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Special Agent Emily Ray #2
Hayley Hope is Gone
Every small town has its secrets. Lake Arrowhead’s run bone-deep.
After closing the case that nearly destroyed her career, Special Agent Emily Ray is placed on mandatory leave and retreats to Lake Arrowhead with her father—a mountain town where she spent childhood summers. A peaceful vacation is just what she needs—until she learns about Hayley Hope, a fifteen-year-old girl found drowned in Papoose Lake. When Emily meets Hayley’s best friend Lillian Knox, the teen is convinced it was murder.
The local sheriff’s department dismissed it as a tragic drowning, case closed. But when threatening messages appear, she begins to unravel the small community’s web of silence and complicity. As Emily investigates—despite explicit orders not to—she uncovers a web of corruption. Young girls have been disappearing for years—vulnerable teens whose voices were silenced.
With only Lillian’s testimony and scattered clues to guide her, Emily races against escalating threats. Evidence vanishes, witnesses disappear, and her father’s deteriorating health puts him at risk as shadowy figures close in. Emily must uncover the dark truth behind Hayley’s death before another girl disappears.
The second instalment in the addictive Special Agent Emily Ray series delivers heart-pounding suspense that will keep you turning pages late into the night. Perfect for fans of Karin Slaughter, Lisa Gardner and Melinda Leigh.
After closing the case that nearly destroyed her career, Special Agent Emily Ray is placed on mandatory leave and retreats to Lake Arrowhead with her father—a mountain town where she spent childhood summers. A peaceful vacation is just what she needs—until she learns about Hayley Hope, a fifteen-year-old girl found drowned in Papoose Lake. When Emily meets Hayley’s best friend Lillian Knox, the teen is convinced it was murder.
The local sheriff’s department dismissed it as a tragic drowning, case closed. But when threatening messages appear, she begins to unravel the small community’s web of silence and complicity. As Emily investigates—despite explicit orders not to—she uncovers a web of corruption. Young girls have been disappearing for years—vulnerable teens whose voices were silenced.
With only Lillian’s testimony and scattered clues to guide her, Emily races against escalating threats. Evidence vanishes, witnesses disappear, and her father’s deteriorating health puts him at risk as shadowy figures close in. Emily must uncover the dark truth behind Hayley’s death before another girl disappears.
The second instalment in the addictive Special Agent Emily Ray series delivers heart-pounding suspense that will keep you turning pages late into the night. Perfect for fans of Karin Slaughter, Lisa Gardner and Melinda Leigh.
298 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 10, 2025
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July 14, 2025
Hayley Hope is Gone by Michele Domínguez Greene
Synopsis /
Every small town has its secrets. Lake Arrowhead’s run bone-deep.
After closing the case that nearly destroyed her career, Special Agent Emily Ray is placed on mandatory leave and retreats to Lake Arrowhead with her father—a mountain town where she spent childhood summers. A peaceful vacation is just what she needs—until she learns about Hayley Hope, a fifteen-year-old girl found drowned in Papoose Lake. When Emily meets Hayley’s best friend Lillian Knox, the teen is convinced it was murder.
The local sheriff’s department dismissed it as a tragic drowning, case closed. But when threatening messages appear, she begins to unravel the small community’s web of silence and complicity. As Emily investigates—despite explicit orders not to—she uncovers a web of corruption. Young girls have been disappearing for years—vulnerable teens whose voices were silenced.
With only Lillian’s testimony and scattered clues to guide her, Emily races against escalating threats. Evidence vanishes, witnesses disappear, and her father’s deteriorating health puts him at risk as shadowy figures close in. Emily must uncover the dark truth behind Hayley’s death before another girl disappears.
My Thoughts /
First and foremost, a huge THANK YOU to NetGalley, Storm Publishing and author, Michele Domínguez Greene for providing me with a copy of this publication, which allows me to provide you with an unbiased review.
The second instalment in the Special Agent Emily Ray series did not disappoint. This second book was every bit as suspenseful and impressive as its predecessor, My Name Is Emily Ray which was published earlier this year.
How best to describe my reading experience? I could easily see these books as a Netflix Original series. Get right on it, Netflix!!
As head of the FBI's CARD UNIT (Child Abduction Rapid Deployment), it's Emily's job to locate, find, and rescue children who are the victims of an abduction. It's not a job for the faint hearted. After the events in the first book, FBI Special Agent, Emily Ray is currently on a period of extended leave, and has decided to spend time with her father up at Lake Arrowhead, where they used to vacation when she was a youngster. This area only exists for the tourists and 'out of season' the place is eerily quiet, except for a few locals which keep the place going through the off season.
Fifteen year old, Lillian Knox lives with her grandmother in the neighbouring house. Lillian's parents both work abroad and have left Lillian in the care of her grandmother. But her grandmother's health is declining and Lillian is more the caregiver than the care recipient. Lillian had always been treated as an outsider, but felt she could cope with the adolescent bullying of her peers because of her best friend Hayley. But now Hayley is dead, and the local police are saying that she took her own life. As someone who knew Hayley best, Lillian knows that Hayley would never have done that.
When Lillian learns that Emily is an FBI Agent, she pleads with Emily to look into her friend's death. At first reluctant to get involved, Emily is soon turned around by Lillian's insistence of foul play and the mysterious disappearances of other young teenage girls from the area.
This is a stunning follow-on from book #1 and while you could read this book as a standalone, I would urge you to read this series in full and in order for maximum enjoyment.
This is another eerie small-town setting with a slow burning plot; but the author controls the pace by building the tension and character development a little with every chapter. Emily Ray is a victim's champion. She digs into cases no-one wants to look at. The stakes are high and sometimes the outcomes are not what was expected.
Once you start you'll want to finish this in one sitting – be warned!
With thanks to NetGalley and especially to one of my favourite publishers, Storm Publishing 💗 for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review. All opinions expressed in this review are my own. The publication date is currently set for July 10, 2025.
Synopsis /
Every small town has its secrets. Lake Arrowhead’s run bone-deep.
After closing the case that nearly destroyed her career, Special Agent Emily Ray is placed on mandatory leave and retreats to Lake Arrowhead with her father—a mountain town where she spent childhood summers. A peaceful vacation is just what she needs—until she learns about Hayley Hope, a fifteen-year-old girl found drowned in Papoose Lake. When Emily meets Hayley’s best friend Lillian Knox, the teen is convinced it was murder.
The local sheriff’s department dismissed it as a tragic drowning, case closed. But when threatening messages appear, she begins to unravel the small community’s web of silence and complicity. As Emily investigates—despite explicit orders not to—she uncovers a web of corruption. Young girls have been disappearing for years—vulnerable teens whose voices were silenced.
With only Lillian’s testimony and scattered clues to guide her, Emily races against escalating threats. Evidence vanishes, witnesses disappear, and her father’s deteriorating health puts him at risk as shadowy figures close in. Emily must uncover the dark truth behind Hayley’s death before another girl disappears.
My Thoughts /
First and foremost, a huge THANK YOU to NetGalley, Storm Publishing and author, Michele Domínguez Greene for providing me with a copy of this publication, which allows me to provide you with an unbiased review.
The second instalment in the Special Agent Emily Ray series did not disappoint. This second book was every bit as suspenseful and impressive as its predecessor, My Name Is Emily Ray which was published earlier this year.
How best to describe my reading experience? I could easily see these books as a Netflix Original series. Get right on it, Netflix!!
As head of the FBI's CARD UNIT (Child Abduction Rapid Deployment), it's Emily's job to locate, find, and rescue children who are the victims of an abduction. It's not a job for the faint hearted. After the events in the first book, FBI Special Agent, Emily Ray is currently on a period of extended leave, and has decided to spend time with her father up at Lake Arrowhead, where they used to vacation when she was a youngster. This area only exists for the tourists and 'out of season' the place is eerily quiet, except for a few locals which keep the place going through the off season.
Fifteen year old, Lillian Knox lives with her grandmother in the neighbouring house. Lillian's parents both work abroad and have left Lillian in the care of her grandmother. But her grandmother's health is declining and Lillian is more the caregiver than the care recipient. Lillian had always been treated as an outsider, but felt she could cope with the adolescent bullying of her peers because of her best friend Hayley. But now Hayley is dead, and the local police are saying that she took her own life. As someone who knew Hayley best, Lillian knows that Hayley would never have done that.
When Lillian learns that Emily is an FBI Agent, she pleads with Emily to look into her friend's death. At first reluctant to get involved, Emily is soon turned around by Lillian's insistence of foul play and the mysterious disappearances of other young teenage girls from the area.
This is a stunning follow-on from book #1 and while you could read this book as a standalone, I would urge you to read this series in full and in order for maximum enjoyment.
This is another eerie small-town setting with a slow burning plot; but the author controls the pace by building the tension and character development a little with every chapter. Emily Ray is a victim's champion. She digs into cases no-one wants to look at. The stakes are high and sometimes the outcomes are not what was expected.
Once you start you'll want to finish this in one sitting – be warned!
With thanks to NetGalley and especially to one of my favourite publishers, Storm Publishing 💗 for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review. All opinions expressed in this review are my own. The publication date is currently set for July 10, 2025.
May 28, 2025
Michele Domínguez Greene follows up her electrifying debut My Name Is Emily Ray with another emotionally charged, tension-packed thriller that doesn’t flinch from the dark.
After narrowly surviving the fallout of her last case, Special Agent Emily Ray is benched and nursing wounds that go deeper than the Bureau can see. She retreats to Lake Arrowhead, a seemingly serene mountain town steeped in her childhood memories. But peace is short-lived. When a teenage girl is found drowned under suspicious circumstances and the police close the book with a shrug, Emily can’t ignore the gnawing questions—or the pleas of Hayley Hope’s grieving best friend.
What unfolds is a haunting investigation that peels back the town’s well-kept image to reveal a chilling pattern: girls have been vanishing for years, and no one seems willing to dig into why. With her father’s declining health adding emotional weight and the threat level rising fast, Emily goes rogue—again.
Greene writes with a sharp edge and a deep empathy for the voiceless. This book doesn’t just craft suspense; it confronts systemic failure, small-town rot, and the way society fails its most vulnerable. The pacing is tight, the stakes feel personal, and Emily remains a compelling lead: flawed, dogged, and heartbreakingly human.
The emotional core—Emily’s bond with her father and her evolving sense of justice—keeps the book grounded, even as the plot twists turn sinister. While some readers may miss the deeper personal introspection seen in book one, this sequel leans more heavily into the procedural grit and corruption narrative, offering satisfying, if unsettling, revelations.
The ending hits hard. It’s not neat, not clean—but it’s real. And it sets up even more dangerous ground for Emily to cover next.
Final Verdict:
A gripping, emotionally potent second installment that deepens the mythology of Emily Ray while carving out space for chilling small-town horror. If My Name Is Emily Ray introduced the scars, Hayley Hope is Gone shows what happens when you tear the bandage off.
Perfect for fans of Karin Slaughter, Lisa Gardner, and Meg Gardiner.
After narrowly surviving the fallout of her last case, Special Agent Emily Ray is benched and nursing wounds that go deeper than the Bureau can see. She retreats to Lake Arrowhead, a seemingly serene mountain town steeped in her childhood memories. But peace is short-lived. When a teenage girl is found drowned under suspicious circumstances and the police close the book with a shrug, Emily can’t ignore the gnawing questions—or the pleas of Hayley Hope’s grieving best friend.
What unfolds is a haunting investigation that peels back the town’s well-kept image to reveal a chilling pattern: girls have been vanishing for years, and no one seems willing to dig into why. With her father’s declining health adding emotional weight and the threat level rising fast, Emily goes rogue—again.
Greene writes with a sharp edge and a deep empathy for the voiceless. This book doesn’t just craft suspense; it confronts systemic failure, small-town rot, and the way society fails its most vulnerable. The pacing is tight, the stakes feel personal, and Emily remains a compelling lead: flawed, dogged, and heartbreakingly human.
The emotional core—Emily’s bond with her father and her evolving sense of justice—keeps the book grounded, even as the plot twists turn sinister. While some readers may miss the deeper personal introspection seen in book one, this sequel leans more heavily into the procedural grit and corruption narrative, offering satisfying, if unsettling, revelations.
The ending hits hard. It’s not neat, not clean—but it’s real. And it sets up even more dangerous ground for Emily to cover next.
Final Verdict:
A gripping, emotionally potent second installment that deepens the mythology of Emily Ray while carving out space for chilling small-town horror. If My Name Is Emily Ray introduced the scars, Hayley Hope is Gone shows what happens when you tear the bandage off.
Perfect for fans of Karin Slaughter, Lisa Gardner, and Meg Gardiner.
May 27, 2025
Such a gripping thriller! Because the investigation deals with young girls, it made me even more eager to read the book in one go to know how it all ends! I was hooked from page one, and I my attention kept on on to the end. Much tension builds up, scary moments and much action are there to make the novel a really good thriller! I did not care much though about Emily's relationship with her husband. Otherwise, I loved it!
I received a digital copy of this novel from NetGalley and I have voluntarily written an honest review.
I received a digital copy of this novel from NetGalley and I have voluntarily written an honest review.
August 14, 2025
Okay, after reading this book, the Special Agent Emily Ray series has officially made it into my Top 10 favorite book series!!
I loved the first book in the series and this one was just as good, if not better. Emily is so passionate about fighting to get justice for children who need it, even when she's on mandatory leave from work and vacationing with her dad. I loved that she was so transparent with Lillian about what she was uncovering in her investigation into Hayley's supposed drowning. As she investigates that death, she uncovers so much more! This one is filled with lots of suspense and tension and I devoured it!
I can't wait for book three!!
I loved the first book in the series and this one was just as good, if not better. Emily is so passionate about fighting to get justice for children who need it, even when she's on mandatory leave from work and vacationing with her dad. I loved that she was so transparent with Lillian about what she was uncovering in her investigation into Hayley's supposed drowning. As she investigates that death, she uncovers so much more! This one is filled with lots of suspense and tension and I devoured it!
I can't wait for book three!!
July 1, 2025
Absolutely brilliant! Emily is on a two week (forced) vacation with her dad following the events of the previous book. What looks like a little slice of paradise in the mountains, a place she remembers from her childhood and which holds happy memories for her dad, reveals its dark underbelly when she stumbles across the possible murder of a teenager. The more she starts to dig, the bigger the case gets. But, Emily doesn't give up and, despite other personal issues raising their head, she fights to get justice for the children involved. Emily is a great character who refuses to fit into a mould of who people think she should be. Outstanding read.
Thanks to Netgalley, Storm Publishing, and Michele Dominguez Greene for the free ARC. All opinions are my own.
Thanks to Netgalley, Storm Publishing, and Michele Dominguez Greene for the free ARC. All opinions are my own.
August 21, 2025
Hayley Hope Is Gone is book 2 in the Special Agent Emily Ray series and the author delivered another pulse pounding, action packed and emotionally charged thriller. It was truly unputdownable. The storyline absolutely grabbed my attention right away, the characters were so interesting and I loved revisiting Emily again! Michelle surprised me again with her twists and turns. The author has such a sharp writing style, she crafts suspense with such ease and delivers a mind blowing message regarding society.
The plot unravels at lighting speed, without ever letting up. It delivers a punch while constantly making you feel so many emotions. I love how the author blends these 2 things together. All the secrets, the web of lies and corruption that occur in this small town left me completely shocked ! Once again Greene surprised me with how stellar this book was and I cannot wait to read more from her.
Overall, this was another great book in this series. It is slowly becoming one of my favorite thriller series, it's action packed, fast paced and utterly bingeable. Highly recommend!
✨ ️ Thank you to @netgalley, @stormpublishing & @micheledominguezgreene for my gifted ARC in exchange for an honest review.
The plot unravels at lighting speed, without ever letting up. It delivers a punch while constantly making you feel so many emotions. I love how the author blends these 2 things together. All the secrets, the web of lies and corruption that occur in this small town left me completely shocked ! Once again Greene surprised me with how stellar this book was and I cannot wait to read more from her.
Overall, this was another great book in this series. It is slowly becoming one of my favorite thriller series, it's action packed, fast paced and utterly bingeable. Highly recommend!
✨ ️ Thank you to @netgalley, @stormpublishing & @micheledominguezgreene for my gifted ARC in exchange for an honest review.
July 7, 2025
4 🌟
Hayley Hope is Gone is the second book in Michele Dominguez Greene's Special Agent Emily Ray series. It can be read as a standalone, but I recommend reading the first book, My Name is Emily Ray, to get an in-depth background on the FMC. It helps explain why she makes her decisions and how she has dealt with her past trauma.
Having read both books now, I’m really enjoying this series. They’re rapid reads and fast-paced. I love that this book went into more detail about Emily's relationship with her father and the addition of Sammy. I would definitely read future books with Emily Ray.
Recommended for anyone who loves to read fast-paced thrillers featuring a badass female FBI agent.
Thank you to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for the ARC.
Hayley Hope is Gone is the second book in Michele Dominguez Greene's Special Agent Emily Ray series. It can be read as a standalone, but I recommend reading the first book, My Name is Emily Ray, to get an in-depth background on the FMC. It helps explain why she makes her decisions and how she has dealt with her past trauma.
Having read both books now, I’m really enjoying this series. They’re rapid reads and fast-paced. I love that this book went into more detail about Emily's relationship with her father and the addition of Sammy. I would definitely read future books with Emily Ray.
Recommended for anyone who loves to read fast-paced thrillers featuring a badass female FBI agent.
Thank you to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for the ARC.
May 22, 2025
I had read the first book in this series, My Name is Emily Ray, so I was looking forward to the second book.
The small town of Lake Arrowhead has secrets, and Emily Ray wants to find out what they are and who is keeping them. She uncovers a web of lies and corruption from many in the town where girls have been disappearing. Will Emily find out what she needs to know and stay out of danger?
This book had me on the edge of my seat the entire time – even though parts of it were hard to read. I couldn’t wait to see what Emily uncovered about her former “friends” and their evil actions. I can’t wait for the next book in the series!
The small town of Lake Arrowhead has secrets, and Emily Ray wants to find out what they are and who is keeping them. She uncovers a web of lies and corruption from many in the town where girls have been disappearing. Will Emily find out what she needs to know and stay out of danger?
This book had me on the edge of my seat the entire time – even though parts of it were hard to read. I couldn’t wait to see what Emily uncovered about her former “friends” and their evil actions. I can’t wait for the next book in the series!
July 13, 2025
I had the privilege of reading the first in this series, and was thrilled to receive the ARC of the second installment. I feel that this story was just as good as the first!
Emily is going on vacation with her father while the FBI investigates and determines what will happen after her last case. She is excited to spend time with her father, and takes him to Lake Arrowhead, where she spent time as a child. Lillian Knox is a fifteen year old girl who lives next door to the house that Emily has rented. Lillian is struggling because her best friend died a few weeks ago. The local police say that she committed suicide, but Lillian knows that Hayley would never do that. Emily is drawn to the girl, and sees some discrepancies and suspicious activities surrounding the case, so she begins to look deeper into it. She discovers so much more about the town, the local big church, the police department. Pretty soon, Emily, her father, Lillian and Eddie (her friend) are in danger, yet determined to discover what is really going on.
Whew! There is so much going on in this book. It sucks you in from page one. The claustrophobic atmosphere of a small tourist town that is empty at the end of the season, with just the locals added tension and a creep factor. The pacing is perfection. In the beginning, Emily is gathering information and facts. This changes to a fast paced mystery/thriller. There are a lot of different strands that Emily is threading together that lead to a fantastic conclusion, with a slight twist I did not see coming.
I love the growth I see in Emily. At the end of the last novel, she was beginning to figure out who she was now that her kidnapper from childhood had finally been caught. Her husband, Antonio, has supported her through everything, but wishes that she would step back from the CARD unit. As Emily is working on Hayley's case, and drawing closer to Lillian, she realizes that this is a part of who she is, and she will always want to help kids in need. There is a hard decision that she must make, but I loved how the author wrote her growth so well, that the decision she comes to is authentic to Emily's understanding of who she is, and what she stands for.
And Lillian and Eddie- Hayley too! were written so well, my heart ached for them while also cheering them on. I wanted them to get the justice they were looking for. I even teared up at a scene in the end- it was written so beautifully.
I cannot wait to see where Emily will end up next, but I am here for it!!
This is a fantastic, FBI/thriller series. It has darkness and depth, with genuine characters that the reader can relate to. I just want to warn that there are some triggers:
sexual abuse, grooming, cultish church vibe
Thank you to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for the ARC. This is my honest and voluntary review.
Emily is going on vacation with her father while the FBI investigates and determines what will happen after her last case. She is excited to spend time with her father, and takes him to Lake Arrowhead, where she spent time as a child. Lillian Knox is a fifteen year old girl who lives next door to the house that Emily has rented. Lillian is struggling because her best friend died a few weeks ago. The local police say that she committed suicide, but Lillian knows that Hayley would never do that. Emily is drawn to the girl, and sees some discrepancies and suspicious activities surrounding the case, so she begins to look deeper into it. She discovers so much more about the town, the local big church, the police department. Pretty soon, Emily, her father, Lillian and Eddie (her friend) are in danger, yet determined to discover what is really going on.
Whew! There is so much going on in this book. It sucks you in from page one. The claustrophobic atmosphere of a small tourist town that is empty at the end of the season, with just the locals added tension and a creep factor. The pacing is perfection. In the beginning, Emily is gathering information and facts. This changes to a fast paced mystery/thriller. There are a lot of different strands that Emily is threading together that lead to a fantastic conclusion, with a slight twist I did not see coming.
I love the growth I see in Emily. At the end of the last novel, she was beginning to figure out who she was now that her kidnapper from childhood had finally been caught. Her husband, Antonio, has supported her through everything, but wishes that she would step back from the CARD unit. As Emily is working on Hayley's case, and drawing closer to Lillian, she realizes that this is a part of who she is, and she will always want to help kids in need. There is a hard decision that she must make, but I loved how the author wrote her growth so well, that the decision she comes to is authentic to Emily's understanding of who she is, and what she stands for.
And Lillian and Eddie- Hayley too! were written so well, my heart ached for them while also cheering them on. I wanted them to get the justice they were looking for. I even teared up at a scene in the end- it was written so beautifully.
I cannot wait to see where Emily will end up next, but I am here for it!!
This is a fantastic, FBI/thriller series. It has darkness and depth, with genuine characters that the reader can relate to. I just want to warn that there are some triggers:
sexual abuse, grooming, cultish church vibe
Thank you to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for the ARC. This is my honest and voluntary review.
June 12, 2025
Title: Hayley Hope is Gone
Series: Agent Emily Ray Book #2
Author: Michelle Dominguez Greene
Publisher: Storm Publishers
Genre: Mystery Thriller, True Crime
Pub Date: July 10, 2025
My Rating: 4.6 Rounded up
Pages: 308
Special Agent Emily Ray recently closed the Josie Vance case that nearly destroyed her career.
~If you missed Book #1, I strongly encouraging reading it!
Emily has been placed on Disciplinary review by the FBI. She has been a successful member on the ‘Child Abduction Rapid Development (CARD) protecting vulnerable children - they want to be sure she didn’t break protocol.
When Emily’s husband Antonio has a family reunion he should attend, they decide he and their twin daughters should attend and this is a good time for Emily to have some father/daughter time with her dad Michael Ray – who is suffering from dementia. They decided on nearby picturesque Lake Arrowhead —a mountain town where they spent many summers.
A peaceful vacation in this slow pace community is just what she needs—however that doesn’t last long as she soon learns that Hayley Hope, a Freshman at Rim of the Word High School drowned in Papoose Lake. Authorities ruled it suicide-they believe there is nothing suspicious.
Lillian Knox and her grandmother live next door to where Emily and her dad are staying.
When Emily has the chance to talk to Lillian she finds out that she and Hayley were best friends. Lillian tells Emily she is sure Hope was murdered.
Emily soon discovers that other girls have been disappeared over the past years.
The authorities have done next to nothing to find them.
Needless to say, Emily is going to do something!
Another WOW Michelle Dominguez Greene story!!
This one was very emotional.
Anxious for Book #3 will Definitely read Book #3 as I am hooked want to know what is happening with Emily, Antonia and twins Juliana and Eliza.
(I personally have vacation in Lake Arrowhead with my husband and daughters – we loved everything about it! In fact, in addition to vacationing there it is actually a short day trip. We live in the LA area close to the ocean and Lake Arrowhead is in the San Bernardino Mountains.
There is a town named “Rim of the World’ which has a perfect name. Whenever you drive on the main road into Lake Arrowhead you are driving on the rim on the mountain and overlook clouds below you! It is truly an awesome feeling!)
Want to thank NetGalley and Storm Publishing for this great yet very emotional eGalley.
Publishing Release Date scheduled for July 10, 2025.
Series: Agent Emily Ray Book #2
Author: Michelle Dominguez Greene
Publisher: Storm Publishers
Genre: Mystery Thriller, True Crime
Pub Date: July 10, 2025
My Rating: 4.6 Rounded up
Pages: 308
Special Agent Emily Ray recently closed the Josie Vance case that nearly destroyed her career.
~If you missed Book #1, I strongly encouraging reading it!
Emily has been placed on Disciplinary review by the FBI. She has been a successful member on the ‘Child Abduction Rapid Development (CARD) protecting vulnerable children - they want to be sure she didn’t break protocol.
When Emily’s husband Antonio has a family reunion he should attend, they decide he and their twin daughters should attend and this is a good time for Emily to have some father/daughter time with her dad Michael Ray – who is suffering from dementia. They decided on nearby picturesque Lake Arrowhead —a mountain town where they spent many summers.
A peaceful vacation in this slow pace community is just what she needs—however that doesn’t last long as she soon learns that Hayley Hope, a Freshman at Rim of the Word High School drowned in Papoose Lake. Authorities ruled it suicide-they believe there is nothing suspicious.
Lillian Knox and her grandmother live next door to where Emily and her dad are staying.
When Emily has the chance to talk to Lillian she finds out that she and Hayley were best friends. Lillian tells Emily she is sure Hope was murdered.
Emily soon discovers that other girls have been disappeared over the past years.
The authorities have done next to nothing to find them.
Needless to say, Emily is going to do something!
Another WOW Michelle Dominguez Greene story!!
This one was very emotional.
Anxious for Book #3 will Definitely read Book #3 as I am hooked want to know what is happening with Emily, Antonia and twins Juliana and Eliza.
(I personally have vacation in Lake Arrowhead with my husband and daughters – we loved everything about it! In fact, in addition to vacationing there it is actually a short day trip. We live in the LA area close to the ocean and Lake Arrowhead is in the San Bernardino Mountains.
There is a town named “Rim of the World’ which has a perfect name. Whenever you drive on the main road into Lake Arrowhead you are driving on the rim on the mountain and overlook clouds below you! It is truly an awesome feeling!)
Want to thank NetGalley and Storm Publishing for this great yet very emotional eGalley.
Publishing Release Date scheduled for July 10, 2025.
July 3, 2025
I really need to read the first book now! This was really good, and I thoroughly enjoyed the read (finished it in one day I was invested!)
It was a twisty ride, lots of ups and downs. Some parts left me a little frustrated at how slow things were moving, for them to suddenly move at whirlwind speed. I think the story itself was solid, and I liked the different perspectives thrown in, I think that was written well. There were a few spelling mistakes, but nothing that made the story unreadable. The story itself was interesting, and while the cast of characters was huge, it didn't feel confusing or difficult to follow. I also love, as messed us as it is, when the characters don't always get a happy ending, because that's life. People die, people get hurt or hurt others, victims fall through the cracks. It makes a story more realistic when things don't turn out exactly as you want them to.
I think my biggest issue came from
Overall I enjoyed the read and would recommend this to those who like thrillers (though I would probably suggest reading the first book first!)
Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review- This book is set to be published on July 10th, 2025.
It was a twisty ride, lots of ups and downs. Some parts left me a little frustrated at how slow things were moving, for them to suddenly move at whirlwind speed. I think the story itself was solid, and I liked the different perspectives thrown in, I think that was written well. There were a few spelling mistakes, but nothing that made the story unreadable. The story itself was interesting, and while the cast of characters was huge, it didn't feel confusing or difficult to follow. I also love, as messed us as it is, when the characters don't always get a happy ending, because that's life. People die, people get hurt or hurt others, victims fall through the cracks. It makes a story more realistic when things don't turn out exactly as you want them to.
I think my biggest issue came from
Overall I enjoyed the read and would recommend this to those who like thrillers (though I would probably suggest reading the first book first!)
Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review- This book is set to be published on July 10th, 2025.
November 23, 2025
Thanks to Storm publishing and Netgalley for this eARC.
🔎 Michelle Dominguez Greene’s Hayley Hope is Gone is a relentless, emotionally charged thriller that deepens the world of Special Agent Emily Ray. Building on the foundation of the series opener, this second installment sharpens the psychological tension while expanding the stakes, delivering a story that is chilling and deeply human.
🌒 The novel pulses with urgency, its pacing tight and unyielding.
Greene crafts an atmosphere where every silence feels dangerous, and every clue carries the weight of dread.
The tone balances procedural precision with raw emotional intensity, ensuring readers feel both the investigative grind and the personal cost.
👤 Emily Ray emerges as a more layered protagonist here—her resilience tested by the disappearance of Hayley Hope, a case that strikes at her vulnerabilities.
Greene avoids the trope of the detached investigator; Emily’s empathy and determination make her compelling without sacrificing credibility.
Secondary characters—colleagues, suspects, and family members—are drawn with ambiguity, each carrying motives that keep readers guessing.
🔍 This novel interrogates loss, survival, and the fragile line between justice and obsession.
The disappearance of Hayley Hope becomes a mirror for broader questions: how far will someone go to protect the innocent, and what toll does that pursuit exact?
Greene explores the corrosive effects of secrets, showing how truth can be both salvation and devastation.
🎧 The prose is taut, cinematic, and immersive, pulling readers into Emily’s perspective while maintaining suspense through shifting viewpoints.
Greene’s structure alternates between investigative detail and psychological depth, ensuring the thriller remains gripping and emotionally resonant.
The rhythm of the narrative mirrors the investigation itself—methodical, punctuated by bursts of revelation.
⭐ Hayley Hope is Gone is a thriller that refuses to let go. Michelle Dominguez Greene delivers a story that is as much about the emotional cost of searching for the missing as it is about the mechanics of solving a case. With Special Agent Emily Ray, Greene has created a heroine whose strength lies not in detachment but in her humanity, making this series one to watch.
🔎 Michelle Dominguez Greene’s Hayley Hope is Gone is a relentless, emotionally charged thriller that deepens the world of Special Agent Emily Ray. Building on the foundation of the series opener, this second installment sharpens the psychological tension while expanding the stakes, delivering a story that is chilling and deeply human.
🌒 The novel pulses with urgency, its pacing tight and unyielding.
Greene crafts an atmosphere where every silence feels dangerous, and every clue carries the weight of dread.
The tone balances procedural precision with raw emotional intensity, ensuring readers feel both the investigative grind and the personal cost.
👤 Emily Ray emerges as a more layered protagonist here—her resilience tested by the disappearance of Hayley Hope, a case that strikes at her vulnerabilities.
Greene avoids the trope of the detached investigator; Emily’s empathy and determination make her compelling without sacrificing credibility.
Secondary characters—colleagues, suspects, and family members—are drawn with ambiguity, each carrying motives that keep readers guessing.
🔍 This novel interrogates loss, survival, and the fragile line between justice and obsession.
The disappearance of Hayley Hope becomes a mirror for broader questions: how far will someone go to protect the innocent, and what toll does that pursuit exact?
Greene explores the corrosive effects of secrets, showing how truth can be both salvation and devastation.
🎧 The prose is taut, cinematic, and immersive, pulling readers into Emily’s perspective while maintaining suspense through shifting viewpoints.
Greene’s structure alternates between investigative detail and psychological depth, ensuring the thriller remains gripping and emotionally resonant.
The rhythm of the narrative mirrors the investigation itself—methodical, punctuated by bursts of revelation.
⭐ Hayley Hope is Gone is a thriller that refuses to let go. Michelle Dominguez Greene delivers a story that is as much about the emotional cost of searching for the missing as it is about the mechanics of solving a case. With Special Agent Emily Ray, Greene has created a heroine whose strength lies not in detachment but in her humanity, making this series one to watch.
July 9, 2025
What a tangled web we weave when apathy or denial becomes a way of life. There is an underlying sense of evil in this small community known as Lake Arrowhead. It pervades the senses and you can feel the darkness. The question is what is it? Everything appears perfect on the surface of what should be paradise, but there is something just on the edge, beneath the surface where dirty secrets and horror abound.
Special Agent Emily Ray has been temporarily put on leave from the FBI after her last case. So, she decides to take her father for a trip down memory lane at Lake Arrowhead, which was a place of good memories of him and Emily's mother. Emily is not in town long before she realizes something is not right in this town.
After reading the first book in this series, I knew that Emily was not going to sit back and enjoy her vacation after she found out about the mysterious drowning of a teenage girl. The whole case stinks to high heaven, and has been wrapped up by the police force with a nice, neat and tidy bow. However, nothing about this case is neat and tidy, which Emily soon realizes. She is like a dog with a bone. She will not let it go. Her sense of justice and her feelings about crimes against children will not allow her to sit back. What she discovers will give you nightmares and make you mad at the same time.
I did not think this author could top the first book in the series, but this one is extraordinary, albeit chilling and horrifying at the same time. It is a deeply emotional book from one end of the spectrum to the other. As I learned more about Emily's personal life, I felt I knew her more personally. She is truly a hero without a cape. Her scars and her past have somewhat defined her, but she has used her tragic past to make her into a warrior for those who cannot fight for themselves. I applaud her and her tenacity to do good.
This stunning thriller left me speechless and gagging a little as I learned the truth behind the evil in Lake Arrowhead. Sleep is overrated. So, I did without it because I was so deep into this story that I could not get it out of my head until I finished it.
Thank you to Storm Publishing and NetGalley for this ARC. I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Special Agent Emily Ray has been temporarily put on leave from the FBI after her last case. So, she decides to take her father for a trip down memory lane at Lake Arrowhead, which was a place of good memories of him and Emily's mother. Emily is not in town long before she realizes something is not right in this town.
After reading the first book in this series, I knew that Emily was not going to sit back and enjoy her vacation after she found out about the mysterious drowning of a teenage girl. The whole case stinks to high heaven, and has been wrapped up by the police force with a nice, neat and tidy bow. However, nothing about this case is neat and tidy, which Emily soon realizes. She is like a dog with a bone. She will not let it go. Her sense of justice and her feelings about crimes against children will not allow her to sit back. What she discovers will give you nightmares and make you mad at the same time.
I did not think this author could top the first book in the series, but this one is extraordinary, albeit chilling and horrifying at the same time. It is a deeply emotional book from one end of the spectrum to the other. As I learned more about Emily's personal life, I felt I knew her more personally. She is truly a hero without a cape. Her scars and her past have somewhat defined her, but she has used her tragic past to make her into a warrior for those who cannot fight for themselves. I applaud her and her tenacity to do good.
This stunning thriller left me speechless and gagging a little as I learned the truth behind the evil in Lake Arrowhead. Sleep is overrated. So, I did without it because I was so deep into this story that I could not get it out of my head until I finished it.
Thank you to Storm Publishing and NetGalley for this ARC. I am leaving this review voluntarily.
September 1, 2025
Hayley Hope Is Gone is the second installment in Michelle Domínguez Greene’s gripping Emily Ray series, and it delivers a compelling mix of slow-burn suspense, emotional depth, and shocking revelations.
FBI Special Agent Emily Ray, still reeling from her last harrowing case, retreats to Lake Arrowhead with her father for what she hopes will be a quiet respite. But when her teenage neighbor, Lillian Knox, insists that her best friend Hayley did not drown accidentally, Emily is drawn into a small-town mystery that grows darker with every page. What begins as a reluctant favor for a grieving girl spirals into an investigation exposing corruption, abuse of power, and a chilling network of secrets hidden beneath the town’s idyllic surface.
The pacing is deliberate in the first half, allowing Greene to flesh out the eerie, off-season atmosphere of a tourist town gone quiet and to establish the personal stakes for Emily. As the story builds, the tempo shifts dramatically, pulling readers into a tense, breathless second act. By the midpoint, every character seems suspect, creating an atmosphere of paranoia that feels both unsettling and believable.
Greene excels at weaving multiple threads together—Emily’s complicated marriage, her bond with her father, and her growing connection to Lillian—without losing the central momentum of the mystery. Lillian in particular is a standout: raw, determined, and heartbreakingly believable as a teenager who refuses to accept the easy explanations given by the adults around her.
While some readers may find the first half slower than the relentless pace of book one, the payoff is worth it. The twists are well-planted, the revelations chilling, and the emotional weight of the ending lingers long after the last page. Greene is unafraid to tackle heavy themes—grooming, manipulation, systemic failures—and she handles them with sensitivity while never letting go of the thriller’s urgency.
This is a series that feels like it belongs on screen: cinematic, tense, and anchored by a heroine whose strength comes not from perfection but from persistence and empathy. Fans of crime procedurals and character-driven thrillers will find much to admire here.
FBI Special Agent Emily Ray, still reeling from her last harrowing case, retreats to Lake Arrowhead with her father for what she hopes will be a quiet respite. But when her teenage neighbor, Lillian Knox, insists that her best friend Hayley did not drown accidentally, Emily is drawn into a small-town mystery that grows darker with every page. What begins as a reluctant favor for a grieving girl spirals into an investigation exposing corruption, abuse of power, and a chilling network of secrets hidden beneath the town’s idyllic surface.
The pacing is deliberate in the first half, allowing Greene to flesh out the eerie, off-season atmosphere of a tourist town gone quiet and to establish the personal stakes for Emily. As the story builds, the tempo shifts dramatically, pulling readers into a tense, breathless second act. By the midpoint, every character seems suspect, creating an atmosphere of paranoia that feels both unsettling and believable.
Greene excels at weaving multiple threads together—Emily’s complicated marriage, her bond with her father, and her growing connection to Lillian—without losing the central momentum of the mystery. Lillian in particular is a standout: raw, determined, and heartbreakingly believable as a teenager who refuses to accept the easy explanations given by the adults around her.
While some readers may find the first half slower than the relentless pace of book one, the payoff is worth it. The twists are well-planted, the revelations chilling, and the emotional weight of the ending lingers long after the last page. Greene is unafraid to tackle heavy themes—grooming, manipulation, systemic failures—and she handles them with sensitivity while never letting go of the thriller’s urgency.
This is a series that feels like it belongs on screen: cinematic, tense, and anchored by a heroine whose strength comes not from perfection but from persistence and empathy. Fans of crime procedurals and character-driven thrillers will find much to admire here.
July 9, 2025
Jumping into the middle of an already established series midway through is always a little challenging however when it is a detective mystery that continues where the first book left off it makes it much more difficult. Unfortunately that is where I found myself as a reader. I went into this book completely blind with no back story at all so I spent a lot of this book trying to get caught up. This book was a very fascinating mystery all about a young woman who is taking a leave from her job as a detective following a personal tragedy. So decides to go back to her roots when she can relax and grieve properly. However once Emily gets there she realises that there is more going on than it seems. Her once peaceful spot has now become a dark haven as it homes he possible murder of a local teenager. With her own issues still ringing in her head she decides that she is the only one that can bring justice to this family and the missing girl (Hayley Hope) so she jumps feet first into this case. While I do think reading the first would have been best I do like how this was a completely seperate mystery with just a few connection points so it made is simple to read however I feel it would have been better had I read the first. I'm not the biggest detective novel fan however, so parts of this book were just not up to my interest. I think had this been my genre of choice it would have been a lot better. I did really like the characters however and the fact that the chapter lengths weren't to long let you get into the story without a whole bunch of unnecessary information. Very different than what I'm used to however I did enjoy parts of this book. If you like detective books the check this out for sure however I do suggest reading number one first. This book just hit the ground running with not much build up however it was very well done that even though I'm new to the series I still found myself getting pulled into the plot of this book. Really good read however the second half of the book was much better. I can't wait to read the first book in this series.
July 10, 2025
BOOK: HAYLEY HOPE IS GONE
AUTHOR: MICHELE DOMINQUE GREENE
PUB DATE: 10TH JULY 2024
👩🏼✈️👩🏼✈️
REVIEW
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
👩🏼✈️👩🏼✈️
It's a super amazing book! And to think I was about to give up on it. First of all, I'm glad I continued the book. The first couple of chapters were boring to me, but they were necessary and filled with background information on the case and Emily's personal life. I also thought it was going to be a typical mystery, girl, was I wrong!
👩🏼✈️👩🏼✈️
The book started off with the fbi agent fmc, taking a break at a sma town with her dementia father where she met a teenage girl who's trying to figure out what happened to her best friend, Hayley Hope. The situation interested Emily, and she started working on it. I thought it was just a single crime, but it was an organized small-town, cult-like crime.
👩🏼✈️👩🏼✈️
The church in Lake Arrowhead, Church in the Hill, was a typical cult organization with all the trimmings, the submissive women, and the men who blame the women for all their sins. Basically, the cult controlled the whole town, and they have some people as outcasts if they don't conform to their rules. The church was really scary, and I was really glad to see their end.
👩🏼✈️👩🏼✈️
Emily was an elite agent. She was amazing and smart. She was able to outsmart the manipulating people in the small town. She believed the girl no one else would. Now, Lillian was just 15 years old with absent parents, an old (possibly) dementia grandmother, and still managed to talk about her friend's wrongful death. She was young and brave. I admired her.
👩🏼✈️👩🏼✈️
Anyway, this book was really good, I liked that everyone got the punishment they deserved, and Hayley got the justice she deserved. I eoukd definitely recommend this book, and I can't wait for the next book in the series. I want to read and see more of Emily.
👩🏼✈️👩🏼✈️
AUTHOR: MICHELE DOMINQUE GREENE
PUB DATE: 10TH JULY 2024
👩🏼✈️👩🏼✈️
REVIEW
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
👩🏼✈️👩🏼✈️
It's a super amazing book! And to think I was about to give up on it. First of all, I'm glad I continued the book. The first couple of chapters were boring to me, but they were necessary and filled with background information on the case and Emily's personal life. I also thought it was going to be a typical mystery, girl, was I wrong!
👩🏼✈️👩🏼✈️
The book started off with the fbi agent fmc, taking a break at a sma town with her dementia father where she met a teenage girl who's trying to figure out what happened to her best friend, Hayley Hope. The situation interested Emily, and she started working on it. I thought it was just a single crime, but it was an organized small-town, cult-like crime.
👩🏼✈️👩🏼✈️
The church in Lake Arrowhead, Church in the Hill, was a typical cult organization with all the trimmings, the submissive women, and the men who blame the women for all their sins. Basically, the cult controlled the whole town, and they have some people as outcasts if they don't conform to their rules. The church was really scary, and I was really glad to see their end.
👩🏼✈️👩🏼✈️
Emily was an elite agent. She was amazing and smart. She was able to outsmart the manipulating people in the small town. She believed the girl no one else would. Now, Lillian was just 15 years old with absent parents, an old (possibly) dementia grandmother, and still managed to talk about her friend's wrongful death. She was young and brave. I admired her.
👩🏼✈️👩🏼✈️
Anyway, this book was really good, I liked that everyone got the punishment they deserved, and Hayley got the justice she deserved. I eoukd definitely recommend this book, and I can't wait for the next book in the series. I want to read and see more of Emily.
👩🏼✈️👩🏼✈️
June 2, 2025
Special Agent Emily Ray is supposed to be enjoying a vacation with her father up at a lake when she hears about a girl who was recently found drowned. It was too quickly deemed to be an accidental drowning, according to her best friend, Lillian, who lives next to the lake house where Emily is staying. She believes her friend Hayley was murdered and that there was a cover-up involving a conservative church and the local sheriff’s department. She tells Emily that there’s a group of church members who pretty much run everything up on the mountain, and they don’t take kindly to being questioned or accused. But that never stops Emily, does it?
She slowly earns Lillian’s trust and looks into her accusations. What she finds is disturbing – there’s been a pattern of missing girls who are vulnerable and easily written off as runaways. We know where this is going – it’s up to Emily to investigate and find justice before she becomes the next female at the lake to disappear.
It’s quite an emotional story because it’s so realistic. Young people in isolated communities with nothing else to do except cause trouble and intimidate others who don’t fit in. The corruption is rampant, involving even social workers and foster families. This story may be fictional, but it’s heartbreaking knowing horrible things like this occur all over every day. That’s why I admire authors who write tough stories like this, painting a picture of the neglected and abused and the corrupt agencies that are supposed to help them.
I was really invested in this story and seeing the guilty parties face justice. The characterization of the evildoers was so good – I almost couldn’t stand reading about them; they were such terrible people! This series is now one of my favorites, and I can’t wait to see who or what Emily Ray comes up against next!
She slowly earns Lillian’s trust and looks into her accusations. What she finds is disturbing – there’s been a pattern of missing girls who are vulnerable and easily written off as runaways. We know where this is going – it’s up to Emily to investigate and find justice before she becomes the next female at the lake to disappear.
It’s quite an emotional story because it’s so realistic. Young people in isolated communities with nothing else to do except cause trouble and intimidate others who don’t fit in. The corruption is rampant, involving even social workers and foster families. This story may be fictional, but it’s heartbreaking knowing horrible things like this occur all over every day. That’s why I admire authors who write tough stories like this, painting a picture of the neglected and abused and the corrupt agencies that are supposed to help them.
I was really invested in this story and seeing the guilty parties face justice. The characterization of the evildoers was so good – I almost couldn’t stand reading about them; they were such terrible people! This series is now one of my favorites, and I can’t wait to see who or what Emily Ray comes up against next!
August 28, 2025
3 1/2 Stars
Rounding down in hopes that authors and publishers help to push to updating the rating system here. Rounding up only over inflates the books score. We need a system with better accuracy.
Hayley Hope Is Gone is a slow-burning thriller. Michelle Dominguez Greene writes a captivating page-turner detective novel. I found myself engrossed in this book and really enjoying the main character, Emily Rey.
A few things that didn’t work for me were that I found the storyline to be choppy. I didn’t like how her marriage troubles were laced throughout the case. It felt disjointed, and the two didn’t run well together.
From the very beginning of the book, I found myself at a disadvantage. This book is the second in a series. As the story progressed, I had more and more questions, and without reading the first book, the holes in the story were more evident. I wonder if I had read the first book, if things would have made more sense. Unfortunately, the description of the book did not have a recommendation to read them in order.
I also wished that there was a mention of the religious aspect in this book. Not once in the description was it mentioned; however, it was the main catalyst of the case and the identity of the story’s antagonists. Religion is a hot-button topic for many people. I would have still read it, but it seems like a huge oversight in my opinion, and definitely something worth noting.
Overall I did find the book enjoyable and may seek out her first book to help make more sense of this book.
Thank you to NetGalley, Storm Publishing, and Michelle Dominguez Greene for the opportunity to read this digital ARC for my honest review.
Rounding down in hopes that authors and publishers help to push to updating the rating system here. Rounding up only over inflates the books score. We need a system with better accuracy.
Hayley Hope Is Gone is a slow-burning thriller. Michelle Dominguez Greene writes a captivating page-turner detective novel. I found myself engrossed in this book and really enjoying the main character, Emily Rey.
A few things that didn’t work for me were that I found the storyline to be choppy. I didn’t like how her marriage troubles were laced throughout the case. It felt disjointed, and the two didn’t run well together.
From the very beginning of the book, I found myself at a disadvantage. This book is the second in a series. As the story progressed, I had more and more questions, and without reading the first book, the holes in the story were more evident. I wonder if I had read the first book, if things would have made more sense. Unfortunately, the description of the book did not have a recommendation to read them in order.
I also wished that there was a mention of the religious aspect in this book. Not once in the description was it mentioned; however, it was the main catalyst of the case and the identity of the story’s antagonists. Religion is a hot-button topic for many people. I would have still read it, but it seems like a huge oversight in my opinion, and definitely something worth noting.
Overall I did find the book enjoyable and may seek out her first book to help make more sense of this book.
Thank you to NetGalley, Storm Publishing, and Michelle Dominguez Greene for the opportunity to read this digital ARC for my honest review.
May 30, 2025
Hayley Hope is Gone: A gripping and unputdownable thriller (Special Agent Emily Ray Book 2) by Michelle Dominguez Greene starts well. I was very sad to come to the end of this book. I really liked Emily Ray and thought Lillian and Eddie were great characters. I enjoyed Lillian’s grandmother and Michael, Emily’s father, and the story and the sensitivity of portraying dementia. The story is intense and quite dark with intense drama, a compelling page-turner.
Special Agent Emily Ray’s journey to uncover the truth behind the drowning of a teenage girl in the seemingly peaceful town of Lake Arrowhead is both gripping and emotional. There were some tear-jerking moments. The author did a masterful job of blending suspense with character depth, particularly through Emily’s personal struggles and her bond with Hayley’s best friend, Lillian.
The narrative uncovers dark secrets and complicity within the community, raising important themes about vulnerability and justice, and there were some "cringey" moments of how people behave in public and private. With its unpredictable twists and compelling prose, this book is a must-read for thriller fans. More, please!! I cannot wait to see what will happen next.
I would highly recommend this book and this author. Read book one so you get to know Emily Ray and her backstory. You won’t be disappointed.
#HayleyHopeisGone #NetGalley @Stormbooks_co
Special Agent Emily Ray’s journey to uncover the truth behind the drowning of a teenage girl in the seemingly peaceful town of Lake Arrowhead is both gripping and emotional. There were some tear-jerking moments. The author did a masterful job of blending suspense with character depth, particularly through Emily’s personal struggles and her bond with Hayley’s best friend, Lillian.
The narrative uncovers dark secrets and complicity within the community, raising important themes about vulnerability and justice, and there were some "cringey" moments of how people behave in public and private. With its unpredictable twists and compelling prose, this book is a must-read for thriller fans. More, please!! I cannot wait to see what will happen next.
I would highly recommend this book and this author. Read book one so you get to know Emily Ray and her backstory. You won’t be disappointed.
#HayleyHopeisGone #NetGalley @Stormbooks_co
July 1, 2025
This is book 2 in the Special Agent Emily Ray series. I loved the first book, so I was very happy to be able to read this ARC.
"Secrets Beneath the Surface" is a gripping thriller that pulls you into the depths of a small town's dark secrets. The story quickly transforms from a peaceful retreat into a haunting investigation.
We are introduced to the tragic death of fifteen-year-old Hayley Hope, dismissed by local authorities as a simple drowning. But Emily’s instincts compel her to dig deeper.
What I found particularly compelling was how the author skillfully weaves real emotion into the suspense. Emily is not just a hardened agent; she's someone wrestling with her own past, and as she races against time to solve this mystery, you feel her fear, frustration, and hope. Each twist pulls at your heart, and just when you think you have it figured out, another layer emerges, challenging your perceptions of the townsfolk.
I couldn’t help but be drawn into the mystery, eagerly turning pages late into the night, desperate to uncover what had really happened to Hayley.
If you’re looking for a read that combines heart-pounding suspense with a deeply personal journey, “Secrets Beneath the Surface” is definitely worth your time.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Thank you, NetGalley, and Publisher for this copy.
"Secrets Beneath the Surface" is a gripping thriller that pulls you into the depths of a small town's dark secrets. The story quickly transforms from a peaceful retreat into a haunting investigation.
We are introduced to the tragic death of fifteen-year-old Hayley Hope, dismissed by local authorities as a simple drowning. But Emily’s instincts compel her to dig deeper.
What I found particularly compelling was how the author skillfully weaves real emotion into the suspense. Emily is not just a hardened agent; she's someone wrestling with her own past, and as she races against time to solve this mystery, you feel her fear, frustration, and hope. Each twist pulls at your heart, and just when you think you have it figured out, another layer emerges, challenging your perceptions of the townsfolk.
I couldn’t help but be drawn into the mystery, eagerly turning pages late into the night, desperate to uncover what had really happened to Hayley.
If you’re looking for a read that combines heart-pounding suspense with a deeply personal journey, “Secrets Beneath the Surface” is definitely worth your time.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Thank you, NetGalley, and Publisher for this copy.
July 10, 2025
Special Agent Emily Ray is just coming off of a case that nearly destroyed her career. Placed on leave, she decides to visit Lake Arrowhead with her father. Lake Arrowhead has a special place in Emily's heart from when her and her father would spend summers there while growing up. Expecting a peaceful and relaxing time away from work, Emily instead stumbles upon the case of 15-year-old Haley Hope. Haley's best friend swears that Haley was murdered but the local police are dismissive. That all changes when Emily begins to investigate and she realizes that for such a small town, there are a lot of lies and deception, along with a trail of young women disappearing. Can Emily uncover the truth before it's too late?
This is the second book in the Special Agent Emily Ray series and while you can absolutely read it as a standalone, the first book is just as good! Emily, our main character, is so real and relatable but also competent. She's not like a superhero badass but she is vulnerable and carries baggage like a normal person, so I took an interest in her right away. With short, punchy chapters, this story was fast-paced and steady, making me stay up entirely too late to finish! Overall, I'm really liking this series so far and if you'd like FBI thrillers and small town secrets, definitely give this series a shot!
Thank you to NetGalley, Michelle Dominguez Greene, and Storm Publishing for this ARC! Publication date is July 10th 2025.
This is the second book in the Special Agent Emily Ray series and while you can absolutely read it as a standalone, the first book is just as good! Emily, our main character, is so real and relatable but also competent. She's not like a superhero badass but she is vulnerable and carries baggage like a normal person, so I took an interest in her right away. With short, punchy chapters, this story was fast-paced and steady, making me stay up entirely too late to finish! Overall, I'm really liking this series so far and if you'd like FBI thrillers and small town secrets, definitely give this series a shot!
Thank you to NetGalley, Michelle Dominguez Greene, and Storm Publishing for this ARC! Publication date is July 10th 2025.
June 19, 2025
🌟🌟🌟🌟
Book two of the Emily Ray series.
Still on leave from the FBI’s CARD unit, (Child Abduction Rapid Deployment) Emily Ray takes advantage of the time with a much needed break. She heads out on vacation to Lake Arrowhead with her father. Meanwhile, Emily’s husband Antonio packs up their two daughters to visit his side of the family in Arizona before joining Emily in California.
But Emily is never truly off duty. Even on leave, trouble just seems to find her. Just as she and her father settle in to their rental, Lillian, a teenage girl next door catches Emily's attention. Lillian begins to share the mystery behind the death of her best friend Haley. And the cover up she believes is happening.
Well, that’s all Emily needs to dive deeper and determine if there’s any truth to this girl’s story.
What drew me to this series was the author’s ability to breathe life into Emily, displaying both her professional and personal life equally. And once again, in the follow up to My Name Is Emily Ray, Michele Dominguez Greene was able to capture that same magic.
Now that the family’s vacation time (if you can call it a vacation🙄) is over and everyone heads back home I’m desperate to see what’s in store for Emily next!
Anticipated publication date: July 10 2025
Thank you to Storm Publishing via NetGalley
Book two of the Emily Ray series.
Still on leave from the FBI’s CARD unit, (Child Abduction Rapid Deployment) Emily Ray takes advantage of the time with a much needed break. She heads out on vacation to Lake Arrowhead with her father. Meanwhile, Emily’s husband Antonio packs up their two daughters to visit his side of the family in Arizona before joining Emily in California.
But Emily is never truly off duty. Even on leave, trouble just seems to find her. Just as she and her father settle in to their rental, Lillian, a teenage girl next door catches Emily's attention. Lillian begins to share the mystery behind the death of her best friend Haley. And the cover up she believes is happening.
Well, that’s all Emily needs to dive deeper and determine if there’s any truth to this girl’s story.
What drew me to this series was the author’s ability to breathe life into Emily, displaying both her professional and personal life equally. And once again, in the follow up to My Name Is Emily Ray, Michele Dominguez Greene was able to capture that same magic.
Now that the family’s vacation time (if you can call it a vacation🙄) is over and everyone heads back home I’m desperate to see what’s in store for Emily next!
Anticipated publication date: July 10 2025
Thank you to Storm Publishing via NetGalley
July 10, 2025
Hayley Hope Is Gone by Michele Dominguez Greene is a dark, atmospheric mystery that pulls readers into a town brimming with secrets—and not all of them stay buried. From the chilling opening to the last haunting revelation, this is a story that grips you with a sense of unease and refuses to let go.
At the center of the novel is Emily Ray, a determined and instinct-driven investigator who simply can’t ignore when something doesn’t sit right. Despite warnings and a lack of official approval, she dives headfirst into the suspicious drowning of a young girl, Hayley Hope, uncovering a twisted web of lies, secrets, and long-held grudges that surround the town.
Greene’s writing masterfully sets the tone—eerie, tense, and laced with psychological unease. The small-town setting is painted with creeping dread, its residents full of cryptic behavior and hidden motives that keep the reader—and Emily—constantly on edge. The suspense is crafted with precision, making each revelation more unsettling than the last.
Hayley Hope Is Gone is a well-paced, immersive thriller that expertly blends character-driven drama with slow-burning suspense. Michele Dominguez Greene has delivered a mystery that not only chills but lingers, and Emily Ray is a protagonist readers will want to follow into her next case.
At the center of the novel is Emily Ray, a determined and instinct-driven investigator who simply can’t ignore when something doesn’t sit right. Despite warnings and a lack of official approval, she dives headfirst into the suspicious drowning of a young girl, Hayley Hope, uncovering a twisted web of lies, secrets, and long-held grudges that surround the town.
Greene’s writing masterfully sets the tone—eerie, tense, and laced with psychological unease. The small-town setting is painted with creeping dread, its residents full of cryptic behavior and hidden motives that keep the reader—and Emily—constantly on edge. The suspense is crafted with precision, making each revelation more unsettling than the last.
Hayley Hope Is Gone is a well-paced, immersive thriller that expertly blends character-driven drama with slow-burning suspense. Michele Dominguez Greene has delivered a mystery that not only chills but lingers, and Emily Ray is a protagonist readers will want to follow into her next case.
June 19, 2025
I am loving this series so far! Dominguez Greene is a phenomenal writer and it really shows in her work. Not only is the characterization and pacing on point, but you can tell she really put a lot of work into her research. And speaking of characterization, Emily is a perfectly designed character. Not only does she have plenty of baggage (as a main character should), but that baggage is constantly rearing its head. In some ways, this is good because it makes for great reading. But this poor woman gets put through the wringer! In this book, I knew who the players were pretty early on. I promise when you think you have it all figured out, add more to it. This was a really tangled web that exhibited classic small town secrets and corruption. What I didn’t expect was the major event in her own personal life! It was a very unwelcome surprise, and when I saw it start, I thought, “ There’s no way X is going to happen after everything that happened in the last book.” Well, it did. There were no signs of this in the first book, even though it had been brewing since then! So I’m really curious to see how the next book goes!
Huge thanks to Storm Publishing and NetGalley for sending me this ARC for review! All of my reviews are given honestly!
Huge thanks to Storm Publishing and NetGalley for sending me this ARC for review! All of my reviews are given honestly!
July 11, 2025
would like to thank netgalley and the publishers for letting me read this awesome book
emily ray is on special leave from her unit in the fbi so whilst they finish their investigation into her last case she takes a well earned break with her father to a place they use to visit when she was younger....
they have rented a lovely lakeside place and there seems to be only one two other people around them... a grandmother and granddaughter all is peaceful until the granddaughter lillian tells emily about her best friend hayley hope who she says was murdered....
it was enough to to get emily interested and whilst the woman who she had hired to look after her father she started to sniff around... not enough as this was a holiday to relax but it was also enough for emily to find gaps in the investigation.....
things werent adding up... and the childhood friend that emily had made years ago seems to have changed quite a bit...
ohh man this book is fast paced and shocking in its extreme... sometimes second books in a series are just that little bit flat after the first book introductions but this one kept up and introduced another element of emily that we saw....
i cant wait to find out what is next from this author... exciting times ahead
emily ray is on special leave from her unit in the fbi so whilst they finish their investigation into her last case she takes a well earned break with her father to a place they use to visit when she was younger....
they have rented a lovely lakeside place and there seems to be only one two other people around them... a grandmother and granddaughter all is peaceful until the granddaughter lillian tells emily about her best friend hayley hope who she says was murdered....
it was enough to to get emily interested and whilst the woman who she had hired to look after her father she started to sniff around... not enough as this was a holiday to relax but it was also enough for emily to find gaps in the investigation.....
things werent adding up... and the childhood friend that emily had made years ago seems to have changed quite a bit...
ohh man this book is fast paced and shocking in its extreme... sometimes second books in a series are just that little bit flat after the first book introductions but this one kept up and introduced another element of emily that we saw....
i cant wait to find out what is next from this author... exciting times ahead
August 27, 2025
After a closed breathtaking kidnapping case, Special Agent Emily Ray is on vacation with her father in the small mountain town where she spends her childhood summers. Her vacation is peaceful until she learns about Hayley Hope, a fifteen-year-old girl found drowned in Papoose Lake from her best friend, Lilian Knox, who lived next door to Emily’s vacation house. Lilian convinced Emily that it was murder.
Hayley Hope is Gone is the second book in Special Agent Emily Ray’s series. This time, the story is very slow-paced, more chill than the first one. The progress is so slow until the middle of the story, and then it starts fast when Emily starts to see what danger she will face. Almost everyone in the story is the villain and feels like a syndicate organization with so many connections everywhere as well. It is pretty cool.
However, there is a lack of tension and suspense and I like the first book better than this one. Also, there is a plot twist, but it wasn’t mesmerizing enough to leave an open jaw for me, and I feel a little bit disappointed. Because during the progress of Emily’s investigation, everyone is already suspicious enough for me to suspect there’s something wrong with the town.
Hayley Hope is Gone is the second book in Special Agent Emily Ray’s series. This time, the story is very slow-paced, more chill than the first one. The progress is so slow until the middle of the story, and then it starts fast when Emily starts to see what danger she will face. Almost everyone in the story is the villain and feels like a syndicate organization with so many connections everywhere as well. It is pretty cool.
However, there is a lack of tension and suspense and I like the first book better than this one. Also, there is a plot twist, but it wasn’t mesmerizing enough to leave an open jaw for me, and I feel a little bit disappointed. Because during the progress of Emily’s investigation, everyone is already suspicious enough for me to suspect there’s something wrong with the town.
June 29, 2025
Hayley Hope is gone is the second book in the Special Agent Emily Ray series and after reading the first book in the series, I was looking forward to reading this.
Emily Ray has been forced to take leave from the FBI after closing the recent case. She decides to take vacation with her father Micheal who suffers with Dementia to Lake Arrowhead where she used to visit as a child. But what was supposed to be a relaxing time away turns into something completely different. When local teen Lillian asks Emily’s help to find out what Haley Hope. Who everyone in the town says she committed suicide, but Lillian knows her that is not the case. She is asking for Emily’s help to find out the truth.
What Emily discovers is more than this sleepy mountain appears to be.
Thank you, Storm, for a copy Of Haley Hope is gone. This is another totally engaging read involving Emily Ray and about a small mountain town, that at first seem law abiding but as investigates there is more to it, then meets the eye. This is a more case orientated novel than a more personal one and lots of surprising and shocking twists along the way. 4 stars from me.
Emily Ray has been forced to take leave from the FBI after closing the recent case. She decides to take vacation with her father Micheal who suffers with Dementia to Lake Arrowhead where she used to visit as a child. But what was supposed to be a relaxing time away turns into something completely different. When local teen Lillian asks Emily’s help to find out what Haley Hope. Who everyone in the town says she committed suicide, but Lillian knows her that is not the case. She is asking for Emily’s help to find out the truth.
What Emily discovers is more than this sleepy mountain appears to be.
Thank you, Storm, for a copy Of Haley Hope is gone. This is another totally engaging read involving Emily Ray and about a small mountain town, that at first seem law abiding but as investigates there is more to it, then meets the eye. This is a more case orientated novel than a more personal one and lots of surprising and shocking twists along the way. 4 stars from me.
July 6, 2025
I just finished “Hayley Hope is Gone”, the second book in the Emily Ray series by Michele Dominguez Greene and it was even better than the first book, “My Name is Emily Ray.”
This series is about FBI agent, Emily Ray, her childhood abduction, and how it’s shaped her career as an FBI agent, hunting for missing and exploited children.
This book has a lot of characters, but it wasn’t confusing at all. It had a great pace and lots of action throughout the book, which I love when reading psychological thrillers! The story grips you very quickly and pulls you in!
It’s tough to read about our most vulnerable humans, children, being taken advantage of, which makes Emily’s character so important. She does not rest until she uncovers the truth and catches the predator(s).
I really have enjoyed this series and can’t wait for the next installment. This book earned a solid 4 stars from me! Thank you to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for the complimentary copy of the book in exchange for my honest review! This book publishes next week on July 10!
Now go read it!
#bookstagram
#NetGalley
#HayleyHopeisGone
This series is about FBI agent, Emily Ray, her childhood abduction, and how it’s shaped her career as an FBI agent, hunting for missing and exploited children.
This book has a lot of characters, but it wasn’t confusing at all. It had a great pace and lots of action throughout the book, which I love when reading psychological thrillers! The story grips you very quickly and pulls you in!
It’s tough to read about our most vulnerable humans, children, being taken advantage of, which makes Emily’s character so important. She does not rest until she uncovers the truth and catches the predator(s).
I really have enjoyed this series and can’t wait for the next installment. This book earned a solid 4 stars from me! Thank you to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for the complimentary copy of the book in exchange for my honest review! This book publishes next week on July 10!
Now go read it!
#bookstagram
#NetGalley
#HayleyHopeisGone
July 10, 2025
Hayley Hope is Gone
by Michelle Dominguez Greene
Pub Date: Jul 10 2025
Harley Hope is Gone is the 2nd book in Special Agent Emily Ray series, but can be read as a stand-a-lone.
It's a gripping story of a small town horror. A wonderful story that hit's you to your core, I found it hard to put down even when the scary parts started, and they were scary! This is a book I highly recommend, I eagerly await the authors next installment in the series.
Synopsis: The second installment in the addictive Special Agent Emily Ray series delivers heart-pounding suspense that will keep you turning pages late into the night. After closing the case that nearly destroyed her career, Special Agent Emily Ray is placed on mandatory leave and retreats to Lake Arrowhead with her father—a mountain town where she spent childhood summers. A peaceful vacation is just what she needs—until she learns about Hayley Hope, a fifteen-year-old girl found drowned in Papoose Lake. When Emily meets Hayley’s best friend Lillian Knox, the teen is convinced it was murder.
I want to thank #HayleyHopeisGone #NetGalley and author #MichelleDominguezGreene for providing me an E-ARC of this exciting book!
by Michelle Dominguez Greene
Pub Date: Jul 10 2025
Harley Hope is Gone is the 2nd book in Special Agent Emily Ray series, but can be read as a stand-a-lone.
It's a gripping story of a small town horror. A wonderful story that hit's you to your core, I found it hard to put down even when the scary parts started, and they were scary! This is a book I highly recommend, I eagerly await the authors next installment in the series.
Synopsis: The second installment in the addictive Special Agent Emily Ray series delivers heart-pounding suspense that will keep you turning pages late into the night. After closing the case that nearly destroyed her career, Special Agent Emily Ray is placed on mandatory leave and retreats to Lake Arrowhead with her father—a mountain town where she spent childhood summers. A peaceful vacation is just what she needs—until she learns about Hayley Hope, a fifteen-year-old girl found drowned in Papoose Lake. When Emily meets Hayley’s best friend Lillian Knox, the teen is convinced it was murder.
I want to thank #HayleyHopeisGone #NetGalley and author #MichelleDominguezGreene for providing me an E-ARC of this exciting book!
July 15, 2025
Hayley Hope is Gone is the second instalment of the Emily Ray series by Michelle Dominguez Greene. Check the book’s trigger warnings before proceeding on reading the book though.
After being put on a mandatory leave by the FBI, Emily Ray decided to rent out a vacation home at Lake Arrowhead - the place where she spent multiple summers when she was younger - with her father. But what she thought to be an idyllic vacation spot turns out to be hiding a sinister secret when she meets Lillian Knox, who insists that her best friend, Hayley Hope, did not simply ended her own life, she was murdered.
Unlike the first instalment, My Name is Emily Ray, Hayley Hope is Gone, is being narrated by multiple POVs, thus a lot is going on, but surprisingly easy to follow. There is not much police procedural going on as well, but the eerie and creepy atmosphere that surrounds the town will surely hook you in and will keep you turning the pages.
As for Emily, this is a turning point in her life after all that has happened, and what is next for her. She was definitely fleshed out more in this instalment, and I can’t wait to see what’s in store for her.
After being put on a mandatory leave by the FBI, Emily Ray decided to rent out a vacation home at Lake Arrowhead - the place where she spent multiple summers when she was younger - with her father. But what she thought to be an idyllic vacation spot turns out to be hiding a sinister secret when she meets Lillian Knox, who insists that her best friend, Hayley Hope, did not simply ended her own life, she was murdered.
Unlike the first instalment, My Name is Emily Ray, Hayley Hope is Gone, is being narrated by multiple POVs, thus a lot is going on, but surprisingly easy to follow. There is not much police procedural going on as well, but the eerie and creepy atmosphere that surrounds the town will surely hook you in and will keep you turning the pages.
As for Emily, this is a turning point in her life after all that has happened, and what is next for her. She was definitely fleshed out more in this instalment, and I can’t wait to see what’s in store for her.
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