I have to be honest. I’ve been waiting to get my hands on this book for months. And when it finally got here two days after Thanksgiving, I picked it up and started reading—despite the fact that I was smack dab in the middle of Dan Brown’s latest thriller. And let’s not talk about all the shopping I needed to do. That’s how excited I was to read this book. Yes, I admit, it sounds like Missing had some fierce competition, but Ronda Gibb Hinrichsen didn’t disappoint me.
The Blurb:
A BYU-Idaho choir tour in British Columbia turns out to be anything but ordinary when soloist Stacie Cox spots a kidnapped child from Rexburg during a performance. Before Stacie can alert the authorities, the little girl disappears. Stacie vows to find and rescue her, a choice that forces her to deal with her guilt-ridden past and another little girl that haunts her dreams.
When the handsome Matt Brennan helps Stacie in the search, she tries to resist the attraction she feels for him. Yet as he gains her friendship and trust, her resolve to never fall in love begins to crumble. And after a series of harrowing events, Stacie must decide if she is willing to sacrifice her life— and a possible future with Matt—to save a stranger.
My take:
Stacie Cox is a well rounded character. I liked how I saw her flaws early in the book, and how those flaws affected her throughout the story and turned out to be strengths in the end. The hunky love interest, Matt, also had his share of issues, though I do wish the story would have delved a bit deeper into his life, giving us the opportunity to get to know him a bit better. Still, you can only have so many main characters in a story, right? I found myself really hating Adrienne, the villain. She’s one messed up lady, and yet as we discover more about her, I feel kind of sorry for her, even as I really want her to get caught.
I found it interesting how the setting takes place in British Columbia near a castle. I’ve never been there, and now I find myself wanting to visit just to see the areas described in the book.
The fast paced story kept me reading from beginning to end, and even though I’ve had about a hundred other things to do this past week, I zipped through the entire book because I just had to know what happened next. Also, the author's technical knowledge of writing is top notch.
My Nitpicks:
At the end I found myself wishing for just a little bit more. More conclusion? Another scene? I’m not sure what, just something. And knowing that Ronda has another book in the works, I’m hoping that the “more” is in the form of a sequel. But as I said, that’s just me being nitpicky, and even if the next book is a stand alone, I'll take it and be happy.
All in all:
Great book, thrilling read all the way to the end. And yes, it was worth taking a break from Dan Brown for a couple days. Missing was much more romantic, less gruesome, and easier to read and understand. I can’t wait to see what Ronda writes next.
To read more about the author click here.
To purchase your copy of Missing click here or here.
Don't forget to enter the Craft Desk Giveaway sponsored by The Original Scrapbox. And check out my sidebar to see where I'll be signing Mormon Mishaps and Mischief this week.
**The author of this blog received a free copy of this book, even though I had planned to buy it, had set aside money to do so, and would’ve reviewed it after I paid for it, with the same results and comments. The only difference is that because the book came in the mail, it took longer to get here and is not signed. Therefore, I will have to track Ronda Gibb Hinrichsen down at one of her many events and have her sign it before it can join the collection of books on my shelf.
