Girl Left Behind

Dana Gray Mystery #1

by C.J. Cross

A chilling past. A deadly obsession. A race against time.

Dana Gray, a brilliant occult specialist and librarian at the Smithsonian, thought she left her tragic past behind. But when her parents' unsolved murder case resurfaces, she's compelled to confront the dark secrets that have haunted her for years. Paired with the enigmatic FBI agent Jake Shepard, Dana embarks on a harrowing journey to crack a series of ritualistic murders.

As they delve deeper into the darkness, an unnerving pattern emerges – one that bears an eerie resemblance to Dana's own tragic past. With the stakes higher than ever, Dana must face her greatest confronting the truth about her parents' deaths. The odds are stacked against her and Shepard, but time is running out.

Can this unlikely duo unravel the twisted truth and bring the killer to justice before they strike again?

Genres: Mystery, Thriller, Fiction, Suspense

258 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 7, 2021

About the author

C.J. Cross grew up in a snowy little Northeast town, cutting her teeth on true crime novels to stave her love of all things mysterious. The writing bug bit her early and she found her way into the publishing world, writing 50+ books under various top secret pen names over the years.

Now relocated to a place where she can safely trade in her snowshoes for flip flops, she's found a reason to dust off her old Criminal Justice degree and she's turned an old passion into a new flame, writing compelling thrillers novels.

When she's not writing you can usually find her drinking bourbon with fellow authors or spoiling her rescue pup.

Reviews

[kay · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rating: 3.4⭐️

A fast-paced, predictable mystery novel. It was fun to read at times but I quickly lost interest when the story couldn’t keep it’s suspense. But I guess it wasn’t suppose to be suspenseful…

in case i forget what this book is about: FBI agent Jake reluctantly partners with Dana, a head researcher, who he needs help from to solve a case. (Characters resemble Brennan and Booth on Bones).

There’s a budding attraction here between Dana and Jake but nothing actually happens in the book.

[Leslie A. Sherwood · Rating 2 out of 5]

Very predictable. No suspense. I read the last part of the book quickly, not because I was enjoying: just to get it over with! As soon as the librarian from the Smithsonian and the FBI agent interacted, I thought of the two main characters in "Bones". Evidence was not used to build a case against the villain, just Dana's "bad vibes" about him.

[Christina Laury · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very well written and easy read! Suspenseful all the way through! Looking forward to the rest of the series.

[Mary Adams-Ali · Rating 2 out of 5]

Didn’t end quick enough

The back and forth anger between the two main characters got old real quick. Also the stupidity of the woman was irritating. Screwing up once or twice is believable but putting yourself and others in danger over and over because you had to prove you could do it on your own throughout the book made me dislike the character and the book. I kept reading to the end hoping that the characters would quit feeling sorry for themselves and get on with their lives but spoiler alert, they don’t.

[Cyndy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Incessant internal dialog does not substitute for a plot

This book is neither a suspense nor a romance. It is simply tedious and unbelievable. There are four characters, two male and two female. The killer is male, and we know one is definitely a good guy. The only evidence against the bad guy is the brand of cigarettes he smokes. The only mystery here is how this book garnered the number of stars in the reviews.

[Karen Hockemeyer · Rating 1 out of 5]

The idea behind this novel could have been good, even though the plot was cliché. The big problem is that the author needs to learn how to execute the first maxim of fiction writing, show don't tell.

The novel classifies itself a mystery, but we never see the crime scenes. We are told about about the crime scene, we are told about some pictures (in a couple of lines), but we don't see her touch the pictures, see what she sees, etc. We're are simply told how she feels over and over again ad nauseum. More time is spent on the all to predictable as the two protagonists glance at one another and explain how they feel.

I had purchased the first 3 books in the series. After this book, I placed the remaining volumes in my Goodwill bo

[Anntoinette Martin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this read! Easy chapters, good story line, and hooked me enough to follow up with the next book in the series.

[Amal · Rating 2 out of 5]

The book was going well in the beginning, fast paced and interesting but toward the end it became repetitive (the anger they held, the I can do it myself monologue was okay in the beginning but we did not see a character who evolved towards the end of the book) also, we needed answers!!!! We did not know what happened to Ramirez and why Jake held himself accountable for it! We did not know why Cramer chose Dana’s parents or what was the ritual for , what did he want to achieve through it. We did not know why Cramer wanted to be part of the satanic church! Also, a description of what Jake found inside Rycroft basement (a detailed one) would have been nice not one sentence in the next chapter!!

Overall, the book was interesting. Nice to read but not mind blowing!!

[Cornithia · Rating 1 out of 5]

Ridiculous

The way this story jumped back and forth was ridiculous. I going to tell him but he fell asleep. He wakes up is there anything you want to tell me? No, I can't tell him. Come to crime screen no my place is in the lab. Turn the page she can't go I have to go. Those are just some of the ridiculous back-and-forth scenarios. Waste of time yo

[Candee · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was like the first draft of a book that could’ve been decent. Unfortunately it ended up being a cheesy mess. The cliched description of Vegas. Taking down one bad guy at a time with taekwondo. Amateur hour. Thank goodness this book was part of Kindle Unlimited. I’d have been mad if I paid anything extra for this.

[Ellen · Rating 2 out of 5]

Very disappointed in this book. I wanted a mystery but this book kept sounding like a romance novel. It had a lot of cliches about librarians that I found offensive. If the series continues I hope that romance is downplayed. Note to author, Partners do not have to have a romantic relationship.

[Allison McCauley · Rating 1 out of 5]

Yike! I picked this book, in part, because it had an average rating of over 4… I wonder if the reviews were real… I read Janet Evanavich’s books which are implausible and unrealistic because they are an easy, lighthearted and very funny read. This book was neither lighthearted nor funny.

[Wellesleymum · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was full of cliches and very predictable.it was a freebie on kindle. You get what you pay for?

[Brooke Marie · Rating 1 out of 5]

Not impressed by this style of writing. It was fast paced, Scooby doo novel. Have zero intentions of reading anything by this author again.

[Nancy]

4.16
569 ratings31 reviews
A lifetime dedicated to research.
An unsolved murder case.
A killer who will stop at nothing to complete his masterpiece.

Dana Gray's life is dedicated to studying the past until an unsolved murder thrusts her parents' cold case back to life.

As the head researcher of occult origins at the Smithsonian in Washington, D.C., Dana Gray seems the perfect partner to help loner FBI agent, Jake Shepard crack a string of ritualistic deaths.

But when Gray detects an alarming pattern reminiscent of her tragic past, it puts her on a deadly crash course with a serial killer who might have been hunting her all along.

Now, she must face her biggest fear. Going toe to toe with the murderer who killed her mother & father.

The odds are stacked against Gray and Shepard. Will this unlikely duo be able to solve the case and discover the truth before the killer strikes again?

Didn't finish.

[Brenda Fryland · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars! Interesting murder mystery! Didn’t predict the bad guy, so that made me happy!

Dana Gray studies the occult and is high up at the Smithsonian. Oh and she’s gorgeous in a sexy librarian way. Jake Shepherd is an army vet turned FBI agent. He’s troubled - something happened in the war. And he’s hot enough to melt the popsicles in the freezer, haha. I wish the characters were more realistic in their looks.

These two are thrown together to solve a satanic murder. But wow what a coincidence it’s the same way her parents died. After you get over that silly and forced fact, the story grabs you and you read it in one sitting. At least I did!

This was the first book in the series and I look forward to seeing growth in the characters and the writing in future books. I’d like more details as the character discovers them. This seems written with the narrator like an outsider reporting what’s happening.

Didn’t love the ending, but let’s see how book #2 goes.

[Alejandro Favela · Rating 4 out of 5]

Funny enough how this book wound up in my hands. My roommate, who cleans up after our building, and consistently brings leftover items, found this book in the laundry room. He gifted it to me and I figured I'd get to it when I get to it. After finishing my last book, I began to read this one to continue my streak. Am I Glad I Did! Although it's corny and a little less detailed as I'd have liked it to be. It's a good corny; like the kind of corny that although you know how the story will develop, you find yourself gladly glued to your chair and staying up late, despite promising yourself "just one more chapter".

It can get slow at times but when it picks up, you wish it does not slow down. A book I found difficult to put down 😄 but I love that.

[Kathy Reed · Rating 3 out of 5]

FBI agent Jake Shepherd was called to a crime scene, a double murder by the serial killer known as the Romeo and Juliet killer because he always killed a couple. Because there was a pentagram drawn on the floor between the bodies, Jake is asked to take on a partner in the investigation—Dana Gray, an expert in occultism from the Smithsonian. Together, they try to solve the case before the killer kills again.

This book was a short one, about 250 pages. It was very predictable and I solved the mystery of the killer’s identity long before they did, which almost never happens to me with a book. It is the first book in a series, but I don’t plan to read the others. Three stars.

[Gwen S. · Rating 4 out of 5]

DanaG and JakeS Satanic Case! 4.25***** Spoiler Alert!

JakeS, FBI Agent/wounded physically and emotional from his war days, teamed up with the surviving child of murdered parents, Dana Gray, PhD in Occult History to catch the serial killer, targeting couples. Like her parents' murders, Dana worked with Jake to determine the method of poison used, and deduced the killer, who was none other than Jake's boss, Cramer. Cramer was killed with unsolved reasons for his couple choices, but Jake and Dana's chemistry set up future novels and partnership on cases. A Fair Read!

06/21/23- 06/22/23.

[Jacklyn Dean · Rating 3 out of 5]

I actually did like this book for the most part. I do feel like a lot of it was predictable and some of the conclusions they came up with I felt didn’t really have enough evidence to back them up. But the opening chapter really drew me in, and although the suspense was good at first, it did slowly die off. I liked Dr Gray and Agent Shepherd. Their relationship gave me a “Bones” feel (Temperance and Seely). If you’ve ever seen that tv show. Their relationship developed well and their banter was fun. I’m not sure if I’ll continue reading the series, but it did give me a good feel for the true crime genre which isn’t typically my genre of choice. I look forward to branching out more.

[Beth Shuler · Rating 4 out of 5]

First read

This is my first read from this author but I must admit I really enjoyed it! It kept me up all night trying to guess who it was, what would happen next and of course waiting for them two! Through the whole book of course we always want something to keep us guessing but also for a change I really related to these characters and settings! Of course I wanted them to not only solve and figure things out but I wanted them to actually quit being so stubborn…… but hey that’s why I can’t wait for the next one!
Keep up the great work and I’m waiting for your next one!

[Suzy Brookhart · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoy series like this. This first mystery was entertaining.

Dana, a bookish cult expert pairs with Jake, military stud who is now FBI. They pair up to solve a case involving a series of cult murders that of course fall into place with Dana's past.

It is very typical in some ways; of course you know the romance will be a slow burner-but I was intrigued enough-and like it wasn't rushed. I liked the additional character of Claire, Dana's quirky intern, but added some to the series.

A good beach read and decent mystery.

[Dee Rodden · Rating 3 out of 5]

Points for having the smart girl's specialty be something as weird as "occult studies"
This felt a bit like BONES to me but since I like that show, it means this held my attention.
Former soldier turned FBI guy partners with smart doctor lady from the Smithsonian.
Each one sees the other's life traumas as character building which makes them mesh well rather than clash.
Not a huge fan of the wrap up but overall good enough that I might continue the series.

[Lori Scobey]

ZERO stars… 0/5 stars… do not recommend… were her parents death a double suicide? A murder suicide… the author tells you they were both… want to know what Dana was feeling/thinking when Jake took her back to the place they died? Well, too damn bad.. the author doesn’t bother to tell us. Oh.. and what about the startling discovery Jake finds in the basement… hope you only want one line about it, bc that’s all you’re going to get. Maybe in book two we will find out why the guy in Vegas ran…

[Kathleen Ebner · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Twisted Thriller

Dana Gray spent her whole life trying to figure out who killed her parents and why. Along comes the FBI asking for her assistance in solving the murders of several couples by a serial killer using a pentagram drawn on the floor in blood.
After all these years she finds herself in the middle of an investigation which also looks like the killer is the same person who killed her parents.

[Nikki D · Rating 3 out of 5]

As another reviewer said, "Show, don't tell." It felt like someone watched an episode of CSI and decided to write a book. Imagine a stereotypical librarian and there you go for one of the main characters. The dialogue was laughable at times, and not in a good way. Instead of letting them speak for themselves, we are told how they felt and what they thought and it takes away from any relatability. I enjoyed the story but I did not enjoy this author's writing style.

[Allison Martin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Had potential to be better but the internal dialogues were overkill. it was king of like “enough already, let’s keep this moving” . It was very cliche to me in parts and a bit predictable. 3/4 of the way in, I got very in to it and it was really holding my attention and then it just sort of fizzled out. I kind of hated the ending, but I suppose it was a segue to future books with these two characters.

[Sky · Rating 5 out of 5]

First time reading this author. The plot is what caught my attention. Sexy Librarian who also is smart. Teams up with FBI agent to help solve some occult killings. Librarian's parents were killed in the same way. Which makes it personal. It is an adventure between two similar yet opposite personalities. The librarian figures out who the killer is, but I did not see enough evidence. The ending felt rushed by was setting the plot for the next book in the series.

[Mallori · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 1/2 stars I liked the main characters and how the story started, but then it just sort of was wrapped in a bow too quickly, so I was left hanging without extra details that can help make a story more interesting and not so predictable. The killer was pretty easy to figure out, which was a bummer and the writing of the relationship between the two main characters seems YA.

[Ava · Rating 3 out of 5]

Started off ok then it took a turn where Dr. Dana Gray went dashing after a suspect even though she’s not FBI & my interest waned. I continued to speed through the rest of the book because I wanted to see who did it. As I continued to read Dana’s character reminded me of Dr. Temperance Brennan form the tv show Bones. Guess I should read those books which the show is based on instead.