Friday 28 March 2014

Book ~ "Missing You" (2014) Harlan Coben

From Goodreads ~ It's a profile, like all the others on the online dating site. But as NYPD Detective Kat Donovan focuses on the accompanying picture, she feels her whole world explode, as emotions she’s ignored for decades come crashing down on her. Staring back at her is her ex-fiancé Jeff, the man who shattered her heart - and who she hasn’t seen in 18 years.

Kat feels a spark, wondering if this might be the moment when past tragedies recede and a new world opens up to her. But when she reaches out to the man in the profile, her reawakened hope quickly darkens into suspicion and then terror as an unspeakable conspiracy comes to light, in which monsters prey upon the most vulnerable.

As the body count mounts and Kat's hope for a second chance with Jeff grows more and more elusive, she is consumed by an investigation that challenges her feelings about everyone she ever loved - her former fiancé, her mother, and even her father, whose cruel murder so long ago has never been fully explained. With lives on the line, including her own, Kat must venture deeper into the darkness than she ever has before, and discover if she has the strength to survive what she finds there.

Because she has no life, Kat's best friend, Stacey, signs her up to an online dating site.  Out of curiosity one night, she logs on and comes across the profile of her ex-fiancé, Jeff, who had suddenly dumped her 18 years ago.  Bolstered by liquor, she sends him a message.  He responds back with a strange message and then blows her off.

Kat is tormented by the death of her father, also a cop, almost 20 years ago.  His self-confessed murderer is dying in prison and Kat still wants to know who had hired him and why so she can have closure.  As she continues to investigate she discovers things aren't what's they'd seemed with her dad and colleagues.

In the meantime, Kat is approached by a young man named Brandon who says his mother, Dana, has disappeared.  Kat checks things out ... Dana was meeting a man she met online for a vacation and it appears that Brandon is having a hard time with his mother finally moving on after the death of his father.  Brandon won't let Kat walk away from this and as she digs deeper, she realizes that what he may have cause for alarm.

This the first book I've read by this author in a long time ... and I don't know why I haven't read more of his over the years because I enjoyed this one and the ones I've read in the past.  I've put him on my "to be read" list so I can catch up.

It's written in third person perspective and I liked the writing style.  There are a lot of storylines going on and in the beginning I was wondering what the point was ... but it all eventually makes sense.  I was satisfied with the ending and who murdered her father and why.

There are a lot of characters but it's not hard to keep them straight.  I liked Kat ... she's been carrying a lot of baggage over the years and will do anything she has to to have closure.  She has a great support system with her best friend, Stacey, and her father's former partner, Stagger.  Chaz, her partner, provides some comedic situations.  Brandon, though young, is likeable and, despite being a troublemaker in his teens, had a good head on his shoulders.

I recommend this book ... it's a page-turner!

1 comment:

Masshole Mommy said...

I actually think my hubby might like this one.