Imagine you just run into a store for no longer for five minutes to pick up a small, cheap gift for a birthday party you are taking your children. Your two children are sitting out in the car. Once you return, they are missing. You look around and ask stores if they have seen them. But, they are simply gone.
Jamie, the mother of Kylie and Bailey Brandt is in distress from her two daughters being kidnapped. Alice Vega, a PI is hired by the Brandt family to find Bailey and Kylie. Cap is a cop who was once police and is asked by Vega help find and solve the mystery of who took Bailey and Kylie.
There are different leads that take Cap and Vega on the run to figure out what is going on. Vega and Cap make a great team due to asking questions and looking at people that the police wouldn’t think of.
I really enjoyed Two Girls Down with the different perspectives and the clever minds of Cap and Vega. All the characters were well defined and fleshed out. The ending was not was expecting and something I did not see coming.
Release-January 9, 2018.
Thank you to Netgalley and Louisa Luna for the chance to read the ARC.
Rating: 5/5 Stars

Captivating book with twists that you didn’t seem coming. Bounty hunter Alice Vega and PI Max Caplan set out to find two missing girls who disappeared while her mother left them in the car while she ran inside a store real quick. The Mom is no saint but she definitely loves her girls and is sickened by their disappearance. One twist leads to another and this book holds your attention to find out just what happened to those 2 girls.

Good God this was one hell of a roller coaster ride! From the strong opening sentence all the way until the end this one had me glued to the pages as I wondered what happened to Bailey and Kylie Brandt?! Missing children stories always get to me, no idea why I’m so drawn to them because it’s such a nightmare thing to imagine happening to my own kids, yet they never fail to gain my attention and Two Girls Down was one of the most riveting missing persons stories that I’ve read in awhile.

Vega and Cap are not your usual duo in terms of people investigating a case which provides a unique point of view. She’s a sort of bounty hunter and he’s an ex cop turned PI who is mainly is hired to catch cheating spouses. They’re an unlikely partnership especially as they have never met each other before the Brandt case, but they are a force to be reckoned with and I’m really hoping that they’ll be a sequel. Vega is such a badass, I love reading about someone reckless, you have no idea what they’ll do next and that keeps things so exciting. Cap isn’t quite as unpredictable as Vega, he has a daughter to worry about so he walks the straight and narrow a bit more than she does but he has a certain type of charm that appealed to me.

I’m avoiding the plot because it went in so many dark places I didn’t see coming, I binge read this and think that’s the best way to tackle this one. It’s fast paced with a ton of red herrings and misdirections and the final resolution surprised me so much, I had never even considered the possibility and that’s rare for me. While the resolution of the case satisfied me I was a little underwhelmed by the actual ending, after such a strong book I had hoped for a bit more, but overall a really fantastic read, I would definitely read another book from Luna.

I absolutely could not put this book down. I picked it up and burned the midnight oil until I had read the last word. Well-constructed mystery. The characters were so well drawn. I would love to read more adventures with Vega and Cap. And, I adore Cap’s relationship with his daughter, Nell. The police were well drawn as well and multi dimensional. Highly recommended.

not much for making a verbose review... this book was awesome, absolutely awesome... intrigue, suspense, twisting plot, puzzles, thinking person's critique .... questions and hunt for deeper questions... realistically keeps you pinned into the excitement to find out what happens to these two little girls... and a bit creepy at the end

This book grabs you from the beginning and takes you down a winding path to the surprising end. I really like the two main characters, bounty hunter Alicia Vega and disgraced but very capable ex-cop Max Caplan. Together they make a great team and follow the trail to find 2 missing sisters. Can they find the girls, and if so, can they find them in time? Great read!!

If you watched (and still re-watch) the sadly short lived series Veronica Mars, you'll automatically be intrigued by the premise of Louisa Luna's Two Girls Down. Max Caplan AKA Cap resigned from the local police force before he would've been fired for something not his fault and has now become a private investigator, specializing in cheating spouses. The similarities don't stop there -- both Keith Mars and Cap have smart, sharp-witted high school-aged daughters that intentionally and unintentionally involve themselves in the cases their father's are working. Both are filled with moments of strategy, questionable ethics, and a desire to get the job done well. In the case of Two Girls Down, Cap meets Alice Vega, a bounty hunter who finds missing children and they team up to find Jamie Brandt's young daughters: Bailey and Kylie, who have been kidnapped from a strip mall. Their banter and the way they go about solving this mystery keeps readers on their toes and constantly trying to piece everything together. She does a great job and I can't wait to read her future novels!

This book was a pleasant surprise by a new author, since you don't always know what you're getting into. The plot seemed fairly standard (little girls go missing and need to be found), but the story and the characters really made it work. Alice and Cap play well off each other with their differing backgrounds and current life situations, and even the side characters had their moments. By the end, I wasn't expecting the story to go where it did, but it was a satisfying conclusion. I look forward to more books from this author.

A fast paced thriller, Two Girls Down doesn’t waste time getting the mystery started. Two young sisters go missing from a strip mall parking lot, and time is of the essence – the longer the girls are missing, the less chance they have to find them alive.

With the police releasing little information, the family calls in an expert — bounty hunter Alice Vega, who has a reputation for finding missing children. The local police won’t share information with Vega, so she partners with local private investigator (and ex-cop) Max Caplan in the hope that he can get a little inside information from his old partner.

The mystery pulls the reader in — who took the girls and where did they go? Are they still alive? Vega pushes Cap almost around the clock following up leads in their race against time. The story is engaging and the pace to find the girls relentless. The mystery has a few good turns as clues are uncovered.

As always, my favorite part about this story is the characters. Vega is an interesting, strong female lead — she’s a loner, tough as nails, and doesn’t let anything deter her focus to find the missing girls and bring them home. As she and Cap continue to follow clues to the girls disappearance, we get glimpses into Vega’s past.

On the opposite end of the spectrum, Cap is a divorced father who would do anything for his sixteen-year-old daughter. Cap’s family man is a nice contrast to Vega’s solitude. Together they make the book much more engaging than a typical missing persons story.

I hope that this isn’t the last we’ve seen of Alice Vega. I’d love to see her team up with Cap again, but (don’t worry I’m keeping it spoiler free) I don’t know if I see that happening. Cap is a family man, rooted in his town, while Vega has no ties, and moves where the cases take her. Vega (and Cap) or not, I’m definitely looking forward to reading more from Ms. Luna.

When I picked this one up, I expected a gritty, and possibly dark, mystery and the story does start out with that potential. The beginning drew me in with the interactions between Jamie Brandt and her girls on the day that they were taken. From that point on, the story quickly fizzled for me as it became more a procedural type story of Alice and Cap following clues. This in itself wouldn't necessarily have been a bad thing, but the number of characters brought in and the heavy dialogue made this tale quite cumbersome and at times, convoluted. It may also have helped if the main characters had been more likable. Cap is a likable enough character, but Alice, who is supposed to be this tough, "enigmatic" bounty hunter, is just a hot mess. She's seems almost without emotion and then turns to violence in the blink of an eye. I was also left a bit confused by the dangling carrot of a possible romance between these two. That angle either needed to be better developed or left out entirely. As it stands, it just felt like filler which this one certainly did not need. The biggest drawback for this reader was that the story drags on for so long and the number of people questioned and re-questioned begins to run together. There is a decent action sequence toward the end along with an interesting twist to the story, but by that time, it was just too little, too late.
After seeing the number of four and five-star ratings for Two Girls Down, I realize that I'm in the minority, but it is what it is. The author clearly has talent and this book had great potential, but I prefer a much faster pace over getting bogged down in procedure.

Very suspenseful thriller that could very well be from today's headlines. I did have a hard time keeping up with all the characters. There's a lot going on in this book to keep you on your toes. The reason for the disappearance of the girls was sad. Highly recommended.

The author was new to me and though it sounded good I wasn't sure how it was going to play out but I really enjoyed this one.

Jamie Brandt isn't a fantastic mother but she is not terrible horrible either. She is kind of impatient with her two girls and so she decides to go into the mall on her own so she can be in and out really quick. She leaves the two young girls in the car and when she comes back out they are gone. She looks everywhere, the mall, the ice cream shop, etc.

Alice Vega is a private investigator who has a really great success rate at bringing home missing children, it doesn't mean that they are all alive or that even functioning well. She isn't afraid to ask the tough questions or get a little physical with a suspect. Jamie's aunt hires her to find the two girls.

Max "Cap" Caplan is a retired police officer turned private investigator who is verily getting by with the usual cases of cheating and trying to find those running from child support. He was a good cop but he took the fall for someone who had younger children and needed the job. Cap's daughter Nell is 16 and about as smart as he is when it comes to police work because he discusses his cases with her. Vega wants his help to find the missing girls and at first he says no but his daughter convinces him to take on the case.

I thought I knew where the case was going from some of the clues but I was totally surprised by what happened at the end and who was involved. It was a really fast paced read and I just loved the characters. Vega is a tough lady but sometimes you got a glimpse of her softer side when she was with Cap and his daughter. Cap is a great character as well and a really good cop and I felt bad that he was reduced to PI work. His daughter Nell is a hoot! She keeps him on the straight and narrow and I could see her being in investigative work when she got older.

If you into mystery suspense type novels I would recommend you give this one a try. I kind of hope the author will write another novel featuring Vega and Cap.

Jamie Brandt only runs into the store for two minutes when she returns to her car her 8yr old and 10yr old daughters have disappeared. Hired by the family, Alice Vega is an experienced private investigator with a track record of locating missing and kidnapped children. She quickly partners up with former police officer and single father Caplan to search through a slew of suspects in the case. Can they find the girls before it is too late?

This is a good thriller full of action and suspense and I could see it easily becoming a series centered around Vega.

She had intended for it be to quick, to leave the two girls inside the car while she picked up a present inside the local Kmart. A quick snatch and go, she got the gift and headed out to her car. It appeared she was successful until Jamie reached her car and found it empty. Her two daughters were gone.

Jamie enlisted the help of Alice Vega, a PI with a remarkable history of finding missing individuals but she is not welcomed by the Denville Police Department. Needing information from the department, Vega persuades a former member of their office to join her team. These two are quite the combination as Vega is resilient and Cap is brilliant. A perfect combination for this case as they confront the Denville Police and work together to locate the missing sisters. There doesn’t seem to be much to go on as the police try to piece this case together and with their resources stretched thin, the police are left scratching their heads. Meanwhile, Vega and Cap are talking to everyone and investigating every lead. This rigorous investigation provides many leads, some helpful and some not.

What I enjoyed about this novel was how Vega and Cap worked together to solve this case. Cap used to be a cop, so he is used to following a set of rules whereas Vega sets her own rules, working together they have to cross some lines with each other. They try to work with the police department and share their leads hoping that it will help the case which I thought was an interesting twist with this novel considering that Vega and Cap were doing most of the work. I really enjoyed how the author wrapped up this novel. It wasn’t an abrupt ending but an exciting conclusion that was suited the novel perfectly. I really enjoyed this novel and highly recommend it.

I received a copy of this novel from NetGalley and Doubleday Books in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for this copy,

While this book had everything a thriller should have, and while I did somewhat enjoy the story, I don't think this was for me. I can appreciate a good thriller, just isn't my normal genre I'd say. Overall it had a good plot and storyline.

I really wanted to skip to the end to make sure everything turns out OK. But, I didn't. I was very surprised at who actually did the kidnapping. I like it when I can't guess the end. And, I really hope to hear more from Alice and Cap. Alice can be a bit intense when she wants information and the person doesn't want to give it to her. She will do anything to find a missing child. Alice is a new experience for Cap. He is a very good investigator, but Alice is on a different level. I really enjoyed this story and hope there is more from this author.

I enjoyed this book. You have Alice Vega who is a PI that is hired by the Brandt's to find Jamie's 2 daughters that have been kidnapped. Alice recruits ex-cop Cap to help. They are torn in a few directions until it all comes together because of a photograph. During the investigation they realize that there are 2 other girls that have disappeared in almost the same exact manner and now they have 4 girls to find. There is a lot of angst between the characters in the book which draws you in. The 2 complaints that I have about the book is the lack of capitalization (drives me nuts!) and the lack of background on both of the main character. You see glimpses but not enough to really care about them. I did love the relationship between Cap and his daughter Nell, you could feel the love in that relationship.

an author was not familiar with turns out to be a terrific read. Fast paced and edge of your seat. I read this in one weekend

Two Girls Down by Louisa Luna is a very highly recommended mystery/thriller.

Jamie Brandt, a single mother, is running late while on her way to a birthday party where the whole family is invited. When she stops at Kmart to buy a gift, she leaves 10-year-old Kylie and 8-year-old Bailey in the car while she runs into the store. When she returns, the sisters are gone. After 48 hours with no lead, Jamie's Aunt Maggie Shambley, hires California bounty hunter Alice Vega to locate the girls. Vega is a no nonsense enigmatic investigator who has a well-publicized national reputation for finding abducted children.

The Denville, Pennsylvania police chief, in a pique of misplaced pride, immediately refuses to work with Vega to find the girls, despite the fact that after budget cuts, the department can barely keep up with the local oxycodone and meth epidemic. With help from "the Bastard," a computer hacker who assists her, Vega has access to resources and information the police don't. She also hires a local disgraced former cop, Max Caplan. Cap is currently working as a PI. Vega knows that he has inside contacts and a favor he could call in with the local police. Vega and Cap work together to uncover a complicated web of lies, false leads, and inconsistent statements to try and find the girls before it is too late.

I liked Vega and Cap, who are both flawed but well-developed characters. They work very well together. Cap's problems (and strengths) are presented upfront, but Vega's are hidden and very slowly revealed in small increments. Both of them are fully aware of the ticking clock and how every hour, every minute, the girls are not found is one minute closer to what may be their death. They are both keen observers of people and can pick out clues that the police are overlooking.

Luna uses a third-person narrative that allows us access to the main protagonists' thoughts and feelings. Their thoughts and motivations are so different and contrast starkly with each other. She also does a great job describing all of the supporting characters; they are all written as real people.

This is an excellent nail-biting complex thriller that moves at a steady pace, building up the tension incrementally with each new suspect and lead. The writing is exceptional; the plot is complex and carefully reveals each new piece of evidence. I was totally immersed in the drama. The final conclusion was a shocker and took me by surprise.

Well, Done, Louisa Luna! I am hoping that this signals the start of a series featuring Vega and Cap.

Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of Doubleday via Netgalley.
http://www.shetreadssoftly.com/2017/12/two-girls-down.html
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2233001931
https://www.librarything.com/work/19732421/reviews/149605163
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AMZ and B&N after publication

4.5 stars!
I was initially put off by Two Girls Down because I thought the book was going to end up blaming Jamie Brandt, the single, working class mother of two little girls who were kidnapped. My mistake.

Jamie Brandt stops at a strip mall to pick up a gift for the birthday party the girls were to attend. To make it quicker, she runs inside alone. When Jamie returns, ten-year-old Kylie and eight-year-old Bailey have disappeared.

The police department suffers from budget cuts, lack of leads, and plenty of crime related to drugs. The investigation is going nowhere, and with each day, Jamie's desperation increases and her hope for the safe return of her daughters diminishes.

Jamie's aunt calls in Alice Vega, a bounty hunter who has had uncanny luck at locating missing children. Once Alice is on the scene, the book takes a completely different direction from what I thought it would. Vega enlists Max Caplan, a former policeman who resigned in disgrace, to aid her in locating girls. At this point, I could scarcely bear to put the book down.

The chemistry between Vega and Cap is fascinating. They are both dedicated, but their approaches are distinctly different; eventually, the two are able to meld their divergent methods and make the most of the strengths they individually bring to the investigation.

Louisa Luna excels in bringing the characters and the investigation to life. I didn't so much anticipate the investigation as follow along with Vega and Cap. There were unexpected turns, certainly, but I more less discovered things along with this engrossing pair, getting the hints from them, rather than seeing the connections and wanting to help them see where things were leading.

Boy, I am glad to have returned to Two Girls Down and hope for more of Alice and Cap, who proved uniquely human and engaging. I kept thinking about what I would have missed if I'd just let this one go because I formed a misguided initial impression.

Blog review scheduled for Jan. 4, 2018

NetGalley/Doubleday

Mystery/Suspense/Crime. Jan. 9, 2018. Print length: 322 pages.