Quinn and Costa are back in a political thriller highlighting the unhoused crisis in Los Angeles. Violet Halliday is a volunteer with a local group that supports the homeless population; Violet is also looking for her mother who has been living on the streets. Then Violet witnesses a shooting that has her scared and in hiding. Kara Quinn is back in LA to testify on the case that had her sent away and assigned to the MRT, but several deaths occur in the first quarter of the book that have Kara and the team swept up in politics and backdoor deals. This latest installment in the series is just as good as the rest. It has Costa and Quinn still exploring their relationship, but romance is definitely not the focus of this book. Without giving spoilers, there was also a storyline in this book very reminiscent of a soap opera, but it was handled well by the author. While this is part of a series, this book can be read as a standalone, but this particular installment does have lots of callbacks to others.

Started just a tad slow but then the story grabbed me. Knowing this is fiction, it was still informative to learn about the grant process and how it s often abused by people who only want money and power. The homeless are not part of their concern. I’ve read all the Costa and Quinn books and will look forward to the next one.

This was the fifth book in the Quinn and Costa series. I realized this AFTER requesting this book on Netgalley, but was easily able to read as a stand-alone. I have read some other reviews that it might be a spoiler if you plan to go back and read the first books in the series, so keep that in mind if you decide to pick this book up.

This book was twisty and had me on the edge of my seat. It touched on difficult topics such as addiction, human trafficking, and more. I highly recommend this book if you are into procedural books and want something a little bit different than your usual thriller!

Thank you Netgalley, Harlequin Trade Publishing, and Allison Brennan for the opportunity to review an advanced readers copy of this gripping read!

This is the one I’ve been waiting for for a long time. We finally get the story that brought Kara to the FBI and let me tell you this was a complicated puzzle that kept me guessing and on edge. This almost feels like the last book in this series and if it is that makes me sad.

She had never needed anyone, until Matt.

With Matt, she felt like she had someone standing for her: standing behind her in support, standing in front of her to protect, standing at her side to join her in the fight.

I love Matt and Kara and there story has progressed every new edition. This is definitely not to be missed.

Detective Kara Quinn returns to LA to testify on the case that changed her life. She finds herself drawn into a conspiracy investigation involving resources for the homeless that is somehow connected to her case. A missing witness is key to revealing important information if they can find her in time.

I have not read the previous books in the series, so I was a little lost in the beginning. There are a lot of interesting characters. The story is exciting and action-packed. It is told from multiple view points, which helps and distracts a bit. (I wanted to know more about the missing witness.) I enjoyed the complexities of the relationships between characters and the teams. The author spent time researching about the homeless situation and I appreciated the depth it added the story. I really wanted to listen to the podcast mentioned in the book that would release the truth.

I want thank NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for an early copy of the book.

“The Missing Witness” was entertaining and fast paced. I enjoyed the multi-narrative views along with the complexity of the plot. I had not realized this was part of a series, as it read to me as a stand alone. If I had not researched the author, I would not have realized otherwise. :)

Thank you for providing me the opportunity to review "The Missing Witness” prior to publication. I am appreciative and leave my sincerity review voluntarily.

An Interesting mystery. It was very woven and intricate, lots of characters and a few similar names I struggled to keep straight at first! But a good story with characters that grew on me.

In the fifth book of the Quinn and Costa series by Allison Brennan, Detective Kara Quinn is due to testify in a human trafficking case, but when the accused is murdered, the case is in chaos and Detective Quinn, along with FBI Agent Matt Costa, must find a witness to the crime, who appears to be missing.

This is a fast-paced thriller laced with conspiracies and corruption. It gets so intense at times that you really have to pay attention so as not to get lost in the convoluted plot.

I adore Detective Quinn and could read about her all day long. I highly recommend this book, especially if you love a great police procedural. Thank you, NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for the eARC. The Missing Witness is due to be published on January 23, 2024.

When key witness disappears after seeing a notorious human trafficker killed in broad daylight, Detective Kara Quinn and her team must race to find her before she’s silenced for good.

The Missing Witness was book six in the Quinn and Costa series. As someone who hadn’t read any of the previous books in the series, I found the first third of the book to be super confusing. The author didn’t really introduce any of the characters and glazed over things that happened in previous books that were pertinent to the plot in this one. Additionally, the book centered on a complex white-collar crime that took me awhile to get a grasp on, which detracted from my enjoyment of the novel. However, the main characters, specifically Kate Quinn and Matt Costa, were perfection. They were layered, interesting and passionate about their work. While the twists weren’t plentiful, the ones that were included were superb and kept me guessing. Lastly, the ending was incredibly satisfying and left me wanting more. Overall, this was a good police procedural thriller but, I recommend reading the first five books in the series before diving into this one!

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for the opportunity to read this ARC!

A copy of this review will be posted to my Instagram page (whats.amy.reading) during the week of November 6.

I reently finished this book after struggling a bit at the beginning and through to the middle of the book. I couldn't put my finger on what was causing the struggle but then I realized, there were too many characters and I was having a lot of trouble keeping them all straight. I find this happens sometimes with books with Police and other law enforcement agencies in books. I loved the relationship between the main character and the officers she worked with. I did end up enjoying the end of the book and think it finished strong.

I have been provided with a review copy of The Missing Witness from NetGalley for an impartial review. I was just drawn into this wonderful story and I just couldn’t get enough of it. It was just so easy to get lost in this great story. I just didn’t want it to end. I just lost myself in and I just couldn’t get enough of these interesting characters. I can’t wait to see what’s next from this author.

I thoroughly enjoyed the book "The Missing Witness". This is the 5th book in the LAPD Detective Kara Quinn and FBI agent Matt Costa series. This book goes back to LA where it all started for Kara. She is called back to testify in the trial against the human trafficker. But nothing went according to plan and Kara and Matt are left trying to figure out what happened and who is compromised. This book has so many twists and turns but it all works out in the end. There was a great rhythm to this book and it made it hard to pick a point and stop reading. So be prepared to read until done because you will not put the book down.
I wanted to thank #NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for the digital advanced reader copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.

More, Yes please!I started reading this series earlier this year when I received an advanced reader copy of the previous book in this series. It is now one of my favorites. Now that I have finished this book, I can honestly say that it just gets better with each new book. This book answers all of the questions that started the series. Detective Kara Quinn helped take down a major criminal as part of the LAPD. In turn, her life was put in danger. She became a part of the FBI's new initiative, the mobile response team/unit. Kara is back in town to testify and help put the criminal she took down in jail. An event happens at the beginning of the book that turns the whole case upside down. This book is excellent in each and every way. There is a twist that I never saw coming. To be honest, this book is full of twists and turns at every corner and i devoured each and every page of it. I LOVE long book so my only downfall was I wish it was longer!

Latest in the Quinn and Costa series. I really liked the first book in this series, which was about a serial killer. Each book since has been less interesting to me as far as the crime involved, but the writing is still really good and keeps me interested even if the subject isn't my favorite, if that makes sense. This was about political corruption related to Kara's previous undercover case, not something I normally enjoy reading. There were a lot of different characters to keep track of, and I'm still not totally sure what the whole scheme they uncovered really involved, but it was still a decent read. 3 stars.

I am really loving this series and her other series Regan Merritt and while I started this series on the 3rd book she gave enough exposition that I wasn’t lost and knew all the players with the FBI mobile response team. This was such a great read, had a lot of twists and turns and kept you guessing with who and how many people were involved in the corruption. I loved that Kara finally got to go back to LA and testify on the case that got her attached to the FBI mobile response squad and get closure about where she is going to land next. The dynamic between her old boss Lex and her mentor/trainer Elena and how much they were keeping from her to her detriment while trying to protect her and the mess with her ex-partner was really great to read and showed how much trust she has with her new team and how much she can’t just go back to her old life like she as she has been hoping all this time while with FBI. There was great growth in Kara’s character since she was finally ready to admit to her feelings for Matt and ready to move on with her life. All in all, a great read and I can’t wait to read about their next case together.

Thanks to Mira and Netgalley for the complimentary copy of this book. All opinions in this review are my own.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin, MIRA for providing a DRC of this title for review.

Fans of Allison Brennan's will love this latest installment in the Quinn and Costa series, which sees Detective Kara Quinn return to the human trafficking case in Los Angeles that blew her career with the LAPD and catalyzed her move to FBI's MRT unit. Engaging characters and a tightly plotted mystery keeps readers engaged until the very last page with a very satisfying mystery that unravels secrets in Kara's past. I'll definitely be sure to recommend this one to our patrons who love romantic suspense and can't wait for the next book in the series! 5 stars/5.

I was a bit hesitant to pick this book up because I read Girl Forgotten by Karin Slaughter and it was awful. This book seemed similar but I am glad I picked it up. I was at the edge of my seat the entire time and could not put this book down. The relationship between Quinn and Costa was also a bonus because they both put out theories for the reader and bounced off each other.

No one, and I mean, no one, writes like Allison Brennan. She craftily pulls the reader into the story and WOWZA, be prepared for a ride. The Missing Witness takes Detective Kara Quinn back to LA to testify in the case that disrupted her career and put her on loan to Matt Costa's FBI response team. In tandem with Kara's story, Ms Brennan ties in a whistleblower who has found missing records related to the homeless organizations within LA. She expertly weaves these two women's lives together as Kara starts to question the case that nearly destroyed her career as well as fight to save the life of the whistleblower. Along with Kara, Matt Costa's FBI team come to LA to not only support her, but also help her sort through new revelations about the case. This Series is absolutely fantastic! Ms. Brennan left her main character in a very vulnerable spot, so I'm so looking forward to see where she's taking them next. Thank you to Harlequin Trade Publishing, MIRA for an advanced reader of this book. The opinions expressed are my own.

In The Missing Witness: A Quinn & Costa Novel by Allison Brennan, Detective Kara Quinn is back in Los Angeles to testify against a notorious human trafficker and finally moving past the case that upended her life. But when the accused is shot in broad daylight, the chaotic scene of the crime turns up few reliable bystanders. And one witness—a whistleblower who might be the key to everything—has disappeared.

The book focuses on how people don't see things they don't want to. The story has alternating timelines, good suspense, and eye-opening reveals and twists.

I look forward to more.

#TheMissingWitness #NetGalley @htp_books

The Missing Witness is the fifth book in the Quinn & Costa murder mystery, police procedural series with some cross-over from the previous book. I was able to easily read it as a stand-alone but fair warning, if you plan to go back and read the previous books in the series this one contains spoilers.

This story touches on homelessness, addiction, non-profit organizations, human trafficking, and slave labor intertwined with corrupt law enforcement and government agencies.

I love the dynamic between Detective Kara Quinn and FBI Special Agent Matt Costa, the protagonist duo. This was fast-paced and kept me engaged from start to finish with plenty of suspense and twists I did not see coming.

If you enjoy police procedurals, I highly recommend this series!

Thank you to Harlequin Trade Publishing and NetGalley for allowing me to read this ARC in return for my voluntary and honest review.