Review: And Then She Was Gone (Jack Stratton #0) by Christopher Greyson

                 

Print Length: 309 pages

Publisher:  Greyson Media (October 1, 2016)

From Goodreads.com: What’s done in the dark will be brought to the light…

The silhouette stood at the edge of the woods like a spider watching a fly enter its carefully crafted web. Only a few more steps and she’d be within its grasp.

Stacy Shaw has her whole life ahead of her. New job, new house and now a baby on the way—everything she’s ever hoped for is finally coming true. But on a warm summer night on the way home from work, she vanishes. The police race to find her, but the clues don’t add up. Conflicting facts emerge as her story twists and turns, sending the trail spiraling in all directions.

A hometown hero with a heart of gold, Jack Stratton was raised in a whorehouse by his prostitute mother. Jack seemed destined to become another statistic, but now his life has taken a turn for the better. Determined to escape his past, he's headed for a career in law enforcement. When his foster mother asks him to look into the girl’s disappearance, Jack quickly gets drawn into a baffling mystery. As Jack digs deeper, everyone becomes a suspect—including himself. Caught between the criminals and the cops, can Jack discover the truth in time to save the girl? Or will he become the next victim?

And Then She Was Gone is part of the Detective Jack Stratton Mystery Series

                                                         *******************

My Rating: 1 star out of 5

I was excited to see this book was #0 in a 9-book series. I thought I was being given the chance to discover a new series of books that I would get lost in. Seeing that Jack was a teenager wasn't a big deal at first - I even enjoyed the reckless way he chased down a junkie (the author's words, not mine) to retrieve a purse that had been stolen from an old woman. I assumed this was a glimpse into his teenage years before he became a police officer. 

I was wrong, as the entirety of this book (or at least as much as I could stand to read) was all about a teenage Jack being smarter than everyone (including the cops). 

And not only is he a teenager, but he's one of those "perfect" characters who does absolutely everything for everyone without asking for anything in return (unless, of course, he's badgering his former foster brother turned best friend into eating right and exercising even though we're given no reason to believe said friend had a problem in the first place). 

To be honest, this seemed more like it was written for a young-adult audience just dipping a toe into the world of thriller novels (I would call this a stepping stone between books like Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys and the grittier, more adult books. It's not quite as childish as the former, but not quite thrilling enough to appeal to adults either).

Considering there are other novels in this series, I may pick another up later down the road to see if Jack evolves past his cardboard cut-out goody two-shoe persona, but I expect that won't be for a long time. I need to forget this one first.

DISCLAIMER: I received a complimentary copy of this novel from the publisher. This has not affected my review in any way. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are 100% my own.

                                                         *******************

                                               

                                     And Then She Was Gone is available on Amazon.com

                                             (for free if you subscribe to kindle unlimited)