I wanted to like this book as i'm a massive fan of FBI books and the premise of this sounded good. However i really struggled to get through this. Some of it wasn't very clear and there were errors with character names and roles that made the story hard to follow.

I did enjoy this book and do think it could become an enjoyable series. I did get confused sometimes when it was the parts about the missing girls, sometimes I thought Ruby was Hope and vice versa. Apart from that I thought it was a good storyline and an easy lazy Saturday afternoon read.

Really enjoyed this dark police procedural. Great realistic characters and lots of twists and turns - would definitely read more from Karen Ellis!

Brilliantly structured fast paced thriller with a damaged heroine struggling with her own dark secret determined to catch a serial killer.

This is apparently the first in a new series featuring Elsa in her role as an FBI agent - presumably searching for missing people (as it's subtitled The Searchers #1).

Although I enjoyed this book (and will probably read the rest of the series when available), there were a few things that didn't quite hang together for me, so only given it 4 stars.

Elsa, the main character, is clearly damaged from the events of her childhood (I found her method of dealing with it disturbing - though not, I suspect, uncommon).. She's a buttoned-up creature but manages to survive and has some good relationships in spite of it all. I found the flashbacks quite distracting, but hopefully now that the character has been introduced, future books will concentrate rather less on her background.

There are some other interesting characters (I particularly liked Lex and Mel), and the plot is on the whole well thought through - though I did correctly predict how it would end.

All in all a good read, and I will definitely read more in the series.

My thanks to the publishers and NetGalley for allowing me to read an advance copy in return for my honest review.

I thought this book was a little slow to begin with, but once it got going it was an enjoyable read.
F.B.I Agent Elsa Myers works with the child abduction rapid response unit and is looking for a missing girl. The investigation develops into a manhunt for a serial killer who has gone un-detected until now, but has been killing for years.
I found reading about Elsa's past, family and relationships more enjoyable than the missing girl's/serial killer story. She is an interesting character with flaws and a crazy family, but she was born to be an agent and is good at her job, however, it was a little disappointing that two of the missing girls managed to escape their abductor rather than them being found and rescued by Elsa and her sidekick Lex.
With time and experience I think Karen Ellis has the potential to be as good as the likes of Tess Gerritsen and Karin Slaughter.

This is an excellent police drama but also a lot about the FBI agent Elsa Myers as her past conflicts with her present so she has to face both and keep her head straight so she finds the missing child. Lots going on but written really well so it keeps you reading to find out the answers.

If you like slow books then this is for you. But if you want a story that is fast paced do not read this book. I was so bored reading it that I gave up I am not wasting my time reading this book.

This book was ok, not great but average. I found it a little slow and missing the wow factor for this genre, I almost gave up but I am glad I didn't.

I give this book 3.5 stars rounded to 4.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and comment on this book. Let me start by saying that you are unlikely to be too disappointed if you decide to spend your money on this novel. The pace is pleasingly brisk and the characters are well-drawn. Ms Ellis writes fluently and generally takes her reader with her into the world of detectives and FBI agents who are desperately seeking kidnapped teenage girls before it is too late. So far, so very good - so what is the catch you’re probably wondering. The answer is always going to be a matter of personal taste, but - for this reviewer at least - the unhappy back story of the lead character (a female FBI Special Agent) stretches credulity to an excessive degree and introduces a distinctly jarring note as the tale nears its end, so that my trajectory of enjoyment unhappily peaked before the final chapters. Having said that, if you like your heroes and heroines with feet of clay you will find they leave plenty of muddy footprints in this book. Notwithstanding these personal reservations, this book will appeal to a wide readership and the large majority will enjoy the read.

I enjoyed this book overall but guessed the twist . The mix of kidnapping plot and backstory of the detective’s life kept me engrossed. I would recommend this book and thank Netgalley and the publisher the chance to review it. I look forward to the next one in the series.

This gripping thriller is aptly named. There are few things as dark as the mind and behaviour of a child abductor and killer. Protagonist FBI Agent, Elsa Myers, also has her personal map of the dark concealed inside her clothing. Her body bears testament to her own childhood trauma, marked as it is with tell-tale, self-harm scars.
She is a driven, fixated personality, unflinching in her career but running scared elsewhere. Full of personal pain and contradictions, her vulnerability shapes how she interacts with her cases, family and work colleagues.
While trying to hold her own fragile emotions in check, her flawed humanity is tempered by her clear professionalism and desire to help save others. As the novel opens, she sits beside her dying father, torn between the needs of family and career. A fresh case motivates her to shift into work mode again.
Aspects of her personal history are interwoven throughout, as are voices from the abduction victims during their ordeal. Elsa starts to gingerly open up to her new colleague, Detective Lex Cole, who seeks to befriend her and offer support.
Family struggles escalate and intermix with the action they are investigating. It all begins to feel uncomfortably close to home when her niece, Mel, becomes involved. After a slow-burner start, the narrative picks up pace, background information sheds light on personal and professional issues and various twists and turns ensue.
We find ourselves rooting for a good outcome for all. Even the perpetrator engages a slither of sympathy, shaped as he is by his own inner demons. Tension mounts towards the end and the denouement is reached with some surprises but satisfaction as well. This is an intriguing, engaging read with compelling, if largely unlikable characters.

Thank you to the publisher and to Netgalley for my copy of the book, in exchange for my honest review.

This review is not going to be a long one, I have mixed feelings about this book. I liked Else, I liked Lex, but there was something missing. I didn’t feel excited, thrilled… I didn’t see the scary part of it. I found the whole thing a little rushed, a little sketchy, and maybe just a little bland? It lacked maybe a certain oomph to make it a great crime book.

I enjoyed learning about Elsa, and her past. I didn’t see the final detail in the relationship with her Mother, in all honesty I thought it would be all down to another family member. Else has her hidden secrets, and for once I wish we had an FBI agent, or detective, who doesn’t have a troubled past. Yet, the troubled past worked in this case. The description of the book made it seem like her past will overflow into her current case but I wouldn’t say it did. Maybe the smallest bit, but not in a huge way I was expecting. I really should learn to not expect anything with these books!! Lex was an interesting character, and I hope it makes an appearance in any future books. He worked well against Elsa’s coldness and her determination to keep everything hidden.

The book was written well, I’m glad we got the parts between Elsa and her mum, Deb. It was good to know the full backstory all in one book instead of having to wait for it spread over a whole load of books. I felt for Elsa in those scenes as it must have been tough for her to experience that, and not be able to do anything about it. You really get a sense of how Elsa felt in those moments, and you fully understood why her dad and her let it happen.

With it’s blandness, it’s lack of a spark I give this book a 3.5 out of 5.

I did enjoy this book but I did find it a little slow to start. but it did get better.
For me , reading this novel iwas like stepping into an episode of criminal minds,the characters are believable and the case is intriguing .I particularly liked Elsas character and her back story which made her the way she was and why she was driven to do what she did , would have been nice to have a backstory on nelson and what drove him to do what he did to.
All in all a great book .

Elsa is a policewomen with a troubled childhood involving an abusive mother who was murdered. Her father is dying in hospital and she is trying to juggle work with spending time with him, her sister and her neice. She is also trying to cope with the loss of the family house but is all it seems? She is called to a case involving missing schoolgirls working with Lex. Suddenly her personal and work life collide with consequences for all concerned.
This book will make you think - it shows how people put brave faces on for public view - and how certain actions will shape the future for many years.

FBI Agent Elsa Myers finds missing people. She knows how it feels to be lost. Though her father lies dying in hospital, Elsa can not refuse a call for help. A teenage girl has gone missing from Forest Hills, Queens. As the hunt for Ruby deepens into a search for a man who may have been killing for years, the case starts to get underneath Elsa's skin.

This is another book that features multiple points of view. It also tells about both the past and the present . Although the book is well written. I just felt there was something missing. I also found the back story to Elsa distracted me a bit from the main storyline. There was many twists in the book to keep you guessing. This is the first book in a new series called The Searchers.

I would like to thank NetGalley, Hodder & Stoughton and the author Karen Ellis for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A Map of the Dark Karen Ellis

Special Agent Elsa Myers of the FBI’s Child Abduction Rapid Deployment Unit is one complex character.

Covered in scars she tries her hardest not to cut herself anymore; but scratching her old scars is impossible to resist. That is why she wears long sleeves and heavy trousers in the heat of the summer. That is why she steers clear of intimate relationships. That is why she is slightly withdrawn at times when she should be concentrating on other things.

The other thing in this case is the disappearance of a 17-year-old girl from New York. Girls that age go missing all the time in NYC; so why does Detective Alexi (Lex) Cole call in Elsa as soon as she is reported missing.

Because she is a hard working student, with a job in a coffee shop, and no history of getting into trouble. She just does not fit into the usual stereotype of the girls that go missing of their own accord.

But: when do good girls turn bad, and what is bad.

As Elsa and Lex dig deeper into the girl’s disappearance they start to make a few discoveries. Maybe the girl is not as squeaky clean as her family think she is.

With her family not knowing the whole truth about their daughter, and with her friends lying to protect her, the investigation is slow. Elsa needs to unravel the truth about the missing girl. As she does she starts to recollect her own childhood and the reason why she self harmed. The memories start to get her reaching for the Swiss Army knife she always carries in her bag.

As well as carrying out the investigation Elsa is backwards and forwards to hospital to visit her dying father. As her childhood memories resurface the interaction with her father, and sister start to change.

Will Elsa survive this investigation in good health? At times its touch and go as mentally she finds it hard to balance her work with her personal life.

I really enjoyed this book. I like a good story with good characters, but this one had something else.

The girl that goes missing.

A good girl? Yes.

However the usual teenage problems start to come into her life. Pressures of school work, boyfriends, and slightly dodgy opportunities.

This little sub-plot about how one or two decisions, not even necessarily bad decisions, have that domino effect that can lead to a person having a very bad day.

Pages: 320
Publishers UK: Mulholland
Publishing date UK: 11th January 2018.

This is a fast-paced sensational read which has robbed me of sleep! Special Agent Elsa Myers works for the FBI searching for missing children. Her father Roy is dying from lung cancer; her mother murdered twenty years ago. There are a lot of damaged characters in this book because of violent or uncaring parents or siblings. As three girls go missing seemingly without a motive Elsa and her team have to set aside their personal problems and trace the perpetrator and the girls. Lex joins the team as her partner. I was very puzzled why Elsa self-harmed, was so defensive, locked away and shut herself off from everyone but there is always a reason. I must comment on the quality of imagery in this novel. I felt I was there. It's a difficult, complex case and it fascinated me how they figured it all out. I was taken back many years to Ian Huntley who murdered the Soham girls. He had the same twisted enjoyment as the killer in remaining public and visible while the hunt was carried out. The ending is dynamic. I am still reeling. Thank you to NetGalley and Hodder & Stroughton for giving me the opportunity to read this book. I shall post this to Amazon and my Blog on publication.