Gone

by Karen Fenech

A gripping novel of romantic suspense from USA Today bestselling author Karen FenechNow you see her . . . then you don't.FBI Special Agent Clare Marshall was separated from her sister Beth in childhood when their mother tried to kill them. Now Clare learns that Beth lives in the small town of Farley, South Carolina, but when she goes there to reunite with Beth, Clare discovers her sister is missing and that someone in the town is responsible for her disappearance.Clare receives an offer to help with the search from fellow FBI Special Agent Jake Sutton. The offer is too good to refuse, though that is exactly what Clare wants to do. Jake is Clare's former lover, a man she cannot forget, and who has an agenda of his own.Now while Clare tracks her sister, someone is tracking Clare, and finding her sister may cost Clare her life.PRAISE FOR THE NOVELS OF KAREN FENECH"Brimming with small town secrets and gritty suspense, GONE left an impression this reader won't soon forget!"--USA TODAY BESTSELLING AUTHOR DEBRA WEBBKaren Fenech's GONE is a real page turner front to back. You won't be able to put this one down!" --NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR KAT MARTIN"Karen Fenech tells a taut tale with great characters and lots of twists. This is a writer you need to read." --USA TODAY BESTSELLING AUTHOR MAUREEN CHILDReaders will find themselves in the grip of GONE as this riveting tale plays out. GONE is a provocative thriller filled with a roller coaster ride that carries the suspense until the last page." --DEBORAH C. JACKSON, ROMANCE REVIEWS TODAY"The constant suspense and sizzling sex keep the pages turning." --PUBLISHERS WEEKLY"Readers will admire Paige for her strength in the face of adversity." --PUBLISHERS WEEKLY" ... intense romantic suspense." --PUBLISHERS WEEKLY"From the first sentence I was hooked and I couldn't stop reading until I got to the end...This is a book I highly recommend for those who love a good thriller." --NIGHT OWL REVIEWS, 4 1/2 Stars TOP PICK"I think that those who are in the mood for an exciting and hair-raising tale will enjoy this story and I hope to see more about these characters in the future." --THE READING ADDICT, 4.5 Stars"Mixing suspenseful twists and turns and budding romance, Fenech takes the reader on a wild ride that will thrill excitement-seekers and love-story addicts alike." --BOOKLIST[FEAR OF MALICE] "...a very entertaining read. The plot is very thought out with great details... The characters are wonderful with depth and meaning."--PAGE BY PAGE REVIEWS[FEAR OF MALICE] "Hope this isn't the last we see of these FBI agents from Kirk County."--SnS REVIEWS"An excellent read." --RT BOOK REVIEWS"Romantic suspense at its best!" --USA TODAY BESTSELLING AUTHOR MAUREEN CHILD". . . a superbly intricate tale of greed, power, and murder. . . a suspenseful and believable story that will keep you reading into the wee hours of the morning. Highly recommended! --D.B. HENSONABOUT THE AUTHORNever miss a new release! Sign up for Karen's notification-only newsletter at her karenfenech.comKeep in touch with Karen through her website karenfenech.com

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

203 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 1, 2009

About the author

USA Today Bestselling Author Karen Fenech writes romantic suspense novels and short works of suspense. She is the author of the romantic suspense series, The Protectors. Karen's novels and short suspense fiction have received critical acclaim and have been translated into several languages. When Karen's not writing or spending time with her family, she loves to shop, watch movies, and just kick back in a comfortable chair and read.

You can reach Karen here:

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Website: http://www.karenfenech.com

If you'd like to know when Karen Fenech's next novel is released, sign up for her notification-only news at: www.karenfenech.com/books.html

Next Release: BREATH OF MALICE

http://www.amazon.com/Breath-Malice-K...

Reviews

[Trish R. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Passionless murder/romance..

Yet another book where the publisher tells an author that “sex sells” so she drops a sex scene in the book and thinks that’s a good thing. Believe me, it’s not! If you can’t write some kind of sexual attraction then don’t write sex in your book because it just stupid. And, by the way, there was nothing hot and steamy or explicit or anything but vanilla about it. I have no idea why the sex was even in this book.

That being said, it was a decent murder mystery. Jake was likable but I’m not so sure about Clare. I really get tired of the attitude “I can do it myself or I can take care of myself or I don’t need anyone,” you know what I mean. That was Clare’s attitude through the whole book. It became very tiring.

In the end I couldn’t figure out why Clare would want to go back to New York and pack up her stuff and come back to Farley. That was one unfriendly town, and the killer was a surprise. He was also one vicious murderer, having been at it for 15 years or more. The things he did were just horrendous.

There was a little swearing and the F-bomb was released 1 time.

I got this through KU.

As to the narrator: The other reviewer gave her 1 star because of the accents but I don’t think she did badly at all. My family mostly lives in Tennessee so I, too, am familiar with southern accents, so we all hear things differently. My main concern is whether her men sound like men, and they did. Rebecca Cook has a deep voice anyway so I knew she could do a man’s voice well. And she read with emotion, too. She didn’t make Sammie’s voice sound little-girl-like but I was OK with that.

[Patricia A. Woodburn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I started "Gone" last night and finished it today. I was weak with hunger by the time I finished the novel. It is a very suspenseful book. The novel is well written, and I especially liked the way Ms. Fenech wrote the characters. Each character had a very distinctive personality, even those who appeared to be lacking in personality, because that is the way they were meant to be.I look forward to more from Karen Fenech. She could perhaps have told us a little more about the killer before exposing who did it. This did not detract from the book in any way. Good job Ms. Fenech. I look forward to more of your work.

[Valerie Hodge · Rating 3 out of 5]

This read was super suspenseful, thrilling and you would NEVER guess "who did it".
The storyline was poignant and captured my attention immediately. Karen Fenech would be a great author to follow if you are an adrenalin juncky who loves psychological suspense.

“I was provided a complimentary copy of this book so I could give an honest review.”

[Paula Mcguire · Rating 5 out of 5]

DON'T PASS THIS ONE UP!

I am a first time reader of this author, and WOW what a good book. I was captured hook, line and sinker from the beginning. Every time I thought I had the the bad guy figured out I was wrong. I have to say I loved it and will be looking for more.

[Shyra Dawn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Crime, romance

Pretty good read. Keeps you interested. Kinda expected more out of the ending but would read again. The sex scenes aren’t as detailed as 50 shades or the Steele Brother Saga.

[Bonni · Rating 4 out of 5]

great story but…

I really enjoyed most of this story. However, I felt like chunks of it were missing. Characters were introduced, partially developed, only to vanish from later chapters. The ending was extremely abrupt without tying off the loose ends; very unsatisfying.

[Luv_a_good_story · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great mystery, very complex and kept me thinking till the end. The romance was good but very light, would have preferred a little more.

[Candice Gibson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gone

Had me guessing till the very end. Fast paced and so much suspense. Loved this book and all the characters.

[Tami Gabrielse]

Very good book

[Rebecca Hawkins · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ended well

Starts off well on the first page. Interesting through while book. Did not suspect the killer...surprised. Worth the time to read.

[Cindy · Rating 4 out of 5]

When FBI Special Agent Clare Marshall was 5 years old her mother shot her 7yr old brother in the head and then pointed the gun and shot Clare before police broke in and stopped her from shooting her infant sister. When Clare awoke in the hospital is was to find out her brother was dead and that her baby sister was already adopted out. Now 25 years later her mother is finally being put to death. This causes Clare to have a panic attack remembering what happened 25 years ago and as she is trying to get through the panic attack in the alley she stumbles upon a robbery/hostage situation. She takes out the drugged out robber before he can kill the hostage. The woman she manages to save happens to work in social services and wants to repay Clare for saving her life and gives Clare the name and town that her sister has been living in. Clare who doesn’t trust easily and has had so many dead ends in her search for her sister can hardly believe it. But after running her DMV picture she realizes it is.

Clare then takes 2 weeks of vacation to go the little town of Farley, SC in search of her sister. But what she finds when she gets there is her sister is missing on no one seems to care and most are downright hostile to her. After finding Beth's adoptive mother in a nursing home and talking to her on her way out she runs into fellow FBI Special Agent Jake Sutton who she used to work with in New York and also was in a relationship with. Jake walked away 3 years ago from Clare and never contacted her again.

Throughout the story we find out what went wrong in Jack and Clare's relationship and why he ended up giving up a prestige job in Washington to take a job in a small FBI office in GA.

We are also lead on the journey to find Clare's sister. So many suspects but they can’t find any real proof. It isn’t until they stumble upon a disappearance of another woman 4 years before that things start coming together but as they get closer Clare's life is threatened more than once until she come face to face with a killer.

[Judi Haley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Never Stops!

If you like a book with lots of action, mystery, murder and love this one has it all. This had me from the first pages, Clare Marshall, FBI agent, is counting down the minutes until the execution of her mother. Her mother killed her brother, shot Clare, and left them for dead. Her sister, Beth, was just a baby. When Clare wakes up in the hospital, she finds out that Beth has been taken by child services. For 20 years, Clare tries to find her. When she rescues a woman from a hostage situation, the woman wants to repay her for saving her life. She finds out where Clares sister is as she works in child services.
Clare takes some time off and heads to the small town, but when she gets there, she is met with anger from anyone see asks about Beth. It seems Beth is married to one of the towns police officers and she has ran off with another man. She finds out that another FBI agent is there and in asking help from him, she finds that she knows him. It's Jake. The man that left her 3 years ago, just walked out and she is still in love with him. But right now, she has to find her sister and if she is forced to work with Jake she will do it.
This one never lets up on the action. In finding out more info on her sister, she doesn't think she ran away with another man. Her worst nightmare is when they find that another woman was missing from this same town. Are they on the trail of a serial killer?
This one will keep you reading. Loved it.

[Vicki Tyley · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Clare had been five when her mother pointed a gun at her head and fired." – Gone

Twenty-five years later, Jolene Marshall is executed by lethal injection. FBI Special Agent Clare Marshall is truly alone, abandoned by the mother who’d tried to kill her. That’s until she learns the whereabouts of her younger sister, Katie, adopted when she only a baby. Except her sister has gone and no one knows where to…

A fast read, full of danger and suspense with memorable characters that draw you into the story. Throw in an unresolved relationship with the perfect balance of sexual tension and you can’t help but keep turning the pages.

My only quibble is that I now own three novels by different authors with the title GONE.

Highly recommended.

[Jamie DeBree · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was the first book I've read by Ms. Fenech, but it certainly won't be my last. "Gone" starts off in a startling, attention grabbing way and though I had to put it down for things like work, I never *wanted* to, and I was always anxious to get back into the story. Clare is one of the most messed up heroines I've read in awhile, but her actions and growth are completely believable and consistent. The whole story is very well-written, and the pacing is perfect. The final scenes will leave you breathless - and wary of old mine shafts for life.

This romantic suspense is heavier on the suspense, and the romance is artfully woven throughout. I thoroughly enjoyed it, and look forward to reading more of Fenech's work.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This suspense filled standalone novel begins with FBI Special Agent Clare Marshall getting a lead on the whereabouts of a sister she hasn't seen in twenty-five years. She takes a leave of absence and travels to Farley, SC where she's told 'Beth' ran off with a produce delivery man a week earlier. She begins asking questions and runs into hostility from townspeople who side with Beth's abandoned husband. Then she runs into her former FBI partner and lover, Jake, who took a resident position there after their breakup three years earlier. And as much as she'd like to keep her distance, she quickly realizes she needs the resources of Jake's office to find Beth. Because from what she's learned, Beth is, in fact, missing.
This was a KU library read.

[Keri · Rating 1 out of 5]

Another very amateurish book. I didn't finish it. First, an FBI agent with a terrible past which led her to become an FBI agent still looks over her shoulder. Doesn't have many friends, keeps an unlisted phone number, etc. However, a victim that she helped was able to track her down by looking at all of the people with the last name Marshall in the city and was able to track her home address down and visit her. Not! The FBI agent was looking for her own sister and was waiting for information from the department of motor vehicles. However, their fax machine was broken so it took them three days to send her the information she was desperately looking for and needed . REALLY! Not possible. This book did not take place years and years ago......

Don't read!

[Maureen Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

"GONE" is the perfect title for this wonderful romantic suspense. "Gone" is Clare Marshall's youth when her crazed mother rips Clare and her siblings apart with an act of unimaginable violence. "Gone" is Clare's sister who is whisked away that very day. Clare never gives up and as an adult, finally locates her sister only to find that she is "Gone". She has disappeared, and though the reason for her disappearance seems explainable at first, the suspense starts you on a wild ride.

A very good read. I'm on to Ms. Fenech's new series now.

[Suzanne Brandyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

A REAL PAGE TURNER. They say you have to hook the reader and keep her there. In Gone the first sentence hooked me, and I immediately asked questions, lots of them.

First sentence. 'In Seven minutes her mother was being executed.'

The Heroine is a Special Agent, Clare Marshall.

'Clare had been five when her mother pointed a gun at her head.'

The mother had shot her brother, and she has a little sister.

The story was amazing, well written, and so so suspenseful. I loved it. If you like romantic suspense this is a book you must read. :)

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book. I would have given it a 3.5 star rating, but of course no halves - don't want to take the ratings down though. It was an easy read with a fairly predictable ending. I wasn't too fussed on Clair as a character, but she was true to her circumstances. Would liked to have read a little more about Clair and Beth's recovery and their process of getting to know each other (I felt there was a gap in the story here). Also would have been nice to hear about Beth's life and her marriage situation.

[Danielle Gypsy Soul · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was just OK. Unfortunately, I didn't like the lead female at all. I get that she was traumatized as a child but she was just not likeable. While the male lead was great I couldn't figure out what he saw in her. She wouldn't open up to him at all and if it wasn't her way she wasn't interested. She didn't treat him well at all. She didn't even grow throughout the book and it wasn't until the last few pages that she started to change. Thankfully, the story was interesting and the suspense/mystery was well done. I just couldn't get past my dislike for the lead female.

[Big Time Book Junkie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting plot line and while the story pulled me in, I found it hard to like or care about Clare. She was pretty awful to her ex that merely tried to help her. I can see where having your mother try to kill you might warp your personality, but she was just mean. I prefer books where the lead character is someone I can relate to or at least like, but that wasn't the case here.

The mystery was interesting, but the ending seemed rushed.

[Pmcdnld2 · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you like mysteries, this is a good one. An FBI agent is searching for the sister she has not seen in 25 years when the infant girl was adopted. She gets a solid lead but when she arrives in the small town her sister has lived in, her sister has recently disappeared. So her search now turns into what might be an abduction or is she a runaway wife!

[Suzie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm really liking this book so far! The writing is such that I'm very curious what direction the author is taking me in. I'm only 19% into it so the jury is still out. But so far so good!
I'm giving it 4 stars because it had some really dry spots that I kind of rushed through, but loved the ending. Good read!

[ilona · Rating 3 out of 5]

I would rate this book a 3.5. It's about an FBI agent who has been searching
For her sister who was adopted as an infant. When she finally gets a lead, she finds her sister
Has been missing for 1 week. She sets out to find her with the help of her ex boyfriend who is an FBI
agent and is now living in this town. Go figure.
It kept me interested and I liked the characters, but it had no depth.

[Rinou · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked the mystery and the writing was smooth, but I had more problems connecting with the characters. I didn't understand why Jake disappeared from Clare life when she didn't want to marry him. And I felt the ending a bit too rushed for them too (I like when my characters talk about their couple instead of just hoping they will do it).

[Megan Tiscareno · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty intriguing story and it definitely kept my interest!

[Patricia · Rating 3 out of 5]

This story was ok. However, I did not like the main character.

[Darlene · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great suspense. Loved this book. Will read more of this author

[Angelle]

review coming soon..

[Linda]

Very Good a page turner!