And Then She Was Gone by Chistopher Greyson

Wow -- what great writing and obviously the start of a new, exciting series featuring our protagonist, Jack Stratton.

In this introduction, he's only 18, still in high school, and wanting to enter the US Army in order to pay for his future at the police academy.   Jack is a tightly strung young man with horrors in his past. He wants to do good -- to be a hero. When a young woman, Stacy Shaw, goes missing and is later found murdered, Jack gets involved because a kid from the neighborhood has been accused of the crime. Jack is adopted but spent part of his life with foster parents and this tie is very strong. He's still in contact with Aunt Haddie, and his best friend (and foster brother), Chandler. Jack is intent on investigating this crime and Chandler goes along with him. The pair have a great dynamic, and they have foster siblings who also become involved in Jack's pursuit of truth. He won't back down even though the police have warned him off. He talks to witnesses and presents a theory of the murder to the police.  

What I liked about this novel was the interaction between the characters, the dialog, the suggestion of a horrible past to overcome, and the sheer grit that Jack emanates as part of his personality. He's a great character and I only wish I could read the rest of this series, in order, to see how he evolves.   Yes, the case is solved and Jack's snooping in an ongoing investigation is vindicated -- but the ride is so well worth the read. I really enjoyed it! Hard to put the book down as I was eager to see how it all played out.

Thank you to NetGalley for the e-book ARC to read and review. I definitely will seek out more books by this author! I want to continue the series as well.