The Lost Ones by Sheena Kamal

 Former alcoholic, Norma Watts is hired by the parents of the child she gave up for adoption fifteen years ago, to find their child who has runaway. But this goes much farther than just a simple runaway. An investigative journalist who saved Nora years ago and helped her get over the trauma of the past is killed, and shadow killers are tracking Nora’s every move. It is all tied to a horrible event in her past. She needs to unravel it before she and her teenaged daughter are silenced forever.

Gritty and belligerent, Nora comes from a life of extreme hard knocks, but it is that toughness that helps her survive. The story is fast paced and relentless. I did figure out the mystery early on, but it was more due to the number of thrillers I read versus any fault of the author.

The only issue I had with the story was the detail the author put into the threat of wolves and how they attack any lone victim. This comes out of Hollywood and has no factual evidence in the real world. Once again, wolves are demonized for the sake of suspense and danger. It was totally unnecessary. I’m no card-carrying animal activist, but I do appreciate attention to details.