Alex Lovell is a private investigator whose bread-and-butter is insurance claims, but her love is helping women in trouble disappear. Melanie Bess needed her help to get away from her abusive husband, and Alex was there for her. But now Melanie has dropped off the radar and Alex's investigations indicate that she has come back to Austin and might have been murdered.

She goes to Nathan Deveraux who is a detective with the Austin Police Department. He isn't eager to investigate because Alex doesn't have any proof and also because Alex suspects Melanie's husband who is also a member of the Austin Police Department.

She and Nathan are both investigating but Nathan is also investigating some other murders which may or may not be related to Alex's investigation.

The story was action-packed and fast-paced. I liked Alex's determination to find her missing client even though she is being followed by bad guys. I liked the Delphi Center which was an interesting private center for forensic investigation. I liked that Alex's computer skills makes her someone Delphi wants to recruit. I also liked the slow burn romance between Nathan and Alex. ( )

Overall, I liked this book. It was engrossing, the main character was intelligent and capable, and the plot heavily relied on good old detective and forensic work. I'd read one other book by Griffin and I'm trying to get my hands on more. I really like the thought of an entire series revolving around this group.

There were a few things scattered throughout, though, that did throw me out of the plot. Little weird phrasing or word choice that were not very natural. Since I didn't notice this in her other book that I'd read, I am going to assume that those quirks of writing disappear in later books.

Nice start to a series. I will definitely read more. ( )

Alexandra Lovell has helped many people disappear, including Melanie Bess, who was anxious to escape her abusive husband. Against advice, Melanie comes back home, and Alex believes that her husband has killed her, but with no body, there is no investigation. Alex seeks help from Police Detective Nathan Devereaux. Nathan is an old friend, so she assumes she can convince him to help, but Nathan believes there is more to Melanie's story than she has told Alex. When Nathan and Alex seek the expert help of the "Tracers," they find out that there is a lot more to this case than they originally thought. Alex and Nathan both have baggage that keeps them from acting on an attraction to each other, but as they get more involved in the case, they find it more difficult to keep their minds strictly on business.
The mystery of Melanie and her husband leads to a much bigger and more complicated mystery that isn't solved until the end of the book. The relationship between Alex and Nathan is very believable due to their previous friendship. Overall, Untraceable is a good beginning to the Tracers Series. ( )

Untraceable
3.5 Stars

Synopsis
Alex Lovell helps women disappear but when one of her clients vanishes without a trace, Alex is convinced that her husband killed her and asks Austin PD detective, Nathan Deveraux, to help her uncover the truth. Skeptical at first, Nathan soon realizes that nothing is as it seems and Alex has put herself on a dangerous, if not deadly, path.

Note: While this is the first book in the Tracers series, the characters appear in the earlier Glass Sisters series as well.

Review
A fast paced read with some exciting moments but the romance is mundane and underdeveloped.

The suspense plot is interesting with several clever twists and turns, and a sufficiently smarmy villain. Nevertheless, there are also a number of plot holes and loose ends that could have been tied up more effectively.

The romance is not the best mainly because Alex and Nathan are constantly at odds. There is no real reason for their attraction (other than sex that is) and she, in particular, runs a little too hot and cold for my taste.

The characters, both primary and secondary, are human and realistic. Nathan is a strong hero type but he is divorced and his actions as a police detective, while appropriate, place him in conflict with the more emotional Alex.

Alex's history is a little more complex with some family and relationship issues. Unfortunately, her characterization is not always consistent. For a supposedly intelligent and professional PI, she makes too many assumptions without evidence and takes everything at face value. There is also no explanation for her determination to help women on the run.

The writing is good (despite the clumsy transitions between POVs), the forensic elements are compelling and the secondary characters, especially Mia and Troy, are interesting enough to continue reading the series. ( )

Part of Alex's work as a PI is helping women with abusive partners escape and start new lives. Six months ago she helped Melissa do just that, but is now concerned that she has returned to the local area and that Melissa's husband Doug has caused her to disappear for good. Alex turns to police officer Nathan for help, despite the fact that Doug is a fellow officer.

This was an enjoyable mystery/adventure, with some romance thrown in for good measure, although I do get tired of stories where romantic partners rely on each other for help while concealing half what they know - I'm looking at you, Alex. Alex also gets help from a private, state of the art crime lab and I gather further instalments in this series are all set round people who work at the lab; the "Tracers". My ideal crime story would be more of a mystery and less of an adventure, but I think I'll look out for more in this series. ( )