Thursday, May 13, 2021

And Now She's Gone by Rachel Howzell Hall

 
First Line: She had to do it.
 
Grayson Sykes's very first assignment as a fully fledged private investigator is the missing persons case of Isabel Lincoln, but it doesn't take Grayson long to wonder if Isabel is missing or just doesn't want to be found. Isabel's case has all the hallmarks of an abused woman, so Grayson's primary focus becomes insuring that Isabel is all right.

But the case becomes ever more complicated and dangerous with each of Isabel's secrets and truths that Grayson uncovers. This new private eye is caught in a cat-and-mouse game, so it's a very good thing that she's just as complicated as the woman she's tracking.

~

And Now She's Gone has a plot that's more convoluted than San Francisco's Lombard Street, and I enjoyed every twist and turn. Grayson Sykes' voice drew me right into the story, and we're told from the beginning that she's a strong woman who keeps a lot bottled inside. When looking at a photo of the missing Isabel Lincoln, Grayson sees the type of woman that most men want to marry: a Mary Ann.  Her boss tells her, "You're not a Mary Ann. You're the Skipper. No nonsense. Reliable. Resourceful." Not words to warm the cockles of most women's hearts, but true enough, especially when describing a woman who "kept her jaw clamped like a crocodile on a wildebeest's leg."

The further the reader gets, the wondering sets in. Why does Grayson seem to be identifying so much with the woman she's trying to find? Then the gradual unfolding of Grayson's backstory begins, and as it's woven in with Isabel's story, the cat-and-mouse game comes into its own. And Now She's Gone is a spellbinding look into how violence and fear can lead a person to abandon everything in order to survive.

Note: If you'd like to read more books by Rachel Howzell Hall, I recommend her four-book series featuring Elouise "Lou" Norton, a Black homicide detective in Los Angeles. The first book is Land of Shadows.

And Now She's Gone by Rachel Howzell Hall
ISBN: 9781250753175
Forge Books © 2020
Hardcover, 384 pages
 
Thriller, Standalone
Rating: A-
Source: Purchased from The Poisoned Pen.

10 comments:

  1. Yes! Exactly! Just what I meant when I said I raced to pick up this book to keep reading it.
    But what I found was that not only was ut a riveting read, but it was unusual. I've never read a book quite like it. The twists and turns did feel like a rollercoaster ride, but it was fascinating.
    Howzell Hall also has another stand-along which I'd like to read.

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    1. Grayson's backstory and the way it unfolded as well as her voice really gave the entire story a unique edge.

      I think the book you're talking about is her homage (if you will) to Agatha Christie. Can't think of the name of it and don't have the time to look it up.

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    2. They All Fall Down is the title of the Chrystie-like book, where people are dying one by one.
      But, good news: Howzell Hall has a new book out this year called These Toxic Things.

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    3. Thanks for the info, Kathy.

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  2. Grayson does sound like an interesting character, Cathy. She sounds complex without also sounding like the all-too-common demon-haunted detective who can't function (I have to admit, I get a bit tired of those). It sounds like a really interesting puzzle, too, which for me is all the better.

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    1. It's a very good read with a unique edge to it, Margot.

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  3. OOh...this one does sound really good. I'm already intrigued by Grayson. Great review! :)

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    1. Glad you liked it. Thanks for stopping by!

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  4. You certainly caught my attention with this one!

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    1. Two strong, complicated women in the same book. Hard to beat that.

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