ONE KICK / Chelsea Cain / 306 Pages / December challenge (2 Turtle Doves: includes scenes involving flying)

Chelsea Cain introduces a fascinating pair of characters in One Kick, the first title in a new suspense series. I received an Advance Reader Copy (ARC) of the author's newest book and was eager to see how is compared to her 'Archie Sheridan / Gretchen Lowell' series.

Kick Lannigan was kidnapped at age six and rescued five years later; she is a survivor. She has learned to defend her self and at age 21 devotes all her time, energy and talent to finding missing children. Just as she's starting to investigate a new kidnapping case, a mysterious man named John Bishop shows up and asks for her help to find two missing kids.

The dynamic between Kick and Bishop is intense, two such determined but flawed individuals working towards a common goal. But are they really working together or does Bishop have another purpose in pulling Kick into the case?

While the tone can be disturbing, the violence takes place off-stage in this fast-paced thrilling novel. Fans of psychological suspense without all the gory details might want to give this one a try.