Although I am an admitted Howzell-Hall STAN, I try to go into each book with a clean slate and not rate it against previous books... but sometimes a great writer cannot help but outdo themselves. I've read everything Rachel has written and...... this might be the best book by her that I have ever read. So far.
I read a lot of thrillers and crime novels. I Love a PI or detective novel, so a good one by an author that I know is going to give me a good story makes my day.
So I have to say that aside from the unrealistically (to me? What do I know?) long workdays and instant-like travel, this was a BANGER. Also? I love a good twist and.... she got me. SHE GOT ME! With every chapter, this book just gets so... twisty and turny and interesting. Not a boring sentence in the book. Not a wasted chapter. Not a single wasted plot point.

SUPER enjoyed this read!

This book is two stories in one, Our main character's story of how she got to be who and where she is and the mystery of Isabel Lincoln she as been tasked to solve as a private dectective. As Gray starts to investigate what was supposed to be an easy first assignment turns into a complicated mess that also exposes Gray to the dangers of her own past. What I thought was great about this book is how complicated the mystery turned out to be, I couldn't begin to unravel it and I enjoyed just being along for the ride. I also loved Gray as a character, I thought she had many layers and she was strong, funny, and smart while also being a hot mess half the time which is easily relatable. The book can get a little confusing with all the different names so I do recommend being in a more serious reading mode for this one, because one needs to be able to focus on all the details. I loved how strong of a character she wrote and the title was perfect! I would definitely recommend this one and Rachel Howzell Hall has turned into a must read author for me and I look forward to whatever she comes up with next!

Free copy received via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

Grayson Sykes is a PI in search of Isabel Lincoln. It's her first big case and she's determined to track down Isabel, but there's a lot standing in her way. A LOT. At times, the plot was very hard for me to follow because there is so much going on and so many different characters. There's also a lot of secrets and multiple sides to every story, so the build up takes quite a while in my opinion.

The author does make great use of blending the past with the present, filling in the reader on a need to know basis. The cast is full of diverse characters and it's hard not to cheer for Gray on her first PI "big break". I love strong female characters who are determined and tough and Gray has no shortage of these traits.

Dear fellow readers,

This book right here! It got me. The twist was great! I had to stop reading momentarily because I haven't been misdirected for a while now!

I've mentioned before how much I love detective stories. This book had all the components and reasons I love a good mystery. What really sealed the deal for me was the protagonist. Gray is great. The representation is amazing. For my female detective novel class, I felt like I found my calling in books genre wise. So Sara Paretsky, Sue Grafton, Patricia Cornwell, Agatha Christie, and P.D James all appeal to me because of the representation.

But Hall takes it one step further and gives it more depth. In this book a black woman is leading the investigation and she's got layers and a past. But so does her subject of investigation.

It's a long book but I devoured it. I'm so happy I read this! If any of the authors I mentioned are your jam check this out asap! If you love books with a good twist check this out. If you love a good villain check this out. Books centered around black women and their lives check this out!!!

Keywords: Shocking, layered, and identity driven.

TW: Domestic violence, abuse, and psychological abuse.

Swipe for photos taken this Sunday during my break at a family affair. We social distanced and wore masks of course. Thankfully, not many came! My grandmother did me the favor of posing for a few photos.

My family thought that teasing me about my reading at an event would stop me. Ha!
Check out Trish trying to stop me from reading.

Many thanks @forge @Netgalley @rhowzellhall
for the opportunity to read and review this gem!

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Thank you to NetGalley Canada and Macmillan-Tor/Forge for this advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review.

Overall, I enjoyed this novel. It was my first Hall novel and I have heard great things about her other books. I found it difficult to follow the back and forth at the beginning but at around the halfway mark, there was a noticeable shift and I felt myself more engaged in the story. I also felt the book was very detail heavy (mainly the main characters inner dialogue) and there was also too many supporting characters and storylines which actually worked to detract from the mystery. That being said, I did not see the ending coming and I thought it was really well done. There are some sensitive topics layered throughout this novel.

And Now She’s Gone is available September 22, 2020.

While this book kept me guessing until the very end, I really struggled to follow the story. There were so many characters, timelines, and storylines that it was at times difficult to keep up.

I picked this up because of how much I enjoyed the author’s Elouise Norton series. It ended up being an ok read for purely subjective reasons.

Hall knows how to spin a story & what you get here are 2 that eventually intersect. One details the search for a missing woman while the other informs us how & why the MC ended up in her current situation. Her writing skills are never in doubt. What I found instead was I simply preferred the MC & more procedural style of the previous series.

This one focuses on newbie private investigator Grayson Sykes. Initially she comes across as a bumbling young woman forever searching for lost keys, a pen with ink or a working phone. Thankfully, this settles down as she investigates the disappearance of Isabel Lincoln who has seemingly vanished off the face of the earth. And after meeting the woman’s boyfriend, Grayson has to wonder….was Isabel taken or did she run?

Both story lines are intricate & startling similarities between the 2 women quickly emerge. Along the way we meet many peripheral characters, including those who are part of Gray’s life. The plot is rife with domestic violence, hidden pasts & secret identities. There’s a lot going on here & maybe that was one of the problems for me. Chapters alternate between the hunt for Isabel & Gray’s past & the switching narratives with multiple twists had me scrambling to stay current with both. The ending wraps up both story lines, though one more successfully than the other IMHO.

So purely a matter of personal preference. At last count there were about one hundred 4 & 5 star reviews on Goodreads so consider me the jaded outlier & give those a look 🙃 .

3.5*

Gray is working for the first as a PI. She’s worked for Nick for a long time but this is her first case! Helping a wealthy man look for his girlfriend that has disappeared with his dog. Should be open and shit case right? ......wrong!

This story was a slow burn thriller. It definitely had you saying what the heck is happening!!!
I loved Gray she is a fighter through all the things she’s been through! She was smart and savy putting together a case that seems to make no sense! Little pieces start coming together but nothing is what is seemed! Gray has a secret past and it’s coming back to haunt her. I loved the light romance that was in the background of the story! I was really rooting for them!

A cat and mouse mystery. PI Grayson Sykes is tasked to work her first case; the missing girlfriend of a prestigious cardiologist. Grayson struggles to reconcile her own dark past while she unpacks the mystery surrounding the missing woman. The novel alternates between time periods and can be a bit difficult to navigate at times. A slow burn mystery that comes together in a satisfying twist. I recommend this read for lovers of a whodunit mystery. Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to review this ARC.

I had a hard time getting into this one. The mystery was intriguing but there were too many unnecessary characters and there seemed to be a lot of details I had a hard time remembering because I couldn't tell what was important and what was just random characters or thought. I didn't care that much for the characters. This one just missed the mark for me.

I had a very difficult time getting through this book. There was something about the main character that I just didn't like - she did so many stupid things and her thoughts were so random and distracting. I didn't understand why she kept complaining about her appendectomy or the refrigerator in her apartment not working well -- what was the purpose of either of these things?

The timeline in the past with her ex-husband was confusing and jumped around too much and she referred to herself as Mrs. Dixon a lot which was weird. I think when I get distracted by odd things in books it just throws me off and I can't get into it. This book had a lot of random things that I couldn't get past and the book wasn't my cup of tea (Tea was also an odd name for a character).

I loved this! It was super intriguing and engaging! I found myself constantly flipping the pages to try and finish it as fast as possible! I could not stop reading! I loved our characters and the plot was fast-paced and kept me on my toes the entire time! One of my favorites of the year by far!

Frolic Media post: https://frolic.media/5-upcoming-thrillers-that-you-need-to-read-immediately/

Oh my gosh this book was amazing! So many twists and turns and when you felt like you had the mystery figured out, your taken for another wild ride! Private investigator Grayson Sykes is finally put on her first case, she has to find a woman Isabel Lincoln. Isabel’s boyfriend Ian O’ Donnell who is a cardiologist is the one who hired Grayson’s employer to find his missing girlfriend and dog, he wants Isabel found and his dog Kenny G, apparently Isabel and the dog disappeared at the same time . When Grayson begins to investigate and dig around Isabel and Ian’s relationship, it appears that Isabel may not be missing she may be hiding from Ian. and Ian wouldn’t be looking for her if she hadn’t taken his dog, Ian may not be so perfect he may have been abusing and cheating on Isabel. Gray knows a bit about abuse and constantly having to look over her shoulder and we soon learn about her backstory as the book progresses. Soon Grays peeling back layers and layers of shady characters, lies , deceits and murders and she soon finds her own life is at risk. The book alternates from past and present until it comes full circle and your jaw drops! This book is a slow burn until it takes off. The author does an amazing job with the twists and turns and her ability to write a cat and mouse chase that will have you turning the pages. I loved Grayson and how imperfect she was, I could feel her fear and confusion coming off the page! I highly recommend five stars!

I enjoy a good mystery, especially one that has some twists and turns you don't see coming.

And Now She's Gone did not disappoint.

The story definitely is a cat and mouse game. One that has you guessing at times what will happen next.

You also have a strong black female lead, even if her past life had her feeling fragile and out of control. Grayson knows where she's been and where she doesn't want to go.

Now she has to revisit the past while solving her first missing person's case as a PI. Only the more she digs, the more layers of deceit she uncovers about the missing gal, Isabel.

Overall an interesting read, although the ending seemed a bit anti-clamatic.

AND NOW SHE'S GONE by Rachel Howzell Hall begins with /Grayson Sykes, a woman who is new to private investigation and working her first solo case. She has been tasked to find Isabel Lincoln, a woman who has taken off with her boyfriend's dog in tow. Signs point toward Isabel having taken off intentionally and the boyfriend raises multiple red flags from the very beginning. Gray has some history with controlling, dangerous men as well and she isn't sure how to proceed.

The story lays out a complicated case with a lot of layers to unpack. That said, I really wanted to see more growth for Grayson Sykes. From the beginning she is nervous and struggling in her new career and while she makes advances in the case, I did want to see her grow stronger in her chosen path. Still, it was good to get her inner monologue and thought processes.

The writing style is very descriptive with a lot of metaphors coming from Gray's perspective in particular. At times the transitions could be a bit choppy for my taste as well.

Overall this one presents a very interesting case with a lot of questions, but didn't entirely win me over.

Okay, I have mixed feelings about this book. It's about Gray, a private detective working on a missing girl case, well, her first real case. While she's trying to find the girl, connecting the dots, certain things reminds her of her own murky past. Is the missing girl really missing? Or just hiding, running away to start afresh?

'Natalie Dixon, a woman Gray knew once upon a time, had disappeared like that.
Unlike most men who vanished, women rarely got caught. They just wanted a new beginning.'

It started slow, and to be honest, I thought it was a ridiculous case. But no, it's turned out a very complex one. There are so many twists and turns in the story that certainly keep you hooked. It's full of lies and deceit. It's deals with abusive relationships.

There are so many characters but they don't confuse you. They have their own place and voice. I particularly liked the character of Nick and his connection with Gray. Sometimes, I felt that I would love to read their love story, but of courses it was not a love story.

The writing is good, very good at certain places, like: 'She caught that smile and crammed it into her heart with the other smiles he’d tossed her since they’d met, so long ago.'
Just I felt it has too many, "It/he/she smelled like/of...". No, I like this kind of writing but it was so frequent that after a point, it started to annoy me.

The ending - it, somewhat, disappointed me. As I said, it has many twists and turns but towards the end, it felt stretched, so stretched that I stopped caring.

Overall, I was really enjoying the read but I was not very satisfied mainly because of the dragged and disappointing ending. You may like it if you like reading mystery/thrillers.

Picture yourself on the teacup ride at Disneyland because that's what this book is like! Grayson is a new P.I. who is hired to find missing girlfriend, Isabel by her doctor boyfriend, Ian. But there are so many questions surrounding her disappearance that complicates everything. Did she deliberately leave, or is there foul play involved? That's all you get in terms of plot as there are so many characters, twists, and turns, that make this a head-spinning adventure!

This was the second book I've read by Rachel Howzell Hall, and unfortunately, I just don't think her writing style works for me. The actual mystery in this one was interesting, so I hope it works for other readers!

This story had potential to be five stars but it was a little tedious to follow all the different characters in two different story arcs. Usually I love stories like this but the execution was off in my opinion. It is a shame because the premise is so good. Just ok for me. Meh.

It is still worth a read.

Thanks to Netgalley, Rachel Howzell Hall and Macmillan Tor/Forge Books for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Available: 9/22/20

A fast-paced, expertly-plotted PI story with a protagonist you can't help but root for! This one kept me guessing until the very last page.