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Laura Mori Mysteries #1
Where the Lost Girls Go
Rookie cop Laura Mori catches her first investigation when the fiery crash of a sports car lights up the night sky. The fire burns the body beyond recognition, but the police are able to identify the car as that of Kent Jameson, celebrity author and benefactor of Sunrise Lake. And Jameson fears that the unidentified body is his seventeen-year-old daughter Lucy, who stormed out of the house that night after an argument.
When lab reports reveal that the body was not Lucy, but a teen runaway named Kyra whose disappearance has been linked with other missing persons--more than half a dozen “lost girls” who disappeared while living on the streets of Portland--the investigation takes a drastic turn. How did Kyra come to land at the Jameson estate in rural Oregon, and what was she doing driving their car? And who cut the brake lines on the vehicle?
Just when Laura is making progress in the case, she comes across a suspicious lane in the forest that uncovers new evidence that will once again alter the course of the investigation and rock Sunrise Lake to its core.
When lab reports reveal that the body was not Lucy, but a teen runaway named Kyra whose disappearance has been linked with other missing persons--more than half a dozen “lost girls” who disappeared while living on the streets of Portland--the investigation takes a drastic turn. How did Kyra come to land at the Jameson estate in rural Oregon, and what was she doing driving their car? And who cut the brake lines on the vehicle?
Just when Laura is making progress in the case, she comes across a suspicious lane in the forest that uncovers new evidence that will once again alter the course of the investigation and rock Sunrise Lake to its core.
304 pages, Hardcover
First published February 7, 2017
38 people are currently reading
1417 people want to read
About the author
R.J. Noonan
2 books35 followersRosalind Noonan is a New York Times bestselling author of women’s fiction and domestic suspense novels and is a graduate of Wagner College. She lives in the Pacific Northwest, where she writes in the shade of some towering two-hundred-year-old Douglas fir trees. This is her first mystery under the name R.J. Noonan.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 103 reviews
November 23, 2018
I have to admit that the cover was the first thing that made me want to read Where the Lost Girls Go, that and the great title. So, it was a plus that the blurb made the book seem very interesting.
Rookie cop Laura Mori has finally gotten her first case when a young girl crashes her car. However, this is not an open and shut case. It seemed that the body in the car doesn't belong to the owner's daughter Lucy. So, who is the dead girl in the car and where is Lucy?
I really liked Laura Mori. I liked that she is new to the job, her problems with her family and that she has a crush on the neighbor guy for years and that he doesn't seem to notice that. All this made her very likable and human. The case is also interesting, especially when Mori discovers that more girls have gone missing and that Lucy's family and those are acting a bit weird. And, then there are all those kids out in the woods living there with their leader Prince (yup his name, hard to take someone serious with that nickname) Unfortunately, despite the interesting case did I feel that the story never really got really thrilling. Not boring either, it was just OK. I think the problem was that I never really got surprised over the turns of events in the book. There was no great twist.
Where the Lost Girls Go is a decent book, and I would definitely read more about Laura Mori because I found her to be an interesting character.
I want to thank the publisher for providing me with a free copy through NetGalley for an honest review!
Rookie cop Laura Mori has finally gotten her first case when a young girl crashes her car. However, this is not an open and shut case. It seemed that the body in the car doesn't belong to the owner's daughter Lucy. So, who is the dead girl in the car and where is Lucy?
I really liked Laura Mori. I liked that she is new to the job, her problems with her family and that she has a crush on the neighbor guy for years and that he doesn't seem to notice that. All this made her very likable and human. The case is also interesting, especially when Mori discovers that more girls have gone missing and that Lucy's family and those are acting a bit weird. And, then there are all those kids out in the woods living there with their leader Prince (yup his name, hard to take someone serious with that nickname) Unfortunately, despite the interesting case did I feel that the story never really got really thrilling. Not boring either, it was just OK. I think the problem was that I never really got surprised over the turns of events in the book. There was no great twist.
Where the Lost Girls Go is a decent book, and I would definitely read more about Laura Mori because I found her to be an interesting character.
I want to thank the publisher for providing me with a free copy through NetGalley for an honest review!
February 7, 2017
Where the Lost Girls Go (A Laura Mori Mystery #1) By R.J. Noonan
The book starts out with a female driver named Blossom who is driving a car who feels sick to her stomach. Did that mystery woman put something in her Pepsi, when she wasn't looking. Blossom is struggling to keep her standard transmission car on the road. She also feels dizzy. Mori and Cranston are driving with caution, Mori having gotten her training from the Oregon Police Academy. Mori thinks Cranston is old-school, he was her field training officer, she understands there are safety advantages to having two cops in one car. As they approach the accident scene they see a roaring ball of fire obliterating the car. The license plates that were on the car are unrecognizable. Fire and rescue had already arrived and had loaded the victim on a stretcher into the back of the ambulance. The driver is burned beyond recognition.
Laura Mori is a Japanese-American investigating her first case. She is a kind and gentle Protagonist. Laura who is twenty-four years old is put together with Randy her neighbor whom she has a crush. Randy works in the Fire and rescue squad. This girl is already dead from the crash. Randy thinks whoever was driving the burnt up Karmann Ghia had money. Laura has to get the vehicle identification number, question witnesses and secure the accident scene until forensics
arrive. After Laura ran the VIN the successful novelist Kent Jameson is whose name came back as the owner of the car. Her lieutenant, Charlie Omak had arrived. Lieutenant, Charlie Omak and Laura drove to Kent Jameson's family compound to notify that somebody driving his Karmann Ghia was DOA.
Kent Jameson thinks it is his daughter Lucy that in the fatality of the car accident because they had an arguement with Lucy and she isn't in her bed. Laura quietly collects a hair brush, toothbrush, nail clippings for DNA testing. Is it Lucy Jameson that died in that fiery crash or is it someone else?. The writing is really lovely. The description of the landscapes sounds beautiful from the writing. I like this book and am grateful to be reading the first one of this series. This was a perfect read for me right now. I love the pacing. It is an excellent mystery. I have just read two intense non-fiction books before this. I loved it. Highly Recommended. Five Stars!!!!
armann Ghia
The book starts out with a female driver named Blossom who is driving a car who feels sick to her stomach. Did that mystery woman put something in her Pepsi, when she wasn't looking. Blossom is struggling to keep her standard transmission car on the road. She also feels dizzy. Mori and Cranston are driving with caution, Mori having gotten her training from the Oregon Police Academy. Mori thinks Cranston is old-school, he was her field training officer, she understands there are safety advantages to having two cops in one car. As they approach the accident scene they see a roaring ball of fire obliterating the car. The license plates that were on the car are unrecognizable. Fire and rescue had already arrived and had loaded the victim on a stretcher into the back of the ambulance. The driver is burned beyond recognition.
Laura Mori is a Japanese-American investigating her first case. She is a kind and gentle Protagonist. Laura who is twenty-four years old is put together with Randy her neighbor whom she has a crush. Randy works in the Fire and rescue squad. This girl is already dead from the crash. Randy thinks whoever was driving the burnt up Karmann Ghia had money. Laura has to get the vehicle identification number, question witnesses and secure the accident scene until forensics
arrive. After Laura ran the VIN the successful novelist Kent Jameson is whose name came back as the owner of the car. Her lieutenant, Charlie Omak had arrived. Lieutenant, Charlie Omak and Laura drove to Kent Jameson's family compound to notify that somebody driving his Karmann Ghia was DOA.
Kent Jameson thinks it is his daughter Lucy that in the fatality of the car accident because they had an arguement with Lucy and she isn't in her bed. Laura quietly collects a hair brush, toothbrush, nail clippings for DNA testing. Is it Lucy Jameson that died in that fiery crash or is it someone else?. The writing is really lovely. The description of the landscapes sounds beautiful from the writing. I like this book and am grateful to be reading the first one of this series. This was a perfect read for me right now. I love the pacing. It is an excellent mystery. I have just read two intense non-fiction books before this. I loved it. Highly Recommended. Five Stars!!!!
armann Ghia
June 5, 2017
While I liked seeing an asian woman as a police detective the story just didn't really hold me. I plowed through because I was hoping there was going to be a twist or a big reveal that I never saw coming. Unfortunately I figured out the killer very early on and was correct in my assumption. The red herrings just weren't red enough.
Listened as audio book and the "reader" was excellent.
Listened as audio book and the "reader" was excellent.
April 13, 2018
Great read!
February 17, 2017
Dollycas’s Thoughts
A serial killer in Portland?? That may be the case. When Rookie Officer Laura Mori arrives at an inferno of a car on fire with her partner, she had no idea what was going to develop. What seemed to be a tragic traffic accident turns into a homicide investigation. Since her partner is due to leave for vacation Mori is assigned the case. The girl in the car turns out not to be who they thought but someone linked to a missing persons case involved several “lost girls”. What evolves will have you unable to put this book down.
R.J. Noonan has written a riveting mystery full of suspense. This story is played out in Portland, Oregon but could take place anywhere.
Laura Mori is a Japanese American whose parents think her job is just a phase she is going through. Because of her gentle demeanor they thought she would become a psychologist to help people, but college didn’t quite go as planned. They don’t really understand it, in fact, she is still living with her parents and her mother was upset the night of the accident that she didn’t call home and tell them she was going to be late. Her natural compassion is a double edged sword in her being a cop. She seems to get people, witnesses and suspects, to talk to her easily, but she does take the job home with her. She has a few issues of her own, but when working on the case, she works through her own problems the best she can. She is a complex main character.
The case focuses on the Jameson family. He is a rich author, his wife, number 2, works for charities and helps him organize his complicated life, his daughter, 17 year old Lucy, is a rebellious teenager that has her dad wrapped right around her little finger. The car in the accident belonged to them and the girl killed in the crash was Lucy’s friend. They live on a huge estate with stables and guest houses and they raise alpacas. Of course, they don’t do the work, they have a crew of hired hands.
The author twists and tangles the Jameson family together with their staff and a group of people living in the woods near their estate. There is also a corruption aspect in the police force. Readers follow Laura through her investigation. While trying to prove to everyone she can handle her job she does take some real risks. I wanted to jump into the book a few times to stop her, like when you scream at the characters in horror movies, telling them not to go into the dark scary places, same kind of thing here.
I am not going to say I was totally caught off guard by the way the story ended because I was in the ballpark as to the right suspect. I just needed the how and why to be definitely determined. It was even more twisted than I imagined.
Knowing this book is the start to a series is exciting for me. I found our protagonist to be very engaging and interesting. The other characters that I assume will be returning in future installments were also strong in this story. I am interested to see what the author has in store for all of them.
As this is the first story I have read by this author I now know I need to find out more about her and her other works.
A serial killer in Portland?? That may be the case. When Rookie Officer Laura Mori arrives at an inferno of a car on fire with her partner, she had no idea what was going to develop. What seemed to be a tragic traffic accident turns into a homicide investigation. Since her partner is due to leave for vacation Mori is assigned the case. The girl in the car turns out not to be who they thought but someone linked to a missing persons case involved several “lost girls”. What evolves will have you unable to put this book down.
R.J. Noonan has written a riveting mystery full of suspense. This story is played out in Portland, Oregon but could take place anywhere.
Laura Mori is a Japanese American whose parents think her job is just a phase she is going through. Because of her gentle demeanor they thought she would become a psychologist to help people, but college didn’t quite go as planned. They don’t really understand it, in fact, she is still living with her parents and her mother was upset the night of the accident that she didn’t call home and tell them she was going to be late. Her natural compassion is a double edged sword in her being a cop. She seems to get people, witnesses and suspects, to talk to her easily, but she does take the job home with her. She has a few issues of her own, but when working on the case, she works through her own problems the best she can. She is a complex main character.
The case focuses on the Jameson family. He is a rich author, his wife, number 2, works for charities and helps him organize his complicated life, his daughter, 17 year old Lucy, is a rebellious teenager that has her dad wrapped right around her little finger. The car in the accident belonged to them and the girl killed in the crash was Lucy’s friend. They live on a huge estate with stables and guest houses and they raise alpacas. Of course, they don’t do the work, they have a crew of hired hands.
The author twists and tangles the Jameson family together with their staff and a group of people living in the woods near their estate. There is also a corruption aspect in the police force. Readers follow Laura through her investigation. While trying to prove to everyone she can handle her job she does take some real risks. I wanted to jump into the book a few times to stop her, like when you scream at the characters in horror movies, telling them not to go into the dark scary places, same kind of thing here.
I am not going to say I was totally caught off guard by the way the story ended because I was in the ballpark as to the right suspect. I just needed the how and why to be definitely determined. It was even more twisted than I imagined.
Knowing this book is the start to a series is exciting for me. I found our protagonist to be very engaging and interesting. The other characters that I assume will be returning in future installments were also strong in this story. I am interested to see what the author has in store for all of them.
As this is the first story I have read by this author I now know I need to find out more about her and her other works.
January 4, 2019
This was really slow until about half way and it picked up some. I liked The Sisters by Noonan much better. I will continue to read her books there were a few twists in this one.
October 21, 2018
Good plot twist at the end but the author dragged it out too long.
February 1, 2017
Noonan really "wowed" me with this debut novel! This was a VERY well-written psychological thriller. It was a fast-paced page turner with interesting characters and plot twists that keep you up reading far too late into the night! I could hardly wait to get to the end to see "whodunit", but I also hated to be finished with the book!
I loved the Laura Mori character and her struggle to have her job seen as important and worthy in a culture that is especially hard on women and their career choices. She has a lot on her plate being a rookie cop, working her first case AND trying to gain her parent's approval and acceptance. I think she is written with just the right balance of heart and tenacity.
I am definitely looking forward to more books in this series!
This is the second title I have read from Crooked Lane Books, and I am very impressed with the quality and creativity of their authors.
*I received a complimentary ARC copy of this book from NetGalley & Crooked Lane Books in order to read and give an honest review.
I loved the Laura Mori character and her struggle to have her job seen as important and worthy in a culture that is especially hard on women and their career choices. She has a lot on her plate being a rookie cop, working her first case AND trying to gain her parent's approval and acceptance. I think she is written with just the right balance of heart and tenacity.
I am definitely looking forward to more books in this series!
This is the second title I have read from Crooked Lane Books, and I am very impressed with the quality and creativity of their authors.
*I received a complimentary ARC copy of this book from NetGalley & Crooked Lane Books in order to read and give an honest review.
May 26, 2019
It took a really long time for this book to get going. The beginning was unnecessarily long and boring, explaining the task force and identifying the victim when the intro already told us who it wasnt. Also I really didn't like Mori, she was portrayed pretty wimpy and scared most of the time and things just somehow always worked out for her which seemed unrealistic. I also didn't love her relationships with Nat or andy. The book got interesting talking about the Prince and the end but the rest kinda dragged on.
April 15, 2017
50% The lead character is so weak. immature and unsure of herself she was impossible to like or listen to. The other characters are overplayed and obnoxiously dramatic or mere sketches of characters. The narrator on the audio book was bad and the story was lame. All in all this one was not for me.
December 22, 2021
Eh not that bad but nothing special. A bit slow and predictable.
October 31, 2024
This book had me hooked. Starting with a woman dying in a car accident, a serial killer, a cult in the woods, missing girls, and a murder mystery writer. There was so much going on.
You have to stick with it until the end of chapter 10 then it really starts to pick up. The only thing I will say is I was annoyed that the lead narrator, the officer in the case, didn’t figure it out.
I figured out who the killer was halfway through the book and Officer Mori didn’t figure it out until the murderer confessed.
You have to stick with it until the end of chapter 10 then it really starts to pick up. The only thing I will say is I was annoyed that the lead narrator, the officer in the case, didn’t figure it out.
I figured out who the killer was halfway through the book and Officer Mori didn’t figure it out until the murderer confessed.
October 15, 2017
I would really give this book 3.5 stars if I could. The beginning started out with a bang with a young girl getting killed in an unexplained car crash. The middle of the story was a big slow moving for me, but not enough to lose interest. I'm glad I kept reading and found out the answer to where the lost girls go and since it wasn't where I thought that boosted my review!
October 18, 2018
Laura Mori is a Rookie cop who is called to a fiery crash. The body inside is burnt beyond recognition, but the vehicle is registered to a local author and benefactor of the community. After reporting the accident to the owner of the vehicle, Lucy learns that the celebrity’s 17 year-old-daughter has stormed out of the house earlier that evening after an argument; everyone feels that it is the daughter in the car.
Lab reports indicate that the unidentified body belongs to a runaway named Kyra, listed as one of the lost girls who disappeared in the local area. It was also learned that the brake lines in the car were cut, a filled can of gas helped to fuel the fire and the girl was loaded with the date rape drug! So, the girl was murdered, this was not an accident!
Every time Laura gets close to what she feels is a break in the case, she finds a new twist. Can she solve this murder before anyone else goes missing? Can she locate what she will discover is a serial killer?
Good book!
Lab reports indicate that the unidentified body belongs to a runaway named Kyra, listed as one of the lost girls who disappeared in the local area. It was also learned that the brake lines in the car were cut, a filled can of gas helped to fuel the fire and the girl was loaded with the date rape drug! So, the girl was murdered, this was not an accident!
Every time Laura gets close to what she feels is a break in the case, she finds a new twist. Can she solve this murder before anyone else goes missing? Can she locate what she will discover is a serial killer?
Good book!
May 4, 2017
A very good debut novel, I really enjoyed this book. Great characters that were well developed and believable, especially Laura who grew so much as the story progresses. Lots of suspence and you know when you can't stop turning the pages that you are onto a winner. Full of twists, turns and excitement this was an excellent read that all lead up to a very satisfying ending. I will definitely read more from this author. Thank you to Netgalley, the author and publisher for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
February 5, 2017
My thanks to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for an ARC of “Where The Lost Girls Go” by R.J. Noonan, in exchange for an honest review.
Rookie cop Laura Mori just landed her first case and it’s a big one. Following a fiery, fatal, single-car accident that made it impossible to identify the driver, the vehicle is quickly determined to belong to the town’s most famous resident, renowned author Kent Jameson. Pursuing this lead, the author admits to Laura that he got into an argument with Lucy, his 17-year old daughter earlier that evening, and is distraught to think she may have been the driver. Once forensics confirms that it wasn’t, neither the author nor his wife seem remotely concerned for the whereabouts of their missing daughter, nor are they even curious about the identity of the girl who died driving their car…even when they are told that the deceased had drugs in her system and the brake line to the car had deliberately been cut.
As Laura delves deeper into the investigation, she discovers that the Jameson’s erratic and peculiar behavior also extends to their missing daughter, who was not only friends with the deceased, but may not be the first of her friends whose lives met with foul play. Continuing her search for Lucy, Laura also learns that there are a group of runaways living in the forest nearby, and Lucy may be hiding out with them. So, has Lucy been killing her friends when she got bored of them, could the leader of the runaways possibly be involved, or is someone else preying on these young girls?
This book has some twists, but kind of felt like the reader was being pushed to suspect certain characters, in order to then be surprised by the big reveal at the end, which felt forced and didn’t work for me, so I easily figured out the true culprit early on. The author does, however, lay the groundwork quite nicely for the series with a really terrific cast of recurring characters, and I particularly liked the protagonist…a 20-something Japanese woman, trying to do the right thing while also trying to prove herself, in the workplace as well as to her parents, who are embarrassed by her career choice. I believe this to be a nice first effort by the author, which shows great promise, so I will certainly be back for the next installment.
Rookie cop Laura Mori just landed her first case and it’s a big one. Following a fiery, fatal, single-car accident that made it impossible to identify the driver, the vehicle is quickly determined to belong to the town’s most famous resident, renowned author Kent Jameson. Pursuing this lead, the author admits to Laura that he got into an argument with Lucy, his 17-year old daughter earlier that evening, and is distraught to think she may have been the driver. Once forensics confirms that it wasn’t, neither the author nor his wife seem remotely concerned for the whereabouts of their missing daughter, nor are they even curious about the identity of the girl who died driving their car…even when they are told that the deceased had drugs in her system and the brake line to the car had deliberately been cut.
As Laura delves deeper into the investigation, she discovers that the Jameson’s erratic and peculiar behavior also extends to their missing daughter, who was not only friends with the deceased, but may not be the first of her friends whose lives met with foul play. Continuing her search for Lucy, Laura also learns that there are a group of runaways living in the forest nearby, and Lucy may be hiding out with them. So, has Lucy been killing her friends when she got bored of them, could the leader of the runaways possibly be involved, or is someone else preying on these young girls?
This book has some twists, but kind of felt like the reader was being pushed to suspect certain characters, in order to then be surprised by the big reveal at the end, which felt forced and didn’t work for me, so I easily figured out the true culprit early on. The author does, however, lay the groundwork quite nicely for the series with a really terrific cast of recurring characters, and I particularly liked the protagonist…a 20-something Japanese woman, trying to do the right thing while also trying to prove herself, in the workplace as well as to her parents, who are embarrassed by her career choice. I believe this to be a nice first effort by the author, which shows great promise, so I will certainly be back for the next installment.
October 13, 2018
When the lead character is a female police officer, I want that character to be an officer who happens to be female, not a naive girl pretending to be a cop. If Mori were a male cop you wouldn't hear about his crush, which was completely irrelevant to the story.
I'm no cop, but I can't count the number of violations of police procedure there were. Mori is supposed to be a bright rookie, but she takes every statement by a suspect as truth. And she goes all in every time. "I found these drugs in her room" is not evidence. Mori's attacked, and instead of reporting it to the police (!!!!!!), she runs to the wife of her suspect and tells her everything!?
This is her first case. She's obviously not ready to be on the case at all, but she's the lead. Virtually no supervision. She misses so much, believes it when she's told where the drugs and the pictures were found with no evidence.
Also, this police force is super chill about founding four dead bodies. They've been lining for "lost girls" for years, but they can't be bothered to search the woods, even after they know they're there!? Send rescue dogs to look for them, for goodness' sake!
There is no mystery. Nothing to spoil. If you haven't identified the murderer in the beginning, mysteries aren't for you.
I'm no cop, but I can't count the number of violations of police procedure there were. Mori is supposed to be a bright rookie, but she takes every statement by a suspect as truth. And she goes all in every time. "I found these drugs in her room" is not evidence. Mori's attacked, and instead of reporting it to the police (!!!!!!), she runs to the wife of her suspect and tells her everything!?
This is her first case. She's obviously not ready to be on the case at all, but she's the lead. Virtually no supervision. She misses so much, believes it when she's told where the drugs and the pictures were found with no evidence.
Also, this police force is super chill about founding four dead bodies. They've been lining for "lost girls" for years, but they can't be bothered to search the woods, even after they know they're there!? Send rescue dogs to look for them, for goodness' sake!
There is no mystery. Nothing to spoil. If you haven't identified the murderer in the beginning, mysteries aren't for you.
December 31, 2016
Laura Mori is a rookie detective who catches her first big case when a young woman thought to be the daughter of a local author dies is a fiery accident. Mori still lives at home with her parents, who own a Chinese restaurant and who do not approve of Mori's chosen profession. Having a protagonist who is smart, enthusiastic but undervalued both at home and at work really makes the reader root for her success. Noonan also creates and great mystery with many unexpected plot twists. I'll enjoy reading future works by Noonan.
December 27, 2017
The main character's last name is Mori, Japanese for "forest," but she's terrified of the woods. And is working a case that is based in the woods. Oh my gosh, guys, the nuance. And you're in luck, because the rest of the book is just as nuanced! 1/4 of the way into the book the ending becomes fairly apparent. Not even brain candy.
March 6, 2023
What was even that
February 6, 2017
Huge thank you to Netgalley & Crooked Lane books for giving me this opportunity to read this ebook in exchange for my honest review!
So to me this is a tale about a lost girl, depending on how you look at this Lucy Jameson's life you could have two very different perspectives. You could see her as the Spoiled rotten rich girl, or maybe she's just a scared teenage girl experiencing her first crush and deals with life by running away? You'll have to make your own assumptions on that one when you read the book, I'm not one to give away any spoilers in my reviews!! (although sometimes that makes it really hard to give a good review!!)
I absolutely loved this book!!!! I actually started reading a different one and couldn't get into it, so i switched to this one, but from the first page of this book I was caught! The hook was in mouth & I was being reeled in before i even knew what was happening!!! That first chapter was full of so much mystery, I had to keep reading and figure out what was going on! & what an awesome roller coaster this book dragged me on !!
Let me start my saying I LOVED Laura Mori! She was out to prove herself from the beginning, in a man's world and being her first case I'd say she did a wonderful Job! I love that she was the type of girl that had to follow up every lead, even if someone else above her didn't think it was important or even when she was told to stay away, she just had to follow through and figure it out! That's my type of cop! It never got boring reading the story through her investigation, it got a little touch and go there in the end when i was scared to death for her SCREAMING at my book "WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING!?!! CALL SOMEONE! TEXT SOMEONE! GET THE HELL OUT OF THERE" (not even kidding.. i think my dogs are still a little jumpy from all the excitement). I also liked Omak, Z, & Natalie's characters ( i mean how could you not ?)
I love the way the Jameson family was introduced, the rich bigwigs in town that no one is allowed to touch, even have the law standing on tip toes trying not to upset them, that is the most realistic part of the story!!
I honestly thought i had this book figured out halfway through, I never thought Lucy was any part of it I for once put all the blame on the evil step mother (haha), but usually with a good book what you think you have figured out is quick to go to crap in the end! I like a book that can still surprise you in the end!
Overall VERY VERY good book !!!
I am so happy i had the chance to read this, don't think i would have found the book if not for netgalley and i am so happy i did !! Hoping this will turn out a series! I love a good cop series, I love the chance to play detective, gather all the evidence try to figure out who did it and why! I will be looking out for this author in the future!
So to me this is a tale about a lost girl, depending on how you look at this Lucy Jameson's life you could have two very different perspectives. You could see her as the Spoiled rotten rich girl, or maybe she's just a scared teenage girl experiencing her first crush and deals with life by running away? You'll have to make your own assumptions on that one when you read the book, I'm not one to give away any spoilers in my reviews!! (although sometimes that makes it really hard to give a good review!!)
I absolutely loved this book!!!! I actually started reading a different one and couldn't get into it, so i switched to this one, but from the first page of this book I was caught! The hook was in mouth & I was being reeled in before i even knew what was happening!!! That first chapter was full of so much mystery, I had to keep reading and figure out what was going on! & what an awesome roller coaster this book dragged me on !!
Let me start my saying I LOVED Laura Mori! She was out to prove herself from the beginning, in a man's world and being her first case I'd say she did a wonderful Job! I love that she was the type of girl that had to follow up every lead, even if someone else above her didn't think it was important or even when she was told to stay away, she just had to follow through and figure it out! That's my type of cop! It never got boring reading the story through her investigation, it got a little touch and go there in the end when i was scared to death for her SCREAMING at my book "WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING!?!! CALL SOMEONE! TEXT SOMEONE! GET THE HELL OUT OF THERE" (not even kidding.. i think my dogs are still a little jumpy from all the excitement). I also liked Omak, Z, & Natalie's characters ( i mean how could you not ?)
I love the way the Jameson family was introduced, the rich bigwigs in town that no one is allowed to touch, even have the law standing on tip toes trying not to upset them, that is the most realistic part of the story!!
I honestly thought i had this book figured out halfway through, I never thought Lucy was any part of it I for once put all the blame on the evil step mother (haha), but usually with a good book what you think you have figured out is quick to go to crap in the end! I like a book that can still surprise you in the end!
Overall VERY VERY good book !!!
I am so happy i had the chance to read this, don't think i would have found the book if not for netgalley and i am so happy i did !! Hoping this will turn out a series! I love a good cop series, I love the chance to play detective, gather all the evidence try to figure out who did it and why! I will be looking out for this author in the future!
March 29, 2020
The story takes the reader into the investigation of the crash of a sports car with an unidentifiable body. The car is traced to famous author Kent Jameson and that the driver possibly being his daughter Lucy who has gone missing. Rookie officer Laura Mori is put on the case. Lab reports reveal the body wasn’t Lucy but a teen runaway, Kyra. The investigation gets linked to the disappearance of more girls called the lost girls. As the investigation proceeds, the police find out these girls are living in the woods behind the authors house with a man called the prince who takes care of them. There are many things that don’t add up with the Jameson family such as why they are not concerned for their daughter and why they hire these homeless kids. The finger is pointed in many directions. Lucy is made out to look guilty because she brought these homeless girls home to live in the house but eventually each girl goes missing.
In the end, the prince had the police come to get the lost girls and he leaves the woods. Kent Jameson ended up seducing the girls but his wife was the one who drugged the girls, killed them and buried them. Lucy is the one who found the graves and led Laura to them after Lucy was being accused. After Kent tried to seduce Laura, she ran to tell and warn his wife, who ended up drugging her and confessing to her. Luckily Laura texted her partner prior to that and they find her and the wife who she knocked out. Lucy disappears to be with the prince.
The beginning of the story was slow for me but eventually picked up and held my interest. The investigation tried to put the blame on different people but towards the end it became obvious especially with the drugging of the girls because the wife kept offering tea to everyone. Overall the book was a good read
In the end, the prince had the police come to get the lost girls and he leaves the woods. Kent Jameson ended up seducing the girls but his wife was the one who drugged the girls, killed them and buried them. Lucy is the one who found the graves and led Laura to them after Lucy was being accused. After Kent tried to seduce Laura, she ran to tell and warn his wife, who ended up drugging her and confessing to her. Luckily Laura texted her partner prior to that and they find her and the wife who she knocked out. Lucy disappears to be with the prince.
The beginning of the story was slow for me but eventually picked up and held my interest. The investigation tried to put the blame on different people but towards the end it became obvious especially with the drugging of the girls because the wife kept offering tea to everyone. Overall the book was a good read
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 23, 2017
This was my first book by this author and I'm so glad I gave it a shot. I listened to the audio version thru Hoopla courtesy of my local library and it was a great distraction while sitting in traffic on my daily commute. It popped up at the bottom saying what others have also checked out. The title as well as the cover drew me to see what it was about. I just have to say I think it's pretty awesome that libraries are using these types of online sites to offer more opportunities for their patrons to explore and utilize. I love being able to get an audio or ebook so easily.
This was fast-paced and well written. It grabbed me from the opening scene of Blossom driving a car down curvy roads and feeling a bit sick, like maybe she was drugged. Then we go to Laura Mori, a fresh young officer heading to the scene of a fiery crash involving a single car. In this small town of Sunrise Lake there's no designated investigators so typically the officer at a scene investigates it. That being said this is Mori's first case. The car belongs to the local celebrity author whose daughter also happens to be missing since not long before the accident. Is the burned body in the car Lucy, the author's daughter? Or is it someone else? And if so, where is Lucy? Oh yeah, the brake line was also cut so we're leaning towards murder and not just an accident. As Mori continues with her investigation, she learns more and also ends up with more questions. Who are the people living in the woods and do they have anything to do with a missing persons case known as the lost girls? And will the two cases be connected? So many questions to uncover. The suspense and twists were great. I'm looking forward to the next installment in A Laura Mori Mystery series.
This was fast-paced and well written. It grabbed me from the opening scene of Blossom driving a car down curvy roads and feeling a bit sick, like maybe she was drugged. Then we go to Laura Mori, a fresh young officer heading to the scene of a fiery crash involving a single car. In this small town of Sunrise Lake there's no designated investigators so typically the officer at a scene investigates it. That being said this is Mori's first case. The car belongs to the local celebrity author whose daughter also happens to be missing since not long before the accident. Is the burned body in the car Lucy, the author's daughter? Or is it someone else? And if so, where is Lucy? Oh yeah, the brake line was also cut so we're leaning towards murder and not just an accident. As Mori continues with her investigation, she learns more and also ends up with more questions. Who are the people living in the woods and do they have anything to do with a missing persons case known as the lost girls? And will the two cases be connected? So many questions to uncover. The suspense and twists were great. I'm looking forward to the next installment in A Laura Mori Mystery series.
January 5, 2020
I received the finished, hardback edition of Where the Lost Girls Go by R. J. Noonan through Goodreads Giveaways.
Below is my honest, unbiased review of Where the Lost Girls Go by R. J. Noonan.
Where the Lost Girls Go by R. J. Noonan is my first read for 2020. This novel falls into the mystery/thriller genre and is the first novel in the 'A Laura Mori Mystery' series. And, to the best of my recollection, Where the Lost Girls Go is the first book I've read by R. J. Noonan.
I love the beautiful cover design/artwork for Where the Lost Girls Go by R. J. Noonan. I also enjoyed Noonan's writing and storytelling as she's written a really good mystery novel that kept me engaged from start to finish. Lots of red herrings throughout this novel that keeps the reader guessing whodunnit. The characters were all well done for the most part too.
I pretty much guessed whodunnit towards the end of Where the Lost Girls Go by R. J. Noonan and why... Additionally, there were a few minor things about this novel that didn't sit well with me. Otherwise, I really enjoyed Where the Lost Girls Go by R. J. Noonan.
I liked reading Where the Lost Girls Go so much, that I am thinking about reading the second novel in the 'A Laura Mori Mystery' series by R. J. Noonan titled, In the Line of Fire.
Below is my honest, unbiased review of Where the Lost Girls Go by R. J. Noonan.
Where the Lost Girls Go by R. J. Noonan is my first read for 2020. This novel falls into the mystery/thriller genre and is the first novel in the 'A Laura Mori Mystery' series. And, to the best of my recollection, Where the Lost Girls Go is the first book I've read by R. J. Noonan.
I love the beautiful cover design/artwork for Where the Lost Girls Go by R. J. Noonan. I also enjoyed Noonan's writing and storytelling as she's written a really good mystery novel that kept me engaged from start to finish. Lots of red herrings throughout this novel that keeps the reader guessing whodunnit. The characters were all well done for the most part too.
I pretty much guessed whodunnit towards the end of Where the Lost Girls Go by R. J. Noonan and why... Additionally, there were a few minor things about this novel that didn't sit well with me. Otherwise, I really enjoyed Where the Lost Girls Go by R. J. Noonan.
I liked reading Where the Lost Girls Go so much, that I am thinking about reading the second novel in the 'A Laura Mori Mystery' series by R. J. Noonan titled, In the Line of Fire.
November 15, 2018
"Where the Lost Girls Go" is in an interesting police procedural that follows a young police officer, Laura Mori, as she follows the clues to solving a crime. While she is on patrol, there is a car accident that at first seems accidental but then is clearly a murder. The car belongs to a rich author who seems to be untouchable. At first assuming the body is of his daughter who stormed out after a fight, Laura investigates the estate. After it turns out to be one of the "lost girls," teens who are likely runaways that have gone missing, Laura's investigation takes many twists and turns.
Although I found it pretty easy to guess what had happened (whodunnit, so to speak), there were a lot of twists in the plot that I didn't see coming. I wish I hadn't been able to guess who was behind it so easily, but it was still a good journey to the end of the book. Laura was a great character to follow on the investigation, and I really enjoyed the tidbits of her life alongside the case. I would definitely be interested to follow her in the future. It was a solid case with all sorts of eccentric characters that Laura must encounter on her way to the truth. Overall, it was an interesting book and solid procedural- I would recommend for people who enjoy this genre!
Although I found it pretty easy to guess what had happened (whodunnit, so to speak), there were a lot of twists in the plot that I didn't see coming. I wish I hadn't been able to guess who was behind it so easily, but it was still a good journey to the end of the book. Laura was a great character to follow on the investigation, and I really enjoyed the tidbits of her life alongside the case. I would definitely be interested to follow her in the future. It was a solid case with all sorts of eccentric characters that Laura must encounter on her way to the truth. Overall, it was an interesting book and solid procedural- I would recommend for people who enjoy this genre!
February 6, 2017
Rookie cop Laura Mori goes to the scene of a fiery car crash. The vintage sports car belongs to celebrity author Kent Jameson, who fears that the unidentified body is his 17-year-old daughter Lucy, who stormed out of the house that night after an argument.
This case is not a straightforward DUI but a homicide since the car’s brakes was deliberately cut.
Forensics reveal that the body was not Lucy, but a teen runaway named Kyra whose disappearance has been linked with more than half a dozen “lost girls” who disappeared while living on the streets of Portland. So Laura's first investigation gets more complex, but she is eager to show what she can do. Laura is also at odds with the members of her traditional Japanese family, who do not approve of her career choice. How did Kyra connect with the Jamesons and what was she doing driving their car? And who cut the brake lines on the vehicle?
A band of runaways living in the nearby state forest is led by a charismatic survivalist they call the Prince. Is Lucy with them? Is this a murderous cult? Or is someone else responsible for the disappearing girls?
This case is not a straightforward DUI but a homicide since the car’s brakes was deliberately cut.
Forensics reveal that the body was not Lucy, but a teen runaway named Kyra whose disappearance has been linked with more than half a dozen “lost girls” who disappeared while living on the streets of Portland. So Laura's first investigation gets more complex, but she is eager to show what she can do. Laura is also at odds with the members of her traditional Japanese family, who do not approve of her career choice. How did Kyra connect with the Jamesons and what was she doing driving their car? And who cut the brake lines on the vehicle?
A band of runaways living in the nearby state forest is led by a charismatic survivalist they call the Prince. Is Lucy with them? Is this a murderous cult? Or is someone else responsible for the disappearing girls?
May 24, 2017
I'm a little unsure on this one. I gave it 4 stars because I did really enjoy it but I had some big issues as well. The first half of the novel does a very good job at set up. I felt like the pacing was right and there was the right amount of personal life vs. The Case. I loved that there was diversity in the cast of characters (although her family seemed to follow Asian-american stereotypes almost offensively closely...) and the characters were reasonably complex.. the main ones were anyway.
My biggest issue was that in the second half of the book things got almost... jeuvenile. All of a sudden our heroine seems closer to 12 than 24. The voice just lost something for me. Several of the side characters are flat and forgotten about, and the deneument is rather convenient. The solve felt very easy. I was not surprised by the who-dunit.
Again, I rounded up to 4 because I ultimately did enjoy the read and I'm hopeful that in future novels Noonan will get rid of the over used metaphors and tighten up the plotlines.
My biggest issue was that in the second half of the book things got almost... jeuvenile. All of a sudden our heroine seems closer to 12 than 24. The voice just lost something for me. Several of the side characters are flat and forgotten about, and the deneument is rather convenient. The solve felt very easy. I was not surprised by the who-dunit.
Again, I rounded up to 4 because I ultimately did enjoy the read and I'm hopeful that in future novels Noonan will get rid of the over used metaphors and tighten up the plotlines.
June 1, 2017
I liked that this story had a strong female character. Because of that, it was also awesome that, other than a crush mentioned briefly, there wasn't a love story mixed in. I really appreciated that & hope that R.J. Noonan and other authors will keep up the trend.
As far as the story itself, I found it pretty interesting, but when I reached the end, I realized I had some unanswered questions. At times it felt like there were 2 storylines, but by the end it seemed like it was all 1 with lots of detail. The "storyline" about the cult in the woods didn't fully develop & details seemed to be added just to wrap that part up. I thought that was also interesting and would have loved to have a little more in-depth look at that before weaving the worlds together.
I plan to check out the next book in the series when it comes out.
I would like to thank NetGalley, Crooked Lane Books, and R.J. Noonan for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.
As far as the story itself, I found it pretty interesting, but when I reached the end, I realized I had some unanswered questions. At times it felt like there were 2 storylines, but by the end it seemed like it was all 1 with lots of detail. The "storyline" about the cult in the woods didn't fully develop & details seemed to be added just to wrap that part up. I thought that was also interesting and would have loved to have a little more in-depth look at that before weaving the worlds together.
I plan to check out the next book in the series when it comes out.
I would like to thank NetGalley, Crooked Lane Books, and R.J. Noonan for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.
October 19, 2018
In a lot of ways this isn't my usual fare. Although I read a lot of crime fiction and mysteries I very rarely read one in which the main character isn't strong, fierce and badass. To be honest, I'm not sure I ever have before this.
Laura Mori is not my usual heroine. She wasn't particularly confident. She wasn't really capable of defending herself. She scared easy. She wasn't sarcastic. Or bitter. Or outspoken. And she was kind of naive. But I actually rather liked her. She wasn't any of the above things - but she was consistent and nice and determined to try to overcome her fears. She genuinely cared about the people involved in the case and wanted to do her best to help them - even when she was terrified.
The case itself wasn't thrilling. I wasn't eagerly anticipating the next page or overly surprised with any of the twists. But like Laura Mori, it was steady and consistent and it kept my attention. I'll definitely pick up the rest of the series.
Laura Mori is not my usual heroine. She wasn't particularly confident. She wasn't really capable of defending herself. She scared easy. She wasn't sarcastic. Or bitter. Or outspoken. And she was kind of naive. But I actually rather liked her. She wasn't any of the above things - but she was consistent and nice and determined to try to overcome her fears. She genuinely cared about the people involved in the case and wanted to do her best to help them - even when she was terrified.
The case itself wasn't thrilling. I wasn't eagerly anticipating the next page or overly surprised with any of the twists. But like Laura Mori, it was steady and consistent and it kept my attention. I'll definitely pick up the rest of the series.
August 15, 2018
3.7 Awww I believe I have found a new favorite investigator. This is Laura Mori first investigation. I am a big mystery/thriller fan, most of my repeat investigators male or female have nasty potty-mouths ~ those nasty f-bombs
I do love this character. Audio narrator Emily Woo Zeller does an excellent job performing all the characters.
Although there were twists in this I had my suspicions somewhat early
I did a search on Rosalind Noonan novels and see she is also listed as RJ Noonan.
I look forward to Book #2 of the Lori Mori Mystery series.
I do love this character. Audio narrator Emily Woo Zeller does an excellent job performing all the characters.
Although there were twists in this I had my suspicions somewhat early
I did a search on Rosalind Noonan novels and see she is also listed as RJ Noonan.
I look forward to Book #2 of the Lori Mori Mystery series.
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