On her first day of kindergarten, five-year-old Tinsley disappeared without a trace. 5 years later, her divorced mother, Dani Callahan, is a private investigator. Quinn Sullivan is her young assistant and both of them are devoted to finding missing loved ones. Dani has been focused to finding Tinsley ever since she went missing 5 years ago.

Their newest case is Ali Cross, a teenager who vanished recently from the streets of Sacramento. Thank goodness for a 12 year old boy named Ethan who witnessed the abduction of Ali. What does Ali and Tinsley's abductions have in common is the nagging question that needs to be solved?

I'm in the midst of reading Ragan's Lizzy Gardner's series. I love all of the author's characters. Her books are character-driven and all very interesting and well-drawn. I'm finding the same page turning aspects in this book too. She has a way with suspense that makes you feel like you're on a roller coaster with the twists and turns of the plots.

I'm now hoping this is a start of a new series and I'm looking forward to reading the next book. If you enjoy mystery thrillers then I'm sure you will enjoy Ragan's books. I would like to thank NetGalley and Thomas and Mercer for a free copy for an honest review.

In a powerful prologue, Dani Callahan’s much longed for daughter is taken from her kindergarten class by a woman who looks like Dani’s twin. She has not been found.

Flash forward to the present day. Dani now is a private investigator, head of her own company. Her assistant is Quinn Sullivan, a young woman whose own mother disappeared years ago. Headlining today’s news is the story of Ali Cross, a teenager who disappeared on her way home from school. Because of their personal history, Dani ad Quinn are intrigued when twelve year old Ethan Grant wants to hire them because he was a witness to Ali’s kidnapping. What follows is a dark twisty thriller as Dani, Quinn and Ethan try to find Ali before it is too late.

Count to Three, told by the alternating voices of Dani and Ali, is both suspenseful and dark. Ali’s experience is horrific. The conclusion ties up many threads. 5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley, Thomas and Mercer and T.R. Ragan for this ARC.

I thought this was a good book. It holds your interest, grabs your emotions and has that creepy, depraved madman you’d expect as the kidnapper. There are three storylines throughout the book that all get resolved in some fashion at the end. Having them all tied up neatly was nice but also a bit unrealistic. All in all, a well written engaging read.

This is my first novel by T.R. Ragan and it was a really good book.

We meet Dani who has her own backstory, unfortunately her daughter was kidnapped and missing ever since and this happened some years ago. Dani is now working as a detective helping other people find their missing ones. Dani along with her assistant are helping to find Ali who is a teenager that has disappeared. Whilst they are searching for Ali there appears to be more information about Dani's daughter and this really kicks off the great storytelling. I do not want to say too much but this was a good novel overall and worth a read.

As a mother myself, I do not really enjoy reading about missing kids but this is a great book and full of emotion that really seems to grip the reader. The author's writing is gripping and keeps you wanting to uncover what really happened to these kids.

Thanks to Netgalley, TR Ragan and the publishers for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Dani's never given up on finding her daughter Tinsley, who disappeared on her first day of kindergarten. Five years later, though, she's a PI who is working to find 17 year old Ali, who was abducted by a man with a van. And then clues surface about Tinsley. This moves back and forth between Dani and Ali, who is being held by a creep. Dani's an interesting character and you will feel for her. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. It's a tightly plotted and tense read that, if a bit trope-y, is still a page turner.

Upon reading the premise, I got a little bit excited. Although the plot has been done a million times before, I had hoped to read something fresh and newfangled, something that would make me squirm and gasp because of how good it is. However, what happened was the opposite. It made me squirm because of the humdrum characters, I gasped because I wanted something more from it and I didn't get the "ugh" factor that I was looking for. So disappointing.

Maybe this is not for me. I think I've read so many books with the same flow that's why it didn't impress me the way I was supposed to. I have a few T.R Ragan novels on my list and I'll give them a read. There must be something for me.

Cheers again to Netgalley and Thomas & Mercer for approving my request.

When I read the description of Count to Three I was really looking forward to getting into the book but unfortunately it just did not grab me as I hoped it would. I did not really like the characters and although it was quite a quick read it just did not work for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for my ARC.

would like to thank netgalley and the publisher for letting me read this book

the worst nightmare to happen to any parent is the disappearance of their child and its also doubly worse when your child is abducted from school

tinsley is this child and her parents dani and matthew are never the same again

dani has recreated herself and has her own P.I license and is doing well but still holds out that one day she will find out what happened to tinsley

as another young girl goes missing this time a witness comes forward but will it be enough

i thoroughly enjoyed parts of this book and enjoyed meeting dani and seeing how her life carried on and how she coped with her grief at her loss and though i felt the ending was sadly missing elements to it i hope this could be another series that could be enhanced as you get to know the characters better

a good read though

I was looking forward to this as I have read most of the author’s books and really enjoyed them but I was very disappointed with this one! I thought it was lazy writing. I have read this story, with different names, many times before. You know the sort of thing - some weird guy can’t get a girlfriend so he abducts a girl/woman, keeps her captive and tells himself they are having a relationship. Oh, and his mummy made him this way! There was nothing new here, the characters were thin and the plot predictable.

Dani Callahan’s 5 year old daughter disappeared 5 years ago so naturally her marriage collapses and she becomes a PI to help other families find missing people. She has also never stopped looking for her daughter. She has a young assistant, Quinn Sullivan, who is a ‘natural’ investigator. These two decide to look into the recent disappearance of 17 year old Ali Cross because a young witness, 12 year old Ethan Grant, comes forward to say he witnessed the abduction.

The narrative switches between the PIs, Ali in her captivity and a few ‘insights’ into the abductor’s twisted mind (insert eye roll). There are no surprises, the story goes exactly as you expect and, after 5 years of constant searching, Dani also suddenly works out what happened to her daughter and - voilá, everything is wrapped up in a pretty bow. I know the author can do better than this!

I’m sorry for being the outlier again and I know many people enjoyed this book. Unfortunately I was not one of them. Many thanks to Netgalley and Thomas & Mercer for the much appreciated arc which I reviewed voluntarily and honestly.

Thank you to the author, Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley for providing me with a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I love books with strong female leads, plots that revolve around cases that others have given up on, and villains who both terrify and fascinate me. Unfortunately, this one completely missed the mark for me.

There was nothing original about the plot, which is fine if it’s done just as well or better than others, but it wasn’t. The story is told through dual POVs, one of which completely lacks nuance and devolves into something that almost becomes a caricature of itself. There was little to no character development, just a few paragraphs here and there reiterating the MCs personal experience with missing loved ones. And the ending was way too abrupt. Every single loose end was tied up so quickly and perfectly that it felt totally implausible. The author told us what happened but there was no satisfying answer about why it happened.

Thank you to the author, Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley, for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Some of my favorite crime novels are those with a strong female lead, so I was looking forward to this book centering a young female PI. I had not read any of the author's other books, so was surprised to find out how prolific she is. However, I cannot in good conscience recommend this book. Although the emotionally compelling opening (flashback giving the backstory of the kidnapping of the PI's daughter) was gripping, everything after that was like reading a basic write-by-numbers book. Little to no character development, plot mechanisms that you can see coming a mile off and a truly disturbing POV strand - which also popped up much too frequently - by the person who kidnapped a young girl whose case the PI and her assistant are working on. This composite of all the truly sick horrors of serial killers was completely extraneous and seemed calculated to get a rise out of the reader. The ending was rushed and all too obviously striving to tie up all the loose ends in a neat bow.

Another good one from TR Ragan. Dani doesn’t know what happened to her dsaughter 6 years ago. But it haunts her enought that she has redirected her life to finding the missing relatives of others. She is joined by another woman who has lost someone, Quinn. When Ali goes missing and a 12 year old boy comes to her saying he saw the abduction but no one will listen, Quinn becomes obsessed. This has all the markings of the beginning of a good series. I hope. The ending crammed a lot of stuff in there, but it was a great read before that.

A character driven story with non-stop action and excitement, T. R. Ragan delivers a stunning thrill ride. Twists and turns abound in this roller coaster ride to find the missing child and teenager. An excellent mystery novel.

Count to Three is a much darker thriller than I am used to. Several people go missing, including a kindergarten girl. I wondered if we’d find out what happened to all of them.

Many thanks to Thomas & Mercer and Netgalley for allowing me to read and review this.

3.5 stars

T. R. Ragan is an established author of thrillers and this latest entry features a new female protagonist, Sacramento native Dani Callahan. She is still grieving for her kindergarten-aged daughter Tinsley, who was kidnapped five years before and never found. Dani is now a private investigator with a special focus on finding missing persons, and works with her young assistant, Quinn Sullivan. When a local teen goes missing and a young boy claims to have seen the abduction, Dani and Quinn begin their sleuthing.
The strengths of this story are the lovely warm relationship between Dani and Quinn, and the cast of believable ancillary characters like 12 year-old Ethan and seasoned police detective Whitton. Dani especially is a sympathetic character with depth, as she struggles to move past her anger at the loss of her daughter and her subsequent divorce, and embrace her new occupation as a P.I.
As a long time resident of Sacramento, California, I particularly enjoyed the many references to familiar locales. The author’s descriptive writing is well executed, the story line moves forward nicely, and there is plenty of action. The plot twists along the way keep up the intrigue, and conclusion is satisfying, while not particularly surprising.
Fans of T. R. Ragan’s writing will not be disappointed in this thriller, and hopefully will see more of Dani Callahan in future novels.

This is a bit of a hard to write review. I loved this book but... It's well written and keeps you guessing and on edge, but... There is a lot going on. Almost like two stories in one but not quite...

When a mother's daughter is taken from her kindergarten class as school is letting out her worse nightmare comes true. Where is my daughter. Who could have just came in here and taken her. The bad part is the woman looked just like her. Dani Callahan is terrified to find her daughter is gone. Just taken right out of class. And her daughter went with her willingly. Not a stranger? Someone she knows?

Dani became a PI after losing her daughter five years previously. Her goal of course is to find her baby girl but also to help other children who have gone missing. Help find them. She knows the pain of losing a child. She doesn't want anyone to feel that and if she can help she will. She's very good at her job.

Quinn is helping Dani. She works for Dani and is a very smart young woman. Her own mother went missing a couple of years before Dani's daughter. She knows the pain of losing someone you love and she has such determination to find the little girl. In the mean time a teen goes missing and they are hired by a twelve year old who saw it happen. Saw the girl taken forcefully. The cops don't believe him so he goes to Dani and tells her what he saw.

This story keeps you turning the pages. The man who took Ali Cross is truly a very sick man. He's sadistic and evil. He thinks Ali and he are meant to be a couple. To have a life with children. Ali wants to go home. She wants to get away from this psycho. What she goes through will have you crying, yelling, cringing, all the bad feelings. She's a very determined young woman but now strong enough.

I was afraid this story was taking a very dark and unnecessary turn with what happened to Ali but it was a true edge of your seat scene going on. From all the evil that man could do she fought with all she had.

The whole time Dani, Quinn and Ethan never gave up. Actually it was more Quinn and Ethan that were so determined. But Dani did come through too. After she got over the attack she went through she fought with all she had to find Ali, Ethan and her own daughter. She had never given up hope that her little girl was alive somewhere. Even when her husband, Matthew, tried so hard to make her give it all up. Move on. They were divorced and he remarried with a baby on the way. I didn't like him. At all.

This book has very likable characters and also a couple that you will hate. The man who took Ali and Dani's husband are both awful. I didn't like either of them. Both with good reason. Jerks...

The ending of this book had me truly crying my eyes out. I won't say if it was sad tears or happy tears. Or possibly a combination. It was definitely an ending that will stick with me for a while. The very end also.

Thank you #NetGalley, #T.R.Ragan, #Thomas&Mercer for this ARC. This is my own true thoughts about this book.

5/5 stars. Even though the author really went out there in parts of this story it was good. It read like a real thriller should. I enjoyed all the dark and creepy parts. Gasped a few times. I do recommend this one.

First and foremost, a large thank you to NetGalley, T.R. Ragan, and Thomas & Mercer for providing me with a copy of this publication, which allows me to provide you with an unbiased review.

Seeking something with a little more chill to it, I turned to the latest publication by T.R. Ragan. In a story that tells of two kidnapped children over a span of time, the reader in thrust into the middle of the action, where the lead investigator has the memory of her own daughter’s disappearance to fuel her actions. With confusing leads that go nowhere and two storylines that leave the reader to wonder what’s really going on, Ragan spins a tale of deception and horror, while two girls remain missing, years apart. A gripping story that kept me turning pages and left me wanting more!

Dani Callahan had always wanted a child, but was faced with many roadblocks along the way. It was only through intense fertility treatment that she and her husband, Matthew, were blessed with little Tinsley. While Dani loved her daughter, she knew that there would come a time when she would have to let her earn some independence. On her first day of kindergarten, five-year-old Tinsley disappeared without a trace by the time Dani arrived to collect her. The teacher was sure Dani, or someone looking like her, had picked the little one up. Thus began the horror of Dani’s life.

Fast forward five years and Dani is now divorced and has earned her license as a private investigator. Tinsley is still nowhere to be found, but Dani will not give up hope. Working with a new assistant, Quinn, Dani takes on the case of a missing teenager who up and disappeared as well. While some are sure she ran away from home, Dani and Quinn have other ideas. A young boy says he saw Ali Cross being stuffed into the back of a van, though the details are somewhat vague.

While Dani and Quinn do all they can to find Ali, they are worried as the only evidence comes from this young boy, who is troubled in his own right. To offset the search, Dani thrusts herself back into the search for Tinsley, which reveals a few leads. Could this be the break in the case that Dani needs?

All the while, Ali Cross is being held in town by a man who has odd ideas of what will come of their cohabitation. He offers little things to Ali, but there is no doubt that she is his captive and, should he have his way, will be the love of his life. As Ali hopes to be found, Dani and Quinn take a dive deep into a sadistic man’s life, wondering what they will find. With Tinsley still missing, could the two cases intersect in some way? T.R. Ragan tells a wonderfully dark story that is sure to captivate many.

I believe I have read some of T.R. Ragan’s work in the past, though will have to look through my massive digital stack of reviews. The writing kept me wanting to learn more and plunge deeper into this mystery. The plot kept me wondering while also begging to be entertained, which occurred repeatedly throughout the process. I will have to find some time to read more of Ragan’s work, as it was just what I needed at this time of year.

Dani Callahan is a wonderfully complex protagonist. Her backstory is primarily fixated on the loss of her daughter, though there are moments when we see the struggles she had conceiving and the importance of this little one. In the present, Dani is forced to juggle her own feelings with those of trying to find a new missing girl and how that must weigh on the emotions of the family. There appear to be the seeds of a possible series here and I am happy to keep my eyes open to see what transpires.

There’s something about a thriller that pulls me in most of the time. I love the chills that run up my spine as I visualize what’s taking place before me. T.R. Ragan does that repeatedly and kept me eager to learn more. A strong narrative pushed the story forward and left me eager to follow along, particularly as the momentum increased. Strong characters and a complex plot kept me guessing throughout and I marvelled about how it all came together. While private investigator novels are quite common, Ragan adds her own flavouring and has me wanting to come back to see where Dani Callahan takes readers in the near future. The only downside was the end, which did not leave as many threads hanging as I might have liked to pave the way for another sure-fire novel.

Kudos, Madam Ragan, for a great piece of entertainment. I can see why you have achieved such popularity over the years!

I've just finished reading this book and how I wish I could just immediately transfer what I'm feeling onto this blank space! There's so much to say, I believe I need a good solid while to gather my thoughts and say what I really want to say. This much I know is true, though. This book is amazing. Good story. Very well written, I absolutely love the author's writing style. She has a way with words that really makes you feel deeply for the character. Speaking of characters, they're all very likable. I especially like her fondness for strong, feisty women. T.R. Ragan is without a doubt one of my new favorite authors!

Many thanks to NetGalley, Thomas and Mercer for this ARC!
This review is made of my own accord, with no monetary compensation whatsoever from the names mentioned above and/or the rightful owners of this ARC.

This book was great! I highly recommend it. It was a non stop page turner! For sure will read more by this author!

I am sorry to say this is a book I recommend you skip. I actually really enjoyed the gripping opening of the book which starts out with the backstory of Dani’s daughter’s kidnapping. That was written in an emotionally compelling way that unfortunately the rest of the book lacks. Then there is a sudden time skip and we meet Dani as a private investigator still looking in vain for her daughter. She has a sidekick assistant, Quinn, whose own mother vanished leaving the two with a bond. Quinn comes across as young and again there’s no emotional attachment with her character. She mostly drives some of the plot in regards to the missing girl Ali Cross. Had the POV only alternated between them this would have just been a disappointing novel but unfortunately the author chose to also add in the person who took Ali. His POV chapters are far too frequent and just unnecessarily disturbing. The author almost took pains to avoid the obvious results of his actions with regard to Ali but then counterbalanced that by going way too far in spelling out his past. It’s truly sick and depraved and not at all what I expect in a missing persons novel. On top of that the writing is basic and the ending far too rushed. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.