Review: Vanished by Elizabeth Heiter

vanishedTitle: Vanished by Elizabeth Heiter
The Profiler Series Book Two
Publisher: Harlequin Mira
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery/Suspense
Length: 400 pages
Book Rating: B

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher

Summary:

Sometimes, the past can haunt you… 

Eighteen years ago, FBI profiler Evelyn Baine’s best friend, Cassie Byers, disappeared, the third in a series of unsolved abductions. Only a macabre nursery rhyme was left at the scene, a nursery rhyme that claimed Evelyn was also an intended victim. Now, after all these years of silence, another girl has gone missing in South Carolina, and the Nursery Rhyme Killer is taking credit. But is Cassie’s abductor really back, or is there a copycat at work?

Sometimes, the past is best forgotten… 

Evelyn has waited eighteen years for a chance to investigate, but when she returns to Rose Bay, she finds a dark side to the seemingly idyllic town. As the place erupts in violence and the kidnapper strikes again, Evelyn knows this is her last chance. If she doesn’t figure out what happened to Cassie eighteen years ago, it may be Evelyn’s turn to vanish without a trace.

The Review:

In Vanished, the second installment in Elizabeth Heiter’s The Profiler series, Evelyn Baines returns to her home town hoping to solve the one case that not only haunts her, but also defines her. Eighteen years earlier, her best friend Cassie was the last of three victims abducted by the “Nursery Rhyme Killer”. When another twelve year old girl vanishes under eerily similar circumstances in the present, Evelyn returns to Rose Bay where she lets absolutely nothing stand in the way of discovering what happened to Cassie and the other missing girls.

Having just returned to work following her close brush with death, Evelyn is determined to find a better balance between work and her personal life. She is off to a good start when she receives a phone call from Cassie’s mom letting her know that the long dormant Nursery Rhyme Killer has possibly kidnapped another young girl. Despite her supervisor’s very strenuous objections, Evelyn rushes to Rose Bay where she immediately throws herself into compiling a profile of the abductor. With her objectivity seriously compromised, Evelyn cannot separate past from present and her impetus decisions threaten the investigation.

Evelyn is a top-notch profiler but her personal ties to the case are a huge hindrance. While her need to discover what happened to Cassie is understandable, she sometimes gets so caught up in her own pain that she has difficulty focusing on the present case. However, when she is able to concentrate on the current investigation, her assessments are quite insightful. Unfortunately, Evelyn acts without thinking and some of her actions seriously jeopardize the case.

Since the kidnapping case is a little different from the BAU’s typical crime, Evelyn works mainly with local law enforcement and an FBI team that specializes in child abductions. However, fellow FBI agent and love interest, Kyle, “Mac” McKenzie is in the area working on a different case. In his off duty hours, Mac helps Evelyn with the investigation and provides her with much needed moral support as well.

Vanished is a compelling and intriguing mystery that is incredibly fast paced. Elizabeth Heiter cleverly obscures the perpetrator’s identity with a series of ingenious misdirects, unexpected plot twists and a viable list of plausible suspects. An overall imaginative and mesmerizing addition to The Profiler series that mystery lovers are sure to enjoy.

1 Comment

Filed under Contemporary, Elizabeth Heiter, Harlequin, Mystery, Rated B, Review, Suspense, The Profiler Series, Vanished

One Response to Review: Vanished by Elizabeth Heiter

  1. Timitra

    Thanks for the review Kathy