And Then She Was Gone

I devoured this book! I was on the edge of my seat, considering new suspects and twists and turns. I fell in love with the characters and the book was extremely well written and right up my alley! Jack was like a modern bad ***, male Nancy Drew putting this mystery together and I plan to read the series.

Thank you to NetGalley for my copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

And Then She Was Gone is the first Jack Stratton novel I have read, so I had a totally unbiased opinion of what to expect. Mr. Greyson has written other Jack Stratton novels with Jack as an adult, while this is a prequel featuring him as a seventeen year old. Not only is And Then She Was Gone an intense and intriguing thriller, its backdrop of racial divisions-especially when it comes to how people of different racial and economic classes perceive and interact with the police-are so timely the story has a "ripped from the headlines" feel. While I had my doubts about how realistic the plot was going to be with a seventeen year old aspiring detective on the hunt for a killer, Mr. Greyson has given Jack a tough and hardscrabble background that lends him a maturity beyond his years. Now that I've seen young Jack Stratton in action (and I have to admit the ending caught me off guard), I'm eager to find out what he is like as grown man. And Then She Was Gone should appeal to long time Jack Stratton fans, as well as new readers to the series.

A suspense-filled story that had me guessing every which way.

This was the first Jack Stratton novel I read and can't wait to read more! As soon as I finished, I downloaded the first book in the series. This one goes back to Jack as a teenager and shows the reader his development into the police detective that he apparently becomes in future books. Well developed characters and a very believable plot make this an enjoyable read. Highly recommended.

I received a free copy from NetGalley. First in the series, but just released, I'm looking forward to reading the rest soon. With the current media attention on how bad the police are it was interesting to read a story about a young man who wants to be a policeman and to learn why. I really wish I had a book group to discuss this one. So many current issues with race, poverty, and nature vs. nurture just to name a few but they are not over powering or the focus of the story. If you are looking for a new mystery series this would be a good one, since there are several books already out.

How have I missed reading about Jack Stratton? Christopher Greyson has a series of Detective Stratton mysteries that have been hidden from me just like the murderer was hidden from Jack Stratton. And Then She was Gone refers to Stacy Shaw a working pregnant employee. Jack Stratton is a seventeen year old with a future in the army, college, and then the police academy. How this teen digs deep to unravel pieces of a crime, plan for his future, and date has made a wonderful thriller. No need to read other books in this series to enjoy this one. I received a free copy of this through NetGalley.

WHAT A SURPRISE!...I am a mystery reader, through and through...this book sucked me in...grab a cup of coffee, this book and enjoy!

This is the first I've read by this author. Being number six in the series, this book to me was a stand alone. It's a great enticement read the other in the series. Very enjoyable!

This was my first Christopher Greyson book, and I very much enjoyed it. I was worried when I realized it was a series, but And Then She Was Gone is a prequel; so not only did that work out perfectly, but I also discovered that all the books in this series can be read as stand-alones, which I love. No pressure to get the exact order – though those who know me know that from here on out, I will go in the order published because… well, I’m me.

In this prequel, Jack Stratton is not yet the detective he will be in novels of the rest of the series. In And Then She Was Gone, Jack and his foster brother Chandler are two teens who are navigating their way through their senior year, have already enlisted in the army, and have their futures impressively planned out. After the army, Jack plans to go to college and then attend the police academy – his dream since he was just a child. Jack’s childhood is heartbreaking, but the love he found in his foster family with Chandler and Aunt Haddie and later with his adoptive parents is heartwarming and hopeful. When a boy from his foster family’s neighborhood is arrested in the disappearance of a young woman, Jack is pulled in and, much to the chagrin of detectives working the case, begins an investigation of his own.

I love that this book is suspenseful and full of mystery but is also a very clean read. I can give this not only to my teen who has recently started getting into the mystery genre but to my mom as well (who is a strictly PG audience). They will both love it! There are little inspirational moments cleverly tucked into conversations that I know they will appreciate, and I couldn’t help but smile at those little touches.

If the present Detective Jack Stratton is half as endearing as young detective-wannabe Jack Stratton, then I’m sold and can’t wait to get started on the rest of this engaging series.

A Teenage Boy Outdoes the Police in Finding a Killer

Stacey Shaw is leaving work late. After an unpleasant encounter with a co-worker, she gets to her car only to find it won’t start. Things were going well. Her husband, Michael, will soon be home, and she’s excited about the baby. Michael calls while she’s in the car, but not wanting to disturb him, she doesn’t tell him it won’t start. She decides to walk home through the park, but never reaches the other side.

Jack Stratton wants to be a policeman. He was a foster child, dumped by his mother. It makes him feel like he’s no good. To relieve his feeling of inferiority, he wants to help people.

A boy in the neighborhood where his foster mother, Aunt Hattie, lives, is arrested for Stacey’s murder. This is one person Jack doesn’t want to help, but Aunt Hattie convinces him to try. Unfortunately, this puts Jack in conflict with Detective Vargas, the detective investigating the case, and nearly lands him in jail.

If you enjoy Jack Stratton novels, this is a must read. Seeing Jack as a teen, gives you an enhanced idea of his character. Jack and his friends, Chandler and Kelly, are well fleshed out characters. The author makes the teenagers come to life and the dialog is realistic.

The plot will keep you guessing and rooting for Jack. He’s up against a detective who doesn’t want assistance from a teenager and is ready to toss Jack in jail to prove it. The scenes between Jack and Detective Vargas felt very much like a contest between good and evil.

I recommend this book if you like a good mystery where the clues have to be teased out and don’t just fall into the hero’s lap.

I received this book from Net Galley for this review.

AND THEN SHE WAS GONE is a great suspense novel. I would compare it to "Hardy Boys" for adults. The characters were fun and engaging and the storyline kept moving, twisting and turning. Loved the back stories and the friendship between the 2 main characters.

4.25 STARS

“And Then She Was Gone” is the latest novel in Christopher Greyson’s Detective Jack Stratton mystery series. For established fans of this series, this is essentially a full-length prequel which focuses in on a young Jack Stratton. Fans will also recognize secondary characters from the series and will, no doubt, delight in getting a glimpse into those characters’ pasts as well.

At the very start of this novel, we see 17 year old Jack Stratton chasing after a junkie thief who has stolen a purse from an elderly woman. Right from the get go, we get a clear sense of Jack’s basic moral fiber. We learn of his plans to enlist--a means by which to pay for college--and his ultimate goal of a career in law enforcement. We also discover Jack’s propensity for inserting himself into situations that are often best handled by the police.

The son of a drug-addicted prostitute, Jack was abandoned as a young child. He ended up in the foster care system and was placed into the care of a woman he refers to as “Aunt Haddie.” Although Jack was eventually adopted by the Stratton’s, he continues to remain close to his former foster mom, brothers and sisters. So, when Aunt Haddie pleads for Jack’s help in the wrongful arrest of his childhood nemesis, Jack is hard-pressed to deny her request.

Stacy Shaw is a young, married woman with a bright future. She has a new job, a new home and a baby on the way. Then, one fateful night, Stacy Shaw goes missing. But when Jack's investigative probing leads him to stumble upon the woman’s lifeless body, the simple missing person’s case turns into one of murder.

When Stacy’s wallet ends up in the hands of Jack’s old foe, the young man is arrested in conjunction with the woman's death. Despite their prior bad history, Jack has reason to believe that this former neighborhood thug is being falsely accused. Relenting to his foster mom's request to prove the suspect's innocence, Jack disregards the repeated warnings from police to steer clear of the investigation. Instead, with the help of his foster brother Chandler, he continues to insert himself right smack in the middle of it. Frustrated by Jack’s constant interference, law enforcement officials start to turn a suspicious eye in his direction. Suddenly, all of Jack's plans for his future fall into dire jeopardy.

As I first delved into this book, I had no prior knowledge to the existence of the Jack Stratton mystery series. So, while I enjoyed the story very much, reading it felt a bit reminiscent of an old Hardy Boys saga. To me, Jack seemed a bit naïve when it came to crime-solving; too wide-eyed and innocent, so to speak. But then I learned about the series, and the author’s approach to Jack’s early years became crystal clear, making absolute sense.

Overall, I found “And Then She Was Gone” to be an intriguing and engaging story. The characters are likeable and well developed, and even though I suspected the true culprit early on, reading the mystery unfold was still enjoyable. So much so, in fact, that I plan to add the other books in this series to my never-ending reading list. With the first book currently on sale for only 99cents, I grabbed myself a copy and am well on my way!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC of And Then She Was Gone in exchange for a fair and honest review. This is the sixth novel in the Jack Stratton series, but takes us back to before Jack became a detective. Jack Stratton was born to a prostitute who tried to raise him among drug addicts and other prostitutes until he was about seven years old. Then, she disappeared, walked away, threw him away like garbage. This is why Jack is constantly trying to prove his worth and constantly getting in trouble for it. On the dawn of his eighteenth birthday and just weeks from enlisting in the army with his foster brother Chandler, Jack finds himself hip deep in a mystery. A local woman is missing, assumed dead, and an old enemy from the neighborhood has been accused of the crime. Jack doesn't care for the accused, but knowing Stacy Shaw too was thrown away like garbage doesn't sit well with Jack. Using all he has learned from TV shows and books about policing, Jack begins to investigate Stacey Shaw's case, quickly become embroiled in trouble that may jeopardize any chance he or Chandler has of getting in the Army and then going to college and the police academy. This is my first encounter with Jack, and I must admit I am a fan. He is a culmination of several of my favorite police procedural heroes including Jack Reacher, Harry Bosch, Eve Dallas and Milo Sturgis to mention a few. If those folks got together and had a baby detective, I imagine he (or she) would be very much like Jack Stratton. I'm looking forward to reading the rest of the series and watching Jack progress from an angry, humble, self-loathing but incredibly brave and intelligent young man to full fledged detective.

After writing several novels about police detective Jack Stratton, author Christopher Greyson decided to write about Stratton’s teenage years and his determination to devote his life to police work.

This novel depicts the teenage Stratton’s efforts to assist police in solving a crime in which a young, pregnant woman was murdered. Jack was the person who discovered the woman’s body. He was overwhelmed by the need to provide justice for the young woman.

This fast paced story has a strong sense of place and great character development. It is hard to put down as Jack tries to connect the pieces of information to determine who committed the crime. The police try to discourage him from interfering with the investigation, and threaten to arrest him for impeding their investigation.

Mystery, suspense, and action abound as you root for the young Jack Stratton as he doggedly follows his leads.

Thank you to Net Galley, Greyson Media and Christopher Greyson for giving me the opportunity to read the ARC of this realistic detective novel!

This book is a prequel to the Jack Stratton novels. Focusing on Jack as a teenager as he seeks to find the killer of a young pregnant woman. Jack is constantly is putting himself and his friend/foster brother Chandler at risk of danger and also of being arrested. Both Jack and Chandler are planning to go into the army and anything negative could screw up their chances but Jack just can't seem to help himself. This is a great start to this series because it really gives you a feel for who Jack is and where he came from. I haven't read the other books in this series but I just downloaded all 5 I was so intrigued by Jack and his family.

There is enough action to keep you interested, but also just the right amount of reality to keep the story grounded. Jack isn't superman, he makes mistakes, he jumps to conclusions, he puts himself in situations that could prove dangerous but his motivation to help those who can't help themselves seems routed in his past.

I love Aunt Hattie, Jack's foster mother and also Jacks parents who took him in at the age of 11. The characters are so well written I had no problem seeing them in my head and watching them interact.
Really great start. I'm looking forward to the other books in this series.

A clever mystery that left me guessing until the end.

What a fun read! This a prequel to the series, about the teenage version of the hero, Jack Stratton. I haven't read any of the other books of the series, but plan to right away, so I can find out how this clever kid turns out.
This engaging mystery left me guessing until the end. The teenage protagonist, though precocious, gets into all kinds of trouble as he and a friend try to solve a murder case. I kept wondering if this was written with young adult readers in mind. It would be a great book for teens, or even preteens, but also kept my interest as an adult.
I recommend it for both young adults and adults who are looking for an easy to read, entertaining whodunit.

This book was PHENOMENAL!! I absolutely loved everyone of the characters and was surprised when I realized who had committed the murder. There were so many amazing characters in this book, and most, if not all, of them were completely memorable in their own ways. This was the first book I've ever read from this author, but it appears that there are other books in this series, although from what I've seen things don't seem to progress as well as I would hope for Jack. I would definitely be interested in seeing where the author takes Jack in future books.
Highly recommend, this book did not disappoint!!!

And Then She Was Gone by Christopher Greyson is a detective thriller, which makes a fast read with a heavy dose of suspense! If you are a frequent reader of detective novels, the first chapter will reveal some sinister characters who will possibly attack the young woman we first meet. Once you pick up on these clues, you are tense as you read, just waiting for when it happens.

Every thriller needs a hero, and in this novel that's Detective Jack Stratton, whom we meet as he is training for future heroics. We first meet him as he chases down a kid who has just stolen and older woman's purse, as he recovers the purse and happily returns it to this crime victim.

He becomes involved in the crime at the center of this novel, and the action follows plot twists and surprising revelations. This is a page-turner, and will leave you breathless in many chapters.

Greyson's language builds suspense, makes you sympathetic with the victim at the very beginning, and keeps you hoping for a happy ending. He does an expert job of crafting a story that makes you want to finish it, and keeps you reading long after you have decided to call it a night. You may even sleep with the light on as you are drawn into this drama.

Add this novel to your collection of thrillers....it doesn't disappoint!

I received a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.