The Girl Who Was Taken

By Charlie Donlea

Charlie Donlea, one of the most original new voices in suspense, returns with a haunting novel, laden with twists and high tension, about two abducted girls—one who returns, one who doesn’t—and the forensics expert searching for answers.

Nicole Cutty and Megan McDonald are both high school seniors in the small town of Emerson Bay, North Carolina. When they disappear from a beach party one warm summer night, police launch a massive search. No clues are found, and hope is almost lost until Megan miraculously surfaces after escaping from a bunker deep in the woods.

A year later, the bestselling account of her ordeal has turned Megan from local hero to national celebrity. It’s a triumphant, inspiring story, except for one inconvenient detail: Nicole is still missing. Nicole’s older sister Livia, a fellow in forensic pathology, expects that one day soon Nicole’s body will be found, and it will be up to someone like Livia to analyze the evidence and finally determine her sister’s fate. Instead, the first clue to Nicole’s disappearance comes from another body that shows up in Livia’s morgue—that of a young man connected to Nicole’s past. Livia reaches out to Megan for help, hoping to learn more about the night the two were taken. Other girls have gone missing too, and Livia is increasingly certain the cases are connected.

But Megan knows more than she revealed in her blockbuster book. Flashes of memory are coming together, pointing to something darker and more monstrous than her chilling memoir describes. And the deeper she and Livia dig, the more they realize that sometimes true terror lies in finding exactly what you’ve been looking for.

PRAISE FOR CHARLIE DONLEA AND SUMMIT LAKE

“A gem of a mystery, fast‑paced and suspenseful.” —Catherine Coulter, #1 New York Times bestselling author

“Fans of contemporary suspense will enjoy this brisk read.” —Booklist

“An exciting debut, with all the right touches, captivating from the first page to the last. There’s a bright future ahead for this newcomer to the thriller genre—definitely a talent to watch.” —Steve Berry, New York Times bestselling author

“Donlea keeps readers guessing throughout. The whodunit plot is clever and compelling . . . for fans of nonstop mysteries with a twist.” —Library Journal

“A swift, outstanding debut. Summit Lake engrossed me then knocked me cold. Charlie Donlea is a superb storyteller sure to damage the bestseller lists.” —Robert Dugoni, New York Times bestselling author

“With a soaring pace and teasing plot twists, Charlie Donlea’s debut mystery is like a cool drink of water with a twist of lemon. It’s refreshing to find a book that has such a well-developed plot and excellent writing to back it up.” —BookPage

• Language: English
• Publisher: Random House Publishing Group
• Release date: Apr 25, 2017
• ISBN: 9781496701015

Charlie Donlea

Charlie Donlea is the critically acclaimed, USA Today, Indiebound and #1 internationally bestselling author of propulsive, female-driven thrillers including The Girl Who Was Taken, Some Choose Darkness, Twenty Years Later and Those Empty Eyes. Published in nearly 40 countries and translated into more than a dozen languages, his books have sold more than 1.5 million copies in the U.S. alone. Donlea has been praised for his "soaring pace, teasing plot twists" (BookPage) and talent for writing an ending that "makes your jaw drop" (The New York Times Book Review). He was born and raised in Chicago, where he continues to live with his wife and two children. Visit him online at CharlieDonlea.com.

Reviews for The Girl Who Was Taken

[lauigl · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Two girls go missing one night from the same beach party. One girl, Megan McDonald, escapes her abductor and returns home. The other girl, Nicole Cutty, is still missing. The book opens about a year after the girls were taken. Livia Cutty, Nicole’s older sister, has not given up looking for her. She’s a fellow in forensic pathology and is hopeful that she will find her sister and put an end to the mystery of what happened to her. As Livia intensifies her investigation into Nicole’s life she discovers many bizarre things about her sister and the activities she was involved in—shocking things. Nicole has been all but forgotten by the general public, whereas Megan is in the spotlight, receiving accolades and recognition from her bestselling book, Missing, about her ordeal. And while Livia can’t help feeling bitter about Megan’s lot, she also couldn’t resist buying and reading Megan’s book, hoping that she would somehow discover clues leading to her sister’s whereabouts. What Livia doesn’t expect is to perform an autopsy on a man who is linked to her sister. What, if any, clues can come about from this discovery? The Girl Who Was Taken was spectacular!! Seriously, I was on the edge of my seat, especially toward the end when the chapter lengths shortened and the tension amped up. I felt as though I was on an exhilarating joy ride that refused to slow down and release me, and it was wonderful.I loved the plot development. Intricate details are successively woven throughout the chapters that begin to paint a picture of the lives of the abductees. I was in eager anticipation of the twist I knew would come, and I was not disappointed. And while the book left me with a few questions, it in no way detracted from my overall opinion of it. Excellent read. Highly recommended. (Warning: There’s teenage language and detailed forensic descriptions in this book.)

[jenn88-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Nicole Cutty and Megan McDonald have more in common than just being high school seniors in the small town of Emerson Bay, North Carolina. They both disappeared from the same beach party at the beginning of summer. The police launched a search but no clues were found. Shortly afterwards Megan manages to escape from a bunker deep in the woods. Fast forward a year and Megan has turned into a national celebrity when her book detailing her time spent in captivity and her escape has landed on the bestseller list. But for some this is another painful reminder that Nicole is still missing. Nicole's older sister, Livia, is a fellow in forensic pathology and she expects that someday her sister's body will end up on her autopsy table. But for now, Livia's first clue about her sister's disappearance comes from another body that shows up in the morgue - a young man she's never seen or heard of before. After some digging around Livia is close to figuring out the truth. With snippets of Megan's memory returning, the pair will uncover something deeply disturbing.

This was suspenseful! It goes back and forth from the summer leading up to the disappearances and the aftermath. It was well-written and left me guessing until the very end. Livia has an interesting profession and I didn't find it too bogged down with the terminology that went along with it.

Thank you to Kensington Books and Netgalley for a copy of this book.

[tess_schoolmarm · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This was a surprise, a chilling tale. It starts out as a simple kidnapping; but it's not really so simple. The plot builds and builds and everytime you think you've got it pegged, something else happens. Kept me on the edge of my seat till the very end! 340 pages 4 1/2 stars.

[janarose1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

A year ago, Nicole and Megan were both kidnapped. Megan returns and Nicole does not. With the pressure from her family and the media, Megan authors a book. Nicole's sister Livia, determined to find out what happened to Nicole, begins doing some digging of her own.I thought this book was ok. The back and forth in the timeline didn't really work. The author clumsily used foreshadowing, which ruined the "surprise" when something actually happened. I did think that Livia's profession, a forensic pathologist, was fascinating. Livia's point of view was particularly interesting, it isn't one that you come across often. Overall, not a bad book, but not one I would reread or recommend.

[jenniferlynn-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I absolutely LOVED Summit Lake and when I found out Charlie Donlea had another book, I couldn't wait to read it. It definitely disappoint. It was one of those books I didn't want to put down. When I got to the last page I couldn't believe it was over.Nicole and Megan both went missing at the same time, but only Megan was found. The book alternates between before the abduction and after Megan escaped. Nicole's sister Livia is a central character and has just started her fellowship with the county medical examiner. She blames herself for not taking that last phone call from Nicole. I kept thinking Nicole's body was going to show up on her table for an autopsy as an unidentified person. Megan and Nicole were extreme opposites. Megan was the nice girl with the bright future. Nicole on the other hand had the nickname Slutty Cutty and was fascinated with the Capture Club. All I can say is that ending was something!!! I had a few suspicions on who might be behind everything but I never really thought it would be that person. When it ended I wanted to scream NOOOO!!! I wanted to read more and see if Livia finally found what she was looking for. I definitely recommend this book and look forward to the author's next book!!! Thanks to NetGalley, Kensington Books and the author, Charlie Donlea, for a free electronic ARC of this novel.

[debkrenzer · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Oh, this book, this book. I went back and forth and then, back and forth. I just knew who the suspect was. Wrong. Then I just knew who the suspect was again and who was helping the suspect. Wrong. Then I absolutely knew who the suspect was, final answer. Wrong.You would think I would be frustrated. No! I was loving it. So many suspects. Who doesn't love a book that gives you many suspects? Who wants to know who did it right off the bat? This was a great book. The author took us to before the disappearance of Megan and Nicole and what was going on with those two girls. Then to a year after Megan's escape from her captor. At this time, Megan had written a book, became a national celebrity and Nicole was still missing. Nicole's older sister, Livia, meanwhile had become a forensic intern and was still searching for her sister. Scared that any day she would show up on her table, but still anxiously waiting to hear any news.Livia uncovers something from one of the bodies that shows up on her table and links it to Megan's and Nicole's past. Then her and Megan start to work together to find Nicole. Megan still hasn't put all the pieces together. This is when the suspense starts. An outstanding read that I could not put down. Yes, I was guessing up until almost the very end. And . . . yeah, that's all I'm going to tell you. It is worth your time to find out yourself.Huge thanks to Kensington Books for approving my request and to Net Galley for providing me with a free e-galley in exchange for an honest unbiased review.

[pet12-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Having really enjoyed Charlie Donlea's debut novel Summit Lake last year, I was looking forward to his new thriller. It didn't disappoint. Even if you've sworn off any more "Girl"-titled novels this one is a well-written and original mystery that is worthwhile adding.The main character, Livia Cutty, is training as a medical examiner. A career aspiration attributable to the loss of her younger sister, Nicole, whose disappearance over a year ago has since turned into a cold case. When Livia finds out that a body on her autopsy table had links with her missing sister, Livia starts investigating on her own.The story switches back and forth between the present day and the time leading up to Nicole's disappearance. In addition, there are several points of view. On the same night Nicole disappeared, one of her classmates, Megan McDonald, was abducted, but she made it back home a couple of weeks later.I thought the alternating timeframes and perspectives worked well and were straightforward to follow. The shortish chapters kept the momentum going and I was pretty much gripped the entire way through. I enjoyed reading about Livia's work as a forensic pathologist. She was an interesting and strong character.Mr Donlea threw plenty of red herrings and I'm afraid I fell for all the 'clues'. The finale was an exciting surprise. In the end, there were a couple of things I would have liked more information on, e.g. the relationship between Megan's dad and Casey wasn't fully explained.Overall, a solid mystery with a very intriguing plot and well-developed characters.I received an ARC via NetGalley.

[tess_w · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This was a surprise, a chilling tale. It starts out as a simple kidnapping; but it's not really so simple. The plot builds and builds and everytime you think you've got it pegged, something else happens. Kept me on the edge of my seat till the very end! 340 pages 4 1/2 stars.

[booklovers2 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This was really pretty good!  I thought I had it figured out but the end pulled it all together and I only had figured out part of this mystery. Quite Sad actually but, still a great story!

[bookofsecrets · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I enjoyed reading Charlie Donlea’s debut novel, SUMMIT LAKE, last year, and I’m thrilled to say that his second book, THE GIRL WHO WAS TAKEN, exceeded my expectations. It’s suspenseful, twisty, and chilling, which all together make for a riveting read.Two young women were abducted the summer after their high school graduation. Megan escapes after two weeks, but Nicole is still missing a year later. What became of Nicole? Her older sister Livia is haunted by that question daily. While completing her fellowship to become a forensic pathologist, Livia wonders if a clue to her sister’s disappearance will end up on her exam table – and then suddenly, one appears.I was fascinated by Livia’s job as a medical examiner, though I had to cringe several times! Yep, the descriptions could be gruesome, but clearly forensic pathology was well researched for this book.The story jumps around in time, and is told from different POVs. What does Megan know about her time in captivity that her mind has repressed? There’s something dark and terrible in there that’s trying to get out. This was a puzzling and well constructed mystery that tripped me up more than once. The pace got faster as the story progressed, and I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough as the pieces were coming together toward the end. Speaking of the ending, I thought it was perfect and haunting and fitting for this harrowing tale.Second novels can be tricky, but Charlie Donlea knocked this one out of the park. Five big stars!Disclosure: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

[kbranfield-837433 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

4.5 stars.

The Girl Who Was Taken by Charlie Donlea is a fast-paced and engrossing mystery about two young women who were kidnapped the same night.  Megan McDonald managed to escape from her captor two weeks after she went missing. A year later, Nicole Cutty is still missing and the discovery of her secret boyfriend Casey Delevan's corpse raises many intriguing questions for her sister, Dr. Livia Cutty, the forensic pathologist who performed his autopsy.

Megan has made a lot of progress recovering from her harrowing ordeal but she is still struggling to reclaim her fragmented memories of the time she spent in captivity. She has been unable to move forward with her plans to go to college and hoping to calm her mother's concern, she reluctantly agreed to write the tell all book about her experience. With Nicole still missing, Megan continues therapy to try to remember what happened during the two weeks she was imprisoned by the kidnapper and while she is making progress, it is an slow process retrieving those lost details.

Livia is determined to understand the connection  between Nicole and Casey but her investigation is strictly off the books. She uncovers some very disturbing cases that might be linked to Megan and Nicole's disappearances but since they occurred out of state, she is not completely certain they are connected. Livia does reach out to Megan in hopes of learning new information about the night the girls were abducted and while Megan is eager to assist, will she be able provide new details that will help Livia discover what happened to Nicole?

The storyline weaves back and forth in time and provides readers with insight into Nicole's activities in the weeks before the abduction. As Livia soon discovers, Nicole's behavior had dramatically transformed in the weeks leading up to her disappearance, but trying to find the reason for this change is elusive.  Equally puzzling is her relationship with the much older Casey but Livia cannot seem to discover how the two met or what drew them to one another.  The answers to these questions are quite shocking as is their horrifying obsession and how Casey and Nicole satisfy their unhealthy curiosity.

The Girl Who Was Taken is a spellbinding mystery with an unusual storyline and strong female characters. Charlie Donlea employs several red herrings, clever misdirects and offers a viable pool of suspects in an effort to keep the perpetrator's identity hidden.  Despite these rather ingenious attempts to conceal the kidnapper's identity, astute readers will most likely figure out who is behind the crimes well before the novel's conclusion.  Despite accurately solving the mystery about halfway through the novel, Livia's investigation and Megan's continued efforts to retrieve her memories surrounding her traumatic kidnapping are quite interesting and easily kept me engaged in the unfolding story.  All in all, a very intriguing mystery that fans of the genre do not want to miss!