Blog Tour: Little Girl Gone by Amanda Stevens #AmandaStevens @HQIntrigue

FBI Special Agent Thea Lamb returns to her hometown of Black Creek, Florida after a long absence and five-year estrangement from her mother, Reggie. Unfortunately, her reason for returning is devastating. The four-year old daughter of a woman for whom Reggie was providing safe haven was abducted from her bed. What makes this even more remarkable is that 28 years ago, Thea’s twin sister was abducted from the same bedroom. She was also four years old. Thea is not coming there officially despite the fact that her specialty is cold cases involving missing children. Her former partner and boyfriend, FBI Special Agent Jake Stillwell is leading the investigation. They separated when he left Washington DC for the promotion in Tallahassee and this will be their first time seeing each other.

I am a devoted fan of the author’s <i>Graveyard Queen</i> series, which is a completely different genre and I was intrigued enough to experience her storytelling in romantic suspense. Her mastery in creating atmosphere sets her apart from most other writers and was spectacularly at play in this story. The setting was almost like another character, adding to the mystery and suspense with the eerie woods surrounding the house and the creepy caves deep within those forests. Thea and Jake were interesting characters, both having troubled childhoods in addition to their own past relationship. I liked how well they worked together, not letting their feelings for each other cloud their judgment or interfere with the case.

I finished the story in a day, finding it hard to put it down. There were a host of suspects and I kind of figured out some of it but definitely not all. While the mystery was solved regarding the child abduction, there are lots more threads still needing to be unraveled. I’ll definitely be continuing the series because this story was just the start of something wonderful. I’m hooked!

Book Info

• Release Date: December 28, 2021
  
• Series: Procedural Crime #1
• Page Numbers: 236
• Publisher: Harlequin Intrigue

 

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Excerpt

“While I was trying to fish the doll out of the pool, someone came from behind and hit me over the head hard enough to daze me. Next thing I know, I’m caught in a whirlpool several feet below the surface. I lost my flashlight, so I was spun around underwater in complete darkness. No up, no down.” He paused. “For a while there, I wasn’t sure how I’d get out.”
Thea watched his expression as he spoke. He still seemed shaken from the experience. She’d never seen him like that. “I knew something bad must have happened.”

He summoned a brief smile. “I know what you’re thinking. I even thought so myself at the time. So much for my keen instincts. Someone came up behind me and I never sensed a thing.”

“That’s not what I’m thinking.”

“No?”

“I’m thinking you could have died down there and I would never have known what happened to you.”

“Thea.” He said her name so softly she might have thought the tender missive was nothing more than a breeze sighing through the treetops.

The sun bearing down on them was hot and relentless, but Thea felt a little shiver go through her. It hit her anew how much she’d missed that tender glint in his eyes as their gazes locked. How much she’d missed his husky whispers in the dark. The glide of his hand along her bare skin, the tease of his lips and tongue against her mouth. The way he had held her afterward, as if he never wanted to let her go. But he had let her go and she’d done nothing to stop him.

She drew a shaky breath. “Don’t ever do that to me again.”

“Get caught in a whirlpool? I’ll do my best.”

She scowled at him. “Don’t make light. You know what I mean.”

“I’m fine, Thea.” He seemed on the verge of saying something else, but he held back. Maybe he thought she wanted his restraint. She did, didn’t she? They were in a precarious situation. Adrenaline and attraction could be a dangerous combination. Throw in unresolved issues and they were asking for trouble.

 

About the Author

Amanda Stevens is an award-winning author of over fifty novels. Born and raised in the rural south, she now resides in Houston, Texas.

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(Thanks to Harlequin Intrigue for my complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.)