Cover Image: Losing Leah Holloway

Losing Leah Holloway

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Member Reviews

Well written suspense filled mystery. While I guessed who the actual villian was, I had no idea of the nasty intervention of the other seemingly sympathetic character. Enjoyed The evolution of Claire and Connor's relationship. This was thrilling from start to finish.

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What would cause a seemingly content woman to drive a car full of children off a bridge? This is the mystery that fuels Losing Leah Holloway. This is a suspenseful, fast-paced read that I couldn’t put down!

While Losing Leah Holloway can be read as a standalone, I HIGHLY recommend reading Finding Claire Fletcher first!

5 years after being rescued from captivity, Claire Fletcher is on her way to recovery. One morning while fishing with her sister, she witnesses a car run off a bridge. Claire runs to the rescue and is able to bring all of the children in the vehicle to safety, but the woman driving, Leah Holloway, chooses to drown.

This event brings Connor, a police detective, back into Claire’s life and they slowly rekindle their relationship as they try to understand Leah’s motives. What they uncover is that there is a WHOLE lot of sinister and tawdry behavior going on behind the scenes of Leah’s suburban neighborhood. Making things even more interesting is that a serial killer targeting soccer moms is on the loose.

Losing Leah Holloway sucked me in from the beginning--there’s a ton of action, drama, and a little bit of romance. Leah’s story was hard to read, but I think Lisa Regan did a great job of fleshing out her character so that the reader could get a clear picture of what was going on to drive her to suicide (no pun intended).

It’s rare for me to like a second book in the series more than the first, but this is the case with this book. Claire and Connor’s characters are more developed, and some of the issues I had with the first book were cleaned up in this one. My only complaint is that I wanted more of Claire and Connor! Hoping there is going to be another book in the series!

I received a copy of this book from the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

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I thought this book was fantastic. I thought it had the right amount of suspense, dread, mystery, romance, and intrigue to keep me interested and happily reading! I have read quite a few books lately where I just want to tell others to READ THIS BOOK!!! This is one of them! This book is the second in the series but it works brilliantly as a stand alone novel. I did not read the first book; although, I desperately want to do so now!!!

I was hooked from the beginning when a woman, Leah Holloway, drives a car full of children off a overpass into a river. From there the story unfolds and it is quite the story full of family secrets, abuse, murder, romance, tension, starting over, and secret lives.

Claire Fletcher and her sister, Brianna are fishing when they see the car drive off the overpass and into the river. Claire jumps into action and is able to get all of the children out of the car safely through the sunroof. What is baffling is that the driver, Leah Holloway, does not want to be saved. In fact, she tries to stop Claire from saving her and the children. Claire is haunted by Leah's face as he describes it as being "terrorized".

While shivering on the river bank after saving the children, Claire is reacquainted with Connor Parks, the investigator who solved Claire's abduction case. Claire Fletcher had been kidnapped and held for 10 years by a pedophile. Claire has been home for 5 years and had a romantic relationship with Connor which ended even though both still have feelings for the other.

Connor and his partner, Jade have been working the "Soccer Mom Strangler" investigation. Women who look similar to Leah have been raped, strangled and found with bite marks on their bodies. While attempting to figure out why Leah Holloway drove her vehicle off an overpass killing 4 people in addition to herself, Connor and his partner begin to wonder what connection did Leah have to the Soccer Mom Strangler. Was there a connection?

As the story progresses, the reader is given more insight into Leah Holloway's life. She was seen by all as the perfect Mom, with a stable marriage. She did not drink, she had a strong distaste for cheaters and had no problems at her job. Not only are we given more insight into Leah's life but we also learn more about Claire and her abduction and the rapes and beatings she suffered over the years. This helps to fill in information on Claire's life and why she had issues being in a relationship with Connor from the first book. This was done in a very subtle way. I learned a lot about her without having the full synopsis of the first book thrown into the mix.

A lot happens in this book and it all feels believable. I appreciated how the story of Leah was given in little snippets and how the police investigation progressed. Nothing felt rushed or dragged on in this book. There are some really good twists and turns in this book. There were also revelations that I did not see coming! I love when an Author is able to pull this off! I also love when I read a book out of sequence and it makes me want to go back and read the first in the series. That is how good this book is. I also really enjoyed the romance between Connor and Claire. I really hope there will be another book in the series. I will be first in line to read it.

If you enjoy fast paced thriller this book is for you! If you like a little romance with your mystery/thriller this book is for you! If you like a page turner this book is for you!

I highly recommend this book.

I received a copy of this book from Thomas and Mercer and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to them for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.

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Before I started reading this book I saw that it was the second in a series so I had a moment of doubt, but decided to give it a shot anyways. Boy am I glad that I did!

Losing Leah Holloway is a really fast moving story. I had no idea what to expect when I started it, but within minutes I was completely absorbed by the story. It's told in short and exciting chapters that are really quick to read and keep you saying to yourself just one more chapter and then I will do something else.

Overall great story with romance, suspension and thrills.

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I read the first book in this series and really enjoyed it. Finding Claire Fletcher was my first introduction to author, Lisa Regan a few years ago. When I heard there was going to be another book in the series, I was excited. I believe that reading the first book would add to the experience; but it’s definitely not necessary, Losing Leah Holloway can easily be read as a stand-alone.

I REALLY enjoyed this novel. It opens with a shocking and dramatic scene… I was instantly gripped, desperate to know what happened. I only put this novel down when I absolutely had to, and you would have been hard pressed to try to pull this book from my hands as I got towards the end.

The beginning of the book briefly covers what happened in the first book. Claire Fletcher was reunited with her family five years ago after being abducted and held captive for ten years by a pedophile.

Claire is spending the day fishing with her sister, Brianna. Claire loves to fish, it helps with her anxiety. Brianna is just happy to be spending time with her sister. Unfortunately, what they had hoped would be a relaxing day soon takes a shocking turn.

Claire is talking to Brianna about Connor Parks. Connor is a detective with Sacramento’s Office of Investigations. He is the one who solved Claire’s abduction case. Claire and Connor dated briefly when she returned home, but she finds it difficult to explain why things didn’t work out. Her family, especially Brianna, holds out hope that Connor and Claire will get back together. After what she’s been through, Claire doesn’t know if she’ll ever be able to have a normal relationship.

Suddenly car horns and tires squealing interrupt their conversation and they are astonished as they look up at the overpass and see a red SUV come flying over the side landing in the very river they are fishing in. Without thinking, Claire jumps into the river and swims out to the van. She sees a woman in the driver’s seat. Claire then notices children in the vehicle. How on earth will she get everyone out to safety? She feels herself floating away, separating herself from what is happening, something she used to get through all those years in captivity. But she’s able to shake herself back to reality; she must save them.

But when the woman in the car finally comes to, she looks at Claire with a look that Claire knows well. This woman has been terrorized. Claire screams at her to unlock the door. But the woman doesn’t. It’s now up to Claire to save the children. She shakes away the thought of not being able to get them out.

“She was not going to watch five children die before her eyes”

Detective Connor Parks is in the middle of a “Soccer Mom Strangler” police briefing while all this is happening at the river. The killer got his name because he targets Sacramento soccer moms who all have certain similarities. He kills them all in the same way and the police need to stop him before he kills again.

Thirty-seven year old Leah Holloway was the driver of the SUV. Connor and his partner Jade work to find out more about Leah Holloway, while also working the “Soccer Mom Strangler” case. They try to unravel Leah’s life to figure out why she did what she did. From all accounts, Leah Holloway was a happy mother and wife...

The story is told from multiple perspectives, but I had no problem keeping track of who was speaking or what was happening. If anything it only added to my enjoyment of the story. Between the serial killer case, Leah Holloway, and Claire and Connor there’s a lot going on, but it all comes together so well.

Lisa Regan has done it again. In my review of the first book in the series I said “what a heart-wrenching, devastating, emotional, well-written and fantastic book!” and now that I’ve read the second book in the series I have to say…. Ditto! This was an awesome read and I can’t wait to read more from this author.

Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest review.

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What would make a loving, devoted mother smash her car into two others, killing the passengers, before hurling her own vehicle over a bridge into the water below in a purposeful attempt to kill herself and the five children with her? She was a happily married soccer mom who never drank, smoke or fooled around. Her life was perfect. Or was it?

In this second installment of Lisa Regan's Clair Fletcher series, this question will be asked repeatedly: what was going on in Leah Holloway's life that led her to the tragic, horrifying events on that day. The answers, as they slowly unravel, will shock and horrify you!

Although this is the second in the series, it is very much a stand alone novel. I didn't read the first book and the events were explained in enough detail as this drama unfolded that I had a clear picture of Fletcher and Detective Connor Parks. There were some peripheral characters that weren't given a backstory, but it wasn't relevant to the overall storyline.

Losing Leah Holloway is more than just a thriller, although it will hold your attention and have you gripping your chair at times. It is the untold story of many women who try very hard to fit the image of perfection in today's society, a society that expects perfection 24/7. When a crack or fissure appears for these women, it is often damaging and unforgivable. Far too many don't have the skills or network around them to cope. We lose them just as we lost Leah Holloway.

My thanks to Netgalley, Thomas and Mercer and Lisa Regan for my copy of this book.

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What makes a well balanced mother who doesn't drink go crazy and ram cars, killing innocent people as she drives her car with both her and her neighbours children in it, into the river where Claire Fletcher dives in and is able to save the children but Leah Holloway refuses to be saved, preferring to drown.
Claire and her once boyfriend Detective Connor Parks rekindle their relationship as they trace the movements of Leah and delve into her background. What they find isn't the picture perfect life that appears at first glance. A well written sequel to Finding Claire Fletcher with loads of suspense. Recommended

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When the leaves start to fall, I usually turn to some thriller and mystery books. There’s something about the season that just begs for a spook. I had stepped away from detective thrillers where they are dealing with a serial killer, because it usually ends up affecting my sleep. Having said that, I was recently intrigued by a book of this sort titled Losing Leah Holloway, I decided to give it a try.

Losing Leah Holloway by Lisa Regan is the second book in the Claire Fletcher and Detective Parks Mystery Series. I have not read the first book, it deals with Claire Fletchers abduction situation, but I didn’t feel that you needed to read that book to follow this one. Yes, there are references to Claires situation, but the author provides enough context for the new readers to feel in the loop.

This book is about a serial killer deemed “The Soccer Mom Strangler” and his connection to Leah Holloway a mom who drives her SUV with her kids and neighbor’s kids into the river and when Claire tries to save her, she kills herself. Detective Parks oversees the Holloway case, and the cops can’t figure out why a woman with a seaming perfect life would kill herself and try to kill her kids. As the investigations starts to unfold, it becomes clear that Leah was hiding something from her husband and friends, something she was so terrified about that she would end her life and try to kill her kids for.

This story managed to be intriguing and scary without going into much detail about the murders. You are never really in the killer’s mind or present while he is performing the crimes, it’s more about figuring out how these two seemingly independent cases connect. There’s a Desperate Housewife’s element to it, which is interesting. Leah and her best friend/neighbor Rachel appear to have normal mom lives, but there is more to them. They are both secretive about their past and they both want to appear in control all the time. There’s also hints of other suburban families in dismay; a father who goes to his kids soccer game and gets drunk, a wife who cheats on her husband with a landscaper. There’s a lot of hints as to things not being as cookie cutter as they seem.

Another interesting aspect of this book is Claire and Detective Parks history. Having not read the first book and not wanting to spoil anything about this one, I will just say there’s a good element of romance and sexual tension.

I would say this was a capturing read, but it does have a lot of triggering events for many people. There’s the mention of rape, violence, hate of women mother figures. Nothing extreme, but if you are uncomfortable by these topics, this might not be a book for you. However, if you do enjoy a thriller with not too much explicit violence, but that also isn’t a cozy mystery, you should give this book a try.

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5+ Stars.
Well-Played, Ms. Regan. Very Well Played!!

“Losing Leah Holloway” is the 2nd book in Claire Fletcher and Connor Parks Series by Lisa Regan.

Claire Fletcher is a woman who survived the unthinkable. Being held captive for 10 years by a mad man. Now she witnesses the unthinkable. A woman driving her SUV off of a Bridge into a river with children inside. Claire follows her instinct and tries to save them. To Claire, the woman driving the car appears to be terrified. And she refuses to open her door or the windows, seemingly resigned to killing herself and the kids inside. Claire, however, doesn’t think that what she is terrified of, is dying. Claire refuses to give in and is able to rescue everyone but the driver, who she finds out is Leah Holloway. The Detective who arrives at the scene? Connor Parks, Claire’s ex-boyfriend, who just happens to be the man who saved Claire’s life 5 years ago - the man she let slip through her fingers.

What would cause Leah Holloway to drive into a river with 4 small children in her car? How could anyone’s life be that bad? That is the question, my friends.

Meanwhile, a serial killer is murdering Soccer Moms’ in their small Sacramento town. And his calling card is an unusual one. Is it related to the Holloway case?

This is a book that made all of my nerve endings jangled. For much of it, my breath was caught in my throat and the suspense held. Lisa Regan expertly intertwined the storyline of Leah Holloway with Detective Connor Parks and my favorite heroine, Claire Fletcher. With another mystery unfolding before me, my attention span didn’t dwindle for even one teeny second.

“Losing Leah Holloway” brings Connor and Claire back together. For those of us that read “Finding Claire Fletcher” you couldn’t help but root for them. For me, I just adore these two characters. You can’t help but love Claire, not after what she went through before. She is one tough cookie, who is full of heart. And Connor, the swoon-worthy Detective who saved her and has only had eyes for her ever since? Well, need I say more?

While “Losing Leah Holloway” can be read as a standalone (since this book provides a lot of detail about what happened to Claire previously), I recommend reading “Finding Claire Fletcher” first. While I really liked the first book in the series (I gave that one 4 stars), I have to say, I think this follow up was absolutely stellar and I can’t recommend it highly enough.

This was a Traveling Sister Group Read. It included Brenda, Norma, Kaceey, Lindsay, Diane, Deanna and Sarah. We had a great time reading it and for the most part, all of us really enjoyed it.

Thank you to NetGalley, Thomas & Mercer and Lisa Regan for an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

Published on NetGalley, Goodreads, Twitter and Facebook on 10.22.17.

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What a brilliant read.
The title is a strange one but the blurb lured me in and I’m so glad I was approved by NetGalley to read it.
The story starts with Claire and her sister witnessing Leah drive her car off a bridge into the river with children inside the car.
Claire does all she can to get them out but the look Leah gives her means she doesn’t want to be saved.
Claire has her own traumatic history and tells her on/off boyfriend Connor, who is a detective that there’s more to this than meets the eye. And boy she was not wrong!!
The story is told from Claire and Leah’s perspectives so you eventually find out what happened but
I can’t say any more as I don’t want to spoil it but if you like an edge of your seat thriller, then this is for you.
Fantastic read.
Thanks to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for giving me the opportunity to read this.

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This is book two in the Claire Fletcher series. Although the focus is not solely on Claire in this book, I would still highly recommend starting with book one - Finding Claire Fletcher, before diving into this one.

A seemingly ordinary mother, Leah Holloway, drives off a bridge with a car full of children. Now it’s up to Detective Connor Parks to investigate and dig into the life of this woman. How exactly does a woman who displayed no warning signs do something so horrific? What went so wrong in her life to make her take such a drastic step?

Claire takes somewhat of a back-seat in this book. Which for me was unexpected. Maybe in the future I need to take a closer look before I start reading. I was hopeful for more content involving Claire, and of course Connor! The second half of the book mainly focuses on Leah Holloway. (Well, ok she is the title character after all!). But I didn’t feel the characters of Claire and Leah meshed well into one book. I really enjoyed both characters, but Claire and Leah could each stand on their own separately and be terrific. Actually I think I may have preferred to read separate full length books solely devoted to each woman. Even with that said, it didn’t take away from my enjoyment of this book!

It is a very quick read with short chapters that make it hard to put down. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and would recommend!

A Traveling Sister Group read with Brenda, Norma, Lindsay, Diane, Deanna, Susanne and Sarah!

Thank you to NetGalley Thomas & Mercer and Lisa Regan for a copy of this book to read in exchange for an honest review.

For this review and our full traveling sister review please visit Brenda and Norma's Fantastic Traveling Sister Book Blog http://www.twogirlslostinacouleereading.wordpress.com

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4.5 stars!! Wow - this was a fantastic follow up to Finding Claire Fletcher!

This book captured my FULL attention from page one and didn’t let it go until the very last sentence. It was an intense, unique, gripping, heart-pounding, addictive, fast-paced, highly entertaining thriller.

I really enjoyed meeting the main characters, Claire and Connor, in the first book and my love for them grew even deeper through this engrossing story. The author, Lisa Regan, did a fabulous job further developing these characters. I really liked how this story was presented through multiple time frames and various characters’ perspectives. There were several pages that made me gasp and pause to (pick my jaw up off the floor and) ensure I had read things correctly. This novel has many shocking twists and turns that kept me at the edge of my seat and flipping the pages as fast as possible.

I would highly recommend this edgy, jaw-dropping, highly suspenseful novel! Be sure to start with the first book, Finding Claire Fletcher, to ensure you get the entire backstory and can fully appreciate and truly enjoy this unforgettable tale.

I will end by saying that Wilson the dog was such a perfect addition to Claire’s life – absolutely loved him!

A big thank you to NetGalley, Thomas & Mercer and Lisa Regan for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

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LOSING LEAH HOLLOWAY (Claire Fletcher & Detective Parks Mystery #2) picks up 5 years after the first installment in this series, Finding Claire Fletcher. Finding Claire Fletcher was the book that brought the Traveling Sisters together and how we started our reading group for our blog. We were extremely excited to get an advanced copy of this book. For Losing Leah Holloway our group grew to six of us reading and discussing this one together. One of our sisters did not read the first one but the rest of us have. For this special read, I have taken some of Norma’s review and combined it with my sister review.

Losing Leah Holloway is a captivating, tense, and a fast-paced exciting story that was thrilling to read from start to finish with some really great twists and turns that grabbed our attention right away and kept us curious right to the end. The first twist sent us reeling in shock over it and I am not sure I am over it yet. Those twists and turns kept us trying to guess them throughout this mystery. Some of us picking up on some clues to the twists and turns and leaving some of us stumped. I was one of the stumped sisters, and Norma being one of the sisters who did pick up on some clues.

We all loved our returning main characters Claire and Connor from Finding Claire Fletcher and were rooting for them and loved their relationship. We really like how Lisa Regan tied Claire to the story, however, some of us wanted a bit more of Claire. How can I not mention Wilson, Claire’s dog and how much we all enjoyed his character. Such a great name for a dog too.

We all were very satisfied with the ending and everything came together and tied up well for us and leaving us wanting more from these memorable characters. We all are hoping for a third installment to this very special sister series. We highly recommend reading both of these well-done books.

Thank you so much to NetGalley, Thomas & Mercer and Lisa Regan for the opportunity to read a copy of this book in exchange for a review.

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Really enjoyed this story about finding the link between a woman who committed suicide and a serial killer in the area.

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3.5 Missed the first one featuring these characters but the author did a good job filling in without interrupting the plot nor repeating herself endlessly. I was quite caught in the web of this mystery, indeed this story starts with a terrible tragedy, and goes on from there. Seems a women who everyone thought they knew so well had some dire secrets that came back to haunt her big time. A serial killer targeting soccer mom's brings Conner, a police detective back into the frame. Reunites he and Claire as well. Second chances so to speak. Will they get it right this time?

The writing involving the mystery storyline was very well done. Did think the relationship dialogue between Claire and Conner was sometimes awkward. While I did like the two of them together it sometimes felt like that took up to much of the plot and at inoportune times. Just didn't ring true to me sometimes, critical I know. Other than that the pages turned quickly and I found it very suspenseful without being horribly graphic. My kind of story.

Another sisters read but this time we all enjoyed this read to varying degrees.

ARC from Netgalley.

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Enjoyed this book! Lisa Regan continues her detective series! Another great read!

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LOSING LEAH HOLLOWAY (Claire Fletcher & Detective Parks Mystery #2) by LISA REGAN is a tense, suspenseful, thrilling, and a fast-paced novel with some really good twists that grabbed my attention right away and had me totally engaged and curious throughout this whole book.  Losing Leah Holloway picks up 5 years after the first installment in this series, Finding Claire Fletcher and I was extremely excited to get an advanced copy of this novel.  I thought it was just as good if not better than the first book in this series.  

LISA REGAN delivers an action-packed story here that was thrilling and exciting to read from start to finish.  The storyline was interesting, extremely good, tied together nicely throughout, and played out perfectly in the end.  I love Claire and Connor’s relationship and I think they are awesome characters.  

I loved everything about this book and hope that there might be a third installment to this series in the future.  Would recommend!!

Thank you so much to NetGalley, Thomas & Mercer and Lisa Regan for the opportunity to read a copy of this book in exchange for a review.

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A terrific follow-up to Finding Claire Fletcher. I think it's even a little better, and that's saying something. It's more of a companion novel, so you'd be able to enjoy this book and follow along just fine if you haven't read the first book. ...Still read the first book, because it's great and deserves to be read. Lisa Regan is a fantastic author. She managed to make me feel sympathy for a character I seriously doubted I could and kept me completely immersed in this novel, caught in the tangled web she wove.

Claire Fletcher knows something about darkness. She lived there for years. She was abducted when she was fifteen, but never gave up. She's been free for five years, but still deals with the pain and psychological trauma that follow her around and won't let go. When she has the opportunity to save other people, she jumps... right into the water, where a car filled with children is slowly sinking. She succeeds in saving the children, but not the mother behind the wheel. She didn't want Claire to save her. She wanted to drown.

Details about Leah Holloway, the woman in the car, start to come to light... but answers aren't so forthcoming. What would make a married women with three children, who seemed to be happy, healthy, and gainfully employed, drive off a bridge with her children? Her friends and family don't have any answers, and neither does Detective Connor Parks, Claire's ex.

Figuring out where Leah's mind was will take a lot of digging, and some of it will prove dangerous. Some kind of connection between Leah and a serial killer running rampant in the area is apparent, but the M.O. is different. She was the kind of woman he goes after, but she did it to herself.

Claire is still healing and reconnecting with her family, and she and Connor are clearly still in love but aren't together. She considers herself too broken for a man like him, but tragedy may bring them together once more.

An amazing book and an amazing group read with The Traveling Sisters. It's a great idea to read this one with friends, as it's bound to incite discussion and speculation!

I received a copy of this book from Net Galley and Thomas & Mercer, thank you! My review is honest and unbiased.

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The first thing I asked myself when I saw Claire Fletcher #2 was, how is Lisa Regan going to do this? You see, Claire Fletcher was the victim in book one. How much trouble can Lisa Regan inflict on this poor girl? I, for one, had to know.

Don’t be fooled by Lisa Regan, sure, she may look all sweet and innocent, but somewhere inside of her thrives a dark, twisted mind that brings to life some of the most shocking crime books I’ve found. Losing Leah Holloway is filled with dark secrets, so many that I have to wonder how Regan comes up with these scenarios, what is her inspiration?

Losing Leah Holloway starts off with a bang, then Regan leads us on a winding road to discover the why of her story. There was a great bread crumb trail along the way filled with enough twists and turns to keep me interested and guessing.

It was great to see Claire Fletcher again, to know that she was able to move on (more or less) from the terrible ordeal that she suffered in book one. She is a captivating character and it is interesting to get a peek into the life of a character after their story has been told. It worked well bringing Claire into Leah Holloway’s story, it created an instant and immediate familiarity with the characters.

It has been a couple of years since I’ve read a book by Regan, it’s good to see that her crimes are as dark and disturbing as ever.

*4 Stars

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This is a well done thriller with two good lead characters- Claire and Connor- working to solve two mysteries. Long time secrets and lies abound, both for Leah, the woman Claire watches drive in a lake, and for the serial killer of soccer moms. You will root for both of the to answer the questions, as well as to put their own relationship back together. This is the second in a series but you don't need to have read the first to appreciate this, as you get the essence of the critical part of the Claire-Connor back story- her captivity and recovery. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. Try this if you like a page turner.

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