Missing in Shadows

Townsend & Gray #1

by Tanya Nellestein

Ashleigh Gray, a former rising star detective in the Sydney police force, experiences a devastating downfall that costs her everything she holds dear. Determined to escape her past and start anew, she moves to Sergis, Connecticut, where she hopes to rebuild her life without the weight of her mistakes.

Police Chief Chad Townsend, anticipating a tanned, blonde-haired, blue-eyed Australian when he visits the newest resident who has applied for a gun license, is surprised to meet Ash instead. She defies his expectations with her pale complexion, long red hair, and captivating emerald green eyes.

Their paths intertwine when a severe storm uncovers a car crashed into a tree, mysteriously devoid of a driver. The stolen vehicle, wiped clean of fingerprints and DNA, leaves no trace of the missing person.

Frustrated by the lack of evidence, Ash offers a fresh perspective on the case, providing Chad with alternative avenues to explore. As they delve deeper into the mysterious disappearance, Ash and Chad form an unlikely alliance, determined to find the truth.

In this gripping tale of redemption, resilience, and unexpected alliances, Ash and Chad navigate the treacherous waters of their personal demons while seeking justice for the missing driver. Together, they uncover a web of secrets, deceit, and hidden agendas that will challenge their abilities, test their trust, and ultimately redefine their lives.

Genres: Mystery, Amazon, Ebooks, Fiction, Suspense, Crime

316 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 30, 2023

About the author

Tanya Nellestein is a bestselling, award-winning, genre-crossing author with Viking blood in her pen and a passion for stories that stir the soul. From swoony suspense to morally grey dark romance and fierce mythological sagas, Tanya creates unforgettable characters who defy fate — much like she does in real life.

Reviews

[Helen · Rating 5 out of 5]

First in a new series from a fabulous author, I have thoroughly enjoyed all of MS Nellestein’s books and this one was no exception, if you enjoy getting your head around a mystery and working through the clues then this is one you should be picking up, you won’t be sorry.

Australian Ashleigh Gray has packed up and moved to the small town of Sergis, Connecticut, after everything that happened to her, she was a rising star as a detective in Sydney when her life changed a new start is just what she needs.

Police Chief Chad Townsend has just received a gun license application for the new Australian who has moved to town and he wants to know why she wants a gun, when he arrives on her doorstep she is nothing like what he expected, and he soon learns partly why she has moved across the world.

When a car that has crashed into a tree is discovered after a storm with no victims and no traces of any DNA Chad is determined to find out what has happened and talking to Ash is just what he needs she uses her investigations skills and soon Ash is working as a consultant to the Sergis Police Department but the clues come slowly and when they do they are wondering what they have uncovered.

This is such a great story with wonderful characters I loved Ash and Chad and am very much looking forward to more cases to investigate from them. A well written story that will keep you turning the pages and working through the clues to uncover the truth, Huge congrats MS Nellestein on the new series, this is one that I highly recommend.

My thanks to the author for my copy to read and review.

[Craig and Phil · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you Tanya for gifting us a copy to read and review.
An alliance between an ex Aussie cop and a local American Police Chief in a small American town has both a professional and personal flair as they work together on a mysterious case.
A refreshing Aussie lead and a very hunky all American guy will test all their personal demons in pursuit of the truth.
Chad had a stereotypical image of the new Aussie girl in town and was pleasantly surprised to find a stunning redhead with pale skin.
He knew a little about her policing background but was impressed at some insight she offered on a case that had him stumped.
A dumped car, a missing man and a web of intrigue create a quandary and a dangerous situation as the two work out what the truth is.
A refreshing crime suspense that sets the scene for a great series.
Very likeable leads, authentic setting and an opportunity to put your sleuthing hat on.
I loved the Aussie connection and how resolute Ash was in keeping up her vegemite supplies.
The diversity Tanya offers in her writing genres is impressive and I’m always excited to read what is on offer.

[Anne Jenkins · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my first experience of this author’s work. The storyline was well written and gripping. I loved the dynamic between the main characters and I am looking forward to reading the next book in this series, so much so that my pre order is already in. Well worth a read.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Bridie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I freaking loved this book! Tanya managed to hook me into the story, and kept me there! Literally couldn’t put the book down. The way the story is written made it easy for me to keep my attention on it, and the plot twist was fab! 5⭐️ from me!

[Bette Reith · Rating 4 out of 5]

A retired Aussie police detective moves to a small town in Connecticut to start her life over. She just wants peace and quiet, but finds herself helping the local law enforcement investigate an unusual car accident where the vehicle was wiped clean, doors locked, broken windshield, no DNA, and no body to be found. As this is the first book in the series, most is spent in background info, but it is well written with lots of twists and turns. The main characters are likable and I can see many books coming from this pairing. Thanks to bookSirens for the ARC. I look forward to future stories.

[Linda K Goodwin · Rating 5 out of 5]

What do you do when you are a former detective, about to be divorced, and needing to escape?

Romance, yes. Deception, yes. Action, yes.

Had wonderful ah moments, heart racing moments, and a comfortable ending.

I enjoyed the short story of detective work. Who done it stories appeal to me, and this one satisfied the spot.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Genoveva · Rating 5 out of 5]

Check TW and CW. This fulfilled my search for a new mystery series with a sprinkle of more. Ash is new in town and runs into local cop Chad. It comes to light she’s a former officer back in Australia and could help out Chad investigate some weird going ons in the two. The story had twist and turns I didn’t see coming I cannot wait for book 2.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Jeri · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very enjoyable first book in a new series. Ash Gray is a former homicide detective from Sydney, Australia. After something bad happened, she lost her career there and has moved to a small town in Connecticut, USA. When the police chief of her little town finds himself with a missing body after a car accident, the two join forces. The author is Australian, and trying to sound as if the third person omnipotent narrator is American was amusing to me.

The mystery was not as important as the world building. We still don’t know what happened with Ash’s career in Sydney. Looking forward to the next book in the series.

I received an advance copy of this ebook at no charge from BookSirens and the author, but all opinions are my own.

[Mrs Moa · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5⭐️

A suspenseful romance where the suspense is hard hitting, the romance is slow to ignite, the mystery digs deep, the FMC’s past history is partly revealed at a leisurely pace, (there’s more to come), the small town residents worm their way into your heart and the stoic and dogged MMC earns your respect.

I absolutely loved this first book and with a strong desire to know more, dove straight into the prequel novella which is intense and while feeding the reader a bit more information, you’re not wholly satisfied and left hanging - book two is now in my sights!!

I received this book from the author and all opinions are my own.

[Holly Rife · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ash is running half way across the world from her own demons… Will it be far enough to distance herself from the pain? Chad is the sheriff in the local town she's settling into. He's working on a case. Maybe she can heal as they put their heads together to solve it one piece at a time.

Ashleigh is a well-written leading woman. She's been through hell. She's lost everything and through it all, she's learning to find herself by getting back on her own two feet. Things may look a bit different, and feel a whole lot different to her, but she's learning one step at a time. Chad has had his own difficulties, but they are working together and he's such a good, kind male character who lets the FMC shine.

I love this first book of the series 'Townsend and Gray'! Looking forward to the next one!!

[Fritzi Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was the first time I’m reading a book from this author so I was excited and thankful for the opportunity. I’ve enjoyed reading this that I got via ARC, I liked the premise and the banter between the main characters. I liked it that I was found wanting when the story ended already and will definitely read book 2 once it’s available. I was able to kind of predict though who was the murderer but did not stop me from reading and spending time knowing more about Ash and Chad’s story and the lead to finding out what happened…
It was gripping and felt like how I was feeling when watching CSI or detective shows. Well done.

[Krysten · Rating 2 out of 5]

I seem to be in the minority on this one, but... I had a hard time getting through this book. I couldn't get attached to the main characters and felt no chemistry between them. The police procedure parts seemed authentic enough, and it was obvious the author took care in developing the plot, as there were lots of suspects and possible motives. However, the mystery wasn't very compelling to me, and the big reveal was ho-hum. The fact that only one of the characters in the book was Australian, but they all spoke/thought in Australian vernacular, was very distracting to me. It was frustrating that we never got the whole story of Ashleigh's past and why she moved to the other side of the world. I know this book has already been published, so I hope future installments in the series go through a few more beta reads and another round of editing. Both would go a long way to improving the quality of the books.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Kerrie Juric · Rating 4 out of 5]

Missing in Shadows is the first book in the Townsend and Gray series and follows Ash Gray, an Australian homicide detective who has recently retired and moved to the small town of Sergis in America. After a pretty taxing career in Australia, Ash is ready for a quieter life and a fresh start on the other side of the world.

That quiet life doesn’t last long, though.

After a wild storm, an abandoned car is discovered, along with a missing driver who may be injured — or worse. Chad Townsend, Sergis’ local police chief — and the town’s entire law enforcement department — isn’t exactly used to dealing with serious crime, so having a retired homicide detective move to town is definitely convenient.

Convincing Ash to get involved in the investigation isn’t easy, but she soon finds herself unable to stay away from the case… or Chad and his sparkling blue eyes.

I really enjoyed this one! The mystery kept me interested without being too complicated, and I liked how the story balanced the investigation with the developing relationship between Ash and Chad. I also loved the little Australian touches, especially the familiar NRL names and the differences between Australian and American sayings and lingo. It added a fun personal touch to the story.

Now I’m definitely curious about book two. I need to know how Ash and Chad’s working relationship develops… and, more importantly, whether they’re going to stop pretending this is purely professional.

This was a fun mystery, with a pinch of romance and plenty of small-town vibes with an Australian detective and a handsome police chief.

[Clare · Rating 2 out of 5]

I would give this more of a 2.5 rating. Story was OK, not great but readable. The mystery was a little weak and the characters not fully flushed out. It didn’t take me long to figure out that this was written by a non-American author because the phrasing was totally Australian even when the American characters spoke or thought. For example, when Chad was examining the scene of the accident the word windscreen came up. This is not how an American describes the windshield. Right away I pegged it as a foreign author. Then when an older couple invited him to have a “cuppa” instead of cup of coffee, that was another giveaway. There were many expressions that were used by Americans that were more Australian sayings. Even the typical “good on you” was used by the American character. I found this quite a bit throughout the book. I had no problem with it when it was coming from Ash, because obviously she was Australian in the book. In one of the end scenes, the character of Ed Parker was referred to as Bennet. That name never appeared anywhere in the book except in that one reference. Just a bunch of inconsistencies and grammatical problems. Those always bump the book down for me. Proofreading by an American would’ve been helpful. Not likely to continue the series.

[Ciclochick · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is very definitely worthy of five stars but, sadly, due to poor editing, one's got to go. Any editor who misses the plethora of apostrophes used to pluralise needs to be 'let go': especially if that same editor keeps confusing 'too' with 'to'. Too many schoolboy errors here tainted the whole book, just a bit, alas.

But for that, it's a cracking story: a newly-relocated-to-USA Aussie ex-detective teams up with a young and, of course, very handsome widowed police chief. In between the will-they-won't-they vibe, they're a force to be reckoned with when they team up to get to the bottom of a mysterious bodyless car accident, the nature of which dictates that there really ought to be a very injured person if not a dead one. Full synopsis here.

Really well written (bad editing notwithstanding) and well balanced. The crime and solving thereof is perfectly weighted against the attraction between the two crime solvers.

I was delighted to discover that the next Townsend and Gray is imminent. I'm really looking forward to that (but better edited) and hopefully, many more thereafter.

[D.M. West]

Missing in Shadows by Tanya Nellestein
Crime, mystery, romantic suspense - so many good things jammed into this one.

We follow Ash, an Australian cop who has moved to the small US town of Sergis to escape her past demons. And Chad the local Chief of police. Despite swearing of police work Ash is quickly drawn into a mystery and starts working with Chad.

Our dual pov characters, Ash and Chad, both feel so real. They have their flaws, their secret past, hopes and things they like (Ash’s being vegemite, muscle cars and romance novels which made me chuckle).
I loved how the mystery component started with so little. Usually these books start with a body or something. We get a crashed car. That’s it. We then get enough information and clues that we can follow along with the investigation and the progression of the case felt realistic.
For the romance people it is there, but it is a slow burn (my favourite). This is the first in the series so I suspect it will develop further over the next book

[Mike · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first of a new crime series, Missing in Shadows (2023) by Tanya Nellestein is set in the fictional town of Sergis, Connecticut. Former Sydney homicide detective, Ash Gray decides to take advantage of her dual citizenship and move to America to start a new life. Settling into the small town of Sergis, she is visited by the local Police Chief, Chad Townsend. When a stolen car is found crashed into a tree after a fierce thunderstorm, the absence of a driver and no fingerprints or DNA traces are mystifying. Chad seeks Ash’s assistance in the investigation as each startling new discovery raises even more questions in an enthralling beginning to the Townsend and Gray crime team series. With an unfolding complex case and flowing narrative makes this a four stars read rating. With thanks to BookSirens and the author, for an uncorrected advanced review copy for review purposes. As always, the opinions herein are totally my own, freely given and without inducement.

[Angiee.Fallenpages · Rating 4 out of 5]

Don’t let the amount of time this book took me, fool you!
I had lots going on but I assure you this book ate up!

This was my first book from Tanya and I’m so glad I dived in with this one! (Funny because I bought different books from her at a signing haha!)

I love how the book opens up with Ash’s own mystery (reading the prequel novella does help!) and the want for her story but before long you are thrown into a new mystery and you don’t know which way to look!
If you love trying to guess where the story is going to go and trying to solve the mysteries - you will love this!

I loved the dynamic between Ash and Chad and how their own story flourishes! In more ways than one!
Chads story is also worth knowing and I love that we get both sides as well as their together!
The side characters and the small town love really amplify the book without taking over and I adored that!

I will be diving straight into book 2 and I cannot wait!!!!

[RedFlower · Rating 5 out of 5]

This detective novel was amazing!

As the storyline was unfolding, I was hooked by it. I enjoyed how the characters were portrayed, they were relatable, and this allowed me to have a deeper connection with them.

Ash and Police Chief Chad were the protagonists in this story, and their physical attraction was deliciously explored. The mystery elements in this plot were intriguing, to the point where I was trying to second guess it constantly. This all added to my experience as a reader, and I couldn't put the book down.

I cannot wait to keep reading the next adventure in their love and their town.

I highly recommend this engrossing story to everyone in to this genre!

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Michelle Montebello · Rating 5 out of 5]

A cracking first book in a new series by Tanya Nellestein. Missing in Shadows (Townsend & Gray #1) delivers a complex and compelling mystery in the fictional small American town of Sergis.

Aside from the author's exceptional ability to create well-developed, intricate and likeable characters, she has a knack for weaving a mystery that will have you guessing until the end. Her knowledge of American police investigative procedure was spot on and I was transported into the pages of her gripping mystery. Add a hot local cop, a mysterious vehicle accident during a dark storm, and an Australian former detective running from her past, and you have all the ingredients for a stellar read!

[Yanny Reads · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.75 ⭐️

I got this from stuff your kindle! I like that it kept me anticipated until maybe three fourths of the book? I guess something feel off along the way... was that it for the culprits? I was looking forward to how much big of a surprise or climax it would be if they find them but it felt lacking :(((

Other than that, it was a good read. I like the town people of Sergis. They feel like home, a real small town community -- but the exerpt for the next book makes them a little suspicious so we'll see about that.

I understand that this is not a stand alone so I'm looking forward to read the next book to find out more about Ash's history.

[J · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm not sure how I this book was recommended to me, but I loved it.

The characters are so real, flawed like the rest of us. Ash has 'run away' from an untenable situation determined not to do any investigating again but Chad managed to persuade her otherwise.

The author is obviously invested in her characters, and it shows in how she describes their thoughts and actions. I'm looking forward to learning more about them as well as reading more books by Tanya Nellestein.

Thank you for the free copy of this book, and these are my own thoughts.

[SylviaV · Rating 4 out of 5]

Missing in Shadows by Tanya Nellestein - (Townsend & Gray #1)

The main character Ashleigh Gray, a former detective in the Sydney, Australia police force, moves to Sergis, Connecticut to start a new life. Soon after moving into her rental home she encounters Police Chief Chad Townsend. When Chad investigates a traffic accident/missing person case he asks Ashleigh to become a police consultant to help him investigate. This is an interesting "whodunit" with a twist and I was engaged with the story. This is book 1 in a series. 4 stars.

[The Book Ssirren · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazingly written. The description was so detailed. It was like going through this mystery with Chad and Ash. This held an intensity that kept me reading. The suspense made this a real page turner. The twists and turns had me guessing who did it and what was going to happen next. I was so engrossed in this. It was thrilling and captivating. This is my first time reading this author and I’m really looking forward to the next book. Thank you for letting me be a part of this ARC team. I loved this book.

[JustJeri · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was my first read from this author. I found the plot compelling and the characters well developed. Based on some pieces missing from the two primary characters’ past, I am assuming that this is the first book in a series, and the rest of their turbulent past will be forthcoming in future books. Therefore, the missing pieces of their past that apparently still haunts them, is a great way to draw the reader into the series. I thought in a few places the story could have been tightened up a bit.

[Lori · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was hooked at the beginning wanting to know more about Ash's past. I really loved how Ash and Chad's relationship develops through the book. It was really cool seeing how they investigated the case together, especially when the suspect list kept growing. I'm looking forward to reading more Townsend & Gray books. I received an advanced review copy for free and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Alison N · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the first book I've read by this author, and it won't be the last. This book held my attention from the first pages, with lots of twists and turns its a great read. We slowly find out what happened to cause Ash to move from Australia to a small town in America, although I do believe there is more to come with that. Looking forward to the next book in this series.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily

[Jacqueline Hayley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Talk about a page turner! Missing in Shadows is an excellent combination of thriller, mystery and romance - Nellestein does an exceptional job of making all three genres fit beautifully within this story. As always, my favourite thing about Nellestein's writing is the evocative way she depicts her characters, while cleverly spinning a mystery that keeps you guessing. I can't wait to find out what's in store for Ash and Chad in book 2!

[Amelia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book! The story was interesting and I loved that it made me think up all different scenarios along with the main characters. I definitely suspected who was the mole before it was revealed, but still enjoyed reading it be uncovered. I did feel as though it came to a climax and then end very suddenly though. Would have loved a little more at the end. Guess it will just make me even more keen to read the second book coming out this month!

[John R. Kennedy · Rating 3 out of 5]

loved the story but details not accurate

This is clearly written by someone who knows very little about CT and American terminology. The British references were distracting and the misrepresentation
of major cities was annoying. Do some research if you are going to write about a geographic area. Again, the story and characters were good but the book would have been better with more accurate descriptions and wording.