When an eleven-year-old is abducted on her way to school, the FBI doesn’t waste a moment, sending agents to scour the area and embedding Special Agent Ava McLane with the distraught family. In the eye of the storm is local detective Mason Callahan, whose life is crumbling to pieces—he’s related to the victim, and his longtime confidential informant has just been murdered.
Both he and Agent McLane hole up in the victim’s family home. Every second counts in a kidnapping case, and the stakes keep rising the longer the girl is missing. As Ava and Mason struggle to hold the family together in their darkest hour, the two investigators find themselves drawn to each other.
Vanished by Kendra Eliot delivers another exciting full of many twists and turns.
Special Agent Ava McLane is assigned a troubling case of a missing eleven year old girl. Ava is assigned to be the families go to person for anything related to the case. Added to this mix is Ava’s less the stellar twin sister who keeps popping up at the worst possible moment.
Local detective Mason Callahan is a close friend of the missing girls family. His ex wife is the little girls step mother and the mother of Mason’s only child. Agreeing to be the families spoke person has him working in close quarters with SA Ava.
There is another issue working in the background some one is trying to ruin Det. Callahan’s career. Could this newest trouble be somehow related to young Henley’s disappearance?
As the danger revives up so does the attraction between Ava and Mason. Will they be able to solve the kidnapping and the danger to Mason’s career before the killer plays his final hand?
Vanished is another pulse pounding story that will keep you on your toes and the edge of your seat. Ava and Mason’s relationship didn’t start out on the best of footing but you find yourself routing for these two to make it. This book is a keeper and I am eager to read the next book by Kendra Elliot.
My rating: 4 of 5 ¿¿
Two thumbs up to Kendra Elliot for the mature hero - Oh, and of course the phenomenal suspense!!
I have so much to say about the plot in this story!! But I'm not gonna, because I would be giving too much away. Suffice it to say it is very entangled, and deep-rooted and plausible and utterly, utterly terrifying!! There is nothing more frightening than having a young child disappear and at the mercy of unknown evil, and the carefully constructed plot Ms. Elliot has built around this only enhances the chilling story.
Mason Callahan lives for his job. Second in importance only to his son, it makes up a huge chunk of his identity and so when it is threatened, right when he is struggling to restore balance in his son's disrupted life, it is enough to pull the rug right from under his solidly planted feet. Unexpected in the middle of his inner turmoil, is the attraction he feels for Ava right off the bat. He feels an immediate connection and for the first time he is able to drop his carefully maintained even front to someone who might understand.
And Ava does. Understand that is. She herself is no stranger to losing yourself in your work and keeping up that professional shield as protection. Hell, she has lived it her entire adult life. But in this case, she has not only quickly warmed up to the quiet detective, but has become attached to the family she is supposed to guide through this horrible ordeal. Opening herself up emotionally has always left her bleeding before, but for some reason, this family - this man - was worth it.
The romantic entanglement is rather instant, which could be explained by the hightened emotional circumstances, and although very intense once consumed, there is very little build up. On the whole it adds a little spice to the the story but the real fireworks come from the disappearance and investigation!
I have read most of Kendra Elliot's books and I have not been disappointed. If you love romantic suspense and want to be guaranteed high quality, you won't be either!
"A master in spinning a sinister, compelling tale!"
**Copy provided in return for an honest review**
Mich_Mc
Posted Tue Jun 17 00:00:00 EDT 2014
This is the fifth book in the Bone Secrets series and it was just as good as the previous books, in some ways it was even better.
When 11yr old Henley gets abducted on her way to school it brings her slightly unusual family together as they aide in the search. Secrets come to light and tempers rise as they all must face the skeletons in their closets in order to get to bottom of why this is happening, in the hopes that they can bring Henley safely home. Mason is confronted by his own perceived failures as he tries to be there for his son and his new family, he is on the outskirts looking in but he is determined to step up and be the father his son needs. Unfortunately, Mason has issues of his own, someone is attacking him professionally and he is under scrutiny from all sides, he finds an ally in Ava McLane as they band together to get the family through each day with their sanity intact.
Emotions are running high in this psychological thriller and I was glued to my kindle screen from start to finish. Kids in romantic suspense novels are one of my favourite tropes, but as a Mum reading about abductions or missing children can be tough, Kendra handled it beautifully. I was fully invested in the tale and emotionally, she put me through the ringer! I loved the Criminal Minds-esque feel to this one, it was a definite winner for me!
Vanished has a different feel from the other books in the series. I can't quite put my finger on what it is exactly that makes it stand out for me, and believe me I have tried. It can be read as a stand alone but if you enjoy mystery thrillers or romantic suspense then you should definitely give them a try and I recommend reading them all.
ARC received in exchange for honest review.
BooksnKisses
Posted Tue Jun 17 00:00:00 EDT 2014
NUMBER OF HEARTS: 4
REVIEW:
Wow this story was pretty heartbreakingly good story. Ms. Elliott does an amazing job of bring her characters to life. If you are from Oregon there are a few references in this book that will make you cry just because you know the reality of Vanished storyline. But Vanished has so many different levels to this story and not all is as it seems.
I tried to think of a way to summarize this book, but I could not think of a good way to do it without giving something away so you get nothing :-). This just means that you need to read this book for yourself.
If you are a fan of Kendra’s you will enjoy Vanished. If you are new to The Bone Secret series never fear each book can be read as a stand alone with no problems. Make sure to add this one to your buy list.
Disclaimer:
I received a complimentary copy of the book from Kendra Elliott in exchange for an honest review. This review is my own opinion and not a paid review.
SoniaF
Posted Tue Jun 17 00:00:00 EDT 2014
Mason’s life is getting complicated: one of his CI is brutally murdered and the proofs will point to Mason being the murderer; his ex-wife new husband’s daughter is kidnapped and Mason will offer his help to act as spokeman for the family.
Amidst all of this difficult situation, Mason meets Ava, the FBI’s agent working the case and more feeling, of a different kind, appear.
The investigation into what happened to little Henley as well as the impact her disappearance has in the family, took me in a journey of powerful emotions.
I’m highly impressed with the FBI’s procedures in cases of missing children.
As with the previous books, it was a delight to read this one. Kendra Elliot’s writing captures the attention since the beginning. I’ll wait impatiently for the next novel, also featured by Mason and Ava.
livzletlivz
Posted Tue Jun 17 00:00:00 EDT 2014
The Bones Lady has done it again! Kendra spins a tale as smooth as silk, soft as velvet and comes up with a storm.
The disappearance of an 11-year-old girl brings FBI agent Ava McLane and local detective Mason Callahan under one roof. For Callahan, this is personal, as the missing girl happens to be the stepdaughter of his ex-wife.
Two mothers, two dads and another’s child!!! The Fairbanks family is no screaming divorce family from TV, everyone gets along well with each other…. stepdad has positive things to say about cop dad.
So what is the motive for Henley Fairbanks being kidnapped? And that is the ‘323 page’ question. I have to admit that Kendra did a brilliant job of keeping that suspense until it was time to be revealed. Each page was a revelation of bits and pieces of information as the law enforcement tries to piece the puzzle together. And as the puzzle starts to fall into place, the emotions and secrets of the family come to light. And as the past and the present collide, Ava and Mason try to understand their growing feelings for each other.
Mason and Ava are Kendra’s crowning glory. Dedicated to their job, focus in their quest for justice, despite individual issues in their lives, they create enough ripples of passion and intimacy as they try to get to know each other. This is just the beginning of a relationship that will go through a journey of ups and downs as they deal with personal baggage. But nowhere does the lust and passion take away from the desperation and pain of a family trying to get their daughter back or the grave and critical situation of the kidnapping as the FBI races against time to get to the bottom of it
I really, really, really was in the perpetrator’s corner of sympathy. There is no evil here, just Elliot’s powerful narration of feelings and helplessness, that takes us on a thrilling ride to a final showdown, and a showdown that had me so mixed up with emotions of sadness and the unfairness of life.
With a lot of twists and turns, relations and trust put to test, and with a past that comes haunting out of the blue, "Vanished" is one book you don't want to miss. And keep an eye out for more of Mason and Ava, a relationship that will evolve through its natural course of life.
Overview
When an eleven-year-old is abducted on her way to school, the FBI doesn’t waste a moment, sending agents to scour the area and embedding Special Agent Ava McLane with the distraught family. In the eye of the storm is local detective Mason Callahan, whose life is crumbling to pieces—he’s related to the victim, and his longtime confidential informant has just been murdered.
Both he and Agent McLane hole up in the victim’s family home. Every second counts in a kidnapping case, and ...