Author: Lisa Black
Published: July 26th 2022, Kenningston
Format: Kindle Edition, 320 pages
Genre: Police Procedural
Source: My thanks to Netgalley and the Publisher for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book.
Series: Locard Institute Thriller #1)
First Sentence: Few things mobilize people more quickly than a missing child.
Blurb: When D.C. crime scene analyst Dr. Ellie Carr is called to investigate the heartrending case of a missing baby, she’s shocked to discover that the child’s mother is her own cousin. Close during their impoverished childhoods, Ellie and Rebecca eventually drifted apart. Rebecca is now half of a Washington power couple, and she and her wealthy lobbyist husband, Hunter, have been living a charmed life in an opulent mansion—until their infant son is taken.
“Every contact leaves a trace.” That’s the basic principle of forensic science followed by pathologist Dr. Rachael Davies. A reluctant Ellie is teamed with Rachael, employed by Hunter to help with the investigation. Rachael is assistant dean at the prestigious Locard Forensic Institute, named in honor of the French criminologist who inspired the profession. But in this case, discovering where those traces lead quickly becomes a dangerous journey through a web of greed and deadly ambition.
At first antagonists, then allies, Ellie and Rachael race to find the baby alive and bring the kidnappers to justice. What seemed like a simple ransom grab reveals links to a lobbying effort to loosen regulations on a billion-dollar gaming empire. Unless they can piece together the evidence before the Senate hearing, Rebecca’s son—and others like him—will face an unthinkable fate. (GoodReads)
My Opinion: The first four chapters of this book did not mesh well with a vacation brain. Who was that again? Which is the husband? The business owner? The best friend? The mom? Either I needed to slow down or start taking notes.
My brain had grasped onto two characters when the kidnapping was relayed to Ellie, but so glad that I was wrong since that would have been too easy. Instead, I was gut-punched with each revelation and by the last couple of chapters, I realized that Lisa Black left tidbits along the way that only made sense when all was revealed.
To say that I loved this book would be an understatement. The pacing is phenomenal, the lessons along the way regarding insidious online gaming are eye-opening, and the interaction between Rachael and Ellie has me looking forward to the next book in this series.
Blurb: When D.C. crime scene analyst Dr. Ellie Carr is called to investigate the heartrending case of a missing baby, she’s shocked to discover that the child’s mother is her own cousin. Close during their impoverished childhoods, Ellie and Rebecca eventually drifted apart. Rebecca is now half of a Washington power couple, and she and her wealthy lobbyist husband, Hunter, have been living a charmed life in an opulent mansion—until their infant son is taken.
“Every contact leaves a trace.” That’s the basic principle of forensic science followed by pathologist Dr. Rachael Davies. A reluctant Ellie is teamed with Rachael, employed by Hunter to help with the investigation. Rachael is assistant dean at the prestigious Locard Forensic Institute, named in honor of the French criminologist who inspired the profession. But in this case, discovering where those traces lead quickly becomes a dangerous journey through a web of greed and deadly ambition.
At first antagonists, then allies, Ellie and Rachael race to find the baby alive and bring the kidnappers to justice. What seemed like a simple ransom grab reveals links to a lobbying effort to loosen regulations on a billion-dollar gaming empire. Unless they can piece together the evidence before the Senate hearing, Rebecca’s son—and others like him—will face an unthinkable fate. (GoodReads)
My Opinion: The first four chapters of this book did not mesh well with a vacation brain. Who was that again? Which is the husband? The business owner? The best friend? The mom? Either I needed to slow down or start taking notes.
My brain had grasped onto two characters when the kidnapping was relayed to Ellie, but so glad that I was wrong since that would have been too easy. Instead, I was gut-punched with each revelation and by the last couple of chapters, I realized that Lisa Black left tidbits along the way that only made sense when all was revealed.
To say that I loved this book would be an understatement. The pacing is phenomenal, the lessons along the way regarding insidious online gaming are eye-opening, and the interaction between Rachael and Ellie has me looking forward to the next book in this series.
