This novel felt familiar, like stepping into the comfortable home of a friend. I knew how it was going to go down, who to be suspicious of, and which characters were going to play good cop bad cop. But this was genuinely a great novel. The author did a fantastic job of throwing in a few twists to throw the perfect crime off the trail just a tiny bit. And the characters are all realistic to boot.

Definitely not one of those series where you can read the second book before the first. The first provides context and the second provides spoilers about the first.

If you are looking for a fast paced-thrilling for every second-thriller, don’t read this book. While the story is good it is extremely slow up until it isn’t. It’s all or nothing. It can also be hard to follow because there is a lot going on.

Finally, make sure you check the content warnings because this book handles some pretty dark and twisty topics.

Great narration. The narrator does a great job bringing this book to life. The story itself was horrifying and twisted. Deep and gritty secrets in a small town abound as the layers of townsfolk are peeled back like an onion to reveal the evil lurking. Suspense and twists abound. A great listen! And the ending…. Blew me away. Not what I was expecting.

Not sure how I feel about this book. I think my main issue stems with the narrator of the audio book. I have never disliked a narrator so much and this took a lot away from the story. However, I did get some SVU vibes. Agent Kendall Beck and Detective Adam Taylor investigate a convenience store robbery gone bad and end up find a child sex trafficking ring. Then detective Taylor's niece then goes missing and he helps investigate her disappearance, which we all know is AGAINST THE RULES. The story was intriguing and well written, but there were SO MANY characters by the end I had a hard time keeping track of who was who. I think with less details and a more direct story line I would have enjoyed it more.

Thank you to Crooked Lane Books and Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Every Missing Girl by Leanne Kale Sparks
Narrated by Erin DeWard
Publisher: Dreamscape Media
Genre: Mystery & Thrillers
Expected Publication Date: February 7, 2023

Every Missing Girl is the second book in the Kendall Beck series by Leanne Kale Sparks. I had not read the previous book and foudn this easy to read as a standalone mystery. There was enough backstory provided so I got to know the character pretty quickly and to what drives them. I will be reading previous book very soon and I look forward to future books because I am hooked!

I loved this book! The story was fast paced and kept me on the edge of my seat. I was captivated by how things were unfolding and felt involved in the story. I really wanted Kendal and Adam to solve these crimes and bring the kids home safely. By the end of the book, I felt personally invested and so emotional. I love when a book can do that!

The narration by Erin DeWard was great! I enjoyed how she brought this book to life.

I definitely recommend reading this book! It's a quick read and will keep you on the edge of your seat!

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Kendall Beck, and FBI agent is called onto a scene where a robbery of a convenience store went wrong. A young girl, who was missing, ends up at this scene. Beck who specializes in missing children, is on the case and she teams up with Adam Taylor, a homicide detective, to find out the root cause of this missing girl. Taylor’s niece ends up missing as well after a hockey game she played in. The two team up to find his niece. At points there seemed to be a lot going on, but Sparks did tie it all together in the end. This was a fast-paced police drama that kept me engaged. This was a short read – under 300 pages – which was a nice change from some of the longer ones. There are lots of discussions on child trafficking and rape. I did not read the first book in this series, and don’t feel like I missed out on too much. As the reader, I wanted to jump in and tell Beck and Taylor what they were missing. There were some twists that caught me off guard, but I left feeling meh.

I didn’t realize this was the second book in the Kendall Beck series, but that didn’t impact my understanding. I really enjoyed this book, although I wasn’t exactly pleased with the outcome. There were many unexpected twists and turns throughout the book- definitely kept me guessing.

This is the first I've read of the series, and it will not be my last. Kendall is an FBI agent, and she and Adam were working on a robbery that went south together. Then later that night, Adam's niece went missing, and they did everything they could to find her.
Now this robbery that went south is also a double murder, and the more they get down to what happened, they find out something far more sinister is going on. They found a connection to the sex trafficking children ring, and now they were even more terrified for Adam's niece Frankie.
This book is a rollercoaster, but you will want to join for the ride! Kendall is a down-to-earth cop; she doesn't have a chip on her shoulder. She is doing her job, and she wants to solve these cases! This author knows how to wrap up the book, and she does so with grace with one final act. While this is not a book if you have triggers, it is one that you will want to read in one afternoon because once you start it, you will not be able to put it down! However, I listened to the audiobook; the narrator was terrific, and the voice fit the characters very well! I recommend it if you want a great mystery with a wild ride!
Thank you, Netgalley and Dreamscape Media, for the extraordinary opportunity to listen and review this one! It is a treat that no mystery/thriller lover will want to miss!

I gave this one 4 stars. I didn't realize it was a second in a series, but that really didn't impact the story!!! It was twisty and turny in all of the best ways. I was so invested so quickly in what was happening!! I gave it 4 stars only because it was a little confusing to keep track of the multiple story lines intertwining and who was who!

This book was a train wreck! The writing was disjointed and jarring with a cast of characters that lacked depth and emotion. Almost everyone was completely despicable as well. If it wasn’t such a serious subject matter, it would be laughable how preposterous the investigation was. When a trafficking ring of large proportions is detected is the FBI really going to send one lone woman agent to work alongside the police? At one point said FBI agent was being assaulted while two male cops that were also preset just stood there🤷‍♀️🤷‍♀️ The investigation was so poorly and improperly handled that the ending came as no shock whatsoever! Put that together with a narrator with a grating voice and you have the aforementioned train wreck! Thank you to Dreamscape Media and NetGalley for an ALC of this book.

Every Missing Girl was a captivating and intriguing book. The order for this book had a commanding and somewhat spooky toned her voice. I felt as though author and orator almost wrote the book hand in hand even though I know that's not true.

This book had applied in a subplot in my mind which each one left you with cliffhanger and you had to continue to listen to the book to see how they went together. I was very intrigued with the opening talking about best friends cuz I could see myself in these characters.

This book keeps you guessing all the way to the very end and maybe even somewhat after. A definite read for a horror and suspense aficionados table.

Thank you to Netgalley, Dreamscape Media, and Leanna Kale Sparks for an advance listening copy of Every Missing Girl in exchange for an honest review. I didnt originally realize this was Book #2 in the Kendall Beck series but this can definitely be read as a standalone. I really enjoyed this one and was very invested in following the story to see what happened. This gave me Will Trent vibes (but not as dark and gruesome) so you know I was here for that. I dont want to give anything away and go into specifics but I was happy with the ending. I felt like the author made this whole story very believable and the ending solidified that for me. This one comes out next Tuesday (2/7) and deserves a spot on your TBR & your bookshelf!

Book 2 in the Kendall Beck series. Would work as a stand alone, but I'd recommend reading book 1 first.

FBI Special Agent Kendall Beck and Detective Adam Taylor are at his niece's hockey game when she goes missing. Kendall specializes in child trafficking, so she immediately takes the case. Adam wants to help, but not only is he too close, he has a double homicide to solve. Adam continually vacillates between his own case and finding his niece, Frankie. During her investigation, Kendall digs up lots of secrets, but none of them result in finding Frankie.

I liked this one more than book one. I did figure out the shocking secret ahead of time, as well as where Frankie was. But you are never certain if you are right until the end. There were a few surprises along the way. I definitely look forward to future books in the series, if it continues.

Erin DeWard narrates the audiobook. She also narrated book one. Overall, she does a good job. There were some cringy voices used in dialogue- especially Frankie's coach. But thankfully those people have minor roles.

I received an audio copy in exchange for an honest review.

I received this ARC from NetGalley for an honest review. I did enjoy this book until the end. I didn’t see that coming. The story was easy to follow and I will look for more written by this author.

When Frankie disappears after her hockey game, the race is on to find her before it is too late. Secrets are uncovered as the police, including Frankie’s Uncle Adam, try to find her and uncover the truth of her disappearance.

This book is a page turner that kept me reading.

Detectives race to find out what happened to Frankie, a young girl who went missing after hockey practice. Is her disappearance related to other missing girls and strange activities or did she find out a secret that someone didn't want shared?
The clock is ticking but each secret uncovered leads to new questions.

Leanne Kale Sparks returns from The Wrong Woman with her second novel in the Kendall Beck series —EVERY MISSING GIRL. A cold case of a missing girl suddenly becomes front and center.

Set in the Colorado Rocky Mountains, FBI Special Agent Kendall Beck and Denver Homicide Detective Adam Taylor team up to investigate a kidnapping crime, but the case quickly turns cold.

There are two complex cases, a double murder tied to sex trafficking and the disappearance of Adam's niece, Frankie. When Taylor's niece, Frankie, suddenly vanishes at a local hockey rink, it becomes apparent a predator is on the loose. This is now personal.

The book starts with a crime scene at a convenience store/gas station (a murder) where Agent Beck is sent to investigate. It appears it is a robbery. Are the robbery and child abduction cases related or a coincidence?

Why had the girl been there? What connection did she have to the dead guy?

Who was the couple who abducted Savannah, and how did they get into the neighborhood? Was it random? Had they followed her from school, and was it planned? How many other girls had they done this to?

There are missing girls. Many before Frankie's niece and the others. How are these girls taken, and from where? Where are they taking them, and what is being done to them? Who is behind this? So many questions.

It appears they are connected, and they soon are unraveling a human trafficking ring that involves teenage girls. Can they get there in time to save Frankie's niece and other victims?

Some family secrets are unraveled with Frankie's mom. I enjoyed Kendall's character (even though she was a little over the top), their banter, and the working relationship with Agent Taylor. I was a little shocked at the ending, and it did not go as I had thought.

I am spoiled with Lisa Gardner and Karin Slaughter's cop procedurals (my two favorites), so I typically do not read others; they just cannot compare.

This is the series' second book, but it can be read as a standalone. The audiobook narrator Erin DeWard gave an engaging performance for all voices.

Thank you to #CrookedLaneBooks and #NetGalley for a gifted ARC and #DreamscapeMedia for an ALC.

NOTE FORMATTING: The e-ARC was very difficult to read and frustrating when sent to my Kindle app and reading on iPad. Not like any of my other digital books.

The formatting was way off, with no indentations, no double spacing (and no way to customize it), and all sorts of issues with line breaks and author's name and title in the middle of sentences; chapters were not laid out properly with breaks, on separate pages, etc. I saw several other reviews that had the same issues. It was tough, especially for someone like myself with eye problems who need a lot of white space and not everything that is run together while reading. A big mess. Hopefully, the finished digital copies will be better.

I finally gave up and grabbed the audiobook to get through it. Unfortunately, I also had issues with the audiobook stopping constantly. Overall, not a good experience.

Blog review posted @
www.JudithDCollins.com
@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
My Rating: 3 Stars
Pub Date: Feb 7, 2023

FBI Special Agent Kendall Beck has been called to investigate a missing girl in Denver in the Rocky Mountains. There she teams up with detective Adam Taylor. Suddenly, Adam’s niece, Frankie, also goes missing. Do these two cases intertwine somehow? Kendall Beck has to find out before it’s too late.

The story starts off a bit slow but quickly picks up. I really enjoyed Kendall Beck as a character. She is strong, determined, and capable. I enjoyed the ending where everything is finally wrapped up. However, there are bits of the book that had too many coincidences for me. There were also a lot of side characters, and it got a bit confusing at times for me. Overall, this was a solid 3/5 stars. I recommend it to anyone that likes police procedural books.

TW: Kidnapping, child abuse, sex trafficking

Kendall Beck is an agent for the FBI who specializes in missing children. She’s unexpectedly pulled into Detective Taylor’s homicide case when a missing girl is recovered from the scene of the crime. While they find it difficult to discover any leads, Kendall stumbles across a new case when Taylor’s niece disappears after her hockey game. Kendall and Taylor begin to find bits and pieces of the truth while the clock counts down on the likelihood of finding his niece alive. Will they be able to save Frankie before it’s too late?

This was a well written and interesting mystery that had a little bit of suspense built into it. The author did an excellent job at combining multiple threads and including misleading information to keep the mystery interesting and not too predictable. Though I did guess who the kidnapper was easily, the ending was unexpected and very well done.

I enjoyed the main characters of this work. Kendall Beck was well written and relatable, and I enjoyed how clever and kind she was while still excelling at her work. Her inner monologue made me relate to her as a character and brought her to life in an especially meaningful way. Taylor was similarly well written, especially how the author portrayed his bouts of anger and stress relating to his missing niece. Their friendship and chemistry was one of the strongest aspects of this work.

While this is a second book in a series (I didn’t realize that when I requested it), it can be read as a standalone with minimal confusion, though I do think it contains spoilers from the first book. I plan to read more from this author, and definitely recommend this work. My thanks to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for allowing me to read this work, which will be published on February 7th, 2023. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.

I hadn’t read the first book of this series, but was still able to read this without feeling like I missed anything. I was able to predict the bad guy, but not the ending. I actually really liked the end- it was unexpected. The characters were interesting and feel like they will become more fleshed out over the course of the series. It was fast paced and kept me interested the entire time. The only thing I didn’t like was the audiobook narration, some of the voices and accents were distracting. I will be going back to read the first book and will follow this series. It reminded me a bit of Karin Slaugter with the humor and darkness.