I’m afraid this one I have tried three times to pick up, get eager about and finish.
I was glad I finished to be honest.

All the “street talk jargon” was lost on me.

Story was ok.

(I received a free copy of this book from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.)

As an eight-year-old, Jacquelina “Jacqi” Garza was one of two nearly identical girls abducted by a child predator in the northern California town of Rio Mirada. After escaping her captor and living through a very public trial, Jacqi’s life has spiraled out of control until, a decade later, she vanishes once again, determined to cross the border and start over.
Phelan Tierney, a former lawyer and part-time investigator recovering from trauma in his own life, is determined to find Jacqi and help her get back on track. But just as he’s located the girl, she’s once again drawn into a case that threatens to tear the town apart: the murder of a politically connected former union boss blamed for driving the town into financial chaos. And Phelan discovers that the truth, in Jacqi’s case, may be even more dangerous than the secrets and lies that surround her.

*3.5 stars*

Let's talk about the good things going on in this story: despite the slow start, it really did develop into a well-paced novel. It would have been better for me if the story had kicked off from the get-go, certainly would have made for a higher rating.

Also, Jacqui was an interesting study: on one hand, she was a tough survivor. Someone that I was cheering for, despite what was happening around her. However, at times, her choices were infuriating. I think she could have been so much more...

On the downside, the amount of characters made this one just a little hard to follow (hence the slow start), and the changing POV's were distracting, rather than being a positive story-telling ploy.

Overall, if you like gritty mysteries, then this id definitely worth a look. I just think it had so much more potential.


Paul
ARH