🎧⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶

Thank you @netgalley and @dreamscape_media for choosing me to listen to the audio version of #vanishinghour in exchange for my review and opinions.

I just finished “The Vanishing Hour”. I selected this book because I thought the cover was absolutely beautiful. Without any idea of what this book was about I hit play. What I thought from the cover may be in line with a fantasy, turned into a mystery novel — my favorite genre!

Set in West Texas by Big Bend National Park, “The Vanishing Hour” is about a string of missing girls who have vanished while camping. Ava, and her search and rescue dog, Huck, discover evidence linked to one of these disappearances, and then she along with hunky detective Grant Wycoff begin to reopen and investigate these missing girls.

I love a hood mystery, and this did not disappoint, except I felt left with a few questions about some of the back stories of the main characters that I didn’t think were cleared up. However, I really enjoyed it.

Themes: 👀👣, 👩🏻👮🏻‍♂️🐶, 👩‍❤️‍👨, 🏕🏜, 🫥

My feelings: 🫢🤔🤫🤭👍🏻

#readmorebooks
#netgalley
#dreamscapemedia
#goodreads
#audiobook
#readersofinstagram
#readmorebooksbywomen
#mybookishlife

The biggest test for an audiobook is the "around the block" test. That's when you take an extra loop around the block in order to listen a little longer. Vanishing Hour passed that test and improved my daily commute. There's a lot going on here, and both the mystery and the personal interactions were engaging. This should appeal to readers of the Timber Creek K-9 series, the Ryder Creed K-9 series, and the FBI K-9 series.

Thanks to Dreamscape Media for access to an ALC on NetGalley.

I think this is my second book by Griffin, and I need to check out more of her backlist. I loved the characters and their development, although there were a few loose ends when it was all over that I think should have been addressed. I enjoyed the plot and it definitely kept me listening. The audiobook narration was well done.

I really enjoyed listening to this audiobook! It was beautifully written and it hooked me right off the bat.

I want to thank Dreamscape Media for my audio copy of Vanishing Hour for an honest review. This was a quick, interesting read for me. Ava Burch has just moved to a small town in Cuervo Texas. She feels relieved that she has left the. Big city and her corporate law career. And is looking for a nice quiet life. But you know how that goes.. While in the new town she stumbles upon a cold case, while being a search and rescue officer and things get turned upside down. Her rescue dog, Huck is an incredible rescue dog and they become a big asset to the team. While trying to work in her new law firm, helping in search and rescue and helping (or so she thinks) in the investigation of some missing women that have been cold cases for some time. Laura Griffin, is an excellent storyteller. The twists and turns are great and I was left guessing how it would end. Who doesn’t love that kind of read? This was a four star listen for me. Julia Atwood does a great job narrating which is so important. She didn’t miss a beat and I really enjoyed this story.

Vanishing Hour by Laura Griffin, narrated by Julia Atwood. The narrator did a good job reading this book. She spoke at the right speed and you could differentiate between characters easily. The switch to chapters wasn't well defined but you quickly figured out the switch. It was easy to listen to and you could visualize what was happening.
The story was about an attorney Ava Burch, who moves to a small town joining another attorney after the death of her father. Ava also brought her father's dog Huck who was trained in search and rescue. Ava immediately joined a search for a missing child. Ava is considered a city slicker by the other searchers and has trouble being taken seriously. Detective Grant does believe in her but is reluctant to work together on another case trying to discover what happened to some missing women in the area. Sparks ignite between them that they quickly succumb to but Ava is trying to still protect her heart.
There is some steamy romance, and mystery, both Ava and Grant are very likable characters, The story isn't intense and is a little slow at times. I have read a lot about rescue dogs and I felt the description of handling the dog was not accurate however since Ava wasn't an experienced handler it could be forgiven. If this is your genre it's a good read. Thank you, NetGalley and Dreamscape audio for this advanced audio. A quick entertaining story with interesting characters.

I’m so sad that I wasn’t able to get into this book. I was looking forward to a mystery/romance, specifically this one, but unfortunately it fell flat.

While I wasn’t invested in the characters, and it was a struggle to finish, the idea of the story line kept me going. I was hoping for a redemptive ending.

And then it did in fact end…and I was underwhelmed.

Overall, I give this book 2 stars.

Thank you NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the advanced listen copy of this book.

Ava Burch is a lawyer that is tired of the big city life and has decided to move to the small town of Quervo where she and her work partner Jenna can operate their own small town law office.. While helping in a search for a missing child, Ava and her search-and-rescue dog Hank, discover an abandoned camp site. Something in her gut tells her that something is off and she quickly takes pictures of the scene.
When sheriff Grant first meets Ava he sees an attractive but high maintenance city slicker that he can't really take serious. His perception quickly changes when he sees the pictures she took which reminds him of an old case where the female hiker was never found. While they are investigating, another young woman goes missing and they continue to find more evidence that points to fowl play.
This had the perfect combination of mystery, suspense, and romance. I also enjoyed the narrator for the audio.. I can't forget to mention the lovable but sometimes mischievous, Hank, the sweet Labrador retriever, who made this story that much more fun! While I didn't think there were any mind blowing twists, I still thought this was a nice mystery and look forward to reading more from this author.. 3.5 stars rounded up
Thank you so much to NetGalley for allowing me to listen to an ARC in exchange for my honest review!

A fast paced thriller romance featuring a big town lawyer in a small town and a deputy that stumble upon a series of missing persons cases. Together, they form a bond that leads to some answers and even more questions. I liked the characters and how they come together - strengths and weaknesses - to help find these lost women. Toss in a modern day retreat center in the remote wilderness and this was a great fun read. Thanks to NetGalley for the early read.

Very good

This audiobook kept my attention. I am. It going to say I stopped everything to concentrate on the plot, but I definitely rewound when I missed a few spots. I may have a few details off.

Ava takes her old friend up on her invitation to come to a small Texas town to practice law with her. Ava has also inherited her father’s search and rescue dog, Huck. When Ava and Huck are looking for a missing boy they came across an abandoned campsite that looks suspicious. The local sheriff blows her off, but a deputy takes interest. In the case and in Ava.

The plot was good. There was a sex scene that was more detailed than expected in this type of mystery. I doubt if it was more explicit than the average bodice-ripper romance, but people sensitive should be aware.

I liked it and can see that there are many more books that can be written with these characters.

Attorney Ava Burch finds herself embroiled in a cold missing person case when she stumbles upon an abandoned campsite during one of her Search and Rescue volunteer jobs with her dog, Huck. Something that immediately catches Detective Grant Wycoff’s attention. While the condescending Sheriff gives Ava the brushoff, Grant connects the dots to a woman gone missing two years earlier. While Grant doesn’t want Ava inserting herself into the case, he can’t help admitting that her find and research have helped make long strides in solving the case.

While trying to piece together the clues, Ava’s targeted by someone unknown and it’s unsettling, but she can’t let the case go as she finds there are bigger things at play.

Even though there’s a mutual attraction and pull, Ava’s hesitant. Seeing her mother always coming in second to the job makes her wary to start up anything with anyone in law enforcement, but she’s having trouble resisting him and they keep getting thrown together through this case. Grant is determined to change her mind and they have amazing chemistry!

I’ve done a lot of hiking and backpacking so I found the Search and Rescue feature really interesting and of course, if there’s a lovable dog I’m totally in! Huck was adorable and smart, and I loved the relationship he had with Ava and Grant!

I was immediately sucked into Vanishing Hour and listened to the whole book in one day! All the twists had me eager to find out what happened to the missing girls, and I was on the edge of my seat with every bit of danger Ava faced. The ending was a real nail biter! Another win for Laura Griffin! Definite recommend!

I alternated between reading and listening to an audio copy. Julia Atwood’s performance was really good! She performed with a subtle Texas accent that felt authentic to all the characters and she performed both female and male character parts wonderfully! I listened at 1.5x speed normal speed.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.
This one was a bit slow but it was good. Held my interest even though it took its time.
Narrator did a good job. Well written. I would definitely listen or read more from this author.

Thank you to Dreamscape Media, NetGalley, and Laura Griffin for an advanced listening copy. All opinions are my own!

Y'all. I loved this book and was SO pleasantly surprised by it. I wasn't really sure what to expect going in to reading it (other than seeing the words romantic thriller and being sold) but ended up finding an author I plan to read more from!

I live in Texas so I loved the descriptions of a small Texas town. Mezcal margaritas, tacos, and desert landscapes made the story even more fun to read (can Cuervo be a real town please?!). The story itself picked up pretty quickly once I fell in love with Ava and Huck and the mystery they had on their hands. The mystery developed at the same time as Ava's relationship with a local detective and I loved the way the two different story lines intertwined and kept the pace of the book going. I also absolutely loved reading about Ava's relationship with her dog Huck. It was such a sweet and fun part of the book!

I absolutely recommend this book for fans of small town romance and crime thrillers. You will absolutely love this one, I promise!

Content Rating: R (due to content about murder and 1 open door scene)

Synopsis:
When a cold case in Texas leads to a sinister string of disappearances, a newcomer to the small town helps a detective piece together the clues in this new romantic thriller from New York Times bestselling author Laura Griffin.

Corporate lawyer Ava Burch has had enough of the big city and the daily grind. She grew up with her father, who raised search-and-rescue dogs, in rural Texas and has moved to the small town of Cuervo to spend time in the dry, rugged wilderness near Big Bend National Park. When she and her dog, Huck, discover an abandoned campsite on a volunteer search-and-rescue mission, she’s perplexed, but she carefully photographs it all the same.

All Grant Wycoff can see when he looks at Ava is a city slicker—with her designer jeans and shiny car—who has no business on a serious team made of seasoned outdoorsmen and retired cops. But when she tells him of her findings on the trail, he sees there’s more to her than meets the eye.

Ava’s discovery reminds Grant of the unsolved case of a young woman who went missing two years ago. As they look into the campsite further, another woman disappears under odd circumstances. With time running out, Ava and Grant must work against the brutal heat from both the Texas sun and their own electric chemistry to solve the case.

Ava Burch is a lawyer with a dog that is trained in search and rescue. Grant Wycoff is a police detective in Cuervo Texas. Ava learns of some missing women and she and Huckleberry (Huck) her dog find an abandoned campsite in Silver Canyon State Park. She and Grant get involved looking into the missing women. They also develop a personal relationship.
I thoroughly enjoyed listening to Vanishing Hour. The mystery was intriguing and there was some good suspense involved in finding out what happened to the missing women.
I like the narrator.
Thanks to Netgalley and Dreamscape media for the opportunity to listen to Vanishing Hour. I think I’ve found a new author to add to my TBR pile.

I am normally a person that listens to Audiobooks only when I run, however, the captivating story told by Ms. Griffin hooked me that I listened to it in 2 days.
Ava and Huck are a dynamic duo that have become unstoppable in the Search and Rescue world. With news of their amazing discoveries also comes some unexplainable mysteries.
Will Grant and Connor, detectives at the local sheriffs department, be able to solve the mysteries before it’s too late?
This is a story that will have you on the edge of your chair as you wait to find out what will happen next.
The narrator in this story helps to bring this story and the characters to life. I found her tone of her voice to be enjoyable as I listened.
I would highly recommend the audiobook Vanishing Hour to anyone that enjoys mystery, romance and a bit of suspense.

I would like to thank NetGalley for allowing me the opportunity to express my honest opinion of this audiobook.

A edge of your seat Romance Suspense novel. Very well written and the pacing of the story is great. Ava moves to a small town getting away from corporate law and opening up the only lawyer practice in town. She also volunteers with her SAR dog, Huck that she inherited from her estranged father. Working with the park rangers and local sheriff department searching for a small lost child has her crossing paths with Grant. The sheriff couldn’t help but notice the women, who looked out of place in the wilderness of the park.
Ava during the rescue finds a usual abandoned campsite, being curious she takes a few pictures and gives the information to the local authorities. But it gets pushed aside till Grant takes a look and his instincts tells him it may be related to a cold case on a missing person. Needing to follow up with witness he and Ava work together, but really not together. The mystery deeps and the dots are connecting to something bigger than either one realizes.
Really loved the fast pace of the story and the characters were very realistic. Once I started listening to the audiobook, I just couldn’t stop. The narrator did a excellent job with telling of the story. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. #NetGalley #VanishingHour #DreamscapeMedia

4.25 stars

We have a smart lawyer girl, a rescue dog and a hot detective. What's not to like?
The book is a great thriller, a page turner. More than once I was eagerly reading the next chapter as the cliffhanger was so well done.

We have the case of a couple of girls who disappear in Big Bend National Park. Things are not what they seem to be and soon enough we discover a link between the victims.

Laura Griffin does a great job in writing a mysterious, full of suspense story action packed.

I do not know if this is going to be a series. I love where the book ended so in a way I hope it won't be.

A great read, highly recommended.

Thank you Net Galley and Dreamscape Media for allowing me to read this awesome book!

3.5 stars

Ava, a lawyer and search & rescue operative, gets involved in a series of missing persons cases. A solid mystery, a bit of romance on the side, & a well-written setting in rural Texas made this a good read.

[What I liked:]

•There is some interpersonal conflict between Ava & her love interest, & between the various LEOs, but none of it was over the top & it didn’t distract from the story progression. Grant & Ava’s romance fit in nicely with the rest of the plot without being neglected nor overshadowing the main plot line.

•Grant, Ava, & the supporting cast are all sympathetic characters & interesting to learn about.

•I particularly enjoyed learning about the search & rescue team & Ava’s trained scent dog. That was pretty interesting.


[What I didn’t like as much:]

•The ending felt both a bit abrupt & drawn out. In a sense it’s realistic that it would take time to wrap up the investigation after the climax, but I’m not used to books having multiple scenes at intervals of weeks after the plot is mostly over.


CW: kidnapping, infidelity, murder, physical assault, elder abuse, substance abuse

[I received an ARC ebook copy from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. Thank you for the book!]

"Ava and her dog were literally digging up secrets that someone wanted to remain buried."

You know that author that when you get their latest book you know it will not only be enjoyable but you can't wait to grab your most comfortable blanket, favorite coffee mug and snack and cuddle on the couch to read it? Well reliable entertaining author Laura Griffin is that author for me and her latest romance suspense mystery Vanishing Hour was pure entertainment.

Ava Burch leaves her corporate lawyer job after the death of father with whom she had a contentious relationship and unresolved issues. He trained search and rescue dogs and she adopts his latest one Huck (a real good boy). She relocates to a small rural Texas town and becomes law partners with her best friend. On the side she volunteers her and Huck's services to help with missing and rescue missions.

On the latest mission they find an old abandoned campsite that just doesn't seem right so Ava takes some pictures to show law enforcement. The sheriff brushes off her concern but handsome detective Grant Wycoff quickly realizes
it's connected to a two year old unresolved case of a missing woman.

As they investigate it becomes clear someone wants them to stop when Ava finds a rattlesnake in her car, is chased with arrows from a crossbow and then her license plates are stolen.

I read and listened to this intriguing mystery and narrator Julia Atwood brought the suspense and romance in her emotional performances. As Ava and Grant try to fight their chemistry I kept smiling knowing this writer wouldn't let me down with the romance or the suspense and I was so right.

I received a free copy of this book/audiobook from the publishers via #netgalley for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.

Great great great story!! Loved the narrator as well! A lawyer doing search and rescue on the side, the town detective, and missing girls. Are the missing girls connected in any way?! Why have the cases sat cold for soo long? A must read!