Taken Girls

by Carolyn Arnold

[Nadz@Totally Addicted to Reading]

I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.Taken Girls, book eight in the Detective Amanda Steele series, return readers to the Prince William County where Detective Amanda Steele and her partner, Trent, faces yet another challenging case. A case which will shake her world and pit her in a race against time to stop a psychotic killer. Going into this book, I expected a riveting page turner. Arnold did not disappoint.

Detective Steele attempts to make use of her rare day off. However, as someone who loves her work and can’t wait to sink her teeth into a homicide investigation, she is restless. So when her niece calls her about a possible missing person, she drops everything and went running. Although missing persons is not in her job description, she along with her partner investigates. Soon, what began as a search for a missing person became a homicide investigation.

This case hits quite close to home for Amanda. It has also stirred up some painful memories. However, being the strong woman she is, she pushed through. Amanda continues to grow and in this installment we see her taking a second chance on love. Although I am happy she’s ready to move on in the relationship department, I am not too keen on the person she is with. They have absolutely no chemistry together. She continues to juggle being a single mother with her job. It’s hard, but she manages given the demands of her job.


Like all the books prior to this installment, Taken Girls takes readers on a journey filled with mystery and nail biting suspense. The prologue which sets the tone for the story, provide chilling details of the killer’s activities. It was interesting seeing things from the killer’s perspective. Not only do readers learn the reason for the murders, we also see his arrogance and entitlement, which were revealed through his terrifying thought processes.

Plot twists and shocking revelations made for a fast-paced read. I read this one day, that’s how good it was. In this installment, Arnold touches on bullying and its impact on the victim. Once again Arnold takes her fans on a journey filled with mystery, suspense and shocking moments. She has proven the reason she deserves to be dubbed the mistress of police procedurals.This review was originally posted on Totally Addicted to Reading