Every Missing Girl

Series: A Kendall Beck Thriller #2

By: Leanne Kale Sparks

Narrated by Erin DeWard

ISBN: 9781666628968

Publisher: Dreamscape Media

Crooked Lane Books

Publication Date: 02/07/2023

Format: Audiobook & e-book

My Rating: 3 Stars (ARC)

FEB 2023 MUST-READ BOOKS

The stunning landscape of Colorado’s Rocky Mountains are among our greatest natural treasures.

But there are deadly secrets lurking in the craggy heights, and FBI Special Agent Kendall Beck and Denver Homicide Detective Adam Taylor team up to investigate a kidnapping. When Taylor’s niece, Frankie, suddenly vanishes at a local hockey rink, it’s clear that there’s a predator on the loose—and now, the case has turned personal.

One discovery after another leads Beck and Taylor closer to the devastating truth about the fates of the missing girls—and the many who came before them. Will they be able to find Frankie before it’s too late? In this thrilling story, Leanne Kale Sparks weaves the threads of this harrowing drama and builds the intensity to a fever pitch.

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My Review

Leanne Kale Sparks returns from The Wrong Woman with her second novel in the Kendall Beck series —EVERY MISSING GIRL. A cold case of a missing girl suddenly becomes front and center.

Set in the Colorado Rocky Mountains, FBI Special Agent Kendall Beck, and Denver Homicide Detective Adam Taylor team up to investigate a kidnapping crime, but the case quickly turns cold.

There are two complex cases, a double murder tied to sex trafficking and the disappearance of Adam's niece, Frankie. When Taylor's niece, Frankie, suddenly vanishes at a local hockey rink, it becomes apparent a predator is on the loose. This is now personal.

The book starts with a crime scene at a convenience store/gas station (a murder) where Agent Beck is sent to investigate. It appears it is a robbery. Are the robbery and child abduction cases related or a coincidence?

Why had the girl been there? What connection did she have to the dead guy?

Who was the couple who abducted Savannah, and how did they get into the neighborhood? Was it random? Had they followed her from school, and was it planned? How many other girls had they done this to?

There are missing girls. Many before Frankie's niece and the others. How are these girls taken, and from where? Where are they taking them, and what is being done to them? Who is behind this? So many questions.

It appears they are connected, and they soon are unraveling a human trafficking ring that involves teenage girls. Can they get there in time to save Frankie's niece and other victims?

Some family secrets are unraveled with Frankie's mom. I enjoyed Kendall's character (even though she was a little over the top), their banter, and the working relationship with Agent Taylor. I was a little shocked at the ending, and it did not go as I had thought.

I am spoiled with Lisa Gardner and Karin Slaughter's cop procedurals (my two favorites), so I typically do not read others; they just cannot compare.

This is the series' second book, but it can be read as a standalone. The audiobook narrator Erin DeWard gave an engaging performance for all voices.

Thank you to #CrookedLaneBooks and #NetGalley for a gifted ARC and #DreamscapeMedia for an ALC.

NOTE FORMATTING: The e-ARC was very difficult to read and frustrating when sent to my Kindle app and reading on iPad. Not like any of my other digital books.

The formatting was way off, with no indentations, no double spacing (and no way to customize it), and all sorts of issues with line breaks and author's name and title in the middle of sentences; chapters were not laid out properly with breaks, on separate pages, etc. I saw several other reviews that had the same issues. It was tough, especially for someone like myself with eye problems who need a lot of white space and not everything that is run together while reading. A big mess. Hopefully, the finished digital copies will be better.

I finally gave up and grabbed the audiobook to get through it. Unfortunately, I also had issues with the audiobook stopping constantly. Overall, not a good reading/listening experience.

@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks

My Rating: 3 Stars

Pub Date: Feb 7, 2023

Praise for Every Missing Girl

“The characters’ amiability and competence make the final act sting.”—Kirkus Reviews

Praise for The Wrong Woman

Series: A Kendall Beck Thriller #1

The past is never far behind, as a string of murders threatens to unleash long-buried secrets in this pulse-pounding thriller for fans of Melinda Leigh and T. R. Ragan.

“An unsparing professional-grade debut.”

—Kirkus Reviews

“Intense, spellbinding, and dark. The perfect suspense thriller!”

—Helen Hardt, #1 New York Times bestselling author

"WRONG WOMAN is absolutely fantastic. It's an intense, fast-paced, dynamic thriller with a cast of characters that are authentic and compelling. FBI Agent Kendall Beck is the perfect mix: compassionate, smart, gritty, empathetic, and fierce. Readers will love her and clamor for more. An enthralling page-turner that will keep you racing through its pages, desperate for more, THE WRONG WOMAN does not disappoint. This novel has everything: pulse-pounding thrills, riveting twists, and heart. I hope we get to see more of Agent Beck! Fans of Karin Slaughter and Lisa Gardner will devour this gripping read."

—Lisa Regan, USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling author

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About the Author

After a short career in law, Leanne Kale Sparks is returning to her first love—writing about murder, mayhem, and crime. Currently, she is an author with Crooked Lane Books and is working on a new series featuring an FBI agent hunting down her best friend’s murderer. The backdrop is the Rocky Mountains of Colorado, the playground of her youth, and the place that will always be home. She currently resides in Texas with her husband, her German Shepherd, Zoe, and her Corgi, Win. WEBSITE