This crime thriller follows the story of Detective Ellie Reeves as she tries to solve the case of a child who goes missing 5 days before Christmas. As the story progresses, it becomes clear that there are other children who are also missing and connected somehow to this case. It becomes a race against time as the clues start to fall into place to lead to the abductor - or is it abductors?

This is the first book in this series that I have read and while it is for the most part a standalone story, there are tensions between some of the characters that aren't really explained and left me wondering. Also, it did feel at time that the pacing of the story was a little slow. Overall though, it is worth reading.

This is book #5, oh no I need to go back and find the first 4. The story stands alone though and I got to know the characters. Detective Ellie Reeves, a woman on a mission who would not give up until she solved this hideous crime.
Such a heart racing story, the thought of your child missing would give any parent nightmares. Where is she? Is it related to other missing children?
The author threw in a couple of red herrings and I loved that I had no clue until close to the end.
An absolutely fabulous tale of suspense, I highly recommend it.
#StolenAngels #NetGalley

Wow. Such a thrilling page turner of a book. One I just could not put down. Absolutely addictive. A real treat. Just superb.

Six-year-old Ava doesn’t make it on the bus, where is she? Ellie and her team race against the clock to find Ava, and uncover that there more missing kids tied to Ava’s disappearing.
With all the twists and turns, I didn’t see the end coming at all! It held me glued to my seat. Looking forward to more books in this series.
Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture for the chance of reading this in exchange for my opinion.

Fantastic,!!!! A really great read full of the twists and turns you come to expect in this series. I couldn’t put it down.

Yet another great read by Rita Herron! This was an exciting story that hooked me from the very beginning. Loved the cast of characters! This book delivered in every way.
Highly recommend
Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book

Rita just sucks you into her books with her words, creepy criminals and intense suspense. If my allowed, I could have easily finished this book in one sitting.
Ellie is called to the scene of a kidnapped little girl - Ava runs to the school bus but never makes it to school. Her mother, Lara, arrives at the school in the afternoon for the holiday party - only to find Ava never made it to school. What a nightmare for all parents.
Ellie works with Agent Fox to uncover leads - with the help of her sister, Angelica and her news reporting.
Only to discover Ava isn't the only little girl missing in Crooked Creek.
Highly recommend.

Busy and distracted, Lara Truman isn't too worried that her daughter made the school bus. It is only a block away and just this once she doesn't accompany her to the bus stop. Shockingly however, Lara discovers that Ava never made it to school, and thus did not even get on the bus. Detective Ellie Reeves is now working on Ava's case, desperate to find the little girl alive. It is near Christmas and Ellie really hopes to return Ava safely to her mother before the holidays.

As Ellie feverishly searches for little Ava someone else becomes involved. A local reporter is clued in that Ava's disappearance may not be the first in the small town of Crooked Creek. Same situation. So, Ellie realizes the cases must be connected, and even wonders if there are other similar cases of children being taken.

As Ellie starts connecting the dots, she discovers more than one sad facts involving other little girls and their mothers. No doubt these women were broken after their daughters went missing and Ellie is determined to find Ava. Ellie doesn't work alone. In fact, FBI Special Agent Derrick Fox and Ranger Cord McClain are also searching for Ava. This fast-paced story never once let up in intensity as the mystery was being solved.

One thing that kept the tension high in this story was the multiple POVs. Not only did we have Ellie's, but we have the kidnapper's and some of the other mothers and situations. This racheted up the story even more, making this fifth book in the Detective Ellie Reeves series an excellent addition to a thrilling series.

Many thanks to Bookouture and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.

Stolen angels by Rita Herron.
Detective Ellie Reeves Book 5.
Lara is baking cupcakes when her six-year-old daughter Ava runs to catch the school bus just one block away. Chasing after her, Lara sees the bus tumbling past, and waves. But Ava never turns up at school. Detective Ellie Reeves is in a race against time to find her––in missing child cases, every second counts. Searching the small town of Crooked Creek, she finds the girl’s bunny in the local park, the toy Ava carried around everywhere. Did Ava ever get on the bus? While Ellie works around the clock, a local reporter gets a message: There are other missing girls out there. Digging into previous cases, Ellie discovers that another girl went missing on the same day the previous year. How many more could there be? Ellie is certain that the date means something––and that the person who sent the message is the key. But the community is up in arms, everyone worried that their daughter will be next, and blaming Ellie. The pressure is mounting, and time is running out to bring little Ava home. Can Ellie solve the toughest case of her career––and save Ava––before it’s too late?
I really enjoyed this book. Great story and characters. Ellie was my favourite. I do live this series. I hope there is more to come. 5*.

Lara Truman is baking cupcakes when her daughter Ava runs to catch the school bus just one block away. Chasing after her, Lara sees the bus tumbling past, and waves. But Ava never turns up at school. Detective Ellie Reeves is in a race against time to find her, in missing child cases, every second counts. Searching the small town of Crooked Creek, she finds the child’s bunny in the local park, the toy Ava carried around everywhere. While Ellie works around the clock, a local reporter gets a message: There are others missing girls out there. Digging into previous cases, Ellie discovers that another girl went missing on the same day the previous year. Ellie is certain that the date means something and that the person who sent the message is the key
This is the fifth outing for Ellie & I found it to be a very well written tense read. The author keeps the tension throughout the book & with Christmas approaching this also adds to this. It’s not a comfortable read but very edge of the seat & I can see it could be distressing to some. I was taken on a range of emotions & my heart went out to Lara. I found the book very hard to put down as I was drawn into the story & needed to find out if Ellie was able to find Ava
My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read

I loved this book. It was a fantastic read. You think you expect the twist and turns but I never I would expect them. Great read.

Thank net gallery. Great job

Suspense, twists, surprises and 360 degree view. This book really brought out so many views that not only did I feel, I thought. Ava goes missing and we are off. The anguish and guilt one feels when their child goes missing, and blame of each other radiates between the pages. Missing just before Christmas and Detective Ellie takes it all to heart. I sometimes wonder how she puts one foot in front of the other. I don't quite see her compartmentalizing yet. When Ava goes missing FBI Derrick is in town and works with Ellie. Cord is brought in to help with search and rescue. The emotions in this book from every aspect is intense. It's just so hard to share without giving spoilers. When you read the book you will understand the 360 degree view, you will understand some of the whys, and realize no matter what, it is all very tragic. Ellie is making progress with her past, but I am so ambivalent with Ellie, Cord and Derrick. It's obvious Cord still has feelings, heck he says he would do anything for her. Derrick needs to step up or out and Ellie needs to realize that herself. I get how they met and who her family is are humongous road blocks. I am not sure either is right for Ellie, but then she is still growing, there is time. Thank you Bookouture, NetGalley and Rita Herron for the arc. I freely volunteer my thoughts and opinions.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for this ARC. I am giving this review voluntarily. Detective Ellie Reeves is a detective in Crooked Creek, Georgia. She has a heart for the downtrodden and needy. This is immediately evident in her actions in the story. A young girl, Ava, runs out of her house before her mom can catch her so that she can meet the bus. By the time her mother rounds the curve the bus is already pulling away. She obviously believes her daughter is on the bus. She goes home to take a short nap before her daughter's school Christmas party. When she gets to the school the teacher informs her that Ava never arrived. The teacher assumed Ava was just riding into school with her mother for the party. Needless to say she collapses from fear. The race is on to find this child before it is too late. This book was quite the thriller. I was literally on the edge of my seat flying through the pages. You would think they had the right answers, and then that would be a dead end. Rita Herron does a great job of keeping you hooked. If you like a book where you will keep guessing, this one is a good one for you. Even once you know what has happened to little Ava, you will not fully understand the dynamics behind the kidnapping immediately. This was a captivating and riveting thriller that will have you up late into the night so you can finish it! This was a superb masterpiece of a mystery/thriller! I highly recommend this book for mystery/thriller lovers! I also loved the setting because it was in Georgia, and I recognized a lot of the scenery that was described!

*I received this eARC from Bookouture through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review*

When I decided to request Stolen Angels, by Rita Herron, I was certain it would be a very interesting reading, having read the third installment in the Ellie Reeves series before and that being an amazing experience. I most definitely got my expectations met and finished this book with tears in my eyes.

In Stolen Angels, Herron tells a story about the disappearance of 6-year-old Ava Truman just a few days before Christmas. Detective Ellie Reeves steps up and takes the case, which will bring a fair amount of difficult situations for her professional and personal life. While following the leads, Reeves and her partners end up uncovering some very obscure adoption ring in the dark web, but which turns out to be not associated with the main case.

As we progress further into the book, Reeves is led to believe that Ava's disappearance is connected with two others. From that point onward, we're gifted with very emotional and gripping development.

Herron really has a way to get to the reader and make it feel bad even for characters who wouldn't usually get a good reaction from the public. In the last few pages, the pace is so rapid the reader can hardly breathe in anticipation for the conclusion, which doesn't disappoint in the least.

Besides being an excellent thriller, Stolen Angels is also a very gripping and emotional story about parenting, grief and the importance of family.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC of Stolen Angels by Rita Herron that I read and reviewed.
This is the fifth book in the Ellie Reeves series by Rita Herron and it picks up where the last book left off. This book has Ellie looking for a little girl that disappears right before Christmas and Ellie and her team are racing against the clock to bring the child home alive.
This book moved a bit took slow for me. Most of the other books in this series moved a lot faster and flowed faster. This book dragged on and I found myself loosing interest in some parts. I did not like that there where so many different perspectives being told. It was just way too much going on.
I am only going to give Stolen Angels three out of five stars because I just could not get into this book as much as I usually get into the books in this series.

I remember reading one of her books and I fell in love with the story, I knew going into this book that I was going to love it. And I loved it! The weird thing is that this doesn’t read as a stand-alone, mainly because the main character had backstories with other characters and I was a little lost, but besides that the plot had me HOOKED! I couldn’t put the book down, a little girl goes missing before Xmas and Ellie had to find her. Right when you think it’s something it’s really something else, the author is so good at that. And of course I broke down in tears, the ending was so heartwarming. Thank you Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book.

Ellie is back in the 5th installment of this series and I'm still loving it! Ellie is on the hunt to find a missing girl and discovers a link to other missing girls. The author take you on a different turn then expecting to why the girls are missing. Great series and love this book!!

👼🎄Fast-paced & suspenseful as horror hits at Christmas😩

I loved the plot and pacing in this story of missing children, traumatized families and a Christmas season bleak and dreary in a town at the south end of the Appalachian Trail. The main investigator in the shocking disappearance of six year-old Ava enroute to school just days before Christmas is strong and resourceful female officer Ellie Reeves who doggedly pursues every possibility when some colleagues want to go for the easy solution. She's great at leading her team and ready to go against public opinion to do what's right and bring Ava home.

I particularly liked the occasional change of perspective from Ellie to the missing girl and her abductors. The writing is fairly sparse and direct EXCEPT when it comes to the weather. Herron describes frequently peppers the story with such tumultuous, bleak weather that it truly sets a sinister mood.

I've now read several books from Herron's Ellie Reeves series and plan to look for more. The plots are always fascinating and fast-moving with lots of action.

Thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for sharing a complimentary advance copy of the book; this is my voluntary and honest opinion.

Another brilliant book in the Detective Ellie Reeves series.
Ellie and the team are called when a little girl goes missing one morning. Her mum thinks she got on the school bus but when she later goes to her school, she realises she’s not there.
Ellie knows time is of the essence and pulls out all the stops to try and find Ava.
A message is received about other girls that have been taken but Ellie does not know where to start.
One of the Mums of another missing girl reaches out to other mums on a Facebook group and they realise there are similarities with Ava’s case and theirs.
Eventually they get hold of Ellie and she realises there are other girls that have been taken and knows she needs to find them.
This is a fast paced thriller that had me racing through the pages.
A brilliant addition to the series.
Thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

Book 5 in the Ellie Reeves series and it did not disappoint. Fast, quick read. Great story. Love the characters. Definitely recommend reading them in order.

Thank you #netgalley and #bookouture for the eARC.