groundwork for a riveting and compelling series.

The plot kept my attention, and while I didn't always understand why the author was writing what she was writing, it mostly all became clear. I had one or two minor issues, which was enough to drop one star from the rating, which I won't go into because of issues with spoiling the plot for those who have not yet read Vanishing Girls.

The pace is reasonably fast and the quality of writing excellent.

While I frequently didn't like Josie, this did not detract from my enjoyment of the book. It will be interesting to see how young Noah Farley develops in the coming books. He has great potential. And I just loved Josie's grandma. I defy anyone not to!

4 very expectant stars for Vanishing Girls by Lisa Regan. I am eagerly awaiting Josie Quinn #2.

Thank you to Bookouture via Netgalley for providing a digital copy of Vanishing Girls by Lisa Regan for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions. Please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the 'about' page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com for an explanation of my rating system. This review and others are also published on my blog sandysbookaday.wordpress.com https://sandysbookaday.wordpress.com/...

3.5 stars

Gritty thriller about a small town in Pennsylvania where women are vanishing without a trace.

Detective Josie Quinn is the star of this book. While the plot at times was a little formulaic and over-the-top, Josie’s character is what makes Vanishing Girls a worthy read.

Josie’s life is falling apart. On suspension for using excessive force, she turns to alcohol to help pass the day and keep the demons from her past at bay. Unable to stop doing what she loves best, being a detective, she uses her resources to continue investigating the disappearance of high schooler, Isabelle Coleman. At the same time, she is also struggling to come to terms with divorcing her childhood sweetheart, Ray, and moving on with new love, Luke.

As Josie investigates the case of Isabelle, she turns up buried cases from the past of other missing girls. What she uncovers puts the whole town of Denton at risk, as she is in a position to expose corruption and some serious sick and twisted shadiness!

As Josie digs, some improbable events occur which took me out of the story---I wish I could shut off my inner detective/critic while reading! I also found some plotlines to be a little thin, although they might be fleshed out in future books.

While I didn’t love the plot, Josie’s character has me invested enough to want to read the next book in this series!

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Vanishing Girls is the first book in the Detective Josie Quinn series and this is in fact the first book that I have read by this author and certainly wont be my last. Vanishing Girls is a brilliant start to a new series which I couldn't put down and devoured it in one day.

The book starts off with one chilling prologue that left me wanting more. Set in a small town of Denton Pennsylvania, a young girl Isabelle Coleman goes missing But then Detective Josie Quinn finds an unresponsive damaged girl that they didn't know had gone missing. Fearing that other girls are in danger It is a race against time to catch the killer and find Isabelle alive.

Josie is one hell of a strong feisty character who is stubborn and very independent which I love. There is plenty of character build up and really do get to her. She hasn't had the best of luck with her personal life and her job. Josie is actually suspended from work but that doesn't stop her getting involved in this case. Has the story unfolds we learn that she is a very determined woman and wont give up. I love everything about her

This story will have you on the edge of your seat willing Josie along it is full of twists and turns . Without giving to much away the last 25% really did it for me when it all picked up speed and became very gritty with one hell of an OMG moment.

This is a must read for Karin Slaughter fans and cannot wait to read what is in store next I highly recommend it giving it 4 well deserved stars.

4 Stars

A girl goes missing in the small town of Denton, Pennsylvania and Detective Josie Quinn knows that the police investigation is being mishandled - the problem? Josie was suspended from the Department and can’t do anything about it - except for conducting an investigation on her own, that is.

Josie, however needs help. Her only allies are her soon to be ex-husband (and Detective), Ray, and her fiance Luke, who is a “Statie” - neither likes the other, and neither wants Josie investigating on her own, but they know they can’t stop her. Josie is extremely stubborn and she never listens to reason. Soon, she realizes that more girls have vanished and that everyone she knows is in danger and unless Josie can find out who is responsible, it will keep on happening.

“Vanishing Girls” is the first in the Detective Josie Quinn series. Josie is a tough cookie - she has been through a lot in her life and hates being vulnerable. Slowly however, she starts to show a softer side (first with Ray and then with Luke), which I can’t wait to see more of.

This is a novel that starts out slow and takes off like a rocket. Once it blasts off you are on the edge of your seat holding on for dear life. It was a ride I loved being on and I hope you will too.

This was a Traveling Sister Read. It included Brenda, Kaceey and Lindsay. Reading and discussing this novel with my sisters was fantastic and I can’t wait to read the next book in the series with them.

Thank you to NetGalley, Bookouture and Lisa Regan for an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

Published on NetGalley, Goodreads, Amazon and Twitter.

I fell in love with Vanishing Girls as soon as I started reading it! It was full of suspense and I finished it in a day because it was impossible to put it down! It's been a while since I've felt so strongly about a book and it was all I needed to fall in love with the Genre even more! I was never really into Mystery/Thrillers because I had this ridiculous notion that, I could only enjoy them on screen. But, Lisa Regan proved me wrong by keeping me at the edge of my seat throughout this book and engaging me in her twisted and out of this world storyline!

The only thing you need to know about the plot itself is this: mind-blowing and extremely fascinating. We're not going to get into details because that will obviously spoil the wonderful experience of going into this book and not knowing what to expect. Which is highly recommended! The characters were so complex and well written that, I was actually very impressed. Their development throughout the story was guaranteed from the moment I really got into it and the uncertainty of what was happening was highly addictive, mainly because it was combined with an adrenaline filled suspense!

I fell in love with Josie as soon as she was introduced in the novel. She's such a strong-willed individual, even though she went through some very dark and traumatic events during her earlier years. She's determined to get to the bottom of things and uncover the truth, before it's too late. Even though everything's on the line since she's technically suspended while conducting her own investigation, she never gives up. It's obvious that something fishy is going on with the girls' disappearances and the truth she uncovers by the end of the novel is both shocking and unexpected! I didn't agree with her way of thinking sometimes but, I could definitely understand where she was coming from. She's probably one of the most complex characters I've ever come across and I'll definitely enjoy getting to know her more during the following books in this series.

Ray was also a very interesting and complicated character. His relationship with Josie was truly an unusual one but, if we take their past and what they've been through into consideration, it kind of makes sense. I wasn't really rooting for them to get back together because I truly enjoyed Luke's refreshing and swoon worthy ways of caring for Josie but, I could appreciated their history. I feel like Luke balanced Josie out perfectly and he never pushed her or patronized her. He perfectly understood what she was going through and was there for every step of the way.

The only thing I definitely did not agree with was the fact that Josie kept huge parts of herself from him. He had the right to know what she went through, especially if it still came back to haunt her in stressful situations and affected her life and those around her. I strongly believe that trust is the key point to a successful relationship and I'm 100% sure that Luke would've stood by her, through thick and thin. Keep in mind that, not every single thing about Josie was revealed at once, which I actually quite enjoyed. Getting to know the main character was a process that took some time and added to the mystery of the book itself.

Lastly, the quality of writing is perfect! I usually prefer stories told in the first POV but, I immensely enjoyed Lisa Regan's storytelling abilities and how she made everything seem so real. The vividness of the scenes described throughout the book were out of this world and I did not mind the third person POV at all! It made the experience of reading Vanishing Girls even spookier and suspenseful. The pace was fast - exactly how I like it - and the events that unfolded in each chapter literally took my breath away! Moreover, I found the flashbacks quite dark and mysterious. An intriguing addition to a memorable book! They came out of nowhere and I actually could not figure out what was going on until the truth was fully revealed dyring the last couple of chapters and put the scattered pieces of this huge puzzle where they belonged!

I cannot recommend this one enough! Definitely one of the most surprising, unpredictable and engaging books I've read in quite some time! I seriously cannot wait for its sequel and I'm excited to see how Lisa Regan will continue on with Josie's story after the heartbreaking ending of Vanishing Girls. The possibilities are endless and I'm extremely curious to see how she'll take advantage of them!

This is book one in the Detective Josie Quinn series and my first read by this author. After reading this I know Vanishing Girls will not be my only read by this author.

Josie is a detective on suspension from her job. When girls start vanishing she asks her boss to let her work on the case but he says no. So she does her own investigations.

Great praise to the author for a brilliant start to this series. I read this in one day as I couldn’t put it down. I found it to be a gritty well written story with plenty of twists and turns. I’m really looking forward to reading more from this author and of this series.

#VanishingGirls by Lisa Regan
#NetGalley
17 Jan 2018

A great book with the following line that I personally think is the best I have ever read: “Josie didn’t care if the guy disintegrated when they slapped the cuffs on him.” Josie Quinn is a detective in a small town. Unfortunately, she’s suspended with pay while a rash of young girls disappear and even though the whole town participates in the searches it is to no avail. Josie is not the kind of person to let anything stop her and before long she is part of the investigation unto the chief changes her status to suspended without pay. The book is fast paced and keeps your interest going. I had to force myself to take breaks so I wouldn’t finish too early. I would without doubt recommend this book to anyone and will definitely keep my eye on future books from this author. At first I didn’t like the ending until I got to the very end and that just made me love the book more. I received this book from #NetGalley in exchange for my unbiased review.

Ms. Regan sure knows how to start a series with a bang. The question might be whether she will be able to keep it up with the subsequent books and whether or not readers will have to continue to accept events that seem unplausible. Detective Josie Quinn has been suspended from the police force for excessive force against a mother trying to sell her kid for drugs. This is perhaps the first somewhat unrealistic action in a book that had many borderline realistic events. It wasn't much force and, come on, the woman probably deserved a lot more. But it ostracizes Josie from her co-workers and removes her from the active force. When a girl goes missing, Josie can't resist trying to find out what is going on. From here the story leads down a path of a few other somewhat unrealistic events, and really odd partnerships, but I assume they are done in order to bring Josie and the story to the place Ms. Regan wants it to be for the rest of the series. I always give first books a little more leeway as I know they need to establish a foundation for the characters, setting, and future stories. I hope future books in this series don't push the plausibility quite so much.

Wow. What a start to a series and what a protagonist we have in Josie Quinn. She is definitely not one for playing fully by the rules and when we meet her she is slap bang in the middle of a suspension and a departmental investigation. Far from keeping her out of trouble it puts her slap bang in the middle of the wrong place at the right time. Witness to a fatal shooting and road traffic accident, Josie's interests are piqued as one of the passengers in the car whispers a girl's name to her before passing out. With the entire Police force desperately searching for a missing teenager, and isolated from her job and the resources she would normally rely on, Josie sets off on her own investigation as to what  relevance the named girl has to the victims of the accident, little expecting the depth of depravity or the nature of the secrets she is about to uncover.

What Lisa Regan has managed to do in this book is create a highly passionate, if slightly flawed heroine who it is easy to like and root for. Josie Quinn is quite the formidable Detective and seemingly nothing can hold her back - not even a suspension. I really liked her tenacity and her determination, her unwillingness to be swayed or intimidated despite it seeming as though everyone is against her. She has not had an easy ride through life and this is reflected in the story as her past is slowly revealed to the reader, but this just made me like her even more.

The story itself is quite a complex one although the full extent of it is not immediately clear. A young girl is missing but to who has taken her or what the links might be to the mysterious Ramona is something we have to wait to uncover. but boy is it worth it. While it takes time for the full case to build, the tension slowly build with it until, close to the books conclusion, we are treated to scenes which will make you cringe and have your heart thumping in your throat. It's one of those lean forward into your kindle kind of moments. You know the ones?

Lisa Regan has done a great job of creating setting, the sense of the small town, close knit community closing in is prevalent throughout. It is hard to know who to trust and you can feel Josie's growing anxiety as those she loves are placed under threat. The book is littered with elements that will shock you, surprise you, maybe even unnerve you a bit but it's not all doom and gloom. There are some really great characters in the midst who I look forward to hearing from again, Josie's partner Luke for one and Noah, one of Josie's fellow officers. Like wise there are characters who will make your skin crawl - just thinking of them makes me shudder.

As a start to a series this one really captured my imagination but I have to say, with how this ended, I'm truly intrigued to see where Lisa Regan takes this all next. Her ability to build the story to an intense conclusion is great and promises much for the series as a whole. She most certainly has a cracking protagonist in Josie Quinn who kicks things off in a very exciting fashion.

Thanks to bookouture and NetGalley for allowing me to read this advanced copy for an honest review.
I absolutely loved this book, from start to finish! Josie is an officer on suspension who is at a stop and go when a car crashes into the store, she recognises one of the passengers as the teacher of missing girl Isabelle Crawford. From this point we learn about Josie’s relationship with her soon to be ex husband Ray and her new fiancé Luke and the complexities that go with it. Soon Josie is caught up in the case, but being prevented from investigating due to her suspension! This book kept me on the edge of my seat, and had just the right number of twists to keep me guessing. Lovely charectors but Josie may be my new favourite!
I literally cannot wait for the next one!

Vanishing Girls is the first instalment in a new detective series by Lisa Regan and as far as firsts go, you can't ask for much more than this!

Josie Quinn has been suspended from her job as a detective in Denton, PA. But that won't stop her sticking her nose into the search for seventeen year old Isabelle Coleman, who disappeared from her home. The investigation is slow-going and unearths another girl nobody even knew was missing in the first place. Josie is determined to find Isabelle but there are dark forces at play and she may be getting a lot more than she bargained for.

As far as main characters go, Josie is a strong and kick-ass lady. She's flawed, damaged and there's an intriguing background story that I hope will be explored further in future but she's also stubborn, fierce, not afraid to pull any punches and has the uncanny ability to often find herself in the wrong place at the wrong time. There's also the perfect balance between her professional and personal life as she deals with the break-up of her marriage and tries to move on with her new partner.

Denton has this fantastic small town vibe, which I enjoy immensely. Everybody seems to know everybody and their business, or do they? Josie quickly finds herself questioning everyone and everything as her search for Isabelle reveals a disturbing and harrowing town secret. Some events may make for some uncomfortable reading although it's not too gruesomely detailed.

I'm not at all familiar with Lisa Regan's work but with Vanishing Girls, she delivers a gripping and compelling story that had me hooked from start to finish, putting my faith into the wrong people, not trusting the ones I maybe should have and always second-guessing everything. This is a fantastic start to a new series and I very much look forward to reading more about Josie.

Everyone in the small American town of Denton is searching for Isabelle Coleman, a missing seventeen year old. All they've found so far is her phone and another girl they did not know was missing. Mute and completely unresponsive, it's clear the girl has been damaged beyond repair. All Detective Josie Quinn can get from her is a name: Ramona. Currently suspended from the force for misconduct, Josie takes matters into her own hands as the name leads her to evidence linking the two girls. The race is on to find Isabelle alive.

This is a well written book but it started too slow for me. This does not make this a bad read though, things did not unfold as quickly as I would have liked. There is plenty of twists in this book. There is also violence in this book of which might upset some readers. This is the first book in a new series featuring Detective Josie Quinn. I can see this series grow from strength to strength.

I would like to thank NetGalley, Bookouture and the author Lisa Regan for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

.Isabelle Coleman is a popular teenager who vanishes one day seemingly from outside her home. Normally Detective Josie Quinn would be all over this case but she's suspended following a violent incident. Following a series of events Josie finds herself not only actively investigating this case but at the forefront of another missing girl's return. To say too much more would spoil the book. I thoroughly enjoyed this rollercoaster ride of a book and look forward to more from Lisa Regan.

4 stars but probably closer to a five. I’m not sure how the author will top this one but I will definitely read more Josie books. She is a powerful female character and that is something I absolutely love. The story was good, as was the pace.

Free copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.