This was a great, page turning read! The characters played out well in this story. I liked all the different POV's that were told throughout this story.

The ending was a total surprise, did not see that coming!

I would highly recommend this book to others!

Right up till the last chapters, Mr. Donlea had me guessing. Then it seemed so obvious, left me wondering how did I miss seeing that coming? Fast paced read and learned more about forensic science. Believe that Livia could be developed into a ongoing series character. Agree that it could have a more dynamic title. Will be reading Summit Lake in the near future.

Thank you to the publisher, author, and NetGalley for the opportunity to preview the book.

4.5 stars

Having enjoyed Mr. Donlea’s first novel, Summit Lake, I was thrilled to get the opportunity to read an advanced copy of his second book, The Girl Who Was Taken. Readers who are sick of books with “Girl” in the title should take heed NOT to dismiss this novel because of its title. It’s a winner.

The story takes place in one of my favorite states, North Carolina. The protagonist is Livia Cutty, a fellow in pathology, studying to be a medical examiner. Great name for someone who does autopsies, don’t you think? Young women have disappeared, including Livia’s sister Nicole. Though Livia holds little hope that Nicole is still alive, she needs to know what happened to her sister for any sense of closure. The case is essentially cold so Livia starts a thoughtful investigation on her own when a homicide victim with potential ties to Nicole lands on her autopsy table.

WHAT I LIKED:

-I loved everything about Livia. She is smart, compassionate, dogged, independent and real. I hope Mr. Donlea considers developing a series for her.

-The story flips from one time frame to another. Some may think it’s too much, but I found it easy to follow and the story I think benefits from being told in this manner.

-Short snappy chapters keep the reader moving and prevent the reader from being away too long from each time period, thus minimizing the break in the flow.

-The storyline is terrific. There are lots of interesting characters involved and tons of fodder for Mr. Donlea to lead or mislead the reader. There is nail-biting suspense towards the finale and the ending is a crackerjack! I was blindsided although in retrospect the clues were there for me to figure it out. I just wasn’t smart enough. Kudos, Mr. Donlea!

-The very last sentence.

-Oh, and I loved the detail provided about the ins and outs of autopsies.

WHAT I DIDN’T LIKE SO MUCH (all minor issues that together lost the book ½ star):

-Like Kelsey, the investigative reporter in Summit Lake, Livia, the medical examiner in–training attained access to a lot of information that I’m not sure could have been accomplished in “real life.” I considered being outraged, but elected to simply suspend belief and enjoy the story.

-In the beginning, I was getting a bit tired of Nicole’s acting out. Yes, she had a good reason to be like that, and it was probably necessary for the setup, but I was getting restless for the story to move on.

-I wished the author had done a little more with the setting. North Carolina is one of the most beautiful states in the country what with its mountains and shorelines.

-The very last sentence. Yes, I liked it and I disliked it. I liked it as it may portend a sequel. I didn’t like it as it left me to think for myself what it meant, but if that is the case, I have since come to terms with it.

Do I recommend The Girl Who Was Taken? Oh yes, I certainly do. This book is for all fans of intrigue and a mind-bending plot. There should be a genre called “intrigue.” This book is full of intrigue. Go for it!

I would like to thank Kensington Books, Net Galley, and Mr. Charlie Donlea for an advanced copy of this novel. My opinions are mine alone and are not biased in any way.

Two high school seniors. Two girls gone missing. Only one returns. After reading Charlie Donlea’s Summit Lake featuring investigative reporter Kelsey Castle, I was excited to receive a copy of Donlea’s new book, The Girl Who Was Taken. The bad news is that Castle does not appear in this thriller. The good news is that this work is even better.

I was abducted and held captive by this tale of missing young women from the very first chapter. Even though one of the missing teens, Nicole Cutty, is rebellious and obnoxious in the way she seeks attention, I was hooked on learning what happened to her. Her classmate, Megan McDonald, was almost her polar opposite – popular, dedicated to helping others, respectful. She was the one who got away. She wrote a book, and with the help of a therapist, she was attempting to put her life back together. The contrast between the two girls personalities and their stories throughout the book was seductive. Once friends, they were estranged by the time they reached high school, and this conflict is just one of the tensions – at least on Nicole’s side – as the scene is set.

My favorite parts, though, were those involving Livia, Nicole’s older sister. She’s a forensic pathology fellow who becomes deeply enmeshed in the mystery of the girls’ abductions when a body turns up on her autopsy tabled that raises questions about her sister’s disappearance. Are other cases possibly related? Livia embarks on her own investigation and gains an unlikely ally – Megan McDonald. Does Livia find out what happened to Nicole? Could she possibly be alive?

The chapters featuring Livia were the ones I particularly liked – the autopsies and the ride-alongs lent authenticity to the character. I have a little background in medical terminology, but I won’t pretend to know what a real post-mortem is like. Still, there was enough information there that seemed authentic enough for me to know that Mr. Donlea did his research. I will say that the author stretched things a bit by having Dr. Cutty (Livia) do a bit too much on her own, not in a professional capacity and not going through proper channels. We also get to sit in on Megan’s therapy sessions. This had me feeling somewhat like a voyeur – and holding my breath at times as I waited to hear what she would reveal.

As the narrative zigs and zags from months before the abduction to the present and back and forth until we finally get to the abduction itself, the tension rises and falls, but I never felt bored. Nor did I feel impatient. There was a point where I was shocked to suddenly realize that I “knew” who the killer was. Then, in the very next chapter, I decided that it could possibly be someone else. Ultimately, I was wrong on both counts. I actually love when that happens! The real question is does Megan find the answers she needs so that she can move forward with her life? And what happened to Nicole?

The Girl Who Was Taken has its disturbing moments, to be sure. I might even suggest that it requires a little bit of suspended belief. It is fiction, after all. To those who, like me, are skeptical of books with “Girl” in the title, I would encourage you to avoid that voice in your head that whispers, “Don’t do it.” I say, “Do it.” You won’t be sorry. My thanks to NetGalley, Kensington Books, and the author. My opinion is my own.

4.5 stars

Pulse-pounding suspense thriller that grabbed hold, kept me engrossed and guessing throughout.

Dr. Livia Cutter, a medical examiner fellow in Raliegh, North Carolina, chose the specialty of forensic pathology because she wanted to be able to answer questions about how someone died. The job, she hoped, would help her come to terms with the disappearance of her younger sister, Nicole, who had vanished a year prior. On that same night, another girl was also taken -- Megan McDonald, daughter of the local Emerson Bay's sherriff -- who had escaped after 2 weeks in captivity and returned home. But, where was Nicole? Megan, a scholar and star student who gave up Duke University, was working with a therapist and trying to get her life back on track. Livia and Megan connect when the body of a young man is pulled from the Bay. Apparently he was a guy Nicole was dating before she vanished. Livia keeps digging and new information comes to light.

There's a lot going on in this story told in flashbacks to the time preceding the abduction and present day. Livia feels compelled to investigate the links, especially after she finds a commonality between Nicole, Megan, and the bodies of other missing girls. I liked the characters, the red herrings, and the twisty plot.

A worthy follow up to his first novel, Donlea is an author that I plan to watch. The rather abrupt ending made me wonder if there will be a sequel to this or if I am expected to come to my own conclusion! I definitely recommend it.

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Publishing for the e-book ARC to review.

High school seniors Megan and Nicole disappear from a party sending alarm bells through their small North Carolina town. Police and locals mount an exhaustive search but find no clues and have just about given up hope when Megan stumbles back into town after escaping from a bunker in the woods. A year later, Megan’s story is the subject of a bestselling book and she is lauded a hero. But Nicole has never been found. Nicole’s older sister, Livia, a pathologist is startled when a friend of Nicole’s show up dead and on her autopsy table. More girls have gone missing and Livia wants Megan to help her track down the killer, and hopefully the location of her missing sister. Megan’s memory, meanwhile, is returning, and it’s quite different from the account she gave to the police. Tense, atmospheric and just damn good