What?! The first half was slowly paced, but the craziness just kept building. I had the “bad guy” pinned all wrong! I never expected this ending!

Come and Get Me by August Norman is a mystery within a mystery. Caitlin Bergman, an award-winning journalist, is invited back to her hometown to receive an honorary degree from Indiana University. Upon her return, she will be faced with the memories of a traumatic sexual assault that led to her leaving town twenty years before. While there, she is approached by an aspiring journalism student begging for her journalistic help in searching for Angela Chapman, her friend who disappeared without a trace two years ago. While investigating, Caitlin unearths secrets that some residents would rather were left buried and she may be unwittingly setting herself up as bait for a violent predator. What I found especially important in this novel is that the author brought up the subject of the dangers young female students face on college campuses, something some schools try to sweep under the rug in order to protect the college's reputation. This mystery kept up the tension, had interesting characters and a satisfying outcome. This is the first in the Caitlin Bergman series and I look forward to the next novel by August Norman. Thank you to Crooked Lane Books and NetGalley for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Come and Get Me is a emotional thriller and has a unique twist to the story. This story is well written and has interesting characters.

Caitlin Bergman, an award winning journalist, returns to the university to receive an honorary degree. She missed getting it twenty years earlier because she bailed out of college weeks before earning her degree. In her thank-you address, she spontaneously reveals that she left because she had been raped.

Caitlin is a savvy independent female protagonist, but now that she’s back in town her panic attacks have increased. She realizes that she needs help and is able to find it with a former professor/psychologist.

While she is in town, a young woman vanishes, joining the one that disappeared two years ago. The local police seem loath to fully investigate. Caitlin determines that the disappearance of these two girls be fully investigated—unlike her own rape.

This story is written by a male from the first person female perspective. The current “own voices” clamor says that only those who have experienced a particular sexuality or torment should be able to write about that experience. My feeling is that any empathetic person can write about such experiences. Norman does a good job both with the female POV and handling the messy, distasteful details of abduction and rape. If you are an “own voices” proponent, you won’t care for this book. If you’re not, you’re in for a real treat of a thriller.

An exciting page turner. The subject of rape and kidnapping was handled well. Enough description to grab one's emotions, but not so much that it graphically offends. Several surprises and many nail-biting situations kept me glued to the book. The geography was familiar, so the locations of Southern Indiana and Los Angeles were quite appealing.

#NetGalley #Crooked Lane Books #Come and Get Me

Come and Get Me by author August Norman is a fast paced thriller that kept me on the edge of my seat. The lead character Caitlin Bergman is very likeable and I look forward to more stories with her.

Excellent mystery/thriller, with a great plot and fantastic characters. There is also a serious side of the book in dealing with rape, and there are examples of very good journalism. The most important to learn, however, is that "drugs are for losers".

Come and Get Me by August Norman
Cannot believe this is the authors 1st book! This book and the characters were very well written and developed and the story, though uncomfortable subject matter did a fine job of bringing it all together. From beginning to end I did not want to set this down till I was done. Thank you Netgalley and the Publishers of Crooked Lane for allowing me to read this in return for leaving my honest opinion. I do recommend this book and will be waiting for more from this author and Catlin Bergman!

3.5 stars for this pretty solid debut. I was a little nervous at first when I realized that the author was male and that he was tackling issues such as college sexual assault from a female's point of view, but overall I thought he did a pretty solid job with the affected characters. Well developed characters, and I thought the sense of place was really well done- the author captured a sense of a "safe" college town where danger can hide in plain sight just as easily as a big city. There are some turns I didn't expect, and while this definitely reads like it could be a standalone, it's also set up well for a series- and I wouldn't mind reading more about Caitlin (though to be fair, she's maybe been through enough).

Two mysteries in one! Sign me up! I was highly anticipating this novel and it definitely lived up to my expectations. I initially was drawn to this book because of the book cover! It was so captivating to me. A beautiful book cover always manages to pique my interest!

First of all, I totally fell in love with the protagonist Caitlin Bergman! She was a very strong character and I really loved to see the character development throughout the story. After all of the hardships she has endured, she has managed to become a very successful journalist.

I really enjoyed how the story had multiple layers, and how it was totally unpredictable. It was a fast-paced edge-of-your-seat thriller! Without giving too much away, there is a part in the book where you understand where the title comes from and I just LOVED how it all came together. Big Thumps up for me.

After reading, I just had to research to see if there would be another Caitlin Bergman novel because I needed more! If it does become a series, I will be reading each and every one of those books!

I already cannot wait to read the next book from August Norman.

I absolutely loved this book. It was such a good thriller that kept me on the edge of my seat almost from the very beginning. I loved the setting, characters, the realism of the story and all the feelings it gave. It was one that was impossible to put down.

Thank you NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for the ARC of this book. I highly recommend it.

There is a serial kidnapper stalking college campuses looking for college women who he can add to his collection of dolls. This book gripped me from the first page. At the beginning we find a single mom who ignores her only child and as such sleeps with many men, creditors, and takes pills so she can deal with life. This activity by his mother is the impetus to him devising a plan of kidnapping and keeping women in basement of his house. His first victim was taken to an a abandoned cutting facility and raped and left for dead, however she was not dead. Since in was easy for him to get the first victim he continues his quest to having human dolls in his living arrangements. From here we are introduced t0 a reporter who's goal in life is to stop sexual abuse on college campuses. The reporter teams up with the police, and a friend who steps right in to stop this activity. From this point the story captures the reader and the rest of the book does not disappoint. I would highly recommend this book to anyone but especially to anyone who loves thrillers.

What happened to Angela Chapman? Caitlin Bergman is back at Indiana University to finally get the degree she left without 20 years before. She was raped and it colored the rest of her life. Now she's a journalist and she's one heck of a person. Have things changed for women on campus? Why haven't the police and the FBI taken Angela's case seriously? A good read and a topical one- wrapping in the Me Too movement and the issue of how things can be covered up on a campus. Not ever having been to IU, I can't comment on how effectively Norman used it as a setting but I suspect, based on multiple local references, it's pretty well done. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. Caitlin is strong, dynamic and someone I'd like to see more from.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my fair and honest review. I love suspense/thrillers and this one certainly fits the bill in that category. This was my first book from this author, but I am sure it won't be my last. I found the book to be very well written, lots of wonderful characters and a storyline that pulled me in and didn't let me go until the end of the book. I was so engrossed in the book, and read most of the night. This is the first book in a new series, and I look forward to reading more from this series. I would certainly recommend this book to anyone that loves suspense/thrillers.

Come and Get Me is a chilling debut novel by August Norman with a page turning plot that will keep you engaged.

4 1/2 ⭐️‘S
A very fast paced beguiling read. Norman has a very strong character in Caitlin Bergman, a crime journalist. When Caitlin returns to college to get her honorary degree, what was suppose to be a quick trip, turned into a new case. Angela Chapman has been missing for two years and Caitlin agrees to help find her. A twisty road ensues with Caitlin getting more than she bargained for. So excited that this is the first in a series! Looking forward to much MORE of Caitlin Bergman!!

This book will keep you on the edge of your seat. Very well written. Could not put down once I started reading. Strong subject matter.
I throughly enjoyed and highly recommend.

Caitlin Bergman, an award winning journalist, returns to the university that she left, weeks before earning her degree, twenty years earlier, to receive an honorary degree, Without any plans to do so, in her thank you speech to the audience, she admits the reason she left twenty years ago was because she was raped, an event that has colored every part of her being, throughout her life, whether she was aware of it or not. Now that Caitlin is back, she is determined to face what happened to her despite the fact that coming back is causing her anxiety attacks.

Caitlin is a tough, accomplished, independent woman who prides herself on needing no one but she realizes that she needs help and she gets that help from her former professor, now good friend, Scott, who is also a psychotherapist. She is also dealing how she feels toward her former best friend Mary, now the dean of media department at the college, who introduced her to her rapist. Caitlin can no longer hide all the feelings that are coming out now that she is back in the city of her rape.

But this story is about so much more. There is a kidnapper/killer on the loose, who is scouting out women to add to his collection. He's already taken several and he's always open to more. This psychopath has his sights on Caitlin, as she works hard to find out who took these women and how to stop him. The kidnappings/murders may be connected to a pot growing operation by students/former students and it's hard to know who to trust.

Even the local law enforcement seems like an enemy to Caitlin. They let her down twenty years ago when her wild past was brought up as a defence for the rapist, if she tried to push too hard on the toughest charges against him. And now there seems to be a cover up in the department about the disappearance of a college student two years ago, which could be related to the disappearance of another girl in the current time. Caitlin is determined not to let these girls be forgotten, not to let these crimes be swept under the rug, the way her rape was all those years ago.

Be aware that the subject matter is intense and horrific but we are also reading about a strong woman who is determined to face what has happened, what is happening, and learn to move forward, to heal, and to win over those who do such things to others. Thank you to Crooked Lane Books and NetGalley for this ARC.

I really enjoyed this book. Caitlin is a reporter who is dealing with her own story but the characters are complex and the plot is engaging.

This book was so captivating and well written that it made me uncomfortable. It was full of suspense and made my heart race from the very first pages. If you can handle the subject matter I would highly recommend this one!