Vanished: A Novel (Private Justice)
Late one dark, rainy night, newspaper reporter Moira Harrison hits a woman frantically waving at her from the middle of an unlit rural road. Moira does her best to stop her car, but it spins out of control. Moira desperately informs the Good Samaritan who stops a few minutes later about the struck woman, and, after helping Moira, he assures her he will take care of matters. When Moira wakes up in her car an hour later, there is absolutely no evidence of either the woman or the man. The police believe Moira may have been imagining things due to the concussion she received, but Moira knows she saw a woman in the road. The only one willing to help Moira is private detective Cal Burke. Double-RITA winner Hannon begins a new romantic-suspense series, and this novel’s fast-paced plot and compelling characters (including a surprisingly complex villain) make it an excellent suggestion for inspirational-fiction fans as well as readers who enjoy Mary Higgins Clark’s subtly chilling brand of suspense. --John Charles