Book Review: Vanished by Irene Hannon

Ms. Hannon doesn't waste any time jumping into the intrigue in the first book of the Private Justice series.  Moira Harrison is a reporter on her way home from an interview one dark, stormy night.  She is forced to take a back road, and is soon lost, barely able to see what's in front of her because of the rain.  Suddenly a woman runs out of the woods in front of her car.  Moira slams on the brakes, but is unable to stop in time.  She hears the thump as her car strikes the woman, and then spins off the road.  She tries to find her phone in her purse, but before she can, a stranger appears.  He asks if she's okay and offers to help the woman she hit, and call 911.  She feel herself lose consciousness, and wakes an  hour later--alone on the side of the road. She calls the police and when they respond they find no evidence of a woman, or the mysterious stranger.  No one at the police station believes Moira's story, so she turns to Cal, a local private investigator to help.  The case seems to have no leads, but a chance interview and a strange find on the side of the road, lead them deeper into trouble than they ever imagined.

This story captivated me from the very first page! I liked that I didn't have to wait a long time or read a lot of back story before the action started.  This story is full of mystery and suspense.  Cal and Moira do some real detective work, including digging through trash, to solve the mystery. The attraction between them is obvious from the first time they meet.  Cal is a widower, who isn't sure if he wants to love again, but the more time he spends with Moira, the more he thinks she might be the one to bring him out of his funk.  I don't want to give anything away, but the climax of this book is awesome!  I was biting my nails hoping that Cal would get there to save Moira in time. 

This is the first of Irene Hannon's books that I have read.  The sequel is due out next fall, and I definitely plan to read it.  The story was well-rounded with good characters, real-life action and a plot that is different from your usual suspense novel.  All around, it was a very satisfying read, and I look forward to reading more by this author. 

 

Happy Reading!

Lyndsie