Book Review: STOLEN MEMORIES - Sidekicks Mystery Series by Diane Rapp

About the Book

Madison Thompson was working a summer job in a brokerage firm to save enough money to finish her history degree the following year. Unaware that she walked into danger after closing the office, Madison carried a night deposit bag to the bank across a busy parking lot. A van suddenly blocked her path. One robber dragged her inside the van at knifepoint, and the other drove away. The next day Madison woke in the hospital. Her face and hand were slashed and all memories from the past four years were gone—stolen. 

Can Madison recover precious memories of her college studies, falling in love, and becoming engaged? She desperately needs to get her life back on track and help the police capture those robbers, but every night she experiences night terrors that block knowledge of the attack. 

Learning about the attack on her daughter, Goldie Thompson rushed home from her job in California. She works as an animal handler for Pinkertons, a popular television show, and her dog Mikka Bella is the star. Bella had been trained as an emotional support dog before she became an actor, and she now travels everywhere with Goldie in a specially designed carpetbag. 

Goldie hopes Bella can help Madison overcome night terrors and get well enough to leave the hospital. The idea worked, but Bella was under contract and couldn’t remain in Williamsburg. Goldie knew it was important to train a new dog quickly, and clever little Kenzy Pederick proved to be the perfect companion for Madison. 

Six months later, Madison and Kenzy work several jobs in Virginia’s Historic Triangle—Colonial Williamsburg, Historic Jamestown, and the Yorktown Battlefield. Her family hoped that exposing Madison to familiar historic sites might prompt a quick recovery, but nothing worked. One day everything changed. She met an English woman who was searching for the grave of an ancestor and glimpses of the past started to break through the memory blockage. Madison and Kenzy soon followed a trail of clues that could fill in the blanks. 

Recovering those memories might prove dangerous. Bonds worth $2 million are still missing after the robbery, and a gang of crooks believe that Madison can lead them to the hiding place. Can two feisty dogs protect Madison from dangerous villains? Will she learn how and why she suppressed her memories and help the police capture the robbers? 

Review

Goldie and Mikka Bella are completing a shoot for a movie when she gets the news of her daughter's assault. Although Mikka Bella is her therapy dog as well as an accomplished "actress," Goldie hopes that Mikka Bella can also help Madison heal. Soon it's apparent that Madison needs her own therapy dog to help her with her night terrors - the only glimpse into her assault and any memory of the last four years of her life. 

As Madison remembers more details, there's hope of her reclaiming her memory. Unfortunately, there were some bearer bonds that have disappeared and the person responsible for her assault is sure Madison is the key. In the meantime, Goldie has to train Mikka Bella for her next appearance and Madison's new dog, Kenzy, catches on quickly. 

There are twists and turns with a bit of humor, especially related to the two dogs and their antics. Madison's memories come back in bits and pieces. Goldie, her husband, and Trevor, the man Madison was engaged to and now doesn't remember were warned not to force her memories. Only someone's after Madison... 

The story is well-written and the pace is steady. Goldie and Trevor search for clues and try to jar Madison's memory with surprising consequences. I liked Goldie, her husband, Madison and Trevor and I expect they'll be recurring characters in the series. If you enjoy dog mysteries, with the dogs having both a supportive and active role in solving the mystery, you'll enjoy this one. I look forward to the next in the series, with the newest dog, but hope to see more of Mikka Bella and Kenzie as well.

FTC Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book in the hopes that I would post an honest review. This has not affected the content of my review in any way.

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About the Author

Diane Rapp became an entrepreneur when she started her own dog grooming salon in Santa Barbara, California. She spent the next thirty years as a small business owner; she sold real estate, started an office supply/copy center, and performed free-lance advertising design. During all those years Diane wrote stories as a cure for insomnia. 

After writing a tour guide book to the Caribbean together, Diane’s daughter gave her the idea of writing a mystery set on cruise ships in the Caribbean. "Murder Caribbean-Style" and "Murder on a Ghost Ship" are the first two novels of a High Seas Mystery series. Readers meet the main characters of the series and learn about life aboard a ship while solving murders. There is danger and romance mixed in with the action. 

"The Alphas" is the prequel to  “Howl of the Wolf,” book 1 of the Heirs to the Throne trilogy. The novel introduces the dogs and wolves that eventually formed a pack that travels through space to inhabit Drako. The story is also a mystery. The heroine solves the murder of an old friend and discovers why her beloved German Shepherd was stolen. "

“Golden Legacy” blends historical adventure with modern-day mystery in two time lines. Embarking on a harrowing treasure hunt, two daring heroines tackle the hazards of gold country more than a century apart. 

Visit www.quicksilvernovels.com to learn more about all of Diane's books. Contact Diane from the website or find Diane's posts at https://www.facebook.com/quicksilvernovels and on Twitter at https://twitter.com/DianeRapp to make friends.