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Emma Griffin FBI Mysteries #2

The Girl Who Vanished

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Ring…Ring…

One call from her past was all it took to change everything.

A ten-year-old girl has vanished on her way home from camp.
And things took a turn for the worse when another child, a child that Emma knows, goes missing.

Disappearances, death, and tragedies has followed Emma Griffin throughout her childhood.
Her obsession with finding out the truth behind her past was what led her to join the FBI.

It’s been months since the horror of Feather Nest.
After the shocking revelation of the last case, FBI agent Emma Griffin decides to take a much-needed vacation.
But a phone call from Sheriff Sam Johnson, a man from her past, completely derails her plans.
A young girl has disappeared, and another child has gone missing.
With the number count slowly climbing.
Emma must now put her plans on hold, go back to her hometown and face some ghosts from her past.
When a mysterious package appears on her birthday.
Emma can’t shake the feeling that someone is monitoring her every movement.
Someone is getting too close for comfort.
The question is who?

In the close-knit town of Sherwood, the truth is never as it seems.

Unknown Binding

First published January 10, 2020

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A.J. Rivers

147 books1,528 followers

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5 stars
8,946 (47%)
4 stars
6,637 (35%)
3 stars
2,564 (13%)
2 stars
398 (2%)
1 star
130 (<1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 666 reviews
Profile Image for HJ.
794 reviews46 followers
February 5, 2020
Oddly, I guess I thought that the 2nd book in the series would have shown some sort of maturing improvement for the author. I'm sorry to say that is not the case. There is a serious lack of knowledge with regard to law enforcement procedures, and more so with psychology.

If you are fine with an FBI agent who barely comes across as an uneducated Private Investigator, and is unacceptably immature for a highly educated and experienced FBI agent (she calls her superior by his last name - to his face, versus 'sir' or 'Mr.', as would be the case in reality), and you just want to be immersed in a romantic-ish suspense, then you'll probably be fine.

If you are looking for a realistic law enforcement procedural (with or without a romantic element), skip this one. The author clearly has zero knowledge of the FBI hierarchy, behaviors, procedures, and/or departments, some of which are easily accessible via the internet. Actually, it's not even that she doesn't know FBI, but that even the basic 'Sheriff'/local law enforcement knowledge is lacking.

Sorry, this one, while still having a slight entertainment value, is pretty much a fail for me. I will not be pursuing further books by this author.
Profile Image for Sara.
108 reviews4 followers
August 4, 2020
I was giving it 5 stars until about 80% in - now I’m giving it a 3.5/4. It was another quick, interesting read and overall a good storyline, but the ending just fell flat for me. It seemed unbelievable and was less interesting than the first book in the series. I’m definitely going to keep reading on though - I accidentally started reading the 3rd book before this one and am already hooked after the first couple chapters.
Profile Image for Patty .
1,352 reviews7 followers
March 20, 2020
Amazing read

I am so in love with this series. The mysteries are written so smoothly and so complex that you have a hard time figuring out who done it. Just when you think you’ve got it figured out there’s a freaking twist that will change everything.

Emma is a great detective, who has been through a lot throughout her life. When an old flame calls asking for help Emma finds herself traveling back in time to a place that was full of fond memories, in search of missing children. What she doesn’t realizes she has a stalker of her own. Can Emma solve the puzzle before another child dies?

This book is a nonstop mystery of murder and mayhem. If you love a good mystery this book will be right up your alley. Think of Along Came A Spider by James Patterson
Profile Image for SoulSurvivor.
818 reviews
May 21, 2020
Not quite the level of suspense as 'The Girl in Cabin 13' , but I didn't expect lightening to strike twice so soon . Rivers is a great author is you enjoy being riveted to a thriller . I'll be starting #3 next week .Now back to Harry Truman ..
Profile Image for Jennifer.
66 reviews4 followers
September 13, 2022
So many books today, like this one, seem like they were written in a week and the authors fail to research and understand how the police operate or how communities would react… just lazy research and a failure to write in a realistic believable way. This story is about kids that are abducted. The lead police detective in the community asks a former fling of his, who works undercover for the FBI, to come help him investigate the abductions. Not really going to help her future undercover assignments. But she takes the week off anyhow and goes to help him (without asking the FBI if that is ok). Just ridiculous. Despite the fact that a few kids have been abducted, the story suggests that everyone in the town just goes about their business acting like nothing has happened. If 1 or 2 kids were abducted in a small community… the entire town would be trying to find the kids. The police would set up a big task force. It is unrealistic that a vacationing FBI agent would be co-leading the investigation and be privy to the police’s internal efforts. The author fails to develop any characters other than the police detective and the vacationing FBI agent. One of the moms of one of the missing kids at one point was late to meet with them because she was coming from work. Clearly the author does not have children… no parent would go to work in the few days following their child’s abduction. But the story acts like only the cop and the vacationer seem to care about the missing kids. It doesn’t take a lot of effort to research how communities react when multiple kids are abducted or how the police may lead the investigation.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Sarah Couture.
1,123 reviews47 followers
April 10, 2022
3.5

J'ai préféré ce tome au premier ! Le personnage d'Emma fait un peu plus de sens. Bien que ça été long avant que l'enquête principale ne commence, l'auteure met en place un mystère autour d'Emma qui donne envie de continuer la lecture.

Cette fois-ci, je n'ai pas deviné l'assassin et le motif de ses crimes, ce qui est évidemment une bonne chose. J'aime aussi qu'il n'y ait pas de nombreux personnages. Ça rend la lecture plus facile et on a pas l'impression de se perdre dans tous les suspects possibles.
1,507 reviews7 followers
March 1, 2020
The Girl That Vanished

I love this book and series. It has great suspense and mystery. I highly recommend this book and series. Can't wait to read the next book in this series
Profile Image for Felicia.
Author 5 books104 followers
October 8, 2020
The horrors of Feathered Nest, Virginia left Emma Griffin with a feather in her cap for a job well done… and in department-ordered counseling.

Jake’s deception and betrayal have only added to the inner trauma Emma carries from her past. She’d probably be farther along in counseling… and recovery if she’d stopped trying to slam doors her therapist opens. But that’s Emma.

Vacation plans made to avoid her birthday get waylaid first by a party planned by Bellamy and Eric, then by a call from her past. Emma tries not to think about the young girl missing from summer camp in Sherwood, the closest thing to a hometown she has. But when a second child goes missing, she can’t refuse a personal request for help from Sherwood’s sheriff. Emma just wished he wasn’t also the man she walked away from years ago, Sam Johnson.

There’s no shortage of suspects in Sherwood and Emma and Sam race to identify a kidnapper who becomes a killer when the body of the first child taken is found… and another child disappears.

As the case intensifies, so does Emma’s anxiety. Just being back in her hometown is unsettling and distracting. Staying in the family home where her mother was murdered, and which was the last place she saw her father brings back memories that clash with her recent assignment in Feathered Nest. A mysterious birthday gift and anonymous calls from Feathered Nest prove someone is watching her, but who and why?

While not at the top of her game, Emma Griffin is still a sharp investigator. I give her credit for knowing she is her own worst enemy and forgive her for the self-indulgent pity party and repeated flashes of arrogance because she rises to the occasion and faces down old fears to unmask a killer motivated by arrogance and selfishness.

Though wonky in a few places that left me with questions, I enjoyed The Girl That Vanished. AJ Rivers delivers another well-written, fast-paced work of suspense with excellent narration.

Enjoy!
Profile Image for ☺Trish.
1,405 reviews
November 24, 2021
This is the continuing story of FBI agent Emma Griffin who is still dealing with trauma - the trauma of her childhood - the murder/death of her mother, disappearance of her father and ex-boyfriend, as well as the psychological fallout caused by her involvement with and capturing of a seriously sick serial killer.
Now, children are being abducted and Emma is on the case, unofficially, that is. She is assisting at the request of a friend from her past, now the Sheriff investigating the disappearances.
An entertaining story of suspense and mystery.
Profile Image for Julie _ themysterymaven.
347 reviews6 followers
October 21, 2022
3.5

I enjoy circling back on this series; it’s like reading an adult version of Nancy Drew. I really liked the ending of the first book but had felt it was too easy to deduce the killer. In this second one, the build-up of children going missing in a small-town, beginning with one from summer camp, proved very tense, and I highly anticipated each turn of the page. And while I did not guess the villain this round, I felt the conclusion was wrapped-up way too quickly. For the short length of the book, I think more details could have been given to better close the case and fill-out the role of the murderer. Anyhow, it’s an ongoing series I plan to jump into now and again.
510 reviews5 followers
April 29, 2020
I enjoyed the first book in this series much more than I did this sequel. The Girl in Cabin 13 starts the series and it's helpful if you've read this first so you understand the main character. The Girl that Vanished didn't seem as cohesive a story and I felt some things were left out. The story was drawn out but then tied up quickly, a little too quickly. I don't think I'll continue on with the third book.
12.6k reviews189 followers
April 11, 2020
Unbelievable story. Had me gripped from the beginning. The suspense was more than excellent.
Profile Image for Jeannie.
117 reviews3 followers
May 27, 2021
Good book

This author knows how to weave a story. I usually can guess who the bad guy is but this one surprised me.
Profile Image for Erica Paré.
464 reviews5 followers
April 29, 2020
This has been a good series so far. The writing style is easy to follow yet provides lots of twists and turns. Rivers gives us lots of probably suspects that we can zero in on and then usually provides some huge twist right at the end! I am excited to start book number 3 and am hoping to find some more info on this mystery person. I enjoyed learning more about Emma's past as we are brought back to a location known as home during this book. We meet Sam, the sheriff, who seems to be an ex boyfriend of hers. The author seems to be providing little details about the main MC and I have a feeling once I get to the last book in the series I will have lots of questions answered. This is definitely a good suspense book.
Profile Image for Kayla.
911 reviews35 followers
October 9, 2020
This book kept me guessing the whole time! Then that ending - what?!? The narrator brought the story to life and kept me intrigued. The story flowed so easily that I almost listened in one sitting! A great listen for a long road trip because you won't want to stop listening!

Thank you to the author for my review copy. All opinions and thoughts are my own.
Profile Image for Molly Casselbury.
180 reviews1 follower
March 24, 2025
This states it can be read as a standalone; but Emma's character development relies heavily on reading the first book. Enjoyed this as a quick "popcorn" thriller to replace Freida books. This plot was thick even for 230 pages. I'll continue to read this series as fill in books.
8 reviews
March 31, 2020
Totally satisfying my obsession with mysteries

Fast paced, easy reads. I hand read two books by the author and have two more ready to be read. I’m enjoying them.
49 reviews
March 31, 2020
Interesting character....have enjoyed both so far.
161 reviews
August 15, 2020
This second book is better than the first. At least this time I didn't figure out who did it.
Profile Image for Andrea Jent.
372 reviews13 followers
March 23, 2021
Another quick read. Very poorly written and extremely poorly edited (then/than errors, seriously). The story line has potential, but that’s about it.
Profile Image for Alyson Lucille.
1,019 reviews10 followers
July 20, 2022
Actually liked the first one much better.
This one didn’t have enough to it
Profile Image for Kai :).
16 reviews1 follower
March 6, 2023
with these books the endings are so surprising, like by the end youre like OMG WTF I DIDNT SEE THE COMING.
Profile Image for Kelly Moriarty.
99 reviews
February 9, 2024
Another great Emma Griffin book by AJ Rivers!! I know I am going to enjoy this entire 21 book series. 2 down, 19 to go!!
Profile Image for Marie Wikle.
376 reviews9 followers
February 29, 2024
I love getting to know this FBI agent!! I’m excited for this series!
Profile Image for Kathryn Ann.
166 reviews4 followers
May 30, 2020
I give it a 3.5 out of 5!

Easier to follow than the first one in the series, but not as spooky as the first one either (which I appreciated).

Excited to see how this author continues with a few more in this series and how they keep the readers on edge
584 reviews5 followers
November 14, 2020
Another great book by A J Rivers! This was one you can't put down! It took a turn at the end I was not expecting! On to the next in the series!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 666 reviews

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