When All The Girls Have Gone by Jayne Ann Krentz

When All The Girls Have Gone.  Jayne Ann Krentz. Penguin Publishing Group. November 2016. 352 pp. ISBN #: 9780399174490.

Charlotte Sawyer’s stepsister Jocelyn is away on a no-contact retreat far from home.  But that need to know basis becomes very important when Charlotte finds out that Jocelyn’s good friend, Louise, has not overdosed on drugs but instead has been murdered.  All of a sudden, Jocelyn has disappeared and it turns out she left her retreat after the first night.  Charlotte is now afraid for her sister’s well-being. 

It turns out that several women had formed what was an investment group.  A cousin of the murdered woman hires Max, a private eye investigator who lost his previous job because it went all wrong.  It’s clear Max is the hero of this story as his investigative skills are immediately obvious.  He finally gets out of Charlotte that Jocelyn had a troubled past and they wonder if this is involved, even though Jocelyn had been clean of drugs and rough living for many years.

No spoilers here – readers will be shocked when they find out that one’s past follows one for years and has consequences, some of which one can involve more than an obvious victim and perpetrator of crime.  These women all know there is more than meets the eye than people know about their “investment” group but now realize they are in some very deep trouble that is beyond their control.

Other deaths will happen and families will become more involved, even Max’s family.  A secondary part of the story involves how Max and Charlotte work closely together and a romance appears to be in the making, along with some cute humor. 

While the plot is serious, there’s an easy flow to the story that stops it from being oppressive.  Even the humor that is intermixed helps cut down the fear that Charlotte and these women feel – and rightfully so!  All in all, When All The Girls Have Gone is a nice read and seems to end as if there is more to come in a sequel.  For those who love crime fiction and mysteries, you’ll be pleased with this contemporary, dramatic novel!