This is the story of Alex Salerno who survived being abducted by a serial killer twelve years ago. Now she is living in New York working odd jobs. One day, she received a phone call to discuss the disappearance of Kira Shanks, the girl who vanished after her to never be seen again. If Alex could found out what happened to Kira maybe she could make peace with herself....Is there a link between Alex and Kira.....this seething story of small-town will reveal a string of macabre leads...

Alex is one unpleasant character: hostile dealing with people and no one would cooperate with her pseud-investigation. She has a hard time getting what she wants but manages nevertheless to get results. The story is mainly told from her point of view with occasional chapters from Bennie’s, the young man suspected of killing Kira now in a mental hospital. Bennie is smarter than people think but still the light is dim...His role is very touching and heartbreaking and is told with compassion.

I mildly enjoyed this story. The language is a bit rough at times and some passages are hardly believable. Would a police officer risked his job by taking advantage of a minor? Well in this drama we have one scumbag....

As the plot slowly unwinds and layer after layer are revealed, many suspenseful moments awaits us especially when Alex persists in sticking her nose in dangerous place. Ultimately some of the mysteries and secrets are resolved although by the end I was left wondering what kind of life Alex would be facing.....

In short words:

“The One That Got Away” is a dark, psychological thriller with some surprising twists and turns leading to the finale. Good story but it failed to sweep me away. ( )

Alex returns back home or back to the place she would rather forget. She was abducted when she was a teenager and kept locked underground until Detective Sean Riley rescued her. This lead to her downfall as well as his. But that does not stop Alex from trying to find out a terrible secret from her home town.

I have been a fan of Joe Clifford's writing for a few years now. And I will tell y'all something. No one has better characters than Joe Clifford. Alex is one of his bests. She is no nonsense, "hasn't got time for that" type of woman. But, she is very self destructive. However, there is something so appealing and magnetic about her. I don't know if it is her terrible ordeal which keeps the reader championing her or if it is her UNIQUE attitude.
Then there is Benny! My heart went out to this man! He is at the center of this mystery. The only problem is Benny cannot communicate in any shape form or fashion. Alex is determined to be his voice.

This is a non stop story which keeps you enchanted with every turn of the page. The great characters, the twists and turns, the non stop guessing makes this a tale not to be missed. Who is the killer and why?

I received this novel via Netgalley for a honest review. ( )