A New Favorite Thriller - Two Girls Down Review

TITLE: Two Girls Down
AUTHOR: Louisa Luna
PUBLISHER: Doubleday
PUBLISHING DATE: January 9, 2018

FROM GOODREADS: When two young sisters disappear from a strip mall parking lot in a small Pennsylvania town, their devastated mother hires an enigmatic bounty hunter, Alice Vega, to help find the girls. Immediately shut out by a local police department already stretched thin by budget cuts and the growing OxyContin and meth epidemic, Vega enlists the help of a disgraced former cop, Max Caplan. Cap is a man trying to put the scandal of his past behind him and move on, but Vega needs his help to find the girls, and she will not be denied. 

With little to go on, Vega and Cap will go to extraordinary lengths to untangle a dangerous web of lies, false leads, and complex relationships to find the girls before time runs out, and they are gone forever. 

MY THOUGHTS:  I always find it a tad bit tricky to review thrillers because often, it's best to go into them knowing very little.  I seriously think that's the case with "Two Girls Down."  When two young girls go missing, the extended family hire Alice Vega, bounty hunter and private detective, to search for them because they have little faith in the town police department.  Vega enlists the help of Max Capling, a local private eye, who once worked for the police himself.  Together, they navigate the twists and turns of the case, hoping that in the end, the two girls will return safely home.

First I must say the mystery element of this novel had me guessing throughout the entire book. Even when it ended, I honestly expected another twist to take place.  Also, while looking for the children, Cap and Vega meet some pretty interesting, and need I say disturbed, individuals.  But my favorite part of "Two Girls Down" were Vega and Cap themselves.  Both are such headstrong and intelligent people who rarely take crap from anyone.  While there really isn't a romantic element between them, as a reader, I almost hoped for one.  Cap's daughter is also a joy and throughout the book, it's evident that she has a future ahead of her in the criminal justice system should she choose.  

If you love thrillers, then I strongly recommend picking this one up. I've been burned by some in the past and whenever I start one, I'm always a tad hesitant. However, "Two Girls Down" did not disappoint me in the slightest.

RATING: 5 PAWS

CHALLENGE FULFILLED: Cloak & Dagger 2018