Taken Girls by Carolyn Arnold – a Review

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Description:
Music from the busy dance floor echoes into the deserted room where the Prom Queen lies deadly still. A tiara rests on her soft blonde curls, but her face is frozen with fear, and her painted red lips are forever sealed shut in a silenced scream…

When Detective Amanda Steele’s niece, Ava, begs her to look for a missing schoolfriend, she immediately agrees to take on the case. Eighteen-year-old Reece left home three nights ago after fighting with her mother and hasn’t been seen since. But when the teenager’s body is discovered brutally murdered, poised dramatically at the prom venue, Amanda is devastated she didn’t save the girl in time.

Haunted by the scene, Amanda dives headfirst into the case. Chasing every lead, she is horrified when she discovers a potential key witness strangled in her own home. It soon becomes clear that the killer will stop at nothing to silence anyone who might reveal their identity. So when Ava mentions she saw someone acting strangely at the prom venue that night, Amanda’s heart stops.

And when Amanda’s worst nightmare comes true, and her beloved niece is taken, she knows that every second counts to uncover this twisted killer’s identity and bring Ava home safely. But can she crack the secrets of this killer’s deadly game before it’s too late?

Review:

Taken Girls by Carolyn Arnold is the 8^th book in her terrific Detective Amanda Steele series. I am a big fan of Arnold, having read most of her books, and I love this series, which continues with another great addition.  Taken Girls was fantastic, with me unable to put the book down. 

Amanda Steele, our heroine, is a homicide detective in Dumfries, Virginia Police Department. Amanda’s niece, asks her to locate her best friend’s sister, who has been missing for 3 days. Though Amanda is a homicide detective, she agrees to look into this.  Eighteen-year-old Reece left home three nights ago after having a fight with her mother and hasn’t been seen since. Reece is the prom queen for the upcoming prom, leaving people stumped why she would runaway before the prom; her body is discovered at the venue, brutally murdered; with a tiara on her head, dressed in a gown, and her lips silenced.  Amanda takes control of the case, now that it is a homicide.

Steele and Trent (her partner) investigate a murder which is close to home,  becomes and a race against time to find the murderer before they kill again. Amanda’s niece, Ava, wants to become like her aunt, and decides to do her own investigation; which in time will lead the killer to target her.  When Ava goes missing, Amanda is urgently trying to identify the killer, as her and Trent are working without stop, as they are desperate to find the killer before Ava becomes a victim.

What follows is an exciting, suspenseful, intriguing, tense mystery, that kept me unable to put the book down, as this was a mind-blowing thriller.  I always liked Amanda and Trent as they were great partners, though this case was very personal for Amanda. The last third of the book was fast-paced, intense, exciting thriller, with many twists along the way. To say too much more would be spoilers.

Taken Girls was another fantastic crime thriller that held our breath throughout.  Amanda is a great heroine, and a fantastic detective. was so very well written by Carolyn Arnold, which is the norm for this author; as I am loving this series. If you like mystery thrillers, police procedural, then you need to be reading this series.

Reviewed by Barb

Copy supplied for Review

CAROLYN ARNOLD is an international bestselling and award-winning author, as well as a speaker, teacher, and inspirational mentor. She has several continuing fiction series and has many published books. Her genre diversity offers her readers everything from police procedurals, hard-boiled mysteries, and thrillers to action adventures. Her crime fiction series have been praised by those in law enforcement as being accurate and entertaining. This led to her adopting the trademark: POLICE PROCEDURALS RESPECTED BY LAW ENFORCEMENT™.