In the 5th novel in the series, Quinn and Costa have become more than partners fighting crime. They are involved with each other. Kara Quinn's life is in danger, as she is set to testify in court against a human trafficker. But, the trafficker is shot and a witness disappears. Kara is also fighting internal police politics and those who want her out.
Meanwhile, she is still not over the death of her former partner, Colton. But she will be more surprised when she reconnects with Will who is involved in fighting for the homeless and working towards better conditions for them. But, they are fought on this. Kara and Matt Costa uncover deep levels of corruption in their investigation.
I missed reading a few of the earlier books - and now have to go back and read them! ( )

I have always wanted to read one of Allison Brennan's novels so I jumped into the fifth book in her Quinn & Costa series, The Missing Witness. While it can be difficult to join an established series without having read the previous books, I was able to catch up, though it did take awhile to place all the characters relationships.

The book begins with LAPD Detective Kara Quinn returning to Los Angeles to testify against a dangerous human trafficker she went undercover to catch. Kara Quinn has been on loan to the FBI in Washington DC where she works closely with Agent Matt Costa, and with whom she has a more than collegial relationship.

Kara is eager to testify, and threats against her life by the trafficker's people have given her LAPD and FBI colleagues concerns about her safety. When the trafficker is shot and killed on his way into the courthouse, there is one witness to the killing- Amy, a civilian IT consultant who has been working undercover to get information on white collar financial crimes that may implicate people high up in the city government as well as the trafficker.

Amy disappears following the killing, and there are questions as to whether she is a witness or the killer. Quinn and Costa and Quinn's former unit in the LAPD have to work together to find Amy and unravel the white crime syndicate that has now turned to murder to protect their secrets.

Brennan does a good job explaining the complicated scheme that involves nonprofit organizations that have contracts with the city to build housing for unhoused people, and the web of deceit that has created millionaires out of people high up in the government and their family members.

There are some truly tense scenes in this fast-paced novel, including a few shoot-outs, a rooftop chase, and Kara racing away on a motorcycle from killers on her trail. I was biting my nails on these scenes.

I found it interesting how Brennan built her story around a real world problem, the homeless issue, and dealt with it from the perspective of people living in the middle of it. She clearly did her research on it. (Here is a link to an essay Allison Brennan wrote about this.)

For people who have read the previous Quinn & Costa novels, they will no doubt enjoy seeing what their favorite characters have been up to in the interim, and there are a few surprises for them. After reading The Missing Witness, I will be looking the first four books in the series- Kara Quinn is a badass. ( )

The Missing Witness by Allison Brennan
Quinn & Costa #5

Excellent addition to the series ~ wrapped some issues up and opened doors for many more wonderful books to look forward to ~

What I liked:
* Kara Quinn: LAPD police officer on loan to FBI’s Mobile Response Team, has worked many times undercover, parents were con artists, has trust issues, bright, quick, impulsive, street savvy, can hold a grudge, in a relationship with Matt Costa, has some big surprises and issues to deal with
* Matt Costa: FBI special agent, team leader of the Mobile Response Team, bright, team oriented, calm, sees the bigger picture, protective, traditional, not impulsive, in love with Kara and “sees” who she really is, good with and for Kara
* Violet Halliday: IT savvy, works for Los Angeles City Hall, volunteers with First Contact NGO, had difficult childhood, has trust issues, tends to shy away from people, central to this story, might have a future with Will
* Will Lattimer: military veteran, started First Contact NGO, has a nine-point plan he believes would work better for the homeless than what is in place in this story, bright, aware, compassionate, realistic, might be interested in Violet
* Michael: Kara’s work partner, strategist, tactician, protective, difficult childhood, would like to know more about him
* Sloane: FBI newbie undercover in LA-FBI office, ex-Marine, bright, calm, family oriented, intriguing, hope to see her in future books
* The look into corruption, fraud, homelessness, and the impact it has
* The plot, pacing, setting, character development, and how it all was wrapped up at the end
* Knowing/hoping that there will be a book six to read in the future

What I didn’t like:
* Who and what I was meant not to like
* Thinking about how callous, selfish, corrupt, and evil some people can be and then thinking about the impact their behavior has on others. Won’t name names but there were quite a few I would gladly see behind bars in this book

Did I like this book? Yes
Would I read more in this series? Yes

Thank you to NetGalley and HQN-MIRA for the ARC – This is my honest review.

5 Stars ( )

Kara is back in LA to testify against an infamous human trafficker. But, when the trafficker is shot in broad daylight, it turns the case inside out. Secrets start to surface and Kara Quinn has no idea who to believe.

This is part of the Quinn and Costa series. It is not necessary that you read them in order. But it is nice to have a backstory about these two and their past.

Quinn and Costa are a great pair. And Kara Quinn is at her best in this book. I love how she questions everything and everyone…including her friends. She knows someone is lying and she will not stop! And of course, Matt Costa is her calming influence. He can bring Kara back to earth.

This story has the reader all over the place wondering what is going to happen next. The hunt for the truth keeps everyone guessing. This is a fast paced thriller you do not want to miss.

Need a good mystery with a chase…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today.

I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review. ( )

The Missing Witness by Allison Brennan is a complex procedural which leads readers through an intricate labyrinth of information to a very satisfying final denouement. It is very highly recommended and the fifth book featuring Kara Quinn.

Detective Kara Quinn and FBI agent Matt Costa have returned to Los Angeles where Kara is going to testify against human trafficker David Chen. Then Chen is shot on his way to court and a witness to the crime disappears. The witness also happens to be an important whistleblower to an even bigger case of corruption involving city leaders, the police and the FBI that is also tied to the case against Chen. There are many hidden secrets and knowledge about the corruption and who is involved is dangerous.

The pace is fast, there are numerous details to recall, and there are also a large number of characters to follow which all work together in this complex intricate labyrinth of a novel. An important aspect of the story involves the homeless population and secrets, schemes and corruption involving solutions to the issue. While the tension is high, it's essential to keep track of all the clues and details to appreciate the complicated puzzle the case presents and follow everything to the conclusion.

As I have been following this series, it was easy to recognize known characters and pick up where we left off. Readers may benefit from following the series in order, but you can also jump into it with The Missing Witness. Kara Quinn is a wonderful character. She is intelligent, determined, and fearless. Matt Costa is equally intelligent, tenacious, and compliments her character nicely. There are a whole lot of characters that are also written as realistic individuals.

This is a must read for anyone following the series, as well as those who enjoy procedurals and novels of suspense. I was actually going to rate the novel down a star until late in the novel where Brennan pulled out all the stops. At this point the action was incredible intense and there were several shocking surprises and twists. The order of the series is The Third to Die, Tell No Lies, The Wrong Victim, Seven Girls Gone, and The Missing Witness. Disclosure: My advanced reading copy (ARC) was courtesy of MIRA Books via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.
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