Little Girl Gone (An Afton Tangler Thriller)

This first Afton Tangler thriller is a hard-edged, engrossing read written by a woman better known for her cozy mysteries-- Laura Childs. Writing under her real name, she has created a good, strong cast. Single mother Afton Tangler is smart, intuitive, full of common sense, and known for driving two expensive cars that she got in her divorce settlement. She's partnered with veteran detective Max Montgomery, a man who sees how much potential this family liaison officer has. I was really impressed with their boss, Deputy Chief Gerald Thacker. Afton is a rookie; she makes mistakes and steps on the toes of some of her superiors. But whatever she does, she does it for the right reason. Thacker sees this and sticks up for her, and when Afton show more thanks him, his response is that he doesn't need to be thanked for doing the right thing. Now... how many superior officers can you remember doing that in the mysteries you've read? Not many, right?

No stranger to Minnesota winters, Schmitt pulled me right into the middle of a bone-chilling one, and she also taught me a thing or two about reborn dolls-- dolls that are made up to look as much like a newborn baby as possible. The author has crafted a good investigation. Not only did I learn some things, I appreciated how Schmitt showed that it is often the grunt work and just a tiny bit of intuition that can break a case right open.

Little Girl Gone is called a thriller for a reason. The bad guys are particularly creepy, the book's pace is fast, and it's a very scary scene when Afton confronts the kidnappers. It's good to see a writer try something different. I, for one, am looking forward to Afton's next case. show less

LITTLE GIRL GONE (not "Little Gone Girl," as I keep seeing it!) is a fantastic start to the Afton Tangler series. It's a different kind of mystery/thriller, as in it's more of a whydunit than a whodunit, which I liked very much. I loved Afton's character. She's a family liaison officer for the police department, though slowing working toward becoming a detective.

Afton is assigned to the case of a kidnapped baby girl as a social worker, but she ends up tagging along with a seasoned detective named Max to help solve the case. Afton is a tough, strong, and very brave woman, and I'd totally want her on my side if I was in trouble.

The story is told from different points of view, including the bad guys. It was quite interesting and show more disturbing to get inside their heads too. This was a suspenseful, exciting, page-turner for me. I stayed up until the wee hours fighting off sleep so I could find out how it ends. Nice combination of police procedural and suspense. Enjoyed it!

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. show less

I thought the writing style seemed more than just familiar and then I learned that Gerry Schmitt also writes as Laura Childs. Family liaison officer, Afton Tangler is assisting Susan and her husband with their trauma of their missing 3 month old baby girl, Elizabeth Anne. It was a small thing... but it bothered me that as the search for the child continues...Afton...the key character in this sad and sometimes depressing story...finds that she needs to inset the comment that the lead FBI agent in the case is “tall and lanky with steel gray hair and warm brown eyes the color of precious amber.” This, and other pronouncements by Afton concerning the agent takes the story from a well told mystery and crime novel, to a romance in almost show more the blink of an eye. I wish the author had kept to the this tale that she had started so well. I guess readers who don’t mind gratuitous injections of romance into a grim and disturbing plot line will just overlook it and read on. show less

Afton Tangler works for the Minneapolis Police Department as a family liaison officer but somehow she finds herself deep in the investigation of a kidnapped three-month-old baby. Elizabeth Ann was kidnapped from her parents' home and her babysitter was assaulted. These residents of the posh Kenwood section of Minneapolis have lots of influential friends who keep pressure on the police department and the FBI to find their child.

Afton works with Detective Max Montgomery searching for clues and trying to find connections that will lead to the recovery of the child. Their investigation leads to a mistress for the husband and some sexual hijinks that led to him leaving one med-tech company for another which makes him somewhat suspicious. But show more the key clue comes from the wife who points to a woman she talked to at a doll show at the local mall. She gave the woman her phone number and showed her a picture of Elizabeth Ann. Unfortunately, the woman gave a false name and the doll show organizer can't help the police locate her.

This story is told from a few viewpoints. Afton's is the most common but we also hear the thoughts of the really creepy doll lady and her equally creepy and murderous son. The story has a wonderful setting. I am quite familiar with winter in Minnesota and the locales - Minneapolis, St. Paul, Cannon Falls, and Hudson, Wisconsin - where the bulk of the story takes place. And, as it happens, I'm writing this while waiting for the kind of snowstorm happening in the story.

I liked Afton as a character but thought it was pretty unlikely that she would get as involved in the investigation in real life. She has the dogged persistence that a good detective should have. She wants to be a police detective and is getting support and training from many of the others on the case.

This was a real page-turner. It is filled with action and danger and scenes that kept me turning the pages until the satisfying conclusion. Fans of police procedurals will enjoy this well-crafted tale. show less

I absolutely fell hard for this book. I could not stop reading it. The only reason I did was because I needed to get some sleep. Yet, this was the first thing I grabbed when I got up the next morning. At that point it was easy reading as I was already half way done with the book. I have to agree some a comment made by one of the characters in this book that "Afton is a pitbull". She not only is fierce but she is determined. There is no backing down once she has her mind made up. She is quick on her feet and smart as a tack on picking up clues and putting the pieces together. This is why I am glad she is the main female lead in this book. Yet at the same time she is a loving mother.

In the beginning I thought this story was going to go a show more different way and be way creepier. It did not but I am kind of glad it didn't do to the nature of the victims. However it was still very scary. Even the bad guys were strong. This helped to keep the story moving along at a good fast, steady pace. A good ending. I can't wait to read the next book by this author and in this series. show less

Little Girl Gone by Gerry Schmitt is An Afton Tangler Thriller novel (first book in series). Marjorie Sorenson has a table at the doll show at Skylark Shopping Mall. She is showing off her reborn dolls (which look just like real babies). Susan Darden is at the mall and admires Marjorie’s creations. Marjorie admires the pictures of Susan’s little girl, Elizabeth Ann who is three months old. That night Susan and her husband, Richard go out for the evening and leave Elizabeth Ann with a babysitter. Someone breaks in and takes the little girl (after attacking the babysitter). Afton Tangler is a community liaison officer for the Minneapolis Police Department. She is called in to handle the Darden’s. Afton wishes to be a detective, but show more with her master’s in social work made her perfect for the community liaison officer position (and she keeps hoping to get promoted when a spot opens up and she gets the experience needed for the position). When Afton ends up upsetting the Darden’s, she works with Max on the case. Max Montgomery works with the Mutual Aid and Multi-Jurisdictional Squad (MAMJS). The two work the case to find little Elizabeth Ann and bring her back home. It is going to take a lot of hard work to find the little girl and her kidnappers but Afton and Max are more than capable of handling the task.

Little Girl Gone is a fast-paced suspense novel that is well-written. The reader is drawn into the story (a good thing) from the beginning. I liked the main character, Afton Tangler. She is a smart, hardworking, determined woman. Afton has an ex-husband and two kids (and now a new dog) and all the problems that go along with them. Max is a good counterpart for her in the book (40s, divorced twice, and two teenage boys). I enjoyed following Max and Afton as they worked to solve the case. I give Little Girl Gone 4.25 out of 5 stars. I would have enjoyed the story more if the culprit had not been revealed to us. Knowing the person responsible right from the beginning takes away some of the suspense or intrigue (that is the only thing that I did not like). I look forward to reading the next book in An Afton Tangler Thriller series.

I received a complimentary copy of Little Girl Gone from NetGalley in exchange for an honest evaluation of the novel. The comments and opinions expressed are strictly my own. show less

I received a free copy of this ebook in exchange for an honest review.

Little Girl Gone grabs your attention very early on and doesn't let go until the end. I found Afton Tangler to be a well-written and interesting character, I'm always happy to find a strong female lead that doesn't fall in with a lot of the typical stereotypes. Really, all of the characters were well-written, and you felt real emotions towards them, something I find important in books. This is definitely one of those books where you tell yourself, "just one more chapter," but don't put it down until you absolutely have to.

Overall, I found this a very enjoyable read, and I'm looking forward to the next Afton Tangler adventure.