* Review * GONE BY DAWN by H.K. Christie

I voluntarily read an early copy of this book.

Gone by Dawn by H. K. Christie
Series: Val Costa #1
Published by Bookouture on August 27, 2024
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You kissed your daughter goodnight. By morning, she’s gone.

Two days ago, FBI Agent Val Costa came face to face with a serial killer known as the Bear. One of only two women ever to survive, she’s forever branded with his signature: a curling “S” carved into her skin. Val knows it’s only a matter of time before he takes another victim.

Forced home to recover, Val returns to Red Rose County, California, to be with her son. But the very next day she finds the close-knit community panic-stricken over the disappearance of blonde-haired, freckled-faced local teen, Scarlett Douglas.
Defying orders, Val interviews the Douglas family at their farmhouse and uncovers a less-than-idyllic picture. Housebound since a devastating diagnosis, Scarlett’s world was crumbling. The sight of Scarlett’s unworn prom dress hanging in her room brings a tear to Val’s eye. She won’t sleep until this sweet girl is home and safe.

Val and her team search the nearby towering redwoods for any clue to what happened the morning Scarlett disappeared. But the case takes a sinister turn when a little pink teddy bear is delivered to Val’s door. Did the Bear follow her to Red Rose County? Is her family now in terrible danger? Could Scarlett be his latest victim?

Working around the clock, Val begins to question if the Douglases are the loving parents they claim to be. With time running out to save Scarlett’s life, and the truth just within her reach, will Val once again come face to face with the Bear? And who—if anyone—will survive?

 

A new mystery around every corner! The Val Costa series is kicking off with a bang as danger lurks with one mystery after another rearing it’s head to peak our interest. I feel like the main story was developed well and held my attention page after page as twists kept heating things up, but Val’s personal storyline lacked development and left us hanging a good bit. I wanted more from her and her case and a connection to secure her deeply into my mind to carry forward into more books. I’m hoping she will fill out some in the next book with a lock in of what is going on with her to make her more satisfying.