I really wanted to like this book? I like Ms. Hall, and it sounded like it would appeal to my appreciation for the plucky-heroine genre (Stephanie Plum, Kinsey Millhone). The protagonist,
Grayson Sykes, is a PI who is looking for a woman named Isabel Lincoln. Isabel MAY have left town with her boyfriend’s dog. As the story unfolds, there are mysteries galore, even whether Isabel is Isabel.

TBH, this one didn’t work for me. I really didn’t care about any of the characters-- maybe because of the pandemic and being generally cranky, but I really did try. There were LOTS of character and I really just wanted it to be over. When it was, I still liked Ms. Hall, and will look for her next book because I think she’s a terrific writer with a keen eye for what makes places like LA and Vegas be the BFDs that they are in our culture.

With thanks to Macmillan-Tor/Forge and NetGalley, who provided a copy in return for this honest review, I give it three stars.

TW: domestic abuse

Grayson Sykes is a PI-in-training. She has a past that includes an abusive ex-husband. It took a horrific attack by the ex-hubby (not the first) for her to leave. Good riddance to him. It takes a while to get through the flashbacks in the book that walk the reader through this, but it was worth it for the scene where Gray gets away from Sean.

Gray transforms her life with the help of her friend and boss, Dominick Rader. He owns the PI business where she gets her footing. She starts off with light work transcribing cases for the company and works up to her end goal is becoming a PI. Her first case is tracking down Isabel Lincoln, the missing girlfriend of Ian O’Donnell.

It felt like the premise of the book and the actual book were written at two different times. This works out in the end because Gray comes into her own but you’ll have to push past pages of wondering why she is second-guessing herself. Also, Gray is doing all of the investigation on her own which makes me wonder why a private investigator-in-training is on her own in the field. Shouldn’t she be trailing her boss the entire way?

After getting all of this out of the way, the story picks up speed. Gray carefully keeps moving forward, picking at the details of Isabel’s life until she can finally make sense of them. Is Isabel Lincoln dead or alive? Is that her real name? Was she having an affair with her next-door neighbor’s son, Kevin Tompkins? Why the hell is Ian so hell-bent on finding Isabel when he doesn’t have much like her?

I hope this is the first of many Grayson Sykes books since she’s smart, she’s dogged, and she will kick ass when necessary. I had to suspend disbelief a few times but that didn't stop me from reading to the end.

I hope this is the first of many Grayson Sykes books since she’s smart, she’s dogged, and she will kick ass when necessary. Fans of Kellye Garrett and Patricia Cornwell are going to love And Now She’s Gone. My only wish is for the author to make a playlist of all the music that Gray mentions in the book.

It’s almost like a game of tag. Just when you have the runner in your site they elude. This is how I saw this book. Grayson a reluctant pursuer is searching for Isobel, the rub is does she need to be found . Does she want to be found. Are there some parts of your life that should be yours alone to reveal. This i found to be the foundation to their back and forth with Grayson a bit torn in the end. I love the cat and mouse element to the writing. Just enough tingle to make you read on.

And Now She's Gone by Rachel Howzell Hall features rookie investigator Grayson Sykes who has just been assigned her first investigation - to find the missing girlfriend (and dog) of a prominent cardiologist. Isabel Lincoln is no stranger to vanishing, her boyfriend admits she tends to run off each time they argue, but never for this long. As Gray investigates the case she is drawn into a world of secrets, and people who may not be what they seem, and she begins to question what Isabel Lincoln is really hiding from?

Grayson Sykes is a likable protagonist, she has her own dark past and secrets that become more and more apparent as she works the investigation. There are quite a bit of triggers in this book, so fair warning (domestic abuse, miscarriage, etc), but the author does an excellent job bringing attention to this serious topic and the lengths that both the abuser and the victim will go to conceal it (and hopefully escape it).

I enjoyed learning about Gray's past and realizing how parts of it paralleled her current case. She was a character that you rooted for, even when she made some questionable choices, because of all she had overcome and what she was working towards. This was an enjoyable, quick read that I didn't want to put down.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a free ebook of this novel in exchange for an honest review. I would rate And Now She's Gone a solid 3. and 1/2 stars, and something you should definitely pick up if you enjoy amateur sleuths, mystery, and strong female protagonists. Trigger warnings: violence, domestic abuse, stalker behavior, mentions of drug and alcohol use, depression, and miscarriage.

And Now She's Gone will be available on September 22nd, 2020.

This review can also be found on my bookstagram, Goodreads, and major retailers.

Oh boy did I love this one. If life didn't get in the way I would have sat down and read it cover to cover. Something about Grayson had me loving her and being intrigued by her right away. She is raw and far from perfect as she sort of bumbles her way into her first investigation. She has been through some unimaginable things, but also has a naive quality to her that makes her easy to connect with and root for.
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The writing was really wonderful, it was easy to read, but not in an flippant or casual way. It was more gritty, but beautifully crafted. You could tell how some passages were just perfectly poised to give you a certain feeling that was not easy to portray otherwise. It was captivating and just the right speed of not too rushed, but nothing dragged. While I was reading this story had my attention 100%.
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The story evolved and developed in waves of slow pocking to crashing with new information and a way that just so precisely worked. Such an intricate mystery upon mystery. There were times that I had put the pieces together about something faster than Grayson, but it didn't bother me as I loved watching her process and not have any unrealistic spontaneous aha moments or lucky guesses. I absolutely loved the two timelines and how they were weaved together at just the right intervals. I loved that the descriptions were "show don't tell" and no one was quite what/who they seemed at face value.
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I absolutely loved this book and will recommend to all crime novel lovers.

Wow, this one was up and down and all around... I liked it. The characters were compelling, as was the plot. I wasn't sure what was going on for a lot of it, but in a good way. I'm not sure I loved the way it all tidilly wrapped together at the end - it didn't exactly feel like the ending the book was setting you up for - but it was a quick and engaging read and once I started it I had a tough time putting it down.

When Ian McConnell hires Grayson Skyes to find his missing girlfriend she has no idea the secrets she is going to unearth. Gray is also running. But from whom? This book takes you into a jigsaw puzzle and introduces you to some stories and the past of Grayson and of the missing girlfriend but she is not able to find the woman she has set out to search for rather she finds something she wasn't looking for. What could be it? The answer is in the book.
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I loved how every chapter ends on such an intriguing cliff hanger after such an intense build up in the narrative you are literally jumping to know what is the secret.
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Grayson our protagonist in the book comes with a past and she has left it and is living in the present.
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There is domestic violence and the description is also very much graphic which as a woman I could feel more.
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I didn't like the feeler of racism was thrown in the writing to establish a character sketch. I felt it was completely unnecessary.
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Grayson doesn't follow the stereotypical character sketch of a black woman working as a P.I. which was a relief to see.
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The references to the location and their usage makes you familiar with the culture and the writing style was a treat to read.
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People like me who read thrillers a lot will catch who the killer is because it's the small nuances that people often miss and that's why the chase is the better treat to see and you love chasing with Grayson and other characters in the story I wouldn't give away.
Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC in exchange of an honest review.

WOW! This was my first book by Rachel Howzell Hall and I am so impressed! It was everything I like in a book - that it wasn’t one thing. It was part thriller, part mystery, with a little romance and the perfect amount of humor thrown in. I loved all of Grey’s friends - everyone has those girls in their life.

The back and forth chapters gave us insight into Grey’s life as a whole throughout the story which really aided in her character development. I loved her, I rooted for her. If you’re looking for a fun, twisty mystery with a lot of sass, this one is for you!

I loved Hall's first book and was super excited to read this one. Unfortunately, it fell a little flat. I liked the idea of the main character, Grey and her backstory was compelling but the other mystery was pretty predictable and a little confusing. Not confusing in a mysterious way but in a why were there so many meaningless details sort of way. No one really seemed like a real person.

Masterfully written with a fantastic plot, And Now She’s Gone is a must-read for 2020! I adored Grayson Sykes character and the way that Hall incorporated Grayson’s past with the current case that she was investigating. The two plot lines were woven together perfectly throughout the novel, creating a dynamic story that I did not want to put down.

While a great thriller, I also liked how Hall brought attention to a serious topic in our society, domestic abuse, and what many women often experience at the hands of their abusers: isolation, physical and mental abuse, and fear of leaving, just to name a few. Even though this was a work of fiction, this certainly contained elements that are all too relatable for victims of domestic abuse, and I hope that other readers will have this as a takeaway as well.

I would highly recommend that everyone read this amazing novel. A powerful, dynamic thriller, And Now She’s Gone will have you on the edge of your seat until the very end! Go preorder your copy now before it comes out September 22, 2020!

Grayson Sykes is a rookie, private investigator with her own dark past that she's trying to outrun. Her first case turns out to be a missing woman and dog but nothing is what it seems and everything becomes a tangled web. Can Grayson dodge her own past and find Isabel Lincoln at the same time?

When I first started reading, I had a few doubts about the book but that boiled down to getting used to the authors style of writing and once that was established for me, I had to buckle up for a wild ride. With down to earth characters, parallel story lines, twists, turns, and a shock of a reveal, And Now She's Gone was a fabulous read. There was great buildup to the ending and while there was a big reveal, I was left wanting a little bit more.

Grayson, an investigator, is trying to find where Isabel is currently hiding at. But is Isabel alive or is she someone who is an expert at hiding? What is the real deal with her and her boyfriend? Grayson also has a past somewhat similar to Isabel but things get crazy at that point.

It kept me hooked all the way to find out how it was going to end even though it was twisted and a bit lengthy too. If you excuse the length, it is a cat and mouse chase kind of mystery. Gray, as a strong investigator, is also a vulnerable person and makes you root for her constantly. The only issue was the chapters moved between past and current and also between different characters which was confusing for a while. Also I wished there was more of an explosive face-off when Gray meets her husband but it was anticlimactic. Gray’s love story was a good break between the chase and was cute as well.

TW - The plot has miscarriages and domestic abuse a couple of times.

And Now She’s Gone by Rachel Howzeel Hall Reviewed August 5, 2020 3
The story sounded like my kind of a book, as I love thrillers with twists & turns etc.
Garyson Sykes does sound a bit like Stephanie Plum. She is on her first case and I did laugh out loud that some of her PI training was from You Tube videos. Gray is searching for Isabel Lincoln and finds secrets which are similar to the truth she has hidden from her friends and family.

I was so sure I was going to like this but it turned out to be just an okay read for me. I am not a fan of nasty language. I realize that is it normal for many. I have no doubt this novel is going to find readers who will enjoy it.

Note: I am in a book club and also have joined several virtual book groups. It is always fun reading the same novel and finding many readers having so many different takes on it….luckily for all of us that we have many great choices.

Want to thank NetGalley and Macmillan–Tor/Forge for this early release granted to me in exchange for an honest professional review. Opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.
Publishing Release Date scheduled for September 22, 2020

And Now She’s Gone is a riveting book full of secrets galore. Gray Skyes was just assigned her first case as a private investigator. A wealthy physician hires her to track down his missing wife, Isabel, who recently disappeared with his dog. The case hits close to home for Gray because, like Isabel, Gray is a woman on the run. At first glance, it appears that Isabel left to escape a domestic violence situation but it quickly becomes apparent that there is much more to the story than meets the eye. The author does a wonderful job of capturing the realities and long-term effects of emotional and physical abuse. Because of this, Gray’s character evokes feelings of empathy and relatability in all her flaws. Unfortunately, the writing style didn’t quite work for me and prevented me from fully engaging with and enjoying the story. The passages jump around from thought to thought, which made it hard to follow and left me re-reading passages. The plot was strong, but again, because of the way it was written, it just didn’t flow smoothly and I found myself asking “wait, how did we get here?” That being said, the positive aspects of the book, including the characterization and plot twists, make it well worth the read. Thank you to MacMillan/Tor-Forge and NetGalley for providing me with an e-galley in exchange for an honest review!

Rachel Howzell Hall has knocked it out of the park with this one.

I saw this book compared to Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum series, which I can see early on because the novel starts deceptively light and it covers every, so called "chicklit sleuth" convention: Grayson, main character who just got her first real case to investigate, fumbles interview after interview with witnesses, she has a very S&tC's Samantha-like colleague/friend, her others colleagues are quirky, she makes out with the ex-marine/hot owner of the bar they frequent and her client seems more concerned about his dog than his missing girlfriend. But, where "Stephanie Plum is a klutz" is the theme of that series, this novel makes our heroine suffering from real things and having real problems while having laugh and fun and very "girlfriends in a cafe" convos. It's interesting to read how Grayson fakes being fine so well none of her friends can tell. Hence, Grayson's missteps which can be annoying for seasoned mystery readers, are more due to this being her first big case that's also a very triggering one considering her past. And that's the other thing. Grayson's investigation is intersected in few places with Natalie's relationship gone bad story set in earlier times which is not fun to read at all. It's all too familiar story of marital abuse digested into most critical points of it without making it to anything else but story about that.
And, yes, there is a romance arc intertwined which I really didn't mind. Funny, but thrillers and romances are so dominated by female writers (and reading audience), and yet oddly frowned upon when intersect. In that sense, and in some other little tidbits, like Grayson's inner thoughts about people she meets, weird, sexist and racist microagressions she's experiencing and you recognize them for what they are without her having to voice them, this novel is quite unapologetic in being mash of several tropes typical for both genres.
One of Hall's strengths are definitely descriptions of Los Angeles and Vegas that go from your usual colorful skies and heat to hip and modern quips about the city. One thing I noticed is how very vibrant and diverse picture of a city she paints: it's all about the movement, the people and shifting colors. So, when I say it's an atmospheric book, a word usually reserved for gothic mansions and haunted wives who live in them, I actually think how well she brought the whole vibe of the place on the page.
Funny, but with the case being so breezy early on, I was more anticipating to see how Natalie's inevitable encounter with her abusive husband will happen which was rather anticlimactic. On the other hand, twist after twist kept making Greyson's case more convoluted and by the end, I was dying to get to the bottom of it. And it was absolutely bonkers.

I had so much fun with this book. There is an engaging, unpredictable mystery, there is a relatable main character with unique voice, there is a tremendous sense of place and when she touched some of sensitive sociocultural issues it happened organically within the story. And Now She's Gone is a genre-crossing, unabashedly quirky and twisty novel.

Thank you to NetGalley & the author for this ARC! So many twists and turns with two different stories in one. Kept me guessing to the very end.

This was fantastic!! At first I was a little bit confused with the going back and forth between the characters but then I got it! Really really loved the suspense and thrill.

(Thank you to the publisher for the free e-galley). I have so many complicated feelings about And Now She's Gone - which is always a good sign that the author has done a great job drawing me into the story and stirring up a lot of strong emotions about her flawed characters.

And Now She's Gone addresses domestic violence head-on. Warning: if this is triggering for you, do NOT pick this up. But if you want to see how domestic violence traumatizes a woman, body, mind and soul, this book does it for you, unflinchingly. The main character Gray has a lot of secrets in her past that are slowly dredged up by her current investigation into a missing woman (who turns out to have a LOT to hide herself). Gray is a bit of a fumbling, naive amateur investigator, but she also knows way more about beat-down women than you realize at first. And her experience as a Black female investigator also plays a really fascinating role in the plot.

The book starts off a bit slow; I had trouble feeling connected to the story until about a third of the way in. But then it takes off and unfolds in alternating timelines.

Now, for the parts I struggled with: this book is pretty graphic in its violence and some of its sexual content and language. I probably skew a bit towards the 'prudish' end of the reading spectrum, and there are plenty of readers who won't be bothered by this at all. But if you're a sensitive reader who tries to avoid graphic anything, this may not be the book for you. For me, the plot got kinda crazy towards the end (but somehow ended up happy?), with a lot of 'ew' factors. It's not a book I absolutely loved, but I do think there are plenty of readers out there who would be big fans.

I finished this book and went right back to read the ending again. There are SO many things happening in this book so I had to read it twice to understand all of the moving parts. But, wow, this was a good one. I loved the multiple story lines, the alternating timelines and the fascinating characters. There are twists and turns that keep the reader surprised and interested while the story meanders from one mystery to the next. This is a quick, can't-put-it-down read and, while I'm happy there was an epilogue, I'm hoping Nick and Grayson will continue to investigate after this book. Any chance this is the first in a series??

It's hard to write too much about the plot without giving anything away. And Now She's Gone starts with a bang - a woman driving her car and worried that someone might be following her. "He was not the man who had promised kill her. Not this time." I was hooked immediately. We learn that Grayson Sykes works for Rader Consulting and is about to get her first case as a private investigator. Isabel Lincoln's boyfriends hires her to find the missing Isabel. However, as Grayson gets more involved in the case, things don't add up and she begins to question whether Isabel is really missing. At each new twist and turn, secrets are revealed and more questions arise. Grayson follows lead after lead, adding suspects as soon as she clears someone and is determined to follow this case until the end. Will Grayson figure out what happened to Isabel before her own past catches up to her?

Thank you to NetGalley and Forge Books for this copy in exchange for my honest review.

Woo! That was a wild twisty ride all over the place. A smidge too long and some things could have been tightened up but it kept me reading straight through to the end; I liked the protagonist and definitely wanted more of her and the rest of the Rader group. If this a series about Gray, I'd definitely read about their cases. There is very graphic descriptions about domestic violence so if that is a touchy subject for you, it'd be best to skip this. Overall though recommended read and I think this author is one to watch.