⭐️Book Review ⭐️
Stolen Things by R.H.Herron
4.5/5 Stars


This book was very emotional as a thriller and the physical toll it puts on the victims of sexual abuse. The central mystery kept me guessing the entire book and I was entrenched in reading every spare minute I had.


I felt like I was reading an episode of SVU - it was so intense with rape, murder, police drama, corruption and LGBTQ discussion. Herron deals with each of them throughout the book and keeps the story very dramatic.


Laurie is a 911 dispatcher and answers a call from her daughter JoJo. She has been kidnapped. Dad, Omid, is the police chief in this California town and rushes to the rescue.


They find a dead body along with JoJo and her best friend, Harper, also missing. The hunt is on for the killer and to find Harper. Laurie, Omid and JoJo may be surprised to find what really happened the night JoJo was kidnapped.



**Thank you to NetGalley and Dutton Books for the opportunity to read this book. I received a copy of this in exchange for an honest review *****


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That was a really good, fast paced, lots of stuff going on book. I didn’t guess the ending, which I love! I enjoyed the edge of your seat, hold on me, the book had. Well done, especially for a first novel. I liked the 911 part of the story , as well as the police end. I was very fortunate to be able to read this through Netgalley.

I feel like there should be a trigger warning on this book. I didn’t realize it would be so descriptive about rape especially one about a minor. Very hard to read and I couldn’t finish. Although I did like how real it was and I felt like I was inside each of the character’s heads.

I was given this book to review by Netgalley for an honest review. Let me start off by saying as a mom of girls, I had a really hard time with this book in the beginning. I love a good mystery/thriller book. In fact, they are my favorite. The book started off reminding me of the movie 'Taken' and was thrilling. However, the idea of getting a call from your daughter after possibly being raped is absolutely traumatizing. (In fact, one of my biggest fears.) However, I pushed through it and ended up really enjoying this book. The book was so well written, thrilling and kept me on the edge of my toes constantly. Herron did a great job of expressing the feelings of the character as their world is being turned upside down. Laurie is held very dear to me as she reminds me so much of myself. A mom who just isn’t ready for her daughter to grow up. Jojo, a teenager who is stuck in-between still needing her mom and wanting to be independent, grows up in a matter of a couple of days. The relationship built and expressed in this book was very well captured. Ultimately, a very very good read.!

From my blog: Always With a Book:

I read a lot of thrillers, so when I start reading one and can't stop thinking about it, I know it's going to be a good one. This is just that kind - one that starts off with a bang and never lets up!

This book is inspired by the author's time as a 911 operator and to that end it felt authentic and real. I always love when an author is able to take their own life experiences and bring it into their novels. It allows for them to create characters that are much more dynamic as they are based in reality and the events they use are usually inspired by actual events.

I loved that the author took no time diving into the book...there wasn't a ton of time spent setting things up, we just jump right in and from there, things continue at a relatively consistent pace. Not that I don't like when authors take that time to set things up, but here it wasn't necessary. Plus, it adds to the helplessness that Laurie is feeling about her daughter and that urgency to find her and figure out what is going on.

This book is full of secrets and some crazy twists that take you on a roller coaster of a ride. It looks at the fierce bond between a mother and daughter and begs the question, what do you do when you can't trust those who are sworn to serve and protect?

This is totally the type of book you can binge-read in one sitting because you definitely won't want to stop reading it once you start, but if you have to put it down for some reason, you will find yourself thinking about the characters. Even now, days after I finished reading the book, I'm still thinking about it. I am definitely going to be recommending this one to all my thriller-reading friends...it's too good not to share!

I normally don't write such lengthy reviews because I like to get right to the point. I mean, if you're reading my review, then you want to know whether you should be reading this book or you want to know if my thoughts are different from yours. Well I can tell you right away that this book is a MUST READ. I really don't think I've read a book this fast since the Twilight series was alive and thriving.

I consider myself a pretty experienced Thriller reader so most books nowadays don't keep me on my toes. Most of them you can tell what's going to happen by page 50 and it's always the same kind of story. It's been awhile since I have read a gripping thriller that made me drop everything just so I can find out what happens. I will say for Herron's first debut thriller novel, it was phenomenal!

Herron has done great work with making this novel imaginative, eventful and full of twists that you really don't see coming! She incorporates texts and meanings that we can relate to in our society today. I also really enjoyed her Author's Note at the end. Especially how she states she's a queer, white middle-class woman who lives in Oakland and worked 911 dispatch for 17 years. Her experience really showed through in this novel as some of the connections show through and I think it makes me love it more because it's a story that could be real.

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Imagine yourself at 16 and you wake up in a strange room, can't feel your legs and you're hurting in a place you should not be hurting in... First thing you do? Call 911. Good thing Jojo's mom works as a 911 dispatcher and her dad is Chief of Police so both are arriving at the house within minutes. As Jojo tries to figure out where she is and what happened to her, she finds out that the home belongs to her friend Kevin, who is a nationally known African American pro football player who currently is part of the 'Citizens Against Police Brutality' movement. They are friends united in the CapB movement and they each hold the other's secret that they are gay. Kevin is immediately suspected of raping Jojo and then it's quickly discovered that a body is found in the bathroom of the room Jojo's in. Now Kevin is imprisoned for murder and rape. But it couldn't be Kevin since he's gay, right?

While Jojo's mom, Laurie, wants to kill Kevin for hurting her baby, Jojo tells her that her friend Harper is missing. Except Laurie wasn't aware they were friends again since the last time they were together, they were caught shoplifting and they went their separate ways. As Laurie and Jojo try to find Harper, they quickly realize that Harper isn't who they thought she was and that a handful of the cops can't be trusted either due to incriminating evidence. As they inch closer to the truth, another bombshell drops and Jojo's dad, Laurie's husband - Omid, has been hiding his own secrets that could tear this family apart. Laurie doesn't know whether to stand by her husband or try to do right by her daughter. What happened to Jojo and where is Harper?

4.5 out of 5 stars. A quick summer read!

A very topical thriller focusing on a 911 operator and her daughter who keep getting further entwined into a shocking crime. Overall, I really enjoyed this book. A very engaging and quick read with tons of twists. Very satisfying!

Thank you to R.H. Herron, Dutton, and Netgalley for providing me with an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

#NetGalley #StolenThings

This book was INSANE. It tore at my heart strings and had me really amped up, especially the end. Trigger warning for rape and (I think, anyway) child abuse/exploitation of a minor. If you can handle that and you like a whodunit with PLENTY of action, grab this book!

Stolen Things tells the story of dispatcher Laurie when she answers a 911 call at work and hears the desperate voice of her teenaged daughter Jojo. And from there its A WILD RIDE, YOU GUYS. But seriously, through the novel Laurie and her daughter work together to find out what happened to Jojo and her friend Harper. There’s a lot of action, suspense and unsavory characters. All good qualities in this type of book. Laurie is a badass mom who would do anything for her daughter. Jojo, who mentions that she wanted to be a detective someday, doesn’t let this traumatic event stop her from doing what she has to do to help save her friend and take down the bad guys. I think the relationship of Laurie and Jojo was very well written. It was your typical mother and teenage daughter relationship where mom seems overbearing and the teenager gets annoyed at everything. Mom feels like they’re drifting apart and the daughter won’t tell her things. Jojo gets annoyed at Laurie’s touches and her pet nicknames. But in the end they love each other fiercely and will do anything to protect one another.

The author once worked as a dispatch officer and as the author note states, “this book is inspired by actual events.” There was a lot going on and it makes me wonder what parts of the story were true. Whether it was a few small things that added to the whole of the book or some the larger overlying themes. It is so hard to touch on some of these topics with out giving the whole thing away. I’m going to leave it there so you have a better reading experience if you choose to read this book. Which, by the way, I do recommend. Read this if you’re looking for a holy crap trust nobody read! This was a 4 star read for me.

Thank you to @netgalley and @duttonbooks for the advanced e-galley in exchange for an honest review.

This book was a bit of a mixed bag for me. It’s compulsively readable and fast-paced, but the twist at the end it a bit much to swallow. I loved the alternating perspectives. “Mom who is practically married to her job” alternating with “teen daughter who the mother doesn’t know half as well as she thinks” is a little overdone in the genre at this point, but I thought it worked really well here.

There is a wide divide between the two POV characters, not just for typical “angsty teens are unreachable” reasons, but because Jojo is at a point in her life where she’s figuring out her own politics and value system, and they don’t align with those of her parents. Mystery/thriller novels are best, in my opinion, when they’re not driven solely by the mystery; Stolen Things has lots of interesting relationship dynamics to keep the story interesting.

One of the predominant themes of the book is police brutality, and that is part of what’s driving a wedge between Jojo and her parents, who both work in law enforcement (her father as a police chief and her mother, a former police officer) as a 911 dispatcher. Also prominent in the story is an exploration of rape culture and victim blaming. While including social issues like these in a story can be admirable, I’m not sure that a fast-paced thriller is really up to the task of treating these topics with the gravity that would be necessary for them to feel like a natural part of the story. While the book is not categorized as Young Adult and is a bit too dark to fit into the genre, some of the passages which centered on social issues had a very YA feel to them.

Overall, this was definitely a page turner, but some sections felt awkward and fell flat. Stolen Things was worth a read and may be a great choice for fans of authors like Mary Kubica and Megan Miranda.

I really liked Stolen Things by R.H. Herron! The story starts out with 911 dispatcher Laurie taking a call from a distraught father who has lost his 2 year old. Turns out, his ex-wife has her but he forgot. Crisis averted. But the next call is Laurie’s daughter, JoJo, who is in a bed, in a house, somewhere, and she can’t move. What unravels is a well crafted story of bad cops, teenagers being taken advantage of, Citizens against Police Brutality, and an NFL player who protests the polices treatment of African-Americans.

I enjoyed this story unraveling. It took turns I didn’t see coming, and the end was a great reveal. I look forward to reading more from R.H. Herron.

I received a. E-book from the publisher for an honest opinion. Thank you! #netgalley #stolenthings

This book was interesting to say the least. So much information is thrown at you. It is not really a big mystery, but there is a twist that you see coming from 10 miles out.

The story starts out very intense. A 911 dispatcher gets a call from her own daughter, Jojo. Jojo just woke up groggy in an unknown place. Her legs are unmoving, and she feels like she was raped. When her dad, the police chief, barrels down to rescue her a lot more things become clear. There's a dead body in the bathroom, Jojo's best friend is missing, and a black professional player is in the middle of it, as it is his house.

There's a lot of different things happening in this book - police brutality, corruption, racism, rape, prostitution, sexuality, etc. There is A LOT. I mean you're reading and things are thrown at you at every turn. It didn't make for a great story. It felt like it tried too hard to include all the issues in one book. It was entertaining, and a fast read, but something was missing (I know, what a thing to say with so many things being in the book).

The characters were interesting, but they didn't feel like the right age. The 16 year old girl was easily interchangeable with her 43 year old mother. Some things were not believable in how each acted. As well as the 22 year old professional football player, he sounded a lot like a teenager in some parts. It was hard to connect to any of the characters for me.

This was relatable on another level though. Being a mother myself, I understood the need to do everything in her own power to protect her daughter. Even though a lot of freedom the mother had in her actions just felt unbelievable, it was understandable. The need, the drive, the anger. It all felt like something a mother would feel.

Overall an entertaining read. A lot of important messages, and very inclusive. I'm shocked this is based on real life events, but would be interesting to hear what parts were realistics.

(Note: This review is based on a complimentary galley copy from the author/publisher, no compensation was given.)

I've long been a reader of Rachael Herron's, but this work of suspense is something totally new from her!

There is nothing comforting about this read. It starts off screaming and continues through, and with each new twist I found it impossible to put down.

The characters are highly developed and the story is well organized and driven. I especially enjoyed the gentle exploration of current social issues and events. The world we live in is filled with grays and this made one think without being preachy.

I never saw some of the twists coming and it's been a long time since I've been excited about a thriller.

This is time spent you won't regret.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07KVLCVP4?ref=cm_sw_em_r_rw_mw_oQGc4iWS0Bu6f

This book full of suspense, police corruption,, families working together and against each other was wonderful. I enjoyed reading it in one day because I couldn’t put it down. There were a couple of inconsistencies that bugged me, but it was great in spite of them.

I couldn't put the book down and loved the plot of the story. This book is new and different from other books. Keeps you engaged and leaves readers wanting more and more.

This book was one of those addictive reads that I couldn't put down. It had issues ripped from our current headlines and it was both terrifying and realistic. I'm calling this one a woke thriller because of the equality issues it tackles along with uncovering corruption in the local police department. Everytime I thought I had this one figured out I was proved wrong once another clue emerged and that's part of what makes it so good. While I was accurate on some of the twists, others completely surprised me. I loved everything about this book and highly recommend it!

Thrillers and I have not been the best of friends lately, to say I’ve struggled with the majority of them is putting it mildly, so while I was definitely intrigued by the premise of this one, I was very hesitant. Thank god I set my hesitation to the side and gave this a fair chance, because it was excellent y’all! It’s much more than just a synopsis that sounds good and doesn’t actually deliver, what’s described is actually the tip of the iceberg and I was here for it the whole way through.

This is inspired by the authors time as a 911 dispatcher which was cool, it definitely gave the whole thing an air of authenticity, something that I always appreciate, especially in a sea of unbelievable thrillers. The action begins right from the start when Laurie gets an emergency call from her teenaged daughter and it never lets up for a second. The story unfolds at a rapid pace and then there are some seriously sharp twists and turns. This one definitely kept me guessing, but I was also invested as well, I not only wanted to know what would happen next, I cared about what would happen as well.

I’m going to go ahead and recommend this to anyone who has been struggling with thrillers as of late, it reeled me in instantly and was one of the only books I’ve read recently that I felt drawn to when I wasn’t reading it, the characters were calling to me even when I wasn’t reading! This probably would’ve even received a five star rating for me, but the ending felt a little rushed and I would’ve liked a little more closure, but overall a solid read.

Stolen Things in three words: Addictive, Pacey and Gritty

Stolen Things by R.H. Herron was a quick and suspenseful read.

Laurie is a 911 operator who gets the scare of her life when her daughter, JoJo, ends up being on the other end of a call one night. While JoJo is found alive, though not unharmed, a man is dead and her best friend, Harper, is missing.

Twists were weaved throughout this story. We discover the meaning of true love, both in motherhood and friendships, as well as the downfalls of corruption.

Stolen Things kept me intrigued throughout the whole story.

My only hang-up was the whole premise of blackmail. While I understand this is a work of fiction, I did find it difficult to sit with the fact that a teenager was able to blackmail a whole police department.

Overall, I still thoroughly enjoyed this book and would recommend it to any thriller fan.

In a time when thrillers are a dime a dozen, it’s really refreshing to find one that stands apart - fortunately, this was the case with RH Herron’s Stolen Things. What starts out with 911 dispatcher Laurie receiving a call from her daughter in trouble, things only escalate - from police tension, kidnapping, sexual assault and murder, Stolen Things leaves no subject untouched and will keep you on your toes in the process. This fast paced thriller is sure to keep you hooked from start to finish and I highly recommend.

This book was very well written and is extremely suspenseful right from the first chapter. This story is told by the mother Laurie and the daughter Jojo which gave each chapter a different perspective which I liked. This book is so fast paced, and it leaves you wondering what will happen next after every chapter that you read. I read this book in one day. However, I didn’t particularly like how police were portrayed in this book. This book also has many triggers in it such police brutality, rape, murder and racism. I liked this book, but I can’t say I loved it. I don’t think I really connected with it, I continuously wanted to see what would happen next but wasn’t always happy with the outcome.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.