Wednesday, November 30, 2016

When All the Girls Have Gone - Romantic Suspense Review

When All the Girls Have Gone by Jayne Ann Krentz (Amazon link)

Rating: Good
Source: NetGalley

Description: When Charlotte Sawyer is unable to contact her step-sister, Jocelyn, to tell her that one her closest friends was found dead, she discovers that Jocelyn has vanished.
Beautiful, brilliant—and reckless—Jocelyn has gone off the grid before, but never like this. In a desperate effort to find her, Charlotte joins forces with Max Cutler, a struggling PI who recently moved to Seattle after his previous career as a criminal profiler went down in flames—literally. Burned out, divorced and almost broke, Max needs the job.

After surviving a near-fatal attack, Charlotte and Max turn to Jocelyn's closest friends, women in a Seattle-based online investment club, for answers. But what they find is chilling…

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 their way.

Genre: Romantic Suspense

Why I Picked This Book:  I always enjoy a Jayne Ann Kretnz book and this one looked intriguing!

My Impression:  One of the good things about a Jayne Ann Krentz book is that I always know what I'm going to be getting.  It's going to be a good story with lots of suspense and a bit of romance.  It's not necessarily the kind of mystery that will hold up under scrutiny after I've finished it but it's always one that will keep me reading to find out what happens next.  This book did not disappoint on any of these levels.

Let's start with the characters.  I liked Charlotte right away.  She's tougher than people give her credit for - especially her world weary stepsister Jocelyn - but does struggle with standing up for herself.  She and Jocelyn are very clsoe but at times does feel herself rebelling about how Jocelyn tries to take care of her and protect her.  She's also intelligent, incredibly compassionate, and cool headed when needed.  No one questions how tough Max Cutler is.  A seasoned profiler tirned PI he has his own baggage to work out but doesn't have a chip on his shoulder about and truly wants to do the right thing.  The other characters aren't particularly flehsed out but are easy to keep track of who is who.

The mystery is interesting if somewhat predictable with an occasional twist and turn.  At times I felt like it got overshadowed by the romance aspect but it never got lost completely.  I liked how Max and Charlotte worked together and it was interesting to see how the investigation worked.  I really liked that he treated her like a partner and listened to her suggestions even though she was a novice when it came to crime.  While they don't quite fall into insta-love category they do have a very quick connection but I didn't find that particularly unrealistic since they suited each other so well.  I loved the way all the different subplots wrapped up and would really love to see another book with one of Max's brothers as the main character.  They're an interesting read.

While the focus on the personal kept this from being super suspenseful it was still fast paced and I enjoyed it.  If you're looking for a light entertaining read to keep your mind off the incoming holiday craziness this one would be a great choice!

 - side note: while there are some darker subjects covered (abuse and sexual assualt) they weren't described in particular graphic detail.  I wouldn't call this a cozy but it's not a double check your locks kind of book either.

Would I Read More of this Series/Author?: Absolutely!  These are always fun reads if not entirely perfect.

Would I Recommend this Book?: If you enjoy romantic suspense this is a fun book!

9 comments:

  1. I used to read books from Jayne Ann Krentz all the time a few years back, and can't remember why I stopped. I have been more in a suspense, nail biting book mode, so having the romance be front and center in a romantic suspense would be tough to read. Based on your review, though, this is one I would definitely check out in the future. Hugs...

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  2. I want to give this one a try, especially after reading and liking one of her books under one of her other names. I am glad you liked this one, Katherine.

    I hope everything is going well with your grandfather.

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  3. I've never read JAK's books before but I'm happy you reviewed this one! My SIL just gave me a list of authors to look for at a booksale and this author was on it so I think this will be added to her Christmas present (will buy it new). At least by buying this one I have a better chance of her not reading it before Christmas. I'm glad you enjoyed it Katherine (which also happens to be my SIL's name).

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  4. I really want to read some Krentz again. I read some of her books (but I think they were more romance-y) years ago when I first got into romance. I liked them, but stopped reading them.

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  5. I always enjoy a JAK for the exact reasons you mention, I can turn the light off at night and go to sleep after! I also like a little romance with my suspense, so good on that count too. I will most likely listen to this one on audio, generally the way I go with many of her books.

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  6. I love that cover. Even though I don't read romantic suspense necessarily I do like a good bit of suspense in my mysteries or thrillers, usually. And disappearances are always fun. :) Glad it was a good read. Lol about checking the locks- yes some books do that!

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  7. I haven't read a book by JAK but your review told me what I needed to know. I would definitely give this one a try!

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  8. I just downloaded this one on Tuesday....I have been eagerly waiting for a while. I love Krentz's romantic suspense, and can't wait to read this one. Glad you enjoyed it.

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  9. Surprisingly I haven't tried this author though I want to and heard a lot of good things about her. :)

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