Full disclosure – I was provided an advanced reader’s copy of this book by the author or their representative but have voluntarily provided a review. All opinions are my own.
Old wounds open in deadly retribution
The venue is decorated, and the students are dressed to the nines as they file into the Rolling Hills Country Club, but this anticipated event will not go as planned. The festivities have come to a halt before they can even start at the discovery of a murder. Dressed in a prom dress complete with tiara, the young female is found staged in a bathroom stall. Detectives Steele and Stenson are quick to the scene, but the discovery of the victim, while shocking, is not completely unexpected. After having recently been approached by her niece Ava and her best friend Nadine, Amanda suspects that the body may belong to Nadine’s sister who has been missing for almost three days. The duo work quickly to narrow down a list of suspects who would want to harm Reece. The closeness of the case has Ava playing amateur sleuth also, as she is driven by a need to help her friend. As they investigate it becomes apparent that Reece may have been a “mean girl” with a good cover as they encounter several people who had cause to dislike her, but to kill her? Something’s not adding up especially with justifying how a teenager could possibly have performed the brutal murder and staging. Just when the detectives get a major break in the case Amanda learns that Ava is missing. With the stakes higher than ever and the case becoming personal Amanda must track down the location of her niece before she becomes the next victim.
Taken Girls is the eighth in the Detective Amanda Steele series of books by international Best Selling Author Carolyn Arnold. Taking place sometime after Her Dark Grave Amanda is happy for the return of her former sergeant from medical leave. As a second father figure and longtime family friend Sergeant Malone is a welcome return to the force and has allowed the previous sergeant to explore a more relaxing life outside of police work. Amanda also finally appears ready to lay the ghosts of her late husband and daughter to rest and is mulling over a more permanent relationship with Logan. When Ava calls and asks to meet her at a local park, and she hears her concerns regarding the missing teen Amanda is compelled to help, and once the action starts Taken Girls becomes a real breakneck page turner. Overall, the time frame for the entire story encompasses a little under 4 days, but there is not a wasted second as the detectives follow every lead to locate their culprit. With this installment the topic of bullying and its potentially long-lasting scars are a major theme. I would wager that this is a topic that many people have dealt with and in fact the author shares a personal experience of her own in her final message to her readers. I know certain characters and situations struck a chord with me, and to say that there was sympathy if not a small bit of understanding toward the killer would not be an inaccurate statement. This is definitely a story that will stay with me for a while.
If you are looking for a suspenseful page turner with a twist that you will never see coming, Taken Girls will be an excellent choice for you. And if you are concerned with this being part of a larger series, Arnold tends to structure many if not all of her series books in such a way that they can be read as a stand alone without missing any of the main character points.
Jennly Reads 