5-STAR REVIEW: HIDDEN PIECES by Mary Keliikoa

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About The Book

Misty Pines Mystery: Book 1
Publication Date: October 25, 2022

Sheriff Jax Turner is staring down the barrel of his broken past. On the brink of ending it all, he feels like a failure following his daughter’s tragic passing and his subsequent divorce. But when a schoolgirl vanishes and her backpack is found in a sex offender’s backseat, the weary lawman drags himself into action and vows to nail one last sociopath.

Shocked to discover the teen’s aunt had lost her life in an abduction years prior, the devastating outcome that he’s taken personally, Jax believes the killer has returned with a vengeance. But as the desperate cop frantically hunts down a mysterious relative in search of a suspect, the girl’s time keeps ticking away…

Can the jaded sheriff take down the culprit in time to bring the young girl home alive?

Excerpt

The Review

Sheriff Jax Turner can’t seem to recover after a tragedy destroys his family. A call about a missing girl pulls him back from the brink, only to push him to the limits as he searches for clues.

Author Mary Keliikoa delivers a twisty psychological thriller with Hidden Pieces, a Misty Pines mystery. Set against the picturesque background of the Oregon coast, the past and present collide.

Turner sees similarities between this case and one from his past that left a missing girl dead. The story takes on an even more sinister tone when he discovers a connection between the two victims.

With a fast-paced approach, the action unfolds and delivers a roller coaster ride. Through various clues, readers may think they have everything figured out and can identify the culprit. I did this three times before convincing myself to stop trying to guess and let the story unfold.

Turner’s vulnerability as a character makes him relatable. Not only has he seen horrible things on the job, but the personal losses have altered his sharpness. It’s clear that he’s hanging on by a thread.

The plot itself is appealing in that it provides a fresh spin on the subject matter. Yes, there’s a missing girl and an investigation, but the details make this version unique.

Hidden Pieces gives a jaded sheriff an opportunity to regain his purpose as he races against time to rescue a missing girl.

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About The Author

Mary Keliikoa is the author of Hidden Pieces and the upcoming Deadly Tides in the Misty Pines mystery series, the PI Kelly Pruett mystery series which includes the Shamus, Lefty, Agatha and Anthony nominated Derailed for best debut, and the upcoming Don’t Ask, Don’t Follow out Summer of 2024. Her short stories have appeared in Woman’s World and in the anthology Peace, Love and Crime.

A Pacific NW native, she admits to being that person who gets excited when called for jury duty. When not in Washington, you can find Mary with toes in the sand on a Hawaiian beach. But even under the palm trees and blazing sun, she’s plotting her next murder—novel that is.