Valri Western
As others have said, some might say this is a standalone book (in a series) but you would be missing SO much if you did that! I urge you to read all three books in this series because this book is amazing if you do! It will not mean 1/2 as much to you if you don't! The trio of best friends lost their 4th best buddy, Chloe, when they were 9 years old and it has haunted them ever since. However, it haunted Allie most of all. She is the most "self-contained" of the three women and she's always felt things a little bit deeper than the other two. This is her story. She has become a psychologist so she can help others deal with things like she's had to deal with. It has been 20 years since the death of Chloe but she still thinks about it all the time. Out of the blue there is a kidnapping of a girl that is eerily similar to Chloe. Hope is Allie's patient and she has to help find her! She meet's Hope's Uncle Max, who has some issues of his own in his past but will stop at nothing to find his niece. The trio of best friends, along with their significant others and various law enforcement rush to do everything they can to find Hope. Somehow it is connected to Chloe's disappearance and death. Allie is at the center of it though and she has to figure out why. I couldn't put this book down. Not only because it was the last book in the series but the characters and Anna's writing keep you on the edge of your seat! There is a lot of suspense in this book and definite chemistry between Allie and Max! The ending was very good! I highly recommend it - and the first two books in the series too!
Mo Daoust
Dr. Allie Hollister, a child psychologist, is awakened at six in the morning by a phone call. Hope Kellan, a patient of Allie’s, has gone missing. Hope’s parents couldn’t be located, and the parents of one of Hope’s friends phone Allie. Twenty years ago, Allie’s best friend Chloe Evans, also a nine year-old red-haired girl, was kidnapped and murdered, and Allie has been trying ever since to know what had happened. It all feels surreal to her, and too distressing; Allie is struggling to keep it together, as she knows full well that the killer wants to make her suffer. All of Allie’s friends have rallied: Cole and Jack from the Sacramento PD, Vince a P.I., and her childhood friends Eden and Simone, who were also devastated by Chloe’s murder. Not long after the upsetting phone call, Hope’s uncle Max Kellan arrives; he is frantic, he hates doctors, and Allie understands only too well what he’s going through, she’s been there. I couldn’t wait to see how the fabulous HONOR BOUND series would wrap up, and it is the outstanding conclusion I was hoping for! GONE IN THE NIGHT is one of the best romantic suspense stories ever, as is the whole series for that matter. Each of the three books features one of Chloe’s friends: Eden, Simone, and Allie, whose chosen professions are related to their childhood traumatic experience. I find GONE IN THE NIGHT difficult to review because it is simply mind-blowing. It’s riveting from the very first page, and to my amazement, it could stand alone. But do yourself a favour and read the three books, because they are just too good to bypass. Every character is superbly drawn, the characters grow as the series goes along; I felt I was going through their ordeal and that they were my friends as well. GONE IN THE NIGHT is extremely fast-paced, there is not one paragraph of filler, the plot is very intricate and gripping, and the tension lasts almost until the very end. I held my breath more than a few times! Ms. Stewart has written another amazing book, where every character has a role to play; there are jaw-dropping revelations, more twists and turns that you can count, and finally Allie finds someone to love and who loves her in return: Max, who is just as appealing, multifaceted and fascinating as every character in this series. In my opinion, Anna J. Stewart stands up there, alongside the best crime thriller novelists around. GONE IN THE NIGHT is also very well-balanced, as the romance blends right in, and is just as perfect as everything else. I do hope Ms. Stewart has a little something in store for Jack in the future. GONE IN THE NIGHT has another fantastic heroine, an air-tight plot, a wonderful hero, great writing, impeccable pacing, and just the right amount of romance. GONE IN THE NIGHT is as good as it gets! And if I could, I would give an extra star for the cover who is a great depiction of Allie, down to her nervous tic. I voluntarily reviewed an advanced reader copy of this book.