Before He Vanished (Winchester, Tennessee Thriller, #6)

by Debra Webb

[Nadz@Totally Addicted to Reading]

I am a huge fan of romantic suspense, therefore when the chance came for me to read and review Before He Vanished, I didn’t hesitate. This is the sixth book in the Winchester, Tennessee series, but there is no need to read the previous books prior to reading this one.

Halle is an investigative reporter who has been down on her luck. She lost her cushy job in Nashville and was forced to return home to Tennessee. She secured a job with the local newspaper; however, it could not compare to what she lost in Nashville. However, change came when she got the opportunity to write an article relating to the disappearance/kidnapping of her best friend, Andy Clark, twenty-five years ago.

Liam Hart received a copy of Halle’s article along with pictures of seven-year-old Andy Clark from an anonymous source. This had him flying to Winchester to seek answers regarding his resemblance to the boy in the pictures. What followed was a series of events that would not only place him and Halle in danger, but have him questioning his true identity.

Liam and Halle were wonderful characters. I enjoyed seeing them work together to solve a twenty-five-year-old mystery.

I felt for Liam. His frustration and denial leapt off the pages. It could not have been easy for him to discover that the life he had been living may have been based on lies.

This book hit all the right spots as far as the suspense aspect of the story was concerned. Mystery, intrigue and suspense permeated the pages, and it held me captive from start to finish. There was no mystery regarding Liam’s identity, however I kept turning the pages as I needed to know what happened all those years ago and who was preventing them from discovering the truth. I had my suspicions, which were close, but the revelation of the motives behind it all was shocking. Greed, power and jealousy are great motivators for criminal acts.

The mystery wrapped up nicely but the romance fell flat for me. It played a minor role which was not a problem, however I had a hard time believing the authenticity of the relationship given the situation they found themselves in and the time frame in which the events transpired. Furthermore, they had zero chemistry.

Conclusion/Recommendation
Overall, an enjoyable read and one I would recommend to fans of romantic suspense.