When Officer Ellie James is called to the scene of a potential abduction of a young child she soon starts to wonder if the mother is somehow deranged. Does this child actually exist? According to the alleged father she doesn't, but then he is also being accused of domestic abuse and yet the only one with a record of abuse is his wife. What the heck is going on?

No matter where Ellie looks nothing adds up. The mother disappears the day after reporting her child missing and the only thing left in her stead is a puddle of blood and something that suggests foul play. If Nova is delusional then where is she and why would anyone want to hurt her? Was there really a small child or is it just a symptom of Nova's delusional and fragile state of mind?

If you look beyond the crime and psychological thriller aspect of this read, the author wants to draw attention to domestic violence and the way society deals with it.

Should victims of domestic violence really be forced to commit crimes and do extreme things to keep themselves and their children safe? Should they have to become criminals to stay alive? The answer is no, and yet the reality is that the law still doesn't do enough to protect them, ergo they find they have no other choice.

Kudos to Lynch for pointing out how easy it is for the abuser to manipulate the system. For babies to be born into legal loopholes, which then often becomes the perfect surroundings for abuse. How the patriarchal system excuses the abuse, hides the abuse and helps to facilitate it.

It's a psychological thriller with the pace of an action read. The author keeps the reader on their toes in a sense that we never really know who is missing, dead or guilty until the end, and even then there are different shades of guilt. It's a complicated tug of war between victim, abuser and helper, who isn't exactly the innocent party in all of this.

A wonderful follow up to My Sister is Missing, Carissa definitely has a firm grip on suspense in a small town!
Between a cop trying to redeem herself for a questionable act earlier in her career, and an abused woman trying to flee her husband with their child, this story brings you between several points of view as you, and Officer Ellie James try to figure out what happened to Nova's daughter.
This will definitely keep you on the edge of your seat!

*thank you to Netgalley, the author, Harper Impulse and Killer Reads for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*

5 stars.

I loved this! I thoroughly enjoyed it all, right to the very last page. There were so many twists and turns in this that you had no way of really knowing what was going to happen next. As soon as you think you might know, something else happens and your suddenly taken around another bend in the path. This keeps your attention and pulls you to the end. There are so many questions that you ask yourself throughout this story but by the end, they will all be answered. At about 70% of the way through I had figured out one thing, but I still had questions about alot of it. This is a really quick read but that doesn't take away anything about how good it is. I am definitely interested now in reading this authors other books. This is a really pleasing read that is chock full of mystery and thrills. Highly recommended.

I loved this book for many reasons. Of course, there is the great plot. Then the characters, which were all excellently created. But the most important part I loved was the females who went through non-sense in life and yet, they strove to do well. Be it Ellie, Nova or even Clara, they decided they had enough and went ahead to carve their own path.

The absolute sisterhood that was wound into the book was a joy to read. This is reminiscent of real life as well, where plenty of women stand beside each, holding each other up against the injustices reaped upon them by society.

I stumbled across this one and it sounded like it would a good, suspenseful read and it did not disappoint.

The story starts out with Nova trying to leave an abusive husband with her little girl. She has it all planned out, take nothing with her and her daughter and get somewhere that he can't find her. But the following morning her daughter is missing and she calls the police for help. Officer Ellie James is the responding officer and believes that this is just a case of custody battle going one. But soon Nova is missing and blood is found in the cabin where her and the little girl were staying. And the more Ellie investigated, the more things just don't add up. No one seems to even know about the little girl, not even Nova's family. The husband says that they never had a little girl either. Nothing made sense to Officer Ellie James.

The story is told from a few different POV's, and it is clear from the start there is something not right. Even Ellie's co workers were a little off. As the story progresses and the investigation continued on, I even began to question if the daughter ever existed and if Nova just made it all up. And it seemed that just about everyone had lots of secrets that they didn't want to come to light. But Ellie wouldn't give up right up until the end. The pieces soon start to fall together and it all made for one suspenseful and edge of your seat domestic thriller.

A thrilling read , that keeps you riveted to the very last page. A great storyline, with interesting protagonist. 4 stars
I received this ARC through Netgally for a honest review.

This book was an “on the edge of your seat” thriller. With many twists and turns that I didn’t see coming, it was hard to put this down!

This story starts with Nova, who is in hiding from her abusive husband with their daughter Lilly. On the first night in hiding Nova awakes to find Lilly gone, has she been taken by Nova’s ex Martin?

I enjoy a story that is told in the first person, I think it helps build a real insight into the characters. The first note I made when I started reading this was that I really liked the way the story was told in the first person, from three main POV’s; The Mother – Nova, The Neighbor – Clara and The Cop – Ellie. The chapters were short and each was told from one of the three POV’s.

As the story progressed the question is raised, is there actually a child? Nova is clearly distraught and seems emotionally unstable, her ex Martin says she is the abusive one and she is delusional, they don’t have a child together and there is seemingly no evidence of a child….

I think I must have changed my mind on what I thought was going on at least every other chapter of this book. This was defiantly a page turner, I needed to find out what was going on!

My only niggle was around some small parts of the plot. I won’t go into detail as I don’t want to spoil anything, but for me, if I am reading a straight Crime Thriller (meaning no Horror or Supernatural elements) the small details need to be 100% believable, there were certain aspects that I felt weren’t. Having said that, it didn’t spoil the reading experience and I enjoyed the story overall.

This was a fast paced Crime Thriller, that had me wondering who was telling the truth, what was going on and page turning to find out. It kept me guessing right up until the end!

If you like a quick Crime Thriller with lots of mystery you should definitely check Without A Trace out!

Nova has run away from her abusive husband, Martin. She has taken her daughter Lily to a secluded cabin…….

When she goes to wake Lily, she finds the bed empty and a little bunny in her place. Panic stricken she calls the police and Ellie James arrives…..looking around she questions why no pictures or toys and all belongings are new, some still in their wrappings…..(it reminded me a little of the old film Bunny Lake is Missing). Had Lily actually been there? Does she exist at all?

Neighbour, Clara says she saw Nova arrive, but not Lily and that a truck had pulled up to the cabin late at night……..then Nova goes missing! Blood and teeth are found and the search begins…..but does Clara know more than she is telling?….as she has a secret of her own!

Martin, says it was him who wanted to end the marriage, Nova was unstable due to losing a baby, a son and they didn’t have a daughter…he is a sly, nasty piece of work, but just how far would he go to get his revenge on Nova for having the cheek to leave him…….

The police have suspicions that Nova is troubled, that Lily never existed and as the investigation progresses, we find out more secrets and the tension builds…..

I enjoyed the way the story is told, the different chapters from each of the characters point of view, and how it shows the effect domestic violence can have…..the lengths people will go to keep their secret. This is a tense, twisty psychological thriller with a slightly creepy feel that will keep you on tenterhooks right to the incredible ending…

Thank you to The publishers, the author and NetGalley a free copy of the book in exchange for my honest, unbiased review.

The synopsis truly had me intrigued from the start with this book and while it could have easily derailed and been made into a more run of the mill read, I actually felt that Lynch had done a more than decent job with how she'd set this up. I'm not saying that some of you might not find this predictable as far as the mystery goes, I didn't but I wasn't looking into finding the answer, I was enjoying the moment, but I think this goes beyond the mystery. Our Author brings a spotlight on domestic abuse and she does it in a way that shows just how hard it is to escape it. There are so many times in society that people wonder why others stay in abusive relationships and I think Lynch did a great job showing the struggle for a spouse to leave an abusive partner, especially when there could be children involved. [I'm not telling, remember I try not to give spoilers!]

You'll want to read this in a sitting, I had to break it up into a couple of train rides but I flew through it. I loved Ellie, and I loved that she was a female police officer who was having to deal with the backlash of a past incident on a case because I feel that the reaction to her from others on the force was so accurate.

This also isn't just the tale of one domestic situation but a couple of them and how they truly affect everyone in the long run. Being a victim and feeling powerless is unfortunately a feeling that in this case women feel quite a bit but I do have to say I was impressed that Ellie did remember the tables could be flipped, that just as easily a man can be a victim as well and Lynch got a small round of applause from me for that.

The story situations POVs and I like that in mysteries because it gives you more pieces of the puzzle to work with and I really enjoyed the writing style.

I received an advanced digital copy of this book from the author, Netgalley.com and Harper Impulse and Killer Reads. Thanks to all for the opportunity to read and review. The opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Ms. Lynch's story of a woman fleeing her abusive husband will keep you guessing until the very end. A little girl is missing and the violent husband is the prime suspect, but was she really even there? Add a small town, an ambitious cop with a history, and a villian that is truly despicable. Nothing is what it seems.

Well written and thoughtful, this book should definitely be on this summer's TBR lists!

5 out of 5 stars. Highly recommended.

One of my new favorite books! This author has such a way with words the pages flew by in no time! I can’t wait to see the next work by this author! This was such a joy to read!

This book intrigued me from the minute I read the synopsis and it didn't disappoint. It is so much more than the usual missing child story, the plot twists and turns and everytime you think you have worked out the end there is another surprise. I liked the way each chapter was from the aspect of the different characters - the mother, the cop, the landlady. It kept the momentum going and the story compelling. This is the first book I've read by this author but I will be looking out for more of her work.
Review will also be posted on Goodreads and Amazon.co.uk

MY REVIEW:  You know those books that you pick up with the intention of reading the first couple of chapters and before you know it you are over halfway through the story?  Well WITHOUT A TRACE is one of those books.  In fact if it wasn't for sleep and work I think I could have easily read this in one gripping sitting!

This is a story of Nova, a woman fleeing her violent, abusive husband with her 4 year old daughter Lily and taking refuge in a rental cottage several states away.  When Nova discovers her daughter has vanished in the night the police are called to investigate and nothing seems to add up, especially when the abusive husband denies Lily ever existed.

WITHOUT A TRACE is a very addictive thriller narrated by 3 main characters; the mother, Nova; the policewoman, Ellie and the neighbour, Clara.  All three characters are utterly fascinating and thoroughly believable.  There are so many red herrings and twists that the reader is taken on a thrilling journey trying to work out what really happened to Lily, is Nova telling the truth and will Officer Ellie find more than she bargained for?

A thoroughly enjoyable book and I will definitely be checking out Carissa Ann Lynch's other books.

WITHOUT A TRACE is a great suspense novel by Carissa Ann Lynch, It is sad at times but well worth it. I am glad I was picked to read this one because it is amazing. It has bit of everything, suspense, heart and great characters.

Without a Trace took me completely by surprise. I devoured this book in two days. This is the first book by Carissa Ann Lynch, which I have read, and I can definitely say that I will be reading more books by her. There’s a very creepy atmosphere to this story which kept me thinking that something terrible was going to happen or something dark was going to be discovered.

The lead detective in this book is Ellie Jamison. Ellie is a police officer who has caused friction in her team. She is known as the cop who shot one of their own. Even though Ellie did it under the right circumstances, there is still a level of distrust shown towards her, and she feels very much on her own. At the beginning of this book, they receive a call from a desperate woman, Nova, whose child has gone missing. But as Ellie arrives at the scene, a different picture begins to evolve, and soon this case takes a very intriguing and sinister turn. Does Nova’s daughter even exist?

This book took a very different turn to what I expected. I think this is what made me turn the pages so fast, as it didn’t feel like anything else I had read before and I really wanted to find out what had happened and what the truth was. The set-up was written so brilliantly, and Carissa made her story very unpredictable. I felt I couldn’t trust any of the characters who were somehow involved in the crime, especially Nova and her ex-husband.

Ellie was a character who I had a lot of sympathy for. She isn’t given an easy time by the rest of her team, and there is one police officer who treats her very unfairly. She is tenacious and determined, and these were the qualities in her character, which shone through most strongly. I also liked the relationship she had with her mother and that she asked for her advice and opinions. I think I would like to see Ellie return in a future book. I really warmed to her and I would be interested to see her character develop.

There were some very clever twists and some ideas which I hadn’t even thought possible. I could tell that Carissa had put a lot of thought and carried out a lot of research into some of her ideas.

This is a very twisty book that captured my interest right from the first page. You best make sure you have an afternoon free when you start this because you won’t want to put it down. The suspense continues to build until it reaches its climax. Captivating and very well plotted. Carissa Ann Lynch’s name is definitely now on my radar. I can’t wait to read more from her.

This is a great book that gets better with each page. It a fabulously creepy and dark thriller with plenty of twists. I’ll read more from this author in future.

Carissa Ann Lynch's "Without a Trace" was a fascinating unputdownable read for me!

This was such a creepy story that really kept me guessing. I liked that the story was mainly told from three different viewpoints allowing for different perspectives. As the story progressed, the twists kept coming. Each character had their own secrets and tales to tell. The chapters were quite short, making for a slightly faster read. I thought I knew where this story was going but I did not anticipate the ending.

I'm so pleased I took the time to read "Without a Trace" and I will be waiting for more from Carissa Ann Lynch.

I received a complimentary digital copy of this novel, at my own request, from Harper Impulse and Killer Reads via NetGalley. This review is my own unbiased opinion.

Suspenseful, creepy and well written - all the things I love in a novel. I read this really fast and didn't want it to end. Loved it!

Thank you for the opportunity to read this book and I really appreciate it. I was hooked to this book and could not put it down. Loved the lay out of how the story was told but I did think the ending was rushed and tided up very quick but still really enjoyed i5