Cover Image: Come and Get Me

Come and Get Me

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Member Reviews

The main character reaches back to her darkest memories from the past when the college student goes missing. The journalist turns her life upside down in order to help fin the missing girl. Good read, fast paced thriller.

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This is a story about a woman, Caitlin, a journalist. She is living in California and returns to her college town in Bloomington, Indiana. She had not returned in twenty years, after having survived a brutal attack. There are a few storylines going on with the engaging cast of supporting characters. I struggled to get through this book in parts. It was a bit formulaic and predictable. 3.5 stars.

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Come and Get Me was a wild ride. Caitlin was brave yet fearful, strong yet broken and tenacious yet weak. She was as real as it gets. I admired her strong will and desire to keep pushing boundaries and limits.

There was a lot going on in this book with a lot of supporting characters who essentially felt the same in that they all seemed like real people - full of problems, broken spirits and a hopefulness that things will work out in the end.

I enjoyed seeing it play out in my head, almost as if I was watching a movie. I appreciated how detail-oriented the plot was as well as tying up all loose ends by the end. I thought it was a great book - I liked it and enjoyed reading it but for some reason, I didn't love it.

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Caitlin Bergman, a journalist, returns to her alma mater to receive an honorary degree. Caitlin had a dubious past at the university that was traumatic but involved a crime that was never solved. What is still happening at the university? Women are still missing. Caitlin joins with journalist student Lakshmi Anjale to solve the mystery with or without the help of the police. There are some interesting characters and plenty of twist and turns in this mystery. You will be in suspense through out this entire book.

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I realize rape is an extremely important topic, but I don't want to read about it. I skimmed through Come and Get Me. Unfortunately, I didn't care for the content. Thanks to NetGalley for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

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Come and Get Me is a fantastic read! It’s reads like a trip to your favorite ice cream shop to get your favorite sweet treat!

Yes all my thriller loving friends, Come and Get Me by the talented Mr. Norman, is the perfect sundae treat delivered with delicious scoops of thrills, drizzled with just enough of that must have chocolate-flavored psycho and of course I can’t forget - it’s topped with just enough nuts to question who in the read is the nuttiest! Oh and the ending course is one that I dub the sweet cherry on top 🍒! I’m giving Come and Get Me with 4.5 stars and rounding it up to 5 for the sheer brilliance in the writing that left me guessing who the true psychopath was!❤️❤️

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This is a thriller wrapped in a mystery laid on a path of self-discovery.

Rape is not an easy subject to write about or explore, especially as a victim or survivor but NORMAN does a very credible job of showing where the hero’s hardness lies due to this rape, and she must be hard because her life is about to become hell.

Caitlin comes back to her Alta Mater to accept a degree she didn’t get twenty years ago (not that it stopped her career, she’s an award winning journalist and investigative reporter) but it puts her physically in the place where she was raped twenty years ago.

Caitlin toys with exploring her past while in Indiana, but ultimately decides to find out what happened to Angela Chapman, a student from the same university who disappeared two years ago. She joins a student (best friend of the missing woman) and the local police force; with which she has a history because of her rape and that history is not justice all round. They covered things up twenty years ago, she assumes they are still corrupt but she can’t get anywhere without their help, unfortunately.

As Caitlin delves deeper into the mystery surrounding Angela Chapman’s disappearance, she must face a few of her own old devils and ghosts.

Then, the twist. The collector is watching her. In addition, he’s still collecting women for his collection while Caitlin is nosing around. Right now, he reckons she’s above his wallet range, as collectable items go. However, all collectors sometimes have to make a difficult choice, go for broke and get the piece de resistance or lose the entire collection forever. A very twisted collection.

NORMAN does a very credible job developing his plot and his characters, Caitlin does seem slightly flat and emotionally cut off at times, but with her history, this is the correct way to portray the character since we are not delving into her psyche.

I rate this book 4 stars and congratulate Mr. NORMAN on an excellent debut and hope to read more of him in the future.

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I thoroughly enjoyed this thriller! I had a difficult time putting it down once I got into it. I thought the characters were well developed and it was full of twists and turns. It involves the abduction of a university student and the resulting investigation by a friend of the victim and a journalist. There are many twists to this story, it is as unpredictable as it is intriguing. The book also delves into recovery from a rape that took place may years in the past, seeking closure and moving on. I recommend this book to other readers of thrillers.

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A very good fast paced thriller that will keep you reading until you finish!
This writer grabs you in and does not give you a reprieve. I liked this book
very much and will look for more by this author. Don't miss out on this one!

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Thank you to the publisher for a chance to read and review an ARC of this book. For the most part, I enjoyed the book. The plot was great and didn't give itself away. The only issue I really had was an unlikable (or maybe just unrelatable) protagonist. I think a male author really capturing and bringing to life a female protagonist is hard to do but if you're a fan of fast-paced mystery thrillers, this book is worth checking out.

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I enjoyed Come and Get Me. There were plenty of unexpected twists and turns. I would enjoy reading more of the author's work.

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Touchdown.. Great read but make sure you have time to finish because you will not want to put it down.

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I enjoyed reading this book. It had a good story to it. I liked the variety of characters in it. It is my first book read by this author. I hope to read more books by this author.

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Four credits short of college graduation, Caitlin went on to write award-winning investigative journalism. Now, 20 years later, she returns to finally receive her diploma. In her speech, Catlin mentions that she had been raped and left for dead. This, by someone she had known (and thought) had trusted 20 years ago.

Still wary of being in Bloomington, Indiana again, Caitlin has friends; Mary, a college prof who had been Caitlin's best friend, and Scott - a 70 year old psychology prof (Caitlin is now living in California)

As quickly as Caitlin meets new people in Bloomington, she still is inclined to get help and assistance from those she TRUSTS. Of course, most are back in California.

Lakshmi (Laks) is the first new person to glom onto Caitlin. Laks is on the school newspaper. Also, her best friend is Angela who disappeared 2 years ago. For the past 2 years, Laks has been loudly a constant pest to the police and anyone else who will listen to her. She is adamant that Angela is alive and somehow ropes Caitlin into assisting her to find her. Caitlin calls in favors from a once "dirty cop" PI friend in Los Angeles - Mike Roman and Jim Martinez, FBI.

Caitlin and Laks go through two weeks of investigating - more or less with the help of local police. Caitlin has a fling with Jerry - one of Bloomington's finest. In turn, he helps her out, too.

As not to create a spoiler, I cannot say too much more - except that the suspense drums up and there are a number of surprises in store for the reader.

A good read.

Many thanks to Crooked Lane books and netGalley for an enjoyable book.

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A great debut novel. This book was full of interesting characters, a story that sucked you in from the beginning. This debut had everything and was missing nothing. Well done, well written and most definitely a page turner. Can't wait for the next one in the series!!! Could not put it down. Looking forward to more by this author.

Thank you #netgalley and #crookledlane books for the eARC.

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Thank you Netgalley for the advanced copy in exchange for honest opinion/review.

This book was fun and exciting. It had your basic Thriller/suspense set up, but not basic story. I had fun with the characters, and did not guess the "bad guy" until author wanted me too. Great book!

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Wouldn’t be surprised if you didn’t want to go away to college after reading this book! What can happen to girls away at school, drugs, alcohol and sex. Lots of characters, so if this is an issue for you you might not want to tackle it. It is a page turner with, of course, a surprise at the end.

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Caitlin Bergman , forty-two years old and going back to Bloomington to finally graduate in Journalism after 20 years, although she was already a world renowned Investigative Reporter and Author. Caitie was pleased to catch up with Mary, previously her best friend, and revive old memories, some good but not all.

There was no way Caitlin was getting caught up in local issues as she wanted to be back in Washington. Mike Roman often assisted her as an investigator and bodyguard but he would be no use without a badge in the local problem. A few girls have gone missing over the years and a young student Lakshmi is desperate for Caitlin’s involvement as Angela Chapman, her best friend is one of those missing.

There can be dangerous people lurking anywhere and this book brings to life where a supposedly harmless situation can go. People can be deceiving and this book keeps you wanting to know what will happen next.

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A riveting thriller, "Come and Get Me" introduces us to a brave new heroine while also shining a light on the dark underside of campus life at a Big Ten school. Norman's debut novel is constructed as solidly as a Midwestern farmhouse. And the world-wise investigative reporter at the heart of the story is the perfect protagonist for this Trumpian epoch of fake news and anti-journalist bombast.

The plotting is tight. The set-pieces exquisite. The characters nuanced, complex, and compelling -- so much so that when the violence breaks out and bad things happen, you worry as though your own friends or family were at risk. In other words, this isn't your average, comfy-cozy, by-the-numbers effort. Norman's learned understanding of crime fiction tropes -- and his dedicated research into the real events that inspired the book -- have allowed him to produce a work that transcends the genre in the best possible way. And then there's the climactic twist that you never see coming. All the more impressive for being his first published novel, "Come and Get Me" is a book built to last -- and one likely to inspire a host of imitators.

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August Norman’s debut offering, Come and Get Me, a Caitlin Bergman Novel, is a break neck tale that hits all the thriller hot buttons, with gusto. Norman’s artfully woven plot, smart, funny prose and his heroine, Caitlin Bergman, stole my weekend. You can either clear your schedule before you turn the first page or Norman will do it for you.
The novel begins with Caitlin’s return to Bloomington, Indiana, her first in twenty years, to receive an honorary degree from the university she left just four months shy of graduation. Like most honorary degree recipients, journalist Caitlin Bergman has spent the intervening years excelling in her field and making a name for herself. Luckily for the sleepy college town, Caitlin decides to face some old demons during her visit, thus putting her in the perfect position to dig in to a two-year old missing person’s case. As it goes in crime novels, secrets are revealed, hunches get followed and criminals (really, really awful ones, in this case) are exposed, keeping the reader hooked for the duration.
To me, the most remarkable facet of Norman’s storytelling is the way the author plunks us in to the middle of Caitlin’s story. Not this story-, the novel Come and Get Me, but her story. Caitlin Bergman comes to us fully formed, with all the layers and delicious depth a reader is lucky to find in a third installment, without any tedious info-dump. The backstory we do get is full of action and intrigue which the author deftly uses to show us he knows exactly who Bergman is and is delighted to introduce her to the world. Now that we’ve met, I long to drink beer and eat pizza with Caitlin but, I’ll have to settle for tapping my foot as I wait for the next Caitlin Bergman novel.

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