Cover Image: Taken Before Dawn (Detective Casey White Book 7)

Taken Before Dawn (Detective Casey White Book 7)

Pub Date:   |   Archive Date:

Member Reviews

I loved this book and this series. It starts off with their friend Samantha missing and they fear she is in the hands of a killer. The action continues throughout the whole book. All I want to say to Casey is stop going to scenes alone. I love Jericho and Casey together. Great book!

Was this review helpful?

4.5⭐

Detective Casey White is back with possibly her most disturbing case yet.

As having recently reunited with the daughter who was kidnapped as a child Casey faces the possibility of losing her once again.

When after a body is found on a busy stretch of highway Casey, Jericho and Tracy's gravest fears are raised. As their close friend Samantha has disappeared. But thankfully the body isn't hers.

Nevertheless, she's someone's daughter and it seems a serial killer is back one who Casey came close to catching ten years ago.

So when the team realise a profoundly personal message has been recorded on the body and with time running out for Samantha. Casey is willing to risk everything to find her. But what if everything includes losing those she loves most?

And with a fast-paced storyline and twists galore. This was a cracking addition to the series, and it's a story I'd happily recommend to others.

Was this review helpful?

I would like to thank Netgalley and Bookouture for an advance copy of Taken before Dawn, the seventh novel to feature Detective Casey White of the Outer Banks, North Carolina Sheriff’s Office.

Casey and the team are panicked when called out to a murder scene. The victim is not Samantha, their missing friend, but the equally innocent Pauline Rydel, who has been missing for a while. Any relief Casey felt about the victim not being Samantha quickly turns to dread when she sees Pauline’s injuries as they are the same as those inflicted by a serial killer she failed to catch in Philadelphia ten years ago, a killer dubbed the Midnight Killer by the press.

I thoroughly enjoyed Taken before Dawn, which is a high octane read, full of tension, stress, twists and turns. The novel is told from the investigative point of view, mainly Casey in the first person so the reader has no idea about the killer, his aims or motives. This is my favourite approach as the reader knows what Casey knows, can identify with her in her hunt and investigate alongside her if so minded. It also preserves the sense of suspense, giving the twists more impact and the reader a bigger jolt.

I must admit that I admire the author’s audacity and imagination, taking the reader to unexpected places and eliciting more than one OMG from me. It’s fast paced and offers plenty of bang for your buck. Of course, realism isn’t a thing, but who cares when it’s entertaining and compulsive reading.

The characters on the law enforcement side are all one big happy family and it’s pleasant to avoid the usual infighting and pettiness that seems to populate the genre. How long this will last remains to be seen as there are hints of big changes.

Taken before Dawn is a good read that I have no hesitation in recommending.

Was this review helpful?

Well tp say I didn't know what I was getting into woth this one would be an understatement!I haven't ever read anything from this series before so I went into this blind so to speak and wow!!! What an introduction to the series. I do think it may have benefitted to have read the precious to understand the characters on a deeper level and have a better idea of background but it was still amazing, even for series newbies like myself. It is pretty dark at times and definitely sets a chill down your spine. The characters were really well written and you can't help but get attached and care what's happening to them be abuse they are just so human! I absolutely didn't see the twists and turns coming and it had me on the edge of my seat until the end. It did take me a wee bit to really get into the storyline though but again, if you've read the precious books then that probably won't be so much of an issue. I'm now away to go back to the start of the series and fill in a few blanks!!

Was this review helpful?

After a night out, Samantha is snatched. Samantha is part of Detective Casey White’s team and several of them were out together that night. Casey is now on the job, Not only has Samantha disappeared, telltale marks on a very recent murder victim bear strong resemblance, and irrefutable proof that a serial killer from Casey's past is back in play. The killer was called "The Midnight Killer”. Casey does not doubt that Samantha is in the killer’s hands. With a race against time, Casey and the rest of her team search feverishly for Samantha with hopes of finding her alive.

The killer was active when Casey was working on the Philadelphia police force, and kept victims alive for seven days before they were killed. This gives them hope that if this killer does have Samantha, they have a short window of time to find her alive. When another victim has a clue that points right to Casey, the pressure is truly on. Everyone is terrified that not only will Samantha be killed, but other victims, including Casey, could possibly lose their lives.

As I have been reading this series from the very beginning, Casey has become a character that I have come to know and love especially with her painful past as her daughter was kidnapped at three years of age. That case has been solved, and it is that part of Casey’s personal life that comes up from time to time in this newest book in the series. In fact, as concerned as Casey is about what is going on right now, she is also contemplating her future, and this affects other characters in this compelling book and series.

While reading this compelling story I was hit with more than one chilling revelation. So chilling, that goose bumps hit me more than once. B. R. Spangler is a fabulous writer and has made this series better and better with each book. Although this newest book could be read as a standalone because enough snippets of Casey’s past come to light, the series really would be better if consumed from the beginning and read in order. With excellent pacing, relatable characters, personal connections between the characters, a thrilling plot and an exciting conclusion, Taken Before Dawn is a stunning seventh book in an utterly engaging series.

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

Was this review helpful?

This one is often dark and gritty and will keep you on the edge of your seat. The case hits close to home for our characters. I was glued to the pages. There were some very interesting developments on both the professional and personal front for Casey. I loved the ending but it left me wondering how things will go. I foresee Casey's former partner creating a lot of drama. I'm rooting for Casey and Jericho.

Was this review helpful?

A case Detective Casey White has thought was solved years earlier comes back to threaten her in Taken before Dawn, seventh in this excellent series by B.R. Spangler. When Casey was a new detective in Pennsylvania, the Midnight Killer kidnapped and tortured young women until he was nearly caught by Casey. Now, a decade later, one of Casey’s team is missing and the body of another woman has just been discovered. Casey knows details of the original crimes that, without any doubt, connect this body to the Midnight Killer. Can she finally find him and bring him to justice? Or will she become his next victim?

An atmospheric Outer Banks location and Casey White’s compelling backstory add to the plot of this series. Now newly reunited with her daughter and about to marry the love her life, she risks it all by her involvement in this case. Although I have loved reading the previous Casey White mysteries, this was a tough read for me. Without spoilers, the basement scenes were off-putting, violent and hard to finish, so 4 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley, Bookouture and B.R. Spangler for this ARC.

Was this review helpful?

Omg what a read!!!!! I love this series that features Detective Casey White and her team. You know that you are in for a treat when one of these books is released. I thought that this series could not get any better, I was so wrong. Taken Before Dawn is on another level!!!! This time it is personal, very personal and a cold case rears it's ugly head. Packed to the rafters with tension and suspense. Plenty of heart in your mouth moments and not for the faint hearted. The best in the series so far and i can't to find out what this author has in store for Casey and Jericho. Another fantastic five star read and a heart pounding addition to this gripping and very addictive series. Loved, loved it!!!!
Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in return for giving an honest review.

Was this review helpful?

Book 7 in the fantastic Casey White series.

When Casey and the team are called to the body of a young woman dumped on the side of the road they fear it could be their missing friend and colleague. When they examine the body Casey sees marks that are strikingly similar to a case she worked 10 years previously in Philadelphia. It can't be the same killer though. Can it?

What follows is a fast paced thriller that soon gets very personal with twist and turns galore to keep the pages turning. I was hooked from the start and absolutely flew through it.

I love this series and can't wait to read the next one.

Was this review helpful?

Women disappear, some of whom are then found dead, has detective Casey White’s nemesis returned? A well plotted, often dark thriller, this is not a cosy crime novel.
Although well written and I like the lead detective and her team, this is another example of a detective being directly involved in the crime she Is investigating. For me, this appears in plots way too often.
Thanks to NetGalley and Bookoutre for providing me with an Advance Reader's Copy in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.

Was this review helpful?

Thank you NetGalley for this advanced copy. I always love reading about Casey White! I feel the main plot twist in this one happened a little earlier than normal but def did not see the ending coming.

Was this review helpful?

Thank you NetGalley for this advanced copy. Wow a twist in this one for sure! Did not see that coming. Always enjoy reading about Casey, Jethro, and her missing daughter.

Was this review helpful?

More...I need more Casey White and her crew. This was my favorite one in the series and I can't wait to see what happens next, maybe? The ending left me a little nervous about what is in store next.

Thank you #netgalley and #bookouture for the eARC.

Was this review helpful?

Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture for the copy of Taken Before Dawn. This is the seventh book in a series and while I usually don’t have an issue reading a series out of order this one started rough for me. I’m not sure why I couldn't connect to the writing characters, and the story was dark so I skimmed a few passages. I kept reading because I always have hope that a book will turn around and catch my interest and this one did! When they started to zero in on the killer I really enjoyed the writing and the story. It might have just been my mood, so I have not given up on this series yet because the book really ended up being good. 3.5 stars rounded up to 4.

Was this review helpful?

I love this series. and as normal this book is very gripping. Casey is at home with Jerico when her daughter tracy phones her to tell her that Samantha is missing and a womans body has been found on the highway fitting Samantha description but its not her but Casey gets a shock as the marks on her are from one of her cold cases the midnight killer. he is back and he has Samantha and she has only days to find her she asks her old partner steve for help with the case wont say no more but so good very twisty and addictive

Was this review helpful?

A dead girl dumped on the side of the road then a friend goes missing; is there a connection? Detective Casey White vows to find out. It turns out they are connected and also connected to a cold case from ten years ago that Casey worked when she was a detective in Philadelphia. What she doesn’t know is why the killer or killers is now in the Outer Banks. Casey soon finds out as she is next to be abducted and tortured.
After escaping, Casey must now find her friend before she is killed, and find the killer or killers before there are more killings, and find out why.

Was this review helpful?

This is the seventh book in the B.R. Spangler series. Great series, I highly recommend this author! In Taken Before Dawn Casey White investigates the disappearance of her friend Samantha and solves the ten year old cold case of the Midnight Killer. Didn’t want to put it down. Very suspenseful. Thanks NetGalley and Bookouture for this ARC!

Was this review helpful?

You Probably Won't Want To Read This Right Before Bed. In this next chilling installment of this series, we get what is quite possibly Spangler's most chilling villains to date - and the most direct threat to Detective Casey White since I picked up this series around book 4 or so. One sequence in particular, taking up somewhere around a quarter of the book or so, is so truly chilling that the title of this review was warranted - you're not going to want to try to go to sleep while reading/ soon after reading this particular section. I don't want to give anything away, so I'll be a bit oblique and note that there is a popular horror franchise that is actually *less* chilling, though around the same type of idea, as what is going on here. Before and after this section, the book is actually more of a "standard" Casey White series police procedural. We get to see the team doing its thing both professionally and personally, including how later developments in the series (again, being vague to avoid giving anything away) continue to play out. Certainly one of the better books in this series, which is saying quite a bit itself, and arguably the best to date - which is saying *quite* a bit. I know this thing releases almost a full month after I'm writing this review, but BR... Imma need number 8 like, *now*. Very much recommended.

Was this review helpful?

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and author for this eARC.

Wow, well done to the author B R Spangler, this book is a very enjoyable and thrilling read and, in my opinion, the best one in the series so far. Here Detective White investigates an abduction where the victim is known to her and makes the case very personal. When White sees similarities to cold, unsolved cases from her past, she is determined that the culprit will not get escape justice a second time. The book started off so well and grabbed my attention immediately. I found this to be a very well written book, I loved the plot line, I thought the book flowed really well and came together beautifully at the end. I’ve always liked the authors writing style, he has a great way of making his characters jump out of the pages and become alive in my mind and I can picture the scenes when reading. I was absorbed from the first page to the last and the twists in the story made this a fab and thrilling read. It was a very fast paced read, full of suspense that had me eager to find out what was coming next. I love the glimpses into the characters lives outside of work, and reading of their relationships and rapport with each other, Overall, a great read that I loved. This series is fast becoming one of my favourites and I eagerly await the next book, If you like solid police, crime procedural books give this series a try - although I’d suggest you start from the beginning to get to know the characters and their histories.

Was this review helpful?

I was immediately hooked. A fast paced, effortlessly quick read where the pages just turned themselves and I was engaged throughout, mission accomplished. Whirlwind of a detective thriller! I loved it. This author has a knack for writing the perfect thriller and delivering it at the perfect pacing. I am immediately identified with the main characters. Looking forward to more in the series!

Was this review helpful?