The Girl Who Was Taken: Deluxe Stenciled Edges - by Charlie Donlea Paperback

Book Synopsis

One year after escaping her abductor, a woman searches for the girl who didn't get away in this #1 bestselling forensic thriller laden with grisly details, high tension, and jaw-dropping twists for fans of Riley Sager, Jeneva Rose, and Alex Michaelides.

**NOW A DELUXE PAPERBACK with stenciled edges and designed inside covers!**

Is she a survivor? Or a liar?

The night they go missing, high school seniors Nicole Cutty and Megan McDonald are at a beach party in their small town of Emerson Bay, North Carolina. Police launch a massive search, but hope is almost lost--until Megan escapes from a bunker deep in the woods. . . . A year later, the bestselling account of her ordeal has made Megan a celebrity. It's a triumphant 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 her sister's fate determined. Instead, the first clue comes from another body--that of a young man connected to Nicole's past. Livia reaches out to Megan to learn more about that fateful night. Other girls have disappeared, and she's increasingly sure the cases are connected.

Megan knows more than she revealed in her book. Flashes of memory are pointing to something more monstrous than she described. 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 . . .

Review Quotes

Praise for Charlie Donlea

"Zigzagging mercilessly between past and present, Donlea keeps up the tension . . . in a superior thriller." --Kirkus Reviews, Starred Review for Long Time Gone

"Excellent... The ingredients -- adultery, fake identities, ulterior motives, forgery, plagiarism, rough sex, unusual chapter breaks, a little murder thrown in here and there -- are enticing, and Donlea tells a propulsive tale." --The New York Times on Twenty Years Later

"Excellent...Engrossing...This searing look at the legal system, entitlement, and exploitation is not to be missed." --Publishers Weekly, STARRED review for Those Empty Eyes

"Charlie Donlea weaves together seemingly separate mysteries in smart and completely unexpected ways, proving his finesse as a writer. Those Empty Eyes draws readers in from the first heart-stopping pages and doesn't let go." --Mary Kubica, New York Times bestselling author of Local Woman Missing on Those Empty Eyes

"An exciting debut, with all the right touches, captivating from the first page to the last." --Steve Berry, New York Times bestselling author on Summit Lake

"[Plot lines] merge seamlessly into a surprise ending that I didn't see coming. Author Charlie Donlea has an easy readable style and skillfully adds depth and intrigue to this enjoyable thriller." --Mystery Scene on Twenty Years Later

"Breathtaking pacing and clever plot twists." --Publishers Weekly on Twenty Years Later

"There are a lot of threads in this plot, but Donlea weaves it all together really well...Twenty Years Later is a fast-paced read with just enough depth to keep you invested in what's going on. If you're in a reading rut, this is a great rut buster!" --Jeremy Anderberg, Read More Books Substack on Twenty Years Later

"An entertaining thriller...surprises lurking around every corner." --Kirkus Reviews on Twenty Years Later

"Probably the most complex and morally satisfying novel that Donlea has written thus far. Here, he deftly utilizes 9/11 to pinpoint a moment in time that is necessary to the plot while not in any way using the tragedy to manipulate the feelings of readers...Donlea subtly moves away from the 9/11 tragedy and makes his story more about the present-day characters as they battle to find the truth through a sea of lies and false accusations." --Bookreporter on Twenty Years Later

"Gripping...the book's real strength is the idiosyncratic Rory, who suffers from OCD and is on the autism spectrum, a deeply developed character readers can't help rooting for. Hopefully, she'll be back soon." --Publishers Weekly, Best Books of Summer on The Suicide House

"Charlie Donlea is a superb psychological suspense writer...the book has a fast-paced plot and main characters unlike any typically found in this genre." --Seattle Book Review on The Suicide House

"Part 1970s serial-killer thriller and part contemporary Chicago crime novel, this deceptively quick read has something for everyone." --Booklist on Some Choose Darkness

"In Donlea's skillful hands, this story of obsession, murder, and the search for truth is both a compassionate character study and a compelling thriller." --Kirkus Reviews on Some Choose Darkness

"You can't blame Charlie Donlea if the ending of his novel makes your jaw drop. The title alone Don't Believe It is fair warning that his characters are no more to be trusted than are our initial impressions of them." --The New York Times Book Review on Don't Believe It

"Don't Believe It displays excellent craftsmanship, from the way sentences are constructed to the serpentine plot. The prose sings. Sentences are short and punchy. Word choices are specific and impeccable. The story captivates. The central mystery unfurls in layer after layer of falsehoods and deception. It's easy to get hooked on the book's heady cocktail of highly rated television and high stakes subterfuge." --ForeWord Reviews

"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 on Summit Lake

"A complex novel of crime and sleuthing with plenty of suspense ... a superb storyteller...likeable characters, a harrowing escape, and multiple mysteries. Great characterization, plenty of investigations, some suspenseful moments, and an action-packed ending make this a recommended book." --Mystery & Suspense Magazine on Those Empty Eyes

About the Author

Charlie Donlea is the USA Today, IndieBound, and #1 internationally bestselling author of critically acclaimed, propulsive thrillers including The Girl Who Was Taken, Twenty Years Later, Some Choose Darkness, and Those Empty Eyes. Published in nearly 40 countries and translated into more than a dozen languages, his books have sold nearly 2.5 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.