205th out of 413 books
—
588 voters
Missing Daughter, Shattered Family (David Lloyd Investigations #1)
by
Liz Strange (Goodreads Author)
2012 Rainbow Award Nominee
2011 Independent Literary Awards Nominee
When a brutal homophobic attack ended David Lloyd's career as a police officer, his life was changed forever. Five years later David is running his own private detective agency, where a missing person's case comes to his attention. Digging into the circumstances of her disappearance forces David to realize h...more
2011 Independent Literary Awards Nominee
When a brutal homophobic attack ended David Lloyd's career as a police officer, his life was changed forever. Five years later David is running his own private detective agency, where a missing person's case comes to his attention. Digging into the circumstances of her disappearance forces David to realize h...more
Kindle Edition, 230 pages
Published
September 2nd 2011
by MLR Press,LLC
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Good, solid mystery novel where the protagonist just happens to be gay.
When I was (much) younger, I often wished for "normal" books like mysteries or trashy romance novels where the main characters just were gay and nothing was thought about it. All the "gay themed" books were all serious or tragic or stuff for academic readings.
Now there is a plethora to choose from. Often there is the Pr0n (which is good don't get me wrong. see my reading list) and the gay romance with a mystery stuck in, or...more
When I was (much) younger, I often wished for "normal" books like mysteries or trashy romance novels where the main characters just were gay and nothing was thought about it. All the "gay themed" books were all serious or tragic or stuff for academic readings.
Now there is a plethora to choose from. Often there is the Pr0n (which is good don't get me wrong. see my reading list) and the gay romance with a mystery stuck in, or...more
Our Review [by Michelle L. Olson – LITERAL ADDICTION’s Pack Alpha]:
I’m a big fan of Liz’s work and was excited to read this as it’s not her ‘usual’, or what I’ve come to equate with her usual anyway.
I was pleasantly surprised and am definitely looking forward to the next installment of this series – the lady can write a killer mystery! :)
Missing Daughter, Shattered Family is not a super fast paced, majorly action packed read, but it’s steady and gripping, & holds your interest the entire way...more
I’m a big fan of Liz’s work and was excited to read this as it’s not her ‘usual’, or what I’ve come to equate with her usual anyway.
I was pleasantly surprised and am definitely looking forward to the next installment of this series – the lady can write a killer mystery! :)
Missing Daughter, Shattered Family is not a super fast paced, majorly action packed read, but it’s steady and gripping, & holds your interest the entire way...more
3.75 stars
First, let me be clear: this is not a romance and going into it expecting romance will only lead to disappointment. While the protagonist is in an established, long-term relationship which requires some work along the way, this is primarily a mystery and one competently-written at that. The book is not without problems though. They are mainly connected to the protagonist, his background and private life, rather than the mystery itself, which is why I divided the review in two parts.
Dav...more
First, let me be clear: this is not a romance and going into it expecting romance will only lead to disappointment. While the protagonist is in an established, long-term relationship which requires some work along the way, this is primarily a mystery and one competently-written at that. The book is not without problems though. They are mainly connected to the protagonist, his background and private life, rather than the mystery itself, which is why I divided the review in two parts.
Dav...more
I have never heard of Liz Strange, and after reading several 4 -5 star reviews of this first novel in a brand new mystery series, I decided to take a chance...I'm truly glad I did.David Lloyd, is a former police officer who is forced to take early retirement after the brutal attack on him possibly by fellow cops because he is gay.David still hares the physical and mental scars of this attack.Somehow, with the support of a loving family, a loving but deeply closeted lawyer boyfriend, he has manag...more
Writing the first novel of a series can be an especially difficult proposition. The author must not only tell a completely self-contained and interesting story but also introduce the protagonist(s) and supporting cast in such a way that the reader will want to join them again later for another adventure.
In Missing Daughter, Shattered Family, author Liz Strange (@LizStrangeVamp) has done both superbly, giving mystery fans a twisty, intricate plot as well as an interesting and complex protagonist...more
In Missing Daughter, Shattered Family, author Liz Strange (@LizStrangeVamp) has done both superbly, giving mystery fans a twisty, intricate plot as well as an interesting and complex protagonist...more
I love discovering new authors and I must say that I am looking forward to reading more of Liz Strange's books! Missing Daughter, Shattered Family is the first book in the David Lloyd Investigations series. The story starts slowly but surely. I really felt like I was getting to know David, the main character as the author introduced us to the public and private sides of his life. I liked the fact that David had such an interesting and disturbing background of his own. He was an authentic charact...more
I went from the high octane action novel The Two Deaths of Daniel Hayes into the more laid back classic P.I. novel, Missing Daughter, Shattered Family. David Lloyd is a former police officer turned private investigator who is hired to find the missing daughter of a prominent Toronto family. The young woman has not contacted her family in months, something highly unusual for her. Her history of drug abuse and mental illness make it all too easy to assume she either took off or possibly overdosed....more
When I first started to read this novel, I got the feeling of a routine "Mike Hammer" PI investigation. But I was wrong--not because David Lloyd did not have the looks and "smart-ass" personality of Mike as he followed the same investigative procedures, which, for David, had been first learned in his police career. No, it was all of the involved characters and what was revealed through that investigation. I'll just say that potential readers might think Law and Order, Special Victims to get a be...more
This book starts with a horrific homophobic attack on a police officer, David Lloyd. The after effects he suffers from this attack mean he cannot continue in his career, so he instead opens his own Private Investigations agency.
David's case in this book focuses on a missing person, Stella Barrowman. Her mother, Marjory, has become concerned as Stella has been missing for over 2 months, and the police don't seem interested in finding her.
The descriptive work the author does throughout this book...more
David's case in this book focuses on a missing person, Stella Barrowman. Her mother, Marjory, has become concerned as Stella has been missing for over 2 months, and the police don't seem interested in finding her.
The descriptive work the author does throughout this book...more
Mystery, will and always will be one of my favorite genres; so anything combined with it (romance, urban fantasy) I'm up for it. I never read anything by Liz Strange before. However, the title said "David Lloyd Investigation", which means mystery, with a gay lead, so my first thought was, "GOODY!" :).
For those looking for a dash of romance in this, I will say upfront that the romance is pretty much non-existent. Sure, there is a couple of kisses, and David tells his long-time partner, "I love yo...more
For those looking for a dash of romance in this, I will say upfront that the romance is pretty much non-existent. Sure, there is a couple of kisses, and David tells his long-time partner, "I love yo...more
David Lloyd was a Toronto police detective until a brutal homophobic assault ended his career and changed his life. It's been five years and he now owns a private detective agency. Marjory Barrowman enlists his help to find her troubled daughter, Stella, who has been missing and not heard from for over two months.
On the surface, discovering what has happened to Stella shouldn't be that difficult given her circumstances. She has a serious drug habit and had a pretty small circle of acquaintances,...more
On the surface, discovering what has happened to Stella shouldn't be that difficult given her circumstances. She has a serious drug habit and had a pretty small circle of acquaintances,...more
I was pleasantly surprised! This was my first novel by Liz Strange, and I read it in one go. It was not fast paced action or heavy suspence that actually kept me turning pages, more the authors captivating writing and the always new twist and turns of the story. Strange manages to build a very stong set of characters in this book, without making it too complex. David, the PI and main character, is a very convincing ex policeman working on a missing daughter case - and there is, of course, much m...more
GGood mystery with a romance sub-plot.
David is a former cop. He left the police force after being severely beaten up - and left disabled - by a homophobic colleague and his crew. He has been a private eye for 5 years when he is hired to find the missing daughter of a rich family. The case that seemed relatively simple will prove to be of the most dangerous sort: murders, sex abuse, drugs abuse, prostitution, assaults, and battery. But he more dangerous it gets, the more determined Davis is to un...more
David is a former cop. He left the police force after being severely beaten up - and left disabled - by a homophobic colleague and his crew. He has been a private eye for 5 years when he is hired to find the missing daughter of a rich family. The case that seemed relatively simple will prove to be of the most dangerous sort: murders, sex abuse, drugs abuse, prostitution, assaults, and battery. But he more dangerous it gets, the more determined Davis is to un...more
David Lloyd is a private detective who was bullied and beaten out of the local police department. He accepts a case to find a missing daughter with a long and horrific history for a worried mother. While investigating, he manages to upset numerous people along the way while making some new friends and contacts.
David is in a long-term relationship with Jamie and they are, for the most part, very happy. After a heart-to-heart with his brother, David decides he needs to express his discontent with...more
David is in a long-term relationship with Jamie and they are, for the most part, very happy. After a heart-to-heart with his brother, David decides he needs to express his discontent with...more
David Lloyd’s career as a police officer ended the night he became the victim of a homophobic attack which left him with permanent hearing loss. Now a private detective, David is hired by a wealthy woman to track down her missing daughter since the police have lost interest in the case because of the girl’s reputation as a drug addict.
As David delves deeper into the girl’s shady past, he realises the wounds of his own attack have yet to heal, especially when the case brings him into contact with...more
As David delves deeper into the girl’s shady past, he realises the wounds of his own attack have yet to heal, especially when the case brings him into contact with...more
Looking forward to the sequel(s).
I went into this book not entirely sure what to expect. I don't usually read m/m books but I must admit that although there was very little romance in this book, I do believe their relationship enhanced the plot. I felt quite sick with the way David was treated because of his sexuality, it's scary to think that people are still ostracized and beaten for it in this day and age. I loved the development of their relationship, five years in and they still find each other worth fighting for.
I really...more
I really...more
I did enjoy the mystery part of the novel, the threads unravelling themselves as David stirred up the protagonists. And whilst the bad guys were known early on, their crimes were not fully revealed until the end.
Then there were the secondary plots of the attack on David and his relationship with Jamie. The horrendous attack happened whilst he was still on the police force and whilst the whole event wasn't fully resolved inthis book, there was enough to give closure for now - and a need to read t...more
Then there were the secondary plots of the attack on David and his relationship with Jamie. The horrendous attack happened whilst he was still on the police force and whilst the whole event wasn't fully resolved inthis book, there was enough to give closure for now - and a need to read t...more
Very good m/m mystery (with a bit of romance) about a cop-turned-PI who's hired to find a troubled young woman. The case becomes increasingly complex, and he finds himself dealing with unresolved issues from his own past. I'm really looking forward to the next book in this series!
I usually don't read mysteries too often but I started this one and it was very good. There are a lot of different characters so you really have to kind of pay good attention or you could forget who was who but overall it was very easy to follow. David and his partner Jamie are very likeable and its very easy to want to read more about them. Definately a page turner and I will be looking forward to reading the next book in this series!
3.5 stars
Missing Daughter, Shattered Family was an interesting mystery novel. David was a likable guy and a good detective. I liked that he really cared about people. Though I often wished he had more backup whenever his investigation led him into dangerous situations...
I'm looking forward to reading the second book in the series.
I'm looking forward to reading the second book in the series.
Very good but definitely not for the faint of hearted
May 10, 2013
Larisa
marked it as to-read
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