Synopses & Reviews
When Irene Kelly's articles profiling missing children run in the Las Piernas Express, she anticipates the renewed public interest and the deluge of phone tips and remembered clues; she even anticipates the renewed pain of the anguished parents. What she doesn't expect is that the articles will set off a murderous chain reaction -- and put her life in peril.
Perhaps one of the more tragic disappearances in recent Las Piernas history was that of Jenny Fletcher, just shy of her fourth birthday. The body of Jenny's father, Richard, a graphic artist, was found bludgeoned in his studio; hours later Jenny's stepbrother Mason was apprehended with the murder weapon and bloody clothing in his car. But little Jenny was never found. As the years pass, everyone assumes Jenny is dead. Everyone except her brother Caleb, who not only believes Jenny survived but steadfastly believes in Mason's innocence.
Caleb, now a graduate student studying with forensic anthropologist Ben Sheridan, works on cases for the Las Piernas Police Department. When bones are discovered at the old Sheffield estate just days after the missing-children articles appear, Caleb finds himself drawn into a case that threatens to bring personal tragedies back to the present. He has a fierce ally in reporter Irene Kelly, who will stop at nothing to solve the mysteries of his father's murder and his sister's disappearance.
Review
"Burke's well-crafted novel of suspense [features] her resourceful and compassionate reporter heroine, Irene Kelly.... The many plot twists should keep readers turning the pages...." -- Publishers Weekly
Review
"Enthralling."-- South Florida Sun-Sentinel
Review
"Fast-paced, superbly plotted." -- Green Bay Press-Gazette (Wisconsin)
Review
"Enthralling.... Jan Burke again shows her boundless energy in ratcheting up suspense while keeping a center of realism.... Burke's crisp writing steers the plot on a steady course and her affinity for creating believable, fully dimensional characters thrust into realistic situations succeeds multiple times in Kidnapped." -- South Florida Sun-Sentinel
Review
"A refreshingly original mystery.... not to be missed."
-- Library Journal (Starred Review)
Review
"A sizzling story of betrayal, revenge, and murder....Smart and beautifully plotted."
-- The Globe and Mail (Toronto)
Synopsis
News reporter Irene Kelly untangles the threads of a past crime and a haunting disappearance while trying to survive the present -- in this suspense-charged bestseller from Edgar® Award winner Jan Burke.
Not long after the Las Piernas Express publishes Irene Kelly's articles profiling missing children cases, bones turn up at a California estate -- and a notorious murder-kidnapping is churned up once more. When artist Richard Fletcher was found bludgeoned in his studio years ago, his stepson was quickly apprehended with the murder weapon and ultimately convicted. But Richard's young daughter, Jenny, who went missing at the time of the murder, was never found. Now Irene has joined Richard's son Caleb, a graduate student of forensic anthropology, in the fight to prove his stepbrother's innocence and solve Jenny's disappearance. But digging up the tragedies of the sprawling and powerful Fletcher family isabout to set off a murderous chain reaction -- and put Irene's own life in peril.
About the Author
National bestseller Jan Burke is the author of a dozen novels and a collection of short stories. Among the awards her work has garnered are Mystery Writers of America’s Edgar® for Best Novel, Malice Domestic’s Agatha Award, Mystery Readers International’s Macavity, and the RT Book Club’s Best Contemporary Mystery. She is the founder of the Crime Lab Project (CrimeLabProject.com) and is a member of the board of the California Forensic Science Institute. She lives in Southern California with her husband and two dogs. Learn more about her at JanBurke.com.