Appearances can be deceiving. And in Southern California, where the sun shines almost every day and make-believe has its own industry, it¿s hard to tell what is real and what is merely illusion. Two inquiries come to MDPI on the same day that seem like fairly straight-forward missing person cases. But it doesn¿t take long to discover there¿s nothing ordinary about the disappearance of two … beautiful sisters from Minnesota and an estranged heiress who has never touched her eight-figure fortune.While Madeline¿s partner, Mike Delaney, heads down to Los Angeles to search for his cousin¿s vanished girlfriend and her sister, Madeline heads to San Luis Obispo in hopes of picking up a twelve-year-old trail at a Catholic boarding school. Their separate pursuits lead them into a world where a frightening reality hides behind a glossy veneer. With several lives hanging in the balance, Mike and Madeline are faced with daunting odds and ruthless criminals who will kill to keep what they have taken.¿Girl Trap¿ is the third novel in the Madeline Dawkins series.
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I received a copy of Girl Trap by Cynthia Hamilton from my daughter at Christmas. I had never read any of the books by this author before, but they had been highly recommended to me.
The Blurb
A seemingly simple missing persons case leads two PI’s into the criminal secrets of California’s rich and powerful in this West Coast mystery thriller.
When a pair of sisters step off the bus from Minnesota and promptly go missing, it seems like a simple case for private investigators Madeline Dawkins and Mike Delaney. But when the trail leads them to a strange heiress who has never touched her eight-figure fortune, Madeline and Mike give up hope for a quick and easy solution.
The case will take Mike deep into his troubled past, and Madeline into a cold case that could expose the dirty deeds that have made people wealthy beyond imagination, at a deadly cost for others to pay. Ruthless criminals will go to any length to protect what they have built, and it will take all of Madeline’s intelligence and grit to tear down the whole rotten mess without getting crushed.
The Review
Girl Trap is the third book in the Madeline Dawkins Series by Cynthia Hamilton, although it can be read as a stand-alone. It is a fast paced detective series with exciting storylines and interesting characters.
In Girl Trap, the main characters, Madeline and Mike, are working on different missing women cases so the reader gets two stories at the same time. Madeline is looking for Hannah, who has been missing for ten years because her mother is dying and wants to reconcile with her estranged daughter before she dies. Of course, what unfolds is a completely different story that has a very unexpected ending that I did not see coming.
Mike, however, is looking for his cousin Jesse’s missing girlfriend and her sister and this storyline leads you into the dark and murky world of woman trafficking and I could not put this book down.
Cynthia Hamilton knows how to write a well thought out thriller that gets the readers invested in the plot and the characters. I highly recommend Girl Trap. It is an exciting, engaging story.
The Author
I started my writing adventure in 2000, when a collection of bizarre symptoms forced me to find a creative outlet I could pursue from bed. Since then, I’ve written several novels and two memoirs. I love creating characters and setting them down in situations to see how they react. My latest effort—The Patience of Karma—is the fifth book in the Madeline Dawkins Mystery Series, a concept that came to me out of the blue one day, and has been a gift that keeps giving. I’m proud of the way Madeline has gone from being the victim to being the champion of others.
I didn’t start reading for pleasure until I was nineteen. But once I discovered the joy of stepping inside someone else’s imagination, I was forever hooked. Because of the magic I experienced when I read, I believed writing was something I would never be capable of doing. It was only when I forgot that I couldn’t write that I discovered that I actually could. I still read a lot – I always have multiple books going at once – and I’m still getting a thrill out of testing my characters’ strengths. Both pursuits help me to better understand my fellow human beings and the complexities of life.
I’m deep into the sixth installment of the Madeline Dawkins series, cooking up more trouble for the MDPI team. The series is now in the capable hands of Severn River Publishing, with an eye on at least 8 Madeline adventures and a new series set in New Orleans. And I’m thrilled to announce an audio version of Madeline’s debut novel “Spouse Trap” will be released in Sept. 2020.
When time permits, I share behind the scenes looks at books written by me or some of my author friends on my Goodreads blog, “The Story Behind the Story.”
You can also find me at http://cynthiahamiltonbooks.com and Twitter (@AuthorCynthiaH) and Facebook: http://bit.ly/2IDnLcF
Please feel free to contact me. I love to discuss reading and writing!
Val Penny
Girl Trap is the third book in the Madeline Dawkins series by Cynthia Hamilton is such a suspenseful book. I have read all the books in this series so far and I swear it gets better with each book. This storyline is amazing and the author writes it and its characters so amazing that you feel yourself being pulled into the book. Mike and Madeline are working on 2 cases at the same time in this book that take their toll on these characters when things are revealed. Can they solve both mysteries apart and come out on top? You will be hooked at the edge of your seat reading this book, as I could not put it down.
Girl Trap (The Madeline Dawkins Series Book 3) by Cynthia Hamilton
This series gets better with each book and this is now my favorite of the series. I was sitting at the edge of my seat flipping pages as fast as I could just to find out what was going to happen.
Mike and Madeline are working separately for the first time since opening up their agency. Mike’s in LA helping his cousin while Madeline is in San Louis Obispo trying to track down a daughter who doesn’t want to be found. I liked Madeline from the beginning but I think I love her now. She is a bad chick and not afraid of anything at this point. And holy cow, what about Mike!? He moved up the ladder a lot after reading this.
Two very determined people will get things done and they certainly do here. I absolutely loved this book and highly recommend you give it a read.
Nothing is as it seems in Southern California where the weather is perfect and Hollywood isn’t too far away. MDPI is set to investigate two missing persons cases. Two beautiful Minnesota sisters and there’s nothing ordinary about their disappearance but the disappearance of an heiress of an eight-figure fortune goes missing, it begins to raise eyebrows.
Mike Delaney, Madeline’s partner, Madeline’s partner has a connection to the missing sisters as it’s his cousin’s girlfriend and her sister. Madeline is on the other side in San Luis Obispo at a 12-year mystery at a Catholic boarding school. These two partners discover a shocking truth behind the glitz and glamour. With lives on the line, the partners face a hopeless outcome and viscous felons who will stop at nothing to get their way.
This book will have you hooked from every page from beginning to end. I’ve enjoyed Madeline’s journey from the beginning of every book in this series. I love Madeline’s search for justice no matter where she is. This one was and is entertaining and original.
Madeline is back with her event planning and PI business with her best friend, Mike. They receive 2 separate missing persons cases that seem pretty straight forward. Mike heads to LA to work on his case and Madeline heads to follow up at a Catholic school.
They start to realize that these cases are not as simple as they appear.
Girl Trap is a little different than the previous Madeline Dawkins novels. Madeline and Mike have their own POV. It’s like two separate stories being told as the bigger picture emerges. It was just as gripping and exciting as I’ve come to expect from Cynthia Hamilton. This story touches on sex trafficking and mental illness. I love how brave she was to include such touchy topics. I would definitely recommend, Girl Trap! ( You should definitely read the first 2 in the series first.)
Girl Trap by Cynthia Hamilton was a great read! Another great addition to theadeline Dawkins mystery series. I was instantly grabbed into the story, just as I was with the other two books in the series. Great plot, great characters, this was a super easy novel to read that was full of all the emotions. I enjoyed following more of Madeline’s and Mike’s adventures, and seeing the story progress. I thoroughly enjoyed this novel and can’t wait to read more!
Girl Trap is the third book in The Madeline Dawkins Series by Cynthia Hamilton. Madeline Dawkins is an event planner and private investigator in Southern California. Madeline and her partner Mike Delaney must work on two cases that seem fairly straightforward at first. While Madeline investigates an estranged heiress in San Luis Obispo, Mike is on his way to Los Angeles to look for his cousin’s missing girlfriend and her sister. They are both about to uncover a terrifying world where the criminals will stop at nothing to keep what they have. Cynthia Hamilton writes yet another thrilling mystery in this series. The author does a wonderful job portraying two different mysteries at the same time. There are difficult topics discussed in this book, such as sex trafficking and mental illness, but the author does so in a tasteful way. I have thoroughly enjoyed this novel and look forward to the last story in the series.
Cynthia Hamilton has once again captivated me with her Third Read in the Madeline Dawkins Series Girl Trap! This book had me hooked from the very beginning. It’s a mentally visual read that has me on the edge of my seat with the twists and turns throughout. This read definitely needs to be read as part of the series, for the complete full effect of the storyline and characters and that you do not miss any vital information. This was an excellent read and can’t wait for more from this series!
When two separate investigations seemed to be linked can Mike and Madeline get to the cause and help those who are lost in the wave of destruction.
We are back with Madeline and as usual she is busy with both businesses but when some asks her to open up a 12 year old case she jumps at the chance, but what lies between the investigation is worst than she could have ever imagined.
While Madeline is looking into the 12 year old boarding school case, Mike decides to investigate the missing persons of two people close to his cousin but when delving into the case he uncovers that the two cases may not be that far apart from each and that the two of them are going to get more than they bargained for when secrets start to become uncovered.
This story delves into the world of human trafficking and it leaves you wrestling with the couple to find the answers to the questions of what has happened to these people. I love the relationship between the main characters and there roles have developed through the two books and now the third. Although this flows quite nicely as a standalone book as Cynthia gives you a brief outline for the history of the previous stories I would recommend you to have read these books before hand, not just for the history but they are great stories too.
This story opens up Madeline to yet more heartache and please has this woman not gone through enough but she keeps sucking it up and carrying in which is one her best character traits. I enjoyed the twists and turns of the story and thought that it had just the right amount of suspense to keep you wanting to read on to get to the end. I was not disappointed and can’t wait to read the final conclusion of this great series. Thank you for great stories and brilliant characters.
Girl Trap (A Madeline Dawkins Mystery Book 3) by Cynthia Hamilton was a fantastic mystery read. With two separate scenarios going on, I felt like I could not put this book down. I loved the twists and turns! Madeline is really coming to life for me and I just love her character. Her strength and resilience really resonates. I really look forward to the next book!
Girl Trap
A Madeline Dawkins Series
Book 3
By Cynthia Hamilton
Another great mystery with plenty of suspense.
Madeline and Mike are at it again. Madeline is searching for a missing young lady, who has been missing for 12 years. She knows something is amiss as she has not touched any of her money. Just not right. Mike on the other hand is searching for his cousin’s missing girlfriend and her sister. Both investigations come on the same day, 3 ladies missing and a small trail takes off. Will all 3 ladies be unharmed? Killed? Runaways?
Cynthia Hamilton has done it again. Her book is loaded with suspense and crime. I love her characters and the story that is wrapped around them. This story never stops, it is smooth, terrifying, tense, and builds a roller coaster. At different points of this book I had fought many emotions. Now I am looking forward to book 4. Great story Cynthia Hamilton!
This book has exceeded my expectations, as well as surprised and delighted me. I love the character development and the way the relationships have evolved. The story is engaging and I was swept away and kept guessing until the end. I really love Cynthia’s writing style and love every book I’ve ever read by her. I seriously can’t get enough. In Girl Trap we read of human sex trafficking and mental illness, and we’re reminded of those sobering, complex issues in our real world. A very good read. It keeps you on your toes and wanting to keep reading g to find out what happens.
Girl Trap by Cynthia Hamilton. This is the third book in the Madeline Dawkins Series. This book kept me in the edge of my seat and I could not put it down. This book could easily be made into a television series and you would absolutely love it. I am glad that I read the previous books so I know the characters and plot. It was filled with mystery. I can not wait for the next book!!!
Girl Trap by Cynthia Hamilton a four-star read that will trap you between the pages. This is number three in the Madeline Dawkins series and they can be read as stand-alone, but I have read them and loved them as a series, as they do each focus on a different story, but I have loved the build of the characters. Madeline and Mike are working together but focusing on different cases and what will happen in those will keep you hooked, but what will happen? Will they race against time and manage to solve the mysteries in time? Or will history come a knocking and knock something loose. I enjoyed this one, not as much as the first two, but I am glad I read it, as it does have some good drama and suspense and has left me awaiting number four.
We are back to the story of Madeline Dawkins yet again Cynthia Hamilton keeps you in your toes. Madeline and Mike are working on a case that turns out to be alot different than they first thought. Missing woman, suspicious and murders this is your book with loads of riddles and alot of danger. Madeline caught up again in all of this she never gets a break does she.
I cannot wait to read the next book in this saga.
Welcome to another Mike and Madeline adventure. Girl Trap by Cynthia Hamilton is the third book in the Madeline Dawkins Mystery series and it is another page turner.
In this book we get two new cases that come in at the same time. The first case is a mother looking for her long lost daughter. Elise is hoping that Madeline and Mike will be able to help her locate her long lost daughter, Hannah. Elise is dying and needs to know who she should leave her estate to once she passes. It is assumed that Hannah will get everything once Elise passes, but since they haven’t seen or spoken to each other in at least a decade Elise is unsure. With no other family to leave her estate to she must enlist the help of MDPI to get some answers.
The second case is a case of two young females that haven’t been seen for at least a week. This case was brought directly to Mike from his cousin Jesse. Jesse woke up to find that his girlfriend was gone after asking him for $30,000 to bail her sister out of some financial trouble. Come to find out the money wasn’t borrowed but stolen. Jesse hasn’t heard from his girlfriend on at least a week and nobody has heard from her sister either. Mike does undercover at a very lucrative restaurant called Stingray. All the leads he has uncovered lead back there and he feels like he will figure out where the girls are if he can find an in. He is able to discover that this business is a front for some activities that may very well be illegal. Maybe these illegal activities have something to do with the girls?
I enjoy this series so much. As much as I love reading about their adventures together I was excited to see them work independently of each other. Though some of it may be a bit predictable at times, it was still entertaining.
5 Stars
Girl Trap is the third book in the Madeline Dawkins series by Cynthia Hamilton. WOW- Cynthia Hamilton certainly puts Madeline and Mike through their paces (and the wringer) in this book and has once again produced a clever and engrossing mystery for us to enjoy. Cynthia Hamilton and the Madeline Dawkins series have quickly become my go-to reads as I can always count on her to deliver an exciting story. The Madeline Dawkins books would make a fantastic television series, and in fact, they remind me a lot of the old Moonlighting series with Cybill Shepherd and Bruce Willis- but with more danger, excitement, and a more modern ‘feel’.
This story takes place three months after the ending of the previous book. Madeline and Mike take on two missing person cases that turn out to be anything but simple. They split the cases and begin their investigation, being drawn out of Santa Barbara in the process. For Madeline, a simple inquiry in an old missing persons case quickly turns deadly. Things are definitely not as they seem. Mike’s missing persons case quickly turns into a very dangerous sex/human trafficking investigation.
With missing women, suspicious circumstances, a spate of murders, two investigations, challenges, riddles, danger, sinister adversaries, and plenty of action- this story really took off. I found it to be a little more intense than the previous two, with more emotion and depth than I had expected. I was on the edge of my seat, with bated breath for parts of the book, while in other parts my heart ached for what the character/s were going through. Ms. Hamilton certainly didn’t hold back, putting her characters (and me) through the wringer. Poor Madeline can’t seem to catch a break, and I was left wondering how much more she can take. But she is one tough, and resilient cookie- who always finds her way through these difficult situations. She’s classy, sexy, intelligent, determined, and skilful- a perfect character for this series.
This is another cleverly crafted story in the Madeline Dawkins series. I have already read book four as I could not wait to find out what Maddie and Mike would get up to next- especially after the way this book ended! So, bring on Book #5!!! I cannot wait!!!
Wonderfully gripping reading!!!!
Thank you, Cynthia Hamilton!