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Scott Miller has everything he’s ever hoped for. He has a successful marriage to Jessie, a stunningly beautiful, creative woman. His seventeen-year-old daughter, Ashley, is both gorgeous and intelligent, and has just been accepted to the University of Notre Dame, where Scott received his PhD. He has a comforting home in the woods, and a fulfilling career as a college professor at Oregon State University in Corvallis. He’s blissful, and at peace, until it all comes shattering down. Ashley is kidnapped. The scene of the abduction is horrific and bloody, and the police are convinced she couldn’t have survived. They accuse her boyfriend, Brandon, of Ashley’s murder. He declares his innocence, and claims that a masked man who entered his house and overwhelmed them both took Ashley. No one believes Brandon. Then the bodies of three other missing girls are discovered, all bearing the mark of a known serial killer the FBI has been hunting for years. Evidence mounts. As Special Agent James Duncan tracks the Hail Mary Killer, Scott and Jessie try to move on with their lives. But they can’t shake the feeling that Ashley may still be alive, and that the time for saving their only daughter is quickly running out. In the best tradition of literature and suspense, Jackson Paul Baer has weaved a heartfelt tale of one family’s struggle to survive after a despicable evil wrenches them apart.
3 out of 5 (good)
Independent Reviewer for Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Scott and Jessie, and their 17 year old daughter Ashley, live a good life, a happy life. Til one day, it all goes terribly wrong and Ashley is kidnapped, possibly dead. Scott and Jessie need to keep it together long enough for Ashley to be found alive, or not. Sometimes, stepping out of your comfort zone is a really good thing but, while a well told story, this one just didn't quite hit the spot. And I don't really know why! Told mostly from Scott's point of view, in the first, it deals with how a family copes when tragedy strikes. We do get some other people, in the third person, but they felt more of a narration of their voice, rather than THEM speaking, if that makes any sense?? I didn't connect to them in any way, not even when the bad guy has his five minutes, and you know how much I LOVE getting into the mind of the bad guy! I just felt, apart from Scott, totally disconnected from everyone else. It is well written, and I saw no editing or spelling errors. It does get a little graphic in places, when being told what was done to Ashley when she was kidnapped, but it is not in any way romantic. Not even before Ashley was kidnapped, did I feel the romance between Scott and Jessie. A good book, just not one for me and I'm sorry for that! 3 stars
**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
I'm a professional thrifter who is happily married, the father of four children, and an avid runner. I was born and raised in Georgia, and spent time in Oklahoma, California, Connecticut, and then Oregon, as an adult. I'm a graduate of Oregon State University and now reside in North Georgia, raising my family, near family. My first book, The Earth Bleeds Red, was released in 2013. It is currently available on the Kindle, in paperback, and as an audiobook on Amazon/Audible/iTunes. My second book, The Lights Will Never Fade, came out in Jan '18. I've recently signed with Evolved Pub for my new contemporary fiction/suspense series, An American Family (Fall 2018). I'm a bit of a free spirit who enjoys working from home, traveling around, looking for treasures to share, and creating worlds that otherwise would not exist. Thrifting and writing are my two passions, and I'm fortunate to be able to do both.