This was an engaging read. I liked it for so many reasons. First of all, the main characters were strong women. Lila Nash is training to work as a prosecutor for Hennepin County; her temporary boss, Andi Fitch, is a force to be reckoned with; and Niki Vang is the lead detective on the recent rape and attempted murder of a young woman, Sadie Vauk. Add to that, the rapist/murderer, Gavin Spenser, is extremely careful and intelligent, covering his tracks fully at every crime scene. It's wit against wit between Niki and Gavin as she tries to take him down.
The title of the book, "The Stolen Hours" refers to Lila's memory loss from years earlier when she was drugged and raped by two men and then left in her car in a field. She doesn't know her rapists, but she definitely suffers from PTSD from that event. She had previously self-harmed and attempted suicide. Lila has the external and internal scars to remind herself of her difficult life journey. Lila's first court appearance (under Andi) is dealing with Gavin's arrest. When she hears Gavin speak, she freezes. She is not able to speak in court, so Andi has to take over, which doesn't bode well for Lila's future career as a prosecutor.
Lila doesn't understand her reaction to Gavin, but since Gavin has a speech impediment, she starts to wonder whether one of her rapists had one as well. She tells Niki, the detective, about her history and her fears. Niki helps Lila face her own trauma history and starts doing research on Lila's "cold case". Lila's story is a perfect example of why people need to face their trauma and fears head-on. Ignoring trauma doesn't make it go away. Sooner or later, you have to deal with it, or suffer continually, never knowing when something will trigger a feeling that causes re-traumatization.
Wendy's Rating: ****
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