Once Gone (Riley Paige #1) by Blake Pierce

Once Gone (Riley Paige #1) Reviews

• 
  Obsidian

  Please note that I gave this book half a star but rounded it up to 1 star for Goodreads.
  
  Has been done better by others out there. Who knew a book about a serial killer and a former case involving another serial killer could be boring.
  
  Taking place in Virginia and Washington, D.C. (FYI authors, guess what, you can't drive from Quantico from Washington, D.C. in 30 minutes) we follow FBI Special Agent Paige Riley who is still recovering from her last encounter with a serial killer. Apparently no one is as smart as Paige. No one can understand killers like Paige does. Heck, Paige even shares a special connection to her partner and best friend, Bill. There is a mention of what Paige looks like, but I blocked it out because I couldn't take one more utterance of how freaking great she is.
  
  There is no depth to Paige, her partner, her daughter, her ex, other agents. Shockingly the only person we get some insight into is the serial killer.
  
  And the entire premise of Paige's daughter not getting what her mother does and it being hidden from her was idiotic. She is 14 years old, she doesn't know what Google is? And how the heck did they keep from her, her mom was in the hospital? And let's discuss Paige's genius idea to not tell her ex that their daughter was smoking pot and apparently had been drinking in the past?
  
  BIG EXHALE.
  
  Moving on.
  
  Paige's ex is portrayed as stupid and abusive and you have to wonder how smart she is if that's the guy she ended up with.
  
  The only time the author slaps Paige down is when she goes and gets in the face of a U.S. Senator and is shocked when she is treated like everyone else who would do something so colossally stupid.
  
  The second time was when she pretty much throws herself (verbally) at her partner and he was not a happy camper. That's the only reason why I gave this book half a star, at least Bill as a character realized how messed up she is.
  
  The writing was not very good, I found some typos here and there. The dialogue was pretty terrible between characters. And Paige's amateurish assumptions was laughable. I think I did laugh when Paige goes to confront the serial killer with no freaking backup.
  
  The flow was a joke since we kept leap frogging around.
  
  The setting of DC, Quantico, and Georgetown makes it seem like the author looked up mapquest and that's it. She doesn't give you a sense of any of these places at all.
  
  The ending was eye roll inducing.
  
  There needs to be more world building by the author. She needs more believable characters, and better dialogue. At this point I know more about the FBI just based on tv than this author does. The thing she has other agents and the head of a division do was so dumb it was painful. No way that the FBI would wrap up a serial killer case based on the bullshit nonexistent evidence they had. Sigh.
  
  And I would also say that the author needs to stop having Paige act like a half-wit when it comes to her kid and her ex husband. Don't tell me how she can see into serial killers mind but is not able to grasp what her daughter is thinking/feeling.
• 
  Linda Strong

  FBI Agent Riley Paige is called to investigate a series of deaths. Bodies of women are turning up, each killed in monstrous ways.
  
  Riley is on paid leave ...having survived two attacks by serial killers. The FBI isn't sure of her mental state, but she's the best they got. She's one of the few who seem to be able to get into the head of the killer. As her investigation progresses she realizes she's up against a killer more twisted than anyone could have imagined.
  
  This case will have her doubting her abilities, and her sanity. She may lose her job, her family, maybe even her life.
  
  After having read the prequel to this series, I couldn't wait to get started on the series. The characters are great. Riley is smart, ambitious, and can be stubborn when she knows she is right. Bob is the perfect partner ... he knows she is smarter than he, and has this amazing ability to read crime scenes.
  
  The story is well-written with some twists and turns and plenty of suspects. There is a small cliff-hanger, but the second book in this series , ONCE TAKEN, is already available ... no waiting to see what happens next.
  
  Many thanks to the author / Kobo Writing Life / Netgalley for the digital copy of ONCE GONE. Opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.
  
• 
  Melissa

  The basic premise was good but the main character was terrible. The more I thought about it, the angrier it made me. No one, FBI agent or not, would get away with acting like that. First, there is no way Riley would be allowed to return to work in that condition. Then, she thinks how wonderful she is at understanding evil and everyone else, including. the partner she adores, is so dumb. And yet she's the one who gets herself caught by a serial killer, not once, but twice for not following protocol and putting herself in stupid situations. She also gets drunk and nearly od's and it's her teenage daughter who has to pour out the alcohol and nurse her through the hangover. And we're supposed to believe her ex is a terrible father?! Apparently it's okay to run around assaulting people and making false accusations as long as you eventually get the bad guy. Give me a break...
  
  If you like every FBI cliche rolled together, go ahead and read it. After all, at least it was free on Kindle.
• 
  Michael Slavin

  2,600 amazon reviews, average rating 4+.
  
  I didn't like the cover; it did not grab my attention at all. But it came recommended on Book Blurb and was free.
  
  A female FBI field agent, who is great, is damaged psychologically. A serial killer kills young women and poses them. The agent comes back to help too soon.
  
  I really liked this book. It was very interesting the way dolls were involved in it. Then for me, it slowed down at about halfway through. Then the ending although it was fine was rather predictable.
  
  I am becoming a tough critic. Everyone else seemed to love it. I liked it too, just wanted a little more.
  
  Well worth the read. The author Blake Pierce has a number of books out, and a few different series and seems to be very popular. You might check him out.
  
  If it holds up, look for my next review, 41% through and it is great.
  
  Review by Mike
  
  www.mikeslavinauthor.com (award-winning Kill Crime-crime/thrillers)
• 
  Anu

  This one gets an extra star solely because the writer seems to like serial killers Criminal Minds as much as I do. Also Silence of the Lambs. Okay premise, pretty bad execution. For a clever woman, Riley was kind of an idiot sometimes. A word of advice, writers? Please don't try too hard to make the reader like the MC. That effort is definitely going to backfire.
  
  P.S. I've seen so much of said T.V. show, and read so much about serial killers, the profile, and by extension the plot kind of became predictable for me.
• 
  TXGAL1

  3.5 rounded up. It would have been a 4 rating had there been better proofreading. Errors certainly don’t enhance storytelling and most definitely break the sense of urgency in a thrilling mystery.
  
  Other than the above, I would not be able to share anything new that has not already been ably covered by other Goodreads friends.
• 
  Brenda

  Special Agent Riley Paige was on extended leave after the previous case when she saved a woman, and almost was killed herself. The trauma and nightmares had changed Riley and she was a shadow of her old self. When an artfully posed body turned up, Riley’s partner Bill told the FBI that they needed her expertise to solve this horrendous crime. Everyone was reluctant, even Bill but when he approached Riley, after first declining, she set herself onto the case.
  
  Riley’s one fault was that she wouldn’t give in, she wouldn’t quit, until she’d found the killer. When another woman was taken, she gave it her all, chasing clues and following shadows. But she was fading. Alice, Riley’s fourteen-year-old daughter, was being shuttled between her mother and father, their recent divorce causing friction. But Alice was more on Riley’s side than she realized. But would Riley find the killer before anyone else disappeared?
  
  Once Gone is the 1st in the Riley Paige series by Blake Pierce and it was fast paced and electric. But Riley made many mistakes, putting herself on the line when she should have had back-up. She took too many risks and yes, she’s a flawed agent, so I certainly hope she gets better as the cases move forward. A good police procedural with a serial killer – recommended.
  
• 
  Kylie H

  This is the first book I have read by this author and I will certainly be reading more!
  Riley Paige is an FBI agent dealing with PTSD having had a narrow escape from a sadistic killer. She is unable to get over her ordeal but a new serial killer has her work colleagues pressuring her to return.
  Will she be able to keep the demons at bay as she tries to get inside the mind of a killer who tortures his victims before making them into 'dolls' and displaying them?
  Not for the faint hearted this is a fast paced thriller with a very good central character with a few issues of her own.
• 
  Una Tiers

  Despite a strong start, the main character is dumb and not likable. The repetitiousness of arrest, no wrong guy was tedious.
• 
  Mandy

  3.5/4 stars. Loved the cliffhanger ending... pretty good book. A couple mistakes here and there but pretty good. I like this author. His books grab me and make me want to read them.
• 
  Andrea

  Really enjoyed this read this book free on kindle,now waiting till book two and the rest of this series goes on offer on kindle as thought this book was a fantastic read.Riley paige was on a case and she rescued a woman called Maria but ended up captured but has flashbacks and can't cope she doesn't know if hes still alive,she goes on a case with her old partner Bill. murders of woman that resemble dolls will they catch the killer.first time read of this authors books.enjoyed it.recommend this read.
• 
  Ariannha

  3.5 ⭐️
  
  Primer acercamiento con este autor y a esta serie con la Agente Especial del FBI Riley Paige, la cual hasta los momentos lleva 17 libros…
  
  Es un libro muy introductorio en sus personajes, ya que apenas logras ver en su superficie. Sabes que Riley se está recuperando de un suceso recientemente acaecido en su trabajo, pero vas obteniendo pinceladas de este. Tampoco logras entender el por qué de su matrimonio roto, o el distanciamiento que parece haber con su hija. Lo mismo no pasa con su compañero Bill Jeffreys, con el que hay una tensión interesante… Imagino que al haber tantos libros en la serie la intención del autor es ir profundizando en sus personajes, sus personalidades y sus relaciones.
  
  La historia narra cómo misteriosamente van apareciendo cuerpos de mujeres asesinadas dispuestas con apariencia de muñecas. A pesar del desacuerdo que parece haber en el FBI ante su reintegro, Riley acepta el reto de enfrentarse con sus propios demonios, y a costa de su propia salud mental, para descubrir que existen asesinos más retorcidos de los que ella misma ha podido imaginar.
  
  Está muy bien narrado, es un libro súper corto que no llega a las 300 páginas, así que el autor es preciso y no se extiende en florituras innecesarias. En muchas ocasiones su pluma y el estilo me ha recordado a la Serie El Coleccionista de Dot Hutchinson, con la diferencia que “El jardín de las mariposas” me causó un impacto mucho mayor que este libro.
  
  ¿Qué me ha faltado? La tensión y el suspenso están muy bien manejados, sin embargo como me espero de este género, los giros inesperados en la trama son esenciales, y aquí son escasos.
  
  En definitiva, es un thriller psicológico oscuro con un suspenso emocionante, como ya he dicho bastante introductorio, pero al que le ha faltado el factor sorpresa. Sin embargo, voy a dar la oportunidad de continuar con la serie, puede que se torne interesante.
  
  “Atraes lo que sientes que mereces. Creas tus propias circunstancias de vida.”
• 
  Jenn

  I've read two and a half of these books and I just can't go on. For the author, Blake Pierce, women fall into three categories; meat to be tortured, butchered then posed in revolting, creepy ways, teenagers who are brooding, moody and irascible or idiot savant detectives.
  Pierce creates female protagonists who are detached, emotionally unavailable mothers, women who cannot learn a simple lesson. For instance, in the Riley Paige series, Paige is caught by a serial killer and tortured because she's too hot-headed to wait for back up. Six weeks later, she's back on the job and twice more she hurtles head-long into the same dangerous situation, refusing to wait for her partner to turn up. I mean, what an IDIOT.
  Each female detective has these 'instincts' that kick in and eventually lead to the capture of the creepy criminal but first we must endure the detectives being lambasted, harassed and ridiculed by their colleagues. And for such brilliant sleuths, they never seem to have a good comeback. They never stand up for themselves, preferring instead to scurry away silently with their tail between their legs. It's beyond frustrating.
  It leads me to this inevitable question: Blake Pierce, do you even LIKE women?
• 
  Antonella M.

  Per chi è un lettore abituale di thriller, alcune scelte dell'autore possono risultare dei cliché, ma non mi sento di bocciarlo in toto. Innanzi tutto ha creato un investigatrice interessante, fuori di testa, ma in un libro del genere ci sta benissimo, e con un istinto molto sviluppato.
  Qualche scena mi ha ricordato il modus operandi della serie televisiva Criminal Mind, soprattutto nella parte iniziale. Leggerò altro dell'autore perché, come dicevo non è da bocciare e suppongo che con l'esperienza possa migliorare.
• 
  Alaina

  Man.. murder mystery books make work a lot better.
  
  Once Gone is a murder mystery book that takes place in the state that I actually live in: good ole' Virginia. Mostly known as "Virginia is for lovers"... well this book makes it known for murdering women. Details I know.
  
  In this, you will meet Riley Paige. Now this girl has been through some serious shit. Her whole life has been messed up since day one. I honestly felt so bad for her and she kind of reminded me of this one amazon original show - Absentia. If you haven't watched it, you should.
  
  Now it's not just her life reminding me of this show - no there's so many other things. Pretty both main ladies work for the FBI. Both had some time away from their job as well. They are also really bad at claiming who the killer is (okay it sometimes happens but then again - no one is perfect).
  
  It was so good that now I kind of want to rewatch season 1 and 2 of the show lol (but I wont because who knows when season 3 will be out). Luckily for me, and her, Riley finally listens with her gut. ALWAYS trust this thing guys - it works every damn time.
  
  Overall, this book was so good. I'm definitely going to continue on with this series.
• 
  Fanny

  
  
  
  Una Vez Desaparecido es el primer libro de la serie Un Misterio De Riley Paige escrita por Blake Pierce y tiene como protagonista a la agente del FBI, Riley Paige.
  
  Esta es mi primera lectura del autor, por lo que la inicie un poco dudosa, la sinopsis me atrajo desde un primer momento pero cuando comence a adentrarme en la novela no encontre lo que esperaba, no me malentiendan, no es un mal libro pero yo imaginaba otro tipo de historia.
  
  Esta historia se podria describir como una buena premisa con un mal desarrollo, la trama tenia muchisimo potencial y la pluma del autor es amena pero tiene pequeños detalles que me sacaban de la lectura una y otra vez, ademas me molesto mucho lo mal traducido que esta : verbos mal utilizados, faltas de ortografia, repeticion de palabras, etc, son pequeñas cosas que le quitaban protagonismo a lo que leia, ya que estaba mas centrada en encontrar fallos que en la historia en si misma.
  
  Tampoco me parecio un libro del todo verosimil, algunas de las actitudes de la protagonista no me encajaban, como por ejemplo su forma de proceder en algunas situaciones, se supone que es agente del FBI pero en momentos actuaba como una adolescente impulsiva.
  
  En resumen, Una Vez Desaparecido es de esas novelas que no recuerdas pasado un tiempo, lo que narra es demasiado basico y simple para volverse memorable.
  
  Hoy por hoy no planeo continuar la saga, no lo descarto completamente ( quizas en un tiempo le de otra oportunidad ) pero ahora mismo no me apetece demasiado.
  
  2.5 Estrellas!
• 
  Adam

  English:
  It was my first book of the author and it was "free" on Google Play Store. one thing that I could say about this book and it is "OUTSTANDING". I really got shocked by this book, cause I didn't expect it to be such a great book. I actually didn't like it, but loved it!
  while reading this book I felt as if I was watching an episode of Criminal Minds, which I love it too. very well written and compiled with a interesting story that focused mostly on the main plot, rather than other things, made this book an outstanding and really pleasant read. from the beginning to the very last page, It definitely worth to read. I strongly recommend it to everyone; as Blake is among my favorite authors from now on. I will read every one of the books on the list.
  
  Turkce:
  bu yazardan okudugum ilk kitapti. Google Play'de bedava olarak aldigim kitab gercekten bir surpriz cikti. o kadar guzeldi ki galiba kendimi Criminal Minds dizisini izliyormusum gibi his ettim. guzel kurgulanmis, hic fazla oyalamadan o kadar guzel anlatilmis ki hic boylesini beklemezdim. ilk sayfadan itibaren kendimi bir korku ve heyecan icinde buldum ve bu hisler en son sayfanin en son satirina kadar devam etti. gizemle dolu bir kitab istiyorsaniz mutlaka okumaniz gerekecek bir kitap. her kese siddetle ve zevkle tavsiye ederim.
• 
  Barry

  This book is difficult to rate because I thought it was really well-plotted and rather amateurishly written. Three stars may be a bit generous but the plot really was quite interesting and held my attention throughout.
  
  Riley Paige is an FBI agent who seems to have a sixth sense for sniffing out criminals and criminal activity. She is a brilliant but seriously troubled cop. Unfortunately, some of her troubles were portrayed in a rather silly manner as was some of her brilliance.
  
  In Once Gone, she is on the trail of a very elusive serial killer and this pursuit takes her on quite a roller coaster ride.
  
  I can't really recommend the book because of the poor quality of the writing nor can I condemn it to mystery book hell because of the interesting plot.
  
  The End
• 
  Carol

  This is not starting out to be a spectacular reading month for me...or maybe I am becoming too critical. At any rate the 1 star I gave this mystery (???), police procedural (???) ...again, was extremely generous. Meet Riley Paige...Special Agent with the FBI and her p_ _ _ _ _whipped, lapdog partner, Bill. We learn right away that the case was given to Riley because "she is the best agent the FBI has", or...to hear them tell it...EVER HAD! If that's truly the case...Heaven Help Us ALL!!! I'm pretty sure that she hates the entire male gender. She spent 75% of her time handcuffing and questioning men that had done nothing wrong except be born male and breath air. I borrowed a thought from another reviewer that expressed my feelings for this book SOOOO much better than I could and I totally 150% agree with. "She had the sole authority to assault, arrest, and violate the rights of anyone she might FEEL to be guilty with impunity makes this more of a super-hero comic book than a legitimate novel for adult readers." Thank you, Steve...whoever you may be, for summing this up so beautifully. I also liked the reviewer that suggested it be read in the bathroom and the pages used for an entirely different purpose.
• 
  Viencienta

  Abandono, con esta traducción horrorosa y tal como está colocado el texto no puedo seguir, me saca constantemente de la historia. Quizá si lo cojo en inglés... pero así desde luego no.
• 
  Rosa Dracos99

  Me ha costado mucho terminarlo, pero no por los personajes (muy carismáticos) ni por la trama (bien desarrollada); sino por la traducción. Pese a que no soy purista y que normalmente me pasan desapercibidos errores gramaticales u ortográficos que otros lectores comentan, me parece que el castellano (español o latino) no es ni primera ni segunda lengua del traductor. Tiene un gran problema con los verbos: no distingue el indicativo del subjuntivo; usa la voz pasiva de forma incorrecta; tampoco sabe diferenciar correctamente los verbos ser y estar; usa distintos tipos de pasado en el mismo párrafo... Tampoco conoce la diferencia entre el trato de usted o el tuteo, ya que en la misma frase y con el mismo interlocutor, usa ambos; no tiene en cuenta que existe la doble negación... y muchas cosas más.
  Si añadimos que la tipología usada no es la habitual (en lugar de guiones para indicar diálogos, usa comillas), se me ha hecho muy ardua la lectura; ya que había frases tan mal escritas que me cortaba la concentración.
  Solo seguiré con la serie si me apercibo de un cambio de traductor.
• 
  Ivy - Hearts Books.

  Riley is foolhardy with a serious death wish so boohoo to all her sorrows and issues. I really expected more from this read but it was like watching a really bad imitation of a criminal minds episode that revolves around one narcissistic character. I DO NOT recommend this read.
• 
  Jerry B

  We continue to marvel at the literal quantity of author Pierce’s output – but now we suggest the secret – he (or she?) just writes the same book over and over. We’ve now read the first MacKenzie White, the first Keri Locke, and the first Riley Paige (herein in “Once Gone”) to discover that all three are smarter or better or more beautiful or more perceptive than all their partners or colleagues. All three women are such undisciplined law enforcement officers that they routinely put themselves in life-threatening danger, ignoring normal procedure (and often their boss’s orders) to pursue usually serial-killer villains only they have been able to identify. They all get fired or suspended for their efforts, only to be saved at the end by their inferior counterparts who are only too glad to immediately welcome them back to the fold.
  
  We totally enjoy female crime-solving tales, but we need a little more variety and skill than represented in these three “thrillers”. Good grief!
• 
  Charley Girl

  Ok, so Riley Paige is one messed up chic. Bad childhood, bad husband, captured by a serial killer. Yikes!
  
  I feel badly for Riley but for some reason she annoyed me. She is a FBI agent and has an instinct that others do not have. BUT throughout the story she has the epiphanies that say, "I have the killer" and she ends up being wrong and thinking about it. She then "goes with her gut" to find the killer. Isn't going with your gut and having a great instinct the same thing?
  
  I read Blake Pierce's Cause to Kill and Cause to Run and I felt kinda of the same way about the stories. I like them but they are just so-so.
• 
  Dario

  Bello bello .. storia molto intrigante .. ed e’ solo il primo capitolo della serie .. serie che divorerò come un forsennato. Alla prox.
• 
  Susanne Gulde

  My first mistake was listening to the audio. It's narrated by a woman with a British accent, overly dramatic, and making U.S. FBI agents and citizens sound like a Monty Python skit. And surely someone could have told her how to pronounce Yosemite...at least I think that's where she was talking about.
  The story itself confused me. How could a Special Agent who is known for her wonderful instincts jump to so many conclusions and go after the wrong people?
  Maybe these books read better than listening, but I don't plan to follow with this series.
  
• 
  Anna Willett

  A fast paced gripping thriller. I really enjoyed the first book in the Riley Paige Mystery series. The writing was tight and the action kept on coming. The main character, Riley Paige was flawed and believable. I'd certainly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good crime novel. Will definitely read the other Riley Paige novels.
• 
  Tulay

  Gruesome murders.
  
  Riley character author created is hard headed and trying to find the serial killer. Acting reckless, suffering from PTSD. Failed marriage, very angry teenage daughter, she can't communicate. Works outside the FBI rules and regulations, her partner wants her help but can't stop her. Okay ending, also starting of the next book. Don't think I'll read it.
• 
  Michelle Glatt

  Ugh. Not a mystery because there were no clues, red herrings, etc. Not a thriller because the peril/confrontation was over in a couple of paragraphs. Read like a poor episode of a TV crime show. No depth at all. Skip it.
  
  One more thing: the audio. British narrator for a book set in America about an FBI agent was a bizarre choice.