The Lost Girls (Lucy Kincaid, #11) in 2-3-4 Challenge

Jun 04, 2021 Jonetta rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: nc-br-digital-library, audiobook, 2021-audiobook-challenge, 5000-2021, mystery-suspense-thriller, 2021-beat-the-backlist-challenge, 2021-in-2021, group-read, 2021-library-love

When a parish priest discovers a newborn left on the church steps, he also discovers a locket with photojournalist Siobhan Walsh’s phone number inside. She comes to Texas to investigate and, after running into some serious trouble with Texas local law enforcement, she reaches out to her friend inside the FBI for help. FBI agents Lucy Kincaid and Noah Armstrong are assigned to help and they soon discover that Siobhan has stumbled upon a potential human trafficking ring of a horrific nature. Meanw When a parish priest discovers a newborn left on the church steps, he also discovers a locket with photojournalist Siobhan Walsh’s phone number inside. She comes to Texas to investigate and, after running into some serious trouble with Texas local law enforcement, she reaches out to her friend inside the FBI for help. FBI agents Lucy Kincaid and Noah Armstrong are assigned to help and they soon discover that Siobhan has stumbled upon a potential human trafficking ring of a horrific nature. Meanwhile, an ex-girlfriend of Sean’s from his days at Stanford suddenly shows up for help finding her missing husband and son…who she reveals is his child.

After the events of the last story, Noah Armstrong was dispatched to help clean up and temporarily head the San Antonio office and assist the supporting agencies that were wrecked by corrupt agents. Moral is low and Lucy is coming to terms with the aftermath, her role in it and her path forward. The two cases were gnarly but I liked that these personal introspections were woven into the story’s fabric and impacted actions and decisions at every juncture. It’s a strong human element that was subtle but impactful. I was stunned by the introduction of Sean’s twelve-year old son, Jesse, and it adds another layer of issues for him and Lucy.

There’s a lot going on but it all comes together rather well. The pressure on Sean and Lucy’s relationship was heartbreaking on both sides and it was an unexpected opportunity to see him be so vulnerable. The realities of what happened at the San Antonio bureau office felt authentic and the human trafficking case was awful but realistic. I appreciate that the author didn’t pull punches and spare the dreadful details without being overly graphic. The narrator’s performance was wonderful, often nuanced to manage emotional passages for a number of characters, main and secondary. She was excellent. This is a complex story with many, many layers, one I very much enjoyed as it shifted the focus adeptly from the pain of the last few books.

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Jun 03, 2021 Anita rated it really liked it

Shelves: mystery

Not at all what I suspected, especially in the way of a romance, because there wasn't any and, well, it's complicated. After almost dyeing I wanted Kane to finally acknowledge his feelings for Siobhan and for them to get together. He did, sort of, but his work for RCK comes first and the lone man fights alone and all that crap. Anyway, I was disappointed. Lucy and Sean have a major bump and Lucy blows it way out of proportion. Sean was stupid in not sharing his news about having a son with her r ...more

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May 27, 2021 Robin rated it really liked it

Shelves: 2021, suspense

A newborn is abandoned at a church. A locket containing a picture of three women is inside her blankets. A phone number on the picture leads to Siobhan Walsh, a photojournalist who has been searching for Marisol and Ana de la Rosa for over two years. Believing that the women were kidnapped by sex traffickers, Siobhan contacts FBI Agent Lucy Kincaid for help. As Lucy and SSA Noah Armstrong track the missing girls, they find they may be part of a baby selling ring. Meanwhile, Lucy's fiancé Sean Ro ...more

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May 19, 2021 Melissa rated it really liked it

While Lucy is working a case involving missing girls who may have been sold into a human-trafficking organization Sean flies out to find his ex-girlfriend’s son and husband who have disappeared in Mexico.

This was a hard story to read. There is more than human-trafficking going on and the brutal means the bad guys take are truly evil and heinous. I always find it hard to process what some people will do to children.
Siobhan Walsh is a main presence in this book and I really like her. She is obvio ...more

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Aug 27, 2021 Sharon Kallenberger Marzola rated it liked it

The Lost Girls is the eleventh book in the Lucy Kincaid series. I love the mystery, the dynamic of the FBI team, Sean working with his brother and RCK. Allison Brennan sets up a great procedural that keeps me guessing. There are some tense, nail-biting moments. The core mystery is excellent. If the author stuck with this, it would be a big 5* book for me.

I hate the "secret" child trope. I rarely find an author who justifies this scenario. Madison is a selfish woman. She is more concerned with h ...more

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