Secrets abound in this investigative mystery. Good storyline keeps things moving and throws red herrings along the path. Some typical nuances, but a good weekend read.

Thanks Netgalley for allowing me to read this book. Sheriff Jax lost his daughter and his wife divorced him when a teenage girl is abduction. He is trying to figure out who could have taking her. He will need all of his energy to fig6out this mystery and save the teenagers life. Thus was a good book.

Hidden Pieces was a struggle for me. Did so many characters have to have psychological problems? Did the telling of the story have to have so many red herrings? Was there a character we were supposed to like and root for?
I did finish the novel but felt disappointed at what I saw as the ludicrous turn of events.
Thanks NetGalley for the ARC.

I’d probably give this 4.5 stars. Overall, the book is pretty solid and a nice departure from most YA thrillers where the “bad guy” is obvious 10 pages in. Classic tropes of people holding back truths from the cops, small towns hiding big secrets, and the repercussions of traumatic events in life all worked without being too heavy handed, but no character seemed so bogged down with every element that it became unbelievable. Characters are relatable and play off each other well. I liked following Jax’s relationships with various townspeople and gleaning more about his history that way than just getting one big drop of information. Pacing was on point with an investigation. Some parts flew, some segments slowed, but the story never stalled. I knew the killer fairly early, but there were still a few small moments where I doubted myself throughout the end.

Overt clues dropped along the way that pricked my senses immediately turned out to be essential to the plot/conclusion did seem a bit overdone. Also, parts of the ending were a bit convoluted and I had to reread to make sure my first understanding was correct.

As a note, at the beginning—the names were quite similar (Emily + Elena, Allison + Abby, Jax + Jameson), and I had to keep pausing to reorient myself to whom that character was.

I would need to warn my students about language, drug use, and sexual abuse.

A 14 year old didn't get on the school bus this morning. She had a fight with her Mom last night. Is she just taking the day off? Has she run away? Or did somebody take her?
That's where we meet Sheriff Turner, small PNW coastal town.
Turns out somebody took her, and the Sheriff has a connection!
Whodunnit?
I was completely entertained the whole book. I know, it's HIM! Oh wait, no, it's HIM! Oh, maybe it's HER!! No, it's HIM, definitely! Too much fun!
I loved all of the characters! All of the stories. I couldn't wait to get it all figured out!
Thank you for allowing me to read an advanced copy. I look forward to the next Sheriff Turned adventure!

Jax Turner is the sheriff in the town of Misty Pines. He has lost his wife, his daughter, and his job could be next. What does he have left to live for? As Jax thinks of ending his life, he gets a call over his radio that a young girl, Allison, has gone missing. As he starts to unravel the clues as to how Allison went missing, he begins to find meaning in his life again.
There are so many twists and turns in the book that I absolutely LOVED. I can’t remember the last time that I read a book that kept me this interested. I literally could not put it down. I typically have a hard time with thrillers/mysteries because their ending is very obvious. No this book! Kept me guessing up until the epilogue. Literally. I will be reading any and all misty pines books that come out in the future.
Thank you NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this and giving me my very first ARC. I could not have asked for a better book!

I had the honour of reading this ARC thanks to NetGalley! I could hardly put it down. Sheriff Jax Turner has been struggling with his own demons since his daughter passed from cancer and he and his wife divorced. Its pretty safe to say that Sheriff Turner has checked out, personally and professionally. He is ready end it all when a call comes through- 14 year old Allison is missing. As the investigation starts it is learned that Allison and her mom have been fighting and she wants to go live with her dad- but this is not something he could take on. The investigation starts off as a possible runaway teen, but that quickly changes when Allisons backpack is found in the car of a registered sex offender. That is where the evidence trail begins. As more evidence comes up Jax cant help but to think of a case he had years ago- the abduction of two young girls fleeing their abusive foster family. One of the girls was saved, but the other was murdered. They never caught who did it. With Jax doing some digging he realizes the girl that lived, Elena was Allisons stepmother for some time. Jax is worried it is the same person all these year later, playing sick games with peoples lives and with the police. With many dead ends, twists and turns you never know who you can suspect, or who’s behind it all. As the clock ticks and time starts to run out Sheriff Jax gives it his all to try and bring Allison home and not have another failure on his plate. I loved this suspenseful read and look forward to other Misty Pines Mysteries!

This book is amazing. I got sucked into it from the beginning. I felt as thoigh as I was there amongst the characters. I felt more connected to this book because I'm from Oregon. I will definitely read more books by this author. I had no clue who the culprit was until the very end. I give this book 5 stars.

Hidden Pieces by Mary Keliikoa is a contemporary psychological thriller which had me hooked from the prologue itself. The novel’s psychological approach was unique. It is masterfully designed, expertly delivered, and written with the prowess that matches that of the most recognised thriller writers. The story is exhilarating, with a lot of twists . Three-dimensional characters with emotional depth which is rare to see in more modern books.

Hidden Pieces is a suspense novel that unravels secrets in a small coastal town when 14 year old Allison goes missing. Sheriff Jax Turner, a man battling his own demons, decides to fight one more battle for the town that haunts him.
My biggest suggestion for the readers of this book; don’t give up. The writing style of the author started out very dry and repetitive. The story itself does become more fluid. Overall the book was okay. While I cannot say it blew my mind I will say that in the end I am glad that I finished it
#NetGalley #smalltowncrime #HIddenPieces

Mary Krliikoa's Hidden Pieces is a dark, immersive and reflective read. Sheriff Jax Turner is tired of bearing the insurmountable grief and loss of his daughter, the failure of his marriage and going through the motions. His deliberation on whether or not he should voluntarily shorten his lifeline is momentarily postponed when a 14-year-old girl is missing. From page one, the reader is made aware of this chilling plot's high stakes and urgency. Mary's writing style grew on me and is simply brilliant, for she has developed well-rounded characters. The small twists inserted are enough for readers to question everyone and almost everything that is happening, which keeps one on their toes in terms of plot progression. There are so many distinct elements from the depiction of mental illness, grief, police procedural and emotional range that tick the checklist of a well-executed psychological thriller. I highly recommend this book to those who love thrillers, suspense and psychological thrillers. A 5-star read all the way!

Thank you to NetGalley and the Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA) for giving me an ARC. This honest review is left voluntarily.

Sheriff Jax Turner is thinking of ending his life, his daughter has died, his wife has left him and he’s stuck on the case from twenty five years ago that he couldn’t solve which left one girl dead and the other traumatized. Then a call comes in, a local teen is missing. Jax vows to solve this case and bring this young girl home. I really enjoyed this fast paced, first book in the Misty Pines mystery series. I look forward to reading the next book in this series. Thank you to Lisa/Swell Media and Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Firstly I want to thank Lisa with Swell Media for inviting me to read Hidden Pieces. Also thanks to Netgalley for the free arc in exchange for my honest review and opinions.

This was the book I needed to get out of my reading slump. I've got a stack of romance books I've picked up and put down numerous times unable to focus. Then Lisa came along with this mystery and it's just what I needed.

Allison doesn't get on the bus in the morning, she's suspected a runaway. Sheriff Jax Turner is on the case. It's the case that brings him back to reality and the present time. An old kidnapping/murder case he never solved is torn wide open. Jax doesn't rest until he solves this case.

I was hooked in from the very beginning of this book. It is well written, and paced perfectly to keep you reading. I guessed the kidnapper quickly- but definitely didn't see the twist ending coming that proved I was right but wrong all at the same time.

As soon as I get through my current tbr stack I'll definitely be reading Mary's other mystery series. Can't wait for the second of the Misty Pines mysteries.

Jax is the sheriff in a small town called Misty Pines. Suffering the loss of his daughter to cancer and then a split with his wife when he couldn’t get past his grief, he seriously contemplates ending his life. Suddenly, a young girl disappears, reminding Jax of a case he failed to solve years ago, and he believes that finding the young woman will be his chance at redemption and closure. This was a well written thriller about loss, grief and ultimately forgiveness. There was a big twist or two at the end of the novel that I did not at all see coming! I gave this book 3.5 rounded up to 4 stars.










https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4867318665

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my copy of this book.

Sheriff Jax Turner has had a tough a tough time. He lost his daughter to childhood cancer and in turn lost his wife due to them both grieving. He’s written letters and is ready to end his life. Then he gets the call that a fourteen year old girl, Allison, has gone missing. With his deputy on a fishing trip and nobody else available he has no choice but to investigate. Jax is soon struck by the similarity to a case from his past. The killer that got away.

I enjoyed this more than I thought I would. It was fast paced, there were lots of red herrings and a massive sting in the tail. I would recommend!

Really enjoyable with an unpredictable ending and a well paced plot. Would recommend to others. Expect some violence

Hidden Pieces was, in many ways, an unconventional mystery. Two sisters are kidnapped as children. Only one survives and she is understandably traumatized. Some years afterward, the stepdaughter of the surviving girl is kidnapped. Crime scene clues suggest that the same perpetrator is responsible.

Each main character has been wounded in some way, This influences how they respond to the stresses of trying to recover the missing girl. Unlike some mysteries, we never know if the kidnaped girl is alive or dead. This adds to the tension and pace of the story.

I enjoyed this book and finished it in a few days. I look forward to reading another book by Mary Keliikoa.

A call saying that a fourteen year old girl has disappeared interrupts Sheriff Jax Turner’s attempted suicide. Duty wins over his despair, and he heads off to find out what’s afoot, hoping it will be a small matter that won’t delay his appointment with a bullet and annoyed that his Deputy isn’t available to take the case. His other officers are all young, inexperienced rookies, short of the training that he should have been giving them. Once a skilled and dedicated detective, his life had been shattered by the tragic death of his young daughter and the subsequent collapse of his marriage. It’s a small town so he knows everybody, and certainly knows Allison, the missing girl. Perhaps finding her, alive, will be his redemption. She has clearly been abducted (we know that before he does) and he quickly turns up some possible witnesses, evidence, and suspects. However, the case suddenly becomes much more personal when he discovers that Allison’s step-mother, Elena, was one of two girls abducted twenty years ago – she had escaped but her sister had died – and that there are similarities. The perpetrator in that case had never been found, and it rankled as one of his few failures. Is there a connection between the cases? Has the original killer returned or is there a copycat at work? Is Elena’s mysterious, missing brother connected in some way?
This is a linear Police Procedural, i.e. it follows the case along standard lines as seen by the police. The story of Elena and her brother are interspersed, sometimes in flashback, but she always seems to fill in Jax once the connection is made. Even when the Deputy returns from holiday, the story is still Jax getting more frustrated, more committed to saving the girl and thereby justifying his survival. The identity of the original killer didn’t surprise me, but there is a major twist which I didn’t see coming and so would normally applaud. However, solutions and twists should follow the rules, the reader should be able to solve the mystery given the same clues as the investigator. In this case I don’t think there are any clues so it is not surprising the investigator doesn’t see it coming. The reader does have more information, but it feels like we are deliberately misled (not just misdirected) – although I could be wrong and most readers probably won’t mind anyway.
I would like to thank NetGalley, the publishers and the author for providing me with a draft proof copy for the purpose of this review.

This is an excellent book with plenty of suspense and twists! The sheriff, a troubled soul, is a well developed, likable character. There are plots within plots that meld together. You will be kept guessing, and find it hard to put down. All of your emotions will be felt, and you will enjoy the ride!

Wow, I couldn't put this down once I started reading! Sheriff Jax Turner has barely been going through the motions since his daughter's death when a young girl goes missing from her bus stop. The connections to an unsolved case from his past might allow him to finally put some demons to bed. This has the making of another captivating series from Mary Keliikoa.