Into the Fire

Missing in the Falls by Elle Gray is Book 2 in A Sweetwater Falls Mystery Series.

A hermit in Sweetwater stops in at the Sweetwater Falls Sheriff's Office to speak with the new Sheriff Spenser Song about something he found unearthed in the forest by a large fallen tree. The man is clearly traumatized and can barely tell the Sheriff what he's seen. She's patient, but he's definitely trying hers. Finally, he reveals what he discovered and agrees to take her and her Deputy Young up there as long as he doesn't have to see it again. 

What is found requires more than they have with them, and in spite of the foul mess inside what the hermit saw, the two of them find a wallet with identification in it. The deputy is taken aback by the ID, having been aware of the missing girl for 15 years. 

The investigation that follows is troubling and hindered by the fact that the previous sheriff didn't do his job on the case and little effort was given to finding what happened to the 17-year-old girl. Rumors about her promiscuous lifestyle hampered a serious search, but Spenser wasn't about to assume the rumors were true. She started at the beginning of the girl's history by meeting the parents who were surprised at her sincerity and after a hostile introduction welcomed her into their home. 

Another thing that rankled Spenser is her "friend" Ryker, a coffee business owner and on whose property she lives in one of his cabins, didn't quite tell her his full knowledge of the victim. He and Spenser have established an interest in each other, keeping it "simple" because of their histories, but this discovery has added pressure to their relationship. He suffers from PTSD from his time in the military and has finally begun seeing a counselor. 

There are a few suspects but little concrete proof as the investigation continues. Deputy Young provides some help to add more insights into the victim and the interviews each of them conduct lead to one new possibility. 

Missing in the Falls is an intriguing mystery that takes the reader through the frustrations of trying to unlock the secrets of a 15-year-old murder. The perseverance required to keep digging when every door seems to slam shut is a testimony to trying to give the victim the justice and respect deserved. Elle Gray does a great job of capturing the personalities and reactions of her characters to the interviews and uses each one to add to the tension in finding the murderer. The Prologue does an excellent job of nailing the fear factor. 

Father, you know all of our hearts and minds from the inside out. Please bless Elle and all her efforts, providing what she needs to keep the stories flowing. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.