This had me captivated all day and evening! It's got a good pace and plenty twists and turns. I literally found myself reaching for it at work, making dinner, on the treadmill, I was so curious to see just who was behind it. The characters are well written and you get completely swallowed up in the plot. Such a good read that delivers exactly what it says

Taken Girls by Carolyn Arnold Very pleased to have found the Detective Amanda Steele series. Book 8 is suspenseful, fast paced with several twists and turns and an unexpected ending. Engaging and relatable characters. A great addition to the series.
Thank you to the Carolyn Arnolds, Bookouture. and NetGalley for the opportunity to preview the book.

I am a huge fan of the Amanda Steele series and was so excited to be able to receive and arc of book 8! In Taken Girls, Amanda is investigating the disappearance of the high school prom queen, Reese. She had been missing 3 days already so it was devastating when her body is found at the actual prom. Amanda is now working a murder case, working against the clock before another girl is taken.
As always, Carolyn Arnold's writing is great, the characters are ones you can relate to and come to care about, the suspense is ever present, and it's a book that's hard to put down. So happy to have found this series and can't wait for more Amanda Steele!

This is book#8 in the Detective Amanda Steele series. It was a good read! I would definitely recommend.

Detective Amanda Steele receives a frantic call from her niece, Ava. Reese, the sister of her best friend, is missing and they need her help locating her. Reese was to be the prom queen and was excited about it so why would she have run away? Amanda assists the girls in searching for Reece but isn’t able to locate her.

When a body is found at the prom, Amanda and her team are called in to investigate. Sadly, they find that it belongs to Reese. Why would someone have killed her?

Amanda is determined to find out what happened to Reese. She soon discovers that there are a lot of suspects in the case. Apparently Reese had a tendency to be a bully. She’s wanders if that got her killed.

When Amanda’s niece is targeted by the killer, the urgency to solve a case is even more prevalent. Especially after Ava goes missing, Amanda is frantically trying to figure out the killers identity before she becomes a victim as well. Can she stop them in time?

Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

Detective Amanda Steele's niece, Ava, needs her help. Her best friends sister is missing after a fight with her mother. But tonight is her prom of which she is prom queen and she wouldn't miss it, would she? She doesn't actually miss it--her dead body is found at the venue. Ava has been warned not to investigate, so of course she doesn't listen. While investigating, Amanda and her partner find teenage bullying and hate running rampant. And then Ava goes missing.

Book 8 in this detective series. There were lots of twists and turns in this novel and I wasn’t really sure who to trust – everyone seemed to be keeping secrets and lying about what they were up to. There were several red herrings and some misdirection that had me suspecting all kinds of things! I was trying to guess what was happening and kept changing my mind. This was definitely an intriguing and absorbing read. I really enjoyed this book and it will appeal fans of thrillers.

Sometimes people pick professions to match their name. I had a girl in my class when I was in elementary school and her last name was Schoonbrood (beautiful bread :) ). Can you guess what her dad did for a job? Well, he was a baker. :)

Detectives have to be made out of steel and when your name is Steele, you must be in the right occupation. And if you do live up to your name, you really are cut out for this job. 

This time Amanda and her partner Trent have to answer a call for help from her niece Ava. Looking for a missing person is not what Amanda normally does being a detective with the homicide department. She decides looking into it and soon the thing she feared the most is happening...

The team is dealing with a clever killer and time, as usual is running out. They need to find this person fast because the killer has upped the game, making it very personal. 

Will they figure the who, what and where out before it's too late?

I have always liked this detective duo very, very much and this is not about to change soon. It will be difficult to wait for the next book in this great series. 5 stars

Thank you

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and author for this eARC.

This is another fab read and a great addition to the authors Amanda Steele series. I really enjoyed this book and was drawn into the story from the first page. Here Steele and her partner investigate a murder which becomes personal for Steele and it becomes a race against time to find the murderer before they kill again. I really like the authors writing, and think she connects well with her readers and I was invested in the book and it's characters throughout and feel like I know the main character really well and love the little glimpses into her home and personal life. The story had a very good, current and all too believeable plot line in todays world and I found this book to be a real page turner, particularly the last quarter where the author created so much tension and suspense that made me desperately want to know what would happen next! Overall a very good and thrilling read and I look forward to the next book. If you like good, solid police procedurals I'd recommend this book although if you're new to Carolyn Arnold as an author read this series from the beginning so you know the characters from the start.

4 stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Detective Amanda Steele is back in Taken Girls, the eighth book in the series. This heart-stopping, tense thriller starts off with a bang when a murdered Prom Queen is found, staged in the most unlikely of places. Amanda’s niece, Ava, wants to follow in her aunt’s footsteps in the police department but has a few years to go as she is still in High School. Unfortunately, when Ava decides to investigate, she attracts the attention of the killer. Steele and her partner, Detective Trent Stenson, will have to work much faster to bring Ava home safely. Arnold’s latest is a fabulous fast-paced, tightly plotted thriller with so many twisty angles. The threads of this action-packed novel are tied together by the well-penned characters. Carolyn Arnold shines through as a premier storyteller in this latest novel. I am looking forward to the next one in this fabulous series.

This might just be my favorite of the series because of how the author shows the effects of bullying and those that are left feeling betrayed, rejected, and misunderstood, and why it need to be stopped . As well as show how much the characters themselves have grown and change , and how with each book you get to see their personality shine .

I am a big fan of Carolyn Arnold. I jumped for joy at being able to read Taken Girls (Detective Amanda Steele Book 8). I read this book in one day.

When Detective Amanda Steele’s niece, Ava, begs her to look for a missing school friend, she immediately agrees to take on the case. Eighteen-year-old Reese left home three nights ago after fighting with her mother and hasn’t been seen since. But when the teenager’s body is discovered brutally murdered, poised dramatically at the prom venue, Amanda is devastated she didn’t save the girl in time. It soon becomes clear that the killer will stop at nothing to silence anyone who might reveal their identity.

Amanda is still grappling with the death of her husband and young daughter in a tragic accident. She is coming to realize that they are gone and are never coming back, and she needs to move forward.

A great line about teenagers and communication and smartphones and how they have reverted back to the caveman days using emojis!

I like the way the author lays out the plot. There were some red herrings to keep me guessing and keep me involved in the story. I really enjoyed getting to know some of the series' regulars on a deeper level. Taken Girls does have a sad storyline and the aftermath of what happens when a murder takes place and the effects on the family left behind.

The story shows the effects of bullying and those that are left feeling betrayed, rejected, and misunderstood. It's quite a powerful message. One comment the author made was how bullying haunts those who are subjected to it and how it affects the trajectory of their lives. This is so true, and we never know how our interactions and words affect others. Bullying is a huge epidemic, and intolerance and fear of noting understanding those around us bring out hate.

The story characters have good camaraderie, especially Amanda and Trent. I enjoyed Amanda's head-strong niece and her featuring more in this book.

This is a great addition to the Amanda Steele series, and I cannot wait for more. I would recommend this book and this author. I would also suggest reading this series from the beginning.

#TakenGirls #NetGalley @bookouture

Amanda Steele and Trent are on a case that hist close to home for Amanda and her family. Ava's friend, Zoe, her sister is missing before her big night. She's the Prom Queen, but where is she? Finding her is heartbreaking for the family, and Ava won't sit back and let the police investigate. (This part really didn't set too well with me. It made part of the story too obvious.) Other than that, I enjoyed the story. I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book.

Detective Amanda Steele is passionate about her job and about her adopted daughter. She is dedicated to her family and friends. She is also in a romantic relationship that adds stability to her often chaotic life, but she's still struggling with moving forward and shedding her grief from the death of her husband, daughter, and unborn child year ago. As she takes one step on this future path, she is called by her young niece, Ava, to a park and learns that a young girl is missing (sister of her niece's friend). What looks like a moody teenage runaway turns into a serious murder case for Amanda and her partner. When Amanda's niece decides to investigate on her own, Ava draws the attention of the killer. Will Amanda stop the perp before another person dies? It's an exciting story with an ending that makes me anxious for the next book in the series.

Taken Girls by Carolyn Arnold is book #8 in the Detective Amanda Steele series. I found this storyline to be intriguing but I had some problems with it. I've enjoyed the earlier books in the series but this one left me a little disappointed. I would have liked to have seen more of Detective Amanda Steele's daughter Zoe and her boyfriend Logan Hunter. Then there's Amanda's niece Ava. I felt she should have had a lead role in a slasher movie of the girl who stupidly goes into the dark basement. I read for entertainment and some aspects of this story I found to be less than entertaining. Current headline news need not apply.

i have read the detective amanda steele books from the beginning so i was excited for this and it did not dissapoint. The story was gripping and had a few twists that i didnt see coming. I was on the edge od my seat at times.

It is one of my favourites. I love Ava in this and was so nervous for her but shes so determined just like her Aunt amanda.

Another great Detective Amanda Steel book. I have read several in this series and have liked all of them. Amanda’s niece Ava has called her Aunt for help because her best friends sister has gone missing. Ava decides to play detective herself and gets into trouble. The rest of the book is spent trying to find the killer and Ava. There is a small amount of personal information but it mostly concentrates on the mystery. This could be read as a standalone.

I believe this is the first book I've read in this series, but it didn't seem to matter and didn't dull my enthusiasm to keep reading until the end. The characters are well written and believable. The plot kept me guessing and I didn't want to put the book down until I knew the ending and if the 'final girl ' was safe!

Great book and series! This book had a bit of everything! It had high suspense, intrigue, action packed, murder, serial killer, revenge, a great who done it, even touching on transgender topics, and so many crazy twists and turns! The storyline was very interesting and had me glued to my Kindle! I highly recommend reading this book and series! as they're well worth reading! I can't wait for more! Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for sharing this book with me!

This talented author has written a whodunit that is difficult to put down. The characters come alive on the pages. The story moves quickly. Red herrings kept me from discerning the ending quickly. Secrets and surprises…Amanda Steel is called upon to find a missing girl. They find her too late, early in the story, and the book kept my attention while she looked for the murderer. Amanda’s niece tries to solve the case, and puts them both in danger. This is a series of mystery and intrigue. This book was sent to me electronically by Netgalley for review. Thanks to the publisher and the author.