Due to a sudden, unexpected passing in the family a few years ago and another more recently and my subsequent (mental) health issues stemming from that, I was unable to download this book in time to review it before it was archived as I did not visit this site for several years after the bereavements. This meant I didn't read or venture onto netgalley for years as not only did it remind me of that person as they shared my passion for reading, but I also struggled to maintain interest in anything due to overwhelming depression. I was therefore unable to download this title in time and so I couldn't give a review as it wasn't successfully acquired before it was archived. The second issue that has happened with some of my other books is that I had them downloaded to one particular device and said device is now defunct, so I have no access to those books anymore, sadly.

This means I can't leave an accurate reflection of my feelings towards the book as I am unable to read it now and so I am leaving a message of explanation instead. I am now back to reading and reviewing full time as once considerable time had passed I have found that books have been helping me significantly in terms of my mindset and mental health - this was after having no interest in anything for quite a number of years after the passings. Anything requested and approved will be read and a review written and posted to Amazon (where I am a Hall of Famer & Top Reviewer), Goodreads (where I have several thousand friends and the same amount who follow my reviews) and Waterstones (or Barnes & Noble if the publisher is American based). Thank you for the opportunity and apologies for the inconvenience.

Full disclosure: I am the author of this book and I’m leaving a review for the purpose of maintaining a positive review ratio on NetGalley.

WOW! Captivating and edge-of-your-seat reading kept me interested until the very end. What a great read.

Synopsis:
Private investigator Jessica Shaw is used to getting anonymous tips. But after receiving a photo of a three-year-old kidnapped from Los Angeles twenty-five years ago, Jessica is stunned to recognize the little girl as herself.

Eager for answers, Jessica heads to LA’s dark underbelly. When she learns that her biological mother was killed the night she was abducted, Jessica’s determined to solve a case the police have forgotten. Meanwhile, veteran LAPD detective Jason Pryce is in the midst of a gruesome investigation into a murdered college student moonlighting as a prostitute. A chance encounter leads to them crossing paths, but Jessica soon realizes that Pryce is hiding something about her father’s checkered history and her mother’s death.

WOW! This book was quite good! I was not sure as this author was new to me. But I will be adding her to my author's list. I really enjoyed the pace. The book really had me turning the pages!

Brilliant - Just brilliant! A well written, incredibly tense thriller which will keep you guessing until the very last page!

This is the first book in a new series, and I can see the author taking it places. It was a good solid lead, and the series can just get stronger from here. Recommended.

THIN AIR by Lisa Gray
3.5/5 stars

Netgalley Review Copy

Jessica Shaw is a private investigator, specialising in missing persons. The last thing she expected was to be one herself. After receiving a photo of a 3 year old girl who was kidnapped 25 years ago Jessica is shocked to realise that the little girl is herself. Eager to get the answers Jessica heads to the small town where the crime took place, but the Answers may not be what she hoped.

This is the type of thriller where it’s just good, the characters are likeable, it’s fast paced, the plot is good but nothing that stands out to make me really go ‘damn that was good’
Would recommend this though, it was a good thriller

There are a few points of view in the story and I had to go back a couple times to check who was who, but I really enjoyed this book and look forward to reading more from them. The story flows quickly and I didn’t guess the killer at all!

I have mixed feelings about this book, I enjoyed the premise of it however the writing just didn't draw me in and keep me interested.

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC of this book for my honest review. Yayy I was so excited that I was chosen to read and review this book and it was such a great book I can't wait to read more from this author.

Jessica Shaw is a private investigator, who is relocating to California, but since she isn’t licensed there, having just left New York after the death of her father, is sort of a roaming PI. Acting on a tip, Jessica looks at a photo of a missing person who was three years old at the time of her disappearance; 25 years has passed, and Jessica recognizes that missing child as herself. Her mother was murdered at the same time, and her murder hasn’t been solved. Jason Pryce, a friend of her late father and a working detective for LAPD, may have some of the answers. Pryce is investigating a gruesome murder, however, and is reluctant to meet up with Jessica, because he knows what she wants and doesn’t want to open up this can of worms.

Jessica is a good PI, but hasn’t had as much experience as she would like to have had. She mostly does missing persons or unfaithful spouses, and this murder is a big challenge for her. Gray does a good job of developing her characters, and Jessica is a good, solid protagonist. She is, however, a bit of a low-life, and has piercings and tattoos (not something most readers look up to), and she drinks so much she is on the verge of being an alcoholic. She is also a heavy smoker, which is another telltale sign that she is trailer trash. Some critics have compared her with Jack Reacher, but she is about as “unclassy” as Jack Reacher is “classy,” and there should be no comparison.

Thin Air has a good story and Gray tells it well. There are twists and turns, and even though most of us won’t look up to Jessica, most readers will enjoy the story and respect her skills as a PI and a decent, albeit ordinary, person. This is the first installment of the Jessica Shaw, and lays the foundation for subsequent books. It is well-written, and recommended for readers who want a protagonist who is different from the norm.

Special thanks to NetGalley for supplying a review copy of this book.

A page turning, but sadly forgettable thriller that lacks depth and only skims the surface. Read if you need something where you do not have to think about the story or the plot too much.

A gripping story that prevented me from putting the book down. It hooked me right from the start. I loved following Jessica’s story and I thought the plot was quite unusual. Highly recommended!

Great story from Lisa Gray. Can wait for the next instalment.
Great book will be reading other books by this author.
Will also recommend this book to others.
Great read! 5*****

I really enjoyed this one. Ir never lost its pacing and the ending provided plenty of twists and turns. Jessica is a tough cookie, and she never loses her wits like some stupid heroines do. I look forward to more in the series.

1st in the Jessica Shaw series. Really enjoyed this book, roll on book 2
Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC in return for an honest review.

I absolutely loved this book.

The whole story line was original and I really enjoyed meeting the new characters.

This is a new crime series and as a massive crime thriller lover, i will most definitely be looking forward to Lisa Gray's future books.

3.5 stars
It was a really interesting mystery and I definitely want to continue the series. It felt like something I've read before, but still it was enjoyable.

Thrilling story, great plot and characters that keep you guessing right til the end. Great for fans of this genre. Really enjoyable.

Excellent read.
This is my first novel from Lisa Gray and it will not be the last one. It was really an enjoyable and gripping book. Unlike many reviews I have just read, I stayed all the time guessing and I could not anticipate on what the ending would be like.

The story is really interesting and the narration went like in an action movie. It features Jessica Shaw, a private investigator, who is following a complex investigation regarding events she will found that many are related to her past and her family. The characters are all well designed and we finish to like most of them, despite what they did or how they acted in the past. We follow Jessica in Eagle Rock, a small town in LA, where a young and beautiful women was murdered 24 years ago in a way that shocked the community living there. Everybody remember what happened but no one could tell the complete and the real version. It will be the job of Jessica to put altogether the parts of the puzzle to reach the truth. The result will be beyond what she was expecting.

The author remarkably succeeded to led the reader to feel the particular atmosphere of a small town: gossips, people know each other, silence regarding on certain events, etc. I have also liked the way she used chapters to recall the past.

I highly recommend this book