Bare Girl

Detective Erin Bond #1

by Bella Forrest

A page-turning serial killer thriller

From million-bestselling author Bella Forrest comes a dark and delicious new crime novel...

Megastar Isabel Morales has never been one to shy away from controversy. But after a particularly daring, full-nude shoot on Wall Street, it's not only the media that has spiraled into a frenzy. Fans, and heck, the entire world seem to be turning against her.

Rants, insults and death threats - Isabel has experienced it all in her time... But never like this.

Her stunt was meant to be a statement of empowerment to women - a show of taking back her body from the capitalists who claim it as their own. But people don't get it.

When Isabel vanishes in broad daylight from a building, Private Investigator Erin Bond receives a desperate call from Isabel's manager requesting her to join forces with the police in the case.

Erin suspects she's in for the ride of her career, but given Erin's own celebrity status as an abducted child, she never thought it could become the ride of her life...

Nothing is as it seems in the search for Isabel Morales.

Buy now to join the hunt...

Genres: Thriller, Mystery, Fiction

211 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 30, 2016

About the author

UPDATE MARCH 11, 2024:

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*** New, updated online store at https://BellaForrest.com

*** New books coming soon

*** Possible Film/TV series coming soon

*** Stay up to date by joining our e-mail list at https://BellaForrest.com/join

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Bella Forrest is a lover of fantasy, romance, action, and mystery infused stories with twists you don’t see coming. She has sold over fifteen million books since her first novel was published in 2012.

Check out her website for a full list of her books: https://BellaForrest.com

Official Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/BellaForrest...

Here's a list of some of Bella's books:

DARKLIGHT

Darklight (Book 1)
Darkthirst (Book 2)
Darkworld (Book 3)
Darkblood (Book 4)
Darktide (Book 5)
Darkbirth (Book 6)
Darkfall (Book 7)
Darkwilds (Book 8)
Darkhunt (Book 9)

A LOVE THAT ENDURES (Trilogy)
A Love that Endures 1
A Love that Endures 2
A Love that Endures 3

HARLEY MERLIN AND THE SECRET COVEN

Harley Merlin and the Secret Coven (Book 1)
Harley Merlin and the Mystery Twins (Book 2)
Harley Merlin and the Stolen Magicals (Book 3)
Harley Merlin and the First Ritual (Book 4)
Harley Merlin and the Broken Spell (Book 5)
Harley Merlin and the Cult of Eris (Book 6)
Harley Merlin and the Detector Fix (Book 7)
Harley Merlin and the Challenge of Chaos (Book 8)
Harley Merlin and the Mortal Pact (Book 9)
Finch Merlin and the Fount of Youth (Book 10)
Finch Merlin and the Lost Map (Book 11)
Finch Merlin and the Djinn's Curse (Book 12)
Finch Merlin and the Locked Gateway (Book 13)
Finch Merlin and the Forgotten Kingdom (Book 14)
Finch Merlin and the Everlasting Vow (Book 15)
Finch Merlin and the Blood Tie (Book 16)
Finch Merlin and the Legend of the Luminary
Persie Merlin and Leviathan's Gift (Book 18)
Persie Merlin and the Door to Nowhere (Book 19)
Persie Merlin and the Witch Hunters (Book 20)
Persie Merlin and the Dying Song (Book 21)

THE CHILD THIEF

The Child Thief (Book 1)
Deep Shadows (Book 2)
Thin Lines (Book 3)
Little Lies (Book 4)
Ghost Towns (Book 5)
Zero Hour (Book 6)

HOTBLOODS

Hotbloods (Book 1)
Hotbloods (Book 2): Coldbloods
Hotbloods (Book 3): Renegades
Hotbloods (Book 4): Venturers
Hotbloods (Book 5): Traitors
Hotbloods (Book 6): Allies
Hotbloods (Book 7): Invaders
Hotbloods (Book 8): Stargazers

THE GENDER GAME

The Gender Game (Book 1)
The Gender Secret (Book 2)
The Gender Lie (Book 3)
The Gender War (Book 4)
The Gender Fall (Book 5)
The Gender Plan (Book 6)
The Gender End (Book 7)

THE GIRL WHO DARED TO THINK

The Girl Who Dared to Think (Book 1)
The Girl Who Dared to Stand (Book 2)
The Girl Who Dared to Descend (Book 3)
The Girl Who Dared to Rise (Book 4)
The Girl Who Dared to Lead (Book 5)
The Girl Who Dared to Endure (Book 6
The Girl Who Dared to Fight (Book 7)

A SHADE OF VAMPIRE

Season 1: Derek & Sofia’s story

Books 1 to 7

Season 2: Rose & Caleb’s story

Books 8 to 16

Season 3: The Shade continues with a new hero...

Books 17 to 24

Season 4: A Clan of Novaks

Books 25 to 32

Season 5: A Dawn of Guardians

Books 33 to 41

Season 6: A Gift of Three

Books 42 to 50

Season 7: A Call of Vampires

Books 51 to 59

Season 8: A Voyage of Founders

Books 60 to 68

Season 9: A Birth of Fire

Books 69 to 77

Season 10: An Origin of Vampires
An Origin of Vampires (Book 78)
A Game of Death (Book 79)
A Veil of Dark (Book 80)
A Bringer of Night (Book 81)
A Circle of Nine (Book 82)
A Bender of Spirit (Book 83)
A Memory of Time (Book 84)
A Shard of Soul (Book 85)
A Break of Seals (Book 86)

Season 11: A Shade of Mystery
A Shade of Mystery (Book 87)
An Isle of Mirrors (Book 88)
A Sanctuary of Foes (Book 89)
A Ruler of Clones (Book 90)
A Gate of Light (Book 91)
A Dawn of Worlds (Book 92) ➜ Coming soon!

Reviews

[Alura Rose · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting psycological aspects, i did guess the kidnapper pretty soon but definitely gripping and opens up for more questions :)

[Judy Lewis · Rating 5 out of 5]

DARK, DELICIOUS AND SUSPENSEFUL!!!
Title: Bare Girl(Now Titled Lights, Camera, GONE)
Series: Erin Bond Mysteries
Designation: Book One of Series, Full-Length Standalone Gripping Serial Killer Thriller, NO Cliffhanger
Author: Bella Forrest
Genre: #mystery #suspense #psychologicalthriller #crimefictiondrama #serialkiller
#femaleprivateinvestigator
Reading Platform: Kindle Edition
My Rating: Five Riveting Stars*****
Move over Lizbeth Salander, V.I. Warshawski, and Kinsey Millhone, there's a new player in town, and her name is Bond...Erin Bond! lol... I couldn't resist inserting a little humor. All jokes aside, Erin Bond may not be a super spy like James Bond, but she is a super sleuth...a modern day female gumshoe, and in her case, she doesn't need the brawn because she has the brain. If you're unfamiliar with the name references in my opening comment, all three are women portraying strong-willed, tough-as-nails private investigators in either a movie, television or book series. Lizbeth Salander is the fictional character created by Swedish author Stieg Larsson in Larsson's award-winning Millennium Series and most memorably featured as the brilliant, enigmatic hacker/investigator who wobbled precariously between psychopath and savior in The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo. Kinsey Millhone is the fictional character created by Sue Grafton and featured as the eccentric female private investigator featured in Grafton's Alphabet Mysteries. And I'm sure everyone is familiar with V.I. Warshawski, the fictional fiercely independent female flatfoot created by Sara Paretsky in the V I Warshawski Series which was later made into a film starring Kathleen Turner. Now imagine the most notable qualities of all three and you have Forrest's Erin Bond character who proves to be the perfect combination of intelligence, self-reliance, selflessness, bravery, grit, resilience, and determination.

For anyone who has followed my reviews in the past, it's no secret that I'm a diehard Bella Forrest fan and have been for several years. I've followed Forrest's international bestselling young adult paranormal/fantasy romance series, A Shade of Vampire, since it was first introduced almost four years ago, and became completely smitten with her newest action/adventure young adult romance series, The Gender Game, when it was released only two weeks ago. Never one to rest on her laurels or past success, Forrest has surprised me yet again with a suspenseful new novel in another new series, but in a completely different genre. Bare Girl is the riveting first offering in The Erin Bond Mystery Series, and she totally blew me away....AGAIN! As the title of the series indicates, this is a mystery but it's also so much more. Forrest has never been a writer to limit her work strictly to one genre or classification, and that aspect of her writing has never been more apparent than with her latest release, Bare Girl which appears to be a part mystery, part psychological thriller, and part crime fiction drama. Unlike the two aforementioned series, this book is a full-length standalone novel and does NOT end in a cliffhanger. I would also like to emphasize, it does NOT contain any romance. From what I can determine, each subsequent release will deal primarily with a 'new' case, but it does appear there will be an interconnected underlying plot thread running throughout the series which actually may relate back to Bond's own childhood abduction case. I guess we'll have to wait and see, but we won't have to wait long since Write, Edit, Kill, the second book of the series, is due to be released December 1, 2016.

As usual, I digress, so let's talk specifics about this story. Bare Girl is a riveting, fast-paced, imaginative, exceptionally well-crafted and edited dark psychological thriller filled to the brim with mystery, suspense, danger, drama and murder. It gives us a chilling look into the mind of a psychotic serial killer along with an insightful glimpse into the events that led to the creation of such a monster. The narrative is beautifully written in the third person with primarily two perspectives, one from the victim, beautiful megastar Isabel Morales, and the second from the heroine, pragmatic private investigator Erin Bond. There is also a third person point of view from the antagonist where we're introduced to 'The Sculptor' but it appears only in the prologue. The dialogue is smart, tight, easy to follow, well executed and flows effortlessly. Yes, the plot is contemporary, edgy, dark and fascinating but it's the characters who capture your imagination as well as your heart. I was immediately drawn into this story by Erin Bond, the protagonist, and Isabel Morales, the victim. These women are vastly different yet in some ways the same, both highly driven, determined to succeed and each in their early thirties. Their paths would probably never have crossed had it not been for this case, but both would soon discover they had much more in common than either could ever imagine. Forrest once again demonstrates her talent as a gifted storyteller along with her skill as a master wordsmith in this superbly written suspenseful whodunit. Did I like this story? No, I LOVED it! Would I recommend it? You bet and I am but only for adults. There is no profanity nor sex in this novel, but there is implied violence and dark psychotic themes so I would rate it seventeen and over. Will I read this author again? Absolutely! Just as soon as she releases her next book. Was I entertained? Completely! I loved it! Fabulous entertainment and an awesome read!

The premise:
Thirty-one-year-old Brit-born Erin Bond has spent the major portion of her life living in the United States after choosing to leave Britain with her father as a child when he accepted a teaching position in the English department at Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island. She was all too eager to leave her home and past in England behind. Here in the United States, she was just Erin Bond, non-citizen permanent resident and private investigator, but in England she was still the woman who had been left unattended by a drunken mother in a supermarket and kidnapped as a five-year-old child, then suddenly reappeared eleven months later wearing the very same too small clothes she'd worn on the day she disappeared with only vague fleeting memories as to who had abducted her and no clues save one...the number thirty-one written with a black marker on her left hand. When found, she was completely incoherent but blood tests revealed she had been given sleeping pills over a long period of time which had erased most of her short and mid-term memory. Apparently, she'd slept through most of her abduction. The only conclusive finding was that she was still a virgin. The press had gone into a nonstop feeding frenzy causing worse problems between her parents. Their marriage had been unable to withstand the media storm and they soon divorced. Her father, Professor Alan Bond, left England soon thereafter with his daughter to begin a new life in America. As a result of years of therapy after her ordeal, she became interested in psychology, so she chose a double major in college, psychology and criminal justice. Since she was not a naturalized citizen, her career choices in law enforcement were somewhat limited and decided to become a private detective. After a few years working for an agency in New York, she opened her own firm and had become a successful and highly sought-after investigator. She now devoted her life to helping law enforcement, solving cases and finding missing or kidnapped victims. She may never be able to solve the mystery of her own abduction but she could help others resolve theirs.

In Bare Girl, our story begins with the disappearance of thirty-four-year-old supermodel and pop star Isabel Morales. The beautiful megastar had been kidnapped in broad daylight during a press conference at Trump Towers after a stunt on Wall Street sent the media around the globe into a tailspin. Using the ruse of a staged fashion shoot for Glitz Magazine, Isabel had stripped naked and bared all with the cameras rolling right in the middle of Wall Street in an effort to reclaim her body from the greedy male-dominated world of capitalism that saw her only as a product to be used for their financial gain. Morales had been trying to empower women around the globe and bring awareness to their rights. Unfortunately, it backfired and she'd failed. Celebrity kidnappings were extremely rare because they usually had bodyguards and heavy security surrounding them everywhere they went. Occasionally, people became celebrities as a result of being kidnapped...like Erin. Morales had received rants, insults, death threats and hate mail since the beginning of her career but after this incident, it had become even worse. The police had almost no clues and the kidnapper had not released a statement or ransom demand which was somewhat strange...unless he intended to use the dead body of Isabel Morales as his statement. But what was even more strange as well as surprising, she had just been contacted directly by Morales' manager and personal assistant, Sergio Cruz. He said she'd been highly recommended and wanted to hire her to aid the police in finding his celebrity employer. Who in the world could have recommended her to someone like Cruz? Certainly not the police! She had managed to alienate almost every police official on the East Coast and none worse than the police commissioner of New York City. In her experience, the higher profile the case, the more she angered the local officials along with anyone else who stood in the way of her solving the case. She did love her job! Yes, Sergio Cruz had been correct. She was the best in the business...and this was just the kind of case in which she specialized. With suspects coming out of the woodwork and motives surfacing at every turn, would Erin be able to solve the case and find Isabel Morales before it was too late? But more importantly, could she navigate the danger without sacrificing her own life in the process? We'll see!

[Austi Looney · Rating 5 out of 5]

Three little letters..... WOW!!!!

I received this book as an advanced copy for me to review and OH boy will I review!

Lets start with the beginning. Picture this....you're standing in a heavily wooded area. The type of wooded area that makes you feel like you are seeing things. Then a slight gust of wind sweeps by and the leaves hanging on trees don't quite look right. They cascade down instead of hanging from a branch. It hits you.....they are made to look like hair.

After the epilogue you meet Isabel Morales. She is the model of perfection. Perfect hair, perfect skin, perfect teeth. She is a singer, an actress and owns her own companies. Isabel is what every little girl wants to grow up to be. However the older she gets, the more she tries to empower women and show women that we are great, we can do great things, you only need to nudge to do it. Shortly after a stunt pulled on Wall Street, she is pulled into a press conference, and once that's over all Isabel wants is a quiet place to smoke a cigarette and chill out. When she sees who she believes is just another fan, she tries to blow them off, but the next thing she sees is a flash of clothing and a sweet smelling rag over her face. Isabel Morales has disappeared in broad daylight.

Enter Erin Bond, who has her own version of celebrity status, gets a frantic message from Isabel's manager wanting to hire her immediately. After her own kidnapping as a child, Erin grew to be a private investigator and was asked to work hand in hand with the police to find Isabel as soon as possible. Erin never thought that this kidnapping would give her the ride of her life!

This book will be a book I read over and over. Not only does it have 1 amazing and strong character, it has 2. And zero love story. No boring love triangles, no confusing love mess. Just the 2 strong women. One trying to outwit the kidnapper, and one trying to outwit the kidnapper in a different way and find Isabel before something horrid happens.

Its truly fantastic! Give this book a go, you wont be disappointed!

****I wanted to add in that this book is NOT a YA book like most of Bella's books are.****

[Baylee McCluskey · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I found out Bella was doing a criminal book I couldn't wait to get my hands on it. It is such a change of pace for her and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I didn't know what to expect but with any book she writes, it turned out to be a page turner that I couldn't put down.
Bare Girl is full of suspense, with twists and turns that I DID NOT see coming. I don't want to give too much away in my review but I will say that if you are wanting something more mature that has tension and on your seat moments this book is for you. Bella does not disappoint in this new genre she is embarking on. It is only a matter of time before she takes it by storm like she does with everything else.
Bravo Bella! You continously blow me away with your talent. I'm anxious to see how this story unfolds in the books to come

[Nadhiah Aida · Rating 4 out of 5]

The man that kidnapped Erin Bond and the others children are totally crazy.
Was surprised for the person that kidnapped Isabel .. wasn't expected till the end .. and the coincidence ..

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book has a great premise - a serial killer is on the loose (although no one actually seems to know that) and a mega-celebrity is kidnapped. Underlying the entire story is this weird childhood kidnapping that ends up involving all of the main characters. That was interesting and gave the book a bit of a much needed twist. It dealt with early childhood programming and memory tampering by the kidnapper who wanted to influence the lives of the child he kidnapped in order to give himself a sense of immortality, which was certainly original.

So, why 3-stars? I knew who the killer was around half way through, which meant I was then just reading to have that confirmed. The identity of the killer should have been a shocking surprise. It wasn't, which made the book fairly predictable. It also belabored the point of beautiful celebrities not understanding the plight of the average person. Again, no surprise there. Ultimately, the book suffered from having a unique idea dealt with in an entirely too mundane manner.

[Dot · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you go down in the woods today…… you will get more than a surprise!

Creepy from the start. The plot twists and turns, as the story unfolds and does not disappoint at all. I can recommend it whole heartedly. I particularly like that it is a stand alone that could also be part of something bigger. There are a few, ‘I wasn’t expecting that’, moments and I dare you not to have the hairs on the back of your neck stand to attention, or the shivers run down your spine! Just listen to the leaves. Enjoy.

[Emma Gosling · Rating 3 out of 5]

Big time celebrity Isabel is kidnapped after a publicity stunt to empower women.

Private investigator Erin is called upon the case and she must divulge into her past to find Isabel.

For me, the book was so predictable. I ended up just skimming the last half.

Bella is most known for her shade series, which I personally love, but if you read this book expecting it to be like shade of vampire, you will be disappointed.

[sailesh kolanu · Rating 4 out of 5]

Definitely a page turner. By including a nice backstory of Detective Erin, the author could effectively establish a dramatic narrative and suspense around the story. I enjoyed reading this book thoroughly and have already started reading the second book in the Erin Bond series.

[Valerie Bowen · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a quick read but very predictable and slow paced and not much of a climax at the end. All in all I am bit disappointed because it has such good ratings.

[Judy Lewis · Rating 5 out of 5]

DARK, DELICIOUS AND SUSPENSEFUL!!!
Title: Bare Girl
Series: Erin Bond Mysteries
Designation: Book One of Series, Full-Length Standalone, NO Cliffhanger
Author: Bella Forrest
Genre: #mystery #suspense #psychologicalthriller #crimefictiondrama #serialkiller
#femaleprivateinvestigator
Reading Platform: Kindle Edition
My Rating: Five Riveting Stars*****
Move over Lizbeth Salander, V.I. Warshawski, and Kinsey Millhone, there's a new player in town, and her name is Bond...Erin Bond! lol... I couldn't resist inserting a little humor. All jokes aside, Erin Bond may not be a super spy like James Bond, but she is a super sleuth...a modern day female gumshoe, and in her case, she doesn't need the brawn because she has the brain. If you're unfamiliar with the name references in my opening comment, all three are women portraying strong-willed, tough-as-nails private investigators in either a movie, television or book series. Lizbeth Salander is the fictional character created by Swedish author Stieg Larsson in Larsson's award-winning Millennium Series and most memorably featured as the brilliant, enigmatic hacker/investigator who wobbled precariously between psychopath and savior in The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo. Kinsey Millhone is the fictional character created by Sue Grafton and featured as the eccentric female private investigator featured in Grafton's Alphabet Mysteries. And I'm sure everyone is familiar with V.I. Warshawski, the fictional fiercely independent female flatfoot created by Sara Paretsky in the V I Warshawski Series which was later made into a film starring Kathleen Turner. Now imagine the most notable qualities of all three and you have Forrest's Erin Bond character who proves to be the perfect combination of intelligence, self-reliance, selflessness, bravery, grit, resilience, and determination.

For anyone who has followed my reviews in the past, it's no secret that I'm a diehard Bella Forrest fan and have been for several years. I've followed Forrest's international bestselling young adult paranormal/fantasy romance series, A Shade of Vampire, since it was first introduced almost four years ago, and became completely smitten with her newest action/adventure young adult romance series, The Gender Game, when it was released only two weeks ago. Never one to rest on her laurels or past success, Forrest has surprised me yet again with a suspenseful new novel in another new series, but in a completely different genre. Bare Girl is the riveting first offering in The Erin Bond Mystery Series, and she totally blew me away....AGAIN! As the title of the series indicates, this is a mystery but it's also so much more. Forrest has never been a writer to limit her work strictly to one genre or classification, and that aspect of her writing has never been more apparent than with her latest release, Bare Girl which appears to be a part mystery, part psychological thriller, and part crime fiction drama. Unlike the two aforementioned series, this book is a full-length standalone novel and does NOT end in a cliffhanger. I would also like to emphasize, it does NOT contain any romance. From what I can determine, each subsequent release will deal primarily with a 'new' case, but it does appear there will be an interconnected underlying plot thread running throughout the series which actually may relate back to Bond's own childhood abduction case. I guess we'll have to wait and see, but we won't have to wait long since Write, Edit, Kill, the second book of the series, is due to be released December 1, 2016.

As usual, I digress, so let's talk specifics about this story. Bare Girl is a riveting, fast-paced, imaginative, exceptionally well-crafted and edited dark psychological thriller filled to the brim with mystery, suspense, danger, drama and murder. It gives us a chilling look into the mind of a psychotic serial killer along with an insightful glimpse into the events that led to the creation of such a monster. The narrative is beautifully written in the third person with primarily two perspectives, one from the victim, beautiful megastar Isabel Morales, and the second from the heroine, pragmatic private investigator Erin Bond. There is also a third person point of view from the antagonist where we're introduced to 'The Sculptor' but it appears only in the prologue. The dialogue is smart, tight, easy to follow, well executed and flows effortlessly. Yes, the plot is contemporary, edgy, dark and fascinating but it's the characters who capture your imagination as well as your heart. I was immediately drawn into this story by Erin Bond, the protagonist, and Isabel Morales, the victim. These women are vastly different yet in some ways the same, both highly driven, determined to succeed and each in their early thirties. Their paths would probably never have crossed had it not been for this case, but both would soon discover they had much more in common than either could ever imagine. Forrest once again demonstrates her talent as a gifted storyteller along with her skill as a master wordsmith in this superbly written suspenseful whodunit. Did I like this story? No, I LOVED it! Would I recommend it? You bet and I am but only for adults. There is no profanity nor sex in this novel, but there is implied violence and dark psychotic themes so I would rate it seventeen and over. Will I read this author again? Absolutely! Just as soon as she releases her next book. Was I entertained? Completely! I loved it! Fabulous entertainment and an awesome read!

The premise:
Thirty-one-year-old Brit-born Erin Bond has spent the major portion of her life living in the United States after choosing to leave Britain with her father as a child when he accepted a teaching position in the English department at Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island. She was all too eager to leave her home and past in England behind. Here in the United States, she was just Erin Bond, non-citizen permanent resident and private investigator, but in England she was still the woman who had been left unattended by a drunken mother in a supermarket and kidnapped as a five-year-old child, then suddenly reappeared eleven months later wearing the very same too small clothes she'd worn on the day she disappeared with only vague fleeting memories as to who had abducted her and no clues save one...the number thirty-one written with a black marker on her left hand. When found, she was completely incoherent but blood tests revealed she had been given sleeping pills over a long period of time which had erased most of her short and mid-term memory. Apparently, she'd slept through most of her abduction. The only conclusive finding was that she was still a virgin. The press had gone into a nonstop feeding frenzy causing worse problems between her parents. Their marriage had been unable to withstand the media storm and they soon divorced. Her father, Professor Alan Bond, left England soon thereafter with his daughter to begin a new life in America. As a result of years of therapy after her ordeal, she became interested in psychology, so she chose a double major in college, psychology and criminal justice. Since she was not a naturalized citizen, her career choices in law enforcement were somewhat limited and decided to become a private detective. After a few years working for an agency in New York, she opened her own firm and had become a successful and highly sought-after investigator. She now devoted her life to helping law enforcement, solving cases and finding missing or kidnapped victims. She may never be able to solve the mystery of her own abduction but she could help others resolve theirs.

In Bare Girl, our story begins with the disappearance of thirty-four-year-old supermodel and pop star Isabel Morales. The beautiful megastar had been kidnapped in broad daylight during a press conference at Trump Towers after a stunt on Wall Street sent the media around the globe into a tailspin. Using the ruse of a staged fashion shoot for Glitz Magazine, Isabel had stripped naked and bared all with the cameras rolling right in the middle of Wall Street in an effort to reclaim her body from the greedy male-dominated world of capitalism that saw her only as a product to be used for their financial gain. Morales had been trying to empower women around the globe and bring awareness to their rights. Unfortunately, it backfired and she'd failed. Celebrity kidnappings were extremely rare because they usually had bodyguards and heavy security surrounding them everywhere they went. Occasionally, people became celebrities as a result of being kidnapped...like Erin. Morales had received rants, insults, death threats and hate mail since the beginning of her career but after this incident, it had become even worse. The police had almost no clues and the kidnapper had not released a statement or ransom demand which was somewhat strange...unless he intended to use the dead body of Isabel Morales as his statement. But what was even more strange as well as surprising, she had just been contacted directly by Morales' manager and personal assistant, Sergio Cruz. He said she'd been highly recommended and wanted to hire her to aid the police in finding his celebrity employer. Who in the world could have recommended her to someone like Cruz? Certainly not the police! She had managed to alienate almost every police official on the East Coast and none worse than the police commissioner of New York City. In her experience, the higher profile the case, the more she angered the local officials along with anyone else who stood in the way of her solving the case. She did love her job! Yes, Sergio Cruz had been correct. She was the best in the business...and this was just the kind of case in which she specialized. With suspects coming out of the woodwork and motives surfacing at every turn, would Erin be able to solve the case and find Isabel Morales before it was too late? But more importantly, could she navigate the danger without sacrificing her own life in the process? We'll see!

[𝕁𝕒𝕕𝕖 (_𝕓𝕠𝕠𝕜𝕚𝕤𝕙_𝕘𝕒𝕞𝕖𝕣_) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely adore the A Shade of Vampire series by Bella Forrest and when I saw, while browsing her collection on Kindle Unlimited that she has a two book thriller series I was very intrigued. Her books usually are supernatural based so it was a little weird at first reading a story by her that was set in the real world but was very refreshing. She’s done a brilliant job writing her first adult thriller and the main character Erin is very well written but it was weird not reading that she’s in love with a vampire ( 70+ books in her main vampire series will do that for you).

All in all this was a very through out book and written book, with a brilliant main character with a tragic back story but I can’t wait to see what Bella has in store for her in the next book. Definitely a well deserved 5 stars from me ☺️

[Jessica · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not really believable thriller. I felt it created no suspense whatsoever and fell flat. Would seriously consider reading this series further. the kidnapper/ so-called serial killer should have been revealed in the first police background check if they had done it properly, which they wd have since this is such a high profile case. None of this made any sense and the detective Erin Bond didn't seem to be all that brilliant. Not at all impressed. And the editing mistakes like where one character calls the person Isabel instead of Erin n cartoons of chinese takeaway... Disappointed

[Huiling · Rating 5 out of 5]

Omg!

Its definitely not an understatement if i say im slaving and craving for Bella's books. This one is incredible! Ive got goosebumps and cold sweat while reading it and as if i was there watching in action! Never could have known this is just as awesome as other series that she have. This series is really one of its very own, one of a great kind! Im looking forward for its continuation on Detective Erin's journey ahead!

[Gayer Than Fiction · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this one. Again, a strong heroine (or two) are leading the reader through the book. There are some minor weaknesses in the story, but none of them all too distracting. Erin's history is intriguing, and Isabel's successes and failures are not only believable, but in the end represent a major weakness of "stardom". To me, a good and entertaining read, a creepy bad guy, and a satisfying ending.

[WiccanLady25 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another amazing book by Bella Forrest

This is a fantastic read. Ms. Forrest writing style keeps you the reader so involved with the storyline that you can't seem to be able to put the book down.
I have read many of Ms. Forrest books and I've never been disappointed with her stories/series. I recommend all of books for readers 16+. This is only due to the content that is contained in her stories.

[Gale · Rating 5 out of 5]

Surprising story line

I gave this book a 5 star rating because the story line is so compelling. Bella Forrest never fails. She is an amazing author. I didn't know what to expect and I am very satisfied with this book. Erin is an amazing character and I can't wait to see how she manages the next chapter of her life.

[Michele Evans · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was good...

Not Bella Forrest’s normal genre, but the book was good. It is the first book of Bella’s that I gave four stars instead of five. The storyline was interesting, but it just didn’t captivate me like so many of her other stories do. I’ll still probably read the second book to see if it gets better.

[Desiree Ca · Rating 5 out of 5]

Suspenseful... edge of your seat psychological thriller

Suspenseful... edge of your seat thriller
Move over Karen Slaughter, Tess Gerristen
Very interesting plot, thought provoking topic of Hollywood...the beautiful people...where are your average looking people?...very hard to put this into words

[Kathy O'Brien · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another marvelous book by Bella Forrest

I could not out it down, already a big fan, I was wondering where this book was going to take me, it was so different from the others. Well, what a rabbit hole, full of twists. Just left me wanting more. I'm glad the next book is already available and I'm reading it next!

[Ana Marques · Rating 3 out of 5]

Loved the premise of the book and the back story given to Erin but the identity of the killer was way too predictable. Should have had a nice and mouth opening twist.
That said, it's well written and has a great view on how the early stages of childhood can be manipulated and molded in a way that influences all aspects of an individual life.

[Donna Banning · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant

Once again Bella has pulled out an awesome book, so different from what we're used to from Bella but not Amy less brilliant! Roll on December 1st for the next in the series

[Kasandra Kurutz · Rating 4 out of 5]

New and different

New and different story line for Miss Bella... Very intriguing story with lots of potential for continued stories. Figured out the culprit pretty much when they were introduced into the story but it was still a story to keep me turning the page! Well done!

[Sayra · Rating 3 out of 5]

Had potential to be promising but after a slow start the killer became glaringly obvious. It was an easy read but nothing surprised me, it was very anti-climatic. I have the second instalment and will read on purely for that fact.

[Caroline Reynolds · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent

Loved this book! I was trying to guess and look out for clues throughout the whole first half! (Got it on the third attempt) Brilliant suspense, crime- drama. Looking forward to the next installment!

[bonnie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great story. Love the villain

The story is a nice twisting turning novel. I enjoyed the read. Characters were given just enough background so we could not figure out who the killer is. Cannot wait to read the next in the series.

[Tina Oeffler · Rating 5 out of 5]

That was different

This story is a little different than what I am used to reading by Bella Forrest. But like always anything Bella writes is a great Read. Looking forward to reading the next one.

[Haley Bendeck · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not to be put down

I read this in less than a day. It could not be put down. Very well written, as are all of Bella's books. As always, I will keep reading everything that she puts out.

[Andrea Chiossone · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well this was very different for Bella Forrest and thoroughly enjoyable too, a very good thriller (although I guessed the culprit) but with a very unexpected twist for me. Interested to see where book 2 takes us.

[Jane Gomez · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought the book started slowly, but it did pick up momentum as the story unfolded. It was an interesting story line. I would recommend this as a good and quick read.