This is a story that you won’t want to put down.

Strong female character with her own troubles but she puts that aside to do a job she is no longer legally able to do.

This is a page turner for sure and you will love it!

I hadn’t read any of the books by this author before but really enjoyed this one. It is the first book in a series featuring ex Detective Harper Adams. She left her job after being involved in a fatal shooting and is now homeless relying on alcohol to get her through the day and has had to return back home to live with her parents in their garage. Hamper is still traumatised by the kidnapping and murder of her sister over twenty years ago which has caused a very strained relationship with her family. On her arrival home she is horrified when another young girl goes missing with similarities to the case of her sister. Everyone thinks she may have run away but Harper is convinced that there is a link. The police don’t seem to be making any progress with the case so Harper decides that she will try to save the girl with the help of her former boss. This was a gripping read and full of suspense and I can’t wait for the next book in the series.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.

After being dismissed and disgraced ex detective Harper is forced to move back to her home town, the one place she is dreading to return. As she is settling and dealing with the challenges that come with having to move home she gets disturbing news. A friend from her childhood has a daughter that is now missing. And it is mimicking the kidnapping and murder of Harpers sister which is even more concerning. Harper soon realizes there are flaws in the investigation and it looks like it is going to go wrong just like her sisters investigation.

I enjoyed this book and thought it was definitely suspense filled! The only part I didnt really like was the involvement of the mob boss Harper brings in. I dont really like books with gang or mob type stories because they seem completely unrealistic and crazy and it just isnt my cup of tea. Other than that it was a good mix of emotions and suspense as they try to find the little girl.

LITTLE GIRL VANISHED was initially a great read - well written and intriguing with an interesting plot. The first half flew by but the second half was a drag. The pace slowed down and it turned into a slog to read. Still entertaining and would the next one, but wish it would be about 50 pages shorter.

Thanks to NetGalley and BooksGoSocial for the opportunity to read and review LITTLE GIRL VANISHED.

Little Girl Vanished, A small town kidnapping (Harper Adams Mystery Book 1) by Denise Grover Swank
Publisher: BooksGoSocial
Genre: Mystery & Thrillers
Published: June 20, 2023

Little Girl Vanished is the first book in the Harper Adams Mystery series by Denise Grover Swank. This book was so good that I know I’ll be reading all the future books in the series.

This book is fast paced with great characters! I could not put this one down! It was so intense and had me captivated from page one.

This is a must read for 2023! I highly recommend it!!!

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Really enjoyed this book it kept me gooked from the first page I will definitely be recommending it to my friends

A little girl has vanished…and although the local police department is certain this is a runaway case, Harper Adams isn’t so sure. For back in the day, her own sister was abducted and killed in the same town. Down on her luck, Adams finds herself back in her hometown and thrown into her own private investigation to find little Ava.

This was a good read and I’ll look forward to more of Harper Adams!!

Little Girl Vanished by Denise Grover Swank was an excellent read and a book that, once I started to read it I found it hard to put it down.

Disgraced, ex-detective Harper Adams is perfectly content wallowing at rock bottom. She’s lost her job, her house, and her reputation, and it only gets worse when she’s forced to move back home to Jackson Creek, Arkansas, this is the only place she swore she’d never return.
However, everything changes when she gets chilling news. A childhood friend’s daughter is missing. It’s eerily reminiscent of Harper’s sister’s kidnapping and murder two decades ago. Harper knows it's none of her business. But, the local police are fumbling the case at every turn, Harper realises she might be the only one who can save the girl. However she might need the help of James Malcolm, a former crime boss, to do it.

Will Harper find her childhood friends daughter in time before it's too late!

WoW, this book had me sitting on the edge of my seat with lots of twists and turns that will have your head spinning!!!! Great book and I highly recommend, especially as a holiday read.

Very engaging read. Fantastic start to a new series and can’t wait to read the next installment. Loved most that I could not guess where this was going, twisty & dark. Kept me hooked. Thank you for this arc in exchange of an honest review.

I did not finish this one, it was not for me, I couldn't relate to the characters, and just did not care for the story.

This was a great first installment to a new “detective” series. Harper Adams has had a rough life. Her sister was abducted and killed when they were teenagers. She fell from grace as a police detective in Little Rock and has returned home in disgrace to a small town where very few people are on her side, especially when another young girl is kidnapped and the time to find her alive is quickly running out.
I really enjoyed the first 3/4 of this book but was a bit disappointed with how things wrapped up at the ending. That being said, I’m definitely in for the next book. I want to find out more about her scumbag former partner!!
*Thanks to DGS and NetGalley for the ebook review copy.

I believe this is the first time I have read a novel by Denise Grover Swank and hopefully it will not be the last. Although it is a familiar format, disgraced detective and difficult family dynamics, it nonetheless is a very good story, I was invested in it from the beginning. I am interested to see the way in which Harper’s character develops in the next instalment but much more interested in how the mysterious James’ back story is going to develop!
This is a very good read from an accomplished author who is at the height of her skills, I would thoroughly recommend it and thank Netgalley for the opportunity to read this for an honest review.

Really enjoyed this story of a police officer seeking a child kidnapper that relates to her own history of her sisters kidnapp8mg twenty years before. I enjoyed the characters, even the less than nice ones and the story had a bit of a twist ending. Looking forward to number two in this series.

The first book I have read by this author and I was very impressed. It’s always nice to have a strong female lead character with relatable flaws. I really really enjoyed this book and will look forward to reading many more by this author!

Harper Adams is a disgraced former detective who has hit rock bottom and she is perfectly fine with it. She is forced to return home to Jackson Creek, Arkansas, and helps a childhood friend find her missing daughter, the case is similar to that of her sister's disappearance and murder two decades ago.

*****3.5*****

I have enjoyed many of Ms. Swank's books and she has written one of my all-time favorite series and was excited about this new cozy mystery series. While the book has some flaws, I think this was a good first book, with the potential to be a great/amazing series.

What I liked:
-FMC: Harper Adams. She is such a wonderfully flawed character who has always been haunted by her past and has never been able to move forward. I'm really excited to see her journey of healing and eventually peace, but it will be messy and raw and I'm here for it
-Harper's family dynamics, They repressed so much and now everything has finally blown apart It will be interesting to see how the pieces are put back together and if they can finally be a real and loving family
-Harper mixing it up with James Malcom and Carter Hale. I think this could be the beginning of a dangerous friendship and I'm here for it

What Did Work for Me:
-The book is clunky. There were too many characters introduced and used in the series that messed with its flow and just felt too much. introducing them in passing but to have all of them an important part of the story felt confusing at times and left many underdeveloped or used only as plot devices
-how the mystery ended in this series. Without giving spoilers, it felt clunky and not satisfying and there were some parts that contradicted each other. So one thing would be said in one chapter and then it would be the opposite in the next

Despite its flaws, it's still a good first book, and looking forward to seeing how it all plays out

This book was really intriguing and full of suspense. I really enjoyed this. I loved the characters as well as the twists and turns. Can't wait to read more from this author.

3.5 stars

Overall, this was an enjoyable and compelling story that I didn't want to put down.

I really enjoyed Harper as the flawed main character. Very rarely have I read books with the female main character being an alcoholic (usually it's a male), so that added good depth and intrigue to the story. You could also understand why she'd fallen down this path after learning more about her past and her sister's tragedy.

I liked seeing her in action as she began working on her own to help solve the mystery, and it got even better when she began teaming up with a few select individuals. Vigilante street justice as its finest!

The climax of the book ended very abruptly, which sucked because you waited for 95% of the book to get here and then it's just over like that. The build up and suspense was good and kept me invested, but I wish the big reveal scene/dramatic showdown moment had really taken more time. It just kind of undermined all you've gone through up until that point.

As a whole, I liked the story, the characters, and how things played out up until the end. All of that just seemed rushed and thrown together for the sake of convenience. But I am interested in picking up the sequel when it comes out!

SORT OF SPOILER:
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Nate is super suspicious...like, you just agree to not ask her any questions at all, even after you find out your friend is dead? Sir...and the way it made a point of saying he was SO good with kids makes me think he's going to be a baddy in the second installment. I'm calling it now!

This is a book to pick up and read that you won't be able to put down until the last page is read.

Harper Adams was a good detective but something went wrong and she resigned, moved back in with her parents but with her sisters murder and the sisters daughter Ava missing will she be able to find out answers or will there be secrets and untruths to be uncovered?

This is an intense and thrilling read, filled with suspense, plenty of action and some twists and turns. It kept me on the edge on my seat. A well written story, great characters and everything you want and need for a thriller.

Thank you NetGalley and BooksGoSocial for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.

Harper Adams, a detective for the Little Rock Police Department with a spotless, exemplary record until it wasn't. Now she lives in her parents' apartment above their garage in Jackson Creek Arkansas. Her only friend that believed in her in Little Rock is here in Jackson Creek working in the sheriff's department. But Harper isn't the only girl 'vanished'. Ava is missing and there are too many people with too many different stories and ideas to find her.
Little did anyone know where this would lead or how many lives will be connected to it. I voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book.