Title: Come and Get Me by August Norman
Caitlin Bergman Series Book One
Publisher: Crooked Lane Books
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery, Suspense
Length: 327 pages
Book Rating: B+
Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through NetGalley
Summary:
An intrepid journalist confronts a small town’s dark secrets in Come and Get Me, a breakneck thriller for fans of Tess Gerritsen and Julia Keller.
At Indiana University, someone’s been studying the female student body: their dating customs, nocturnal activities—and how long they can survive in captivity.
When award-winning journalist Caitlin Bergman is invited back to campus to receive an honorary degree, she finds an opportunity for a well-earned victory lap—and a chance to face the trauma that almost destroyed her as an undergrad. But her lap becomes an all-out race when a student begs her to probe an unsolved campus disappearance: Angela Chapman went out one Friday night and never came back.
To find the missing woman, Caitlin must join forces with a local police detective and the department that botched her own case so long ago. But while Caitlin follows the clues behind Angela’s disappearance, someone else is following her…
Unearthing secrets hidden beneath an idyllic Midwestern college town, Caitlin must expose what really happened to Angela—before she herself becomes the newest addition to a twisted collection.
Review:
Come and Get Me by August Norman is a spellbinding mystery with a strong female protagonist.
Caitlin Bergman returns to her alma mater to receive the diploma she walked away from twenty years ago following a traumatic rape. When college reporter Laskhmi asks her to look into the still unsolved missing persons case of her best friend, Angela Chapman, Caitlin agrees. After college student Paige Lauffer disappears without a trace, Caitlin cannot help but wonder if the two cases might be linked. Will the local police take her concerns seriously? Or will Caitlin be on her own as she tries to figure out what happened to Angela and Paige?
Caitlin is quite tenacious as she begins looking into Angela’s disappearance. The police department has thankfully gone through personnel changes in the twenty years she has been gone. But does this mean they will work with her? Detective Jane Maverick is abrasive but Detective Jerry Greenwood is a bit more co-operative. However, Caitlin discovers Jerry might have an ulterior motive for providing her with assistance. No matter what his reasons, she will take whatever help she can get as she takes a hard look at the two men who were with Angela the night she vanished. Will Caitlin’s search for the truth put her in cross hairs of the killer(s)?
Come and Get Me is a sinister mystery with a multi-layered plot and engaging cast of characters. The storyline is complex and Caitlin’s investigation is engrossing. With stunning twists and cunning turns, August Norman brings this suspense-laden mystery to a breathtaking, action-packed conclusion. I greatly enjoyed and highly recommend this outstanding first installment in the Caitlin Bergman to fans of the genre.
