COUNT TO THREE by T. R. Ragan

 

For a private investigator on the trail of a missing girl, every second counts in a gripping thriller by New York Times bestselling author T.R. Ragan.

On her first day of kindergarten, five-year-old Tinsley disappeared without a trace…

Five agonizing years later, her divorced mother, Dani Callahan, is a private investigator. She and Quinn Sullivan, a promising young assistant determined to prove herself, are devoted to helping others find missing loved ones. And for Dani, finding Tinsley is still a never-ending obsession.

Their newest case is Ali Cross, a teenager who vanished off a Sacramento street while walking home. A troubled boy’s eyewitness testimony to Ali’s abduction provides their only clues. And as their search for Ali gets underway, new information about Tinsley’s disappearance begins to surface too.

As their investigations lead down two twisting paths, disturbing secrets are revealed and new victims find themselves in mortal danger. Time is running out, and the hunt is only getting grimmer.

MY THOUGHTS

This is a bit of a hard to write review. I loved this book but... It's well written and keeps you guessing and on edge, but... There is a lot going on. Almost like two stories in one but not quite... 

When a mother's daughter is taken from her kindergarten class as school is letting out her worse nightmare comes true. Where is my daughter. Who could have just came in here and taken her. The bad part is the woman looked just like her. Dani Callahan is terrified to find her daughter is gone. Just taken right out of class. And her daughter went with her willingly. Not a stranger? Someone she knows? 

Dani became a PI after losing her daughter five years previously. Her goal of course is to find her baby girl but also to help other children who have gone missing. Help find them. She knows the pain of losing a child. She doesn't want anyone to feel that and if she can help she will. She's very good at her job. 

Quinn is helping Dani. She works for Dani and is a very smart young woman. Her own mother went missing a couple of years before Dani's daughter. She knows the pain of losing someone you love and she has such determination to find the little girl. In the mean time a teen goes missing and they are hired by a twelve year old who saw it happen. Saw the girl taken forcefully. The cops don't believe him so he goes to Dani and tells her what he saw. 

This story keeps you turning the pages. The man who took Ali Cross is truly a very sick man. He's sadistic and evil. He thinks Ali and he are meant to be a couple. To have a life with children. Ali wants to go home. She wants to get away from this psycho. What she goes through will have you crying, yelling, cringing, all the bad feelings. She's a very determined young woman but now strong enough.

I was afraid this story was taking a very dark and unnecessary turn with what happened to Ali but it was a true edge of your seat scene going on. From all the evil that man could do she fought with all she had. 

The whole time Dani, Quinn and Ethan never gave up. Actually it was more Quinn and Ethan that were so determined. But Dani did come through too. After she got over the attack she went through she fought with all she had to find Ali, Ethan and her own daughter. She had never given up hope that her little girl was alive somewhere. Even when her husband, Matthew, tried so hard to make her give it all up. Move on. They were divorced and he remarried with a baby on the way. I didn't like him. At all. 

This book has very likable characters and also a couple that you will hate. The man who took Ali and Dani's husband are both awful. I didn't like either of them. Both with good reason. Jerks...

The ending of this book had me truly crying my eyes out. I won't say if it was sad tears or happy tears. Or possibly a combination. It was definitely an ending that will stick with me for a while. The very end also. 

Thank you #NetGalley, #T.R.Ragan, #Thomas&Mercer for this ARC. This is my own true thoughts about this book.

5/5 stars. Even though the author really went out there in parts of this story it was good. It read like a real thriller should. I enjoyed all the dark and creepy parts. Gasped a few times. I do recommend this one.