Disappearance in Dread Hollow - Debra Webb (HI #2152 - July 2023)

Series: Lookout Mountain Mysteries (Book 1)
 
A sleepy town…
Ravaged by a kidnapping
 
I'm so scared. My mom and dad are gone.
 
My teacher, Mr. Shepherd, said that I was a smart kid. That he'd help if I ever got into trouble. And his friend, Deputy Norwood, said it was her job to keep me safe.
 
I don't know why the black car took my parents away…
 
And then they took me!
 
Mr. Shepherd, where are you? Find me -- soon!
 
Good book with a nice blend of suspense and romance. Deke is a third-grade teacher in the tiny town of Dread Hollow. One day, he notices something is off with one of his best students. I loved Deke's devotion to his students and the kindness and concern that has him following up on his worries. When Jacob finally confesses that his parents were kidnapped a few days earlier and he has been on his own, Deke knows he needs to get the authorities involved. That means contacting his former girlfriend, Deputy Tara Norwood.
 
Tara moved back to her hometown from the city to take care of her father. Her job is much more peaceful, mainly tracking escapees from the local retirement community. But things have heated up a little lately with a rash of burglaries. She suspects teenagers, though she hasn't caught them yet. The last thing she expects is Deke to show up with a missing persons report.
 
The suspense of this story was good. Tara and Deke are determined to find the Callaways, but there are few clues to go on. Matters become more complicated when there appears to be a link between their disappearance and a thirty-year-old cold case. Their worries intensify when Jacob also disappears. Multiple twists in the case kept me guessing to the end.
 
I enjoyed the development of the relationship between Deke and Tara. They were a couple for several months before Tara abruptly ended things. She has done her best to avoid him ever since. Meanwhile, Deke still loves her and wants to know what he did wrong that caused their split, so that he can fix it. When they come together to find the Callaways, it becomes evident that Tara still cares about him, but something is holding her back. I loved Deke's persistence in trying to break through Tara's walls. Seeing how he tried to watch out for and care for her was sweet. I wanted to shake Tara when I learned her hangup because she wasn't giving Deke the chance to show the depth of his love for her. I liked the ending and seeing Tara finally trust Deke with the truth.