Captives by Travis Tougaw

A captivating cold case about a missing child, this second book in the Marcotte and Collins series is a suspense-filled read from start to finish. Captives moves along at a fast pace, keeping the reader engaged, needing to know what happened fifteen years ago.

Although the detective agency of Fleck, Collins, and Marcotte usually doesn’t take on this type of case, and the police have had no leads on the disappearance of Jonah Davidson, Hadley Collins has personal reasons for wanting to become involved. Jonah is the brother of a high school classmate. A more compelling reason for Hadley to find Jonah is a revelation about her own childhood.

I loved the way author Travis Tougaw slowly peels the layers of his characters’ backgrounds, Hadley’s in particular, and how he develops the relationships between the three detective partners. With this book focusing on Hadley as the lead investigator, I was drawn in by not only the main story about Jonah and his family as they cope with him going missing, but also by the secondary story of a strong young woman detective who experienced trauma at an early age.

The multiple timeline of the novel adds to the suspense as the story alternates between Jonah’s case in the present time, his disappearance fifteen years prior, and Hadley’s own horrific experience more than two decades before. Tougaw expertly weaves between these scenes, ramping up the action as the plot progresses and Hadley finds herself in danger. 

This well-titled thriller examines captivity against one’s will or consent, but also delves into a world where people choose to be captive to a way of life. As well, it explores the way family members are trapped in the past by the traumatic loss of a loved one, not knowing where they are and whether they are alive. 

With one turn after another, Captives will have you racing to the finish as Hadley and her crew piece together the clues, and the shocking truth is revealed. Can’t wait for the next big case this detective agency will be working on!