Review: Where All the Girls Have Gone

Author: Jayne Ann Krentz

Series: Cutler, Sutton & Salinas

Released: September 26 2017

Publisher: Piatkus

Length: 448 pages

Source: Publisher for review

Buy: The Book Depository

Five women out for justice

One ruthless killer

A secret that's sure to get out

In this elite investment club, the stakes are literally life or death . . .

Founder of an exclusive society with a hidden agenda, Madison Benson has carefully handpicked her members, choosing the four most fearless and skilled/intelligent women she knows. But when one member is found dead and another goes missing, it seems like the club may finally have taken one risk too many. Now it won't be long before the rest of them are hunted down and silenced...

Into this secretive world steps Charlotte Sawyer, who is desperate to find her step-sister, the beautiful, brilliant - and reckless - Jocelyn, and deliver the terrible news that one of her closest friends has been murdered. Yet Jocelyn is nowhere to be found and slowly Charlotte begins to realise that her step-sister is involved in something terrible. Running out of time and unable to trust the police, Charlotte joins forces with Max Cutler, a struggling PI whose previous career as a criminal profiler went down in flames. Burned out, divorced and almost broke, Max needs the job.

When her uneasy alliance with Max turns into a full-blown affair, Charlotte has no choice but to trust him with her life. For the shadows of Jocelyn's past are threatening to consume her - and anyone else who gets in the way . . .

The New York Times bestselling author of Secret Sisters, Jayne Ann Krentz delivers a thrilling novel of the deceptions we hide behind, the passions we surrender to, and the lengths we'll go to for the truth. 

When I think of romantic suspense, I usually think of Nora Roberts and Jayne Ann Krentz. A new book by one of these two authors is always a reason to celebrate, and yet somehow, I’ve waited until now to read When all the Girls Have Gone… just in time for the UK paperback release.

When all the Girls Have Gone explores what happens to strong women when the system turns against them. It tells the story of Charlotte’s step-sister Jocelyn, raped in college by an unknown assailant, and denied justice and protection by the police. Politically, it was much easier to hide Jocelyn’s rape than publicly stand by her and protect her. Years later, Jocelyn is missing, her best friend is dead, and the other three women from her investment club are behaving very strangely.

When Charlotte meets Max, he’s already working on the tangled case, and he instantly recognizes the ferocity in Charlotte. Her only concern is her sister’s safety, but she reveals enough about herself to intrigue the restrained private investigator. For her part, Charlotte understands Max very well and trusts his abilities fully. The two click from the beginning and their dynamics are very interesting. They are both unusually calm and collected and they approach most things the same way.

The mystery itself isn’t predictable, but it’s a bit over the top. I had a hard time believing that so many people would be involved in such ugliness, and for so many reasons. Even so, the resolution was satisfying and justice was served, which is enough for me.

Some things about Max’s past were left open in the end, which signaled an upcoming sequel. Promise Not to Tell will be released in early 2018 and it will focus on Max’s foster brother Cabot, who’s been through the same tragic ordeal. While I’m hoping for a glimpse of Charlotte and Max, I honestly can’t wait to learn more about Cabot Sutter and the kind of man he is.

A copy of this book was kindly provided by the publisher for review purposes. No considerations, monetary or otherwise, have influenced the opinions expressed in this review.

Do you have a favorite romantic suspense? Please share in the comments!