Thank you Black Rose Writing for allowing me to read and review Stable Someone is Taking Them...by Cam Torrens on NetGalley.

Published: 07/20/23

Stars: 3

This is a nice debut mystery by Torrens. Without spoiling, children missing can be for a multitude of reasons. I respect how the author eluded without details why the girls were taken: knowing the definition is enough for me to visualize without adding horrific fictional specifics. There were subtle differences from other mystery books in the dialogues and the solving of the mystery. Unfortunately, I noticed these while reading but didn't fully appreciate them. I didn't know Torrens personal professional life prior to writing. The author was a search and rescue pilot. Knowing this, some of the story becomes clearer. He will solve and see problems differently. This part of the story was refreshing.

Sometimes I was bored. There was a disconnect. I would pick up another book by the author.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.
This was an interesting and creepy debut novel. Definitely looking forward to reading more from this author. I really enjoyed this book.

Some very dark subject matter in this book but if you aren’t put off by that the story is well told and moves along at a good pace. It wasn’t my favourite mainly because the theme was uncomfortable to read about.

Stunning debut. You don’t want to miss a single paragraph.
Many thanks to Black Rose writing and to Netgalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

I did not finish this one, it was not for me, I couldn't relate to the characters, and just did not care for the story.

Due to college I did not get time to read and review this one, sorry. I do not know if it would suit me but I am sure I could recommend it to anyone who likes serial killer stories. I will keep an eye out for it.

This is my first book of Cam Torrens and it won’t be my last! This honestly isn’t my usual read but I thought it was well written and kept my attention. I found myself needing to know what was going to happen!

Tyler is retired Air Force pilot who has become a Search and Rescue volunteer. His daughter, Daria, who he hasn’t seen in six years comes to visit him in hopes that they can reconnect. The problem is Tyler organizes their day down to the minute. Daria feels like she’s being smothered and jumps at the opportunity when a gentleman next door offers to take her horseback riding. Tyler then takes a call about a nine year old girl who’s missing. But what unravels will leave Tyler and Daria in danger. It’s a race to find the missing girls and who’s taking them in this small town!

Great debut novel. Tyler Zahn is the perfect protagonist for an action thriller; former military, suffers a great tragedy and drowns his sorrows, turns his life around and becomes a driven Search and Rescue team member.
This was a fast paced, action packed read with interesting characters. The author's background shines through in this clever and well written story. I am really looking forward to many more books in this series.
Perfect for fans of Robert Crais, David Baldacci or Lee Child.
Thank you Black Rosr Writing and Netgalley for this ARC

This isn't at all my usual read. It is an action filled book. I think most people would love it even if it isn't my thing. The concept is super creepy.

This was a great thriller! It moved at a good pace and I think the characters were well written. I would reccomend this book to anyone who enjoys a good mystery. 10/10 highly recommend! Special 'Thank You' to the author, publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to read a copy of this book prior to publication.

Thoroughly Engaging Storyline an Intriguing and Thrilling Ride.
I loved this first book by Can Torren’s. It is full of great characters and a thoroughly engaging storyline. The book is a mystery-thriller with loads of action and suspense and the storyline keeps the reader turning the pages.
Tyler Zahn has a Search and Rescue background, and Zahn is asked to try to locate a missing girl. Unfortunately, the young girls are being taken from other states, so nobody is even looking for them in the mountains around the small and beautiful town of Buena Vista in Colorado’s Rocky Mountains. The girls are being kidnapped, held hostage, and photographed for the dark web whist being hidden in plain sight in an unground room on a ranch.
You will become immersed in Tyler’s Zahn world, becoming active participants in his harrowing journey as he finds himself entangled in the clutches of the enigmatic Rocky Mountain with a kidnapper, whilst desperately striving to save his daughter Daria and two other girls from the clutches of this deranged man.
The book is an intriguing and thrilling ride, with well-timed plots twists and turns leaving the reader guessing what might happen next. I became immersed in Tyler’s world and found Cam Torrens has a remarkable talent for constructing and exploring thought-provoking themes. I Highly recommend this book, which is professionally written, and I am looking forward to your next book. Thanks to NetGalley and to the publishers of this book for giving me a free advance copy of the book to preview and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Tyler Zahn is part of the search and rescue team in the Colorado Rockies. He has a slightly strained relationship with his daughter, Daria, and just tries too hard when she comes to spend the summer with him.

A young girl is reported missing and then another girl is found, having escaped from a kidnapper who is now panicking. A race against time ensues to find the kidnapper and then Daria goes missing.

There’s a side story about a religious camp, which felt like a bit of an add-on and I felt the book was slow in parts, but overall it was enjoyable with some likeable characters. A great dynamic between Zahn and the local police force.

3 ⭐️ Thanks to Netgalley, Cam Torrens and Black Rose for an ARC in return for an honest review.

Alerted by a 911 call, a search and rescue team heads off to the mountains to look for a missing girl. Luckily, they find her in time. Unfortunately, she is not the one that they were actually out looking for...

There is something amiss in Taylor Zahn's home in the Rocky Mountains, and it looks like somebody is targeting children. Zahn is quickly caught up in the mystery, and he cannot shake his sense that he needs to locate the missing girl, in order to make all the pieces fit together and provide a full picture of what is going on.

Nearly a decade ago, Zahn turned to alcohol in the aftermath of his son's death, and lost the rest of his family in the bargain. Now, wanting to mend fences, he has invited his young daughter Daria to visit him.

But even after her arrival, Zahn is unable to satisfied his preoccupation with the girl who has disappeared, and Daria ends up finding her own company in the nearby church camp. Until, to his absolute horror it is his own daughter who goes missing...

This is a fast-paced story, which deals with some dark themes. But as a debut novel, it introduces its author as a writer who shows promise.

I received a complimentary electronic ARC of this excellent thriller from Netgalley, author Cam Torrens, and at the invitation of publisher Black Rose Writing. I have read Stable of my own volition, and this review reflects my honest opinion of this work. I am pleased to add Cam Torrens to my must-read author lists and recommend him to friends and family. He writes a tight mystery with a firm look into this land I love, sharing with us the beauty and remoteness of the Front Range.

Stable doesn't read as a debut novel - author Cam Torrens brings us an exciting, fast-paced trip through the remote towns and mountains of the Colorado Front Range. His protagonists are well-defined, well-rounded people we can relate to without effort, with the exception of the crazies. And even after finishing the book, I wasn't sure if the title was in recognition of the horse barn or the crazies, but it didn't really matter. It was a good read, and I look forward to the next from this author.

Before we start, let's see if we've got everything, according to our pack list:

- a rural and beautiful setting - check.
- A disturbing series of crimes that break the setting - check.
- The actual police totally in over their head - check.
- A hero who sucks at live in general, failed marriage, with problems connecting to their kid, also a former (alcohol) addict, and much better qualified at solving the crime spree - check.

Yeah, no, I think we're all good here, let's start this thriller show!

Alright, that might have been a lengthy way to say that this series protagonist - we're talking book one here, folks, this could be the birth of a new series star! - makes heavy use of the "damaged hero" trope. Tyler Zahn is a former alcoholic, and he's a little awkward around his daughter, because he's got every minute they'll spend planned in advance. And his journal reads "catch fish", not "enjoy fishing". Think Bruce Willis in Die Hard 4.0 (especially the daughter part), combined with a mild case of Monk (not really obsessive compulsive disorder, but maybe a little ocd).

m talking a lot about Tyler here because, as I've mentioned, this novel marks the potential start of a series (in fact, a second one called False Summit is already here), and those series are all about the protagonist. Granted, you need a good storyline, but if you want your readers to be looking for the next book, you need to hook them on your character. That's the reason the Jack Reacher novels are so damn successful, because everyone likes Reacher. And a lot of authors try to write the next Reacher. I think Cam Torrens might be on to something here, and he wisely choose to make Tyler not into a larger than life hero like Reacher, but rather into a hero broken by life.

Fun fact: I grinned the first 2 to 200 times I've read the full name, Tyler Zahn. Especially since Cam is doing the Reacher thing here, where most people - including the narrator - call Tyler by his surname, Zahn. Even his daughter does it! That might not be funny to you - but for me it is, as Zahn is German for tooth. So I've ended up thinking of him as some kind of muscled tooth fairy (Zahnfee). Long story short, to my inner eye, Tyler started to look like a certain actor.

"On an existential level, he didn't know what he believed in. But at ground level, he believed in himself."
-- Tyler muses about self-confidence


Zahn has the hallmarks to become a new Reacher. There are elements here that would mix well with the way a Reacher story is told - how people act the way they do is told so it makes their actions believable, which is something I really enjoy in a thriller. You know, when people do stuff and you can actually follow their reasoning. I hate it when actors in stories do stupid stuff without a reason. But I'll gladly accept even mighty stupid acts of craziness if the person committing them had at least a good reason to think it was a good idea, from their point of view. That is what's happening in stories by Child, and Cam Torrens is pretty much along those lines. Including the fact that Zahn drinks his coffee black, no sugar, no fancy name.

There's one thing Child does better, though - reading a Reacher novel means riding piggyback on Reacher's mind. Everyone has a reason why they do shit in the Reacher novels, especially Reacher himself, and the reader becomes part of that thought process. Child shines out in his capacity to take the reader along, and I think that Cam could enhance my experience as a Zahn reader by improving upon this point. That's, of course, only my two coins of small denomination.

*****

To what it all amounts to, is this: With Tyler Zahn, Cam Torrens has created a fantastic character who thriller readers will love to follow through his adventures. Stable's main villain is believable and acting in ways that I might condemn, but which make sense in the given context. He's not a monster by simply being evil, but a monster by choice, driven by greed - and that's highly realistic. All of this is blended into a story that seems realistic enough to give you shivers at time, and with enough thrills to keep you on your toes.

I think Tyler Zahn has a great career as a thriller novel hero in front of him. I would advice Cam to let the readers take a bigger part in Zahn's thought process - riding his thoughts piggyback - and to invest a little work at the pacing front, and we might witness the rise of a new star here. 4 stars, highly recommended for thriller fans.

Cam Torrens debut novel is a suspenseful race to find some missing young girls being hidden in plain sight. The girls are taken from other states so no one is even looking for them in the mountains around the small, beautiful town of Buena Vista in Colorado’s Rocky Mountains.

Since leaving the air force, Tyler Zahn, a divorced ex- pilot of thirty years, has made new friends and a new life there for himself. He’s become a Search and Rescue volunteer and will soon be starting to train in law enforcement. Now his daughter Daria, who he hasn’t seen for six years, has come to spend her college break with him, both of them hoping to get to know each other again.

The problem is he’s so busy organising mountain experiences for them to do together that Daria is starting to feel smothered, so is pleased when a young man on the adventure camp next door invites her to go horse riding. This frees up Tyler to answer a call out to search for a missing nine year old girl who was visiting a local family, starting a train of events that will see both Tyler and Daria in danger.

Since this is listed as the first of the series, I was a little confused at times by references to previous events, which made it feel more like a sequel since these were never fully explained. I think it’s possible the author must have written a prior novel which has not yet been published, in which case Tyler’s previous exploits in the mountains should have been more fully described or the references to them removed. Nevertheless, with likeable gutsy characters and packed with action, this is an exciting and compelling read. That Torrens loves and knows his mountainous home well shows in his descriptions of their rugged beauty and adds to the sense of danger and adventure.

This novel is well-crafted with a captivating plot based on a real-life missing person case. However, the storyline, which revolves around human trafficking and the abduction of children, was a bit too dark and unsettling for my personal taste. While I believe this book will find its audience, it did not quite resonate with me.

A special thanks to Cam Torrens and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I read through “Stable” in several days, which is unusual for me. That always means one thing: that the book grabbed me from the start and I had a hard time putting it down, in fact, finding myself going back to it again and again to read more, needing to see what will happen next to Tyler Zahn (and his daughter Daria) in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado. The action – the twists and turns – never let up from page one. There’s search and rescue missions, multiple kidnappings, police investigations, abuse allegations, and also – within all this – hope and forgiveness. The characters have depth – which means we see their warts and struggles and failures, as well as their history with each other – some good and some not so good.
During her school break, Daria is visiting her estranged father Tyler at his home in a small town in the mountains, hoping to get to know him after his being out of the picture for years. She’s not so sure about this, and with good reason. But as their lives intertwine together and with the local crime scenes, they find a need to rely on each other, and perhaps to love and care and forgive one another. Enjoyable to find are the religious undertones that in reality, prevail in many people’s lives, as well as some of the people we meet in “Stable.” These are not plot devices, but a clear way of seeing the depth of the characters and how they move through, in fact, survive in life. Pick up this book and dive in. You will be riveted while the pace is relentless.

STABLE, Cam Torrens’ novel of suspense, opens on the bank of Aspen Lake. Tyler Zahn is fly fishing with Daria, his daughter, who is visiting during a college break. Otherwise retired, Zahn, an Air Force veteran, is a Search & Rescue volunteer in Buena Vista, a small Colorado town.
Distanced from her father since her parents’ marriage ended, Daria hopes to reconnect in what should be an idyllic location. The inhabitants of Buena Vista, though, are troubled. Young girls are disappearing, leaving no discernible clues.
Note that this is a novel of suspense identified precisely by its title, STABLE, “Someone is taking them,” and its description, “Someone in this mountain valley is collecting children.” Readers might find certain elements of the novel uncomfortable. The story is, we are reminded, “Based on an actual missing person case.”
Janae Longmont describes herself as a “scaredy cat,” labeled by classmates at her school in Oklahoma because she will not climb through a playground tire tunnel. While visiting an aunt and uncle in Buena Vista with her parents, she resists going outdoors. One morning, though, she is lured by her desire to snap a photograph of a doe and fawn. Donning pink cowboy boots, clasping her camera, she goes to the wooded verge and disappears.
Buena Vista residents have unknowingly stumbled into a maelstrom of secrets and hidden inclinations. Law enforcement and rescue personnel follow leads, reach dead ends, and pose hunches. Details add depth to the Search & Rescue experience.
Introspection is perhaps unexpected, but that is one of this story’s strengths. Tyler Zahn comes to see that past losses and survivor’s guilt drag him down. He confronts philosophical and spiritual issues and reconsiders stereotypes.
STABLE delivers everything a reader could want. Author Cam Torrens’ writing shows expert pacing. This is a tightly woven tale of heart pounding suspense.

It took me a while to get into this and there were a few parts that dragged a bit but overall I still found it a pretty decent read. It's really dark so be warned, but not to the extent of pointless gore and shock value. I did like the characters and certainly was surprised more than once at how things played out