Because Hustle helped the young PI while she was investigating her first case, Shaye has already formed an opinion as to his character and believes he’s telling the truth. As she digs deeper into Jinx’s disappearance, she discovers that Hustle’s friend isn’t the only one missing. As a frightening pattern emerges, Shaye wonders if she can find the missing kids…before it’s too late.
Comment: This is the second installment in the Shaye Archer series by author Jana DeLeon. Having enjoyed the first book, I was curious to see how I would like this one and if it would keep up the good elements from the first story. I was also curious to see if the little glimpses of romance would also be developed further.
In this story, Shaye is asked to help find Hustle's friend Jinx, who is missing. Hustle is a homeless teenager who helped Shaye in her latest case so now he only want her to look for Jinx because the police certainly won't help him. The problem is that homeless kids are disappearing and something or someone must be behind it, especially after one of them is found dead.
Things get even more worrisome when someone tries to get and drug Hustle but he manages to run away and tell Shaye. Will she be able to find what's behind the kidnappings and disappearances of several kids?
I liked reading this story, it was very easy and fluid and it didn't require much thought because the author has given us all the necessary information. If I can fault something is that it wasn't as emotional as I imagined it would be and it certainly didn't advance any hints of romance as I also expected.
The focus of this story is definitely the investigation of the missing teenagers. I think this was an interesting case but there's something in the author0s writing that gave me the impression it wasn't developed as well as it could. It almost felt the writing was a bit too unsure and vague when it came to the investigation process. I feel rather conflicted because I tend to not enjoy too detailed suspense books and here it's the opposite...maybe I'm too picky after all.
Shaye is the key character and I wanted to know her a bit more. I'm sad she has had a bad childhood experience but she did get the upper hand and she got a woman who did the best to offer her stability, so I can understand why Shaye isn't always depressed or detached as often happens in books that are mostly suspense, featuring female main characters. But I also thought I'd be able to get more layers on Shaye, that she would present us with more about her. I'm glad she will eventually solve the mystery of her childhood but I kind of wanted her to show her vulnerable side more at times, to better contract to her public image.
All this to say, I obviously would love her to interact with Jackson a lot more. He is the apparent male protagonist and supposedly they will become a couple? (I hope to see it and not just hear about it on the page)
But their interactions, despite polite and professional, aren't enough in my opinion. No, I don't want them to insta-love or insta-lust one another but I think the romance, if it will indeed be a part of this, is lacking. So much could be seen simply using sexual tensions scenes here and there but the level is way too bland at this point. Maybe the next book will be more obvious.
The plot is solved rather easily, we don't get much motivation from the villains, which I didn't mind not having, but yes, it also means things got a slightly too superficial layer and that means this story didn't feel as passionate or as mysterious as I think the intent was.
I'm still hopeful, though, for the next story.
All in all, a good enough story, it was good to see the recurrent characters again but the writing and the story needs to pack a bit more intensity for it to reach the full potential. My opinion, of course.
Grade: 7/10
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