Two Girls Down by Louisa Luna

Rating: 5 of 5 stars
Length: 311 pages
Published: January 2018

After several weeks on the waiting list, I finally got to borrow Two Girls Down by Louisa Luna from the Fort Worth Library last week. The mystery novel is set in Philadelphia, and the plot revolves around two young girls, Kylie and Bailey (aged 10 and 8), who are kidnapped from a retail parking lot while their single mom, Jamie, makes a quick run in the local Kmart for a birthday gift. After several days with little-to-no progress from the police department, Jamie's aunt hires California native and private investigator - Alice Vega - who has a high recovery success rate to aid in the search for the girls. In turn, Vega partners with former, disgraced police detective Max "Cap" Caplan to help her get inside, local information. The remainder of the relatively short book is Vega and Cap on a fast-paced search for the girls before it's too late!  

I can certainly understand why there was a wait list for this suspense-filled book. I found myself pushing through to the next chapter eagerly yearning to learn the fate of the girls. While the story was fast-paced, there was also some beautiful, thought-provoking prose in a story that told carried such a dark topic. Some of my favorites: 

Cap truly believed there was nothing harder than being a kid. You were always an alien trying to learn the earth rules. 

"You said every day we make a million little choices, and we should try to make the right ones as much as we can. And you said rarely in life do the big choices present themselves, so when they do, we have to take advantage of the opportunity. We have to do the right thing." -Nell, Cap's teenage daughter

And my absolute favorite. (Please forgive the language.) It truly illustrated what a strong, no-nonsense character Vega was. 

 And then she (Vega) said what Perry had taught her — someone asks who you are, you tell them the only thing they need to know. "I'm the motherfucker who gets. Shit. Done." 

I seriously wanted to high-five someone after reading that line, but alas, I was home alone. 

I really don't have any critiques for this book. I thoroughly enjoyed it. It made for a great summer weekend read. The end was satisfying, but the author left it open. I am hoping for a sequel because I'd like her to delve into what happened to one of the secondary characters. 

Recommendation: Go get this book. Borrow it from your library or buy a copy today! You won't be disappointed. 

Until next time ... Read on!

Regardless of whether I purchase a book, borrow a book, or receive a book in exchange for review, my ultimate goal is to be honest, fair, and constructive. I hope you've found this review helpful.