Sunday 7 March 2021

Book ~ "Search for Her" (2021) Rick Mofina

From Goodreads ~ At a truck stop near Las Vegas, fourteen-year-old Riley Jarrett vanishes from her family’s RV, turning their cross-country dream of starting over into a nightmare. 

Investigators have their work cut out for them. The massive, bustling truck plaza in the desert is the perfect place for someone to disappear - or be taken. 

Detectives pursue every chilling lead as all eyes fall to the newly blended family with a tragic past. With the clock ticking down on the likelihood that Riley’s alive, suspicions run deep. Everyone - from Riley’s mom to her stepdad to her stepbrother and her ex-boyfriend - has something to hide. And their secrets could prove deadly.

A couple years ago, Grace's husband had passed away in a car accident and John's wife and daughter had passed away in a boating accident.  Grace and Tim meet, fall in love and get married bringing together Grace's 14-year-old daughter, Riley, and Tim's 18-year-old son, Blake to form a new family.  Looking for a fresh start, they head from San Diego to Pittsburgh where John has a new job in an RV.  Blake finds it boring and Riley is mad because she's forced to break up with her boyfriend and leave her friends behind.  

The family stops at a huge truck stop.  Leaving Riley pouting in the RV, they go in and get food.  They are miles down the road toward Las Vegas before they realize that Riley isn't in the RV.  Heading back to the truck stop, they get in an accident and the RV is totalled.  By the time they get to the truck stop, lots of time has gone by.

Was Riley kidnapped and a family member involved?  Did a local pedophile grab and kill her?  Or did Caleb, Riley's ex-boyfriend, arrive to come get her?  As the police get involved, they discover that Grace, John and Blake are keeping secrets.  

I've read a few books by this author and thought this one was okay.  I liked the writing style and it is written in third person perspective with the focus on wherever the action is.  There was a lot going on with everyone having secrets that are hinted at and eventually revealed.  I thought it was obvious what happened to Riley and I wasn't buying it.

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