Corrine De Winter

5.0 out of 5 stars Action packed, edge-of-your-seat read!

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on September 14, 2021

I got to read this book as a pre-published ARC read, and I enjoyed it so much that I've purchased a paperback copy so that I can read it again. This is the second Al Warner novel I've read. You can read them as stand-alone novels and they still make sense, however, the plot and character universe is wide enough to correlate with the other book(s), at least the other I've read, so I imagine the rest of the series is set up the same way. It was neat to see characters make a reappearance in Taken.

As for Taken, wow! What a page-turner! I was fully captivated for the entire read. There is a ton of action, suspense, and racing to solve mysterious crimes. The characters are well developed, which I appreciated. No one falls emotionally flat. You can feel Detective Al Warner's sense of urgency and desperation, as well as the fear and angst for both pregnant Maggie and the women being held captive. The plot (or should I say PLOTS, since the author heaps TWO ongoing investigations onto Warner's plate!) isn't outlandish either, which I also enjoyed.

Overall, this is a great read, and I'm anxious to read this author's other novels. I hope he continues with this series, as Taken ended with a bit of a nail-biter for Warner's personal life and I'd like to know how it plays out for Warner. Keeping my fingers crossed!