Leading the Witness

I have enjoyed books from Carsen Taite in the past, but Leading the Witness takes things to a new level for me. While there is an element of a romance between the 2 main characters, Starr and Catherine, it plays a minor role, which did not bother me at all while reading. The mystery took the main focus and was so enthralling and made me want to not stop reading. In some ways, the main sex scene becomes a logistical issue for the police and DA's office since it gives the appearance of impropriety on the arrest of a suspect. It was an interesting way of bringing the romance to light while at the same time introducing it as an issue that could affect the overall investigation and case. It was a wonderful piece of writing.

The abduction of the mayor's daughter starts the story in one direction, but as the search for her continues, it is clear that there are ties to another abduction that occurred 2 decades before, that of Catherine. Taite did an amazing job of bringing Catherine's story out through her interactions with her psychiatrist and showing the deep emotional scars that Catherine's trauma as a child had caused her over the years.

In many ways, this was more of a mystery/suspense novel with a dab of romance instead of a hot-and-heavy romance novel and I loved every minute of it. This is a fantastic novel and anyone who likes a good mystery will enjoy it as well.

4.5 stars

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for a fair and unbiased review.