
Member Reviews

“You can’t force someone to get clean. You can’t love someone enough to change them.”
I liked this novel, but didn’t love it. I felt like it didn’t start taking a twist to the more exciting side until about 70% through. Something I did appreciate was the connectedness of all of the characters. It was written well and held my attention, I just don’t know that anything in particular stood out to make it go above and beyond a typical mystery/thriller.

This is the latest installment of the Quinn and Costa- this book answers all the questions that started the series and we become entangled in corrupt city politics and the fight for justice. This book is a very detailed, suspenseful thriller but also a great deal of research has been done to bring our countries homelessness issue into light- a shocking and sad issue.
This book had crazy twists and turns at every page and Allison Brennan did a fantastic job bringing readers along for the ride.

Allison Brennan's The Missing Witness is the Fifth installment in the authors Quinn and Costa series. Key Characters: Detective Kara Quinn; Special Agent Matt Costa; Violet Halliday, and a slew of characters from the LAPD, to the FBI, to several villains who are corrupt and dishonest. 8 months ago, Detective Kara Quinn was told to leave Los Angeles by her bosses after her uncover investigation against Chinese Businessman David Chen, who allegedly trafficked women from China, went horribly wrong and her partner and a victim lost their lives.
She was assigned to Matt Costa's Mobil Response Team where she has been involved in some pretty serious investigations. But now it is time to return to LA to testify against Chen, and hopefully get a certain FBI Agent named Bryce Thornton off her back. Chen thinks that he can get Kara's testimony tossed out because of her actions, while Bryce has been trying unsuccessfully for 10 years to put Kara in prison for anything he can come up with. But when Chen is shot by a masked man in broad daylight, the chaotic scene of the crime turns up few reliable bystanders.
And one witness—a whistleblower who might be the key to everything—has disappeared. Violet Halliday is the missing witness and whistleblower. She not only knows who the shooter is, but she works as an IT geek for City Hall. She learned that certain politicians in LA are lining their pockets with millions that is supposed to be going to help the homeless population in the city which continues to grow without any end in sight. This involves pilfering homeless grants and funding and even putting a hit out on a certain cop. Fiction becomes Reality.
When Deputy District Attorney Craig Dyson is killed, Violet becomes the hunted. Who can she turn to for help? After Dyson is stabbed to death right in front of Kara and gets away, it’s clear that anyone who knows too much about the investigation is in danger, and tracking down the witness becomes a matter of life or death. With government corruption running rampant and someone on the inside trying to pin anything they can on Kara, she trusts nobody except FBI special agent Matt Costa and a handful of allies, including Michael.
When Kara nemesis is found murdered with her gun, it appears that someone really powerful wants her dead. Kara starts to question everything she thought she knew about the case, her colleagues and the life she left behind months ago. It appears that there is a leak in the FBI, and those Kara thought she could trust in the LAPD are keeping a secret so damaging, that it could change Kara's future as a cop in LA. Now Quinn and Costa must race to find the missing witness and get to the bottom of the avalanche of conspiracies that has rocked LA to its core…before it's too late.
*Thoughts* I would definitely recommend that readers go back to the first installment in this series and refresh your memories of what actually happened to Kara 8 months ago and what has happened to her since. Kara, who is an excellent investigator, has a hard time letting people in. She doesn't trust easily, and that is actually not a bad thing considering what has happened to her, and the secrets that have been kept from her by those who she trusts. She has let Matt get close to her, but she is worried that she will lose him once her job is done in LA.
The plight of the homeless as presented by the author via Violet and Will Latimer was heartbreaking and realistic. Folks, this is not a Democrat vs Republican issue. It is something that needs to be fixed by working together. In this book, the author is telling you there is a huge problem in California because of corrupt politicians and others. It is a reality in this country that lots of homeless fall victim to drugs and alcoholism. There are thousands of military veterans, children, and families living on the streets because of mental health issues, and drugs.
It is beyond embarrassing that a large city like Los Angeles continues to allow corrupt politicians like George Gascon who take money from powerful billionaires to look the other way while the city tears itself apart and does nothing about companies who get millions to help the homeless. Gascon’s pro-criminal agenda has turned Los Angeles into a nightmare and a cesspool with San Francisco close behind. Criminals feel emboldened, residents unsafe, and victims abandoned. Gascon was recalled, but judges threw out the recount saying they didn't have enough valid signatures.
Finally, there is no excuse for homelessness in this country. If we can send billions to Ukraine and other foreign nations, we can take these people off the street and provide them with the help and assistance they need.

This was my first book in the series. I felt like the author did a good job of setting up the background of the various characters so I didn't feel like I had to read the previous books. With that said, there were so many characters and story lines that I found it difficult to follow in some areas. I liked the fast pace of the story, and the information on the homeless crisis was very interesting (and sad). I could have done without the sex scenes as I didn't think they added anything to the story, and I found them somewhat crass.
Thanks to Net Galley for the book to review.

This was my least favorite book by this author yet. I liked the stand alone books and other series I have read, I like the only other book in this series I have read. This one fell flat. It over simplified everything from homelessness to drugs to complex laws. I was a little offended by how dumbed down all of these complex issues were presented. The author tried to make up for that by over complicating the rest of the plot. Still, even as a far left liberal, I was left wanting of some real depth and understanding.

The Missing Witness is well worth the time to read it's a strong relevant to just about and family storyline with a good twisty plot that keeps you guessing who the good guys are the characters are entertaining complex and well written drawing you into their struggles.
I received a advance readers copy of this book and I am voluntarily leaving a review

Another Allison Brennan DNF for me unfortunately. I'm always so intrigued going into these books because the premise sounds so good but then I can never get interwoven into the story enough to continue. The romance was cute, the mystery and tension was great, just not a big fan of the writing. I really wanted to continue this story but I didn't want to force myself to read it.

The only thing I love more than a detective mystery is a series where you can build on your knowledge and love for characters. The latest installment in the Quinn & Costa series offers the best of this pair as they navigate corruption, disappearing witnesses, and lots of twists and turns.
While I think you could enjoy this one as a stand-alone novel, it's definitely a much more engaging and rewarding book for those who have read the rest of the series. All-in-all, a really great novel.

I didn't realize this was part of a series when I requested to read it. I found that there were some holes in getting to know the characters and that's probably because I haven't read the previous four books. However, the story can still be enjoyed as a stand alone. The corruption, secrets, and twists made this book very enjoyable. I would say the story had a little more depth than thrillers that I usually read and at times was a bit hard to follow. Overall, a very enjoyable detective mystery.
Thanks to Netgalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing, MIRA for a digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Detective story with lots of corruption among the ranks. I had a little difficulty with some of the lengthy legal issues and the changing of names to keep myself connected. For instance using Detective instead of a name, or first name and then last name of characters made some passages difficult to follow. Nteresting parts about homeless and murders and sleuthing. If you like detective mysteries this is for you.

This is a complicated thriller that will you wondering if there is anyone the characters can trust. Thankfully Quinn has worked with Costa and Michael Heller for long enough that she has total trust in them. This story will make you question whether these circumstances are actually happening now. For me, I was a little confused at the beginning as to what the homeless encampment and Violet had to do with the rest of the story. But then it became clear and there were so many twists, secrets, undercover operations, and deaths. I loved the progression of Quinn's character throughout the story and was glad to see her get her HEA, at least for now.
Thank you to NetGalley, Harlequin and the author for the opportunity to read this book for my honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

A really enjoyable thriller. The corrupt politics made this one hard to put down, and I am looking forward to the next book.

This book had so many crazy twists and turns! The FMC Kara Quinn had it right when she said she wasn’t sure she could trust anyone. What an exciting adventure Author Allison Brennan takes us on.
Blurb:
When a key witness goes missing, Quinn & Costa must find her before a killer silences her for good…
Detective Kara Quinn is back in Los Angeles to testify against a notorious human trafficker, finally moving past the case that upended her life. But when the accused is shot in broad daylight, the chaotic scene of the crime turns up few reliable bystanders. And one witness—a whistleblower who might be the key to everything—has disappeared.
After another person close to the case is killed, it’s clear that anyone who knows too much is in danger, and tracking down the witness becomes a matter of life-and-death. But as explosive secrets surface within the LAPD and FBI, Kara questions everything she thought she knew about the case, her colleagues and the life she left behind months ago.
Now with FBI special agent Matt Costa’s help, she must race to find the missing witness and get to the bottom of the avalanche of conspiracies that has rocked LA to its core…before it's too late.
This book is the 5th book in the series. I had not read the previous books prior to reading this one. However, I followed the story well and plan to read the others since this one was so good.

This is book 5 in the series and trust me this is not a stand-alone book. The missing witness will fix the plot holes ore what this review thought were plot holes and fills in the missing pieces. With the filled holes and secondary characters readers get to know better the entire time the author is bring readers into her world giving readers everything they expect from Allison Brennan. This is hands down one of the best in her Quinn & Costa series.
Thank you to Netgalley for advance copy of The Missing Witness

This feels like it's a movie. I can absolutely see it playing out. I like Kara, but she doesn't always make the smartest/safest choices... But that's the movie character in her - because in the end it'll all be okay, right?
I think this book is perfect for readers who love a clean ending, a mystery to be solved. The twists won't be completely shocking or shattering, but it will leave the reader satisfied.

I enjoyed the characters in this book, and the idea of the plot more than the book itself.
Unfortunately, I did request to read this before realizing it was a series, so more back story could have helped, but overall, it did not grab me right away and it felt rather sluggish compared to my usual reads.

Title: The Missing Witness
Author: Allison Brennan
Genre: Mystery/thriller
Rating: 4.5 out of 5
Detective Kara Quinn is back in Los Angeles to testify against a notorious human trafficker, finally moving past the case that upended her life. But when the accused is shot by a masked man in broad daylight, the chaotic scene of the crime turns up few reliable bystanders. And one witness—a whistleblower who might be the key to everything—has disappeared.
After the prosecuting DDA is stabbed to death, it’s clear that anyone who knows too much about the investigation is in danger, and tracking down the witness becomes a matter of life or death. With government corruption running rampant and someone on the inside trying to pin anything they can on Kara, she trusts nobody except FBI special agent Matt Costa and a handful of allies.
But when explosive secrets begin to surface within the LAPD and FBI, Kara questions everything she thought she knew about the case, her colleagues and the life she left behind months ago.
Now Quinn and Costa must race to find the missing witness and get to the bottom of the avalanche of conspiracies that has rocked LA to its core…before it's too late.
I’ve really enjoyed the Quinn & Costa series, and I think this was my favorite so far. Kara actually showed a loot of character growth here and it was nice to see how she’s changed since the first back. Her going back to the scene of her past was interesting to watch---and seeing the ghosts from her past life as she interacted with the case that got her to the FBI Mobile Response team added a lot of depth to her character. I really enjoyed this, and stayed up until 2 a.m. binge-reading it.
Allison Brennan is a bestselling author. The Missing Witness is the newest Quinn & Costa novel.
(Galley courtesy of Harlequin/MIRA in exchange for an honest review.)
(Blog link live 1/23).

An intricate web of high stakes undercover operations, murder and government corruption. This book was action packed. Admittedly I should have probably read the first 4 books in this series but I didn’t have trouble following along.
Thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for an advanced reader copy of this book!

The Quinn & Costa series is one of the most satisfying series procedural thriller series out there. Every book in the series feels fresh and is full of shocking twists. The Missing Witness is not exception and did not disappoint.
Kara Quinn is in LA to testify in the case that has destroyed much of her life (for more on that, you will need to read the other books ;) in the series). Things don’t go as planned when the defendant is shot and one of the witnesses goes missing. Things don’t get better from there.
I absolutely love this series and this book. Allison Brennan is extraordinary master at crafting a story that makes you forget you are reading. This does not read like a procedural and rather just like a very well don’t thriller. If you haven’t read the Quinn & Costa series yet, now is a great time to dive into it before this most recent installment comes out.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book. I leave this review voluntarily.

In the fifth book in the Quinn and Costs series, this story is very police procedural and has the biggest web of lies and deception to sift through.
I received this ARC after not having read the other books in the series, so I was a little worried about that but this can definitely be read as a stand alone. The only thing was there were a lot of characters so at the beginning it took a lot for me to keep them all straight in my head- and this could be just because I had not read the other books.
This book was fast paced and action packed, with layer by layer of the story being revealed which I liked. What I didn’t love was all of the characters involved in the scheme itself. It was a lot to keep track of and understand all of the connections. especially between the FBI and the LA PD and the LA FBI, it was hard to manage who was involved and what their role was. Additionally the book was written from many different character perspectives which at times made it hard to follow.
Overall landing at a 3.5 rating! I enjoyed it and wanted to know what would happen. I am looking forward to trying more of Brennan’s work!
Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for this e-arc in exchange for my honest review!