After binge reading the whole Texas Murder Files and another stand alone Laura Griffin book, I really debated about stopping there and moving on to something else. I had a few other books that I wanted to read while we were on vacation in Disneyland but I also wanted to see if the Tracers series stood up to the other books I had read by Griffin. The Tracer series is more established and what Griffin is known for so I was eager to check it out so I decided to try ONE book. Famous last words right.
Well I read this one in day (as with basically all the other books I have read by Griffin) and even if I didn’t love this one, I loved the idea of this series and I am currently on book four in this series! This series reminds me of a TV show like Law and Order or CSI. It reads quick, has an excellent mystery, and a steamy romance. All the things that I love to read!
Like the other series by Griffin, this series could read out of order (from what I’ve read anyway). There are characters on the periphery of the story that we encounter in other books but overall the characters, romance and mystery are unique with each book thus far so if you want to skip around you can. For me, I wasn’t sure so I just started with the first one and this one actually sounded rater interesting as I like the idea of a disappearance at the center of the mystery.
Summary
ALEX LOVELL MAKES PEOPLE DISAPPEAR.
TURNS OUT, SHE’S NOT THE ONLY ONE.
Private investigator Alexandra Lovell uses computer skills and cunning to help clients drop off the radar and begin new lives in safety. Melanie Bess, desperate to escape her abusive cop husband, was one of those clients. But when Melanie vanishes for real, Alex fears the worst, and sets out to discover what happened. Using every resource she can get her hands on — including an elite team of forensic scientists known as the Tracers, and a jaded, sexy Austin PD detective — Alex embarks on a mission to uncover the truth.
As far as homicide cop Nathan Deveraux is concerned, no body means no case. But as much as he wants to believe that Alex’s hunch about Melanie’s murder is wrong, his instincts — and their visceral attraction — won’t let him walk away. As a grim picture of what really happened begins to emerge, Nathan realizes this investigation runs deeper than they could ever have guessed. And each step nearer the truth puts Alex in danger of being the next to disappear. (summary from Goodreads)
Review
Of the Griffin books that I have read to date, I think this has been my least favorite so far. I wasn’t a fan of Alex or Nathan from the beginning. Alex was secretive and just off putting to me. I read her as more brash and cold. Nathan for me was fully unhelpful. He dismissed Alex’s fears about her client and he just seemed like he thought she was crazy. I didn’t get the sense that he respected her or her job and vice versa. Something about their relationship was just off and I wasn’t a fan of them together as a couple. Independently, they were interesting. I liked Alex’s job and found it fascinating but I just didn’t care for her. Nathan was smart and professional but when he was with Alex it came across as unhelpful and dismissive. So together, I wasn’t a fan of them.
This book also felt a little dated for me. Written in 2009, technology and forensic advancements have taken off and evolved. I am sure at the time this novel was written, it was probably very cutting edge, but now it feels a little dated. But that really didn’t impact my enjoyment of the mystery overall. I loved the premise of the books mystery and the organized crime angle. This was a very suspenseful read even if I didn’t love every aspect of the Alex/Nathan relationship, I did enjoy the mystery itself.
I always wonder about people in the witness protection program and how that works. Or if you just wanted to drop of the grid for a while an disappear. I this it’s absolutely fascinating and that aspect of the novel alone really held my interest. I think this one read a lot like a tv show with it being fast paced and it had a lot of interesting behind the scenes forensic details that fans of true crime shows or fictional crime shows love. The organized crime element added a lot to the story and I was flying through the pages of this book to find out what was going on and how it ended .I didn’t see the ending coming at all! This was a good book, but in my opinion there are better books in this series and by Griffin in general. It was ok and the mystery saved it for me but overall I liked some of the other books better.
Book Info and Rating
Format
374 pages, PaperbackPublished
November 24, 2009 by Pocket StarISBN
9781439149195 (ISBN10: 1439149194)
Review copy provided by, personal collection, all opinions are my own and in no way influenced.
Rating: 3 stars
Genre: romantic suspense, mystery
The Lit Bitch 