Val Costa is BAD A**! HK Christie really knows how to create strong female leads and I AM HERE FOR IT!!

This is a weird review as I was sure I wrote about book #1 and #2 in this series. I was going to write the review for book #3 and discovered that I didn't write anything for the entire series so this will be a common review for the entire series, including the third novel.
Val Costa is a great character: she's not wonder woman, she hasn't any huge chip on her shoulder nor a traumatic past, she's a clever and brave woman who works for FBI and collaborate with the local police.
She moved in a Californian county to be near her son after a meeting with a serial killer that left her branded and phisically hurt. She needs to recover and think about her future.
Red Rose county is not a huge and highly populated county, you have to suspend your belief because the number of violent death is highest than 58.4 dead for 100k person.
Statistics apart this is a hell of a series that improves with each installment and the third one is the best one so far. There's always suspense and emotions in these stories and I found the third one a gripping and heart wrenching page turner.
Val grew on me and I loved her evolution and cannot wait to read new stories as I wanted to visit Rose County and catch up with the characters.
I appreciated how the author developed the solid plots that surprised me and the good storytelling.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

Favorite Quotes:

I liked to believe that good things happened sometimes. This was something I had to remind myself of, having such a dark and dangerous job. We profiled the worst of humanity…

Once hopeful the authorities would actually do their jobs, my faith in the police was once again tarnished like old silverware at a garage sale.

You know, sometimes we can’t choose our path— sometimes it chooses us. Think of this as a beginning to something new.


My Review:

This was my introduction to the compelling storytelling of H.K. Christie and I picked a winner to start with. The writing was easy to follow, written from multiple points of view, hooked me early, and kept me reading despite the disquieting and nettlesome subject matter. I found the main character of Val Costa to be well-scaffolded. She was recently wounded yet still a badass. Val was well-conjured, authentic, realistically flawed, complicated, admirable, well-textured, and someone I want to follow in subsequent installments.

First, I want to thank Netgalley and the Author for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. I absolutely love a gripping mystery, and this one kept me on my toes from start to finish. this was my first experience with this author, and I was truly excited to dive in. The writing is exceptional, filled with plenty of twists and turns that kept me engaged throughout. I can't wait to explore more books in this series!

I LOVE murder mysterys and this was quite the twisty one. This was my first book by this author and i'm delighted to say I will be reading more of ehr work as I was hooked into this book very quickly diving into the iceberg and needing to know more/how it would end. Im very excited that this is going to be a series and I will be continuing on as i thoroughly enjoyed reading this and loved the pacing.

I've found several series through Bookouture that have become must-reads. The initial description of Gone By Dawn sounded interesting and with that, I've found yet another series to add to my list.

Val Costa is an FBI agent and one of two survivors of The Bear, a known serial killer. Returning home to California to recover from the ordeal, Val is immediately drawn back into police work when a young woman disappears. Working as a consultant, several cases seem to mix and match in Val's life as she tries to figure out what is going on in her hometown as well as still wondering where The Bear may be.

The story of surviving a serial killer is what drew me into the book, but the mysteries within kept me reading. I immediately requested the second book as I had to know more about The Bear storyline. However, I definitely enjoyed seeing how the various investigations worked out in the cases Val was trying to solve. The twists in the novel kept me guessing throughout and definitely had me until the end. Definitely added to my spreadsheet of series to continue.

*5 Stars*

Copy kindly received via NetGalley for an honest review.

What a great read. The things that law enforcement see and the way they have to deal with these criminals, to try and save peoples lives. Val, Brady and the FBI worked well together to try and catch these monsters before they could hurt or kill more people. You could understand what Scarletts parents did to try and save her. If Av had been taken more seriously at the beginning things may have turned out differently. Would recommend and I look forward to reading the next book.

The first in the Val Costa series, Gone by Dawn, is gripping. Val is an FBI agent, currently on leave as she was captured and tortured by a serial killer known as the Bear. Although this serial killer does appear in the pages of this story, it isn't really what this first book is about. Instead, we have a missing teenager whose parents seem unwilling to tell the truth about where she might be.
At the same time, we also have the story of some vulnerable, homeless teenagers who have gone missing in recent months. Somehow these two stories intertwine and Val finds herself in the middle of trying to discover what is going on, even though she is currently on leave.
I really enjoyed this gripping story. I didn't manage to solve everything that was happening, but I think I was quite ahead of Val most of the time. The reasons behind these disappearances are shocking, but sadly, they seem all too likely when you learn about them.
By the end of the book, the main mystery has been solved, but it's clear that there's still plenty to learn about the Bear and Val herself. I'm looking forward to reading more soon.
I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own and given voluntarily.

My day on the book tour for this new book by HK Christie, the first in a new series featuring Val Costa. Thanks to Bookouture for my early copy!
I really enjoyed this thriller, which is based around the investigation into the death of a young girl - it hooked me from the beginning. Good writing and plenty of twists and turns! Looking forward to seeing how the characters develop over future books in the series.

Love this author. Thrilling, fast paced, an absolutely brilliant read. Loved it so much. Highly recommend.

Wow what a start to a new series of books and a new author discovery for me. We meet up with Val an FBI agent who has just escaped from a serial killer called The Bear and is back in her home town to recover from her ordeal and spend some quality time with her mom and her son. Val is struggling at not being at work and a chance meeting with an old friend finds her helping to look for a missing girl. This book is full of not only strong female characters but also a family you care about and a town that sounds like a lovely place to grow up. As Val tries to rebuild her life after what happened is The Bear finished with her and are her family in danger. I love this book it’s dark and exciting and just a great read.

Today I’m part of the Bookouture Blog Tour for GONE BY DAWN by H.K. Christie, the first in the Val Costa mystery series. I love a good mystery with a plucky female protagonist. This one takes place in Northern California, too (my hometown area). I liked the pacing in this story and the characters, though I’m happy it’s part of a series as I want to know more about what happens to Val and her family afterwards!

Thank you for my copy and for making me part of the tour!

BLOG TOUR REVIEW

Review for 'Gone By Dawn' by H.K Christie.

This may be the first book I have read by this author but it most certainly wont be my last! It is also the first book in 'Val Costa' series.

What did I just read and where have you been all of my life HK Christie?!?! I cannot What an absolutely page turning, heart racing read!!

I cannot believe I have never read any of this amazing authors previous books before!! Well I am just glad I have now rectified that and I most certainly will be reading more in the future in both this series as well as her previous!!! This book is fantastically written and had me hooked from the first page until the last. This book is the first book in Christie's fantastic new 'Val Costa' series and what an absolutely explosive introduction to what promises to be an absolutely epic series it is!!! FBI Agent Val Costa is only the second woman to survive the serial killer known as 'Bear's capture but has been left with the letter S scarred into her skin from where he branded her. She is determined to capture him before he takes another life. Filled with tension, mystery, murder, drama, suspense, twists, turns and absolutely everything that you can ask for and much, much more!! I absolutely devoured this fantastic and explosive page turner in one sitting of a few hours and cannot wait to get stuck straight into the second book which is called 'Don't Make A Sound' which I am pleased to say is available to purchase now!! This book really is one of those amazing books that will keep you glued to the pages. Each and every time I said I would just finish the chapter I was on and get on with some work just to discover it ended in a way that I just HAD to read the next one which happened again and again until in the end I just read it in one so make sure you clear your schedules before you open s single page of this book! It is filled with action and multiple storylines including Ava and Val's investigations which Christie manages to weave together perfectly ensuring there is always something going on but that the storyline isn't too complex that the reader gets confused. If you are looking to start a new addictive, gripping and heart racing series then THIS ladies and gentleman is absolutely PERFECT for you so grab your copy now!! I promise you that you will NOT regret it!! Christie's absolutely fantastic evocative writing skills ensures the reader sees and feels absolutely everything the characters see and feel ensuring their hearts are racing along with them.

CLEAR YOUR SCHEDULES BEFORE TURNING A SINGLE PAGE OF THIS ABSOLUTELY ADDICTIVE BOOK AS YOU WILL NOT BE ABLE TO PUT IT DOWN!!

I absolutely loved meeting and getting to know FBI Agent Val Costa who I became completely invested in. She very quickly came to feel like a friend rather than a fictional character. She is realistic, headstrong, determined and a strongly defined character! i am a huge fan of female protagonists being female myself and Val is definitely one of my favourites when it comes to crime books. She refuses to back down even when it means disobeying orders. Not only is she a FBI agent being female in a world mainly dominated by men but she is also a mother plus a daughter to an aging mother and she is juggling it all at once. I really liked meeting her Mother as well who I really liked. I was not a massive fan of Brady but I didn't dislike him either I'm just a little unsure of him at the moment so I am intrigued to see if my feelings towards him will change in the next book. Keep your eyes out for my review to find out!! I also really liked Ava who runs the Grace Centre which helps the homeless. In fact there were several characters that I liked or disliked but I am not going to go into any further details as I don't want to spoil it for future readers so grab your copy now to find out more about them for yourselves!! The characters were all realistic and it was lovely to watch all the different relationships and friendships between different characters develop and grow.

Congratulations H.K Christie on what promises to be a huge success!!! I cannot wait to get stuck into more of your books and I would like to welcome you to my favourite author list!!! Here is to your next success 🥂 I'm now off to add every one of your books to my wishlist!

Overall an absolutely addictive, heart racing and unputdownable crime thriller that will keep you up all night

#GoneByDawn #ValCosta #HKChristie #Bookouture #BookoutureAnonymous

@HKChristie @Bookouture @BookoutureAnonymous

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The protagonist, Valerie Costa, an FBI agent, is on mandatory medical leave to regroup and recharge after an incident with a serial killer. Deciding to go back home and stay with her mother and son, she unexpectedly weaves into a missing woman case. Ms Christie shares her brilliant writing talent in creating a plot that grabs the reader in quickly, and from a variety of viewpoints, she weaves in drama and intrigue. She once again created a well-developed strong female protagonist, who is dealing with real life changes occurring in her family. I could easily grasp the character’s personality, back history, and challenges facing her that I readily was engaged in her welfare. It’s wonderful to know starting a new series, Ms Christie did not lose her fantastic style of suspense, dramatic plot building, and her ability to keep the reader drawn in with tidbits of information, but still leaving you hang a little. I enjoy crime thrillers because they keep me gripping my tablet wanting more clues, and expecting the other shoe to drop. And the best of course, is when I never guess the villain. That’s H.R. Christie. I received a complimentary ARC, but I am voluntarily offering my personal opinion.

This is the first instalment in the Val Costa series and couldn’t put this one down. I was hooked from the first couple of pages. Really intriguing storyline that just kept you wanting more. Loved the characters especially Val as I’m a sucker for a strong female character. It’s cleverly written that it builds the suspense and just gives you enough to keep you interested. You get a great insight into how the FBI work and the procedures they go through. Loved this one and even better I’ve found a new book series and have the next in the series ready to go…. If you are a fan of crime thrillers this is a read for you.

Thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for the opportunity to read and review #GoneBeforeDawn

Oh my gosh! This thriller will leave you breathless. This is one crazy ride that you actually won’t see coming. Val Costa is an FBI agent who recently escaped a serial killer, “The Bear”. She is trying to heal when a local teenager goes missing. She works to find her but will “The Bear” find her first?
Thank you to the author, Bookouture and NetGalley for a complimentary copy of the book. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

First time author for me. I will definitely be following the series. The mystery with the missing child had some twists and thrills. Interweaving threads that bring a satisfying conclusion. I enjoyed getting to know Val, her mom and her son as well as Brady a former high school class mate, I did figure out some of it when I got to Ava's part, but it was well done and did not disappoint. This is book 1 and there is a resolution to the missing child plot with a larger thread to carry over. Thank you so much for the opportunity to receive this book early. I freely volunteer my thoughts and opinions. #GonebyDawn #ValCosta #HKChristie #Bookouture #NetGalley

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I love this series! This was no exception! It was fast paced and chilling at times. Full of suspense and fear. This combines some great characters with some dark twisty plot and makes a great thrill ride. This was a hard to put down book. I highly recommend this read

Reading Between the Wines book review #84/130 for 2024:
Book Tour!!
Rating: 4 🍷🍷🍷🍷
Book: Gone By Dawn (Book 1 of Val Costa)
Author: H.K. Christie
Available now!! Released on August 27, 2024!

Sipping thoughts: This is another new series that I recently started, and I love this main character. Val is a tough gal who just narrowly escaped being killed by a serial killer. I appreciated how she is dealing with those toxic demons while still trying to fight crime. While Val was visiting her family and taking a rest, per her sergeant’s orders, she decided to try and help find a missing girl. The story behind the disappearance was one that I thought was very well done. It mirrored what we have seen in the news, somewhat. I liked how it ended and am excited about reading book 2, Don’t Make a Sound. If you are looking for a mystery with a little drama mixed in, try this series on for size.

Cheers and thank you to @Bookouture and @Netgalley for an advanced copy of @GoneByDawn.

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I really enjoyed this first book in a new series! Very engaging like the other series of the same author. the storyline really keeps you engaged from the beginning and having the 2 books together was great. Looking forward to the next one!