Missing in the Glades

By Lena Diaz

He was looking for a missing person. What he found was a beautiful stranger. 

Looking for a fresh start, detective Jake Young headed south on a case that could help launch his PI business. He knew no amount of work would make him forget his tortured past, but maybe Faye Star could help. Caught up in Jake's missing persons case, the distracting Faye was hiding a secret he was begging to find out. Expertly guiding him through the swamps, Jake's job grew more complicated when someone started taking shots at the free-spirited beauty. As much as she protested she could take care of herself, Jake stepped in, refusing to admit how desperately he needed someone to save. Especially since he'd never be able to save himself

• Language: English
• Publisher: Harlequin Intrigue
• Release date: Dec 1, 2015
• ISBN: 9781460388358

Lena Diaz

Lena's heart belongs to the rolling hills of her homestate of Kentucky. But you're more likely to see her near the ocean these days in northeast Florida where she resides with her hubby and two children. A former Romance Writers of America's Golden Heart® finalist, she's also a four-time winner of the Daphne du Maurier award and a Publisher's Weekly Bestseller. When not writing, she can be found sprucing up her flower beds or planning her next DIY project.

Reviews for Missing in the Glades

[txtoga · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I was given this book in exchange for an honest review.This is the first book I've read by this author so I went in with few expectations. I figured it would be Romance: check; Action/Suspense: check; HEA: check. It fulfilled all my usual expectations and then some. Jake, a Florida cop on leave, was trying out life as a partner in a private investigation firm with his wealthy buddy, Dex. His first case was to locate and apprehend Calvin Gillette for Quinn Fugate, a soon to be retired FBI agent whose career is marred by one unsolved case. Following a lead, Jake ends up in Alligator Alley when he finds Calvin's car off the road in the swamp. This is where he first meets Faye, Calvin's foster sister. From the beginning they experience an immediate, almost visceral attraction that they both find difficult not to act upon. To gain Faye's confidence, he lies about why he's searching for Calvin telling her he's trying to reunite him with an unknown long lost brother. Faye is a new age spiritual type who sells potions and lotions in Mystic Glades, a small community in the swamp and has her own share of secrets to keep from Jake. Free spirit that she is, Faye enjoys loosening up the tightly wound Jake to the point that they can hardly keep their hands off of each other by the end of the book. Their secrets are slowly revealed to one another fueling mutual suspicions. There were plot twists at the end, one I kind of suspected but the other not so much. I enjoyed the interaction between the main characters as well as the quirky characters of Mystic Glades. In fact, I look forward to the next Marshland Justice book coming out next month which picks up Dex's story.

[scoutmomskf · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Good book with lots of action, a bit of romance, and a couple of interesting twists. Jake has left his job as a cop to become a private investigator. His first case involves finding a man who is missing in the Everglades. When he finds the man's car, but not the man, he also encounters beautiful Faye Star, who also appears to be looking for the same man. They join forces, but it's soon apparent that there is more to the story than Jake knew.I loved the first meeting between Jake and Faye. He is definitely a city guy and really skittish in the swamp areas. His reaction when Faye starts shooting is priceless. He doesn't come out on top in that encounter, but when he realizes that she's looking for the same man he is, he's determined to find her again. I loved the way he did it, and then convinced her to help him. One problem that he didn't foresee was the attraction that flares between the two of them. Jake tries hard to resist the attraction because there are things about him and his mission there that she doesn't know. He's sure that once she finds out, she'll be too mad at him to want anything more to do with him. Faye is just as attracted to him and quite willing to pursue it. She senses that he's a good man, and feels a bit guilty about some of the things she hasn't told him. As they join forces for the search the secrets weigh on them, but they can't help getting closer. I loved seeing their differing outlooks adapt and adjust. Jake is a practical and logical man, and tends to look askance at her "woo-woo science", but can't deny its effectiveness when it's needed. Faye is more trusting and emotional, but very happy to have Jake's protection when things start to go bad. When their secrets are exposed, both of them have to decide what it means to their futures. I loved seeing Jake's "aha" moment, and what he did to show Faye how he felt. What she did in return was a great way to circle their relationship back to its beginning.The suspense of the story was very good and kept me hooked. I had a feeling from the start that there was more to the story than was initially apparent. The search for the missing man was terrific, and I loved all the bits about life in the Everglades. What happened when they found him was partially expected, but other parts were a surprise. I felt a bit better about Faye when she came back for Jake, but there were still a lot of unanswered questions. As Jake pursued those answers, and Faye, a second twist in the story made its presence known. This one wasn't a complete surprise, but it added to the intensity of what Jake and Faye needed to do. Fighting the swamp and the bad guys as they tried to get to safety kept the stress level high. The final confrontation was really intense, especially once the alligators got involved. There were still some loose ends to wrap up, some of them involving Faye. I was a bit disappointed in Jake's actions there, but he made up for it in the end.