Vanished

*** I voluntarily reviewed this book, I gained no monetary incentives nor was I specifically requested to review the book, these are my honest ramblings and I hope you enjoy reading them - kat***I will say this was a hard book to read in one sitting, I had to take breaks at certain points because my heart and throat and eyes couldn't take it. Even as I neared the end, I had to go do something else as I was crying so hard I couldn't see my kindle! and I will say the warning is correct, this is NOT a romance, it's like reading an episode of Criminal Minds, the tension, stress of the investigation came over strongly in Ms. Leigh's writing.I have been a fan of [a:T.K. Leigh|7172518|T.K. Leigh|http://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1375230943p2/7172518.jpg] since I met her in 2015, I bought her Beautiful mess series at the Readers and Writers Down Under Signing, at the recommendation of a facebook friend, Shaneen introduced us and T.K. was such a lovely person, very supportive and free with her advice for new authors.I am sad to admit that those books are still unread on my bookshelf! WELL NO MORE, I am making time to read them this month (Somehow) #bloggerproblems! (very carefully so not to spoil the books, I really hate opening my signed books to read) #Bookaholic So I read this book blind, with no knowledge of the series. I think I am glad in a way because I went in with no preconceived ideas on what to expect. At first I was thinking it would be a 3 - 4 star as I had a bit of a hard time relating to Rayne, I couldn't understand how she had gotten so lost, that she would consider something so heinous. Even when I learned about why she was so low I couldn't understand how she thought that Alex Burnham deserved what she was planning to do. As I read on I got more involved, the story started to give me my answers, but also would give me more puzzles to ponder.I may have taken breaks from reading to do other things, but my mind was constantly trying to work out what was going on, what would come next and whether Melanie would survive.By 61% I was hooked, by the complexity of the plot and as the clues for Melanie's kidnapping were revealed the tension mounted. As Alex and the Authorities try to piece together the clues to who has taken Melanie, Alex's life and those around him are put under the microscope. TK has done a very good job at expressing the anguish, the neverending torment of questions a parent would ask themselves if dealing with this situation.I lost my youngest in a shopping centre when he was 6 years old, he was found 15 minutes later, but the agony of not knowing, the rampaging thoughts of what may have happened, my heart was so painful and to this day it's as fresh in my mind and it was 20 years ago.This remembered pain, well it came back in spades reading this book, I had a lump in my throat, at times tears, and a sense of anguish, as events unfolded. This is a good book, but its dark, its tragic, but compelling and the emotions that come across the pages feels so real, you would think it was based on experience (god forbid). But I guess that becoming a mother herself was all that the author needed to channel the emotion she would need to write this book. This book encompasses every parent's nightmare. All I could think while reading this book was how I would cope in Olivia's shoes. I tend to immerse myself into a story so, as I said and even now when writing this review I was getting choked up. I could write more, but I don't want to put too much in the review, I recommend you grab a copy and read it yourself (With tissues at hand).