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Alex Dotson: Secrets of a Small Town

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๐’๐ก๐ž ๐ข๐ฌ ๐ก๐š๐ฎ๐ง๐ญ๐ž๐ ๐ง๐จ๐ญ ๐จ๐ง๐ฅ๐ฒ ๐›๐ฒ ๐ก๐ž๐ซ ๐ฉ๐š๐ฌ๐ญ ๐›๐ฎ๐ญ ๐š๐ฅ๐ฌ๐จ ๐›๐ฒ ๐ญ๐ก๐ž ๐ž๐ฏ๐ข๐ฅ ๐ญ๐ก๐š๐ญ ๐ข๐ฌ ๐ญ๐ก๐ซ๐ž๐š๐ญ๐ž๐ง๐ข๐ง๐  ๐ก๐ž๐ซ ๐Ÿ๐ฎ๐ญ๐ฎ๐ซ๐ž.

Successful TV-anchor and crime reporter, Alex Dotson, has given up her skyline Dallas apartment and life in the spotlight to prove that values still matter, especially when it comes to journalism. Now jobless, her only option, is the South Bend Examiner. Her hometown newspaper, where she once again realizes, she does not fit in. In a town with no stop lights, Dotson is eager to get away from local beats and cover what she is most passionate about- crime. However, in the small town of South Bend, it seems that crime is unlikely to happen, until the day that Samantha Blake disappears. The South Bend High School Cheer Captain who was taken at her school in broad daylight. With small-town gossip circulating, the community feels that no one is safe and they are desperate for answers. After weeks of investigating, the local police are still at a loss of what happened that day at South Bend High School. Dotson is inpatient and decides to take the investigation into her own hands and through a string of unique encounters, she is able to expose a mystery that far surpasses just one missing girl.

275 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 31, 2019

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About the author

Alexis Bloomer

3ย books2ย followers
Alexis Bloomer has emerged herself in the media industry since she was seventeen. She hosted a stage show, interviewed at red carpet events, hosted a Sirius XM radio show, interned for journalist Dan Rather, and opened her own media company, Breaking Records Media. The author of Kindness Is Key has shown women you can accomplish your dreams if you have the courage to do so. And itโ€™s possible while you, โ€œWork hard, and be kind.โ€

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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
Profile Image for Pegboard.
1,858 reviews9 followers
June 20, 2019
In Alex Dotson, you will find Alexis Bloomer weaves a compelling mystery around kidnappings occurring in the small town of South Bend, Texas. Alex Dotson has returned to her hometown after putting a stalker in jail and writing an article that won several awards, to hide from the guilt that her writing has unseen consequences. When a high school teenage girl, Samantha, comes up missing they do little to find her. The townโ€™s optimistic view that she will just show up one day frustrates Alex. As more girls disappear, Alexโ€™s persistence in questioning everyone has drawn the unwanted attention towards her. Could the new police officer be the predator she fears? Is he trying to get close to Alex to hide the secrets about his past?
ย 
Alex Dotson is one of those novels you put down and think, โ€œWow, that was awesome!โ€ Alexis Bloomer uses her gift of writing to make an impact with her stories. The author reveals how one person can make a difference in the lives of others. Alex Dotson was a journalist, but her articles were personal and it was her goal to shed truth to her audience. As this suspense thriller progresses the intensity of the events develop into a bewildering web of crime. Though Alex comes across as a strong, independent woman, it shows her insecurities as she fears her abilities to find the girls before the predator hunts her down. Her aggressive attitude is great as a journalist to hunt down a story, but people dislike her questioning ways. When I finished this novel, I felt like the author reveal herself through the characters; she has the beauty and compassion of Samantha and the skills and strength of Alex. I enjoyed this novel immensely and would highly recommend it to every woman. ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย 

Review written by Peggy Jo Wipf for Readers' Favorite.
947 reviews2 followers
October 7, 2026
Alexis Bloomer's Alex Dotson: Secrets of a Small Town is a suspenseful mystery built around crime, investigative journalism, hidden secrets, and a protagonist determined to uncover the truth no matter where it leads.

At the center of the story is Alex Dotson, a successful television anchor and crime reporter who leaves behind her high-profile life in Dallas after becoming disillusioned with the direction of her career. Determined to remain true to her values and beliefs about journalism, she returns to her hometown and takes a position at the South Bend Examiner. Yet returning home does not provide the fresh start she may have expected. In a community that feels almost untouched by the crime and urgency of the big city, Dotson once again finds herself struggling to fit in.

Her expectations change dramatically when Samantha Blake, the South Bend High School cheer captain, disappears from school in broad daylight. The shocking disappearance unsettles the entire community. Gossip spreads, residents become fearful, and the town begins questioning whether the seemingly safe environment they have always known is actually as secure as they believed.

As local authorities struggle to determine what happened, Dotson's instincts as an experienced crime reporter take over. Frustrated by the lack of answers, she begins pursuing the investigation herself. What follows takes her through a series of unusual encounters as she attempts to piece together the truth behind Samantha's disappearance.

The novel's strongest appeal lies in its central mystery and the contrast between its quiet setting and the secrets hidden beneath the surface. South Bend may appear to be the kind of place where serious crime could never happen, but the disappearance forces its residentsโ€”and Dotsonโ€”to reconsider everything they thought they knew about their community.

Alex herself provides another compelling element. Her background as a crime reporter gives her investigative instincts, while her personal history gives her a deeper connection to the town she is investigating. Her commitment to uncovering the truth makes her an engaging protagonist for readers who enjoy determined investigators and female characters who refuse to remain on the sidelines.

Alex Dotson: Secrets of a Small Town should appeal to readers of mystery and crime fiction, small-town thrillers, investigative suspense, missing-person stories, and novels centered around journalism and uncovering hidden truths. Readers who enjoy seemingly idyllic communities concealing darker realities may find the premise particularly appealing.

Ultimately, the novel demonstrates how a single disappearance can expose secrets extending far beyond the original crime. What begins as the search for one missing teenager develops into a much larger mystery, giving Alex Dotson: Secrets of a Small Town an engaging blend of investigation, suspense, personal determination, and small-town intrigue.
1 review
April 10, 2019
Amazing read.

This book hit home to me about the cruel world we live in and how young people get pulled into situation that maybe their innocence of this wonโ€™t happen to me allows them to become a target. I feel for the families that experience this kind of cruelty and with children of my own I pray that I never have to face this. This book was amazing and kept my heart racing at the end.
Profile Image for Amanda Fontenot.
4 reviews1 follower
April 15, 2019
Wow! What an amazing read. Itโ€™s not often I pick up a book that I literally can not put down and read late into the night. This was one of those books. Just when you think you have it figured out, another thing happens! Alex takes you along with her as she reports a missing girl, and you will be shocked at what she uncovers.
Profile Image for BAILEY CRAIG.
22 reviews2 followers
April 12, 2019
I could not put this book down! I finally forced myself to go to bed and then woke up this morning to continue reading it. Alexis did an amazing job on this book. I was wanting more with every page I turned!
Profile Image for Bobbi Jo Neumeier.
1 review
April 15, 2019
Amazing book

Such a hard topic to discuss but Alexis Bloomer makes it right in the front. I hope people when reading this book keeps on mind this can happen even in a small town. Thanks for talking on this topic.
Profile Image for Lauren Franklin.
2 reviews
May 8, 2020
Such a great book! I literally finished it within 24 hours because I couldnโ€™t put it down. It kept me guessing and on my toes the whole time. I look forward to reading more of Alex Dotsonโ€™s adventures in the future!
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews