Charlie Donlea has masterfully told the story of young woman kidnapped and the shocking 'who done it' will leave you shaking your head in horror!
This should be one of 2017's top books.

Oh yeah. This was a goodie. My first read of a Charlie Donlea novel and a name I will remember to look out for in the future.

Livia Cutty, our central character, is a fellow in forensic pathology. Her sister Nicole along with her nemesis Megan McDonald went missing over a year ago and, although Megan somehow managed to escape two weeks after she went missing, there is still no sign of Nicole and she is all but presumed dead. Livia is convinced that someday Nicole's body will end up on her table and she will be able to find out first hand what happened to her teenage sister. Instead a body of a man in his mid 20s turns up on her table and provides an unexpected link to her sister. Determined to follow this lead, Livia sets out to find out as much as she can about her sisters past and what happened to her. Spending her spare time following up leads that present themselves, slowly, but one after another once the male body was found and appeared on her table.
She is wracked with guilt over the disappearance of her sister. While they were once close, Nicole became more and more rebellious as a teenager and when Livia moved away to college they had less and less contact. On ththe night she disappeared she had tried to call Livia but she ignored the call, not wanting to get involved in her teenage dramas and rebellion. That decision haunts her and is what is driving her to eventually find out what became of Nicole.

She ends up making contact with Megan, who is now a major celebrity, daughter of the local sheriff who managed to escape her kidnapper, a best selling book recounting her ordeal, the public are both fascinated with the macabre ordeal that she went through and satisfied with the feel good, escape happy ending. Nicole has been forgotten about and there is no room for her in this story of escape.

Livia soon links more missing girls to the same kidnapper and with the help of Megan and access to files from fellow forensic pathologists, soon begins to close in on what may have happened to her sister and the other girls. Who is the person holding these girls and abusing them?

This is a great read. Told in the third person, both in the present and in the past, just before and during the abduction of the two girls, it's a brilliant use of this device(often used) to lead the reader through the story and peel off the layers of mystery. Livia is a fantastic central character, instantly likeable, you have empathy with her and are rooting for her throughout as she tries to find out what happened to her sister. There are some fascinating and detailed segments on autopsys that she carries out, some as plot devices and some just part of her training/work but they really add to the reader being drawn into her world and taken along for the ride.

Megan as well is a very well written character. A reluctant hero, going along with the writing and publishing of the book, more to please others than herself, it's fascinating to read and see both her present and past life. She's an integral part of the story.

Speaking of the story, it's a cracker. Beautifully told, it's very dark and pretty gruesome at times but the pacing is spot on. I didn't find the book dipping at any stage and I was always totally engaged with what was going on. There are a couple of really good red herrings thrown in that are more subtle than I originally thought when reading them. One especially I had to go back and re-read once finished the book, as I was convinced it had told me something concrete in no uncertain terms, and by the end of the book it ended up not being true, so I was a little confused. It was only when I went back to that segment and re-read it did I realise that things were subtlety suggested by the author, very subtlety in fact reading them back, but such was the cleverness of the device that I had swallowed a "maybe" as an "absolute". Very clever by Mr Donlea and I fell for it big time.

The last quarter of the books absolutely flies along as the pace builds to a crescendo and the ending was thoroughly satisfying. Some may feel it ended a little abruptly with the last line but I had no problem with it. The whole thing was more or less resolved by the end.

4.5 stars from me. I really really liked this book. The story, the characters, the writing style were all a winner for me. Charlie Donlea is a name I will look out for in the future and I eagerly look forward to reading his future offerings.

I would like to thank NetGalley, Kensington Publishing Corporation and Charlie Donlea for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Charlie Donlea, one of the most original new voices in suspense, returns with a haunting novel, laden with twists and high tension, about two abducted girls—one who returns, one who doesn’t—and the forensics expert searching for answers.

Nicole Cutty and Megan McDonald are both high school seniors in the small town of Emerson Bay, North Carolina. When they disappear from a beach party one warm summer night, police launch a massive search. No clues are found, and hope is almost lost until Megan miraculously surfaces after escaping from a bunker deep in the woods.

A year later, the bestselling account of her ordeal has turned Megan from local hero to national celebrity. It’s a triumphant, inspiring story, except for one inconvenient detail: Nicole is still missing. Nicole’s older sister Livia, a fellow in forensic pathology, expects that one day soon Nicole’s body will be found, and it will be up to someone like Livia to analyze the evidence and finally determine her sister’s fate. Instead, the first clue to Nicole’s disappearance comes from another body that shows up in Livia’s morgue—that of a young man connected to Nicole’s past. Livia reaches out to Megan for help, hoping to learn more about the night the two were taken. Other girls have gone missing too, and Livia is increasingly certain the cases are connected.

But Megan knows more than she revealed in her blockbuster book. Flashes of memory are coming together, pointing to something darker and more monstrous than her chilling memoir describes. And the deeper she and Livia dig, the more they realize that sometimes true terror lies in finding exactly what you’ve been looking for.

Five Stars
What did I think:
OMG this book was what I needed right now, once I started to read it ,I just couldn't stop ,it had me hooked and before I knew it pulled into the story, it's the type of thriller that plays with your mind, and keeps you guessing from the very start to the very end, ok so it does end on a cliffhanger,but it's a still a five star read,so if you love thrillers that are kind of dark, plays with your mind, keeps you guessing , and has a lot of dark secrets and twist and turns from the very beginning then this one is for you,with that said I want say thinks to NetGalley for giving me the chance at reading this and finding a new author to read, in change for my honest opinion ,and I can't wait to pick up an actual copy of this book and to see what happens next .

The Girl Who was Taken goes back and forth in time. Author Charlie Donlea did an excellent job of melting the time frames together. Some edge of the seat moments. An excellent story that keeps the reader guessing until the final pages. Looking forward to reading more by Mr Donlea. I was given an early copy to review.

Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and author for the opportunity to read this thriller!

If you can get pass the premise of the book - that people get off on abduction stories - and lots of creepy abduction details, then you'll be left with a thrill ride of a book.

Livia Cutty is a fellow in a forensic pathology program in North Carolina, still reeling from guilt over the fact that her younger sister was abducted and is still missing. Megan, the girl who was abducted from the same party on the beach at the end of the previous summer escaped but had so knowledge of what happened to Nicole.

A body fished from the bay starts Livia down a path that leads her to start investigating the disappearance of Megan, Nicole and other girls. Megan is seeing a psychologist and undergoing hypnosis to try and recover more of her memories.

This book will keep you guessing til the last sentence (and even after that!) - it's a great ride and I raced through it

Simply for the forensic pathology element, this book is worth the read. And the mystery was pretty great, too.

I absolutely adored the clinical perspective of this book. Dr. Cutty starts looking at living people and seeing how they might die, which was grotesque but at the same time terribly intriguing to read about and gave her a unique perspective on characters.

I was intrigued by the disconnect between how Megan viewed herself, how her parents viewed her, and how society viewed her. The way that the public so desperately wanted her to be okay was so heartbreaking, and it was also harrowing to see how it was hard for her to truly have her thoughts heard. Her psychologist hypnotises her in an immensely fascinating process to watch and learn about.

I thought the organisation was confusing and I found it hard to follow the separate timelines at points. There are a lot of characters to keep track of and a lot of girls that are hurt. I think it would have benefitted from seeing fewer points of view.

The ending was highly satisfactory, though sad and not at all what I expected. This book had my emotions going and the mystery led me in several different ways, yet the ultimate resolution was not as I expected, though it made total sense.

The relationships that the various characters form was the icing on the cake for this book. I didn't expect them to evolve as they did, yet all details were satisfying to hear about.

This book is definitely worth the read.

An incredible book by this author. Multiple kidnappings and murders. The suspense will have you reading far into the night because you won't want to put it down. Lots of twists and turns with many surprises.

Livia Cutty is studying to be a forensic pathologist. A year ago her younger sister was abducted at the same time as another girl. Livia's sister is still missing, the other girl managed to escape. Livia feels tremendous guilt because on the night her sister disappeared she called her and Livia ignored the call.

This book goes back and forth from the time before the kidnapping to present time. The characters in this book are connected by the fact they have all experienced the disappearance of a loved one. There is plenty of suspense to keep you guessing as to who did it. You're not quite sure if Livia's sister is alive or dead. The ending snuck up on me, totally out of the blue. I would give this book 4 1/2 stars.Thank you to net galley for an advanced readers copy.

Two high school seniors disappear from a beach party, but after two weeks of captivity--only one escapes. A year later, Megan McDonald continues to come to terms with the changes in her life since her escape; Nicole Cutty is still missing.

Nicole's sister Dr. Livia Cutty is a forensic pathology fellow and has a special commitment to analyzing the forensic evidence provided by the dead. She expects that she, or someone like her, will one day perform the autopsy on her sister's body. But when she performs an autopsy on a young man from her sister's past, Livia needs answers to what happened the night the two girls disappeared, and she wants to know who is responsible.

In an effort to find out more, Livia approaches Megan McDonald, the girl who escaped. Megan may know more than she realizes.

The chapters move from present to past, filling in background information about Nicole and Megan as they each moved toward the night of their disappearance.

I always wonder about those individuals who choose to become medical examiners. Autopsies, regardless of how important these examinations are in determining cause of death and forensic detail, are gruesome affairs. Livia has a sense of humanity about her work, but it is grim work.

Donlea does a good job of both giving and withholding information, and I was surprised when I finally caught on about the villain.

Although there were a few things that felt underdeveloped, The Girl Who Was Taken was a compelling read. Not a particularly good title or cover, but a tense and compelling story.

(The chapter that takes place after the crime is solved indicates there will be more from Livia Cutty.) Read in March; blog review scheduled for April 12.

NetGalley/Kensington Books

Crime/Suspense. April 25, 2017. Print length: 320 pages.

Nicole Cutty and Megan McDonald, both high school seniors disappear from a beach party.
Megan escapes and writes a book about her time in captivity. Livia, Nicole’s sister and
a fellow in forensic pathology, starts her own investigation to find out what happened to Nicole.
The plot was strong and moved at a good pace with twists and turns to keep up the suspense.
I was sure I had figured out the suspect half way through
only to be surprised at the end. I would have like to have known the id of the body at the end, not that it affected the story, but because I don't like hanging threads. The characters were well developed and the dialogue was realistic and believable. Well worth the read and I recommend it to others.

Yesterday I dropped my beloved Kindle I picked it up and gave it the once over and all seemed well......until I reached a point in this book and I thought it had failed me. There I was, at the high point of this book really getting into it. Flicked for next page....no next page.....checked Kindle and no it was working fine. Then said to myself they must not have put all the book in....it must be a mistake. No mistake, this book left me high and dry. I could have cried!
I'm not sure exactly how I feel about this book. I found it very slow to get moving and overly descriptive about certain things like the history of the areas and way too elaborate on some of the forensic stuff. But once it got going it was really good.
The charachter of Livia is one that is really well developed throughout the book. The sister of a missing teenager and coroner in training. She was one that you really felt for. Her missing sister Nicole, I just had no compassion for her at all. I found her charachter hard to get on with. So as the story partially centers around her being missing your feelings are very mixed....you want her found safe and well for the sake of Livia but at the same time...she's really annoying!!!
Megan was another character that was very well developed and really likeable.
When the book warms up there are several false leads for the reader which are really well written. You think you've got it solved but then about a third of the way through the book there is a scene that gave it away for me. Though you can never be 100% certain with these kinds of books I wasn't overall surprised when the kidnapper was revealed. In saying that it was still very enjoyable reading how it all falls apart.
Now here is where I'm torn....the ending...that last sentence. The book just stops. The way it ended unsettled me as a reader. It was a great book but I was left sitting there thinking what just happened....

Forensics don't lie even though people do.

And lightning seems to strike quite often in the same locale.

Charlie Donlea is back with another thriller here. The characters within find themselves oddly connected by the eerie strand of a missing loved one. No clues. Just gone.

But one unfortunate victim, Megan McDonald, has slipped from the clutches of her captor and run head-long onto a lonely highway. She's been rescued, but her inner being is still tangled up in the horrendous nightmare of those dark days and nights. Sessions with her psychiatrist reveal nothing of substance. What actually happened?

Enter Dr. Livia Cutty, a forensic pathology fellow, whose sister, Nicole, has also been missing. Livia is under the scrutiny of her professor, Dr. Colt, and yet she seems to have a wild gene for bucking the system. Donlea takes us deep into the world of pathology and forensics through the bodies brought into the lab for autopsies. Prepare yourself for very detailed descriptors. The man has done his homework well.

But it's the character of Nicole that adds chinks to this armor. Livia is a powerhouse and Megan displays a rare stamina for getting to the core of her abduction. Nicole is an irritating individual and the high school banter between teen girls was done in overkill. The premise for the storyline expects the reader to buy waterfront property in the Sahara at times. We've seen too many renegade "sisters" and family connections trying to unmask the abductor. Livia should have been a solo act with no emotional strings tied to vengeance.

I enjoyed Charlie Donlea's Summit Lake. He's growing well as an author. I upped this one to 4 stars for that very reason. And the ending? Let's just say that this sandwich was cut off in mid-bite. Expect another round with Livia in the future. Here's hoping there's plenty of crust on that bread.

I received a copy of The Girl Who Was Taken through NetGalley for an honest review. My thanks to Kensington Publishers and to Charlie Donlea for the opportunity.

This is my first read of a Charlie Donlea book and I was thoroughly impressed.
The novel is about two abducted girls, one who returns, one who doesn’t.
Nicole Cutty and Megan McDonald are both high school seniors in the small town of Emerson Bay, North Carolina. When they disappear from a beach party one warm summer night, police launch a massive search. No clues are found, and hope is almost lost until Megan miraculously surfaces after escaping from a bunker deep in the woods.

A year later, the bestselling account of her ordeal has turned Megan from local hero to national celebrity. Nicole is still missing and Nicole’s older sister Livia, a fellow in forensic pathology decides to investigate the evidence and try to uncover the mystery behind her missing sister. Livia asks Megan for help, hoping to learn more about the night the two were taken.
The character Livia is an excellent likeable character and with the aid of a vert good story-line and a suspenseful finale make this book a very good read.

I had never heard of author Charlie Donlea previously but I am well aware of him now and will look out for his other books in the future.

I would like to thank Net Galley and Kensington for supplying a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

Oh, this book, this book. I went back and forth and then, back and forth. I just knew who the suspect was. Wrong. Then I just knew who the suspect was again and who was helping the suspect. Wrong. Then I absolutely knew who the suspect was, final answer. Wrong.

You would think I would be frustrated. No! I was loving it. So many suspects. Who doesn't love a book that gives you many suspects? Who wants to know who did it right off the bat?

This was a great book. The author took us to before the disappearance of Megan and Nicole and what was going on with those two girls. Then to a year after Megan's escape from her captor. At this time, Megan had written a book, became a national celebrity and Nicole was still missing. Nicole's older sister, Livia, meanwhile had become a forensic intern and was still searching for her sister. Scared that any day she would show up on her table, but still anxiously waiting to hear any news.

Livia uncovers something from one of the bodies that shows up on her table and links it to Megan's and Nicole's past. Then her and Megan start to work together to find Nicole. Megan still hasn't put all the pieces together. This is when the suspense starts.

An outstanding read that I could not put down. Yes, I was guessing up until almost the very end. And . . . yeah, that's all I'm going to tell you. It is worth your time to find out yourself.

Huge thanks to Kensington Books for approving my request and to Net Galley for providing me with a free e-galley in exchange for an honest unbiased review.

A story of missing girls, with a different angle, from the sister of one of the girls. Olivia wasn't there for her sister at the most crucial moment of her young life. She lived to regret this and make amends. This book delves into the darker side of life, has plenty of twists and turns, making it a thought good read.

3.5 *'s rounded up to 4. "The Girl Who Was Taken" is definitely an engaging read. Two high school girls go missing, one escapes abduction (Megan) and the other remains missing (Nicole). A year later, Nicole's older sister Livia is a fellow in forensic pathology. She hope to someday find out what happened to her sister. I did have to suspend belief a bit that such a young woman could gain so much information on her own and actually never got in trouble for doing so. This novel has great pace, switching both timelines and character viewpoints. I loved the parts from Livia's point of view. Unfortunately, I did for the most part figure it out quite early on despite numerous red herrings. There were still surprises along the way. Overall, it was a very enjoyable read and I would definitely pick up another Charlie Donlea novel again.

Zipped right through this one, and then dove into Charlie Donlea's previous book, "Summit Lake".

I'll say that "The Girl Who Was Taken" was a better book, but "Summit Lake" had a satisfactory ending. I'm assuming that Donlea left the door open and the mystery unresolved so he can crank out a sequel or series. I'm hoping that he'll get it out quickly!

Great book! Loved the forensics and the main character Livia. I couldn't turn the pages fast enough. The end is a shocker...

The Girl Who Was Taken is the first book I have read by the author and I have to say that I am impressed. Charlie Donlea certainly knows how to weave a thrilling story while leaving readers hanging by the edge of their seats wanting more. This is done with shorter chapters (which go back and forth in time from past and present) giving readers small glimpses at a time. For me, this adds to the flow of the story and makes it even more suspenseful. Just be warned, you are going to constantly tell yourself "just one more chapter" and then poof you read the whole story.

In terms of plot and characters, I think the author presented the perfect heroine. She has just the right amount of smarts and is connected to everything that is happening which makes the story easy to get lost in. You sort of feel like you are the one investigating what is happening so kudos to the author for pulling this off. The plot itself is very good as well. It's a bit unnerving, completely thrilling and intriguing, and for the most part believable. However, I am not a huge fan of how everything ended which is why I had to go down a star. As a readers (and this is only my personal opinion) I like everything wrapped up at the end of a story in a tight little bow and we simply do not get this with the novel. Maybe there will be a second book? We shall see.

Overall, I certainly enjoyed the novel and would recommend it to fellow readers who enjoy this genre. I would also go back and read the authors debut novel based on the writing style, flow, and plot of this book.