Veena’s review of Vanished (Mason Callahan, Book 1) by Kendra Elliot
Romantic Suspense published by Montlake Romance 17 Jun 14
What could the disappearance of an eleven-year-old school girl from an affluent neighborhood have in common with the violent murder of a meth-addict prostitute in one of the poorest neighborhoods of town? Sit back and get prepared to thoroughly enjoy the twists and turns of this excellent plot as you try to find the answers to this question. This book is a first for me by Kendra Elliot, and I can definitely attest that I will be back for more of her well-crafted suspense.
When his ex-wife calls him early one morning to tell him about the disappearance of her eleven-year-old step daughter, Mason Callahan is ready to pull out all stops and step up to the plate to help handle the media and various law enforcement agencies on the scene and as a thank you to the girl’s father for being more father to his own son than he has been in the past.
Ava McLain is the FBI agent who is embedded within the family unit to help manage the family as her fellow agents work night and day on following the clues to bring the little girl safely home as quickly as possible. It is inevitable that Ava and Mason become close as they work together representing the family’s interests and weeding through the mass of information that is pouring in.
As the story progresses their proximity allows them to see the vulnerability hidden under the public façade they show to the world. They are both under attack in different ways. He’s in danger of losing his job, which is the most important thing to him, while she is being attacked by her drug addict twin, because she works hard and her twin wants to reap the benefits. As his personal life starts to intersect on the current case, Ava’s trust and confidence allow him to step back from the personal issues and look at the case in the way a detective like him should.
I feel like a mini detective watching CSI or Criminal Minds as the story unfolds and I form conclusions and discard them as the story progresses. Despite all that TV experience, I will have to work harder at my detecting and crime-solving skills. I was surprised when the villain is unmasked. As I stated before, I will definitely be looking for more of this couple, and I understand that Mason actually may have already been a character in previous books by the author that I plan to look up as well.
Grade: B
Summary:
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.
No excerpt available.
Other books in this series:
