The Stolen Girls by Jeff Stetson is a Thriller about what it means to be a family, unspeakable grief from children being snatched from their families and the ensuing desperate search. It is also about unlikely ties which bring people together in spite of pasts and differences.

Four young girls are studied and stolen by a creep to be tucked away as his family. The girls are chained and grow close in their peculiar proximity and shared experience. The focus is on two of the girls and their fathers, different races and socioeconomic situations but bonded by sorrow and anger. Jennifer is openly adored by her demonstrative father and Rebecca is loved at arm's length as her father is too busy. Nonetheless, the fathers find their way to each other and relentlessly search for their girls. But kidnapping isn't the only crime on the agenda.

Though a thriller, it is not as suspenseful or thrillery as I had hoped. Race is a big part of the story but a bit overdone in my view. The snappy pace is excellent, as is catching glimpses into the disturbed mind of a criminal. Some domestic scenes are taut and drip with angst; others are laced with grief and love. Well done!

My sincere thank you to Storm Publishing and NetGalley for providing me with a digital copy of this engrossing novel.