When All the Girls Have Gone

When All The Girls Have Gone is an exciting, perfectly paced, romantic suspense novel. I loved every page of this brilliantly crafted book and found it impossible to put down.
Madison Benson, the founder, and mastermind behind an exclusive investment club, carefully handpicked each of her four members. Every member was aware before joining her club that there would be a certain amount of risk involved. If a dangerous situation arose, though, every member, was assured, that they would receive the warning code, via email, in time for them to go into hiding.
When one of the members, Louise Flint was found dead, and another member rushed to the hospital; Jocelyn emailed the emergency code to Madison and Emily. Someone had discovered the true meaning of their club, and their lives were now in danger. Unfortunately, their little anonymous internet investment game had turned deadly.
Charlotte Sawyer was shocked to hear that her step-sister’s best friend Louise was dead. She was equally unnerved when Max Cutler, a private investigator, informed her that her stepsister, Jocelyn was missing. Charlotte and Max teamed up to unravel the mystery of Louise’s death and Jocelyn’s disappearance. As the two worked together, missing pieces and deaths started to pile up, along with their attraction and emotional bond to each other.
This novel had so many twists and turns and layers that it kept me guessing until the end. When All The Girls Have Gone is meticulously crafted and highly entertaining. I loved it!

Many thanks to the publisher, and NetGalley, for my complimentary advanced review copy.

Charlotte Sawyer’s stepsister Jocelyn is away on a no-contact retreat far from home. But that need to know basis becomes very important when Charlotte finds out that Jocelyn’s good friend, Louise, has not overdosed on drugs but instead has been murdered. All of a sudden, Jocelyn has disappeared and it turns out she left her retreat after the first night. Charlotte is now afraid for her sister’s well-being.
It turns out that several women had formed what was an investment group. A cousin of the murdered woman hires Max, a private eye investigator who lost his previous job because it went all wrong. It’s clear Max is the hero of this story as his investigative skills are immediately obvious. He finally gets out of Charlotte that Jocelyn had a troubled past and they wonder if this is involved, even though Jocelyn had been clean of drugs and rough living for many years.
No spoilers here – readers will be shocked when they find out that one’s past follows one for years and has consequences, some of which one can involve more than an obvious victim and perpetrator of crime. These women all know there is more than meets the eye than people know about their “investment” group but now realize they are in some very deep trouble that is beyond their control.
Other deaths will happen and families will become more involved, even Max’s family. A secondary part of the story involves how Max and Charlotte work closely together and a romance appears to be in the making, along with some cute humor.
While the plot is serious, there’s an easy flow to the story that stops it from being oppressive. Even the humor that is intermixed helps cut down the fear that Charlotte and these women feel – and rightfully so! All in all, When All The Girls Have Gone is a nice read and seems to end as if there is more to come in a sequel. For those who love crime fiction and mysteries, you’ll be pleased with this contemporary, dramatic novel!

It has been a very long time since I have read anything from this author. Yet, when I saw this book I thought now was as good a time to start again. The story started out fine. To the point that I did keep reading. Yet, after getting to chapter 26 and not feeling any strong emotions towards Charlotte, Max, or the disappearance of Charlotte's sister, I put the book down for good. There just seemed to be a lot of nothing really happening but talking. The intensity knob needed turned up to high and then I may have stuck with this book longer.

Well, I was really looking forward to diving into this new read by Jayne Ann Krentz. She is definitely one of my favorites and can be counted on for a solid enjoyable read. That said, I wasn’t as thrilled with When All The Girls Have Gone as I was hoping to be. felt like there was something lacking though I can’t put my finger on exactly what that is.

The two main characters (Charlotte and Max) were both very likable. I especially developed a soft spot for Max after learning about his history and his unusual new family. I am really hoping that this turns into a trilogy as I’d love to meet each of his other two brothers and I’d especially love to see more of their dad Anson.

Great as these two were, I never really developed a real connection to either of them and I also had trouble believing in their connection to each other. I really felt that the romance in this read was lacing. Perhaps it is due to the nature of the characters…they are both very practical “one step at a time” people.

I also thought that although the plot was interesting, the development of that plot was a bit plodding and predictable. I’m not sure if it was just a pacing issue or really a development issue…but the middle of the novel dragged on quite a bit for me. This is where a little heat in the romance department would have done wonders for When All The Girls Have Gone .

All in all this was a solid read but nothing spectacular…sometimes I wonder how writers like this who are so prolific can keep churning out 5 star reads…and maybe this proves that they can’t.

That said, I won’t hesitate to pick up the next novel by Jayne Ann Krentz as I have no doubt that it will be solid and enjoyable and hopefully will be another 4-5 star read as most of her books are!

NOTE: Review copy from publisher, all thoughts and opinions my own.

When All the Girls Have Gone was a highly anticipated title for me. I always look forward to the end of the year JAK release, which comes, like clockwork, every year. "Like clockwork" can describe the formula that JAK books have fallen into especially over the last few releases, building on a reliable format she has used for years and letting it settle into a predictable pattern. Most of the time it's really enjoyable escapist fare; when it's done well there is nothing wrong with the formula.

This year's title misses the mark for me. A truly engaging plot about a women's investment group that covers for a vigilante group of sexually abused women seeking revenge against people who have gotten away with assault becomes muddled by poorly developed characters and some passages that I think are meant to serve as red herrings but only bog down the action somewhat. JAK's style is light, sometimes very funny, with a use of characters with quirky and entertaining personality traits that help not only set their characters but help further the build of their relationships. Charlotte and Max (especially Charlotte) are pretty blank in personality. Max has a past trauma that sets up nicely his solitary lifestyle, but beyond that he is, as he describes himself, a "one foot in front of the other type of guy." Their relationship seems to evolve because they are standing next to each other and there's nothing else going on. The secondary characters are Krentz staples: smarmy ex-fiancée/lover/boyfriend, walk on the wild side sibling with a floating moral compass, wild and crazy grandparent character, steady and solid parental (but not actual parent) figure, and parent from whom one of the characters is estranged. You can always count on these characters to make an appearance; and some of them have been so well written that they are indelibly etched in your mind, but these characters seemed to fill a checklist.

To be fair, there is a lot of exposition in this novel. It sets up what I think is going to be a trilogy, as Max has two brothers who are referenced and apparently are going to be joining a venture Max has set up by the end of the book, and a major loose end from Max's life is left hanging, hinting that his quest will continue in subsequent tales. I would be interested in seeing where it goes, but When All the Girls Have Gone is a somewhat stagnant start to the story.

When it comes to JAK, it's been been a long time since I was this excited and pleased after reading one of her books. I gave up reading her stories several years ago when I became bored reading all the paranormal stories involving the Arcane society of the past, present and future (ala Amanda Quick, JAK & Jayne Castle). But lately her formula is more reminiscent of the romantic suspense stories Krentz (& Quick) wrote just before her paranormal obsession exploded...the stories that made you giggle, provided a wonderfully romantic HEA, yet also kept you guessing about who the villain was until practically the last page. Those were my favorite Quick & Krentz stories - they felt interesting, fun & fresh each time I read them. Fortunately, the three stories I just read (Secret Sisters, When All the Girls Have Gone and Til Death Do Us Part) are wonderful throw backs to that writing style (& formula) I loved & no doubt will be read and enjoyed by me again in the future.

Of the three, When All the Girls Have Gone deserves 6 stars - I enjoyed every suspenseful, humorous, romantic and/or sexy page and I am excited because it appears this story is the first in a new series. Secret Sisters was very good and so was Til Death Do Us Part; each deserves 3.5 - 4 stars instead of 5, mainly because they were too predictable and I knew who the villains were long before the books ended. Nevertheless, they were fun and well written and did NOT involve the Arcane society, so I recommend these stories as well.

I love JAK! I've been a fan of Jayne Ann Krentz for years. I started reading her Amanda Quick books and then followed her throughout the genres. All of her books have one thing in common, amazing characters! They are amazing often in their simplicity, their ordinariness. They are people whom we can relate, whom we know, perhaps who we even see in the mirror.

In "When All the Girls Have Gone", Ms. Krentz takes an unassuming woman, Charlotte Sawyer and throws her into a tough situation. Thankfully Charlotte has the help of PI Max Cutler and together they uncover the truth about her missing sister and her friend's death.

Max and Charlotte show what real people do in bad situations, the keep plodding forward until they find their answers.

Like all cops know, go back to the beginning and follow the money. Max and his dad have years of police work behind them to aid in this investigation, but someone always seems to be one step ahead of them.

Thank goodness for happy endings! But what a ride, JAK takes to the edge and gives you a push. This is one of those stories you have to read. I may have to get the audiobook too!

I am a huge JAK fan in all her genres. This one was a huge disappointment. The protagonists are two-dimensional and redundant of her usual tropes - female vegetarian, male adjusts. Male taciturn, woman previously burned in love. The attraction between them does not feel natural. The plot is confusing. The ex-fiance shows up and then disappears. The financial scammer just happens to be a sociopath who hooks up with another sociopath who happens to have been the rapist of the stepsister. No explanation as to why Max's biological father would be so hostile to him and it doesn't seem to be in character with the little we are shown at the end. I know that JAK is planning to follow the story arc of the escaped cult leader through Max's foster brothers, but frankly I just don't care.

Charlotte Sawyer becomes worried about her step-sister after one of Jocelyn's friends dies under suspicious circumstances. She asks private investigator Max Cutler for help after he reveals that he is looking into Louise's death.

Max quickly discovers that Jocelyn is definitely NOT at the tech-free retreat, that she left immediately after arriving and isn't staying at a hotel on the island. He and Charlotte realize that both Jocelyn and Louise were investigating a series of rapes, two of which ended in fatal drug overdoses. The deeper Max and Charlotte investigate, the more dangerous and complicated things become.

There is a lot of backstory for all of the characters, but Krentz does a great job revealing them in easily digestible nuggets. The build-up of attraction between Max and Charlotte is slow and believable, catnip for me. Also Charlotte understands and accepts Max's need for answers about the man who haunts his nightmares. Max also seems to have little problems with Charlotte being more his partner than his client, allowing her to accompany him into the field as well as trusting that she will do as he asks. Most of the time.

I loved this story, but I think my biggest problem with it was the way the various cops handled the deaths of the investment club members. Considering what a small group it was, having so many deaths or near-deaths within such a short period of time should've triggered a red flag for one of the cops. Instead they dismissed each death as accidents or unrelated. Sloppy plotting.

Strangely enough, there are multiple ending chapters, each of them being a good place to end. Almost as if Krentz either was determined to tie up some loose threads that could've waited for the next book in the series or couldn't bear to let Max and Charlotte go. However, that very last chapter about Ethel was perfect, so I won't complain!

A great start to what will be a trilogy, I guess. I know I will be starting the next in the series immediately and the third will be released in January of 2019. This is the JAK that I've come to love over the years, excellent characterization, interesting plots (even with the one quibble I had), and fascinating jobs. 4.5 out of 5.

As a fan of many of JAK's books this one was just lukewarm for me.

The Good: The underlying plot thread which should continue throughout the trilogy is actually pretty interesting even though I don't usually care for "cult" themed novels. Max and his 2 brothers were children when their parents joined a cult. They were orphaned when the leader lit fire to the entire complex, including the barn where the children were kept. Placed in foster care, Max, Cabot, and Jack were taken in my the cop who saved all the children. Anyway, this plot thread is actually pretty interesting as they all three believe the cult leader is still alive despite being pronounced dead in a boating accident years after the cult complex fire.

I did like Max and Charlotte but didn't necessarily believe in their romance completely. I liked Charlotte's quirkiness and absolutely loved the retirement home she worked at. With the retirement home came with some wonderful residents. Their appearances in the story stood out to me in such a positive way.

The Bad: While I did like the darker themes within the book (rape cases in addition to murders) I thought they were underplayed a bit while JAK was trying to pull off a believable romance. Also, the mystery was a bit convoluted as the number of murderers increased and finding connections between everything seemed a bit of a stretch.

Even though Max and Charlotte fell in love and we could see how they were heading towards this I thought it was not quite believable because of the time frame and well, insta-love. Throwing in an ex-fiancé into the mix didn't do much to propel the story forward either.

In a Nutshell: Even though this book was just an OK for me I definitely will continue the trilogy to find out how the cult story arch plays out.

Charlotte Sawyer is the activities director at a retirement community in Seattle, Washington, and - among other things - oversees a program for senior citizens who are writing their autobiographies. When one would-be author wants to spice up her story by saying she shot her husband, it causes a hubbub.....and leads to a discussion of fiction vs. non-fiction.

Charlotte has other things on her mind as well. Her former fiancé called off the wedding five days before the nuptials, leaving Charlotte with a stack of bills and a large dollop of self-doubt. And Charlotte's step-sister Jocelyn has gone off on a 'tech-free' retreat, leaving Charlotte to water her plants and take care of the mail.

As it happens, Jocelyn's mail contains a package from her best friend Louise, with a key and a mysterious note about hidden files. Shortly afterward Louise is found dead from a supposed drug overdose, and - when Charlotte goes to Louise's apartment to look for the files - she meets private investigator Max Cutler.

Max has been hired to look into Louise's death, which her cousin suspects was murder. Moreover, when Charlotte and Max try to inform Jocelyn about Louise's demise, they learn that Jocelyn isn't at the tech-free retreat and her whereabouts are unknown.

Charlotte and Max team up to investigate Louise's death, and find two likely paths for inquiry. Firstly, Louise, Jocelyn, and several other women belong(ed) to an 'investment club' that's about to reap a huge profit. This brings up the possibility that one of the club members is killing off her compatriots, to get all the money for herself.

Secondly, the investment club was secretly involved in another activity. The members were looking into 'cold case' rapes and murders. The impetus for this investigation was Jocelyn's rape, on her college campus, 15 years ago. The police never solved the case, and in fact LOST all the files. The club members think Jocelyn's attacker went on to assault and kill other women, and they're trying to track down the perp and bring him to justice. Did the rapist/murderer find out they're on his trail?

As Charlotte and Max pursue their dual-approach inquiries they put their lives in grave danger.

Max is an interesting character. As a child he lived in a cult with his mother, and was almost burned to death when the cult leader set fire to the compound. Many people were killed.....and Max lost his mom. However, all the children were rescued - and three of the boys (including Max) were taken in and raised by a loving foster father.

Max grew up, got married, and became a criminal profiler, but lost his wife and job when stress and anxiety derailed him. Afterwards, Max moved to Seattle and became a private investigator. A side issue of the story involves Max searching for the cult leader who killed his mom, and I imagine this will be revisited in future books in the series.

As Charlotte and Max work together, there are sparks of attraction that lead to a slow-burning romance.....and hot encounters between the sheets. {So if you like romance in your books (unlike me) there it is. LOL }

During the course of the story, we meet a variety of interesting characters, including: members of the investment club; the police officer who was in charge of Jocelyn's old rape case; senior citizens at the retirement community; Max's foster father and foster brothers; Charlotte's ex-fiancé (guess what he wants....ha ha ha); and more.

The solution to the mystery struck me as unlikely, but the book is entertaining.....and there's a fun surprise at the end. I would recommend the novel to fans of romantic suspense. .

Anticipation, this is what I felt as I listened to this novel. It was the perfect addition as I walked the exercise trails and pushed the mower across our yard, this novel kept me moving. The short chapters, the small list of characters and the enticing storyline had me speeding through these activities.

The novel began when Charlotte was house-sitting for her stepsister, Jocelyn and receives a package addressed to Jocelyn. Charlotte discovers that the sender of this package has been killed. Attempting to notify Jocelyn of this information, Charlotte realizes that her stepsister is not where she is supposed to be. It seems that Jocelyn is not on the retreat she “supposedly” took. Troubled, Jocelyn hires a P.I. to help her locate her missing stepsister. Working together, Charlotte and Max discover that Jocelyn and a few of her friends had put together their own side business. Piecing together this puzzle, death comes calling again. This death is also linked to the side business Jocelyn was a part of. The partners are being eliminated as Charlotte and Max try to connect the dots.

I liked the short chapters and how things moved along quickly in the novel. I enjoyed how Charlotte worked alongside Max during the investigation. Charlotte knew things about her stepsister which helped move the investigation along faster. There was a romance building between Charlotte and Max and I was glad that it didn’t take center stage. Although some of the story was predictable, there were parts of the story that weren’t. 3.5 stars

This review was written by Marie for a guest review post on Ever After Book Reviews blog:

3 Stars

I was really excited to give this book a try. Like… really excited. After all, I am what one would call a mystery/thriller whore ? But I have to be honest, I was a little disappointed.

Ms. Krentz is not a “new to me” author. I have read her in the past and have been quite pleased with her storytelling abilities. She generally packs quite a punch in her books, making them nearly impossible to put down. But in When All the Girls Have Gone, I found that punch to be somewhat lacking. The plot has too many lulls, the characters aren’t developed to a point that I feel some sort of connection to them, and the romance between Charlotte and Max feels… forced and unrealistic.

Now, don’t get me wrong. The jist of the story makes for great bones, and it kept me intrigued enough to keep reading. And I know that not every book an author creates can be a homerun. I just feel that had the author included a little more physicality in to the book, it would have made the romance seem more… romantic and less mechanical.

Overall, the story isn’t bad. The author still knows how to tell a story that is enjoyable. I think I was just expecting so much more.

***I read and reviewed a paperback copy of the book gifted to the blog in exchange for an honest review. All conclusions reached are my own***

Jayne Ann Krentz has been writing good books for a while. I love her Arcane Society series and from the moment I saw this cover, I was excited to read When All The Girls Have Gone. One thing I'm always glad to see in her books is how she's able to weave suspense and romance into her novels and the end result is invariably good.

In When All the Girls Have Gone, Charlotte Sawyer is looking for her step-sister Jocelyn. Jocelyn has left for a month retreat in a convent without electronics but before long her friend and business partner Louise is found dead from an alleged overdose. Charlotte's sure this isn't the case after she meets the man investigating her death. Every clue she learns points to Jocelyn's past who was raped while she was in college and the perpetrator was never caught.

Max Cutler is a P.I. Yet, before he became one, he was a very good profiler working in D.C. A bad decision made him leave his job and move to Seattle. He's just starting his own business when he's asked to look into the death of a woman who had a past history of drug abuse. Max realizes things don't add up. For one, her cousin believes she was murdered. Second, she was part of a five women foundation where one woman is dead and another is missing. Third, Charlotte lands into his life, making this case more personal than he would like it to be.

It was easy to like the main characters. They were both depicted as regular people. Charlotte was a woman who was coming out of failed relationship but was trying to move forward. She was naive to a point but she was also able to keep a clear head when she was in danger. Max was very honest about what his expectations are with the case and with Charlotte. He was smart, level headed and willing to accept help when needed. He also loved the man who treated him like a son, Anson Salinas. He was there for him and his brothers when they needed him the most.

Another reason to like When All The Girls Have Gone would be the side stories it contains. For instance, we still don't know if the man responsible for the death of Max's mother is still alive. To me, this represents a bigger arc that could lead to more books in this setting. There are two brothers Cabot Sutter and Jack Lancaster who are mentioned and who might want justice against the man that wronged them. In addition, we get some drama in regards to Max's biological family too. Last, we get Ethel and her memoir. Quite an interesting lady she turned out to be!

I'm hoping Mrs. Krentz decides to continue writing stories in this world. I can assure you I'll read them.

Cliffhanger: No

4/5 Fangs

I've been on a thriller kick lately so this easy read fit the bill. 'When All the Girls Have Gone' is intelligent, fast-paced and very creative. Max and Charlotte are very real and relatable characters. Loved the author's smart and snappy writing style! The romance felt completely honest, down-to-earth and very "true".

Jayne Ann Krentz is a new author to me so I very much enjoyed getting to know her writing style. She has legions of fans and I can see why. I adored Max, who is a man of few words but knows how to get the job done. He has a very painful past so his lovely romance with Charlotte seems all the more sweeter. Charlotte is a no-nonsense heroine, who finds herself working in a retirement home after making some big life changes.

Charlotte's step-sister Jocelyn is traveling to a retreat. The two sisters are very close but Jocelyn has protected and sheltered Charlotte all of their lives. A mysterious package arrives at Jocelyn's home while she is away and Charlotte learns that Jocelyn's best friend Louise has died. Jocelyn is unreachable, since she is on a "no technology" retreat.

Enter Max Cutler, who was already involved in the matter after being hired by a cousin of Louise's. Is Louise's sudden death related to Jocelyn's disappearance? The details begin to unfold in this delicious thriller. There are lots of shady characters and plenty of secrets. This is a quick, super-intriguing and twisty story that you can read in one day. I absolutely loved Max Cutler, with his smart, strong, quiet ways. He is my kind of hero! The romance is a quiet one but it fits perfectly with this story. There is tons of action and I was on the edge of my seat the whole time I was reading this book.

Jayne Ann Krantz is a skilled writer and Max and Charlotte's story grabbed me from the very first page. There are lots of surprises in this one with some humor thrown in for good measure. Charlotte and Max are a little awkward, very lonely and absolutely perfect together! If you love a good mystery with a little romance and a smart and "spunky" heroine, then you'll love 'When All the Girls Have Gone.' There are several characters' POV's in this book which kept me on my toes. All in all, an enjoyable, solid thriller with just the right amount of romance and danger!

4.5 Stars

Many moons ago, Jayne Ann Krentz was my first foray into Romantic Suspense (I started out my romance reading life as a historical romance addict) and I am happy to say that over the years, her talent for penning a compelling and intriguing story in the genre has not diminished.
Charlotte is picking up her step-sister, Jocelyn's mail while she is vacationing and discovers a note from her sister's friend Louise. She heads to her place to pick up some documents she wanted Jocelyn to have only to run into Max, a PI. Louise is apparently dead and her cousin has hired Max to investigate. When Charlotte tries to get a hold of Jocelyn to inform her of her friend's death, she realizes she is missing. Concerned, she is left with little choice, and partners with Max to unravel he mysteries of Louise's death and Jocelyn's disappearance.
Krentz draws us in immediately with the first chapter where we have a supposed hunting accident unfold before our eyes. Immediately you'll find yourself asking who is murdering who and why. That kind of suspense and unknown mystery kept me on my toes for most of the book. As secrets and betrayals are unraveled I found it hard to put this book down.
In addition to the wonderful suspense story-line, we have the developing relationship between Charlotte and Max. I really enjoyed both characters. Charlotte lives her life on the straight and narrow, taking very few risks and Max is a jaded PI trying to simply make ends meet. These two are complete opposites on the surface, but as they work together, it becomes obvious they are perfect for each other. I will note that the romance does take a back seat to the suspense plot at points, which works here very well. This was a very enjoyable read and I think fans of the genre will enjoy this greatly.

I am such a sucker for a good romantic suspense. I need a break from swoons and feel good romances occasionally, and love a little danger and intrigue thrown in for good measure. When All the Girls have Gone delivered that perfectly. The pace was non-stop, yet never overly hurried. The romance was not to pressing, like a nice little cherry thrown on top for good measure. There didn't seem to be a huge amount of mystery to figure out, yet as pieces fell into play there were so many little parts of the puzzle that came together to make this a worthwhile read.

"It wasn't one of the slow, drugging kisses that left her clutching at his shoulders. It was a quick, deliberate, intensely intimate kiss."

The spark was bright, and the romance definitely a factor in upping the ante for the suspense. It gave a new level of investment in how things would play out for the main characters. It made you want so much more for them than to just survive. Max and Charlotte were two incredibly strong characters, not giving in, or subjecting the readers to annoying amounts of angst and whining. Yet their relationship helped to soften them, make them just a little more relate-able. Charlotte's see the best in everyone trusting nature was a breath of fresh air, and Max's hard cynicism gave it a knock of reality that balanced them out perfectly.

All in all, this was a wild ride from beginning to end, pulling you to the edge of your seat then knocking you back with a blast of romance. Jayne Ann Krentz always delivers and this was no exception. ~ George, GMB

Jayne Ann Krentz delivers her "best yet" with her latest: WHEN ALL THE GIRLS HAVE GONE A rip-roaring good old fashioned, multi-layered complex cleverly crafted crime mystery thriller(with a twist of psychological suspense)! A satisfying tightly wound page-turner of corruption, treachery, and deception that will keep you intrigued to the final page.

Before I begin, have read many mixed reviews about this book. I am shaking my head, thinking, “Did we read the same book?" As many of you are aware (Goodreads friends and my blog followers)- I am not a fan of paranormal, romance, or a lot of women’s fiction. However, I am an avid fan of mystery, suspense, crime, and psychological thrillers. With this in mind, there are a few select authors which write a mix of romance-suspense and do it extremely well: Sandra Brown, Jayne Ann Krentz, Christina Dodd, and Tami Hoag.

They can flat out twist a knife in so many directions, making a reader "pay attention to every detail." You can be assured one element you read in the first part of the book, will someway brilliantly connect to several critical parts of the mystery, the further you go along. These types of books are the ones you go racing back to the parts which may not have made sense or connected early on.

When All the Girls Have Gone is a superb example of one brilliantly written twisted gritty, crime noir mystery. Every page is gripping, riveting, complex. I cannot even imagine the skill and art, it takes to weave such a complex web of deceit, multi-leveled story, "intricately plotted." There are so many pieces of the puzzle, and characters which ultimately will link. Be patient, it is worth the ride. This is not one of those books to rush through.

From old to new cases, and everything in between. Everyone is hiding secrets, dark pasts. From old grudges, past lovers, vigilante justice, blackmail, corruption, revenge, power, greed, betrayal, conspiracy, murder-So many elements which connect. Everyone has their own agenda. From numerous plot twists leading to stunning revelations and a nail-biting conclusion.

For me, this book was "top notch." I like to "work" a little when I read, or should I say,
"work for it." While reading, am thinking: What sets this book apart from the rest? As a reader you also are playing amateur sleuth in your own mind; trying to solve the mystery as well. When you read 400 books a year, you try and choose the ones which best suits your specific favorite reading type. It has to stand out.

The first time I began reading this one, was totally distracted by events going on around me. I knew this was going to be a book to savor, to read without distractions- there was much to be absorbed and a number of secondary characters. I am one which has to wrap my head around each one. So glad I started over, and the second time around was a totally different experience.

Krentz’s sweet spot, as she meticulously develops a stellar cast of characters, weaving them into a tension-filled ongoing mystery. The bad guys and girls are evil. They have two faces, which is even, more sinister.

I hope we see more of this style. Was hooked. I did not even mind the romantic suspense since I loved Charlotte, and Max together and their relationship was not the main focus. I think there is more here to develop in future books with these two, even though it was not a cliffhanger. Especially Max and his family- a very intriguing past. Keeping my fingers crossed for a sequel. These characters are too good to end.

OK, here is a little about the book to entice you. Charlotte works at a retirement home. There are some fun characters here in a writing group. Charlotte has been dumped by the guy she was to marry. Her stepsister is a world traveler and has more of a glamorous lifestyle.

Charlotte is aware of a rape at college, in her stepsister’s past. However, she is not aware she has been seeking her own vigilante justice for years with a group of women in an investment club. Don’t let the title fool you. These women do have investments; however, they use their business resources with the shelters and seek revenge on the abusive men who have got away with their crimes. They were once a victim.

However, years later, when some of the women wind up being murdered, and a powerful man is murdered, the fallout begins. An evidence box is missing which threatens the first rape, plus you have the women, not knowing which one is in bed with the enemy, plus sins of the parents (more vigilante justice), working their own angle of revenge, and a bad cop.

Plus Charlotte’s stepsister, Jocelyn is missing, and some of the other women in the investment group are being murdered, and she tags up with Max, a former FBI profiler (now PI), hired by a member of the murdered gals' family. Whom can she trust?

Max is a very interesting character I really enjoyed. Krentz’ portrayal of Max as a well-rounded character, adding depth to the fast-paced drama. She never leaves you dangling. Rest assured each end will be tied up eventually. Each path she takes you on is central to the investigation and storyline. It is the "journey" here, guys.

All in all, Krentz has delivered a non-stop high adrenaline fueled mystery suspense, keeping you glued to the pages dying to see how the pieces will all fit. Enjoyed it so much, also pre-ordered the audiobook, narrated by Amanda Leigh Cobb, as well. Highly recommend! Great cover by the way.

Speaking of covers, have you seen Amanda Quick's (AKA Jayne Ann Krentz), "The Girl Who Knew Too Much" coming May 9, 2017? OMG, love this cover and the time period! This one will be in line for the "best cover" of 2017. Add this to your TBR list. Am already salivating to hopefully receive an ARC- "Hollywood 1930’s"---this has my name written all over it!

A special thank you to Berkley and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

JDCMustReadBooks

Charlotte Sawyer has been house sitting for her step-sister, Jocelyn, while she is off on a no technology retreat for a month when a package arrives from one of Jocelyn's close friends. Charlotte tries to get into contact to find out more about what the package means but finds out that the friend that had sent the package has died.

Charlotte immediately tries to notify Jocelyn that her friend has passed but finds that Jocelyn hadn't stayed at the retreat and has gone into hiding herself. During her searching Charlotte meets Max Cutler, a private investigator hired to look into the suspicious death so Charlotte decides to team up with Max to find the answers of what's happened to her step-sister.

When All The Girls Have Gone was one of those books that kept the pages turning all throughout the journey. A bit of a cozy mystery feel to it with Charlotte and Max teaming up to find out the answers of not only one crime but also investigating things that had happened in the past. In the current story Jocelyn had a group of friends that seem to be being targeted with one of the members already being murdered but in the past there is a rape case that is still open that the ladies had also become involved in. Never a dull moment as the action builds throughout the story with several twists and turns to keep a reader guessing.

Overall, likable characters and intense plot to solve, would definitely recommend checking this one out.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

When Louise Flint is found dead in her condo of what appears to be a drug overdose her cousin doesn't buy it and hires PI Max Cutler to look into it. Cutler has just left his job as a profiler back in D.C. where he burnt out on his job and blew up his marriage. Seattle is his chance to start over. One night Charlotte Sawyer shows up with a key to Louise's locker at her condo. Charlotte works at an old folks home as the entertainment director. Her sister and Louise were really close friends and Louise had sent Jocelyn the keys with the cryptic message that her copy of the hard drive would be in the locker in case anything happened to her and now she was dead. Jocelyn was away on a retreat that did not allow technology so there was no way to get in contact with her.

Max is interested in Charlotte because she is the first person to show up to have known Louise. Charlotte doesn't believe that Louise was using again after she had gone through so much to quit and built up a new life that meant so much to her and besides Jocelyn would have noticed and done something. Besides, the theory that her apartment was robbed by a dealer since her computer was missing doesn't hold up when you notice that her jewelry and the cash in her wallet were still there. Charlotte and Max decide to join forces to get answers.

The hard drive Louise refers to is a map with five cities circled on it and a printout of two women's obituaries where their deaths were listed as drug overdoses, but Louise had written on the paper that they had been murdered. Also included were documents of women who had been raped where drugs were involved. When Max tells Charlotte that Louise's last destination on her car's GPS was Loring, Washington, Charlotte freaks because that is where her sister was raped over ten years ago back when she attended college there. The suspect came at her from behind and put a bag over her head and a knife at her throat and she wasn't able to identify him. However, she did go to the hospital immediately afterward to do a rape kit, but the evidence box would conveniently disappear.

Louise and Jocelyn belonged to a mysterious investment club that also included Emily, who works in HR in a big business, Victoria, who works in marketing in the fashion world, and Madison, an investment banker. Charlotte doesn't know the real purpose behind the group or why they might fear that their activities would lead to Louie's death or their own which has them running scared because Jocelyn isn't at the retreat she is on the run and the rest will soon follow. Or is one of them killing each other off in order to get a bigger piece of the pie on a rather large investment that they are working on that is coming together?

There is plenty here to keep Charlotte and Max busy as they try to unravel the many strands of this mystery and nearly get killed doing so. Of course, they slowly get closer to each other physically as well as romantically. I've read better Krentz books, but this one is still pretty good. I like the characters of Charlotte and Max and the people at the retirement home are a delight. While it is a little predictable it does hold some surprises that make is worth reading.

This was a decent book. It’s not breaking any new ground in terms of romance or mystery but there was nothing offensive about it either. I might be feeling more charitably toward When All the Girls Have Gone than I normally would because I just finished reading Illusion Town, the latest book in JAK’s Harmony series, and that book was nothing but a copy-pasted rehash of all the previous backstory wrapped around a totally nonexistent romance. So in contrast WAtGHG at least had a little life to it.

The plot goes that Charlotte is a quiet, naïve homebody sort who works at a nursing home. Her step-sister, Jocelyn, recently left for a retreat that helps people purge their dependence on their phones and computers. Jocelyn’s best friend turns up murdered and Max Cutler is the PI hired to investigate when the police rule the death an accidental overdose. (I have to say, JAK really shows contempt for the police force in this book. In every instance the cops are either bending over backward to be incompetent or they’re flat out corrupt). Max and Charlotte meet and quickly ascertain that there’s much more to the story than meets the eye, and that Jocelyn and the other members of her “investment club” are in danger.

The mystery moved forward at a steady, if sedated, pace and JAK checked all the appropriate boxes to have it come together in the end. She made an effort to put a lot of twists into the story but they were very predictable twists, if you know what I mean. I don’t want to spoil anything for anyone but suffice it to say that you can tell JAK isn’t a mystery writer by trade. Yes, it’s important to put foreshadowing clues in the narrative before the twist is presented because otherwise the twist feels like a Deus Ex Machina, but if that foreshadowing clue is so obvious that it may as well be decked out in Christmas lights then all you’re doing is spoiling the twist. And even without the too-obvious foreshadowing, veteran readers will be able to guess the entire story fairly early on because it’s just not that complex. There are no real red herrings. All the players are introduced and they play out exactly the role your first impression suggests they’ll play out.

On the up side, JAK did tie up most of the loose threads by the end, except for those deliberately left to carry into the next book in the series. Although the only way she found to do some of that wrap-up was to have the main characters have a very unbelievable info-dump style conversation where they hypothesized about how things had come about, and those wild theories all turned out to be 100% right. It was kind of lame but, not a deal-breaker.

As for the romance, it was fine, I guess. Max and Charlotte aren't passionate "ripping each other's clothes off" type characters so things were very tame on that angle. They were both likable enough characters who continued being normal and likable in their romance. There were no Big Misunderstandings that caused friction in their relationship and nobody did anything stupid or counter-productive. There wasn't even the typical problem of one of them claiming not to believe in marriage because of their past hurts, even though both characters had a built-in legitimate reason to be anti-marriage. So much like the rest of the book, there was nothing about the romance you could point to and say "that just didn't work for me" but there was also nothing you'd say "wow that was such a good/hot/poignant scene and it made me totally dig their romance!" So it was fine but not especially stimulating.

There were a couple of things that bucked typical convention, which I was glad to see. The ex-cop’s wife I expected to be a beaten down woman who’d suffered a lifetime of abuse, but her character turned out to be very different. And when Max and Charlotte end up in an abandoned cabin, soaked and freezing early on in the story I thought “oh here we go. It’s time for the requisite ‘we need to press our naked bodies together to conserve body heat’ scene that romance novels love to use to bring about the first sex scene” but that didn’t prove to be the case either. It was a nice change.

So all in all this was a decent, inoffensive story but it wasn’t compelling enough that I’ll ever read it again.

I was recently given the opportunity to read the second book in this Cutler, Sutter & Solinas series by Jayne Ann Krentz, "Promise Not to Tell", to be released in January 2018. It was an Advance Review Copy (ARC). At the time, I didn't realize it was Book #2 and actually it can be read as a stand-alone. I'll be posting my review of that book later. The reason I'm mentioning this is because I loved that book so much that I absolutely HAD to go back and read Book #1. This one. Actually, I purchased the Audible version of the book, which I must say is FABULOUS!

Jayne Ann Krentz has the ability to make her characters come to life, with multi-dimensional personalities that make them seem so real. Max and Charlotte had strengths and weaknesses and together they dealt with each situation thrown before them. Once I started listening to this book, I could not stop.

Max is a private investigator hired to look into the death of a young woman. Was it murder or suicide? And how is this death attached to Charlotte's missing stepsister? When Max and Charlotte team up to discover all the twists and turns in this mystery, more than a few answers turn up... and the heat between the two turns up a notch too!

This may not have been my favorite of Jayne Ann Krentz's novels, but I still thoroughly enjoyed it and would highly recommend it.

This was a good book. I enjoyed Max & Charlotte’s journey to both solving the murder of Jocelyn’s (Charlotte’s step-sister) best friend and finding each other. While the suspense in this book was not quite as suspenseful as I had hoped or wanted. There were a few twists and turns that I didn’t see coming.
I enjoyed reading this story by Ms. Krentz. If you are a fan you should enjoy this story. If you are new (like me) and like a good romance suspense I would suggest giving When All The Girls Have Gone a try.

Disclaimer:
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Netgalley & Berkley Publishing Group in exchange for an honest review. This review is my own opinion and not a paid review.

When All the Girls Have Gone by Jayne Ann Krentz is another one of her wonderful standalone romance suspense novels. Charlotte Sawyer is our heroine, who works at a senior citizen home. She loves her job, and the residents love Charlotte. With her step-sister away on a month long retreat, Charlotte goes to her house to pick up her mail; she finds a note from her sister’s friend about a package. When she tries to contact the friend, she is told by a private investigator that the friend is dead. At this point of her life, though she is happy, things will drastically change.

Max Cutler is our hero, and he is a private investigator hired by the dead woman’s cousin to investigate what is presumed to be a drug overdose. Max is very good at his job, since he used to be a profiler, but because of burnout, he gave up that to become a private investigator. When Charlotte arrives to talk to Max about her sister’s mail, they both will strike up a friendship and partner together to try and find Jocelyn (Charlotte’s sister), and the rest of the group that formed the Investment club. When another death occurs, Charlotte fears for her sisters life, and Max with her help will try to decipher what part of Jocelyn’s past is the real reason for the murders. Jocelyn had been raped as a teenager, and the investment club with her friends may also be a reason due to someone wanting to keep the money for themselves.

What follows is an interesting, exciting adventure that will bring both Max and Charlotte looking into the past to find out who was responsible for the rape; as well as investigate the people involved in the Investment Club.

In the midst of this intriguing storyline, is a slow build romance that will develop between Max and Charlotte. I really loved them together, as they had great camaraderie, and it was fun to watch their feelings for each other grown into love. We also learn more about Max’s childhood that still haunts him, as well as Charlotte’s ex fiancée, who dumped her at the altar. I also enjoyed some of the parts in the senior home, especially where one of the residents will help them.

Once again, Jayne Ann Krentz has given us a wonderful romance suspense, with an excellent plot, great characters and fun to read. There were some surprising twists and turns along the way that kept you guessing. If you like romance, suspense and a mystery, you can never go wrong with Jayne Ann Krentz.

Ahh Jayne Ann Krentz. A favorite of mine. I just can't resist her books and with such a gorgeous cover...I was in. When All The Girls Have Gone was a very nice murder mystery and what I hope will be the kick off to a new series.

The quick of it is that Charlotte's sister has vanished, her sister's best friend has been killed, a mysterious note has been sent to her home and life is about to get very interesting as she tries to piece together the secrets her sister has been keeping before it's too late. It's really nearly too much for a girl to take. Thank goodness for a sexy private investigator who crash lands into her life and who shares a similar mission... the hunt for the truth. Woo!

The Characters:
Charlotte and Max were both pretty likable characters. I liked spending time with them, seeing how they thought, their determination and how they handled both danger and frustrations. I had no complaints about them.

The Romance:
This was the weakest part of the book for me and what kept the rating from climbing a little higher. While they had a nice rapport the romance definitely took a back seat to their investigative adventures. It was very light--which was fine!-- but then BOOM lets be in love and get married! Eh. I needed a bit more before that leap happened.

The Mystery:
This was the focus of things. Figuring out who was behind the murder of her sister's friend, where her sister was, how things in the past connected to things currently happening. It was interesting, nicely paced and had infusions of danger that were rather exhilarating.

All in all, I had a good time with When All the Girls Have Gone. I enjoyed the characters, the plot, the piecing together of multiple seemingly unrelated events. I would have liked a bit more on the actual romance between the two though I did like them together. They were a nice team as they set about solving the disappearance of her sister and the death of a friend. I'd be up for another book with these two or seeing what his brother is up to.

Charlotte Sawyer has a desperate need to contact her stepsister Jocelyn, after the untimely death of her sister's best friend, but the retreat she is on has a no device policy. Charlotte ends up working with Max Cutler, a private detective hired by the woman's cousin to investigate the suspicious death. When Max starts to become concerned for Charlotte, as well as her stepsister's investment partners, will he be able to put the clues together in time to keep them all safe?

Nothing ruins a great suspense novel more than the author revealing the "whodunit" too early. There were simply too many pieces of the story handed out like candy, with only a small handful of choice parts kept hidden. The instant connection romance was both unrealistic and unnecessary to the plot, as it takes the focus away from the main story. The search for the truth was compelling on its own and it would have been an interesting twist to have the story stay on a professional level with the two main characters. When All the Girls Have Gone was good but, in the end, it was basically indistinguishable from other books in the genre.

The newest Jayne Ann Krentz book When All the Girls Have Gone continues in the romantic suspense style of Secret Sisters: edgy, thrilling, and fascinating. The theme of family echoes throughout the book- the family you're born to, the family you make, and what you are willing to do to protect those families. For Charlotte Sawyer, family has always been her stepsister Jocelyn. When Jocelyn disappears and her best friend winds up dead under questionable circumstances, Charlotte teams up with PI Max Cutler to find answers. Max begins to piece together a pattern that began when Jocelyn was assaulted in college and reaches to her closest friends today. Charlotte discovers that Jocelyn is keeping a lot of secrets and some of them are proving fatal.

When All the Girls Have Gone is fast-paced and full of twists and turns, surprises and secrets. Max and Charlotte are well matched and while they describe themselves as "one foot in front of the other" types, neither is the boring, plodding type they think they are. Burned in the past, they may be cautious, but the connection and chemistry are there from the start and only get stronger as they get to know each other. Both are the type of person you feel you know, can relate to, see yourself as, or wish you were. And it was very satisfying at the end when Max comes to the rescue only to find that Charlotte hasn't waited around for him, but saved herself. By the end, it seems clear that her optimistic approach to life (seen as naive and weak by everyone else) has also saved Max.

Once again, Krentz successfully weaves together suspense, mystery, romance and humor; connects the past and the present; and a couple of strong lead characters into an excellent book that will keep you guessing until the end. Who is betraying who? Who is protecting who? It all comes to a happily successful conclusion with no loose threads while at the same time leaving open the chance that we might get the visit at least some of these people again in future books (Max does have 2 brothers we haven't gotten to meet yet . . .).

Jayne Ann Krentz fans will cheer this newest addition to their collection and newcomers will become instant addicts. A captivating and clever new book for romantic suspense fans!

When All the Girls Have Gone by Jayne Ann Krentz is another one of her wonderful standalone romance suspense novels. Charlotte Sawyer is our heroine, who works at a senior citizen home. She loves her job, and the residents love Charlotte. With her step-sister away on a month long retreat, Charlotte goes to her house to pick up her mail; she finds a note from her sister’s friend about a package. When she tries to contact the friend, she is told by a private investigator that the friend is dead. At this point of her life, though she is happy, things will drastically change.

Max Cutler is our hero, and he is a private investigator hired by the dead woman’s cousin to investigate what is presumed to be a drug overdose. Max is very good at his job, since he used to be a profiler, but because of burnout, he gave up that to become a private investigator. When Charlotte arrives to talk to Max about her sister’s mail, they both will strike up a friendship and partner together to try and find Jocelyn (Charlotte’s sister), and the rest of the group that formed the Investment club. When another death occurs, Charlotte fears for her sisters life, and Max with her help will try to decipher what part of Jocelyn’s past is the real reason for the murders. Jocelyn had been raped as a teenager, and the investment club with her friends may also be a reason due to someone wanting to keep the money for themselves.

What follows is an interesting, exciting adventure that will bring both Max and Charlotte looking into the past to find out who was responsible for the rape; as well as investigate the people involved in the Investment Club.

In the midst of this intriguing storyline, is a slow build romance that will develop between Max and Charlotte. I really loved them together, as they had great camaraderie, and it was fun to watch their feelings for each other grown into love. We also learn more about Max’s childhood that still haunts him, as well as Charlotte’s ex fiancée, who dumped her at the altar. I also enjoyed some of the parts in the senior home, especially where one of the residents will help them.

Once again, Jayne Ann Krentz has given us a wonderful romance suspense, with an excellent plot, great characters and fun to read. There were some surprising twists and turns along the way that kept you guessing. If you like romance, suspense and a mystery, you can never go wrong with Jayne Ann Krentz.

Checking her step-sister's mail while she is on vacation, Charlotte comes across a letter and a set of keys from one of her sister's friends that has her very curious. When Charlotte finds out that friend is now dead, she has even more questions. Teaming up with private investigator Max, they start to discover that each thread they pull on only stirs up more questions. A decades old rape case, murder, money, and friendship hold all the clues but will they be able to find all the answers before it is too late?

Not the handsomest man in Seattle---not by a long stretch, she thought. But probably the one most likely to survive if he went into the gladiators' ring to confront the best-looking guy.

Where Have All the Girls Gone is at heart a mystery thriller with Charlotte and Max's building romance and relationship a companion piece. From the moment they meet it's obvious that they have chemistry but their past hurts keep them cautious. Charlotte is freshly off a broken engagement that ended only five days before the wedding and Max recently moved cross country after a divorce and job burnout. Both were fully flushed out characters whose insecurities and shy vulnerability kind of made them adorable. Their instant connection didn't feel too fast as they just seemed to click and as they spent more time together it was apparent their personalities gelled. They're not a hot and cold drama angst couple but cool and calm sexily belonging together partners.

The catalyst for the murder mystery is Charlotte's step-sister Jocelyn investigating rapes and murders that have occurred recently that seem to match her rape in college where the man was never caught. We learn the investment group Jocelyn belongs to and didn't want Charlotte a part of doubles as a cover for her and her friends to find men who abuse their wives and covertly punish them. When Jocelyn's friend Louise is found dead, it's not known if she really did overdose, one of the punished men found out about the group, or if Jocelyn's rapist has discovered that she is hunting him. As Charlotte and Max investigate, the tangled weave starts unraveling with even more threads, a corrupt police department, the investment group might be coming into some money, a serial rapist might have turned murderer, and even more lies, backstabbing, and deceit. Add all this in with multiple povs from secondary characters who have their own very flushed out storylines, background drama with Max and his biological father, and a reappearance from Charlotte's ex-fiancée and you have enough storylines for at least five books.

All the characters and their storylines were interesting on their own but we already had a great kitchen, each added drama started to feel like an extra sink being thrown in. The secondary characters and their storylines were obviously added to keep the reader guessing as to who was guilty of what but they ended up detracting from the true villain/s as their storylines were hidden towards the end; made them feel the least flushed out with their motivations. The ending and big reveals ended up feeling dragged out and full of info dumps, very staggered. We are left with some loose threads in regards to Max's past and with mentions of two other brothers, one coming to work for Max, along with Jocelyn and her friends in the investment club, it looks like this might be the start of a series.

With rape and murder being the center of this mystery thriller it had some darker tones but Max and Charlotte brought a lightness and charm that also gave it some light. Too many plot lines unnecessarily overcomplicated and cluttered the story at times but the danger, mystery, romance, and fully fleshed out secondary characters will keep you locked in, engaged, and entertained.

I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

I received a free copy of this book to read and review for Wicked Reads.

Oh, what a tangled web we weave, when first we practise to deceive! ~ Walter Scott

That pretty much sums up When All the Girls Have Gone in my opinion. Krentz has once again combined the elements that make a romantic suspense truly enjoyable – murder, secrets, lies, betrayals, action, and romance – and this book has them in spades. As such, it kept me up until two in the morning so I could finish it because I had to know who did what and why they did it. You see, there are several crimes and cover-ups that occur in the novel and even when I knew who did what, I still had to know why they did it.

There’s not going to be a lot of detail in my review because of the overlapping plotlines, and I don’t want to ruin the story for potential readers. The Walter Scott quote I used is very telling because the crime that leads to Max and Charlotte’s paths crossing sets off an investigation into the unsolved rape of Charlotte’s sister and a decade’s worth of secrets begin to unravel. What made this a particularly intriguing tale for me, is that even when I figured out parts of the story or the author revealed the identity of a culprit, there were still conspiracies to be uncovered, motives to be revealed, and lives to be saved. And just when I thought I had it figured out, another thread was pulled and a new set of questions arose. In short, this is not simply a murder mystery. As Charlotte and Max investigate, they get to know one another and they like what they learn. There might be an instant physical attraction, but as both have been badly burned in the past, it is not an instant love connection. They’re cautious and they take their time, neither making an attempt to move past their semi-working relationship to an intimate one until midway through the book. This slow progression of the romance allows it to feel more real as they build a foundation for a possible future together, assuming someone doesn’t kill them first.

The next part of my review may seem weird, but stick with me because I want you to stick with the book. One of my co-reviewers could not finish the book, it was too slow moving for her, I think she called it tedious. Now I’ve been reading Krentz for close to 25 years, having first discovered her writing as a teen, initially as Amanda Quick and then as Krentz. I love her writing style. For me, it’s akin to assembling a puzzle as she begins by giving the reader the information necessary to “frame” the story. Then little by little, she fills in the pieces, revealing some sections quicker than others, so that the reader gets part of the story while others are still obscured. It’s not until the final pieces are added during the post-mortem discussion of the case that the full picture can be seen and the puzzle completed. In the case of When All the Girls Have Gone, Krentz reveals who at least one of the bad guys is well before the end of the book, but for me that merely increased the suspense because I knew there was more to the story – we are talking conspiracies here – so knowing who it was, wasn’t enough for me. And even when all was said and done, Krentz dropped a beautiful bomb at the end that confirmed suspicions that I didn’t want to believe; it was perfect! While there is nothing that indicates this book is the first in a series, I do hope that Krentz takes advantage of the opening she left herself and writes a sequel or two about Max’s brothers because there’s a mystery there begging to be solved.

When I want to curl up on the couch with a comfy blanket and tea to read without interruption, there are a few authors that I know I can sit down with their books and always be satisfied. Jayne Ann Krentz is one of those authors. WHEN ALL THE GIRLS HAVE GONE is one of those books.
Charlotte Sawyer is the average, steady, and some say naïve, director of activities at a senior retirement home. Her step-sister, Jocelyn is beautiful, adventurous and reckless. When Charlotte hears that Jocelyn’s best friend from her investment club has been found dead, she tries to contact Jocelyn at the retreat she is on. Jocelyn has disappeared and Charlotte is desperate to find her.
Max Cutler is starting his own P.I. firm after complete burnout from his criminal profiling job and his divorce that followed. He knows the job of finding out what really happened to Jocelyn’s friend won’t pay, but he is convinced to look into it. Charlotte is trying to find out what happened also and to find her sister so the two join forces.
There are two plotlines intertwined in this story. The investment club’s members are being targeted and disappearing and you have Jocelyn’s 16 year old rape case that was purposely derailed. Power, privilege, an escalating serial rapist and a friend that may not really be a friend all are fighting to silence Charlotte and Max.
Charlotte and Max were perfect together. Charlotte is very much the steady, optimistic character that isn’t boring, even though she believes she is, but you would want to have in your corner. Max is down and considers himself boring, but Charlotte sees him as steadfast and talented in his profession. The banter between these two had smiling several times and the sex was well written. I liked that these characters weren’t looking for a relationship, but they fit.
I enjoyed this story and these characters as much as I knew I would. Sometimes in my romantic suspense reads, I don’t want super testosterone alpha males and either their matches in female form or the little woman that they rescue. Sometimes in my romantic suspense, I want normal, everyday characters that come together to become something more and when that happens it is great. Max has two ‘brothers’ so I expect this to be the start of a trilogy.
Thanks very much to Berkley Publishing Group and Net Galley for allowing me to read an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

When All the Girls Have Gone by Jayne Ann Krentz is another one of her wonderful standalone romance suspense novels. Charlotte Sawyer is our heroine, who works at a senior citizen home. She loves her job, and the residents love Charlotte. With her step-sister away on a month long retreat, Charlotte goes to her house to pick up her mail; she finds a note from her sister’s friend about a package. When she tries to contact the friend, she is told by a private investigator that the friend is dead. At this point of her life, though she is happy, things will drastically change.

Max Cutler is our hero, and he is a private investigator hired by the dead woman’s cousin to investigate what is presumed to be a drug overdose. Max is very good at his job, since he used to be a profiler, but because of burnout, he gave up that to become a private investigator. When Charlotte arrives to talk to Max about her sister’s mail, they both will strike up a friendship and partner together to try and find Jocelyn (Charlotte’s sister), and the rest of the group that formed the Investment club. When another death occurs, Charlotte fears for her sisters life, and Max with her help will try to decipher what part of Jocelyn’s past is the real reason for the murders. Jocelyn had been raped as a teenager, and the investment club with her friends may also be a reason due to someone wanting to keep the money for themselves.

What follows is an interesting, exciting adventure that will bring both Max and Charlotte looking into the past to find out who was responsible for the rape; as well as investigate the people involved in the Investment Club.

In the midst of this intriguing storyline, is a slow build romance that will develop between Max and Charlotte. I really loved them together, as they had great camaraderie, and it was fun to watch their feelings for each other grown into love. We also learn more about Max’s childhood that still haunts him, as well as Charlotte’s ex fiancée, who dumped her at the altar. I also enjoyed some of the parts in the senior home, especially where one of the residents will help them.

Once again, Jayne Ann Krentz has given us a wonderful romance suspense, with an excellent plot, great characters and fun to read. There were some surprising twists and turns along the way that kept you guessing. If you like romance, suspense and a mystery, you can never go wrong with Jayne Ann Krentz.

I would like to say that normally, I'm not a mystery reader. However, lately I find I've been dipping into the genre lately. Not sure why except I find myself enjoying the thrill of figuring out the puzzle. When All The Girls Have Gone is quite the exciting puzzler for me. It has quite the interesting twists and turns that not only kept me guessing until the end but it also had me sneaking in pages every chance I could get.

The story begins with the murder of Gordon Greenslade and to be frank within a few chapters I forgot all about Gordon. I probably shouldn't have but the story seemed more to revolve around Charlotte's missing stepsister...who goes on a tech-free retreat? What the heck? That little nugget gets beat into your head a lot. In an attempt to find her sister she heads over to her sister's friend's home looking for assistance only to discover, said friend is dead and Max, a struggling PI, is hired to discover what happened. Max and Charlotte agree to work together to solve both the mystery of the dead friend as well as the missing sister.

Though I have heard of author Jayne Ann Krentz, I have never read her books so I had no idea what I was in store for. What I got was a stellar cast of characters that take me on quite a ride as they try to solve the whodunit it and where is she at mystery. Max and Charlotte are quite the pair. The situations that they find themselves in kept me on my toes. Charlotte is quirky and charming, but it's Max and his profiler brain that I loved. The plot had many unexpected surprises, some quite humorous (Oh my gosh...Ethel is a RIOT!), where others suspenseful.

I suppose if I wanted to, I could have maybe guess out the who/what/whys along the way but instead, I allowed Ms. Krentz to take me on a great journey. Whether you are a longtime fan of hers, or a new reader like me, you'll enjoy When All The Girls Have Gone. It was well worth the read and definitely worth recommending.

I received this book from the JeepDiva for the express purposes of an honest review. The opinions and rating of this review are solely mine.
Stars - 4, Flames - 3

This was a total cover request for me, it’s so gorgeous! I think I may have even clicked request on NetGalley before I properly read the blurb. Whoops. But when I did read the description fully, I was even more interested. I like a little bit of romance mixed in with my mysteries occasionally and Krentz definitely nailed that aspect. Unfortunately the mystery aspect was lacking for me and overall I was feeling underwhelmed in the end.

Charlotte finds herself entangled in a web of secrets and lies when her step sister, Jocelyn cannot be reached. Max is a PI looking into the murder of Jocelyn’s best friend, Louise, and she begins to help him as the two incidents seem to be related.

As I’m feeling pretty lackluster about this book, I’m going to try and keep things brief. I’ll start with what I liked, because there were definitely some parts of the story that were solid. I did keep reading it after all. Krentz is a polished writer and I enjoyed her approach and style. It was obvious from the blurb alone that Charlotte and Max would wind up together, but I still liked seeing it play out. They didn’t have sizzling chemistry, but they did have a spark.

My biggest problem was with the mystery itself. For a book labeled a romantic suspense, I was suspecting more…well, suspense. There were no big surprises here, everything was a bit predictable and easy to figure out. While I liked the relationship between Charlotte and Max, she was actually quite boring. I was never all that invested in her, but I didn’t dislike her either. Max was definitely more interesting to me, his past was fascinating and if Krentz writes a sequel focusing on him, I would read it.

Overall this was just an ok read for me. There was nothing noteworthy or anything that would make this stand out. I can’t wholeheartedly endorse it either, as I’m feeling pretty indifferent about the book.

This is my first read from Jayne Ann Krentz, and I am glad that I have finally got her on my calendar. I have had a couple of her series on my TBR for quite a while, so hopefully I can work those into the schedule soon. When All the Girls Have Gone is a good combo of women's fiction and romantic suspense, with relatable characters with real world problems.

Charlotte Sawyer is an eminently logical person... she isn't the type of person that you will find skydiving or bungee jumping, or anything spontaneous at all really. She works as a resident coordinator at a retirement village, spending her days with an endearing group of elderly people. After being jilted at the altar, Charlotte's life consists of work, wine, netflix and reading. While this doesn't sound horrible to me, I totally related to her feeling stuck in a rut but not being able to find that a hobby or niche to occupy her free time. I loved that she was not a whiny heroine, but when going got tough her practical nature stayed true and she persevered by putting one foot in front of the other.

Max Cutler is a profiler turned private investigator who has relocated to Seattle after a failed marriage and forced resignation. He was much like Charlotte with a practical nature but some alpha male tendencies mixed in. He also had a difficult childhood, escaping from a cult and being taken in by the sheriff who rescued him. Between his childhood, something that happened when he was a profiler, and his failed marriage, Max seemed to have a chip on his shoulder. He is almost embarrassed by his current circumstances, and I found that to be both endearing and relatable. He felt like he had to make excuses to Charlotte for the state of his fixer upper house, and he was a bit like a puppy being praised when Charlotte accepts him for who he is.

Max and Charlotte are thrown together as he is investigating a possible murder, which turns out to be connected to the seeming disappearance of Charlotte's step-sister. They become an investigative team trying to uncover the truth behind recent murders, disappearances, and decades old unsolved rape cases. While the reader knows who the bad guys are, there are a couple twists that may keep you guessing for a bit. I enjoyed following them on their journey to discover the answers and save the day. I also enjoyed their sensible approach to the shared attraction that they were feeling. This story was a good example that not every romance has to be a grand passion to be worthwhile. Aside from all the suspense and dangerous bits, the relationship between Charlotte and Max is more realistic and something I would expect to see in real life (vs. fiction).

This was not a heart-pounding suspense story, but I thought the pacing was good and it kept me turning the page to finish in one sitting. I liked putting the puzzle pieces together along with our main characters while seeing them grow closer together as a couple. I enjoyed seeing the relationship between Max and his foster father, and hope there may be future stories involving Max's foster brothers.

I voluntarily reviewed an advanced copy of this book that I received from the publisher, Berkley Romance.

The story begins when we meet Charlotte Sawyer, a young woman who has recently been jilted. She loves her job at a retirement home but has been down in the dumps. Her sister is out of town, and she stops by to water her plants and check the mail. She finds an important message from one of her sister Jocelyn’s best friends that containing a set of keys. She decides to reach out to that friend and discovers she is dead.

Max Cutler, a struggling PI who recently moved to Seattle has been asked by the deceased’s brother to investigate. Police have deemed her death an overdose, but Max soon feels differently. When Charlotte arrives keys in hand, the two end up working the case together. Things escalate, and they soon find themselves in grave danger with a growing suspect list.

Krentz uses a tried and true formula with her books adding twists and characters that allow me to settle in and become engaged. In When All the Girls Have Gone, I never became completely caught up. I wasn’t bored per se, but I wasn’t completely pulled into the tale. The story was too predictable, with a lot of info dumps and what felt like a rushed ending to me. Having said that Charlotte and Max worked the case well together. I enjoyed the moments of suspense and seeing the pieces click into place.

I liked both characters, particularly Max with his dark childhood history. I loved the details and in fact, would like that story, but Krentz also left me unsatisfied. I want more information on his two brothers. Why isn’t this a trilogy? Charlotte has been disillusioned with love, but it was nice to see that she emerged from that experience stronger and unjaded.

The romance was enjoyable, and I appreciated the mutual respect, sharing of secrets and butterfly moments.

This was a decent book. I would probably rate this book closer to 3.5 stars but I decided to round up since I am feeling generous. It was a very readable story that I never quite figured out but it failed to completely pull me in. I thought that the book had some really nice elements with a fast paced plot. There were some parts of the story that were a bit predictable but it was entertaining nonetheless.

I liked both Charlotte and Max. It was nice to see them work together on the case from the very beginning of the story and I thought that they made a nice team. I liked that they both gave equally to their partnership and really tried to work together. The romance between them was nice but it never felt very exciting to me. For some reason, I didn't really feel their chemistry like I had hoped. I believed that their feelings were genuine but I missed the extra spark that I had hoped to see.

The mystery was fairly complex. Max and Charlotte were busy trying to solve a murder and find a missing person from the start of the book. As they worked to figure things out, the book takes a few twists and turns that keep the book moving along. There were times that I was able to predict some of the twists but I still enjoyed the overall mystery aspect.

I would recommend this book to fans of romantic suspense. This was a quick read with a lot of enjoyable aspects. I have not read a lot of books by Jayne Ann Krentz but I have found that I enjoy her writing style and I plan to read more of her work in the future.

I received a copy of this book from Berkley Publishing Group via NetGalley.

Charlotte and Jocelyn have always been close - it's that sisterly bond everyone always talks about. But when one of Jocelyn's friends is murdered, Charlotte starts to think that maybe her sister isn't at a retreat at all, but has instead disappeared off the grid. Working with Max Cutler, a PI hired to look into the murder, Charlotte stumbles into a very deadly game of cat and mouse - only she's not sure which role is her sister.

This was my first book by Krentz and I found it enjoyable. It moved along at a good pace for a thriller and the premise seemed plausible. In the beginning of reading, I got a little jarred by the many POV's that popped up - it seemed there was a new one every chapter and that made it hard to grasp the characters so it took me a bit to really feel out Charlotte and Max, who were ultimately the main characters.

The breakdown of the mystery flowed well. Once you realize how all the pieces fit together you kind of get that AHA moment and then buckle down for the resolution. The one thing I had an issue with, or that rubbed me the wrong way, was the romance. I'm all for romance and can get behind the whole 'circumstances brought us together'. But what didn't sit well with me came in right before the end. I get that Charlotte and Max shared this insane experience together and I bought their connection, but that ending - talk about moving way too fast.

Overall, this was a good book. Perfect thriller for those cold winter nights. Grab a blanket, some tea, and curl up on the couch!

This is a combination murder mystery/romance done in the best Jayne Ann Krentz style, but don't try to keep track of the plot twists and turns without a score card.

Charlotte Sawyer is recovering from the fact her fiance ditched her just days before the wedding, leaving her stuck with the bills when her stepsister, Jocelyn disappears-and Jocelyn's best friend is murdered.

PI Max Cutler, brought in to investigate the death of the friend, joins forces with Charlotte to discover not only who is the murderer, but where Jocelyn has gone. It doesn't take long before the two find themselves in danger-and clinging to each other for moral as well as physical support.
Can these two find the murderer, Jocelyn, and their own happiness together before the killer strikes again?

I really liked both the main characters. Charlotte is a great heroine, calm in the face of danger, determined in the face of obstacles, and supportive of the man who is helping her. Max is also a really good guy, protective but willing to let Charlotte help where she can. Charlotte's wisdom helps him with his decision making and coming to terms with his past.

Don't expect easy solutions, however. Just when the reader thinks the mystery is solved, the plot twists again-and the actual killer isn't as obvious as it appears on the surface.

For anyone who likes a rousing good mystery combined with a touching love story, this is a must read book.

ARC provided for with no expectations.

Charlotte and her step-sister Jocelyn couldn’t be more different. Charlotte’s content with her job at a retirement village, managing programs for the oldies. She’s likeable and has a generous spirit so unsurprisingly popular.

Jocelyn schmoozes with high flyers in her fundraising job. Her sudden decision to go off the grid takes Charlotte by surprise, but she soon learns her step-sister has hidden quite a lot of things from her.

Charlotte and Max cross paths early in the novel and it’s fairly predictable where things will go. Plus, the blurb tells us they’re gonna get it on.

Max is investigating the supposed suicide of a friend of Jocelyn’s and it soon becomes obvious the pair – along with their fellow investment club members – were doing more than just investing in start-ups.

I adored the characters Krentz offered up and – sex scenes aside – the romance was quite enjoyable. Both Charlotte and Max were well-rounded and likeable characters. We quickly come to care about Charlotte and eventually learn more about Max’s past. And the unfolding plot is resplendent with lies, secrets and a bit of treachery thrown in for good measure.

I was interested to see a relatively complex backstory involving Max and some friends so it seems as if Krentz is intending to continue this series. And I – for one – am happy to see that happen.

Read the full review on my site: [...]

By the third chapter, there have been two deaths (3 if you count a retiree’s juiced up memoir, writing of killing her husband). One of them is of Louise Flint, the good friend of Charlotte Sawyer’s stepsister, Jocelyn, and Max Cutler, a former criminal profiler turned PI, is investigating it. Jocelyn has taken off on a tech-free retreat, and Charlotte is taking care of her mail in her absence, when she finds an envelope sent to her stepsister from the deceased friend “just being paranoid”, containing keys & a strange note about a file. Teaming with Max Cutler, Charlotte Sawyer is drawn along in solving Louise Flint’s death and how it is tangled in her stepsister’s past, her disappearance, and the investment club she was part of.

This novel had just the right level of mystery, danger, suspense, romance, family, and a little humor, too. Nothing was overdone in gruesome graphic excruciating detail. The ending was happy and overall satisfying, but there was an unresolved issue, which will probably not be solved until the end of the series, after the tales of Max Cutler’s two brothers are told.

ARC received from a Goodreads giveaway.

When Charlotte Sawyer picks up her step-sister Jocelyn's mail she finds a package from Jocelyn’s best friend Louise. In trying to contact Louise she finds out she's dead. Charlotte may not know her step-sisters friends all that well but she knows there is no way Louise could have OD’d.
When she goes to Louise’s apartment to pick up some papers for Jocelyn she meets Max Cutler, the private investigator hired to look into Jocelyn’s death. After Charlotte discovers her step-sister isn’t where she said she’d be - a month long tech free retreat - she teams up with Max to find her worried that whoever killed Louise may be after Jocelyn next.
When All The Girls Have Gone was an enjoyable read but while I enjoyed the romance between Max and Charlotte, I found the mystery/suspense a bit lacking. It wasn't hard to figure out who the killer was, it was more of finding out the why but the more I read the easier it was to piece together. There were a few surprises thrown in though to complicate matters - which I liked.
All in all, I'd say read this if you're in the mood for a cozy mystery!

"Received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review."

Thanks to NetGalley and Berkley for the opportunity to read and review When All the Girls Have Gone by Jayne Ann Krentz!

The story opens with the murder of Gordon Greenslade, which of course would pull any mystery fan into the book! Charlotte and her innocuous life are introduced and she meets Max Cutler, an investigator, who takes on Louise Flint's homicide case. Louise supposedly overdosed and her laptop and cellphone are completely missing. Suspiciously, Trey Greenslade has her missing items and is searching for a hidden package. Twists and turns kept me reading and the book has a good story line and plot, but it was too drawn out for my taste. 3.5 stars!

When All The Girls Have Gone is a fast read. The suspense of who done it, the wondering who the next target is, and the fun of getting to know the ladies in the investment club are all what kept me reading and enjoying every page and chapter. There wasn’t a huge mystery as to who did it but it was still entertaining to put the pieces together and figure out the history of Charlotte and Jocelyn.

The romance of Max and Charlotte was my favorite storyline. I loved that it was a respectful, trusting, and slow moving relationship. They started as strangers, accepted that they had a mutual goal of solving Louise’s murder, and it moved on from there. With other PI relationships there is a one up manship but with these two they realized the goal was the same and it was easier to work together instead of keeping secrets.

In true Krentz ways, there were surprises throughout the story that I never saw coming. I really enjoyed the story and recommend picking up your own copy.

I’ve loved Jayne Ann Krentz’s books for years now. She has her formula down, and it always makes for a fun, thrilling read. When All the Girls Have Gone is no different.

*Warning: this story does deal with serial rapists

The story bounces between several different POV—Charlotte (our heroine), Jocelyn, and a couple of the killers—which threw me a couple of times, but Krentz managed to pull a twist that I didn’t fully see coming. That alone gave this book an extra point.

What I enjoy about Krentz’s writing is the way she writes romances. She doesn’t write an insta-love story, which is relieving. Instead, her characters start out as friends-to-lovers or lust-to-love romances which I think is more realistic, the latter of which was the case for this book.

This book makes for a quick, engaging read, perfect for a rainy day.

*I received an arc copy via Netgalley from the publisher in exchange for an honest review*

Like some other prominent authors who pump out a prodigious number of novels under multiple names, not all of Ms. Krentz's novels are top-quality. In fact, some have been perfunctory or even insultingly simplistic. On the other hand, some of her early work was quite enjoyable, with interesting, relatable characters and a good romance and a serviceable mystery too. I'd say this one is closer to her better work and far superior to her worst. I liked the characters, which is vital, and the setting was well-visualized, her familiar Pacific Northwest territory. True, the romantic chemistry, humor and the mystery story are not outstanding, but they were all serviceable. There were also a number of moments when a character's statement or insight had the resonance of true experience. Overall, I recommend this book as an enjoyable light but not weightless read.

The little town of Loring, Washington has some very big secrets. Secrets that everyone thought were hidden until one group of women pulled them into the light, a group that had their own secrets to protect.

Charlotte Sawyer lead a "one foot in front of the other" type of life but the death of a friend and possible disappearance of her sister will change her life overnight. Charlotte teams up with P.I. Max Cutler to investigate these life changing events. Charlotte will soon realize that not everything is as it seems and some people just can't be trusted. Will Max and Charlotte be able to put the pieces of this puzzle together before it is too late? This page turning thriller from Jayne Ann Krentz will keep you guessing until the very end.

I give this read 4 Stars and would pair it with your favorite bourbon on the rocks.

Many of us have one or even several "musts" before we label a book, wonderful. For me, the hero and heroine and those closest to them must be people I care about--deeply. The plot has to suck me in, literally, so that I can hardly bear to set the book down for sleep (sleep is important and doesn't come often or long enough) or even pause for a snack. The setting needs to come alive and make be see, hear, and feel the surroundings and atmosphere. I want to be consumed, scared, happy, sad and ultimately satisfied. Reading this book took me through every one of these emotions and reactions and it is wonderful. Travel from the initial sense of tension, the tickle of danger in the wings, through the highs and lows that are hinted at by the title. What will happen next? Will someone become a victim? Who Did IT? I'm delighted I didn't miss the spills and thrills . . .

Charlotte Sawyers step sister is missing. She was a member of an investment club and another member of the club has been found dead. The police have ruled it an overdose. The dead woman's cousin thinks she was murdered and hires Max Cutler, former profiler and now private investigator to look into the case. Charlotte and Max decide to work together. As they look into the case they discover things in the investment club aren't quite what you might expect. There is a trail that leads to the past that could be putting anyone connected to the club in danger.

The author reveals the killer to you part way thru the book but there is still plenty of suspense and an unexpected twist near the end. The characters are well developed and there is plenty or romance in the book for the reader. I would give this book 4 1/2 stars. Thank you to net galley for an advanced readers copy.

I'd seen an interview with the author on Well Read on PBS and was intrigued enough to read this book. I usually don't read this type of book but since the review was quite good, I took a risk. Unfortunately, I was never able to really commit to any of the characters or even the plot, I was for the most part a distracted reader and finally gave up 4/5 of the way in, not caring if there was yet another plot twist around the corner. It's quite well written and the dialogue is lively for the most part, but it wasn't enough to keep me going. I have this rule that if a book doesn't engage me during the first 50 pages, I give up on it as there are SO many other books waiting on my reading list. With this one I persevered through chapter 56, which could be taken as praise, but not really.

In Jayne Krentz's usual style of easy reading, we have another mystery involving Charlotte who partners with Max a former profiler to find out what's happened to Charlotte's step sister who went away for a month and then it turns out she's disappeared instead. Involved in a small investment club Jocelyn and several members have been put in lethal danger. But Charlotte and Max figure out what's going on and are in great danger themselves. Since Max has a whole story of his own we have much going on here. There is the romance of course, the current mystery they solve and the story leaves us with Max investigating for is biological dad (an egg donor) and his family. Where we are left with the possibility of at least a trilogy and possibly much more from this character building story. Jayne Krentz fans should be very happy.

Check out the full review at Kritters Ramblings

What a mystery! I loved the mix of elements from the past and things happening in current day and the two things coming together to create this major mystery. Charlotte and Jocelyn are step sisters and they are all each other have after their parents died, but secrets come out that make them realize that maybe they weren't leaning on each other as much as they should have.

I loved the ins and outs and ups and downs of this book. Just as I thought that I knew where it was headed the book took a 180 turn and each time I loved it! Sometimes I don't love books that take a lot of turns, but I enjoyed the windy curvy road of this one!

When all the girls have gone by Jayne Ann Krentz. The book starts with an inexplicable murder. It's a story of two sisters, a naive, endearing and overly trusting young lady and the other one is a fascinating, entrepreneur woman. The connection with two sick sociopaths trying to manipulate each other and the well described characters make this book fast and enjoyable to read. I'd recommend it if you like romantic suspense novels. Personally, I love this book and I hope if there is a continuation, to read more about Private Investigator Max Cutler and Charlotte. These characters remain me of Perry Mason and Della Street, I had so much fun. I really hope if the author writes more about them trying to get justice.

Most of Jayne's books are easy to read, and are a way for me to relax before bedtime. This book was confusing and bizarre. A number of times I found myself checking to see if this really was a Krentz book. Perhaps since it isn't one of her typical paranormal stories, it felt off. i couldn't sense a connection between the two main characters, and frankly I got lost on occasion trying to figure out who was who. I got this as a library loan and am relieved that I didn't spend money on buying this book.

I received this audio book as a Good Reads Giveaway for review.

The narrator had a pleasant voice which is important when listening to audio books.
The story begins rather mysteriously with a murder but then moves on to the disappearance of a woman. Soon, the cousin of missing woman teams up with a PI to uncover the events which led to the disappearance after the death of a close friend. The past may be something people try to forget but somehow it always has a way of resurfacing if not resolved. Some secrets are dangerous and could get someone killed just to protect it.
Suspenseful! Enjoyable story filled with suspense and just enough romance.

I received an ARC courtesy of a giveaway from Goodreads.

Charlotte Sawyer teams up with new Private Investigator Max Cutler. While away on a retreat a friend (Louise) of Charlotte's step- sister has committed suicide. Max Cutler is hired by a relative of Louise who does not believe she has committed suicide.

For me this book was more of a mystery. Krentz always provides an unexpected twist. And this happens more than once. As for the hero and heroine, both could be described as socially awkward. While romance is always secondary in a Krentz novel, the relationship between the two seemed rushed. The two as a couple seemed ok but really no chemistry.

I am slowly getting back into reading fiction after having had a strong preference for non-fiction, and the list of authors that I personally consider readable and enjoyable is still very very short. After reading When All the Girls have Gone, I am adding Jayne Ann Krentz to my very short list. Good story with a mystery that keeps you reading, minimal sex scene (just one as far as I can remember) and little cursing (a few f-words.)

I liked how the bad guy was revealed early instead of near the end of the book so you can better see how the two main characters identified who the culprit was.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the review copy!

Good plot idea but with too many moving parts, it just couldn't pull itself together. Like the simple lifestyle of the main characters but in this storyline I didn't feel like her classic writing style.

Other complaint was it was several hundred pages too long, totaled over 900, not keeping within her typical 300+ standard. Overwritten to where it's rather complicated plot just didn't catch your attention or your imagination. The public reading the story likely caught on faster than the PI and / or police. ?

Maybe this plot just got away from her but my hope is she goes back to her tried and true style ??‍♀️

I kind of felt like the author was just going through the motions. I've been reading Krentz (and Quick) books for a long time, and this is not as good as her previous work. I feel like her last couple of books having been lacking. I thought maybe this one would be different with the nursing home setting and the recently divorced, former behavior analyst turned PI but it didn't stand out at all. The mystery part of it was actually pretty boring and predictable, and the two characters fell in love pretty quickly because of an "instant connection", as they all tend to be. A little more development would have been nice.

Not the usual story. Lots of intrigue and suspense. Thoroughly enjoyed it. Charlotte's step-sister, Jocelyn, has gone on a month-long retreat or so everyone thinks. Jocelyn belongs to an investment club and one of the members is dead so Charlotte tries to let her know. Turns out she is not at the retreat. Max has been hired to look into the death because her family doesn't think she OD'd and that she was murdered. Charlotte and Max join forces to find out the real story and to find Jocelyn. What they find are old secrets and several people are willing to do anything to keep those secrets.

Even though I didn't click as well with the main characters of this novel as I did in book two of the series (Promise Not to Tell) I actually enjoyed the plot of his one better. Book three is currently set to release in about six months and I am anxiously awaiting what adventure faces the 3rd foster brother of his family Jack. Fun quick series that I think most would enjoy.

I listened to this rather than read it. As the story unfolds and the character talk about their past or the narrator reads the backstory, it's just depressing. Maybe it's the narrator or maybe it's the story, but I found myself wondering when it'd be over. JAK has also taken a different tack with this story making it more of a mystery-paced thriller, which I mean to say there's many chapters where in the POV of the killer/bad guy.

Usually I savor JAK's books and love the narrators. But this one is a miss on both counts for me. I would give it 3 stars with the intriguing story line. Plus I like a real mystery where you get to figure out who done it.

Jayne Krentz really knows how to draw you in and keep you guessing. This book is so full of twists and turns that just when you think you know what happened something else happens that makes you change your mind. Kept me guessing until the very end. Can't believe that I have never ready any of the books she has written. Will definitely read more!

I enjoyed this book. Jayne Ann Krentz can be relied upon to produce a good story. There a a few surprises. The heat in the book is rather mild, while the focus is on finding the killer. This is a wonderful way to begin a short series are trilogy. I very much enjoyed the family dynamic in the story. I look forward to the next book.

The mystery part of this book was well-done. Interesting, intriguing, and not an obvious answer we could all see coming. But the relationship between Max and Charlotte felt tacked-on and formulaic. There were no real sparks between them, just a "well, I suppose it's time for the main characters to end up in bed now" moment. Krentz usually does far better on the chemistry between her characters, but this was very lacking.

Almost a five star! I've been disappointed in new books from a few of past favorite authors lately. It felt like they just threw the books together and spent the time repeating the same things over and over again throughout the books. I was very disappointed and even bored. I was so happy to not find that was the case with this book! I enjoyed Charlotte and Max and the interaction between the two of them. I was happy with the suspense and just over all enjoyed the read. Yeah!

A real nail-biter from the start. Fascinating backstory and a host of interesting characters. Max and Charlotte are believable and the romantic part of the story fun and captivating. Some scurrilous villains as well as a strong friendship angle. A gripping and enjoyable read.

Good story, but there wasn't much mystery. We knew who the rapist was very early in the story. I did really enjoy the romance between Charlotte and Max. I'd like to read more about Anson and the boys he raised.

Jayne Ann Krentz’s latest, the author gives us a suspenseful story with a sweet romance on the side. The twists and turns are made even more compelling by the fast-paced nature of the book. However, the dynamic of Charlotte and Max is truly what kept me reading. I loved seeing the two banter and how they reacted to what they were uncovering as the investigation progressed.

Pure dramatic suspense, a touch of romance, and a twist of deceit and betrayal. The lead, Charlotte, is an unexpected protagonist and Max the leading man is refreshingly normal. Together these two are enchanting and indomitable. This story focuses on the people involved in or touched by the crimes more than sociopath. Nicely done.

I love any books by Jane Krentz or any of her other pseudonyms.
I was hooked from the first chapter and stayed awake through the night to finish it!
Romance, real characters and situations makes for quite an enjoyable read.
Ms Krentz you have a wonderful imagination and we the readers are the richer for it.

This was a fantastic creative story with many twists and turns. I honestly was kept guessing until the final pages. My one complaint - Jayne usually offers more of a romance - that was lacking here.

Although this book kept me occupied during our honeymoon pool days, I found it be just like every other romance novel that I have read. It was predictable. That is not to say that it wasn't good. I did enjoy it but I was wishing for a little bit more.

This was a great change of genre for me. This book is fast paced and full of suspense. It was enjoyable enough to read. I never fully figured it out which is always a plus especially with the way the story deals with the past and present. It had just a touch of romance which was also nice.

First let me say. . .I love Jayne Ann Krentz, Amanda Quick, and Jayne Castle. Have read almost everything by all three of them (!) and look forward to new work. But the author needs to find a new schtick. I would not go so far as to say this is bad, and, if you have never read anything by her, you would enjoy it more than someone, like me, who has read a lot by her.

That being said, I can see a series of straight-up mysteries starring Max, his father, and stepbrothers. Jayne needs a change of pace.

Thais was good. Started slow, got better, by the end I was caught up. I liked the two main characters and that it was a mystery with a side of romance. My first by this author but I bet there will be more!

This was a competent thriller but lacked most of the spark and humour of JAKs earlier books. I liked the nursing home theme and appreciated the deadpan humour of its residents but it wasn't built on. Pity. Is Jayne really writing all of these latest books...

I read a lot of JAK and her writing as Jayne Castle and Amanda Quick,this is one of the best books she has written lately with great plot turns and exciting action and characters.
Well done Jayne Anne Krentz you are back on top!

This was a very good book. Excellently written. Good suspenseful plot and engaging characters. A good, solid, all-around read for these cold winter evenings. Can't wait to read the next one in the series.

I gave 3 stars because there are some danglers...maybe a trilogy in the making?...It could take two different paths....The three sons or the discovered siblings (no this is not a spoiler)....
If this is a stand alone it's lacking in complexity and summation...if it's a gateway there may be hope. I really like all her other work...

Dark romantic suspense by one of the best in the business. Jayne Ann Krentz does not disappoint. Max and Charlotte find themselves and each other while sorting through a mystery bound to keep you guessing. More creepy than spooky.

Wonderful contemporary suspense novel! Jayne takes her characters on a thrilling chase for clues with plenty of danger and a budding romance. The mystery will keep you reading till the end since it is fast paced and unpredictable.

This was an audiobook. I had never read (or listened to) a book by Jayne Ann Krentz. The mystery, with some romance built in, was good. Krentz describes her characters with words so descriptive that you really feel like you know them personally. As soon as I thought I had the mystery figured out, there would be a twist and I'd have to rethink everything. I also liked that the audiobook wasn't as long as others I had listened to.

I give them book 3 stars for being a bit interesting, but the author rushed the last 100 or so pages to the point that she just wanted this book to end. This was my first time reading this authors book, and from the reviews it sounds like this book was a disappointment compared to her others. So maybe I'll read another one of her books, but o do not recommend this book.

I just didn't like this book as much as I love most of Jayne's books. I felt that something was missing, but I don't know what it could be. I felt the same about Secret Sisters. I reread her Arcane books, her Harmony books and most of her books many times, but this one just doesn't appeal to me as much as the others.

Good combination of mystery and romance. I liked the characters, even the bad guys as they provided the right amount of challenge for the good guys. The story has a few twists and turns that I did not see coming which makes this book 4 stars for me.