I had the absolute joy of connecting with Leanne Kale Sparks on TikTok when she was participating in my holiday challenge! She is an author, and was kind enough to send me a copy of her latest book Every Missing Girl! It sounded right up my alley, so I was super excited to read it.

The Story

The stunning landscape of Colorado’s Rocky Mountains are among our greatest natural treasures. But there are deadly secrets lurking in the craggy heights. FBI Special Agent Kendall Beck and Denver Homicide Detective Adam Taylor team up to investigate a kidnapping crime, but the case quickly turns cold. When Taylor’s niece, Frankie, suddenly vanishes at a local hockey rink, it’s clear that there’s a predator on the loose—and now, the case has turned personal.

My Thoughts

This is the second book in the series. I believe it’s supposed to be a standalone-style novel with recurring characters (like my girl Lisa Gardner). I don’t think I was missing any of the story because I hadn’t read the first book. With that being said, I feel like Every Missing Girl gave a bit too much away from the first book to the point that I don’t feel I need to go back and read it.

Now, I did have a couple of issues with the book. For one, there was one chapter (could have been more, but I really don’t think so) that used the term “shit-eating grin” three times. I kid you not. The first time was whatever. It made sense. But then there were two more uses within very close proximity. Don’t worry though, she finished the book with one more shit-eating grin. TOO MANY. There were too many.

The other issue? The book just ended. We spent all these pages chasing things down, and then it just ends abruptly. There wasn’t really too much content after the climax, so we didn’t get a continuation of the story either. It just felt abrupt. Not rushed, just abrupt.

For what I would classify as a lesser-known author, I think Leanne Kale Sparks did well with Every Missing Girl. It was a solid story, and I think there’s some pretty good potential in the future of this series.

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