A preface to my review — This series continues to go from strength to strength! Lots of series run out of steam well before reading book number 18, but Ms Regan keeps hitting it out of the park. While it can be read, and enjoyed as a stand alone mystery I recommend reading from the start (you won’t be sorry). However, I highly recommend at least starting with the book previous to this to full understand what Josie and her team are feeling when this story opens.
This is another gripping mystery, stories involving kids always seem to have an extra gravitas in their urgency and this one is no exception.


"Unyielding Pursuit," the eighteenth installment in the Josie Quinn series, delivers an exhilarating and heart-pounding experience that showcases the author's mastery of suspense and storytelling. From the very beginning, the book grabs hold of your attention with its gut-wrenching opening scene and refuses to let go until the last page.
Quinn's character continues to shine as a fierce and determined investigator. In this installment, she is faced with a case that tugs at the heartstrings—the disappearance of two young sisters. The author skillfully weaves together multiple layers of tension, from the frantic parents' pleas to Josie's unwavering commitment to finding the truth. The emotional depth of Josie's character adds a compelling human element to the fast-paced narrative.
The concept of "The Woodsman" legend adds a chilling layer of mystery to the story, and the way the local teenagers' daredevil antics feed into the hysteria surrounding it adds a contemporary and relevant touch. The author masterfully creates a sense of foreboding and unease as Josie races against time to save potential victims from the clutches of a possible serial killer.
The pacing of the book is near perfect, with each chapter ending on a note that compels you to read just one more. The plot is intricately woven, leading readers down unexpected paths and keeping them guessing until the very end. The revelations and twists are genuinely surprising, providing a satisfying payoff for those who love a good mystery.
The secondary characters, from Josie's team to the teenagers involved, are well-developed and contribute to the overall richness of the story. Josie's determination and resourcefulness are showcased through her interactions with these characters, making her a truly captivating lead.
"Unyielding Pursuit" expertly balances emotional depth with heart-pounding suspense, making it a must-read for fans of the series and newcomers alike. The author's ability to craft a gripping narrative, coupled with the intricate plotting and relatable characters, cements this book as a standout entry in the Josie Quinn series. It's a testament to the author's skill that the eighteenth book in a series can still deliver a fresh and exhilarating experience that keeps readers coming back for more. Plus there is a bit of time spent with Harrison which is always a heartwarming time 😃
Thanks to Ms Regan, the publisher and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review

Detective Josie Quinn, book 18 - love love love this series and at book #18 this series is still going strong. Josie and team are called to the scene of a missing set of sisters. Is the mysterious fable of the Woodsman real and will one sister survive and one die? While I thought I had figured this one out, there were a few things I didn’t completely see coming. Another great instalment and can’t wait to see where this series goes next!!

***CRACK*** This is the sound of Lisa Regan hitting it out of the ballpark once again!

My Child is Missing is a gripping, well thought out page turner that I did not want to put down! As with the other books in the series, Lisa does such a fantastic job of providing enough back story that this can be read as a stand-alone. But it is such a riveting, shocking, gripping and well written series, that why not go back and read them all!

Sixteen-year-old Kayleigh and her little sister Savannah went for a walk in the woods behind their home. Kayleigh wanted to prove to Savannah that the legend of the Woodsman was not real. After a frantic phone call from their frightened mother, Josie Quinn shows up to begin the search. When Savannah is found alive, she tells Josie “The Woodsman has taken my sister”.

Wowza! Regan pulled no punches with this book. I was on the edge of my seat, turning the pages, doing my own super sleuthing along with the Denton PD trying to find Kayleigh. This book grabbed my attention from the very first page and did not let go. I enjoyed the nice balance of Josie investigating and getting glimpses into her personal life. I was also happy to see the rest of the team doing what they do best while still grappling with loss. This just adds to the realistic feel of the book.

I always enjoy tension and dread in mystery books and this one did not disappoint. This book kept me on my toes and turning the pages. There were a nice amount of twist and turns throughout the book. I had my theories as to whodunit and was right on my thing but was still shocked at another reveal.

I'm still loving this series after 18 books and have my fingers crossed that there will be many more in the future.

Well written, gripping, tense and shocking!

How did we get to book 18 in this excellent series featuring Detective Josie Quinn? Although part of a series, this is an easy stand alone read. I really like the setting and the characterisation, it's fast paced with a few unexpected twists and an ending I never anticipated. Another excellent read by the author and one I would recommend. Thanks to Net Galley for my ARC.

When I picked up my first Lisa Regan book (the first in the Josie series) I then read all 17 books in a row over about a month. What a treat it was to find such a great series with so many books to inhale.

Somehow, the books just keep getting better and better. All the books in the series have been 5 star reads for me - and this one was no different. I simply couldn't put it down.

The story was unique and I honestly had no idea where it was going but I loved the ride. I also enjoyed the spooky elements surrounding "the Woodsman."

The relationships between the characters are something really special. I adore the evolution of Josie and Misty's friendship and despite their history, Noah is one of Luke's biggest advocates. Also any time Blue is on the scene he steals the show - more please.

I do have to wonder - are we ever going to get to hear Dan Lamay's story? Because I've been waiting.

The series recently lost a great character and I really loved how they weren't just forgotten and how grief was explored throughout the book.

Do yourself a favour and add it to your ever growing TBR list!

Thank you to Netgalley for an advanced copy of this book.

“My Child Is Missing” is the 18th book in the Josie Quinn series by Lisa Regan, and they just keep getting better & better. The story grabs you right from the prologue, making it impossible to stop reading.

It's always a treat when Luke and Blue show up in the story, and the mix of Misty, Harris, Josie, and Noah creates a unique and interesting family dynamic. While the plot itself is gripping, these extra elements make the book even more lovable.

No hesitation here – a full five stars without a doubt. Big thanks to Net Galley for letting me read this book ahead of time!

Another brilliant read from Lisa. This sees Josie dealing with the trauma after the death of her work colleague. She is back dealing with missing children in Denton which also triggers some very bad memories for her. A real mystery to solve and we get to see more of the characters we love so well not forgetting Blue.

Such a great installment to this police detective series. I love Josie and all her cohorts. It’s such a great cast of characters and the cases are always well thought out and interesting. Can’t wait for many more additions to the series!

***The blurb again gives away too much so if possible “DON’T READ THE BLURB” !! Just a warning there.

I love to see characters grow and learn from each other and this author does this so well. The plot was intricate and believable while the twist was very well done. I didn’t see it coming at all!!

From the blurb you know that girls are going missing in Denton and Detective Josie Quinn and her team get involved in the hunt after a girl is found murdered.

I enjoy watching how well this team works together and rely on each other - though they are missing one of their own! There is just enough of their personal relationships to make the characters feel genuine.

This is so much more than a police procedural because it involves the dynamics of the victim’s family. Very strict parents often = rebelling children and that is certainly the case here.

Denton is a small town and there has been a renewed interest in an old saying about a Woodsman in the woods who takes children “two go in and one comes out”. When several girls go missing under similar circumstances - it appears that someone is bringing the tale to life

I don’t want to give away more of the plot. This can be read as a standalone but will be enjoyed more if you know the characters and their relationships.

I received an ARC of this novel from the publisher through NetGalley. It was my pleasure to read and review this title.

This was a Traveling Sisters read! What a great buddy read this was!

ADDENDUM: I almost took off ½* because I’m tired of the covers of these books!! At least the
last four have had a “shack” on the covers. These books deserve better than that – that’s my little rant, sorry!

Detective Josie Quinn is still dealing with the death of another detective, along with the other traumas she has endured. She is grateful for her husband and team member, Noah, and for the family members she still has who keep her grounded and help her do her job every day. She and Noah are trying to have a child, they get called in for a case where two sisters have disappeared while their parents were at the grocery story. The two girls went into the woods on that surround the town but have not returned home. When the younger sister is found and tells a story of her older sister being. taken by a mysterious person, Josie and the team begin the difficult work of finding the missing teenager. The case is continually bumping up against an urban legend about "The Woodsman" who waits in the woods looking for victims, which has inspired teenagers to take a dare to prove the ridiculousness of the the whole story. However, as more abductions and bodies are uncovered, the legend seems all too real. It's a suspenseful story with a surprise ending. I love Josie and can't wait to see what comes next for her.

Lisa Regan knocked it out of the park with this book. Josie Quinn gets more back to her roots by solving murders and missing children in Denton. It also touches on how life is managing on without a valuable team member. Out of the last five books, this one is my favorite. It is nice to see how all of the characters are evolving.

Book Title: My Child is Missing
Author: Lisa Regan
Series: Detective Josie Quinn Book #18
Publisher: Bookouture
Genre: Mystery Thriller
Pub Date: September 8, 2023
My Rating: 4.6 rounded up 5 Stars
Pages: 285

Note to readers who are new to series: Although this is #18, don’t let that keep you from reading this. Author, Lisa Regan does a great job of providing past information in a way that doesn’t bore us long time readers but provides a reminder as to why Josie is committed to solving this crime.

Legend of the Woodsman.
Children always love to tell scary stories and one story they all like to talk about is the creature in the forest who is seven feet tall and as big as a tree. He is always ready to take children.
This is a mythical story ~ right? The Woodman is not real.
However, there is someone who says they are wrong and it is the Woodsman.

Josie is an investigator for the Denton City Police Department. Denton is a small city tucked in the mountains of central Pennsylvania. While attending a neighborhood baseball game, Josie and her partner Noah get a call from Bob Chitwood the Chief of Denton’s PD that Detective Gretchen Palmer just got a call that two kids are reported missing.

It appears while mom and dad were grocery shopping, sixteen-year-old Kayleigh Patchet
took her and her eight year old little sister Savannah for a walk in the woods. Rumors about the legend of “The Woodsman” have been going around the playground. Savanna is scared to go into the woods, Kayleigh wanted to prove to her little sister than they were only stories trying to scare little children.
However they never came home.
Their frantic mother calls the Denton Police Department. After a search of the woods -
Savannah is found alive, she is terrified, and tells Josie ~
“The Woodsman has taken my sister”.

And so it begins!

Wow! Lisa Regan does not disappoint. I read a lot of thrillers and she manages to always fool me!
In fact, my mouth flew open when I realized whodunit! Another great thriller!

. Another awesome addition to an author, Lisa Regan story is at the end of the book. “A Letter from Lisa" is always great as well as the ‘Acknowledgements’. There is no doubt that she does a lot of research which makes her stories sooo real!

I boarded the Lisa Regan/Josie Quinn train late with book # 10 so this is only my eighth Josie but I call myself a big fan of both author, Lisa Regan as well as Josie!
BTW: Always has THE best book covers!

Want to thank NetGalley and Bookouture for this early eGalley.
Publishing Release Date scheduled for September 8, 2023.

Every place has its legends…stories that are told over and over of some person/creature out to kidnap or harm people. In Denton, PA, the legend is of The Woodsman. Children disappear into the woods and never see their mothers again, taken by The Woodsman. Legend becomes reality when two sisters head into the woods and only one is found. It is up to Detective Josie Quinn and her team to solve the case. Still missing an integral part of the team, Mettner, who was killed in the last book of this series, Josie, Noah, Gretchen, and even the Chief exhaust themselves investigating.

This is number eighteen in the Josie Quinn series. It is one of my top must read series. This is yet another exciting, page turning read; I read it in one day because I did not want to put it down. Regan always grabs my attention and won’t let go. What I like best about these thrillers is that they are quite accurate and believable. I enjoy Josie. Despite all the travails she has met with in her life, she remains a strong, intelligent, though vulnerable, character. I also like all the repeating characters who surround her both in her personal and professional life.

This can work as a stand alone, but do yourself a favor and read at least some of the prior ones. There is a lot of history to Josie and the other players. Regan does a good job of trying to fill in the background stories, but it would be more satisfying to actually read those past histories.

If you like well written police procedurals/thrillers, and are not familiar with Lisa Regan’s writing, I highly recommend this series.I cannot wait for the next one.

I am a huge fan of Detective Josie Quinn and her team. This series is so easy to fall in love with. Book 18 will not disappoint, whether you’re already a true fan or just discovering. I loved the twist!! Might be one of my favorites from the series!!!
Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and the Author for allowing me to read this book for my honest review.

In the latest installment of the Detective Josie Quinn series, Josie and the team are faced with missing teenagers and an urban legend (or is it?) involving a serial killer known as The Woodsman. As they uncover clues that lead close to the scene of the Vanishing Girls murders of Book 1, the team also copes with a recent loss and encounters a few unexpected twists.

As always, Regan’s main characters are complex and relatable, and the mystery kept me turning the pages until the end!

I didn’t enjoy the brief narratives from the mystery culprit that were peppered throughout—I didn’t feel they matched the quality of the rest of the writing, nor that there was a reason for it not to. However, these were so short and infrequent that they didn’t affect my overall enjoyment of the book.

After devouring the first 17 Josie Quinn books in exactly one month, I was thrilled at the opportunity to read an advance copy of Book 18 through NetGalley and bookouture. If you haven’t read this series, get thee a copy of The Vanishing Girls immediately! And for existing fans of the series, I think you’ll enjoy being back in Josie’s world. I’m already counting down until the next book is released!

My Child is Missing

Josie and her team are on the search for two missing sisters, Kayleigh and Savannah, who went for a walk in the woods. One returns petrified but the other sister is still out there somewhere. Can the team find her before it’s too late?

In neighboring counties two sets of teens went into the woods and only one of each set came out alive, the talk amongst the school aged children is it’s the woodsman doing the killing. Is he real or just a folklore?

The clock is ticking for Josie, Noah and Gretchen to find the missing sister Kayleigh. What happens next will leave you shocked.

Lisa Regan has done it again with Josie Quinn book #18.

The legend of the Woodsman….

Welcome to book 18 in the Josie Quinn series! This gripping tale follows the search for a missing teen and delves into the legend of the Woodsman, a figure who instills fear in young children and presents a challenge for teenagers. The stakes are high as young daredevil's venture into the woods at night, with only a successful return of both ensuring victory. However, with four instances of two entering the woods and only one returning, the pressure is greater than ever to discover the person behind the tale.

As the story unfolds, readers will be kept on the edge of their seats as they follow the twists and turns of the investigation. While I may have had a hunch about the identity of the Woodsman, I was still surprised by the role of all the players under suspicion.

For those who have invested in the series and its characters, this book does not disappoint. The book delivers up the ‘real’ as the team deal with trauma and aftermath of the events from book 17, and there are heartfelt moments between Josie and Noah as their relationship continues to go from strength to strength.

This artist, Lisa Regan (aka Author), because that’s what she totally is, an amazing artist, has done it again! Book 18 and I can’t get enough of Josie Quinn. My Child is Missing is a heart pounding thriller with a twist you won’t see coming.

Josie and her team are called to a scene no parent wants to experience. Two sisters have gone missing leaving behind distraught parents. Kids in Denton and surrounding communities are talking and taunting each other, even so far as creating challenges, about the Woodsman. Two go in, one comes out. If that doesn’t have you reliving every scary folklore you heard as a child, I don’t know what will. At first dismissing the Woodsman as just that, folklore, Josie attempts to keep that out of the spotlight, but she’ll stop at nothing until she brings those children home to their parents. Hold on to your seats, Book 18 is a wild ride! 5🌟

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and the Author for allowing me to read this book for my honest review.

Lisa Regan has done it again! Wrote another great story in her Josie Quinn series. This is book 18 and is just as great as the other 17 and this may be my favorite . From the first page till the last this was a thrilling and emotional read. I loved the surprise twist. I highly recommend you run and buy this book. Thanks Bookouture and Netgalley for my arc.

My Child is Missing by Lisa Regan is a crime and mystery thriller with nail-biting suspense as advertised. This is book 18 in the series, and the stories and characters are still fresh and fun to read.

A spooky cabin on the cover, and one I'd like to explore! I am never disappointed by a Lisa Regan and Josie Quinn series book. The crew is still dealing with Mett's death.

My Child is Missing has a good story, always good writing, and a believable police procedural. There were some touching moments and some frustrating ones as well (which is still good, as the character's actions and comments were frustrating and hard to read).

I would highly recommend this series. The story takes you on a rollercoaster of a ride and has you guessing until the exciting ending.

I'm a big fan of Lisa Regan and the Josie Quinn series. I cannot wait to read more, hopefully soon!!

#MyChildisMissing #NetGalley @bookouture