Published by: Ingrid King. Last Updated on: June 28, 2023 by Crystal Uys
Don’t worry, my book reviews have not gone to the dogs. The front cover of Amy Shojai’s debut thriller Lost and Found is a bit misleading, which is why I’m showing the back cover as well. While Shadow, the dog featured on the cover, plays a central role in the book, Macy the Maine Coon makes important contributions to solving the mystery, even if she was relegated to the back cover.
Amy Shojai is a certified pet behaviorist and award-winning author of more than 24 non-fiction pet books. I was intensely curious about her first foray into fiction.
From the publisher:
Animal behaviorist September Day has lost everything—husband murdered, career in ruins, confidence shot—and flees to Texas to recover. She’s forced out of hibernation when her nephew Steven and his autism service dog Shadow disappear in a freak blizzard. When her sister trusts a maverick researcher’s promise to help Steven, September has 24 hours to rescue them from a devastating medical experiment impacting millions of children, a deadly secret others will kill to protect. As September races the clock, the body count swells. Shadow does his good-dog duty but can’t protect his boy. Finally September and Shadow forge a stormy partnership to rescue the missing and stop the nightmare cure. But can they also find the lost parts of themselves?
Even though this description sounds pretty exciting, it doesn’t even begin to convey just how gripping this story is. Amy takes the reader on a masterful thrill ride of suspense that doesn’t let up until the very last pages.
September is an immensely likeable protagonist. All the second characters are well-developed and solid. But not surprisingly, the book’s animal characters are my favorites. The chapters that are narrated to show Shadow the dog’s point of view are reminiscent of books like Bruce Cameron’s A Dog’s Purpose and showcase the author’s thorough knowledge of animals’ behavior and emotions. Macy the cat is all cat, and in an absolutely amazing plot twist, turns out to be the key to…. but you’ll just have to read the book to find out.
If you’re a fan of medical thrillers by the likes of Robin Cook or Michael Palmer, you will absolutely love this book.
Fair warning: don’t even start this book unless you have a good chunk of free time. I started to read this while intending to take a quick break in between household chores one weekend. The chores never got done that day – I couldn’t put the book down.
Visit AmyShojai.com for more information.
I received an advance reading copy of this book from the author. Receiving the complimentary copy did not influence my review.
About the author
Ingrid King is an award-winning author, former veterinary hospital manager, and veterinary journalist who is passionate about cats.
