Tried reading this once but since it was in the middle of a series, I couldn't get into it. It was also kind of trippy because the main character has the exact same name as one of my friends, and for that, I also couldn't get into the book without thinking about my friend.

This is the 4th book in the Rachel Scott series and as I found out, it is best to read them in order. There were a lot of nuances and references to past events that I did not understand. Rachel is the head of a private agency specializing in locating kidnapped children. She started this agency when her own daughter, Mallory, was kidnapped six years earlier. The characters are well written and the plot moves along well. It had non-stop action and a satisfying conclusion.I liked that it is told from a female perspective. I will probably go back and read the others so I have a full understanding of the story.

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

When professional missing-persons investigator Rachel Scott receives an anonymous tip that her own missing daughter, Mallory, is alive and living with a family in Atlanta, she wastes no time in pursuing the lead. When she arrives to find a house that has been hastily abandoned, she begins to suspect just how frighteningly organized the plot behind her daughter’s kidnapping really is.
Meanwhile, back home in Miami, Rachel’s colleague Stacy Case is investigating an illegal child-adoption ring that could be connected to Mallory’s disappearance. But just as Stacy is on the verge of blowing the case wide open, she disappears. With Stacy missing and Rachel in Atlanta, Rachel’s team at Florida Omni Search must hunt down the ringleaders before Mallory is gone for good.

This book is the fourth in the Rachel Scott series, based around a private agency that investigates missing children. At the same time, she is investigating the disappearance of her daughter, Mallory.

This was quite the surprising read. I didn't go in with any expectations but having read a number of missing children novels, I am always a bit cautious as they can be overwrought and not easy to read. Not the case here - the author has nailed both the mystery aspect of Stacy's disappearance and the pain and desperation of Rachel in trying to find her daughter after six years...

Rachel, Stacy and Red are a great cast - strong, brave characters who will stop at nothing to get the job done. The plot - although not particularly new - is written well and provides plenty of twists & turns - enough to keep the crime enthusiasts happy.

Two things dropped the overall story for me - Stacy's narrative disappeared when her character did. Stacy was an interesting character and to take her voice away kinda dropped the overall urgency, in my opinion. Secondly, this book never felt like it was going to solve the case of Mallory - which again took away any sense of suspense or intrigue.

Overall, a very good mystery with some excellent characters. Definitely want to go back and find the earlier novels - for sure!


Paul
ARH