Unfortunately this was a DNF for me. For some reason the over-explanatory writing got too much and was distracting to what was happening in the story. The plot sounded amazing but I will have to come back to this book at another time.

This is one of those stories which draws you in from the beginning and keeps you so curious you cannot put the book down at reasonable points in time. Dani Callahan has been a private investigator for many years. Motivated by the kidnapping of her daughter five years previously, she wants to help others facing similar circumstances. Quinn Sullivan is her younger assistant who is also seeking answers about what happened to her mother so many years ago. So many questions are unanswered in their lives and with their family members. When a teenager goes missing, a witness seeks their help in solving the mystery and finding Ali Cross.

The characters are well developed and the story keeps you guessing throughout. There are twists and turns as they rush to find Ali while still wanting resolution to their own mysteries.

I really enjoyed this book. New author for me but looking forward to reading more by her. It just keep getting better the further i read. The last couple chapters especially, just loved how it wrapped up at the end.

Thank you the author. Count to three is a cosy read . The mystery and the thrill are on a low and the antagonist been who he is hasn’t been really justified. Swift, light read for a cosy evening.

I received an arc copy of the book from #NetGalley


I've read other books by this author in the past and enjoyed them, but I just couldn't get into this one at all. The storline and plot just didn't grab my attention, and the characters were kind of boring.

Count To Three – TJ Ragan

Dani Callahan is a local Private Investigator who is haunted by her own unsolved case – the disappearance of her young daughter, Tinsley, who was abducted from her school five years ago. Although the police were never able to identify any leads in Tinsley’s disappearance, Dani has never stopped looking for her daughter. Her assistant, Quinn Sullivan, a young woman who’s devoted to Dani after suffering her own losses, has also spent the last few years helping Dani with her search, as well as her own. Quinn’s mother similarly disappeared several years ago, never to be seen or heard from again. As part of their search for answers, they’ve tracked every missing person in their area – including a new presumed runaway, named Ali Cross.

A young boy soon shows up at Dani’s office asking for help. He relates that while riding his bike one afternoon, he saw a man force a young girl into a van, and that she appeared terrified when she met his eyes. When the police could find no evidence of the abduction, he turned to Dani & Quinn for help. In discussing this development with her contact in the PD, Dani learns that Ethan has a tendency to lie and steal, and that no evidence was found to support his statement. But Dani & Quinn believe him and continue to investigate on their own.

The reader also is given glimpses into Ali’s ordeal, which provides a strong sense of urgency as you delve deeper into the story. A chance attack at Dani’s office, also serves to convince Dani & Quinn that they are on the right track. As Dani cleans up the mess that the intruder made of things, she finds some pictures from the past, that prompt some new questions.

Meanwhile Ali’s attacker, now aware that he was seen, sets out to do damage control and eliminate the 12-year-old witness, as he prepares Ali for his mother’s visit, and assures Ali he will never let her go…
This was a thrilling, suspenseful read, as I’ve come to expect from Theresa Ragan! I was sucked in from the first page and couldn’t put it down. I love these empowered new female characters, and although I saw nothing to indicate this may be a new series start, I would surely love to see more of Dani & Quinn!

I received this book as an Advance Reader Copy from #Netgalley & Thomas & Mercer, in exchange for an objective review.

This book was absolutely superb. Dani is a Private Investigator. Her daughters was kidnapped and she will never give up looking. This story combines three stories. The bad guys she writes about are always loony toons crazy and the woman are strong and independent take no bull. I don’t know if this is a new series or just a stand alone but I loved this from start to finish. It grabs you and won’t let go. The characters are very likable and we really care about what happens to them. Grab this book and start enjoying it now.

Um, I'm sorry, but what just happened?!? (I mean that in the best way).

I had Count to Three on my 'shelf' for a bit, but I'm so glad I decided to dive into it. I read this book in one sitting, because I just couldn't put it down! We follow Dani, whose daughter Tinsley went missing 5 years earlier, inspiring Dani to become a private detective. Dani works with Quinn, a young, aspiring PD who has baggage of her own due to her mother's disappearance. Dani and Quinn are tasked with finding recently missing teen Ali Ross, who at first is thought to be a runaway, but a witness comes to the PDs to convince them otherwise.

As I said, I did read this in one sitting, which is a testament to the writing and T.R. Ragan's knack for creating intrigue. I really enjoyed the multiple POVs, because it allowed me to get to know the characters better and, in turn, care about them more. I especially enjoyed the dynamic between Ethan and Quinn; Quinn earns his trust through being honest and respectful to him. I also loved how truly messed up some of the content of this was, namely the relationship between Carlin, Ali's abductor, and his mother.

The reason this misses out on a 5-star for me is that I pretty much could guess how several of the plot points were going to pan out within the first quarter of the book or so. While the story was intriguing, that intrigue never quite made it over to true suspense. I didn't fear for many of the characters, and it all ended exactly how I predicted. That being said, Count to Three is a great book; I loved it and am so glad I had a chance to read it!

Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for the chance to read this title!

The day your only child starts kindergarten is a significant milestone and begins their journey towards independence. For Dani Callahan her daughter Tinsley's first day was also the last time she saw her child and now, five years later, she is still searching for her.

Time and the tragic situation has changed Dani's life beyond recognition, now divorced from Tinsley's father and a recently qualified private investigator she and assistant Quinn Sullivan work to help other families find their missing loved ones. When student Ali Cross disappeared from a quiet Sacramento street no viable clues were left behind and three weeks later her family remain in limbo. So when a potential witness visits their office with information Dani and Quinn begin their own investigation hoping they will be in time to prevent a senseless tragedy.

There is no doubt T R Raglan is a first class writer of some excellent series but unfortunately this standalone isn't as enjoyable as her previous work. There are some good parts, and I really liked, Dani and Quinn who worked well together with the emotional links between them realistic and well executed. However, both the person responsible for Ali's abduction and Dani's ex-husband offered nothing new for books of this genre and were disappointing as was the epilogue which seemed unnecessary and, once again, in no way original.  I did like Ali Cross's  family who gave the story an extra insight into the effects of abductions on the loved ones left behind to wait.

I was able to read an advanced copy of this book thanks to NetGalley and the publishers but the opinions expressed are my own. This is not one of the author's best works in my opinion but it is an easy and quick read if that's what you're after.

This was a fun read! Full of suspense and an absolute rollercoaster of a story, I will definitely recommend this to my thriller junkies!

A book about missing children, about the mother (Dani Callahan) who decided to become a private investigator after her daughter went missing.

A rollercoaster ride is how this book pans out. Searching for other peoples children while still trying to find your own. There are many twists and turns, there is the mystery and the thrills and there are great characters like Quinn who is helping with the investigations.

This book will keep you on your toes and keep you turning the pages. it gets you hooked and draws you in and keeps you reading until the final pages.

An excellent read which I thoroughly enjoyed in one sitting. There was a lot going on with several twists which were wrapped up at the end, a bit too conveniently. However, fans of psychological thrillers will love this book and I would highly recommend it.

This was my first book by T. R. Ragan and I will definitely be on the lookout for her other books so thanks to Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley for this advance copy!

Another gripping thriller from T. R. Ragan, who never disappoints. This book tells the story of Dani Callahan, whose daughter Tinsley was kidnapped from kindergarten on her very first day. Five years later Dani, now divorced, is a P. I. helping to find other missing children while still searching for her own. With her assistant Quinn they are working on a case to find missing teenager Ali Cross, who the police seem to think is a runaway. When a witness to her abduction, Ethan, comes to their office they realise the police have it wrong. This fast paced novel will keep you hooked while the three on them untangle the web of deceit and lies. I thoroughly enjoyed reading Count to Three and would definitely recommend.

Count to Three is my first read of US author TR Ragan. It’s a fast-paced private detective mystery-cum-psychological thriller centred around PI Dani Callahan whose five-year-old daughter Tinsley disappeared five years ago. Dani and her promising assistant Quinn (who is also tainted by family heartache) are on the trail of another missing girl, a teenager named Ali. They get help from a dedicated-but-soon-to-retire police detective, and a teenage eyewitness named Ethan (a preteen from the wrong side of the tracks, which puts what he has to say in question, but luckily Dani and Quinn see his heart is in the right place). As the two PIs close in on the abductor, new information about Tinsley’s disappearance comes to light. The danger mounts as the main story and subplots twist and turn. Time is running out for Ali…and danger is mounting for others. This story is told in multiple points of view, some of which are narrated by the abductor himself, giving access to his backstory, how he came to be the twisted human he is now, and his motives for Ali’s abduction (a little like a take-off of Psycho perhaps?). Count to Three is a quick, easy read with some gruesome bits, and its standout feature for me was the characters of Dani and Quinn – who could easily become series characters. Recommended read for those who enjoy a combination of private detective and psychological thriller.
Advance review copy received with thanks from the publisher and NetGalley. Count to Three releases 14 December 2021.

A parent's worst nightmare: their child is missing from her school, picked up by someone who looks just like them.

That's how Count to Three begins: Tinsley Callahan is collected from kindergarten by a woman who looks just like Dani Callahan, her mother. Dani is devastated, as one might expect. While her husband insists they give up and move on, Dani refuses. Five years later, the husband is an ex, Dani is a private investigator, and she still keeps the case file on Tinsley open, even while she works on other cases.

She doesn't do this alone: the original detective on the case is now a friend, and they chat every so often, about Tinsley, or when Dani's trying to find out something for a client. She also has an assistant named Quinn, who wants to be a PI because he mother vanished some years ago, and she carries that around with her.

In the current timeframe, Ali Cross is kidnapped in broad daylight, dosed with some kind of drug, and tossed into a van. The only witness is 12 year old Ethan, a local "bad kid" who lives with his mom in a rundown trailer. Ethan has an unfortunate habit of lying, getting in trouble, and generally being someone who others ignore.

Ethan hires them to look into Ali's disappearance, something the local cops have written off as a runaway, since she has run off before (not not really).

Dani and Quinn go to work, finding out everything they can about Ali - social media! - and eventually team up with Ali's mom to work out strategy, make flyers, and figure out if someone had access to the house (contractors, and so on).

Eventually, they track down Ali's boyfriend, getting a few minutes to talk to him before something really unfortunate happens.

To keep the place afloat, Dani is also working a case for a woman who insists that someone is coming into her house and rearranging her furniture. This is the comedy relief in what is a very dark book. If you have issues reading about molestation, child sexual abuse, or physical torture, you might want to skip this one.

As Dani and Quinn get closer to finding the perp, the perp is busy throwing obstacles in their way, and threatening Ali's family if she doesn't behave herself in her captivity.

Dani's ex shows up, telling her again to move on, and she tells him off in a way that really gave me a smile. That smile got bigger when she just kicked him out.

The end rushes at us, as it often does in thrillers, and everything's tied up with a bow on top.

My only real issue with this book is this: Dani and Quinn are running around, poking into this, and they KNOW that the perp is both out in the wild and dangerous, given that he's killing more people. But they take NO precautions with 12 year old Ethan, even to the point of Quinn leaving him alone on a corner after they've been hanging flyers. There's no sense in this except to make it another plot point, which it does. It just made me angry.

Other than that, it's a good read. I'd have given it five stars except for the Ethan thing. Four stars instead.

Thanks to Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley for the reading copy.

I love the suspense T.R. Ragan delivers.

This story will keep you up at night on the edge of your seat. A must devour book that delivers on everything you require in a novel.

I can’t wait for Ms Ragan to write another story!

With a fluid narrative, T.R Ragan, it keeps you in constant tension with well-characterized characters and a plot that keeps you hooked to the end. Perfect for lovers of a good thriller.

Thank you NetGalley for an advanced copy of Count to three. I really enjoyed this thriller. I was rooting for Dani and Quinn to find Ali and also find Dani’s missing daughter Tinsley. I loved Ethan and felt like he was a realistic character (preteen living with a single mom) living with realistic problems. Where I dropped it from 5 stars to 3, was in the final few chapters. EVERY mystery in the novel (and there were a few small ones on top of the major kidnappings) were resolved in a few short pages. It just went from realistic, to “oh come on now”. So for me, a solid 3 stars. Quick read, fast paced, just left me disappointed in the ‘everything comes together ending’.

T.R. Ragan is one of my favorite authors. Her latest book Count To Three is a great read. I’ve read many of her series, but this book wraps the mysteries up from start to finish, so you don’t have to wait for book #2. If you are looking for a standalone mystery with all the twists and turns of Ragan’s series, this book is for you!

A one-sitting book.
Dani & Quinn are absolutely awesome. Their individual stories, and the past trauma in their lives make them do what they do, and do it as best as they can.
A story that is as deranged as it can be, yet entirely plausible.
Eerily delightful to read.