Grayson Sykes works for a detective agency hired to find a missing woman, Isabel Lincoln, by her lover. He seems more worried about his dog that he claims Isabel has stolen than about Isabel. The more Grayson digs, the more secrets ae exposed and her investigation becomes more dangerous. Suspenseful and hard to stop reading.

Just finished reading AND NOW SHE'S GONE by Rachel Howzell Hall. I received this ARC from Forge Reads via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Official publication date is September 22nd, 2020.

Grayson Sykes was recently hired to find a missing woman named Isabel Lincoln. But is Isabel actually missing, dead or hoping to stay hidden long enough to be forgotten?

Grayson knows what it is like being a woman who may not want to be found. But this is her first solo P.I. case, so as she gets closer to the truth will she help uncover it or will she help this woman stay hidden?

This is a cat and mouse mystery wrapped up in a twisted story about two woman on a similar path with two very different endings. I enjoyed this book and would reccomend to my mystery friends.

And Now she's Gone if my first read by this author but won't be my last. I loved this suspenseful read about Gray Sykes. She's a private investigator looking into a missing girl. The story unfolds slowly and it's a quick ride once you get about a fourth of the way into the story. I read 75% of the story in one sitting. A great suspenseful read that kept me turning the pages. Loved this one and would recommend to anyone that enjoyed Gone Girl or the Wife and Widow. Thank you to Forge Publishing and Netgalley for my advanced copy. I will be recommending this one all over the place! All opinions are my own.

This one just missed the mark for me. The premise itself was intriguing and I liked that nothing was what it seemed (lots of twists!!). However, there were so many unnecessary character name drops that half the time I couldn’t remember who the main character was referring to and I felt like there was a lot of extra personality fluff (like explanations/descriptions of things from the main characters POV that I just didn’t enjoy at all). I didn’t particularly like the main character very much...she was bumbling and seemingly incompetent (e.g when we got like 10 straight minutes of description about how she couldn’t remember a pen or find/use a pen properly and was too nervous to just freaking ask for one so she could DO HER JOB? Which would’ve been fine if the point was to show us how great she was at memorization or how competent she is despite taking notes, but it seemed to only serve to show how lame she was. Or how she was literally incapable of taking her antibiotics/follow the necessary diet post-surgery but has apparently survived until middle age without being able to properly feed and medicate herself??? Ugh, she just wasn’t very likable, but I’m generally fine with that as long as the plot is strong enough to carry the book...but for the most part, this one wasn’t. I will say the ending was GREAT and made up for some of the drudgery, but ultimately this was a 2.5 that I had to round down to 2 because I just didn’t connect with the book at all. Which again is so surprising because I LOVED the idea. Definitely disappointing.

Starting into this book, I wasn’t sure if I’d finish it. Reading about physical and psychological abuse is very difficult for me; suspense that hinges in large part on whether the protagonist will be found by her abuser really gives me the oogies. However, And Now She’s Gone just kept pulling me along. The mystery of the missing woman was intriguing and new regular new developments had me turning the pages. Grayson Sykes is a PI, a woman who has found her personal strength after rough years with an abusive husband. Seeing her professional competence and inner grit was very satisfying. Grayson’s character combined with excellent friends and coworkers, a twisty plot and a bit of romance all made for a very readable story, one I’m glad to have read.

This is a story about the fact that not everyone who is missing is lost.

This was a tight, well crafted thriller. If you're like me, and do not enjoy non-linear story telling you may find the timelines somewhat troublesome, but in general it was so well written that it wasn't too terribly distracting. I loved the twists!

I think this is a standalone, but would love to see more books that follow the main character.

Thanks Netgalley, Macmillan Tor-Forge for this e-ARC!

Featuring two complicated women in a dangerous cat and mouse game, the author explores the nature of secrets and what the characters will do to survive.

This is well written and definitely NOT for the fainthearted reader!

It took me a minute to get used to the voice, but once I did, this was a fun read. It's in turns funny and sad and infuriating. I loved seeing my hometown of LA get spotlighted, too--especially its lesser seen parts. It felt a little like an old Hollywood noir movie, which I enjoyed. It also had a nice blend of mystery with a hint of romance.

I wish there had been a little more raising of the stakes throughout the story so as to feel a little more urgency and danger in Gray's investigation and situation. But overall a solid read.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
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I LOVED this book! Definitely one of my favorites this year. IT. IS. SO. GOOD !! 🙌🙌
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I was literally trying to figure it out for the entire book. There are so many layers of mysteries, you are constantly guessing and assessing the puzzle pieces- And you still won’t figure it out!
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Gray works at a private investigation agency, doing research and office work. Her boss has just given her her first actual case as an investigator. A doctor has reported his girlfriend and dog missing.
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As Gray tries to find her footing, she begins to realize there is way more to this case than it seems. She gets deeper and deeper, not knowing who she can trust.
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Gray has a dark past and that story is interwoven into the main storyline.
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I loved the rich characters and the witty dialogue. The author is masterful with descriptive language- the sights, sounds, smells and feelings put you right there in the scene.
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I can not wait to read more of this author’s work!
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Do yourself a favor and pre-order this one!
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✨Due out September 22, 2020✨

Confession: Whenever I wanted to read a mystery/thriller, I always went directly to a book by the hottest White author because FOMO. I always read #ownvoices that were either non-fiction or fantasy. However, that has changed! As a reader, you are constantly learning and growing. I have been letting go of FOMO and seeking out new authors (to me), especially #ownvoices. Shoutout to @bostonbookfanatic for sending me And Now She’s Gone! This book was fantastic! It’s a little over 500 pages, but don’t let that deter you. It’s so fast paced! It is a story of a Black woman private detective, who has a past of her own. She is tasked with finding a missing woman, who has secrets of her own. There is a tw: for domestic violence. I could do see this as a movie! And I need another book ASAP! I’m already missing the characters. ⁣
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And Now She’s Gone is out September 22nd! You will want to preorder this one! ⁣

Thank you Netgalley and Forgereads for my gifted copy #partner

Two stories woven into one: the first is of a private investigator named Grayson who is on her first case looking for Isabel Lincoln. The second is of a woman named Natalie who is trapped in an abusive marriage to Sean. As the story unfolds, the reader discovers everybody lies, and some people don’t want to be found.

I loved the idea of this book, but it didn’t come together for me. Too many characters, names, places. None of them are very likeable. My biggest problem was the writing style; it was hard to differentiate between both plotlines, and who was talking during the text messages. I did appreciate the diversity represented, and the epilogue which answered some questions. Overall it was just okay in my opinion.

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillian for sending me an ARC!

I really wanted to like this novel more than I did. The story line and concept were exactly my cup of tea. However, I never really connected with the characters and the backstories seemed like late add ins. I really wish the author had the two female protagonists each have their own chapters, developed a stronger discussion of race and intimate partner violence, and spent more time on the secondary characters. There is so much potential here.

I really wanted to like this book? I like Ms. Hall, and it sounded like it would appeal to my appreciation for the plucky-heroine genre (Stephanie Plum, Kinsey Millhone). The protagonist,
Grayson Sykes, is a PI who is looking for a woman named Isabel Lincoln. Isabel MAY have left town with her boyfriend’s dog. As the story unfolds, there are mysteries galore, even whether Isabel is Isabel.

TBH, this one didn’t work for me. I really didn’t care about any of the characters-- maybe because of the pandemic and being generally cranky, but I really did try. There were LOTS of character and I really just wanted it to be over. When it was, I still liked Ms. Hall, and will look for her next book because I think she’s a terrific writer with a keen eye for what makes places like LA and Vegas be the BFDs that they are in our culture.

With thanks to Macmillan-Tor/Forge and NetGalley, who provided a copy in return for this honest review, I give it three stars.

TW: domestic abuse

Grayson Sykes is a PI-in-training. She has a past that includes an abusive ex-husband. It took a horrific attack by the ex-hubby (not the first) for her to leave. Good riddance to him. It takes a while to get through the flashbacks in the book that walk the reader through this, but it was worth it for the scene where Gray gets away from Sean.

Gray transforms her life with the help of her friend and boss, Dominick Rader. He owns the PI business where she gets her footing. She starts off with light work transcribing cases for the company and works up to her end goal is becoming a PI. Her first case is tracking down Isabel Lincoln, the missing girlfriend of Ian O’Donnell.

It felt like the premise of the book and the actual book were written at two different times. This works out in the end because Gray comes into her own but you’ll have to push past pages of wondering why she is second-guessing herself. Also, Gray is doing all of the investigation on her own which makes me wonder why a private investigator-in-training is on her own in the field. Shouldn’t she be trailing her boss the entire way?

After getting all of this out of the way, the story picks up speed. Gray carefully keeps moving forward, picking at the details of Isabel’s life until she can finally make sense of them. Is Isabel Lincoln dead or alive? Is that her real name? Was she having an affair with her next-door neighbor’s son, Kevin Tompkins? Why the hell is Ian so hell-bent on finding Isabel when he doesn’t have much like her?

I hope this is the first of many Grayson Sykes books since she’s smart, she’s dogged, and she will kick ass when necessary. I had to suspend disbelief a few times but that didn't stop me from reading to the end.

I hope this is the first of many Grayson Sykes books since she’s smart, she’s dogged, and she will kick ass when necessary. Fans of Kellye Garrett and Patricia Cornwell are going to love And Now She’s Gone. My only wish is for the author to make a playlist of all the music that Gray mentions in the book.

It’s almost like a game of tag. Just when you have the runner in your site they elude. This is how I saw this book. Grayson a reluctant pursuer is searching for Isobel, the rub is does she need to be found . Does she want to be found. Are there some parts of your life that should be yours alone to reveal. This i found to be the foundation to their back and forth with Grayson a bit torn in the end. I love the cat and mouse element to the writing. Just enough tingle to make you read on.

Oh boy did I love this one. If life didn't get in the way I would have sat down and read it cover to cover. Something about Grayson had me loving her and being intrigued by her right away. She is raw and far from perfect as she sort of bumbles her way into her first investigation. She has been through some unimaginable things, but also has a naive quality to her that makes her easy to connect with and root for.
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The writing was really wonderful, it was easy to read, but not in an flippant or casual way. It was more gritty, but beautifully crafted. You could tell how some passages were just perfectly poised to give you a certain feeling that was not easy to portray otherwise. It was captivating and just the right speed of not too rushed, but nothing dragged. While I was reading this story had my attention 100%.
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The story evolved and developed in waves of slow pocking to crashing with new information and a way that just so precisely worked. Such an intricate mystery upon mystery. There were times that I had put the pieces together about something faster than Grayson, but it didn't bother me as I loved watching her process and not have any unrealistic spontaneous aha moments or lucky guesses. I absolutely loved the two timelines and how they were weaved together at just the right intervals. I loved that the descriptions were "show don't tell" and no one was quite what/who they seemed at face value.
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I absolutely loved this book and will recommend to all crime novel lovers.

Wow, this one was up and down and all around... I liked it. The characters were compelling, as was the plot. I wasn't sure what was going on for a lot of it, but in a good way. I'm not sure I loved the way it all tidilly wrapped together at the end - it didn't exactly feel like the ending the book was setting you up for - but it was a quick and engaging read and once I started it I had a tough time putting it down.

When Ian McConnell hires Grayson Skyes to find his missing girlfriend she has no idea the secrets she is going to unearth. Gray is also running. But from whom? This book takes you into a jigsaw puzzle and introduces you to some stories and the past of Grayson and of the missing girlfriend but she is not able to find the woman she has set out to search for rather she finds something she wasn't looking for. What could be it? The answer is in the book.
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I loved how every chapter ends on such an intriguing cliff hanger after such an intense build up in the narrative you are literally jumping to know what is the secret.
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Grayson our protagonist in the book comes with a past and she has left it and is living in the present.
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There is domestic violence and the description is also very much graphic which as a woman I could feel more.
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I didn't like the feeler of racism was thrown in the writing to establish a character sketch. I felt it was completely unnecessary.
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Grayson doesn't follow the stereotypical character sketch of a black woman working as a P.I. which was a relief to see.
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The references to the location and their usage makes you familiar with the culture and the writing style was a treat to read.
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People like me who read thrillers a lot will catch who the killer is because it's the small nuances that people often miss and that's why the chase is the better treat to see and you love chasing with Grayson and other characters in the story I wouldn't give away.
Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC in exchange of an honest review.

WOW! This was my first book by Rachel Howzell Hall and I am so impressed! It was everything I like in a book - that it wasn’t one thing. It was part thriller, part mystery, with a little romance and the perfect amount of humor thrown in. I loved all of Grey’s friends - everyone has those girls in their life.

The back and forth chapters gave us insight into Grey’s life as a whole throughout the story which really aided in her character development. I loved her, I rooted for her. If you’re looking for a fun, twisty mystery with a lot of sass, this one is for you!

I loved Hall's first book and was super excited to read this one. Unfortunately, it fell a little flat. I liked the idea of the main character, Grey and her backstory was compelling but the other mystery was pretty predictable and a little confusing. Not confusing in a mysterious way but in a why were there so many meaningless details sort of way. No one really seemed like a real person.