She wanted a family to love her. He wanted to love her to death.
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Author: Nora LeDuc
Title: Gone Before Goodbye
Series: Love & Mystery in the 6-oh-3, Book 1
Genre: Mystery/Romantic Suspense
Release Date: October 31, 2014
Cover Designer: Stefanie Fontecha
The police are stumped. Was she a runaway careening toward disaster or the victim of a predator preying on teenage girls?
When rebellious seventeen-year-old Lisa Grant vanishes from her New Hampshire home, her guardian, Teagan Raynes, becomes ensnared in the frantic hunt to find her. Search dogs lose the girl’s scent at Pretty Park, where another teenager disappeared three months ago. Law enforcement fears a stalker is using the park to abduct young girls. Desperate, Teagan, reluctantly puts her faith in the lead detective, the notorious Noah Cassidy.
Noah Cassidy’s reputation and job are on the line. Rumors that he attempted to kill the man found guilty of destroying his family in a boating accident have tainted him. To prove his worth, Noah devotes every minute to the case and realizes he’s up against a cunning adversary. Worse, he finds himself distracted by feelings for the attractive, gutsy Teagan. To erase her doubts about him, he must earn back his reputation and let go of his past. He knows what he has to do. He must bring Lisa home and take down the monster who is hunting the girls of Pretty Park before it’s too late.
Maya's review
I enjoyed this intriguing mystery. Lisa Grant goes out to meet her boyfriend despite being grounded. Out in a deserted park, a stranger stalks her but she manages to get away. Or does she? Unfortunately she never comes home. Teagan her guardian is beside herself with worry. Did the teenager just runaway or is there something more sinister going on? Both neighbours and the police are searchign for the missing teenager. Then Teagan receives a note that might indicate that she is next to die.
Detective Noah Cassidy is back from holiday and plunges straight into the investigation to find the girl and the abductor. His reputation as a detective hinges on his success especially after what happened after his family died. And to top it off, it's the two year anniversary of their deaths. He feels he has to restore faith not only for his career but for the police force under siege from a disappointed public.
The story moves along at an even pace. I like that we get to read things unfold from different perspectives including the captured girl and it also helps to ramp up the suspense and mystery as every main character has a stake in the outcome. The story is intriguing and the mystery is done well. I felt a little bit removed from the characters and didn't quite connect with any of them. However, I'm glad I followed the clues and solved the mystery before the end. I actually figured out who the main villain was. There were more than one. I should warn you, though, everything isn't tied up neatly. Some of the mystery remains and I reckon there might be a follow up story.
This is a great read for fans of crime/police drama and romantic suspense.
Nora Leduc lives in New England. She’s addicted to the Headline News Channel where she follows trials and breaking news stories. She has published twelve books and would love to hear from you. Currently Nora is working on the next book in the Love & Mystery in the 6-oh-three series. Gone Before Goodbye is the first in the series. The second story will concentrate on Lucy’s story. Hope you enjoy them both. If you’d like to ask her a question about her stories, she’s available at
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