She Treads Softly: Every Missing Girl

Saturday, February 4, 2023

Every Missing Girl

Every Missing Girl by Leanne Kale Sparks
2/7/23; 272 pages
Crooked Lane Books
Kendall Beck #2

Every Missing Girl by Leanne Kale Sparks is a very highly recommended procedural and the second novel in the series featuring FBI Special Agent Kendall Beck set in Denver.

FBI Special Agent Kendall Beck and Denver Homicide Detective Adam Taylor team up to investigate the kidnapping of Taylor's niece, Frankie, at a local hockey rink. This closely follows the shooting at a minimart where two people are shot and a child is taken form the scene by a good Samaritan. Kendall is sure that the child is the victim of child trafficking. After Frankie has disappeared, Adam’s brother, Mark, and sister-in-law, Poppy, have no information to share, but Kendall is suspicious that something more is going on.

The details of the investigation and discovery of clues in Every Missing Girl is fantastic and the suspense is palpable as Kendall and Adam race time trying to find Frankie while uncovering everyone involved in the trafficking ring, along with other things. Following the compelling investigation kept me glued to the pages. The plot and the investigation are equally enthralling. I really enjoyed this procedural and will have to check out Sparks previous novel featuring Agent Beck, The Wrong Woman. I found that Every Missing Girl worked fine as a stand alone novel for everyone who loves a great procedural.

The character development was great and the characters were all portrayed as realistic, credible individuals with their own beliefs and reactions. Both Kendall and Adam are portrayed as intelligent, sympathetic, tough, and proficient. The dialogue between characters is great. They are likable (when they want to be), extremely competent, and you will be hoping that they find the clues they need to solve their investigations.

With a fast moving plot that includes twists and surprises revealed within the investigation, the final denouement is extraordinary and perfect. All the investigative threads are followed to a satisfying conclusion. This is a wonderful novel and reminds me of how much I enjoy a well-written procedural.

Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of Crooked Lane Books via NetGalley.

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John Updike's six rules for reviewing:

1. Try to understand what the author wished to do, and do not blame him for not achieving what he did not attempt.

2. Give him enough direct quotation--at least one extended passage--of the book's prose so the review's reader can form his own impression, can get his own taste.

3. Confirm your description of the book with quotation from the book, if only phrase-long, rather than proceeding by fuzzy precis.

4. Go easy on plot summary, and do not give away the ending.

5. If the book is judged deficient, cite a successful example along the same lines, from the author's oeuvre or elsewhere. Try to understand the failure. Sure it's his and not yours?

To these concrete five might be added a vaguer sixth, having to do with maintaining a chemical purity in the reaction between product and appraiser.....Review the book, not the reputation.... Better to praise and share than blame and ban. The communion between reviewer and his public is based upon the presumption of certain possible joys in reading, and all our discriminations should curve toward that end.