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Detective Emily Tizzano #1
Twelve Years Gone
Twelve years gone…
Sarah Schmidt went out for a hike a month before heading to college on a cross-country scholarship. She never came back.
In the twelve years she’s been gone, the local police have done little to help the family, leaving them with the desperate knowledge that Sarah could still be alive, somewhere, somehow...
The family hasn’t given up their hope for revenge, or at least answers.
Emily Tizzano, a former Chicago PD cold case detective suffering from her own skeletons holds the hope of the family in her hands. Can she overcome her own past in order to help them find Sarah and get the justice they need?
Twelve Years Gone is the first novel in the Detective Emily Tizzano vigilante justice thriller series. If you like Dean Koontz, Robin James and L. T. Ryan, you are going to love this fast-paced suspense thriller series.
Sarah Schmidt went out for a hike a month before heading to college on a cross-country scholarship. She never came back.
In the twelve years she’s been gone, the local police have done little to help the family, leaving them with the desperate knowledge that Sarah could still be alive, somewhere, somehow...
The family hasn’t given up their hope for revenge, or at least answers.
Emily Tizzano, a former Chicago PD cold case detective suffering from her own skeletons holds the hope of the family in her hands. Can she overcome her own past in order to help them find Sarah and get the justice they need?
Twelve Years Gone is the first novel in the Detective Emily Tizzano vigilante justice thriller series. If you like Dean Koontz, Robin James and L. T. Ryan, you are going to love this fast-paced suspense thriller series.
346 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 13, 2021
1528 people are currently reading
1022 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 172 reviews
July 19, 2021
This one was a little rough for me, the editing was a disaster to say the least. The story moved quickly and kept me interested but, I kept getting pulled out of the story with all of the errors. When I say errors I’m not just speaking about grammatical mistakes, there were times when names changed and the same word was used repeatedly!! I’m going to give the second Detective Emily Tizzano story a go…being a critic is easy, being a creator is brave and inspiring. So here we go!
June 26, 2021
I wanted to like this book. I really did. The premise sounded great. A teenage girl goes out for a hike and never returns. Twelve years later, her family wants answers. Enter Emily, a former Chicago Police detective turned private investigator. She’s contacted by the mother of the missing girl and decides to travel to the small town of Stockton to investigate.
First, I’ll comment on the writing. There are numerous word echoes throughout the book. A couple of examples – the word truck was used five times in one paragraph and a sixth time in the preceding one. The name Angelica was used sixteen times in three pages. Even in an eighty-three-word author’s note, Kalis used the book's name twice. Was it not possible to say, “this novel” or “this book?”
The author also mixed up a character’s name. Benny became his father Bucky for a couple of pages. Totally confusing.
The book also has redundancies. How many times do we need to know Emily wasn’t sure if she was going to take the case? Was it not clear Cameron was upset over the death of some of his cattle? Or that Kathy wanted to get out of Stockton but was too scared to do anything about it? Despite all that, I kept reading.
The solution was fairly predictable, but the book had several loose ends. I thought there could have been a lot more tension toward the end. There wasn’t. After building up to the fact the sheriff wasn’t on the up and up and was wary of Emily’s presence, he more or less disappeared. The unusual behavior of a local veterinarian wasn’t explained. Why throw that in if you aren’t going to do anything.
Then came the unbelievable ending. I won’t say more because I hate spoilers in reviews, but I’m still trying to wrap my head around it. Guess I should have paid more attention to the word vigilante justice in the sub-title.
On the positive side – I liked Emily’s sidekick Mike, a computer nerd who helped her out of more than one tough situation. There was also her dog Miner, aptly named for the number of holes he digs in her back yard. One line I found amusing: “All the dog needed was a hardhat and a headlamp.”
Unfortunately, the bad outweighs the good and I feel I’m generous in rating it three stars. The use of beta readers, critique partners, or an editor would have been helpful. I won’t bother with any more books in this series or by this author.
First, I’ll comment on the writing. There are numerous word echoes throughout the book. A couple of examples – the word truck was used five times in one paragraph and a sixth time in the preceding one. The name Angelica was used sixteen times in three pages. Even in an eighty-three-word author’s note, Kalis used the book's name twice. Was it not possible to say, “this novel” or “this book?”
The author also mixed up a character’s name. Benny became his father Bucky for a couple of pages. Totally confusing.
The book also has redundancies. How many times do we need to know Emily wasn’t sure if she was going to take the case? Was it not clear Cameron was upset over the death of some of his cattle? Or that Kathy wanted to get out of Stockton but was too scared to do anything about it? Despite all that, I kept reading.
The solution was fairly predictable, but the book had several loose ends. I thought there could have been a lot more tension toward the end. There wasn’t. After building up to the fact the sheriff wasn’t on the up and up and was wary of Emily’s presence, he more or less disappeared. The unusual behavior of a local veterinarian wasn’t explained. Why throw that in if you aren’t going to do anything.
Then came the unbelievable ending. I won’t say more because I hate spoilers in reviews, but I’m still trying to wrap my head around it. Guess I should have paid more attention to the word vigilante justice in the sub-title.
On the positive side – I liked Emily’s sidekick Mike, a computer nerd who helped her out of more than one tough situation. There was also her dog Miner, aptly named for the number of holes he digs in her back yard. One line I found amusing: “All the dog needed was a hardhat and a headlamp.”
Unfortunately, the bad outweighs the good and I feel I’m generous in rating it three stars. The use of beta readers, critique partners, or an editor would have been helpful. I won’t bother with any more books in this series or by this author.
July 20, 2021
Oooh, I do like Emily and her methods for dealing with undesirables even more !! Plus, she's a doggy person so what's not to like, I say ? She's looking for justice in this story for a girl who disappeared a dozen years before and I was cheering her on all the way. She was very nice to those she dealt with as she got involved and never disrespectful (unless it was warranted). I'm going to be sticking with this new author and series for sure. The only part I was left querying was wondering exactly where the coordinates had originated and why and who dropped them ? I thought they had been an accidental find.....
However, her presentation needs a really good check-over. Someone is missing a lot of mistakes if they're checking it for her and it cost it 1* from me.
She writes pouring and not poring, drive not dry, we are not were, where're not where, shutter not shudder, persistently didn't capitalise the word French (fries), kept getting the apostrophe wrong when writing parent's as opposed to parents' and again when writing Schmidt's and not Schmidts'.....highly annoying !! Decision making needs a hyphen, as does ground in and also counter surveillance. Then we had red-handed swiftly followed by red handed !! WHY ?? Then she would write park rangers then needlessly capitalise it at the next mention. No reason for it and it came across as sloppy.
She did tell us more than once how Liz looked nothing like Sarah, then we had the writing where American authors seem to write in the vernacular they converse in....as in "gotten good at lying" or "in this small of a town" which sounds horrendous. I didn't understand this sentence at all, "The road was peppered with small buildings with one big box grocery store push off the back of the road".....and speechmarks were dropped here and there and in places words were added needlessly to sentences or the wrong words are used, "Scarlett set down a glass of water in a menu" or "the bed springs giving us squeak."
There were a couple of points that had me seriously sniffy, mainly when Cameron's cows were mentioned and as I said, I love Emily's style !! I just hope for a tidier read in the next episode.
However, her presentation needs a really good check-over. Someone is missing a lot of mistakes if they're checking it for her and it cost it 1* from me.
She writes pouring and not poring, drive not dry, we are not were, where're not where, shutter not shudder, persistently didn't capitalise the word French (fries), kept getting the apostrophe wrong when writing parent's as opposed to parents' and again when writing Schmidt's and not Schmidts'.....highly annoying !! Decision making needs a hyphen, as does ground in and also counter surveillance. Then we had red-handed swiftly followed by red handed !! WHY ?? Then she would write park rangers then needlessly capitalise it at the next mention. No reason for it and it came across as sloppy.
She did tell us more than once how Liz looked nothing like Sarah, then we had the writing where American authors seem to write in the vernacular they converse in....as in "gotten good at lying" or "in this small of a town" which sounds horrendous. I didn't understand this sentence at all, "The road was peppered with small buildings with one big box grocery store push off the back of the road".....and speechmarks were dropped here and there and in places words were added needlessly to sentences or the wrong words are used, "Scarlett set down a glass of water in a menu" or "the bed springs giving us squeak."
There were a couple of points that had me seriously sniffy, mainly when Cameron's cows were mentioned and as I said, I love Emily's style !! I just hope for a tidier read in the next episode.
April 12, 2021
There are many books on the market featuring the female detective either serving on a police force or having left one, usually in ignominious circumstances. Many are "ho-hum" but there is occasionally a standout in the field, a writer who manages to strike the right note and write a book that sends me searching for the sequel.
This is one such.
Emily - divorced from a member of a somewhat dubious Chicago family, is accused of corruption. Having been cleared, she has been paid off by the Chicago PD and now lives with her Australian Cattle dog, Miner. She could retire, but a deep need to be a viable person, has her following up cases that pique her heart and mind.
Her reputation grown considerably over the past couple of years, she receives emails daily, begging for her help with anything from revenge attacks on cheating husbands to missing persons cold cases. Needless to say, Emily is drawn to cases where the pain and heartbreak of a family reach out to her.
I enjoyed this book immensely. Emily has a personality that appeals to me, her love for her dog and her affection for her technical side-kick and friend, Mike, blend perfectly.
My highest recommendation? I am currently reading the second in this series!
February 12, 2021
This is the first full book in the Detective Emily Tizzano Vigilante Justice Thriller series. Emily was a detective in the Chicago Police Department and ended up working in the cold case department, where she was very good at closing cases, always managing to find that elusive piece of evidence that allowed her to close more cases than anyone else. That was, until the day her partner, chief and other officers turned up at her door accusing her of fraud and other crimes. That ended her career, but her father-in-law, a sort of crime boss figure, got her a lawyer and she managed to prove her innocence, but her chances to return to her former job were out of the window. She used her unlawful dismissal compensation to allow her to move on comfortably, with her own life, even though it also cost her marriage, losing her cheating husband. She posts regularly in a vigilante forum and those who find her, often post asking for her help. Some want her to do some very illegal actions on their behalf, but others ask for her help to solve missing people cases, or other crimes.
One she picks out of the large number cases she is offered, pulls at her. It is the twelve year old case of eighteen year old Sarah Schmidt, who went missing after going for a hike near her home, just a month before she left for college. Her parents reported her missing the same day, when she didn’t return from her hike, but the police don’t take any action straight away, as she is classed as an adult! Sarah was a cross country runner who had been offered a number of scholarships at various colleges, and knew all the local trials really well. There was no way that she got lost anywhere, so the only other option was that she was abducted. Her mother has never given up on getting justice for her daughter. She lost her husband, but kept believing in revenge finally being served. The mother, Vicki, asked for Emily’s help, but Emily never accepts a case without doing her own research first. She travels to the small town, some seven hours drive from Chicago, and finds a town where strangers are very noticeable. Most are only travelling through the town on their way somewhere else.
When she starts to ask some questions, without revealing her real reasons for being in town, it seems some are upset by her questions and any mention of Sarah Schmidt soon stops people talking to her. She goes for a drive to get to know her way around town and stops near a church for a break, but runs into the mother as she looks around the attached cemetery. She recognises her from her research, but can’t give her an answer yet, as to whether she will take the case. Vicki invites her back to her home for some tea and Emily asks her to tell her all about what happened to Emily and what actions were done to try and find her. Word around town amongst the locals, is that everyone knows what happened to Sarah and the rumours are that they know who did it as well. Someone local knows the truth behind what happened, but it seems the local sheriff and his team, don’t seem too bothered. The sheriff seems more of a politician than sheriff! Emily has her IT specialist Mike, back at her home looking after her dog Miner, but also coming up with extra information he seems to be able to pull out of thin air. Emily no longer sticks to the rules of law in her search for justice, as she had to in her previous role.
The file the local town sheriff has in records is severely lacking in detail and only a few pages long. Someone is hiding vital information on the case and the sheriff or someone in the department must be involved. There are a few influential families in town with a lot of wealth and secrets of their own, while some in the town of Stockton can’t wait to be able to leave it. The small file gives her one clue and another neither her nor Mike can seem to figure out. Where the rest of the file is no one knows, but Mike manages to find an online copy with only a day’s worth of access to it, and Emily manages to go through most, but not all of it. More questions come to mind, but when a few threats and action are being taken against Emily and one delivered back to her home address in Chicago, it leaves her even more determined to get justice for Sarah and her mother. Mike uses a contact he has, for some testing of evidence on the item left at Emily’s home and this helps narrow down a possible suspect. Emily takes a very direct route to ensure the families that she works with, finally manage to get the justice they deserve. Not necessarily following the rules of law, nor waiting for a judge and jury to make a decision.
Hard hitting and a somewhat dangerous path to follow. She does these jobs without expecting any pay, managing to live on her compensation payment, and also the strange monthly packages she gets in her mailbox, which are equal to her former monthly pay. Who is sending these payments is unknown and she has other skeletons in her past, which are yet to be revealed. Some take umbrage with who her father-in-law was ad believed her to be acting under his control, helping the case against her, which led to her dismissal. Even when she was proven innocent, most of her former colleagues would still not look her in the eye. Her reputation was tarnished and all of this was made public knowledge. Who planted the evidence in her home at the time, is unknown and raises lots of questions about who was being threatened by her good work in the cold case team and what they may have been trying to keep secret. There is a short prequel, called Betrayed, available from a link at the end of the book, which I presume will cover all the aspects of her betrayal within the Chicago Police Department. I can’t wait to see what other cases Emily takes on next and how far this series goes. I received an ARC copy of this book from BookSprout and I have freely given my own opinion of the book above.
One she picks out of the large number cases she is offered, pulls at her. It is the twelve year old case of eighteen year old Sarah Schmidt, who went missing after going for a hike near her home, just a month before she left for college. Her parents reported her missing the same day, when she didn’t return from her hike, but the police don’t take any action straight away, as she is classed as an adult! Sarah was a cross country runner who had been offered a number of scholarships at various colleges, and knew all the local trials really well. There was no way that she got lost anywhere, so the only other option was that she was abducted. Her mother has never given up on getting justice for her daughter. She lost her husband, but kept believing in revenge finally being served. The mother, Vicki, asked for Emily’s help, but Emily never accepts a case without doing her own research first. She travels to the small town, some seven hours drive from Chicago, and finds a town where strangers are very noticeable. Most are only travelling through the town on their way somewhere else.
When she starts to ask some questions, without revealing her real reasons for being in town, it seems some are upset by her questions and any mention of Sarah Schmidt soon stops people talking to her. She goes for a drive to get to know her way around town and stops near a church for a break, but runs into the mother as she looks around the attached cemetery. She recognises her from her research, but can’t give her an answer yet, as to whether she will take the case. Vicki invites her back to her home for some tea and Emily asks her to tell her all about what happened to Emily and what actions were done to try and find her. Word around town amongst the locals, is that everyone knows what happened to Sarah and the rumours are that they know who did it as well. Someone local knows the truth behind what happened, but it seems the local sheriff and his team, don’t seem too bothered. The sheriff seems more of a politician than sheriff! Emily has her IT specialist Mike, back at her home looking after her dog Miner, but also coming up with extra information he seems to be able to pull out of thin air. Emily no longer sticks to the rules of law in her search for justice, as she had to in her previous role.
The file the local town sheriff has in records is severely lacking in detail and only a few pages long. Someone is hiding vital information on the case and the sheriff or someone in the department must be involved. There are a few influential families in town with a lot of wealth and secrets of their own, while some in the town of Stockton can’t wait to be able to leave it. The small file gives her one clue and another neither her nor Mike can seem to figure out. Where the rest of the file is no one knows, but Mike manages to find an online copy with only a day’s worth of access to it, and Emily manages to go through most, but not all of it. More questions come to mind, but when a few threats and action are being taken against Emily and one delivered back to her home address in Chicago, it leaves her even more determined to get justice for Sarah and her mother. Mike uses a contact he has, for some testing of evidence on the item left at Emily’s home and this helps narrow down a possible suspect. Emily takes a very direct route to ensure the families that she works with, finally manage to get the justice they deserve. Not necessarily following the rules of law, nor waiting for a judge and jury to make a decision.
Hard hitting and a somewhat dangerous path to follow. She does these jobs without expecting any pay, managing to live on her compensation payment, and also the strange monthly packages she gets in her mailbox, which are equal to her former monthly pay. Who is sending these payments is unknown and she has other skeletons in her past, which are yet to be revealed. Some take umbrage with who her father-in-law was ad believed her to be acting under his control, helping the case against her, which led to her dismissal. Even when she was proven innocent, most of her former colleagues would still not look her in the eye. Her reputation was tarnished and all of this was made public knowledge. Who planted the evidence in her home at the time, is unknown and raises lots of questions about who was being threatened by her good work in the cold case team and what they may have been trying to keep secret. There is a short prequel, called Betrayed, available from a link at the end of the book, which I presume will cover all the aspects of her betrayal within the Chicago Police Department. I can’t wait to see what other cases Emily takes on next and how far this series goes. I received an ARC copy of this book from BookSprout and I have freely given my own opinion of the book above.
May 25, 2024
Brilliant
A great murder mystery. A cold case that looked impossible to solve. Emily and friends saved the day. She did what we all would have wanted to do when she dealt out justice on her own terms. Great work, great story.
A great murder mystery. A cold case that looked impossible to solve. Emily and friends saved the day. She did what we all would have wanted to do when she dealt out justice on her own terms. Great work, great story.
April 26, 2022
Not great but good
June 19, 2021
Ridiculously unbelievable
While the book was well written, the story is so ridiculous as to be unbelievable. A former cop bullies her way across the country invading another police jurisdiction to solve a cold case at the bequest of the victim’s family. Trust me, only a twelve year old would believe the actions of herself and other characters in the book. Don’t bother.
While the book was well written, the story is so ridiculous as to be unbelievable. A former cop bullies her way across the country invading another police jurisdiction to solve a cold case at the bequest of the victim’s family. Trust me, only a twelve year old would believe the actions of herself and other characters in the book. Don’t bother.
June 20, 2021
Who did it.
Very good story, I definitely enjoyed reading it. Typical murder mystery. Character development was very good. Story was good and easy to read. Kept my attention. The author didn't have to stoop to using foul language, sex scenes or political correctness to write a good story which is very much appreciated. Could use some additional editing. The names Benny and Bucky get mixed up. Sarah and Emily also.
Very good story, I definitely enjoyed reading it. Typical murder mystery. Character development was very good. Story was good and easy to read. Kept my attention. The author didn't have to stoop to using foul language, sex scenes or political correctness to write a good story which is very much appreciated. Could use some additional editing. The names Benny and Bucky get mixed up. Sarah and Emily also.
February 2, 2021
This is a good story for the start of the series, it has lots of action, a well-built plot, lots of deceit, revenge, corruption, and an outsider that decided to pursue the truth, it doesn´t matter what it will cost. The desire of bringing justice to the families left behind an unsolved murder/disappearance will take Emily to invest her time without any pay to discover the truth, and in this case, there were many people hiding it. It´s a very entertaining reading and it left a good opening for the next book. Totally worth reading as it makes the reader glued to the pages to know whodunnit!
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
June 23, 2021
Small town politics take precedence over murder.
Son of a wealthy business owner, kills a teen, but the sheriff is more interested in politics and protecting the wealthy contributor to his job, than justice. A former Chicago cop, takes the 12 year old case and with the help of an honest local cop and a couple of tech wizards, solve the case for a grieving mother. Very enjoyable book.
Son of a wealthy business owner, kills a teen, but the sheriff is more interested in politics and protecting the wealthy contributor to his job, than justice. A former Chicago cop, takes the 12 year old case and with the help of an honest local cop and a couple of tech wizards, solve the case for a grieving mother. Very enjoyable book.
September 10, 2021
Great read, can't wait to start the next one!
Read the 3rd book in this series first, not sure how, but this one was just as good! It's a quick read because you can't put it down very long before it begins to nag your brain wanting to know what's going on! Emily Tizzano is smart, determined and knows exactly what she's doing! I love great endings and this one almost had me shaking pompoms..."Go Emily, Go Emily! " Double tap..BAM!
Read the 3rd book in this series first, not sure how, but this one was just as good! It's a quick read because you can't put it down very long before it begins to nag your brain wanting to know what's going on! Emily Tizzano is smart, determined and knows exactly what she's doing! I love great endings and this one almost had me shaking pompoms..."Go Emily, Go Emily! " Double tap..BAM!
February 3, 2021
This is a brilliant read.
Wonderful well written plot and story line that had me engaged from the start.
Love the well fleshed out characters and found them believable.
Great suspense and action with wonderful world building.
Can't wait to read what the author brings out next.
Recommend reading.
I read a complimentary advance copy of the book; this is my voluntary and honest review.
Wonderful well written plot and story line that had me engaged from the start.
Love the well fleshed out characters and found them believable.
Great suspense and action with wonderful world building.
Can't wait to read what the author brings out next.
Recommend reading.
I read a complimentary advance copy of the book; this is my voluntary and honest review.
June 22, 2021
I was engrossed by the story and Emily is a good character working with her computer geek friend to avenge wrongs in the form of cold cases which she picks on their merit then dispensing justice arbitrarily to privileged scum who think they are above the law. I read this in a day as it was hard to put down.
September 1, 2023
Emily Tizzano might have had to give up on her police career when she was falsely accused of corruption and taking bribes - but she hasn't given up on helping people. With the assistance of her tech support friend, Mike, Emily takes on the cases no one else will and helps the victims find answers and if required - justice.
This started out strong and then kind of fizzled. Emily was an alright character - I can't say I really connected with her but I had no objections to her personality either. I liked the dog, Miner and the friendship with Mike, her dog sitter and sometimes techie but although the crime interested me to begin with it soon got boring. There just wasn't really any investigation beyond a lot of sitting around wishing she wasn't in Stockton interspersed with feeling rage and it was boring to read.
Perhaps more annoyingly was that the crime itself didn't really make sense. I'm not sure if I missed something or the author did. For instance - I ended up with more questions than answers. Especially with the ending. Honestly, that just lost me. I mean I could've handled a boring case, but stupidity in my main character is a much harder sell.
2.5 stars, rounded to 2.
This started out strong and then kind of fizzled. Emily was an alright character - I can't say I really connected with her but I had no objections to her personality either. I liked the dog, Miner and the friendship with Mike, her dog sitter and sometimes techie but although the crime interested me to begin with it soon got boring. There just wasn't really any investigation beyond a lot of sitting around wishing she wasn't in Stockton interspersed with feeling rage and it was boring to read.
Perhaps more annoyingly was that the crime itself didn't really make sense. I'm not sure if I missed something or the author did. For instance - I ended up with more questions than answers. Especially with the ending. Honestly, that just lost me. I mean I could've handled a boring case, but stupidity in my main character is a much harder sell.
2.5 stars, rounded to 2.
November 5, 2022
Emily is an ex-cop, arrested and handcuffed in public on TV.
Her marriage collapsed and, even though she won a case for wrongful dismissal, she's on her own.
She's put her life on hold and spends her time doing bugger all, occasionally investigating a cold case. She turns down most of the requests she gets.
Twelve years ago a young woman, Vicki Schmidt, disappeared while running in Wayne National Forest, Ohio. One of her shoes was found off the trail and, eight months later, a photo of her tied up is found. The trail is cold, the official investigation abandoned.
Arriving in Stockton Emily sets about methodically investigating the event. The entire police report is just a few pages long, local residents seem to know more than they are prepared to admit, and someone is determined to scare her off.
The best part about "Twelve Years Gone" is that it is a solid procedural (with the occasional deus ex machina thrown in to keep the plot moving), and there are some interesting characters.
But the book has problems, there's a lot of repetition and grammatical exxors - it badly needed a tight edit. The end is very unexpected and not entirely convincing. And, while much is made of Emily's past, there is little or no explanation.
Despite the above it was a solid read.
2.5 Stars raised to 3 Stars.
Her marriage collapsed and, even though she won a case for wrongful dismissal, she's on her own.
She's put her life on hold and spends her time doing bugger all, occasionally investigating a cold case. She turns down most of the requests she gets.
Twelve years ago a young woman, Vicki Schmidt, disappeared while running in Wayne National Forest, Ohio. One of her shoes was found off the trail and, eight months later, a photo of her tied up is found. The trail is cold, the official investigation abandoned.
Arriving in Stockton Emily sets about methodically investigating the event. The entire police report is just a few pages long, local residents seem to know more than they are prepared to admit, and someone is determined to scare her off.
The best part about "Twelve Years Gone" is that it is a solid procedural (with the occasional deus ex machina thrown in to keep the plot moving), and there are some interesting characters.
But the book has problems, there's a lot of repetition and grammatical exxors - it badly needed a tight edit. The end is very unexpected and not entirely convincing. And, while much is made of Emily's past, there is little or no explanation.
Despite the above it was a solid read.
2.5 Stars raised to 3 Stars.
July 7, 2021
Once again, I find myself asking the question: where do all these five-star reviews come from? I wanted to like this book, but by a few chapters in, I loathed the protagonist, Emily. That didn't change, although I hoped it would get better. It didn't; she didn't. So much flash -- Mike, Alice, etc. -- but nothing to back it up. Mike, in particular, is not a minor character, but there is nothing to flesh him out. Emily's bullying attitude may have been written to make her appear strong, but the way she came across to me was as unpleasant, rude, and conceited. If she actually was acting out of compassion (?), it most certainly does not show. So many questions unanswered: where did Mike, et al, come from? What was the $5,000/monthly envelope about? Why was Luca's death even mentioned? It made no difference to the story or to Emily's actions. And then there was the toss-in of potential romance? Seriously? Not just the possibility of Emily and Cameron, but Mike and Alice? Way too much! "Twelve Years Gone" was a major disappointment, and I'll not bother mentioning the poor editing and/or grammar usage. Most definitely will not be following this series and for those who like it? Enjoy. It's all yours.
July 20, 2021
Over all, I enjoyed reading the story and I would recommend it. It has a fast pace that will keep you interested. There's plenty of plot twists and with well-developed characters. The story holds together.
There were some problems that shouldn't really take away from enjoying the story. Grammatical errors stopped me when they appeared as I tried to make sense out of what I thought perhaps the author meant to say. This is not at all unusual, there's a lot of words and sentences in a story, hard to catch them all. There was enough though that I dropped a star on rating the story.
I did not like the ending and some of the relationship that hinted at becoming something ended up fizzling out. The actions taken by the main character made her look like a mad vigilante, ready to kill anyone that pissed her off. It was hard to tell who was the hero.
Having said all of that, I would still recommend reading, "Twelve Years Gone" if you like crime and action stories. There's a lot of potential with what K.J. Kalis presented in this story. I'd like to see what happens next. I also recommend getting some people to proof the story, or pay for a good editor, or both.
There were some problems that shouldn't really take away from enjoying the story. Grammatical errors stopped me when they appeared as I tried to make sense out of what I thought perhaps the author meant to say. This is not at all unusual, there's a lot of words and sentences in a story, hard to catch them all. There was enough though that I dropped a star on rating the story.
I did not like the ending and some of the relationship that hinted at becoming something ended up fizzling out. The actions taken by the main character made her look like a mad vigilante, ready to kill anyone that pissed her off. It was hard to tell who was the hero.
Having said all of that, I would still recommend reading, "Twelve Years Gone" if you like crime and action stories. There's a lot of potential with what K.J. Kalis presented in this story. I'd like to see what happens next. I also recommend getting some people to proof the story, or pay for a good editor, or both.
October 26, 2025
Twelve Years gone is a page turner. Sarah an 18 year old from a small Ohio town goes missing 2 months before leaving her hometown for college at Northwestern. Sarah has everything going for her. No boyfriend, great grades, never been in trouble a promising future. Sarah goes off to a wooded trail through a local park she knows well and doesn't return home. After half a day her parents reach out to the local sheriff who tells her family the must wait to search for 24 hours. She's 18, procedure.
Over 100 people join the search party. All that is discovered is one of Sarah's shoes. It's been 12 years. Sarah's mother and sister decide to reach out to Emily, a retired Chicago cop who is known for her success at working cold cases.
Emily is perplexed when she investigates and finds the cold case official file consists of only 5 pages. Knowing this just can't be Emily decides something is fishy in Stockton and can't walk away from the case.
A page turner with a surprising ending
Over 100 people join the search party. All that is discovered is one of Sarah's shoes. It's been 12 years. Sarah's mother and sister decide to reach out to Emily, a retired Chicago cop who is known for her success at working cold cases.
Emily is perplexed when she investigates and finds the cold case official file consists of only 5 pages. Knowing this just can't be Emily decides something is fishy in Stockton and can't walk away from the case.
A page turner with a surprising ending
August 15, 2022
Book was great! Nice plot and momentum. I was hooked right from the beginning. There are couple grammatical errors and mismatched names though.
Few things I felt were not cleared out well-
1. Why would the killer send the shoe to Emily? Even though it was after 12 years he should’ve been at least scared a little to hand over a pice of evidence! If he wanted to just let her know that he knew all about her; he could’ve sent something else!
2. Was it the killer who attacked Emily ?
3. Why didn’t the Sheriff confront Cameron about his visit to Vicki’s house. I thought after all the suspicious activity he would’ve rechecked the surveillance footage or the closed cabinet in his office.
4. The behaviour of the vet seemed unusual too.
Though we can assume of the answers for these questions I felt there wasn’t a concrete conclusion. Most of the thrillers have like a chapter where all the secrets are revealed. Some left to readers discretion!
Overall a decent read.
Few things I felt were not cleared out well-
1. Why would the killer send the shoe to Emily? Even though it was after 12 years he should’ve been at least scared a little to hand over a pice of evidence! If he wanted to just let her know that he knew all about her; he could’ve sent something else!
2. Was it the killer who attacked Emily ?
3. Why didn’t the Sheriff confront Cameron about his visit to Vicki’s house. I thought after all the suspicious activity he would’ve rechecked the surveillance footage or the closed cabinet in his office.
4. The behaviour of the vet seemed unusual too.
Though we can assume of the answers for these questions I felt there wasn’t a concrete conclusion. Most of the thrillers have like a chapter where all the secrets are revealed. Some left to readers discretion!
Overall a decent read.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 22, 2025
Sarah Schmidt disappeared without a trace while hiking, just a month before leaving for college on a cross-country scholarship. In the years since, local law enforcement has done little to uncover the truth, leaving her family clinging to the desperate hope that Sarah might still be alive—somewhere, somehow.
But they haven’t given up. Fueled by a need for answers—and justice—they turn to Emily Tizzano, a former Chicago PD cold case detective battling demons of her own. As Emily digs into the case, she must confront her own past while racing against time to uncover the truth. Can she find Sarah and deliver the justice her family has been waiting for?
A gripping, emotional thriller filled with suspense, mystery, and unforgettable characters, Twelve Years Gone will keep you hooked until the very last page.
But they haven’t given up. Fueled by a need for answers—and justice—they turn to Emily Tizzano, a former Chicago PD cold case detective battling demons of her own. As Emily digs into the case, she must confront her own past while racing against time to uncover the truth. Can she find Sarah and deliver the justice her family has been waiting for?
A gripping, emotional thriller filled with suspense, mystery, and unforgettable characters, Twelve Years Gone will keep you hooked until the very last page.
October 15, 2022
This is the first in a series about Emily Tizzano. Emily was a Chicago Detective, and a good one. But her marriage to someone in the criminal world, led to her arrest and dismissal from the Department.
Now, she is home, with her companion, an Australian cattle dog, Miner. She takes cold cases on the side from people that write her about missing loved ones. She has just been contacted by the mother of a girl that has been missing for 12 years. No one in the small town that she lives in, will give her any information or help on trying to find her daughter.
Leaving Miner, with her friend, who also assists her in the cases by doing the IT part, she leaves to go there to see if she can help.
A good start to a a series that will have you guessing.
Now, she is home, with her companion, an Australian cattle dog, Miner. She takes cold cases on the side from people that write her about missing loved ones. She has just been contacted by the mother of a girl that has been missing for 12 years. No one in the small town that she lives in, will give her any information or help on trying to find her daughter.
Leaving Miner, with her friend, who also assists her in the cases by doing the IT part, she leaves to go there to see if she can help.
A good start to a a series that will have you guessing.
July 22, 2021
I enjoyed reading this book, but I might classify it as a guilty pleasure. First of all, there's something morally corrupt about the 'good guy' taking the law into their own hands. Secondly, I found the portrayal of Emily's character inconsistent. Sometimes she is shown to be clear-thinking, logical and action-oriented. Sometimes she is shown as weak, vacillating, fretting, without any explanation as to why she has changed. The character 'Mike', plays a fairly major role, but we don't know much about him. This was a decent first book in the series, and I might read more to see if they get any better.
September 21, 2021
Justice Delayed But Not Denied
A once successful cold case detective is framed and wrongfully discharged from the Chicago P.D. Now a privateceyecfueled by a burning desire for justice she is selective about her cases. She becomes involved in the troubling investigation of a promising young woman who vanished while taking a hike. Emily immersesherself in a,small town where corruption is rampant and secrets are deadly.
I liked this book. Emily is strong and smart. The side chsparacters infludingbher tech guy, dog and helpful local cop, are interesting and likable. Kind of disappiinted with the perp, a bit obvious. But a great ending and an engrosdingbread.
A once successful cold case detective is framed and wrongfully discharged from the Chicago P.D. Now a privateceyecfueled by a burning desire for justice she is selective about her cases. She becomes involved in the troubling investigation of a promising young woman who vanished while taking a hike. Emily immersesherself in a,small town where corruption is rampant and secrets are deadly.
I liked this book. Emily is strong and smart. The side chsparacters infludingbher tech guy, dog and helpful local cop, are interesting and likable. Kind of disappiinted with the perp, a bit obvious. But a great ending and an engrosdingbread.
November 1, 2022
free ebook
she was a detective but was falsely arrested after being framed and lost her job. her husband divorced her
someone leaves $5000 cash in her mail box once a month. it was her pay from when she was working
she solves cold cases now
she got a dog from the pound. a man who can find things on the computer for her dog sits when she leaves to solve a case
together and with the help of a deputy she solved the case and killed the man who killed the girl. her skeleton was recovered for her mom to bury
shes looking into a girl who disappeared on a run in the forrest 12 yrs ago, her mom asked her to find out what happened to her
she was a detective but was falsely arrested after being framed and lost her job. her husband divorced her
someone leaves $5000 cash in her mail box once a month. it was her pay from when she was working
she solves cold cases now
she got a dog from the pound. a man who can find things on the computer for her dog sits when she leaves to solve a case
together and with the help of a deputy she solved the case and killed the man who killed the girl. her skeleton was recovered for her mom to bury
shes looking into a girl who disappeared on a run in the forrest 12 yrs ago, her mom asked her to find out what happened to her
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 15, 2022
Twelve Years Gone
An excellent "who done it!" I don't usually read detective stories, but I'm glad I read this one. It was warm and personal and kept me trying to guess the outcome all through the story until the truth was revealed in the last few pages . My only criticism is the book needs to be proofread before printing!! The author kept getting her characters mixed up and using wrong names to confuse me. She also wrote sentences that made absolutely no sense!! They were just a bunch of words thrown together . . .again, to confuse me! So just be aware that you may have to skip over all the errors.
An excellent "who done it!" I don't usually read detective stories, but I'm glad I read this one. It was warm and personal and kept me trying to guess the outcome all through the story until the truth was revealed in the last few pages . My only criticism is the book needs to be proofread before printing!! The author kept getting her characters mixed up and using wrong names to confuse me. She also wrote sentences that made absolutely no sense!! They were just a bunch of words thrown together . . .again, to confuse me! So just be aware that you may have to skip over all the errors.
February 16, 2025
An ex Policewoman wrongly accused turns to investigating cold cases. In this case a young woman disappeared twelve years ago in a small rural town. With little evidence to go on and reluctant citizens she manages to solve the case.
I enjoyed the read but I felt that there were too many loose ends at the finish. The detective relies heavily on DNA but would have left lots of evidence at the wood mill scene as well as relying on the local police officer she befriends to ignore his respect for the law.
In spite of this the book is worth a read as an introduction to the characters involved.
I enjoyed the read but I felt that there were too many loose ends at the finish. The detective relies heavily on DNA but would have left lots of evidence at the wood mill scene as well as relying on the local police officer she befriends to ignore his respect for the law.
In spite of this the book is worth a read as an introduction to the characters involved.
April 1, 2022
Great Detective Thriller
Twelve years gone had me hooked from the first page, and kept me wanting more. The characters all had stand alone personalities and the main character, lady PI, held you in her grips throughout. I really enjoyed the fact that this was an adult read, was highly entertaining, yet no ridiculous four letter words needed to be used to hold my attention or make me think more or less of the players in the plot!
I definitely hope to continue reading more from this author on her journey with Detective Emily Tizzano!
Twelve years gone had me hooked from the first page, and kept me wanting more. The characters all had stand alone personalities and the main character, lady PI, held you in her grips throughout. I really enjoyed the fact that this was an adult read, was highly entertaining, yet no ridiculous four letter words needed to be used to hold my attention or make me think more or less of the players in the plot!
I definitely hope to continue reading more from this author on her journey with Detective Emily Tizzano!
May 16, 2024
An ex-cop who doesn't exactly play by the rules. Wondering about the two bullets found in the dead guy. Her truck is also at the scene, how is she going to get it out and can't the client identify her? I don't like the way this ended, there are too many loose ends that point to Emily.
Also wondering if Emily will move a bit away from Chicago and if she will get so injured in each story. Her friend Mike, dog Miner, and Mike's friend Alice are all great characters.
Oh the creepiness of small towns.
Also wondering if Emily will move a bit away from Chicago and if she will get so injured in each story. Her friend Mike, dog Miner, and Mike's friend Alice are all great characters.
Oh the creepiness of small towns.
March 2, 2025
I enjoyed this book. It was a bit different to anything I had read before. Emily Tizzano is an ex Chicago police officer who lost her job when she was falsely accused of bribery. When the case was dropped she took her compensation and ran. She started to solve cold cases for people unable to get justice for crimes comm against them or their families. One such case was Sarah Schmidt who disappeared 12 years ago. Here mother Vicki hires Emily to find out what happened to her daughter. Eventually the truth comes out and justice is served.
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