Very good dynamic between the two detectives FBI and Portland PD . I look forward to the rest of the series and the development of their relationship. I know even if they don't end up romantic partners they will end up friends, that is how Kendra writes, realistically. Ms Elliot understands that just because men and women don't sleep together they can work together and be friends and just because they sleep together here and there they can still have a great relationship, personal and working. ( )

Pre-oderded with release date for Kindle of June 17, 2014 ( )

3.5 Stars. Vanished centers around a child kidnapping that takes place just before Christmas. Henley is the step-daughter of Mason Callahan's ex-wife. Detective Mason Callahan, has just found out that one of his confidential informants, a prostitute has been murdered and he is under suspicion of the murder. He is asked by his ex-wife to help, and becomes the family spokesperson. Thanks to the quick thinking of the family, the FBI quickly assembles a special taskforce to investigate this case. Chief among the agents is special Agent Ava McLane, who is specifically assigned to be a liaison to the family. As Agent McLane and the other members of the taskforce begin working the case, secrets surrounding the family members begin to be revealed. Working tirelessly and hand-in-hand to bring Henley home safe, Mason and Ava develop a mutual admiration for one another. Soon one thing leads to another.

This story started out as any book by about a child kidnapping, but there was a twist that I was definitely not suspecting. There was some suspense, quite a bit of drama and a bit of romance toward the end of the story. All in all a satisfying story, but not as good as the later series I have read by this author. I listened to the audio book using Kindle Unlimited and enjoyed it. This book has a dual narration by Nick Podehl and Amy McFadden, reading the chapters based on whose POV it was. I really enjoyed this, as the voices were so much more realistic than one narrator trying to do voices. I will read/listen to the next book in this series to see how the relationship between Callahan and McLane develops.
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Vanished
3.5 Stars

When his ex's stepdaughter is kidnapped, Oregon State Police detective, Mason Callahan, teams up with FBI agent Ava MacLane to investigate the disappearance. But as the time passes and the evidence emerges, Mason realizes that his ties to the case may be closer than anyone imagined.

Series note: This book #1 in the spin-off from the Bone Secrets series. While the story can be read as a standalone, Mason does feature prominently in the earlier series.

Mason is an intriguing character in the original series and his story lives up to expectations. The mystery revolving around a child abduction is gripping from the start and the details on FBI procedure are well-researched an realistic. While the resolution is ultimately predictable, the climax is intense and exciting.

On the romance front, Mason and Ava have great chemistry and the development of their relationship is believable.

One problematic aspect, which is unfortunately a trademark of Elliot's writing, is her tendency toward having characters behave inconsistently or in a TSTL manner in order to further the plot. That said, this is not a significant detraction and the book is enjoyable overall.

In sum, an entertaining romantic suspense read and I look forward to reading more about Mason and Ava.
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Review for the audiobook edition: I found the narration rather compelling, and truly enjoyed the way that the narrators shifted based on the point of view at work in the given section of the book, since the story is told from the alternating viewpoints of the two main characters. But, this practice has a downside. That is, everything in that particular section of the book, including dialogue, would come from the given narrator representing the current point of view. This means, in effect, every character had two different voices, which could be distracting and confusing, though I did get used to it after a bit. Though it would have been more work, I would have liked if they had kept the point of view shifts, but with the appropriate narrator stepping in for the dialogue as needed, for the sake of consistency.

As for the story: while it isn't the most captivating work I have encountered in the genre, I did find it compelling and intriguing, and I will be reading/listening to the other books in the series. Callahan and McLane are both rather compelling characters and, while their relationship develops rather quickly here given the amount of time actually spent together in the narrative, they are each believable in their own right. It's also worth mentioning that, while this book does introduce the two, the narrative seems to be completely freestanding. That is, there are no big cliffhangers or anything like that, so, while I have not yet read book two, I would be very surprised to find that the books in the series don't stand essentially completely independent of each other outside of sharing the same main characters. This is always a concern that I have as I debate whether to read a book in a series. But, if you only get book one to see if you like the narrative style, you won't be left hanging at all. ( )