I recently discovered Lisa Regan and I am now a huge fan. I got sucked into the Josie Quinn series after the first chapter of Vanishing girls. If you love Chris Carter, Angela Marsons and M.J Arlidge then you need to check out this series. You can also check out the other books I read in June in my part 1 post.
Vanishing Girls (#1)
Detective Josie Quinn is on suspension for excessive force when a young girl goes missing. She can't sit back and not help find the poor girl. During the hunt for Isabelle, another girl who no one even knew was missing is found. She's unresponsive but has a tongue piercing that matches Isabelles. Josie is convinced there are other girls in trouble and soon starts to realise she cannot trust anyone.
As is standard with detective books the main character, Josie has a tragic past. This definitely adds to her character though. She's feisty and doesn't take orders well and I love her. Some parts regarding procedure etc. don't seem very realistic however as a work of fiction it didn't bother me.
I honestly did not know who to trust in this book and several parts broke my heart. You feel every emotion along with Josie. It deals well with Police corruption and it borders on scary. The ending is heartbreaking and shocking. Lisa definitely knows how to write an exciting and gripping ending.
After finishing Vanishing Girls I immediately went to find book #2. This one is just as gripping and full of just as much mistrust. I would definitely recommend reading them in order as there are a few recurring characters and mentions of the previous case.
Josie is called to a house where both the owner and her newborn baby are missing. All that is left is the aftermath of a vicious attack. As Josie digs deeper things get more complicated. Her fiance is missing and somehow linked to it all. A young woman is found in his house and she is the only person who may know anything. Unfortunately, she claims to not know who she is or why she's running. Josie has so many questions. Why is there a strange woman in Lukes house? Where is he? Can she trust him?
The motive behind these murders was actually a surprise to me and definitely kept me hooked. Once again Josies personal life gets dragged into the case which means we get to connect with her character more. I also really enjoyed reading more of the other recurring characters like Misty, Trinity and Noah. As with the first book, this one is a fast-paced read that keeps you engaged and has a dramatic ending. You also get the added stress of a missing newborn baby.
Hold Still (#1)
After finishing The Girl With No Name I still wanted to read more from Lisa Regan. I found Hold Still and decided to give it a go. Hold Still is the first book in a different series. I definitely preferred the Josie Quinn series as I loved the characters more, however, this is still a great read.
Jocelyn Rush ends up in the E.R after saving her 3-year-old daughter from a carjacking. Whilst there she comes across a former prostitute from her beat days. Anita has been mutilated in a horrific attack involving nailing her hands and feet to the floor. When Jocelyn looks into it she discovers Anita isn't the first victim and won't be the last. Then the attackers hit close to home. Whilst hunting them down Jocelyn has to revisit a covered up rape in her past and all the emotions it brings. Definitely, do not read this book if rape is a trigger for you.
I did guess who the bad guy, known as Face was, however, the reveal is still pretty dramatic. I found the romance between Jocelyn and Caleb was a bit cringey and over the top but it doesn't detract from the story. Apart from those two things though I really enjoyed it. It kept me gripped and I needed to know the motive. The hunt for the sadistic attacker is tense and full of drama. I also loved seeing Jocelyn's relationship with her sister develop.
I will definitely be picking up the second book to find out what happens in Jocelyn's life.
What have you been reading recently?
Beth...x
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