Girl Without a Home: A Tara Strong FBI Suspense Thriller, Book 2

Tara Strong #2

by Rylie Dark

When a body is discovered high up in a remote mountain cave, Deputy Sheriff Tara Strong quickly realizes she has a serial killer on her hands. In a race against time, Tara must comb the hundreds of caves in an endless mountain range to stop the killer before he outwits her and claims his next victim.

Girl Without a Home is book 2 in a new series by number one best-selling and critically acclaimed mystery and suspense author Rylie Dark, whose books have received over 2,000 five-star reviews and ratings.

Tara Strong has risen to become her county’s Deputy Sheriff through her bravery and her brilliant capacity to enter a killer’s minds. Small-town life in the mountains, centered around their picturesque lake, should be idyllic. But Tara has already seen enough to know that there is a dark side to everything, that small towns hide secrets, that everyone has something in their past—and that a killer may just be lurking right next door.

Tara remains haunted by her own past, by her missing sister, by her guilt over the unsolved case. She must battle the demons of her own past, while trying to get ahead in a male-dominated police force.

Can Tara keep it together long enough to catch a killer?

A cat-and-mouse thriller with harrowing twists and turns and filled with heart-pounding suspense, the Tara Strong mystery series offers a fresh twist on the genre as it introduces two brilliant protagonists who will make you fall in love and keep you listening late into the night.

Books 3-5—Girl without a Trace, Girl without a Name, and Girl without a Prayer—are also available.

Genres: Audiobook, Thriller, Mystery

Audible Audio

Published May 16, 2023

About the author

Rylie Dark is author of the SADIE PRICE FBI SUSPENSE THRILLER series, comprising six books (and counting); of the CARLY SEE FBI SUSPENSE THRILLER series, comprising six books (and counting); of the MIA NORTH FBI SUSPENSE THRILLER series, comprising six books (and counting); of the MORGAN STARK FBI SUSPENSE THRILLER series, comprising five books (and counting); of the HAILEY ROCK FBI SUSPENSE THRILLER series, comprising five books (and counting),of the TARA STRONG MYSTERY series, comprising five books (and counting); and of the ALEX QUINN SUSPENSE THRILLER series, comprising five books (and counting).

Rylie loves to hear from you, so please feel free to visit www.ryliedark.com to receive free ebooks, hear the latest news, and stay in touch.

BOOKS BY RYLIE DARK

ALEX QUINN SUSPENSE THRILLER

FIRST, MURDER (Book #1)

SECOND, DEATH (Book #2)

THIRD, ENVY (Book #3)

FOURTH, LUST (Book #4)

FIFTH, WRATH (Book #5)

HAILEY ROCK FBI SUSPENSE THRILLER

BEHIND YOU (Book #1)

BESIDE YOU (Book #2)

AFTER YOU (Book #3)

WATCHING YOU (Book #4)

JUDGING YOU (Book #5)

TARA STRONG MYSTERY

GIRL WITHOUT A CHANCE (Book #1)

GIRL WITHOUT A HOME (Book #2)

GIRL WITHOUT A TRACE (Book #3)

GIRL WITHOUT A NAME (Book #4)

GIRL WITHOUT A PRAYER (Book #5)

SADIE PRICE FBI SUSPENSE THRILLER

ONLY MURDER (Book #1)

ONLY RAGE (Book #2)

ONLY HIS (Book #3)

ONLY ONCE (Book #4)

ONLY SPITE (Book #5)

ONLY MADNESS (Book #6)

MIA NORTH FBI SUSPENSE THRILLER

SEE HER RUN (Book #1)

SEE HER HIDE (Book #2)

SEE HER SCREAM (Book #3)

SEE HER VANISH (Book #4)

SEE HER GONE (Book #5)

SEE HER DEAD (Book #6)

CARLY SEE FBI SUSPENSE THRILLER

NO WAY OUT (Book #1)

NO WAY BACK (Book #2)

NO WAY HOME (Book #3)

NO WAY LEFT (Book #4)

NO WAY UP (Book #5)

NO WAY TO DIE (Book #6)

MORGAN STARK FBI SUSPENSE THRILLER

TOO LATE (Book #1)

TOO CLOSE (Book #2)

TOO FAR GONE (Book #3)

TOO LOST (Book #4)

TOO BROKEN (Book #5)

Reviews

[Dede loves books · Rating 4 out of 5]

short, but enjoyed.

[Rebecca Lewis · Rating 4 out of 5]

I just finished reading Girl Without a Home by Rylie Dark, and I gotta say, it was pretty good! It’s the second book in the Tara Strong FBI Suspense Thriller series and dives right into a creepy murder investigation in this isolated mountain town — complete with eerie caves and a pretty twisted serial killer. Tara herself was a standout for me; she's dealing with her own messy personal stuff — like the unresolved disappearance of her sister — and trying to prove herself in a department full of dudes. Added some relatable layers to her character. The plot kept things moving fast, full of twists and turns that caught me off guard more than once. It's the kind of thriller you breeze through in a sitting or two because you need to see what happens next. But, I gotta admit, it didn’t quite nail the suspense as the first one did. I wasn't on the edge of my seat the entire time, you know? Still good, just not as gripping. Worth a read if you're into psychological thrillers with strong, relatable female leads.

[(Grace) Kentucky Bohemian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good Solid Story
Fans of suspense/thrillers and mysteries will love this addition to the Tara Strong Mystery series.

Tara is an interesting character who adores her job, hunts for clues about her missing sister's whereabouts, and tries to love her family. None of it is easy. But Tara is strong, tough, and determined. She's also good at her job as Deputy Sheriff of the small county she lives in.

The plot flies at a furious pace as murder victims keep popping up with no apparent commonality between them. The twists are many and the unexpected rules here. Sit back and enjoy the ride. It's a good story.

[Claudete Takahashi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tara soon realizes she has a serial killer acting in the national park, his victims are left in caves which bring another puzzle to be solved. How did the killer get them there? On the personal side, she has to deal with her feeling towards Glenn, her deputy, and also with the search for her sister. Tara will be forced to expand her limits to put this killer behind bars and also learn to deal with her older sister who will be helping in the search for the killer. Fast-paced, well-written, and easy to read!

[Krystal · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked the interactions between the sisters better in this book. The older sister wasn’t quite so obnoxious and just mean/rude. I found the idea of exploring the caves very interesting and I like Dorian once they cleared him as a suspect.

I hope that her and Glenn can get back on the same footing because they have a really good partnership. And I have questions! Why was Cassie in the cave?! Who was she with? How long was she there? Is she still alive and if so where has she been?!

[Kathryn Pharis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed the second book in this series, but…

It was a little bit too slow moving for me. Perhaps it’s because the plot is too similar to so many female enforcement series. Read so many that they get measured by my favorite female author of this genre - Mary Stone. If you prefer less intense and violent stories then this series is for you.

[Laura Poppenwimer · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book had me on the edge oy my seat and I couldn't put it down. This killer diabolical and there were a couple of false leads but in the end the psycho killer was arrested. Looking forward to reading the next in the series, there is a crumb at the end of the book about the missing sister Cassie.

[Jan Gyselinck · Rating 4 out of 5]

Suspenceful

I enjoyed this second book in the series. Tara manages to solve a couple murders, and seems to get more confidence in her law enforcement position. Lots of suspense. And a surprise at the end.

[Susan Mabry · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fast read and enjoyable!

[Heather]

I did not like, unnecessary family drama and not enough on the actual mystery

[Corey Morris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really on the edge-of-my seat for a large portion of reading this book. Dark takes us on a thrilling journey through the caves.

[Maria Figueroa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome Book

I am really enjoying the books from this author. Can't wait to read the next book. I am so excited.

[Don Hoium · Rating 5 out of 5]

An Excellent read. Kept me involved through the entire book. Keep it up.

[Janet Ambrose · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gripping read

It was a great read from start to finish, and another great book by Rylie Dark, I can't wait to start book 3 in this series.

[Julie Ounanian · Rating 4 out of 5]

2nd in a series Tara and Glen, the main characters are Trying to find a serial killer on a mountain of caves. Pretty good.

[Shianne DeFord · Rating 3 out of 5]

🎧3.5⭐️

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant..

[Stephanie Coniff · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good 2nd thriller in this series. I would recommend reading this rather than listening- I am not a huge fan of the narrator's inflection.

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

So suspenseful

[Cathy Wilson · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was interesting enough of a story, but nothing real involved. A couple of the women voices were a bit off with a man attempting the woman character voices.

[Julie Gibson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tara seems to take more and more risks with each murder she investigates. I have a hard time believing a sheriff in real life would allow this let alone condone it.

[Chase Leavell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh Glenn, there is a wrong and right time to mention your feelings and it's not on the verge of death lol .... I ship it 🤭🤭

[Sandy T · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tara is again searching for a serial killer who is using the mountain caves as his burial site. I enjoy the fast pace of this thriller. Tara has some emotional baggage which drives her to make some rash decisions. I like the relationship she has with her partner and mentor. And her rocky relationship with her sister adds more drama to her life. Great character development and good murder mystery.