The Girl Who Wants

Shee McQueen #1

by Amy Vansant

Shee wants a home.

Shee McQueen grew up skip tracing and hunting military criminals with her father, Mick, until someone put a bounty on her head, forcing her underground. Resurfacing years later, she returns to her family’s hotel in Jupiter Beach, FL, to find Mick in a coma, shot in the head by an unknown sniper.

Shee wants answers.

The Loggerhead Inn has everything Shee could want in a beach hotel---sea turtle wall art, a tiny Yorkshire terrier mascot who thinks she’s a pit bull, and her father’s staff of deadly, damaged military veterans, looking to redeem their troubled souls by helping others. Not to mention--- Hold on...

How did Mason Connelly, the SEAL she fell for decades ago, just appear in the lobby? Why did he have to show up now demanding answers to secrets long buried?

Shee wants it all back.

But someone wants her dead.

From the moment Shee McQueen appears, The Girl Who Wants straps the reader into a twisting roller coaster ride of heart-stopping action, snappy dialog and intrigue. Shee’s quest to recover the life and loves she’s lost brings a depth of emotion rare in such a page-turning suspense. The unique female lead's funny, irreverent and all-too-human asides will have you rooting for her — and her whole pack of wild, wonderful misfit friends — until the breathless end.

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Thriller, Romantic Suspense, Mystery Thriller, Romance, Ebooks

471 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 4, 2020

About the author

Amy Vansant is a Wall Street Journal and USA Today best-selling author who writes with an unique blend of thrills, romance and humor (occasionally with a touch of time travel or fantasy). Check out the Pineapple Port Mystery series or her Urban Fantasy Thriller, the Kilty Series!
Website: http://www.amyvansant.com/
She loves interacting with fans when the dog isn't laying on top of her, so stop by her blog or Twitter and say hi!

Reviews

[Gail · Rating 1 out of 5]

Nothing

No matter how hard I tried. I could not figure out the story. After 25% of the book, I just could not read any more

[Lexi Miller · Rating 1 out of 5]

I’m shocked at the majority amount of 5 star reviews on this book! Did I read the same book as everyone else?! lol

I’ve been sitting on my thoughts with this book for a few days and I think i’m comfortable giving this a solid 1.5 stars. I have realized that Charlotte is the main character of another series by this author that was previously released, so there is probably an audience that came in to this book with some of Shee’s lore already (and maybe was also already used to the manic writing style this author has).

I was just so confused for so much of the book, and not in an intriguing, mysterious, “I can’t wait to see what happens next” way, but simply in a “what the hell is going on” kind of way. There were too many narratives going on that didn’t pay off in the end, and some that could’ve just been left out entirely. So much happened in this book and yet at the end I feel like nothing happened. There were so many unfinished/ incomplete storylines brought up in the book, that I do hope/ assume are addressed in the remaining books of this series, but those loose ends don’t make me feel curious to read the next book, they just make this book feel incomplete.

Lastly (and maybe even most importantly) I kept asking myself if this was a YA novel because of the immaturity of the general actions and narrative voices of these characters, especially Shee’s. I mean please be so for real with me right now… are 40 yr old women really using terms like “dickasaurus” and “frankenjerk”?! Please say sike rn!!!

Overall this book just wasn’t for me ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[Petula · Rating 4 out of 5]

'The Girl Who Wants' makes you laugh, cry, & sigh...

Titled as "fast-paced," I already agreed by the time I was part of way into the second chapter. I was pleased to be reading a quick read as many books nowadays seem to drag along.

You definitely don't have to worry about that with this book, but you may have to worry about trying to keep up as the book jumps between the perspectives of various characters without warning. For me, this caused a lot of rereading that I'm not sure I can blame completely on the author, Amy Vansant. But, it is the reason I rated this four stars.

Another thing that got me a little hung up was the characters' names. Although I found them interesting, and the story behind each welcome additions to the book, I didn't appreciate getting stuck on them each time they crossed my eyes.

The best parts about this book is Vansant is a fabulous storyteller and her fight and shootout scenes as well as conversations are believable and interesting. Reading them is like watching a good movie.

If you read this book you will be pleased. It's a quick, interesting, and exciting read that's filled with love, murder and murder attempts, humor, comrades, family ties, and characters who you grow to love, and will be ready to follow into the next book.

[Eliza · Rating 3 out of 5]

Okay so I get where everyone is coming from with their 2 and 1 stars but like…. I didn’t think it was THATTTT bad 🫣 like SURE there was no real plot until like 35% into the book and SURE I didn’t like that it jumped around so much and
SURE Tyler’s whole POV was pointless and the plot with the kid PI (why was the nurse having her followed if she already was staying at the hotel?) and
SURE the ending was literally so abrupt I have whiplash and SURE the author made a “those were the days” comment about teens being on their phones too much and
SURE everyone got real cool about abandoning your kid all of a sudden and
SURE everyone got real cool about murdering people all over the country and not calling the cops and
SURE she throws up like 3 times too many (for what reason? Idk) and
SURE her getting thrown off the boat and seeing turtles was actually pointless and
SURE it was advertised as ‘romance’ but had zero (0) bits of romance
But like it wasn’t that bad? Maybe it was idk at this point.

Also what was up with the amputee plot line?

[Bonnye Reed · Rating 5 out of 5]

First in Series complimentary author gift - thank you! I have read The Girl Who Wants of my own volition, and this review reflects my honest opinion of this work. I am pleased to recommend Amy Vansant to friends and family. Her stories are peopled with 'real' folks, her backgrounds are terrific pictures of places and people, and her mysteries are brisk and surprisingly well hidden.

This is a series I will have to pursue. Taking place in Miami, Florida, and parts of New Hampshire, populated with very nasty bad guys and pretty personable good guys, I think I will enjoy this series of mysteries very much.

Reviewed at Goodreads, AmazonSmile, Barnes&Noble, and BookBub. Not available for review on Kobo or GooglePlay.

[Melissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

⭐⭐⭐/5 mystery/thriller
It reads like a game of Clue if Clue had backstories and flashbacks. There were just too many characters/POVs and interconnecting pieces that made it difficult to even want to understand. It came to the point where I just wanted to be done reading it. So I finished it. I already own books two and three so I might read them to tie up some of the loose ends that were left in this book, but I am in no rush.

A story about a girl and her Navy SEAL dad who's a skip tracer and bounty Hunter. She does the job with him, he even uses her as bait when she is a small child. Until someone goes after her so she has to go into hiding for over 10 years. She comes out of hiding when she finds out her dad has been shot! Guess what happens? The people who were after her come back after her. Many other big things happen in the story that have nothing to do with any of that, but those would require spoilers!

[Shelli Dikeman · Rating 4 out of 5]

First chapter I was sure I liked it, but I did. Stayed up late the last two nights to finish it. I did want more for an ending, though.

[Victoria Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fast pace, with surprising twists and turns. Characters you won't forget. The setting ranges from the freezing cold north to the tropics of the south, with cold blood killers and hot passions that surface from the past. There is a surprising link to another series, that makes you wonder...
I recommend this book and am already reading book 2 in the Shee McQueen series.

[Chelsey Bitonti · Rating 1 out of 5]

Had to DNF this. Was really excited since I heard great things about it, but what kind of writing style is this? It doesn’t make sense and the plot was terrible. I powered through 50 pages and honestly wish I stopped sooner.

[Cori W · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enjoyed this book immensely! Looking forward to reading more of the series. Fast paced thriller. Loved the funny realistic thought commentary from the main character.

[Jen Stowe · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story felt disjointed and sometimes vacillated between boring and overwhelming. Despite that, I really liked the cast of characters and might consider reading the next in the series.

[Julie Howard · Rating 5 out of 5]

loved this book. I really liked the way the author used characters from a previous series (Pineapple port) to build off of and creat a brand new series, which is just as good. This book is more of a grown up series with assassins and Navy Seals making the body count a lot higher and is more of an action story than mystery. The author still includes a mystery and humour into the story though and it is definitely character driven, with a great backstory. The story does jump around in time and from different perspectives as we learn about what is happening but I think that works really well because it explains in more detail about the situation than you would get it the characters were just talking about it. I really liked the characters, especially the misfits living in the hotel. I can't wait to read the next story.
Shee with a military man for a father had a less than normal up bringing and has a number of secrets but when she learns that her father was shot by a sniper she throws caution to the wind and rushes home. After his military career was over he set up a hotel full of damaged ex service people and it should be the safest place on earth. That is unless you have a bounty on your head and somebody shot your father to get you to come out of hiding. Having been on her own for so long can Shee learn to trust again? Or will she trust the wrong person?
I really enjoyed this book and will definitely get it as an audio book.
I was given this free review copy book at my request and have voluntarily left this review

[Rhonda Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great Suspense

I loved the characters! I loved Shee, a tough bounty hunter who was taught everything she knows by her Navy Officer father. But for some reason, Shee has been in hiding, for a very long time. When she finally goes home, her father is in a coma from being shot. To this point in the book, I felt like Deja vue, like I have read this before. But as the story progresses, this is a very different direction and ending. And it was a marvelous story. I hope this is the beginning of a series, because I definitely want to read about these characters some more.

[Ferne (Enthusiastic Reader) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Shee McQueen hasn't used her birth name, Siofra, in over a decade, but then again, Shee constantly uses different aliases as a bounty hunter/skip tracer. She learned her craft from her father, Mick McQueen, but after her latest case, she can't hide the want, no the need, to go home and see him.

Arriving in Jupiter Beach, Florida, Shee is met with an unexpected shock. Who expects to discover their lion-hearted father in a hospital bed, attended by a private duty nurse, his recovery from a gunshot wound uncertain after his last case? The situation becomes even more complicated when Mason Connelly shows up, behaving as if nothing has changed. However, Mason remains unaware of the secret Shee has kept hidden for nearly 30 years. Shee is left grappling with the fear that her presence could further endanger her father. The weight of it all makes it almost impossible for her to concentrate.

This book features fast-paced reading filled with non-stop action! It's difficult to stop turning the pages so quickly, but you won't want to miss anything, as the past significantly influences the present in numerous ways. The humorous exchanges of dialogue enhance the characterizations, making the story even more engaging. I was completely surprised by the connection twist within the storyline. Without giving away any spoilers, I can only hope you are as delighted as I am by the reveal.

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, despite the fact that it contains some features I normally do not enjoy, such as jumping back and forth in the timeline. I'd previously read one of the same author's "Pineapple" books, which are described as cozy mysteries; the Shee McQueen series is decidedly NOT cozy, with a fair amount of mayhem. The story was doled out throughout the book, was intricately plotted with a lot of twists, and had very engaging characters (in addition to Shee herself). Essentially, Shee is a mid-life bounty hunter who has not had contact with her father, a Navy skip tracer, for decades because she thinks that he's a target of an assassin who is tracking him through Shee. In the book, she returns to his home when she hears he's been shot and killed. It's not a huge surprise to discover he's in a coma, not dead, and being tended to by his group of highly skilled ex-military staff at a Florida "hotel." Shee is left to lead the effort to figure out who shot her father, why he was shot, and who is behind the decades long tracking of the Mcqueens.

[Judy Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Never a spoiler in my reviews, this book was completely enjoyable. If thrills, twists, turns, suspense, fast-paced books, and humor are your cup of tea, this is the book for you. Edge of your seat action that will keep you up reading well past your bedtime, or keep you from doing anything else but read. Wonderful story and a great ending, the book takes you in completely unexpected directions. The characters are great, so well developed you could actually imagine knowing them. If you've read any of the books in the Pineapple Port series you will recognize some of the characters. Well written and a certain must-read for any thriller/suspense lover. I can hardly wait for the next book. Amy Vansant nailed it! I received an ARC of this book and am providing my honest opinion, however, it was so enjoyable and amazing, I purchased it to have the finished book on hand. You need to one-click this now!

[Thomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Shee McQueen grew up with her dad as a Navy bounty hunter.
They were out to capture Naval servicemen who were AWOL.
It was all good until someone decided to put a price on Shifra's
head sending her into hiding for the last 20+ years.
She's back home now because someone has shot her now elderly
father, and she's looking for revenge.

Pro's:
Developed characters, a strong plotline, and plenty of action.

Con's:
It was a little confusing at times to keep up with the correct timeframe
as memories would pop up from different times in the characters' lives.
It wouldn't have been so difficult, but it wasn't in a continuous timeline.
It would jump from the present to anywhere from three weeks up to twenty-seven years back, sometimes a few years back, and then even farther back
before returning to the current timeframe.

Overall, it was a really good book and I'm looking forward to the next in the series.

[LINDA BASS · Rating 4 out of 5]

OH. MY. WORD!! I've always wanted to read this author, but never won a gift card to purchased one of her books . Now, I am hooked and I HAVE TO READ MORE! I cried when Mason's mom left suddenly with her abusive husband to never return, and I laughed at the two kids calling themselves peanut butter and jelly!! Shee and Mason found each other again as teenagers, but an argument had Mason slamming out of the door of her flee bit hotel room. Twenty-five years later, they meet up again after she had stayed hidden for fifteen years to keep her dad safe because someone wanted her dead. I loved what I named Shee as She-Ra as she was one scary lady that you didn't want to be on her bad side. I loved that Mason regretted walking out on the only woman that he ever loved and spent twenty-five years to look for her, but now her fear of the secrets she kept from him would only tear them apart. show less

[Marsha · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Girl Who Wants: A Fast-Paced Mystery Thriller by Amy Vansant

This book was absolutely spellbinding. As a fan of Vansant, I pre-order and read everything she writes. This one is still cozy, but with just a tiny bit more edge. I was so engrossed in the action that I was surprised by my own chuckles. Fast, fun and funny...a sure hit.

We saw Shee for a hot minute in Pineapple Port. At the time I felt like she was a loose thread. I am happy with how things came together (although I think Charlotte is in for some surprises). So here comes Shee to Juniper Beach. (The wonderful descriptions of this magical place made me feel like I was there too.) She has been running for so long that she has forgotten who she is and where she belongs. It takes a shocking event to bring her home, but the mystery continues. Once the mystery is revealed, I remembered the one tiny line from early in the book that served as the tie-in. Well plotted and well executed, just like all of Amy Vansant's work. I look forward to more in this series.

[Audrey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Meet Siofra McQueen everyone calls her Shee. She learned how to be skip tracer from her father Shea, who goes by Mick. She’s spent the last 25 yrs hiding from someone who wants her dead! When he dad is shot she comes home to Jupital Beach, Fl. That’s when the real action begins. She tries to find out who shot her father in the head and more importantly who has been sending assassins after who!
I love this new series! I love the quirky people at the hotel. The hotel of misfits Mick hires. I like how connected they have becoming taking care of each other. I love Pineapple Port Series and the tie in to Pineapple Turtles. There was plenty of of action! It explained a lot about Charlotte from Pineapple Port too. I’m looking forward to reading the next book in this new series! ❤️❤️❤️ Amy Vansant!

[Joy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this exciting, action-packed novel!

Shee McQueen (pronounced like the feminine pronoun. Short for the Irish Shiofra, but pronounced shee-fra) grew up with her naval bounty hunter dad. Now middle-aged, she's spent decades off the grid & on the move for reasons that are revealed towards the end. She returns home to Jupiter, Florida, to the hotel her dad owns & staffs with assassins & other former military. Someone shot him & left him for dead. Shee has to find out who tried to kill her dad, & what connection, if any, it has to why she hasn't contacted her father in over a decade. On top of that, her ex shows up, still hot, & she has to grapple with her feelings for him & their past.

The Girl Who Wants is full of snarky dialogue, suspense, & fight scenes to rival a Jason Statham movie. It was great, & I can't wait to read more of Shee McQueen's adventures & sarcasm!

[Bev · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an excellent beginning of a series. How Amy Vansant is going to keep up with this I do not know!! Shee is a smart girl who is after whoever left her father for dead and whoever is after her to kill her. She has a cast of characters from old veterans that need to redeem themselves to a tiny dog who thinks she is 'big and bad'! Shee's troubles don't stop there either...a former Navy Seal is all of a sudden in the picture and he made her heart race then and now. But he is asking questions...questions she really doesn't have time or patience to deal with now. Can she get what she wants? You will need to read the book to find out. I crawled right into the pages and stayed there until the end! I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book.

[Michele · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have to admit I was a bit lost at the beginning of this novel. But as I kept reading I began to follow the story line. This novel goes back and forth and up and down! It is a non stop thriller with lots of action!

There are parts that may make you chuckle as Shee tries to talk her way out of a couple of things--that's when she is not proving that women can be just as lethal as men!

Someone is out to kill Shee--her Dad is in a coma--and there was a secret she kept from a guy years ago which he is not too pleased about. I especially loved the last line that her Dad (not in a coma anymore)-screams from his kitchen!!

I definitely ended up enjoying this novel--it kept me on my toes for sure!!

[Barbara Daniels Dena · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great characters

This is the first book I have read by author Vansant and was pleased with my selection. The story has more twists and turns than an Ozark back road. Shee is such a mysterious protagonist and I had to wonder if Mason was ever going to show his SEAL skills. Both held their character traits well and made an interesting interactive couple to watch. Amy has a great sense of humor which the reader will see immediately in chapter one. I so enjoyed Shee's falling overboard after being shot and seeing tiny turtles. Sorry Shee. I know it hurt. I highly recommend this page turner. Your fingers will have calluses.

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is not going to be a book for everyone. Hunters, assassins and other people who get a thrill from murder. A young girl is raised by her Navy father who works for the US Navy. The jobs that don't make the news. Hunting for wanted people. The girl wants to be like her father. She grows up helping his with his cases. She goes out on her own only to discover that someone is out to kill her. Her whole life changes as she goes in to hiding. She losses the man she loves, stays away from her father to what she thinks is protecting them. After a large gun fight for her life all ends well. A hard story to get into. People so different from what we expect. The story pulls you in.

[Joan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Shee has stayed away from her father for twenty years because someone is trying to kill her. She doesn't want to endanger her father or anyone near her so she stays away but when her father is shot and supposed to be dead, she decides to return home to his grave. Her father has started the Loggerhead Inn which helps people especially former army/navy people. Shee finds Mason Connelly, a man she loved when she was young has been searching for her for years. Shee has a lot of secrets and she has kept one from Morgan for 25 years. When she arrives at the Loggerhead Inn, she finds her father in a coma.

[Sarah · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book was extremely confusing. What is going on. The plot was all over and the point of views was so overwhelming. The story lines were all over the place.So many characters that are so irrelevant.Are we gonna know what was the point of the rocks. Did not get that.What was the whole thing about the mom and the kid and the shoes and the dad. I just really don’t get it. This book will not be in my tops but in my bottoms. As soon as I read the first chapter I wanted to delete this book. What was the first chapter even about.The book was all over the place. I have no more words but shock and anger. This book is not good. Don’t read this . So many unnecessary chapters.

[Kathleen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well written. I like Ms. Vansant’s style even if at first you’re trying to piece the story together as the chapters bounce from one episode to another and from the present to the past. We learn much about Siofra, Mick, Mason, Angelique, Croix, & Bracco.

Once I had a few chapters down, I found it a fast-paced, easy to read story that kept me turning the pages to see what happens next.

Strong start to a new series.

I was given an advanced reader’s copy and am not required to leave a positive review.

[Anne G. Kasaba · Rating 4 out of 5]

I hope this is the beginning of a long lasting series. The characters have depth and uniqueness, the storyline has a bit of everything from romance to murder, and the mystery is well plotted.

Siofra’s life has been as different from the norm as her name. Working with her dad as a child helping to find AWOL naval members and becoming a skip tracer is just the start. With a bounty on her head she has kept to the shadows but must come home to stop the assassin who shot her dad in the head.

I received an arc of this book and voluntarily provided a review.

[Cathie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Looking forward to more of these by Amy Vansant! ‘The Girl Who Wants’ is hard to put down! The story is fast-paced with great characters and as with past Vansant novels, the humor catches you off guard. Shee is the smart and sassy hunter of criminals and her ‘wants’ are many. But, as with many thrillers, someone ‘wants’ her dead.

The characters are distinctive and enjoyable, and while the reader will recognize the handiwork of Vansant, this novel is fresh and off to a great start for what this new series!

I received an arc of this book and voluntarily provided a review.